UCS: The Ultimate Computer Source
A Thinkquest 1999 Entry
Front |
Teach | Thinkquest | About UCS
[ History -
How? - Internet -
Programming - Glossary
- Bugs - Operating
Systems ]
Click here for graphical
version
P-Z
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
P -
(back to
top)
Packet Switching
Packet switching refers to how data packets (data traveling to or
from a server) are divided into chunks, each chunk possessing the
desired data, the server it came from, and the server its going
to. After it gets to the intended source, the packets are put back
in order.
Pascal
A somewhat educational programming language designed to teach
advanced programming methods and to be a stepping stone to C.
Perl
Perl is a language usually used to make programs for CGI, like
guestbooks, administration tools, counters, and others.
Petabyte
An exabyte is 1000 petabytes. A petabyte is 1000 terabytes. A
terabyte is 1000 gigabytes. A gigabyte is 1000 megabytes. A megabyte
is 1000 kilobytes. A kilobyte is 1000 bytes. A byte is 8 bits. A bit
is either a 0 or a 1, which is true or false, on or off symbolically.
Anything that is 1000 of something is not 1000 of it literally.
For example, a megabyte is not really 1000 kilobyte, but is close.
Most memory names (exa peta tera giga mega kilo) are 1024 of the name
lower than them, but it's usually rounded off to 1000.
Ping
A ping is a small network signal sent to a server intended to be
bounced back to the original computer. It is used to measure
latency (slowness) between the two computers. A ping is similar to
a hop time on a traceroute.
Plug-in
A plug-in is a (usually) small program or data that can be added
to a larger program, adding new features to that program. Without
plug-in's, a person could have to download a program each time
just to get the new features, and for a program like Netscape,
that would be way too time consuming. Programs like Netscape and
Adobe Photoshop use plug-ins. Plug-in's could also be called
addons.
POP
Pop can mean one of things:
1. Point of presence. A point of presence is an area (like a city
or a town) where a network is connected to. A point of presence
could be used to make dial-up internet access, for instance
2. Post Office Protocol. Post Office Protocol is the way in which
email programs like Netscape mail, Eudora, Pegasus, and others
receive mail from a mail server. Sending mail involves an SMTP
server, using its own protocol.
Port
Port can mean one of a few things:
1. A physical port allowing for a wire connection or a plug, like
a serial port.
2. Every network node has ports, which are just numbers from
around 1 to 99999. Ports are just used to access different
programs that may be running on the same address. Every server
daemon operates on a port, like a MUD, a UNIX login (default port
23), a web server (default port 80), or an IRC server (default
port 6667). Some daemons automatically connect you to the right
port, that's why you may not notice it all the time. Just
telnetting to a server probably leads you to port 23. Accessing an
HTTP server usually automatically sends you to port 80.
3. A version of a program that is made to run on another operating
system, like a port of Pine (a UNIX email program) to Windows.
PPP
PPP stands for Point to Point Protocol. It is the protocol that
allows a computer to access TCP/IP and actually be on the
Internet.
Print Spooler
A print spooler intercepts print information, and then spools it
into the printer when it is convenient. It is essentially
background printing. This allows for much speedier printing. The
actual term spool is an acronym that stands for Simultaneous
Peripheral Operation On Line.
Programming
Programming is the coding of programs in instructional form. While
to a novice computer user some programs seem magical and easy to
use, in general, programming powerful programs is difficult and
time consuming. Some languages have been made as stepping stones
to others. Here is a semi list of popular languages that when
learned in order can make learning programming easier:
Logo
Basic
Pascal
C
Protocol
A protocol is a set of instructions and rules that are followed
when information is exchanged. A protocol handles exchanged
information.
Proxy
A proxy is a server that acts as a firewall between a user an a
network in that the user is connecting through the proxy server,
which sort of relays the network signal to the target desired. The
benefit of this (for an ISP running a proxy for web access) is
controlled security and added user protection.
Q -
(back to
top)
QWERTY
QWERTY is a kind of layout for a keyboard. It is derived from the first letters
on the keyboard on the top in order, Q W E R T Y. QWERTY keyboards are the standard and
default keyboards used today. Another, less kind of used keyboard is a Dvorak keyboard,
made by a man who believed that keys should be arranged based on how often they're used.
So the E key would be on the "home row," and the Z key would not be
in such a convenient location.
R -
(back to
top)
rlogin
Rlogin stands for Remote Login, and allows someone to work on one
computer, but execute commands on another, remotely.
Router
A router is a computer or software that handles incoming and
outgoing network packets. A router spends all its time scanning a
packet, and routing it to wherever it needs to go.
S -
(back to
top)
Server
A server usually means a computer connected to the internet
running some type of server daemon.
Shell
A UNIX or Linux (or clone)'s command interpreter. A shell is a
program which reads, interprets, and executes commands that you
input. Some popular shells are Bash, Tcsh,
and Csh.
SLIP
SLIP stands for Serial Line Internet Protocol. It allows for a
computer to become a real site on the Internet, similar to PPP.
SLIP is becoming less and less used as people switch over to PPP.
SMTP
SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is the protocol
used by email programs to send mail to other email accounts.
Spam
Spam can mean a few things:
1. Unsolicited mail that either contains an advertisement,
pornography, or something equally useless and or annoying.
