INTERNET JARGONS
(Alphabetical Order
A -Z)
Anchor
Synonymous with hyperlinks, anchor refers to non-linear links among
documents. Or more simply put, it's the word or phrase that can be selected
to connect to another page or resource.
Anchor Color
You guessed it--the color on screen that represents the anchors. The reason
so many are blue is that is often the default color. This color can be
changed to any combination of red, green and blue.
Agent
Agents are search tools that automatically seek out relevant online
information based on your specifications. Agents are also called intelligent
agents, personal agents, knowbots or droids.
Annotations
Personal notes you can attach to the documents you have saved in your web
browser. The notes are available to you whenever the document is viewed.
Archie
Derived from the word archive, Archie is a net-based service that allows you
to locate files that can be downloaded via FTP.
ASCII
(pronounced "Ask-ee") An acronym for American Standard Code for Information
Exchange, ASCII is an international standard in which numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, symbols and control codes are assigned numbers from 0 to
127. Easily transferred over networks, ASCII is a plain, unadorned text
without style or font specifications.
Asynchronous Connection
The type of connection a modem makes over a phone line, this connection is
not synchronized by a mutual timing signal or clock.
AU Sounds
This is an audio format developed for Sun workstations and often used to
distribute sound clips via the Web.
Authoring Software
This term refers to software that enables the creation of multimedia or
hypertext documents and presentations.
Bandwidth
The range of transmission frequencies a network can use. The greater the
bandwidth, the more information can be transferred over that network at one
time. The term bandwidth also broadly includes throughput, meaning the
amount of data sent.
Baseband
A transmission method in which a network uses its entire transmission range
to send a single signal.
Baud
A unit of speed in data transmission, or the maximum speed at which data can
be sent down a channel. Baud is often equivalent to bits per second. Named
after J. M. E. Baudot (died 1903).
BBS
This is an acronym for Bulletin Board System, a computer equipped with
software and telecommunications links that allow it to act as an information
host for remote computer systems.
BinHex
A file conversion format that converts binary files to ASCII text files.
Bit
A contraction of binary digit, a bit is the smallest unit of information
that a computer can hold. Eight bits is equivalent to a byte. The speed at
which bits are transmitted or bit rate is usually expressed as bits per
second or bps.
Broadband
A transmission method in which the network's range of transmission
frequencies is divided into separate channels and each channel is used to
send a different signal. Broadband is often used to send different types of
signals simultaneously.
Browser
A type of software that allows you to navigate information databases;
examples are Netscape Navigator and NCSA Mosaic.
Byte
The number of bits used to represent a character.
CD-ROM
Compact Disk-Read Only Memory; an optical disk from which information may be
read but not written.
CD-R or Compact Disk-Recordable
Refers to computer peripheral disk drives that allow the user to record
content on to a blank compact disk.
Client
A computer that has access to services over a computer network. The computer
providing the services is a server. Note: in an X-11 environment, the
meanings of client and server are reversed.
Client-Server Architecture
An information-passing scheme that works as follows: a client program, such
as Mosaic, sends a request to a server. The server takes the request,
disconnects from the client and processes the request. When the request is
processed, the server reconnects to the client program and the information
is transferred to the client. This architecture differs from traditional
Internet databases where the client connects to the server and runs the
program from the remote site. Note: in an X-11 environment, the meanings of
client and server are reversed.
Configuration
This is a general-purpose computer term that can refer to the way you have
your computer set up. It is also used to describe the total combination of
hardware components that make up a computer system and the software settings
that allow various hardware components of a computer system to communicate
with one another.
Configure
The act of changing software or hardware actions by changing the settings.
CyberMall
A term commonly used to describe an electronic site shared by a number of
commercial interests.
Cyberspace
A term coined by William Gibson in his novel "Neuromancer" to refer to a
near-future computer network where users mentally travel through matrices of
data. The term is now used to describe the Internet and the other computer
networks.
Dial-up Connection
The most popular form of Net connection for the home user, this is a
connection from your computer to a host computer over standard telephone
lines.
Direct Connection
A permanent connection between your computer system and the Internet. This
is sometimes referred to as a leased-line connection because the line is
leased from the telephone company.
