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ADSL
Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line. ADSL started out as the phone company’s way
to compete with cable TV by delivering both TV and phone service over a
traditional copper phone line. ADSL is currently competing with Cable
Modems for high speed Internet access.
Related: Internet,
Cable Modems
ANONYMOUS FTP
Term
used when a server allows anyone to download or transfer files without
having a login name and a password. In most cases, the login name
defaults to anonymous and the password is your email address.
Related: FTP
APPLET
Programs written
in the Java Programming Language used to run all sorts of applications
over the Internet. Currently, Applets can be seen in a variety of forms
on the Internet, mostly as small animations, scrolling ticker tapes, and
search engines. Applets will soon be found running as word-processors,
spreadsheets, games, and a host of other applications, running directly
from your browser.
Related: Java,
Internet, and Browser
API
Application
Programming Interface – a set of standards used for programming
communication between devices on a computer.
ARCHIVE
A collection of files, compressed or not, stored on a computer
network.
AUTHENTICATION
A security measure used for verifying a user’s identity on a
network.
Related: Login, Password
ARPA
The Advanced
Research Projects Agency, a government agency responsible for defense
research and development of new technologies.
ARPANET
The original
Internet, developed by ARPA in the late 60’s as a method by which
information could still travel on a network and reach its destination in
the event of a nuclear war. The ARPANET used packet switching techniques
that eventually evolved into the ‘standard’ TCP/IP methods used
today.
Related: TCP,
IP
ASCII
The American
Standard Code for Information Interchange. The world-wide standard for
the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and
lower-case Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, and special characters.
There are 128 standard ASCII code, each of which can be represented by a
7 digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111.
ATM
NOT
Automatic Teller Machine! It’s Asynchronous Transfer Mode. A
broad-bandwidth, low delay, cell relay switching and multiplexing
technique. It segments voice, video, video and data information into
53-byte cells.
Related: Bandwidth,
Byte
BACKBONE
A high-speed
line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a
network. The Internet Backbone consists of several high-speed lines
traversing the country, connected at junction points to geographic
regions.
Related: Network
BANDWIDTH
A popular term
that defines the amount of information that can be transmitted through a
connection, measured in bits-per-second. A simple definition is if you
think of a communications line as a water pipe,
Bandwidth is the rate at which water can flow through the pipe,
with bigger pipes transferring more water. Associate this with a line,
and a faster line can accommodate more information at a faster rate.
Related: 56k
Line, BPS, Bit, T-1
BAUD
The
baud rate of a modem is how many bits it can send or receive per second.
Technically, baud is the number of times (per second) that the carrier
signal shifts value – for example a 1200 bit-per-second modem actually
runs at 300 baud, but it moves 4 bits per baud (4 x 300 = 1200 bits per
second).
Related: Bit,
Modem
BBS
Bulletin Board
System. An electronic announcement system that allows dial-up users the
ability to transfer files and shares messages. BBS’s are usually
offered for very specific groups of people and are generally text-based,
relying on PCs or Unix machines with modems that allow dial-up
connections to be created and held to transfer information. There are
millions of BBS'’ throughout the world, most running on single PCs
using DOS or Windows, there are probably some MAC-based BBS’s, but we
haven’t found any yet.
BINHEX
BINary
HEXadecimal. A method for converting non-text files (non-ASCII) into
ASCII. This is still used because many Internet e-mail programs can only
handle ASCII text. Newer programs such as Netscape Navigation 3.0 allow
you to send pictures (usually gifs or jpgs) along with your email.
Related: ASCII,
MIME, UUENCODE, GIFS, JPEG
BIT
Binary
digit. A single digit number in base-2, in other words, either a 1 or a
zero, 1 being “on” and 0 being “off.” This is the most basic
form of computer measurement; for example data transfer rates are
measured in “bits-per-second” or bps.
Related:
Bandwidth, Bps, Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte
BITNET
Because
It’s Time NETwork ( or Because It’s There NETwork). A network of
educational sites separate from the Internet, but e-mail is freely
exchanged between BITNET and the Internet. BITNET machines are usually
large mainframes, and is probably one of the few networks that is
actually decreasing in user-base.
BOOKMARK
A
feature found in nearly all Web browsers. Sites visited
frequently can be saved in a bookmark file, that way the site is
accessible with a simple click rather than have to look up the URL each
time.