2. On a talker or mud or system in which a user fills the screen
with text in order to annoy everyone.
Spamming is (as of time of print) only illegal in California, but
is highly immoral and goes against everything the Internet has
become to be and stands for.
Spanning
Spanning is a process/technique in which a large file is split up into smaller files so
that the file can be divided over multiple floppy disks. For example, by spanning a five
megabyte file, a user could place the file on 3-4 floppies since a standard floppy disk
can only hold about 1.4 megabytes.
Spider (Web Spider)
A web spider is a robot used by search engines to map out web
sites, by accessing every link on a site, then every link on each
links site, etc. This can lead to a very powerful search engine
database, such as Altavista.
SQL
SQL stands for Structured Language Query. It is a programming
language used to interact with information in a database. While
each SQL program has its own unique features, all programs made
with it support a common amount of it in them automatically.
SSL
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a protocol made by
Netscape to enable secure encryption of data over the Internet.
SVGA
SVGA stands for Super Video Graphics Adapter. It supports many
resolutions and up to 16 million colors.
Symbolic Link
A symbolic link is an alias of a file or a directory. For example
if a directory was pub/files/programs/windows/browsers/netscape/netscape4,
that would be very inconvenient. A symbolic link could
refer to it as 'netscapev4' and if someone entered that directory,
it would in fact take them to pub/files/mystuff/programs.... and
so on.
SysOp
Sysop stands for System Operator. A SysOp is usually the
maintainer/boss of a networked system, like a BBS, a Talker, a
MUD, IRC, etc.
T -
(back to
top)
T-1
T-1 is a high speed connection used in most network servers. It is
capable of speeds of 1,544,000 bits per second, which is a megabyte
in less than 10 seconds.
T-3
T-3 is an even higher speed connection on a dedicated line used by
only advanced networks due to their cost. It is capable of speeds
of 44,736,000 bits per second, which is more than enough for full
motion full screen video over the Internet, which is 10,000,000
bits per second.
Talker
A talker is similar to a MUD only it involves more social
interaction than a MUD. One of the most popular Talker systems is
Nuts (by Neil Robertson), all though there are many other systems
like IForms, and many many Nuts rewrites.
TCP/IP
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol). It is the most used network protocol ever created. It
is used to enable computers to communicate with each other. HTTP,
rlogin, telnet, FTP, and other such things all utilize TCP/IP.
Telnet
Telnet is a protocol that allows client programs to connect to
'ports' or 'sockets' of host servers. Telnet uses text, and has
become the home of countless MUDs, Moos, and Talkers. But Telnet
can also be used to access mail servers, UNIX logins, and other
server daemons that run with text on a server port.
Terabyte
Approximately 1000 gigabytes of information. Terabytes are only
used by big corporate companies as of yet, due to their high cost.
Terminal
A terminal is a computer that is used to send commands to another
system. Some telnet programs emulate terminals when accessing
systems like a UNIX system.
U -
(back to
top)
URL
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is used to refer to
certain computer or certain files on a computer. This is usually
used for web pages. Basically, a URL is a web site address.
HTTP//www.advanced.org is a URL.
Usenet
Usenet, or news is a bulletin board system made up of servers that
contain messages left by users, who can post their ideas or
thoughts, or respond to someone else's message. It has been
estimated to reach about 10 million people overall.
UUENCODE
UUENCODE is a protocol similar to BinHex in that it converts
unattached binary packages into text to be transmitted through
email.
V -
(back to
top)
Variable
A variable is used in program to assign information to a keyword
to be used later in the program.
VGA
VGA stands for Video Graphics Adapter. It was developed by IBM in
1987 to replace the inadequate EGA made by IBM a few years before.
VGA is a video mode that supports up to 250 colors, a bare minimum
for sold computers today in the field of graphics.
Virus
A virus is a program that sneaks its way onto computers to either
disrupt files on a computer, launch prank type messages or sounds,
or reproduce itself so many times that the hard drive is filled to
the maximum and the computer is disabled. Viruses are forms of
warfare that have become the fear of many system administrators
and computer owners, causing them to use Virus Detecting/Cleaning
programs to remove them.
VRML
VRML stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. It is a
programming language that allows creation of 3d environments by
use of Polygon creation, and the ability to change light
positions.
W -
(back to
top)
WAN
WAN stands for Wide Area Network. It is like a LAN in that
connected computers to the WAN share resources and data, but a WAN
can have computers connected from distances larger than computers
connected to each other in a college campus.
Wais
Wais is an internet information database service that makes
finding information easier when using a web sites internal search
engine.
Warez
Warez is a term meaning illegal pirated software.
Webmaster
The owner or maintainer of a site or webpage is usually called the
Webmaster of the page.
Wildcard
A wildcard is something like ? or * which is used to stand for
'anything.' For example, in UNIX, if you wanted to delete all 50
text files in a directory, file1.txt, file2.txt, etc, it would
take way too long to type rm file#.txt one at a time. A wild card
could be used, such as: rm *.txt. That means "Remove anything.txt,
which is every text file in the directory."
WWW
WWW is the World Wide Web. It is a collection of servers,
databases, and programs that are connected to each other by means of
HTTP, FTP, Gopher, etc. It allows people to retrieve such vast
amounts of data that it has been one of the most important
technological developments of our time in the area of communication and
sharing of knowledge.