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 Welcome to the glossary! It has over 200 terms that are devided by their first letter, click on a letter below to go to that letter's section of terms. A
ASCII ADSL
Attachment
Bulk E-Mail
Binary Byte
C/C++ Cracker CSNET Chat CERN CompuServe* CGI
CSS CPU
DRAM DHTML (Dynamic HTML) DNS
Domain Name
DOD (Department of Defense) The Department of Defense is a Cabinet-level Organization. Reporting to it are the three military departments (Army, Navy and Air Force) and 14 defense agencies. The DOD supported ARPANET and MILNET in the 1970’s. Dial-Up A dial-up connection is a telephone connection to a system of lines that have many users connected to it. A dial-up connection is maintained for only a limited time, which means it is not connected all the time, only when the user wants to connect. DOS DOS was a very popular operating system for PCs before Windows*. It wasnt anything like windows, users had to type commands instead of just double-clicking an icon to run a program. Directory This is where you keep and organize your files and data, on the computer, FTP, or an online hard drive.
Ethernet Ethernet is the most popular LAN (Local Area Network), it can reach speeds of 10Mbps. EXE EXE is an executable file. When you double click it in Windows (for example) it opens up and the program starts working. It is a set of instructions that make the program work. Eudora* Eudora is an excellent e-mail client like Outlook*, for sending e-mail. It also has nice filtering features. Extranet Extranet is a private network of internet protocols for companies to share their information with vendors, partners, and customers in a secure way. An Extranet is part of the company’s Intranet, and requires security and privacy. Electronic mail works just like real mail, you specify an address, and write a text. The real difference is that an e-mail takes ten seconds to deliver. You need a mail client like Microsoft’s Outlook* to send and receive e-mail. Many services offer free e-mail, and your ISP has probably provided you with one when you signed up.
Fiber Optics Fiber optics are special cables that can transfer data faster, this is very good for internet users by making available fiber optics internet users can connect faster and download at faster speeds. FTP (file transfer protocol) This is used to transfer your files to an online hard drive and your website uses this hard drive to show your pages, file and data. Flash* This is a cool technology developed by Macromedia*, used to make your websites more interactive, you can make interactive movies and games with it. Many websites have flash movies on them since they look good and have a small file size. This site’s introduction was made in Flash*. Firewall A firewall is a security system made up of a set of programs that protects servers from being hacked into and protects from people trying to change stuff in the site with out permission. File A file is data on your computer, it can be a document, executable file or any other kind. Finger A UNIX program that uses e-mail addresses to find information about the user who owns that e-mail address. Filter A filter can be used to filter packets as they are coming into your computer. When the filter software detects an unwanted packet (a word, URL, etc), it will not assemble it and show it on your monitor. A filter could be used to block sites, files, words, and e-mails.
Gigabit Gigabit = 1,000,000,000 bits. There are some networks like Ethernet that can transfer at rates of 1Gbps (Gigabit per second). GET The GET command is the command the browser sends that tells it which file to send out to the user that has requested it. GOPHER GOPHER came before the WWW, it was developed at the University of Minnesota and was named after the school mascot. GOPHER was used to organize and display files in an easy way to access them (hierarchically structured list of files), on Internet servers.
H Hertz Hertz is a unit of frequency of a wave(sound, electric, etc.). It is most used in the term MHz (or Ghz) to determine a chip’s speed. It is named after Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist. HTML HTML = HyperText Markup Language. HTML is used for writing WebPages. The browser decodes it and displays the page on your screen. Images, movies, text and more could be put inside a WebPages using HTML. HTTP HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol(rules for how the modems communicate) is used to exchange files on the WWW. It is one of the most popular protocols on the internet. Hacker A hacker gains unauthorized access to a computer system , and then uses it however he/she wants. A hacker can steal information, delete files, and change files without leaving a trace. A cracker is someone who breaks into systems. Hub A hub is where all the data (packets) comes together, and forwarded somewhere else. A hub includes a switch that forwards the data to the desired location, it can also include a router. Host A computer connected to the network.