Related: Browser,
URL
BPS
Bits-Per-Second.
A measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another. A
14.4 modem can supposedly move 14,400 bits per second.
Related: Bandwidth,
Bit
BROWSER
A client program
(software) that is used to look at various kinds of Internet resources.
Examples of Browsers are: Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet
Explorer, Spyglass Mosaic, and others. The browser is the software
program that allows you to navigate through web sites; transfer files,
and view all of those pretty pictures on the World Wide Web. Note:
Browsers are constantly changing to incorporate the latest and
greatest Internet Technologies.
Related: Client,
URL, WWW, Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Home Page
BTW
By
The Way. A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum,
commonly used by lazy typists everywhere.
BYTE
A
set of Bits that represent a single character. Usually there are 8 Bits
in a Byte, sometimes more, depending on how the measurement is being
made.
Related: Bit
CABLE MODEMS
“Modems” that connect to the
Internet via a standard coaxial cable connection, such as those found in
homes with Cable TV. Cable modems offer speeds hundreds of times faster
than telephone modems, but currently are in limited use. Cable Modems
could be the answer to the bandwidth problem – allowing extremely fast
connections speeds and delivering rich, multimedia content without the
wait.
Related: Modem,
Bandwidth
CACHE
Cache
(pronounced as in “cash” money, baby) To “cache” something means
to make a copy of it in a directory somewhere on your computer, where it
can be accessed again later, thereby saving time. In Net Speak, your
cache is the area where your browser “saves” copies of pages that
you’ve visited, in case you want to visit them again. This is done to
save time, your browser does not need to make another complete
connection to display a web page when you hit the “Back” button, it
simply retrieves a copy of that page from cache.
CGI
Common
Gateway Interface. A set of rules that describe how a Web Server
communicates with another piece of software on the same machine, and how
the other piece of software (the “CGI program”) talks to the web
server. Any piece of software can be a CGI program if it handles input
and output according to the CGI standard. CGI programs reside on the
server and are called upon by HTML pages to be executed.
When
you fill out forms on a web page for example, hitting ‘submit’ on a
form will direct the server to run a CGI program to process your input.
Sometimes, but not always, you can see when a CGI program is being run
by looking at the URL of the site you’re visiting – it’ll usually
say somewhere “cgi-bin.” Related: cgi-bin
CGI-BIN
The
most common name of a directory on a web server in which CGI programs
are stored.
The
“bin” part of “cgi-bin” is a shorthand version of “binary”,
because once upon a time, most programs were referred to as
“binaries”. In the current state of the web, most files in the cgi-bin
directory are text-files, written in PERL or some other language and
used to process form input.
Related:
CGI
CLIENT
A
software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server
software program on another computer, often across a great distance.
Each Client program is designed to work with one or more specific kinds
of Server programs and each Server requires a specific kind of Client. A
Web Browser is a specific kind of Client.
Related:
Browser, Server
COOKIE
A
Cookie is a mechanism through which servers can store and retrieve
information on the client side of the connection. Typically, this means
that information submitted by a web browser to a web server via a form
or other interactive method can be stored on the browser machine and
resubmitted when the web server URL is accessed at some point in the
future. Cookies are used to store specific information, allowing it
possible to customize a user’s web surfing experience by directing
sites to display specific information based on the user’s preferences.
A good example of Cookies use is the current crop of “personalized”
Search Engines that keep track of specific data for any given user.
Cookies usually expire after a certain period of time and do not reveal
any sensitive information – so don’t worry, Cookies don’t
contribute much to the “you’re being watched” notion associated
with some Web Sites.
CompuServe
CompuServe
has been around for a long time as an information service, starting out
originally in the 1980’s supplying dial-up users with databases
through which to browse. They are similar to AOL and prodigy in that
they provide access to their own information in addition to global
Internet access.
Related:
AOL, Prodigy
CYBERSPACE
Term
originated by author William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer the word
Cyberspace is currently widely over-used in describing the nature of the
Internet as an ethereal realm where movement of people and data takes
place.
DEDICATED LINE
A
telecommunications line that allows for a direct, permanent connection
to the Internet.
Related:
Internet, Modem
DOMAIN NAME
A
unique name that identifies a location on the Internet. A domain name is
your “address” and signifies the location and type of site.
