Internet Glossary

click on the first letter of the word you want to look up

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W Z

A

administrative address

The address to use to join an email discussion group or interest group and to send requests for services.

animation

multiple graphic images that display one after another simulating animation, for example: four different images of a hand waving, when displayed one after the other looks like the hand is moving

anonymous FTP

A means of using FTP to make files readily available to the public. If you start an FTP session with a remote host, you give the log in or user name anonymous and enter your email address as a password. When you use a URL starting with "ftp://" and a domain name with a Web browser, an anonymous FTP session begins, and you don't have to enter a user name or password

applet

A computer program written in Java™. Applets are similar to applications, but they don't run as stand-alones. Instead, applets adhere to a set of conventions that let them run within a Java-compatible browser. They are stored on the web server but run on the web client machine

article

A message or file that is part of a Usenet newsgroup.

ARPAnet

ARPA is the acronym for Advanced Research Project Agency, the U.S. Department of Defense agency that funded the development of the first computers that linked networks across great distances. The ARPAnet was the forerunner of the Internet.

B

attachment

files that "ride along" with e-mail. A way to use e-mail to send graphic files, text files, program files, and data files - any type of disk file you wish to send with the e-mail.

Bandwidth

the range of frequencies that can pass along a cable or communications media, how much stuff you can cram onto a network, a wider bandwidth means more information in a shorter time

baud

(Pronounced bawd) The speed at which a modem or other device is capable of transmitting data, technically measured in the number of times the signal can change per second. (Baud rate is commonly, but incorrectly, assumed to mean the number of bits per second, which is not the same measurement.)

BBS

software that allows users to post and read messages left by others

Boolean searching

Searching that uses Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT) in the search expression. Especially helpful in multifaceted or specific topics, Boolean operators help expand or narrow the scope of your search. A search for rivers OR lakes returns all documents with both words or either word in them. A search for rivers AND lakes returns documents with both words in them. A search for rivers AND lakes NOT swamps returns only documents that mention both rivers and lakes but omits those that also mention swamps.

Bookmark

A computer procedure that allows a user to save a network site's URL for the purpose of easy return. Accessing a bookmark links the user directly to the desired site, without the trouble of normal connection pathways.

browser

A client software program used to search networks and retrieve and display copies of files in an easy-to-read format. Today's standard browsers can also draw upon associated programs to play audio and video files. Microsoft® Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are examples of widely used browsers.

C

cache - disk

When you read a web page it is stored in a disk cache. If you request the page later (today or another internet session) the browser first checks to see if the page is available in cache memory. This makes the access faster than having to go on the Internet to get the web page.

CERN

Conseil Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, Switzerland, where in the late 1980s a team of pioneering engineers under the leadership of Timothy Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web technology.

Chat (IRC -Internet Relay Chat)

A networked software program that enables multiple users to carry on real time "conversations" with each other by typing messages on their computers and sending them over a local network or the Internet.

clients

hardware and programs that provide access to network resources by working with the information on a server.

client/server

The interaction between a system that requests information (the client) and another system that provides it (the server). The browser is the client, and a computer at the site that provides the information is the server.

Compressed file

a file that has been made smaller with a compression program, see ZIP

cookie

A server, when returning an HTTP object to a client, may also send a piece of information which the client will store. The object is called a cookie. A cookie is a file stored on the web client's hard disk by the web server and used to identify your computer or your preferences to a remote computer. Cookies are frequently used to identify visitors to Web sites. When you revisit the site at a later time the cookie identifies you to the site as a prior visitor. Cookies originate from a Web server and are stored on Web client's hard disk. The next time the Web client visits the site from which the cookie originated, it passes the cookie back to the server. The server can then customize it's response based on prior user interests stored in the cookie. This mechanism provides a powerful tool which enables a host of new types of applications to be written for web-based environments. Shopping applications can now store information about the currently selected items, for fee services can send back registration information and free the client from retyping a user-id on next connection, sites can store per-user preferences on the client, and have the client supply those preferences every time that site is connected to.

copyright

copyright laws determine ownership and use of published material. You should not use copyrighted material in e-mail and on your own web pages. It is not legal to electronically reproduce any copyrighted work, in whole or in part.

cross-posting

Posting an article to more than one Usenet newsgroup.