DNS
An acronym for Domain Name Server, DNS refers to a database of Internet
names and addresses which translates the names to the official Internet
Protocol numbers and vice versa.
Document
When used in reference to the World Wide Web, a document is any file
containing text, media or hyperlinks that can be transferred from an HTTP
server to a client program.
Document Window
This is the Web browser's scrollable window in which HTML documents can be
viewed.
Download
To transfer to your computer a copy of a file that resides on another
computer.
DSU
The abbreviation for Digital Services Unit, DSU replaces the modem in
synchronous connections to the Internet.
EDI
The abbreviation for Electronic Data Interchange, EDI system allows linked
computers to conduct business transactions such as ordering and invoicing
over telecommunications networks.
External Viewer
A program used for presenting graphics, audio and video files. Programs that
allow the viewing of GIF and JPEG files and the hearing of AU files fall
into this category.
FAQ
This is the acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. A common feature on the
Internet, FAQs are files of answers to commonly asked questions. Read FAQs
before wasting electrons asking obvious questions. Saves you from receiving
flames.
Firewall
This term refers to security measures designed to protect a networked system
from unauthorized or unwelcome access.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol is a protocol that allows the transfer of files from
one computer to another. FTP is also the verb used to describe the act of
transferring files from one computer to another.
GIF
This acronym stands for Graphic Interchange Format, a commonly used file
compression format developed by CompuServe for transferring graphics files
to and from online services.
Gopher
A menu-oriented tool used to locate online resources developed at the
University of Minnesota, USA.
Gopherspace
A term used to describe the entire gopher network.
Groupware
This term refers to software applications that facilitate shared work on
documents and information.
GUI
An acronym for Graphical User Interface, this term refers to a software
front-end meant to provide an attractive and easy to use interface between a
computer user and application. The Macintosh operating system has a GUI, DOS
does not.
Home Page
The document displayed when you first open your Web browser. Home Page can
also refer to the first document you come to at a Web site.
Hotlists
Lists of frequently used Web locations and URLs (Uniform Resource
Locators).
Host
A computer acting as an information or communications server.
HTML
An acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language, HTML is the language used to tag
various parts of a Web document so browsing software will know how to
display that document's links, text, graphics and attached media.
HTML Document
A document written in Hyper Text Markup Language.
HTTP
The abbreviation for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP is used to link and
transfer hypertext documents.
Hypermedia
The hypertext concept extended to include linked multiple media.
Hypertext
This term describes the system that allows documents to be cross- linked in
such a way that the reader can explore related documents by clicking on a
highlighted word or symbol.
IAB
The abbreviation for Internet Architecture Board, the IAB is the council
that makes decisions about Internet standards.
IETF
The abbreviation for Internet Engineering Task Force, IETF refers to a
subgroup of the Internet Architecture Board that focuses on solving
technical problems on the Internet.
Inline Images
These are the graphics contained within a Web document.
IP
The abbreviation for Internet Protocol, IP refers to the set of
communication standards that control communications activity on the
Internet. An IP address is the number assigned to any Internet-connected
computer.
ISDN
The abbreviation for Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN is a
telecommunications standard that uses digital transmission technology to
support voice, video and data communications applications over regular
telephone lines.
ISOC
This is the abbreviation for Internet Society, an organization formed to
support a worldwide information network. ISOC is the sponsoring body of the
Internet Architecture Board.
JPEG
The acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is an image
compression format used to transfer color photographs and images over
computer networks. Along with GIF, it's one of the most common ways photos
are moved over the Web.
Links
These are the hypertext connections between Web pages. This is a synonym for
hotlinks or hyperlinks.
Live
When used in reference to a World Wide Web file, this term designates an
object linked to another layer of information.
MIME
An acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, MIME is a messaging
standard that allows Internet users to exchange e-mail messages enhanced
with graphics, video and voice. MIME file types are also used in Mosaic.
Mosaic
This is the common name of a World Wide Web multimedia browser program
developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in
Urbana-Campaign, Ill. The official, copyrighted name of the program is NCSA
Mosaic (tm).
MPEG
The acronym for Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG is an international
standard for video compression and desktop movie presentation. A special
viewing application is needed to run MPEG files on your computer.