For example, “baknet.com”, such as “baknet.com/graphics” tells
us that the directory/graphics is actually a subdirectory under the
domain name baknet.com.
Related:
IP Number
DSL
Digital
Subscriber Line. Provides high bandwidth multimedia capability, such as
full motion video/sound and fast internet access across standard copper
wire.
Related:
Bandwidth, Internet
E-MAIL
Electronic
Mail. Messages comprised mostly of text and sometimes graphics or other
files, sent from one person to another electronically.
Related:
Listserv, Maillist
ENCRYPTION
A
way of making data unreadable to everyone except the receiver. Sensitive
information such as credit card numbers and passwords are often
encrypted to maintain security, making it difficult for a third party to
view the information.
Related:
Email, Security
ETHERNET
A
very common method of networking computers in a Local Area Network
(LAN). Ethernet will handle a variety of speeds (usually 10 megabits per
second) and is used everywhere to connect computer networks. Macs, PCs,
and just about any other machine you can think of can be connected via
ethernet cables.
Related:
Bandwidth, LAN
FAQ
Frequently
Asked Questions. FAQs can be found on many web sites and usually signify
a link to a list of the most common questions, FAQs were developed by
people in-the-know as a way to answer common questions without being
asked over and over again.
56K LINE
A
digital phone-line connection (lease line) capable of carrying 56,000
bits-per-second. At this speed, a Megabyte will take about 3 minutes to
transfer. This is 4 times as fast as a 14.4kbps modem.
Related:
Bandwidth, T-1
FINGER
An
Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. The
most common use of Finger is to see if a person has an account at a
given Internet site.
FIRE WALL
Hardware
or software, or a combination of both that separate a LAN from an
external connection. Usually referred to in terms of security, as in not
giving hackers access to information by installing a “firewall”
behind your Internet Connection.
Related:
Network, LAN
FLAME
A
crude comment or number of comments, usually sent by email to express
dissatisfaction on any number of topics. Mail of a nasty or
mean-spirited nature intended to belittle someone or something or
intended to start a Flame War.
Related:
Flame War
FLAME WAR
A
heated verbal exchange, usually consisting of several threaded email
messages that consist of a series of personal attacks, meant to
otherwise berate another human being in a nasty or mean spirited way.
Related:
Flame
FREEWARE
Free
software available on the Internet that can be redistributed to any and
all without charge.
Related:
Shareware
FTP
File
Transfer Protocol. A very common method of moving files between two
Internet sites. FTP is a special way to login to another Internet site
for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many
Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of
material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account
name anonymous, thus these sites are called anonymous ftp servers.
GATEWAY
A
description of any mechanism that provides access to another system,
e.g. AOL and CompuServe could be called gateways to the Internet.
GIF OR .GIF
Graphics
Interchange Format. Graphics format developed by CompuServe for
compressing file sizes, used everywhere on the World Wide Web. GIF files
are highly compressed and this format works well for line art, or
combinations of line art, text, and photographs. Both GIF and JPG file
formats are found on the Web because of the format’s ability to shrink
file size, thereby reducing download time.
Related:
JPG, PNG
GOPHER
A
popular text-based method of making menus of material available over the
Internet. Gopher is a Client and Server program which requires that the
user have a Gopher Client program. Gopher was once an extremely
effective way to traverse mountains of information, but has now been
replaced by the World Wide Web. However, Gopher Servers still exist on
the Internet and are still in use.
Related:
Client, Server, WWW, Hypertext
GRAPHICS
Term
used to define art on the web. Internet graphics can consist of photos,
line art, or any combination of several artistic elements. Graphics on
the Internet are generally in either GIF or JPG format.
Related:
GIF, JPG, PNG
HIT
In
Net-speak, a hit refers to the act of accessing an html document on a
server. When you retrieve a “home page”, the server records your
visit as a hit.
Related:
Server, Home Page
HOME PAGE (OR HOMEPAGE)
The
tern Home Page is tossed around with several different meanings. A Home
Page can be a home or “base” page the refers to a specific company
or person’s “entry point” to their web site. A Home page can also
mean an entire collection of documents or an entire site. For example,
“did you see that image about Annapolis on Yahoo’s Home Page” –
that image probably was on one of many pages in the site, but people
still refer to those sub-pages as “home” pages.