CuSeeMe

Video Conferencing software developed at Cornell University that allows you to transmit a video image from a camera mounted on your monitor, others can see/hear you and you can see and hear the other people logged in. CuSeeMee requires a high speed line so it can not be done from home on the typical dial up line.

D

discussion group

A group that discusses a single topic via email messages. An individual subscribes to or joins a discussion group electronically, and all messages sent to the group are distributed to the members by email. see list server

domain name

On the Internet, the name of a computer, or group of computers, used for identifying the electronic (and sometimes geographical) location of the computer for data transmission. The domain name frequently contains the name of an organization and always includes a two- three-letter suffix that designates either the type of organization or the country of the domain. For example, in the domain name cayuga-cc.edu, cayuga-cc is the name of the organization and edu, short for education, indicates an educational organization. Other suffixes used within the United States include gov (government), com (commercial institution), org (organization, usually a non-profit institution), and net (general; sometimes commercial, sometimes not). Outside the United States, two-letter suffixes denote the country of the domain for example uk (United Kingdom), de (Deutschland, or Germany), and jp (Japan). The URL http://www.mgcars.org.uk means a site on the web that uses HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), the site is named mgcars, it is a non-profit orgainzation located in the United Kingdom

downloading

The process of requesting and transferring a file from a remote computer to a local computer and saving the file on the local computer, usually via a modem or network.

E

e-mail or electronic mail

A means of sending typed messages from one computer to another over a network. This exchange of data is not interactive. When you use chat the other person is also logged on the internet and instantly sees on their screen what you typed. With e-mail, the e-mail message is logged in to the e-mail server and when the recipient logs on to the computer (sometime in the next year) they will be told they have mail and can then read the mail. E-mail is non-interactive communication, chat is interactive communication.

Encryption

The process of scrambling transmitted information. Encryption screens data from the eyes of undesired parties, and is available in two forms: software encryption, which is widely used simple to install, and microchip encryption, which is more difficult to install but is faster and more difficult to de-code.

Ethernet

a networking technology to connect over a local area network invented at Xerox

F

FAQ

Short for frequently asked questions, a list of questions and answers posted online to answer inquiries a user might have about a software program or technology. It's a good idea to read the FAQ list before calling or sending an e-mail message for technical support, because a question might be answered right there on your computer.

Favorite

Used to describe a page or address a user wishes to return to on a regular basis. Microsoft Internet Explorer contains a feature called Find Favorites for organizing and saving frequently-accessed Web sites. Netscape uses the term Bookmark.

firewall

Software intended to prevent unauthorized access to a computer network. A company would have a firewall to prevent people using their internet server from getting to files saved on the other side of the firewall. The firewall keeps the intERnet (available for public viewing) user from the intRAnet (company use only)files

flame

An intentionally inflammatory e-mail or newsgroup posting.

form

a web page with a place for the user to create and send data, such as answers to questions. ex: type your name, credit card number, and item being ordered. The form is then submitted over the internet from the client to the server.

frame

When the window for a web site contains several web pages, the screen is split into horizontal or vertical frames, each frame displaying a different web page. Each frame may have it's own scroll bar if there is more data than can be displayed in the frame To see a screen with three frames click here

FTP

Short for file transfer protocol, an Internet protocol that allows users to transfer (upload and download) files to and from other computers.

FTP archive

A collection of files available through anonymous FTP.

G

Gopher

the forerunner of the WWW, a text oriented menu driven way of a web server sharing data with a web client. A linear, hierarchial menu-oriented tool used to locate online resources.

group address

The address to use to send email to each member of a discussion group, interest group, listserv list, or mailing list.

H

hierarchy

A list of subjects in a directory. The subjects are organized in successive ranks with the broadest listed first and with more specific aspects or subdivisions listed below.

history list

a list of the pages you have visited during this current session on the web. Allows you to use the BACK and FORWARD buttons to revisit sites that you previously visited during this internet session.

home page

Has two different meanings. 1. The main page or first page you see when you browse a Web site. Home pages generally contain links to both additional locations within the site, or external sites. 2. this term also is used to indicate the first page your browser displays when you first start the browser.

HTML

Short for hypertext markup language. HTML, the language used to create links, is essential for the display of documents on the Web.

HTTP

Short for hypertext transfer protocol, the protocol that's the basis of World Wide Web technology. HTTP is the set of rules governing the software that transports HTML documents along the Internet.

hyperlink

A reference or link, in the form of specially coded text or a graphic image, from some point in an HTML document to another point in the same document, or to another document somewhere on the World Wide Web, or to a specific point in another document on the Web. Clicking a hyperlink will jump you to the other linked point or document.