NCSA
This is the abbreviation for National Center for Supercomputing Applications
at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Campaign.
NFS
The abbreviation for Network File System, NFS is a protocol suite developed
and licensed by Sun Microsystems that allows different makes of computers
running different operating systems to share files and disk storage.
NIC
The abbreviation for Network Information Center, NIC is an organization
responsible for supplying information for component networks that comprise
the Internet.
NOC
The abbreviation for Network Operations Center, NOC is the organization
responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Internet's component
networks.
Node
A device attached to a network. A node uses the network as a means of
communication and has an address on the network.
OSI Model
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model for describing
network protocols was devised by the Internet Standards Organization. It
divides protocols in to seven layers to standardize and simplify
definitions.
POP
An acronym for Point of Presence, POP is a service provider's location for
connecting to users. Generally, POPs refer to the location where people can
dial into the provider's host computer. Most providers have several POPs to
allow low-cost access via telephone lines.
POTS
This is an acronym for Plain Old Telephone Service.
PPP
The abbreviation for Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP is an Internet connection
where phone lines and a modem can be used to connect a computer to the
Internet.
Protocol
A set of standards that define how traffic and communications are handled by
a computer or network routers.
QuickTime
This is a digital video standard developed for Apple Macintosh computers.
Special viewing applications are needed to run QuickTime movies.
Router
A communications device designed to transmit signals via the most efficient
route possible.
Search Engine
This term refers to a program that helps users find information in
text-oriented databases.
Server
A computer system that manages and delivers information for client
computers. Note: in an X-11 environment, the meanings of client and server
are reversed.
SGML
The abbreviation for Standard Generalized Markup Language, SGML is an
international standard for the publication and delivery of electronic
information.
Shareware
This term refers to software that is available on public networks and BBSs.
Users are asked to remit a small amount to the software developer, but it's
on the honor system.
SLIP
The acronym for Serial Line Internet Protocol, SLIP refers to a method of
Internet connection that enables computers to use phone lines and a modem to
connect to the Internet without having to connect to a host.
Socket
This is a communication mechanism originally implemented on the BSD version
of the UNIX operating system. Sockets are used as endpoints for sending and
receiving data between computers.
Synchronous Connection
An analog to analog or digital to digital connection that is able to perform
two or more processes at the same time by means of a mutual timing signal or
clock.
T-1
High-speed data line connection. T-1 operates at 1.45 Mbps.
Tags
These are formatting codes used in HTML documents. Tags indicate how parts
of a document will appear when displayed by browsing software.
TCP-IP
The basic protocols controlling applications on the Internet; it stands for
"transmission control protocol/Internet protocol."
TIFF
This is the acronym for Tagged Image File Format, a graphic file format
developed by Aldus and Microsoft. Mosaic supports the viewing of TIFF
images.
Trumpet Winsock
A popular, cheerier TCP/IP protocol stack.
URL
This is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator, the addressing system
used in the World Wide Web and other Internet resources. The URL contains
information about the method of access, the server to be accessed and the
path of any file to be accessed.
Veronica
This is a search utility that helps find information on gopher servers.
Veronica allows users to enter keywords to locate the gopher site holding
the desired information. The name is an acronym for "very easy rodent
oriented net-wide index of computerized archives." Honest!
WAIS
The abbreviation for Wide Area Information Service, WAIS is a Net-wide
system for looking up specific information in Internet databases.
WAIS gateway
This term refers to a computer that is used to translate WAIS data so it can
be made available to an otherwise incompatible network or application.
Mosaic must use a WAIS gateway.
Web Browser
This is the software that allows a user to access and view HTML documents.
Examples of Web browsers include Netscape, Mosaic, Cello and Lynx.
Web Document
An HTML document that is browseable on the Web.
Webmaster
This term refers to the person in charge of administrating a World Wide Web
site.
Web Node
This term is synonymous with Web site or Web server.
Web Page
An HTML document that is accessible on the Web.
Web Space
This term refers to the space created by the World Wide Web.
World Wide Web
Also known as WWW or W3, the World Wide Web is a hypertext- based Internet
service used for browsing Internet resources.