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A
B
C D E F
G H I J K
L M N O
P Q R S T
U V W X Y
Z |
| Address |
See email
address and host address. |
| Agent |
The commercial
version of the Free Agent newsreader. |
| Alias |
A short name
used to represent a more complicated one. Often used for e-mail
addresses or host domain names. |
| Analog |
A form of electronic
communication using a continuous electromagnetic wave, such
as television or radio. Any continuous wave form, as opposed
to digital on/off transmissions. |
| Archive |
A repository
of files available for access at an Internet site. Also, a collection
of files, often a back-up of a disk or files saved to tape to
allow them to be transferred. |
| Article |
Message submitted
to a UseNet newsgroup. Unlike an e-mail message that goes to
a specific person or group of persons, a newsgroup message goes
to directories (on many machines) that can be read by any number
of people. |
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| ASCII |
Data that is
limited to letters, numbers, and punctuation. |
| Attribute |
A form of command
line switch as applied to tags in the HTML language. HTML commands
or tags can be more specific when attributes are used. Not all
HTML tags utilize attributes. |
| Acceptable
Use Policy (AUP) |
The restrictions
that a network segment places on the traffic it carries. (These
polices used to be more prevalent when the government was running
the Internet backbone.) |
| Backbone |
The major communication
lines of a network. |
| Bandwidth |
The maximum
volume of data that can be sent over a communications network. |
| Bulletin
Board System (BBS) |
A system that
allows you to connect to a computer to upload and download files
and leave messages for other users. |
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| Binary |
Data that may
contain nonprintable characters, including graphics files, programs,
and sound files. |
| BinHex |
A program that
is used to encode binary files as ASCII so that they can be
sent through e-mail. |
| Bit |
The basic unit
of digital communications. There are eight bits in a byte. |
| Bookmarks |
Term used by
some World Wide Web browsers for marking URL's you access frequently. |
| Bounce |
An e-mail message
you receive that tells you that an e-mail you sent wasn't delivered.
Usually contains an error code and the contents of the message
that wasn't delivered. |
| Bits
per Second (BPS) |
A unit of measurement
that expresses the speed at which data is transferred between
computers. |
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| Browser |
A utility that
lets you look through collections of things. For example, a
file browser lets you look through a file system. Applications
that let you access the World Wide Web are called browsers. |
| Byte |
A digital storage
unit large enough to contain one ASCII character. Compare to
bit. |
| Channel |
An Internet
Relay Chat term that refers to a group of people discussing
a particular topic. |
| Client |
User of a service.
Also often refers to a piece of software that gets information
from a server. |
| Coaxial |
A type of wiring
where the signal wire is in the center of a shielded cable. |
| Command
Line |
Line on a terminal
based interface where you can enter commands to the operating
system. Some Internet accounts are command line based. |
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| Compress |
A program that
compacts a file so it fits into a smaller space. This term can
also refer to the technique of reducing the amount of space
a file takes up. |
| Cyberspace |
A term used
to refer to the entire collection of sites accessible electronically.
If your computer is attached to the Internet or another large
network, it exists in cyberspace. |
| Dedicated
Line |
See leased
line. |
| Dial-up |
A type of connection
where you use a modem to connect to another computer or an Internet
provider via telephone lines. |
| Digest |
A form of mailing
list where a number of messages are concatenated, or linked,
and sent out as single messages. |
| Digital |
A type of communication
used by computers, consisting of individual on and off pulses. |
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| Domain |
Highest subdivision
of the Internet, for the most part by country (except in the
U.S., where it's by type of organization, such as educational,
commercial, and government). Usually the last part of a host
name; for example, the domain part of ibm.com is .com, which
represents the domain of commercial sites in the U.S. |
| Domain
Name System (DNS) |
The system that
translates between Internet IP addresses and Internet host names. |
| Dot
Address |
See host
address. |
| Download |
Move a file
from a remote computer to your local computer. |
| E-mail |
An electronic
message delivered from one computer to another. Short for electronic
mail. |
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| E-mail
Address |
An address used
to send e-mail to a user on the Internet, consisting of the
user name and host name (and any other necessary information,
such as a gateway machine). An Internet e-mail address is usually
of the form username@hostname. |
| Encryption |
The process
of scrambling a message so that it can be read only by someone
who knows how to unscramble it. |
| Ethernet |
A type of local
area network hardware. Many TCP/IP networks are ethernet based. |
| Expire |
Remove an article
from a UseNet newsgroup after a special interval. |
| Extension |
An enhancement
or addition to an existing HTML standard. Extensions are usually
referred to in the context of the HTML language. Netscape and
Microsoft utilize extensions to the HTML standards that are
proprietary to their own browser products. See also browser. |
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| Frequently
Asked Question (FAQ) |
Contains a list
of commonly asked questions on a topic. Most UseNet newsgroups