I

image file

a disk file containing a graphic image. Typically it will have a file name extension of .GIF or .JPG. Other graphic file extensions used but not found as commonly on the internet are .BMP and .TIF

internet

In its most general sense, an internet is a large computer network made up of a number of smaller networks. When capitalized, it refers to the physical network of networks that makes possible the Web, global e-mail, news groups, chat rooms, etc. The physical connections (computers, phone lines) of a global network that uses various protocols such as FTP, WWW, gopher.

Internet2

A second global network developed starting in 1997 by a group of large universities so researchers won't face the normal internet delays as the internet becomes more crowded. These researchers will have a route for their internet transmissions that is different than the typical home user of the internet. There are two different physical lines making up these two Internets.

Internet Explorer

a World Wide Web browser developed by Microsoft

intranet

A private network within an organization. Intranets frequently use Internet protocols to deliver content. Often protected from the Internet by firewalls.

Internet phone

Internet phone software allows you to have voice communication with other Internet users who also have the appropriate software. You have a microphone and speakers on your computer

IRC

Internet Relay Chat - a protocol on the internet that allows on line interactive communication between people all linked to a common server simultaneously. Also known as chat rooms. As you type on your keyboard the text is displayed on the screens of the other people logged in to the chat room. You see on your screen what others type as they type it.

IP address

a protocol telling how packets on the internet are addresses and routed. The Internet protocol address of a computer connected to the Internet, usually represented in dot/decimal notation, as in 127.120.2.4

ISDN

Short for integrated services digital network, a network that acts as a digital-connection service for telephones and other communication devices. An ISDN connection can provide relatively high-speed access (up to 128,000 bits per second) to the Internet.

ISP

Short for Internet service provider, a service that provides organizations and home users with access, via the ISP's servers, to the Internet. Most charge a monthly or annual fee and offer access to the internet for the purpose of e-mail, browsing the web, using FTP, etc.

J

Java™

An object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems used to create applets, or programs that can be distributed as attachments to Web documents. An applet can be included in an HTML page, much as an image can be included. When you use a Java-capable browser to view a page containing a Java applet, the applet's code is transferred to your system and executed by the browser.

JavaScript

A language developed by Netscape Communications to add interactivity to web pages. It has little to do with Java the language, but Javascript is supposed to work across platforms and browsers

L

LAN

Acronym for local area network, a network connecting two or more computers within a relatively small area, often the premises of an organization, for the purpose of communicating and file-sharing.

listserv

A group of programs used to manage mailing lists by automatically distributing, adding, and deleting messages posted to the list. You subscribe to a listserver and any e-mail postings to the listserv are automatically distributed as e-mail to all subscribers

link

Short for hyperlink, a link refers to a hot spot in a Web document and is usually highlighted with a different color than the surrounding text. Links can be clicked to open an object in the same or another database, a different document, or an HTML page on the Web or a local intranet.

lurking

Reading the email or articles in a discussion group or newsgroup without contributing or posting messages.

M

meta-search tools

Tools that allow you to search either more than one search engine or directory simultaneously or a list of search tools that can be accessed from that site.

modem

Acronym for modulator/demodulator, a hardware device that connects one computer to other computers, or to the Internet, over a standard telephone or ISDN line. A modem can be either internal, built into a computer, or external. An external modem is a small box on a computer with cords connecting the computer to a telephone. Modems are categorized by the speed at which they deliver data, measured in baud. Today's standard dial up phone line modems operate at 28,800, 33,600 or 56,000 baud. Cable modems transmit at a significantly faster rate than is available through modems that use phone lines. Cable modems use the cable TV lines in your home or office to transmit the internet image from your cable tv company. You use your cable tv company as your internet service provider. However, cable modems cost more and are generally rented from your cable tv provider instead of buying them.

moderator

A person who manages or administers a discussion group, interest group, listserv list, mailing list, or Usenet newsgroup. In most cases, the moderator is a volunteer. Messages sent to the group are first read by the moderator, who then passes appropriate messages to the group.

moderated discussion

An online mailing list or newsgroup that is monitored and edited by an individual to filter out unrelated or off-topic postings.

