Internet Terminology
World-Wide Wed(www)
An Internet-based system that enables an individual or a company to publish itself to the entire world, except to countries or locations that prohibit the free interchange of information. The major service on the internet, the
HTML
HyperText Markup Language: a set of standards, a variety of SGML, used to tag the elements of a hypertext document. It is the standard protocol for formatting and displaying documents on the World Wide Web.
Hypertext
a method of storing data through a computer program that allows a user to create and link fields of information at will and to retrieve the data nonsequentially.
Multimedia
A presentation combining text with pictures, video, or sound.
Domain Name System (DNS)
A computer program running on a web server, translating domain names into IP addresses.
Internet Access Provider
Someone that provides access to the Internet and web hosting.
Dumb Terminal
A terminal that has no internal microprocessor and thus no processing power independent of its host computer.
Wireless Network
Being able to use computers without being wired to a modem
Modem
Hardware equipment to connect a computer to a telephone network Typically used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.
FTP
One of the most common methods for sending files between two computers.
NFS
The file sharing protocol in a Unix network. This de facto Unix standard, which is widely known as a "distributed file system," was developed by Sun. The name is somewhat misleading because NFS is not a disk file system that reads and writes the disk sectors, but enables the operating system to view files on computers in the network as if they were local.
Gopher
A protocol for searching file names and resources on the Internet that presents hierarchical menus to the user. As users select options, they are moved to different Gopher servers. Where links have been established, Usenet news and other information can be read directly from Gopher.
Browser
Search engine for the web
E-mail
Messages sent from one person to another via the Internet.
Applet
See web applet.
ASCII
The first 32 characters are set aside for communications and printer control
Binary
Data in machine readable form.
Bit
The smallest unit of data stored in a computer. A bit can have the value of 0 or 1. A computer uses 8 bits to store one text character.
Byte
A computer storage unit containing 8 bits. Each byte can store one text character.
Client
The communication and separation of workload between a web client and a web server.
Cookie
Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit.
Cyberspace
"Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace.
DNS
A computer program running on a web server, translating domain names into IP addresses.
Domain Name
The name that identifies a web site.
Download
To transfer a file from a remote computer to a local computer. In web terms: to transfer a file from a web server to a web client.
DSL Fire Wall
Software that acts as a security filter that can restrict types of network communication. Most often used between an individual computer (or a LAN) and the Internet.
Flame
To communicate emotionally via e-mail. Just as people might differ about what is polite behavior and what is not, whether an e-mail message is flaming is also in the eye of the beholder. Vulgar cursing would definitely be flaming, however.
GIF
Moving animation.
Gigabyte
1024 megabytes. Commonly rounded down to one billion bytes.
Hit
The number of times a web object (page or picture) has been viewed or downloaded. (See also Page Hits).
Homepage
The top-level (main) page of a web site. The default page displayed when you visit a web site.
Intranet
An inhouse Web site on the company's local area network (LAN) that serves employees only, and almost every medium to large company has an intranet.
Internet
A world wide network connecting millions of computers.
Java
A programming language developed by SUN. Mostly for programming web servers and web applets.
LAN
A network between computers in a local area (like inside a building), usually connected via local cables. See also WAN.
Listerv
a file
Login
place where you sign into a certain cite, program, etc.
Megabyte
1024 kilobytes. Commonly rounded down to one million bytes.
Network
A system that transmits any combination of voice, video and/or data between users.
Password
Security to keep your account safe of hacking.
Plugin
An application built into another application. In web terms: A program built in (or added) to a web browser to handle a special type of data like e-mail, sound, or movie files. (See also ActiveX)
protocol
See Communication Protocol.
Search Engine
Computer program used to search and catalog (index) the millions of pages of available information on the web. Common search engines are Google and AltaVista.
Spam
In web terms: The action of sending multiple unwelcome messages to a newsgroup or mailing list.
Trojan Horse
Computer program hidden in another computer program with the purpose of destroying software or collecting information about the use of the computer.
Upload
To transfer a file from a local computer to a remote computer. In web terms: to transfer a file from a web client to a web server. (see also Download).
Virus
Same as Computer Virus.
Website
A collection of related web pages belonging to a company or an individual.
Worm
A computer virus that can make copies of itself and spread to other computers over the Internet.