have a FAQ to introduce new readers to popular topics in the
newsgroup. |
| Finger |
A program that
provides information about users on an Internet host (possibly
may include a user's personal information, such as project affiliation
and schedule). |
| Firewall |
a device placed
on a network to prevent unauthorized traffic from entering the
network. |
| Flame |
Communicate
in an abusive or absurd manner. Often occurs in newsgroup posts
and e-mail messages. |
| Forms |
On-line data
entry sheets supported by some World Wide Web browsers. |
| Frame
Relay |
A type of digital
data communications protocol. |
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| Freeware |
Software that
is made available by the author at no cost to anyone who wants
it (although the author retains rights to the software). |
| File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
An Internet
communications protocol that enables you to transfer files between
hosts on the Internet. |
| For
Your Information (FYI) |
An abbreviation
used often in on-line conversations. An FYI is also a type of
Internet reference document that contains answers to basic questions
about the Internet. |
| Gateway |
A device that
interfaces two networks that use different protocols. |
| Gigabit |
Very high speed
(1 billion bits per second) data communications. |
| Gigabyte |
A unit of data
storage approximately equal to 1 billion bytes of data. |
| Gzip |
A file compression
program originally designed to replace the UNIX "compress"
utility. |
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| Hacking |
Originally referred
to playing around with computer systems; now often used to indicate
destructive computer activity. |
| Headers |
Lines at the
beginning of an e-mail message or newsgroup post that contain
information about the message: its source, destination, subject,
and route it took to get there, among other things. |
| Home
Page |
The primary
document for a Web site. All other Web documents at that site
are linked to the home page. |
| Host
Address |
A unique number
assigned to identify a host on the Internet (also called IP
address or dot address). This is usually represented as four
numbers between 1 and 254, and separated by periods; for example,
192.58.107.230. |
| Host
Name |
A unique name
for a host that corresponds to the host address. |
| Hosts |
Individual computers
connected to the Internet; see also nodes. |
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| Hotlist |
A list of your
favorite World Wide Web sites that can be accessed quickly by
your browser. |
| HyperText
Mark-Up Language (HTML) |
The formatting
language that is used to create World Wide Web documents. |
| HyperText
Transport Protocol (HTTP) |
The communications
protocol that enables WWW hypertext documents to be retrieved
quickly. |
| Hyperlinks |
See links. |
| Hypertext |
An on-line document
that has words or graphics containing links to other documents.
Usually, selecting the link area on screen (with a mouse or
keyboard command) activates these links. |
| Internet |
The term used
to describe all the worldwide interconnected TCP/IP networks. |
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| InterNIC |
The NSFNET manager
sites on the Internet that provide information about the Internet. |
| Internet
Protocol (IP) |
The communications
protocol used by computers connected to the Internet. |
| IP
Address |
See host
address. |
| Internet
Relay Chat (IRC) |
A live conference
facility available on the Internet. |
| Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) |
An emerging
digital communications standard, allowing faster speeds than
are possible using modems over analog phone lines. |
| Kill
File |
A file used
by some newsreader software that allows you to automatically
skip posts with certain attributes (specific subject, author,
and so on). |
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| Leased
Line |
A dedicated
phone line used for network communications. |
| Links |
The areas (words
or graphics) in an HTML document that cause another document
to be loaded when the user clicks on them. |
| Local |
Pertaining to
the computer you are now using. |
| Local
Host |
The computer
you are currently using. |
| Logon |
Provides a user
ID and password to allow you to use the resources of a computer. |
| Lurking |
Observing but
not participating in an activity, usually a UseNet newsgroup. |
| Mailers |
Applications
that let you read and send e-mail messages. |
| Mailing
List |
A service that
forwards an e-mail message sent to it to everyone on a list,
enabling a group of people to discuss a particular topic. |
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| Multi-Purpose
Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) |
An extension
to Internet mail that allows for the inclusion of nontextual
data such as video and audio in e-mail. |
| Modem |
An electronic
device that enables digital computer data to be transmitted
via analog phone lines. |
| Moderator |
A person who
examines all submissions to a newsgroup or mailing list and
allows only those that meet certain criteria to be posted. Usually,
the moderator makes sure that the topic is pertinent to the
group and that the submissions aren't flames. |
| Multimedia |
Presenting information
using more than one type of media; for example, sound, text,
and graphics. |
| Network |
A number of
computers physically connected to enable communication with
one another. |
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| Newsgroups |
The electronic
discussion groups of UseNet. |
| Newsreaders |
Applications
that let you read (and usually post) articles in UseNet newsgroups. |
| Nodes |
Individual computers
connected to a network. See also hosts. |
| Online |
Existing in
electronic form (for example, on-line documentation). Also,
connected to a network. |
| Packet |
The unit of
data transmission on the Internet. A packet consists of the