Related:
Browser
HOST
Any
computer that acts as a “holding bin” for other computers on a
Network. Hosts usually provide several services to several computers at
once; for example, FTP and WWW capabilities may both be available on a
Host machine.
Related:
Node, Network
HTML
Hyper
Text Markup Language. The language used to create Hypertext documents
for use on the World Wide Web. HTML consists of a series of tags that
surround a word, image, or block of text that describe to the Browser
how the text or image should appear. HTML is the common writing language
of the Internet, and it is how Browser programs such as Netscape or
Microsoft Internet Explorer “read” and display pages on the World
Wide Web.
Related:
Client, Server, WWW
HTTP
Hyper
Text Transport Protocol. The protocol for moving hypertext files across
the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program (browser such as Netscape
or Microsoft Internet Explorer), and an HTTP server program (such as
Apache or the Netscape Commerce Server) on the other end. HTTP is the
main protocol used on the World Wide Web (WWW), and its what allows for
linking of documents across networks using HTML.
Related:
Client, Server, WWW, HTML
HYPERTEXT
Text
that links across directories or networks to more information. Hypertext
is generally displayed as underlined text in its purest form and
signifies the user that the text is a link to another piece of
information in the same document, another file on the server, or another
site altogether.
IMAGE MAP
Any
image that contains a hyperlink within its boundary. For example a
picture of a map of the United States may be converted to an image map
by making each state a clickable link to more specific information.
Related:
GIF, JPG, Graphics
INTERNET
The
mother of all computer networks. The Internet is the whole collection of
single computers and networks worldwide, and is the main term you hear
referred to when people talk about computers these days. The Internet is
actually a “network of networks”, consisting of millions of single
computers and thousands of networks all connected together and
communicating with a common set of protocols, TCP/IP.
Related: Internet, TCP/IP
INTERNET
(Lower case I) 2 or more
networks connected together.
Related: Internet, Network
INTRANET
A
private network usually found within corporations and used to
disseminate information and files over an internet network. Intranets
use the same protocols that Internets use, only not run on a global
scale (like the Internet).
Related:
internet, Internet, Network
IP
Internet
Protocol. Developed by the Department of Defense to allow computers of
different operating systems to share resources over a wide network. IP
in conjunction with TCP is the underlying foundation of the Internet,
and it is how Macintosh, PC, UNIX, SGI, and other computers can access
all of this information the same way.
Related:
TCP, Internet, UNIX
IP NUMBER
UNIX
people refer to this as a dotted quad. Most other use IP Number or IP
Address, which is nothing more than a unique number consisting of 4
parts separated by dots, for example:
151.196.76.192
Every
machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number. Most machines
use one or more Domain Names that are easier to remember, such as www.baknet.com.
Related:
Domain Name, Internet
IRC
Internet
Relay Chat. A huge multi-channel lives chat facility. There are a ton of
IRC servers around the world, which are linked to each other. Anymore
can create a channel and anything that anyone types in a given channel
are seen by all others in the channel. Very similar to the Chat rooms so
popular on AOL only hosted on a (more) global scale. Private chat rooms
are created frequently and are as channels for romance, conference
calls, and classrooms. Server,
AOL
ISDN
Integrated
Services Digital Network. A way to move more data over existing regular
phone lines. ISDN is rapidly becoming available too much of the USA and
in many markets and price has come down considerably. It can provide
speeds of roughly 128kbps over regular phone lines. But most people are
limited to 56kbps.
ISP
Internet
Service Provider. A company or set of companies that provides dial-up
access to the Internet and sell “time” or space to users wishing to
connect via their home or office.
Related:
Internet
JAVA
Java
is a much talked about programming language developed by Sun
Microsystems. The Java programming language allows programs to run and
be distributed over a network securely, making the language ideal for
creating applications that can run from Web Pages. Currently, Java is in
fairly limited use in the form of animations and calculators on web
pages, but you will soon see full-fledged Java Programs (Applets)
offering everything from games to word processing via the World Wide
Web.
JavaScript
JavaScript
is a scripting language meant to be executed from the Web Browser.
Browsers such as Netscape can incorporate JavaScript embedded in an HTML
document to perform all sorts of tasks, such as date/time/stamps, form
parsing, and everybody’s favorite, the scrolling ticker-tape seen on
so many web pages.