MUD

Multiuser dimension - an interactive multi-player game played by a group of people all logged on to the same server

multimedia

Term for any content that combines text, sound, graphics, and/or video. Multimedia files have extensions like .avi, .mpeg, .mov, .wav, .mid, . AVI means a windows video file, MPEG means another video format, .MOV means quick time video, .WAV means a sound file, .MID means a midi music file. Many of these type of files require a special program to use the file. The programs usually can be downloaded from the internet to allow you to use the file.

N

Net

When capitalized, this is an abbreviation for the Internet

netiquette

The combination of net and etiquette, an unwritten code of rules for preserving civility on, and efficient use of, the Internet.

Netscape Navigator

a World Wide Web browser developed by Netscape Corp.

newbie

Condescending term for an inexperienced user, or someone who is new to the Internet.

newsgroups

Groups or forums on the Usenet in which users send e-mail to a newsgroup server to share information, ideas, tips, and opinions on a particular subject. Newsgroups are organized by topics that number in the thousands. You can browse postings and send e-mail postings. See USENET

newsreader

a program that allows you to read and respond to USENET newsgroups

O

online service

A paid service subscription that provides an easy way to connect to the Internet and they have their own content for you to view. Features of an online service might be news reports or financial information, presented in an organized format. The popular online services are America Online (AOL)and MSN, The Microsoft Network.

P

packet

The internet uses packet switching. A packet is a body of information that is passed through the Internet, being sent from one Internet server to another (switching) until it reaches the destination. It contains the sender and receivers addresses and the item that is being sent. Internet Protocol is used to route and process the packet.

Packet Switching

instead of a dedicated connection between two computers, messages are divided up into packets and transmitted over the network. Once all the packets arrive at the destination, they are reassembled into the original message.

page

An individual frame of content on the World Wide Web, defined by a single HTML file and referenced by a single URL.

platform

The hardware and system software that are the basic foundation of a computer system.

portal

a web site that offers numerous services, from search engines to headline news to free e-mail, so users will come to them first when visiting the web page. Users have their web browser use the portal as their start page when the browser starts up

post

To send a message to an online publication or community.

plug-in

A software component or module that extends the capability of an application, usually to enable it to read or display files of a specific type. In the case of Web browsers, plug-ins enable the display of rich content such as audio, video, and animation.

protocol

A system of rules or standards for communicating over a network, particularly the Internet. Computers and networks interact according to protocols that determine the behavior each side expects from the other in the transfer of information.

pull

pull model is the traditional method where the user goes out on the internet to locate desired data and "pulls" the material back to your browser to view, read, listen, etc. See PUSH.

push

the "push" model allows content providers to automatically deliver material directly to your desktop. An example would having the latest news scroll across your screen continuously or on a scheduled basis. Using the push model brings information to your desktop automatically instead of making you go out and do a search. See PULL

R

robot

See spider.

Router

a switching device that directs packets between sections of the internet or any network. The router reads the packet's header and directs it in the fastest direction

S

search engine

A software application or service that maintains an index of topics at various web sites. Search engines are used to locate files on an intranet or the Web. Search engines constantly visit sites on the web to update the catalog or index of web pages. They keep current their catalog. Search engines save you time by seeking out web sites and creating a catalog of descriptions of web sites that are likely to contain information you want. A few of the most common Web search engines include Excite, Yahoo!, WebCrawler, Infoseek, and Lycos, but new search engines are added constantly.

server

A computer, or its software, that "serves" other computers on a network by administering files and network operations. The computers served by a server contain client software . A browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, is an example of client software. This client software locates web pages saved on the disk drives of the server computer and displays the web page contents on the client's computer screen.

smiley

little faces made out of keyboard characters, in e-mail, chat, newsgroup postings, turn your head sideways to read
smile :-) surprise :-o wink ;-) unhappy :-(

SPAM

Electronic garbage and junk postings, often of a commercial nature, typically sent to many uninterested recipients.

spider

A computer program that travels the Internet to locate such resources as Web documents, FTP archives, and Gopher documents. It indexes the documents in a database, which is then searched using a search engine (such as AltaVista or Excite). A spider can also be referred to as a robot or wanderer. Each search engine uses a spider to build its database.

status bar

The bar or rectangular region at the bottom of the browser window that displays information regarding the transfer of a Web document to the browser. When the mouse moves over a hyperlink, the status bar shows the hyperlink's URL. When a Web page is requested, the status bar gives information about contacting and receiving information from a server. During transmission, the status bar displays a percentage that reflects how much of the document has been transferred. The status bar also indicates whether transmissions are occurring in a secure manner.

streamed audio

Sound files captured in real time in an audio file or transmitted over the Internet in real time. A plug-in to a Web browser decompresses and plays the data as it is transferred to your computer over the Web. Streaming audio or video eliminates the delay that results when you download an entire file and then play it with a helper application.