data being transferred with additional overhead information,
such as the transmitting and receiving of addresses. |
| Packet
Switching |
The communications
technology that the Internet is based on, where data being sent
between computers is transmitted in packets. |
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| Parallel |
A means of communication
in which digital data is sent multiple bits at a time, with
each simultaneous bit being sent over a separate line. |
| Peer-to-Peer |
Internet services
that can be offered and accessed by anyone, without requiring
a special server. |
| Ping |
A utility that
sends out a packet to an Internet host and waits for a response
(used to check if a host is up). |
| Pipeline |
A computer Internet
service package. |
| Point
of Presence (POP) |
Indicates availability
of a local access number to a public data network. |
| Port1 |
A physical channel
on a computer that allows you to communicate with other devices
(printers, modems, disk drives, and so on). |
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| Port2 |
An address to
which incoming data packets are sent. Special ports can be assigned
to send the data directly to a server (FTP, Gopher, WWW, telnet,
and e-mail) or another specific program. |
| Post |
Send a message
to a UseNet newsgroup. |
| Postmaster |
An address to
which you can send questions about a site (asking if a user
has an account there, or if they sell a particular product. |
| Point-to-Point
Protocol (PPP) |
A drive that
allows you to use a network communications protocol over a phone
line, used with TCP/IP to allow you to have a dial-in Internet
host. |
| Provider |
Someone who
sells (or gives away, in some cases) access to the Internet. |
| Public
Domain Software |
Software that
is made available by the author to anyone who wants it (in this
case, the author gives up all rights to the software). |
| Remote
Host |
A host on the
network other than the computer you currently are using. |
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| Router |
Equipment that
receives an Internet packet and sends it to the next machine
in its destination path. |
| Serial |
A means of communication
in which digital data is sent one bit at a time over a single
physical line. |
| Server |
Provider of
service. Also often refers to a piece of hardware or software
that provides access to information requested from it. See also
client. |
| Server
Side Include (SSI) |
An SSI is a
command that directs the server to run a program, usually in
the PERL programming language. SSI's are server specific. |
| Shareware |
Software that
is made available by the author to anyone who wants it, with
the request to send the author a nominal fee if the software
is used on a regular basis. |
| Signature |
A personal sign-off
used in e-mail and newsgroup posts, often contained in a file
and automatically appended to the mail or post. Often contains
organization affiliation and pertinent personal information. |
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| Site |
A group of computers
under a single administrative control. |
| Serial
Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) |
A way of running
TCP/IP via the phone lines to enable you to have dial-in Internet
host. |
| Simple
Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) |
The accepted
communication protocol standard for exchange of e-mail between
Internet hosts. |
| Spam |
1. Sending UBE
(Unsolicited Bulk Email) email messages. 2. Posting messages
to inappropriate newsgroups. |
| Subscribe |
Become a member
of a mailing list or newsgroup; also refers to obtaining Internet
provider services. |
| Surfing |
Jumping from
host to host on the Internet to get an idea of what can be found.
Also used to refer to briefly examining a number of different
UseNet newsgroups. |
| Syntax |
A statement
that contains programming code. |
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| T1 |
Communication
lines operating at 1.544M/second. |
| T3 |
Communication
lines operating at 45M/second. |
| Tag |
A slang reference
for commands that are part of HTML. See also HTML. |
| Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) |
The network
protocol used by hosts on the Internet. |
| Thread |
All messages
in a newsgroup or mailing list pertaining to a particular topic. |
| Traffic |
The information
flowing through a network. |
| Unsolicited
Bulk Email (UBE) |
Sending message(s)
to email addresses that did not request the messages. |
| UNIX |
An operating
system used on many Internet hosts. |
| Upload |
Move a file
from your local computer to a remote computer. |
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| Universal
Resource Locator (URL) |
Used to specify
the name and location of a World Wide Web document. Can also
specify other Internet services available from WWW browsers.
For example, http://www.inetconcepts.net. |
| UseNet |
A collection
of computer discussion groups that are read all over the world. |
| User
Name |
The ID used
to log on to a computer. |
| Viewers |
Applications
that are used to display non-text files, such as graphics, sound,
and animation. |
| Virus |
a computer program
that covertly enters a system by means of a legitimate program,
usually doing damage to the system; compare to worm. |
| Virtual
Reality Modeling Language (VRML) |
An experimental
language that lets you display 3-D objects in Web documents. |
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| Web
Chat |
An application
that enables you to carry on live conversations over the World
Wide Web. |
| Worm |
A computer program
that invades other computers over a network, usually nondestructive;
compare to virus. |
| World
Wide Web (WWW) |
A hypertext
based system that allows browsing of available Internet resources.
Also, called the Web. |
| Zip |
Probably the
single most popular file compression and archive program for
PCs. |
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