JPEG, .jpg
JPEG
stands for the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which was the name of
the organization that developed the image compression standard. Images
saved with the .jpg extension are popular on the web because the file
size can be significantly reduced without noticeable altering the
quality of the image. Photographs, either full-color or grayscale work
well with as JPEG’s. Line art such as CAD files and other vector
graphics do not work well as JPEG’s, they are better saved as. gifs.
Related:
GIF, Graphics
KILOBYTE
A Thousand bytes.
Actually, usually 1024 (2^10) bytes. Related: Byte, Bit
LAN
Local
Area Network. A computer network limited to the immediate area, usually
the same building or floor of a building.
Related:
Ethernet
LEASED-LINE
A
phone line that is meant for 24 hour, 7-day a week use. High-speed
connections, such as T1’s are leased lines.
Related:
56k Line, T-1, T-3
LISTSERV
The most common kind of
maillist.
Related: BITNET, E-mail, and
Maillist
LOG FILE
Usually
a file that keeps track of the number of network connections. On the
World Wide Web, log files are used by servers to track visitors to any
given site.
Related:
Server, Network
LOGIN
1). A name used to
refer to a user of a specific account at a specific location. 2). The
act of “signing on” to
a site or your ISP.
Related:
Password
MAIL BOMB
The flooding of an
e-mail address with messages either flames or junk email.
Related: Email, Flame
MAILING LIST
A
list where many users can participate in ongoing conversations, or
“threads.” In addition, a mailing list on the Internet is now much
the same as the more traditional mailing lists, where monthly updates
can be sent to a variety of users at one time.
MEGABYTE
A million bytes. A
thousand kilobytes.
Related: Byte, Bit, and Kilobyte
MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER
Also
known as MSIE, or just “IE” – The Internet Explorer software
package is Microsoft’s answer to the Netscape. Navigator browser. IE
is another program for navigating and viewing the contents of the World
Wide Web.
Related:
Netscape, Browser
MIME
Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions. The standard for attaching non-text files to
standard Internet mail messages. These files include movies, sounds,
images, or documents created in Spreadsheet or Word Processor programs.
Related:
Browser, Client, Server, Binhex, and
UUENCODE
MODEM
Modulator,
Demodulator. A device that takes an analog signal and converts it to a
digital signal, readable by your computer. The process through which
this occurs is referred to as modulation and demodulation, the constant
switching back and forth between analog and digital. Modems are
connected to phone lines and provide access to the Internet and BBS.
Related:
Internet, BBS
MOSAIC
The
first WWW browser that was available for the Macintosh, Windows, and
UNIX all with the same interface. Mosaic is responsible for the birth
and rapid growth of the World Wide Web. The original source code was
license by a number of companies, including Netscape.
Related:
Browser, Client, WWW, and Netscape
NETIZEN
A
company in Mountain View, CA and the name of a popular browser. The
Netscape ™ browser was originally based on the Mosaic program
developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NA\CSA) in Champaign, Illinois.
Netscape
is one of the most widely used tools for browsing the Internet, and was
the first tool available on many different systems that browsed the Web
in basically the same way. Netscape has grown from a simple browser
application to a full-fledged suite of applications including FTP,
email, and a web page editor. Jim Clark hired the software author of
Netscape, Mark Andersen, and they founded a company called Mosaic
Communications and quickly changed the name to Netscape Communications
Corporation.
Related:
Browser, Mosaic, Server, and WWW
NETWORK
Two
or more computers connected together to share resources form a network.
Two or more networks connected together form an internet (lowercase).
Related: internet, Internet, and
Intranet
NEWSGROUP
Discussion
groups existing as electronic forums. Newsgroups are available for
thousands (millions?) of different topics, and are usually considered
places where kindred souls can compare and discuss various topics.
Related:
USENET
NIC
Networked
Information Center. Any office that handles information for a network.
The best know NIC is the InterNIC, which is where domain names and IP
addresses are registered.
NODE
Any single computer
connected to a network.
Related: Network, Internet, and
internet
OPEN STANDARDS
An
often-talked about series of published specifications that enable
multiple vendors to create independent implementations of a given
technology. Open standards-based products respond to a real user need
for interoperability and ensure that users have a choice of products
from independent vendors. On the Internet, companies such as Netscape
support open standards because they offer the user a choice of
applications within a given framework of protocols.