To join a discussion group, interest group, listserv list, or mailing list. You use this term when writing commands to join such a group and to list a Usenet newsgroup on your newsreader.

surf

Slang for "to browse the Internet." Can refer to browsing aimlessly, rather than seeking out specific content.

T1/T3 phone lines

leased phone lines (as opposed to the dial up lines we have in our home) that provide high speed good quality transmission. These lines have been conditioned to assure accuracy at high speeds. T1 lines transmit an 1,544,000 bits per second. T3 lines transmit at 44,736,000 bits per second. See Modem to see the speeds we get from our computer at home.

T

TCP/IP

Short for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, the two protocols that govern the way computers and networks manage the flow of information over the Internet. TCP (transmission control protocol) is the protocol for packaging the data that is being transmitted. IP (internet protocol) is the protocol for the method of identifying internet server addresses. See IP addresses

Telnet

A terminal emulation program used for logging on to another computer, especially a large, mainframe computer such as those containing the online catalogs of libraries. When you use Telnet to log on to a library's computerized catalog, you are gaining access to the files that constitute the library's records. A college student would use telnet to log onto their college's computer from home and check to see if they have any e-mail.

U

UNIX

an operating system developed at AT&T Bell Labs in the late 1960's. Written in the programming language C, which made it easier to port to other platforms. The operating system for many of the larger servers on the Internet.

unsubscribe

To leave, sign off from, or quit a discussion group, interest group, listserv list, or mailing list. You use the term when writing commands to end a relationship with a discussion group or to remove a Usenet newsgroup from the list of those you would regularly read.

uploading

The process of transferring a file from a local computer to a remote computer via a modem or network.

URL

Short for uniform resource locator, the address that specifies the electronic location of an Internet resource (file). A URL usually consists of four parts: protocol, server (or domain), path, and file name—although sometimes there will not be a path or file name. Here's an example of a URL on the World Wide Web: http://m331.cayuga-cc.edu/barth/glossary.htm The http is the protocol, m331 identifies the network at the site, this part of the URL is used if a site has several networks connected to the internet, cayuga-cc.edu is the server/domain, /barth is the path (folder) on the server's disk, and glossary.htm is the file name.

Usenet

A system of electronic bulletin boards on which readers can share information, ideas, tips, and opinions. See Newsgroups

V

virus

With reference to computers, a malicious, human-created program that searches out other programs and "infects" them by embedding a copy of itself. When an infected program runs, the virus is activated. A virus may passively reside for a while within a computer, unknown to the user, sometimes spreading to other locations, or it may run immediately. When it runs, it can have any number of effects, ranging from the appearance of annoying but harmless messages on the computer screen to destroying files on the computer's hard disk. Computer viruses are spread by the introduction of files into a computer from another computer, via disk or over a network (including the Internet). A wise computer user will make use of an up-to-date anti-virus program, available commercially by downloading from numerous Internet sites.

W

the Web

Short for the World Wide Web.

web page

an HTML document that is available to a browser running on a client machine. A web page is saved as a file on a web server computer.

white pages service

A search service available on the World Wide Web that finds the email or street address of an individual, business, or government agency.

wildcard

A character that stands in for another character or group of characters. Most search tools use an asterisk for this function. Although the wildcard is most often used in truncation, it can also be used in the middle of words (for example, wom*n).

World Wide Web

A collection of multimedia content, connected by hyperlinks and providing an easy, graphical interface for navigating the Internet. A protocol used on the Internet

Z

zip files

Zip files are compressed files, files that have been made smaller with a compression program. These compressed files can be transferred more quickly than an uncompressed file. You will have to use a compression program to unzip the file unless it is a self extracting file. Self extracting files will automatically unzip (or decompress) when you double click on them. If the file has the extension .zip it is compressed and must be unzipped. If the extension is .exe it is probably a self-extracting file. It will uncompress itself when executed.