The Dictionary of Internet Terminology
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The Internet is filled with seemingly compilicated tems and acronyms. I hope to demystify many of these in this list of all-important Internet terms.
Applet, n. a small program written in Java that can be embedded in web pages
Bandwidth, n. The speed at which information can be transfered, usually over the Internet or a network
Bit, n. The smallest measure of computer storage, a bit can store one of two values
BMP (Bitmap), n. a file format for storing images, not well suited for the web
Browser, n. a program that retrieves HTML from the Internet, interprets it, and displays it.
Byte, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to eight bits
Cable Modem, n. a modem that uses the fiber-optic cable that is used for television to transfer data, they have a very high bandwidth
Cache, n. the space on the hard drive reserved for storing visited web pages so they will load quicker when they are visited again.
Cache, v. to store something in cache
CGI (Common Gateway Interface, n. the interface that allows communication between web pages and server-side applications
Chat, v. to talk in a chat room
Chat Room, n. a location on the Internet or a major online provider where people can type messages to each other
Download, v. to retrieve a file from a remote computer
E-Mail (Electronic Mail), n. Mail sent electronically, usually over the Internet or a network
Floating Frame, a frame that is not restricted to the side of the browser window, this feature first appeared in Microsoft Internet Explorer
Frame, n. a box anchored to one of the sides of a web page that may contain HTML, this feature first appeared in Netscape Navigator
Freeware, n. computer programs that you may use free of charge
FTP (File Transfer Protocol), n. part of TCP/IP, a protocol used for sending files between computers
FTP, v. to send files to a server using FTP
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), n. a file format for storing images that may contain animations, best used for simple drawings
Gigabyte, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to 1,024 megabytes, 1,048,576 kilobytes, 1,073,741,824 bytes, 8,192 megabits, or 8,388,608 kilobits
Hexadecimal, n. a number system that has 16 digits: 0 through 9 and a through f, it is often used in computers
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), n. a markup language that is used to design web pages such as this one
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), n. a protocol for transfering HTML documents
ISP (Internet Sevice Provider), n. A group that allows the use of their servers to access the Internet usually in exchange for money
Java, n. a platform-independent programing language that is often used for web programming, see APPLET
Javascript, n. a scripting language similiar to Java that can be embeded into web pages without compiling, Javascipt programs can manipulate some of the elements in a web page
JPEG, n. [named after the group that developed it, The Joint Photographic Experts Group] a file format for storing images, best used for photographs
KB, n. stands for kilobyte
KbPS (Kilobits per Second), n. a measure of bandwidth that shows the number of kilobits that can be transfered every second, a 28.8kbps modem can transfer 28.8 kilobits per second under optimal conditions
Kilobit, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to 1,024 bits, or 128 bytes
Kilobyte, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to 1,024 bytes or 8 kilobits
MB, n. stands for megabyte
MbPS (Megabits per Second), n. a measure of bandwidth that shows the number of megabits that can be transfered every second under optimal conditions
Megabit, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to 1024 kilobits, 1,048,576 bits, 128 kilobytes, or 131,072 bytes
Megabyte, n. a measure of computer storage, is equal to 1,024 kilobytes, 1,048,576 bytes, 8 megabits or 8192 kilobits
Microsoft Internet Explorer, n. a web browser developed by Microsoft
Modem (Modulator/Demodulator), n. a device used to send information between computers, usually over the phone
Multi-Player Game, n. a game that is played by more than one person, usually through the Internet or networks
Netscape Navigator, n. a web browser developed by Netscape
Perl (Practical Extraction and Report Language), n. a platform-independent language commonly used with CGI
Ping, v. to test the ping time of a remote server; part of TCP/IP
Ping Time, n. the time it takes for a message to be sent from a computer to a remote location and back measured in milliseconds
Platform-Independence, n. the state or quality of being platform-independent
Platform-Independent, a. capable of running on any computer or operating system
Protocol, n. a standard by which computers can communicate
Scripting Language, n. a small programming language that can be embedded into a web page without being compiled, scripting languages can be used to manipulate some of the things in a web page
Shareware, n. a computer program that you may try before you buy, but you must pay money (or "register") to get the full version; shareware programs often lack many of the features of the complete game as an incentive to register
TCP/IP (Terminal Connect Protocol/Internet Protocol), n. the protocol used for sending information over the Internet
Telnet, n. remote terminal emulator, allows control of a remote command prompt; part of TCP/IP
Upload, n. to send a file to a remote computer
VBScript, n. a scripting language similar to Visual Basic that can be embedded into web pages without any compiling, VBScript can be used to manipulate some of the things in a web page
Web Browser n. a program that retrieves HTML from the Internet, interprets it, and displays it
Webmaster, Webmistress, n. a person responsible for maintaning an internet server; sometimes used improperly as web designer
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