Related:
Netscape
PACKET SWITCHING
The
method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet switching,
all the data coming out of a machine is broken up into chunks, each
chunk has the address of where it came from and where it is going. These
chunks of data are routed along their merry way by special machines
called, you guessed it, routers. As packets of data head out on the
Internet, routers make sure that they reach their destination, where
they are then “unchunked” and put back together into their original
format.
Related:
Routers
PASSWORD
A
code, usually a series of letters and numbers that identify that a user
has permission to access a specific resource.
Related:
Login
PLUGIN
In
Net speak, a plugin is an additional program designed to work in
conjunction with your browser to display special Web Site effects that
are not part of basic HTML, such as sound, video, animation, and virtual
reality. Plugins reside in the “plugins” directory of your Browser
and are called upon to perform special functions. Plugins are
usually free and occasionally become part of future browser releases.
Good examples of plugins are Real Audio, Shockwave, Adobe Acrobat,
VOSAIC, and the Quicktime VR plugin from Apple.
PNG
Portable
Network Graphic. A new file format originally intended to replace GIF,
PNG compresses graphics as well or better than the standard GIF and JPG
formats. PNG has not yet become a standard on the Web, with Netscape
Navigator being the only browser able to use these images (with a Plugin).
Photo editing programs such as Photoshop are only just now offering the
ability to save graphic in PNG format.
Related:
Plugin, GIF, and JPG
POP
Point
of Presence and Post Office Protocol. A Point of Presence means city or
location where dial-up access can be offered. For example, if we say we
now have a POP in Annapolis, we mean that users in Annapolis can dial a
local number to connect to our service. Post Office Protocol refers to
the way e-mail software gets mail from a mail server. Your POP account
tells the email software the location of your mail.
Related:
SLIP, PPP
POSTING
A
single message entered into a network communications system. E.g. A
single message posted to a newsgroup or message board.
Related:
Newsgroup
PPP
Point
to Point Protocol. The protocol that allows you to dial up to the
Internet using a standard phone line and a modem thus connects you to
the Internet.
Related:
IP Number, Internet, SLIP, and TCP/IP
POTS
Plain
Old Telephone Service. Term used to define the standard analog telephone
lines spanning the country.
PRODIGY
Prodigy
is an online service similar to AOL and CompuServe in that they offer
all of the capabilities of an Internet connection, in addition to
special information available only to Prodigy members.
Related:
CompuServe, AOL
…No
entries for Q yet, but we’re looking.
ROUTER
Routers
are the traffic cops of the Internet. Routers spend most of their tome
sending packets of information along their merry way, making sure that
information eventually gets to its destination.
Related:
Network, Packet Switching
SEARCH ENGINE
Programs
available on the Internet usually disguised as complete sites such as
Yahoo, Alta Vista, or Infoseek that allow users to find what they’re
looking for in the expanses of the Internet.
Related:
Yahoo!
SECURITY
A
loosely defined term in Internet-speak that either refers to hardware
security (the “bolting down” of a computer to keep it physically
safe) or data security. Data security is the most often talked about, as
it involves using encryption, passwords, and other special techniques to
keep information from prying eyes. The slow growth of commercial
transactions on the Internet is due largely to the fact that it is not a
secure environment.
Related:
Encryption, Password, and Authentication
SERVER
A
computer that “serves” information, i.e., the machine that gives you
the Web page your looking for, graphics and all. The term can refer to
actual Hardware, such as a SUN SPARCstation file server, or to software,
such as the Netscape Commerce Server software package. Servers come in
many flavors, and run a myriad of software applications.
Related:
Client, Network
SERVER-SIDE INCLUDE
A
file or environmental variable included in an HTML document that is
recorded by the server to track such things as last date modified
user-preferences, etc.
Related:
Server, HTML
SHAREWARE
A
popular form of “try-before-you-buy” software widely available on
the Internet. Usually software such as games, for example, will be
offered as shareware, meaning that the game is not the full version and
you must buy the full version after trying the shareware version.
Shareware programs often have an expiration date and are governed by the
Shareware license, which is a system of rules governing the use of
software released as shareware.
Related:
Freeware
SHELL ACCOUNT
An
application that allows you to use another person’s Internet
connection. A shell account on a Unix server, for example, would allow
you to FTP or telnet to the server and issue commands as if that
server’s Internet connection were your own.
SIGNATURE FILE
A
text file (ASCII) stored and accessed by your mail program that appends
your email with whatever type of text you desire. Signature files are
commonly used to append closing remarks and addresses automatically to
the email message, thereby eliminating the need for you to re-type
everytime you send an email. Some extremely witty individuals like to
add thoughts for the day or other sayings as their signature file.
Related:
ASCII
SLIP
Serial Line Internet
Protocol.
Related: Internet, PPP
SPAM (OR SPAMMING)
A
very offensive way of using the Internet as a means by which to
broadcast the same information on many levels. For example, all of that
junk email you receive can be considered Spam, as would the same
postings to several newsgroups be considered spamming.
Related:
Maillist, Newsgroups, and USENET
SYSOP
System
Operator. Typically, an overworked individual who is responsible for the
day-to-day operations of a computer or network of resources. The SYSOP
makes backups, creates accounts, and troubleshoots, among other things.
T-1
Leased-line
connections capable of carrying data at 1.54 Megabits per-second. Mainly
access and presence providers, in addition to large companies use T-1
lines.
Related:
56K Line, Bandwidth, Bit, Byte, Ethernet,
and T-3
T-3
A Lease line, similar to
a T-1, only much, much faster.
Related: 56K Line, Bandwidth, Bit, Byte, Ethernet, and T-1
TCP/IP
Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Originally designed for use on UNIX
machines, TCP/IP is the collection of protocols that defines the
Internet. TCP/IP software is now available for every kind of computer,
from PCs to Macs to SGIs and everything in between.
Related:
IP Number, Internet, and UNIX
TELNET
The
command and program used to login from one Internet site to another. The
telnet command/program gets you to the login: prompt of another host.
TERMINAL
A
device that allows you to send commands to a computer at another
location Basically, a terminal acts as though the connected computer was
actually the keyboard used to access the main machine. When your
computer becomes a terminal, or is used in terminal mode via telnet, a
remote machine, not on the computer in front of you is actually
processing the commands you issue on your screen.
UNIX
A
computer operating system designed for multi-users. It is extremely
common on Internet Servers.
URL
Uniform
Resource Locator. Basically, it is how you get to an “address” on
the Internet. A URL can be web-based, such as http://www.baknet.com,
ftp-based, such as ftp.baknet.com,
or any other commonly used Internet transfer protocol. URLs are
typically what you type in your browser window that tells the browser
where you want to go.
USENET
A
global system of interconnected forums, broken into discussion areas,
called newsgroups.
Related:
Newsgroup
UUENCODE
Unix
to Unix Encoding. A method for converting files from Binary to ASCII
(text) so that they can be sent across the Internet via e-mail.
Related:
Binhex, MIME
VERONICA
No,
not the song by Elvis Costello, VERONICA stands for Very Easy Rodent
Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives and was developed at
the University of Nevada. VERONICA is a dynamic database of the names of
almost every menu item on thousands of gopher servers. It is no
surprise….
Related:
Gopher
WAIS
Wide
Area Information Servers. A commercial software package that allows the
indexing of huge quantities of information and then making that
information searchable.
WAN
Wide
Area Network. Any network that covers an area larger than a single
building or campus. For
example, the University of Maryland WAN not only covers the University
of Maryland in College Park, but also all of the satellite campuses in
Baltimore, the Eastern Shore and beyond.
Related:
Internet, internet, LAN, and Network
WWW
The
World Wide Web. Often referred to as the complete and all-encompassing
collection of works available to anyone with access to the Internet,
regardless of the protocol used. Specifically, WWW referse to the vast
collection of hypertext servers (HTTP servers) which are the servers
that allow text, video, graphics, sound files, and all of that good
stuff to be mixed together.
Related:
Browser, FTP, Gopher, HTTP, Telnet, URL,
and WAIS
X
If
you know of any “X” words that deal with the Internet (other than
the X-Files, of course), Let Us Know!
YAHOO!
One
of the oldest search engines on the Internet. Yahoo is a full-fledged
Web Site that categorizes anything and everything on the World Wide Web.
Related:
Search Engines
Z
…Can’t find any Internet-related “Z” words yet, but
we’re looking.
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