I Internet
Internet Explorer* This is a popular browser developed by Microsoft*. The new version has all kinds of options you can play with to make your internet experience better. It’s competitor is Netscape*, and both are free to download. IBM* This is a company that makes PC's (Personal Computers), it was the first company to start manufacturing personal computers. They are one of the best companies out there today. IRC IRC is the original chat medium on the Internet, and is still the most widely used means of chatting with people around the world. IRC is worldwide. More than 100,000 people are online chatting at any given hour, 24 hours a day. This is where the "chat" action is. ICQ* This is a program that lets users chat and send files to/with other people over the internet. It can be people you know or random people that you can meet online.
Intel* The first chipmaker company. It has the best and fastest computer chips. Most of the computers around the world have an Intel* processor inside them. Internet Phone This is where you can talk with a microphone to other people that are connected to the internet. InterNIC* InterNIC is a project by AT&T* and Network Solutions*. NSF supports it. It offers domain registration, database and information.
J Java* Java is a programming language created by Sun* to be used in the internet environment. It is similar to C++, but its simpler then it. It is used to create applications and applets that can be viewed on a WebPages. JavaScript JavaScript is a scripting language. It is simpler then programming languages like Java*, like many other scripting languages. It is used on WebPages and is written in the HTML, to do things HTML cant, like a clock for example. JPEG JPEG = Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG is a file format for pictures. It is a compression technique for color images, and it widely used through out the WWW, along with the GIF file format. JugHead JugHead is tool that was used widely before the WWW got so popular. It is used for searching specific information on GOPER servers. It is a similar to the program Veronica.
K KB KB = KiloByte. 1024 bytes. A unit for computer memory or storage. A byte is 8 bits. A 56Kbps modem will usually download at 3-5KBs per second. Kbps Kbps = Kilobits per second. A unit to measure downloading or uploading speeds. A 56K modem’s speed is 56000 bits per second.
L Listserv Listserv is a program used in BITNET(Because Its Time Network).It is an automatic mailing list server. It was widely used in the 1980’s when BITNET was a popular network. Link In HTML, a link is a reference to another document, or file. When you click a link you go to a page the link directed you to. LAN LAN = Local Area Network. A network of computers sharing files through one server, usually in an office. Ethernet is a technology widely used in LANs. Linux Linux is a free UNIX like, complete operating system for PCs. It is downloaded freely from the net is getting very popular quickly. The Linux Penguin is it’s mascot.
M Modem The device you use to connect to the internet. Every computer requires a modem of some kind to connect to the internet. Modems "talk" to each other with signals, and deliver information. There are many different types of modems, 28.8Kbps, 33.3 Kbps, 56Kbps, ISDN, Cable, and more. Mother Board The main board inside the computer that everything gets plugged into, like the graphic card, sound card, processor, and other memory and different cards. MP3 The most popular sound file format on the internet. It has CD quality at a small file size. You need an MP3 player to play the files. Mbps Mbps = Megabits per second. T1 and T3 lines transfer at rates of Mbps’s. Microsoft* The BIG company that developed windows* ,office* and other useful programs and games. Mozilla The nickname for Netscape’s Navigator* browser. Instead of Netscape Navigator, you could say Netscape Mozilla. It is also used as a mascot for Netscape*. Meta Tag META tags can be very useful for Web developers. They can be used to identify the creator of the page, what HTML specs the page follows, the keywords and description of the page, and the refresh parameter (which can be used to cause the page to reload itself, or to load another page). And these are just a few of the common uses! Mime MIME means multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, and refers to an official Internet standard that specifies how messages must be formatted so that they can be exchanged between different email systems. MIME is a very flexible format, permitting one to include virtually any type of file or document in an email message. Specifically, MIME messages can contain text, images, audio, video, or other application-specific data. MSN* The Microsoft Network* portal, in many languages and has tons of info. Majordomo Majordomo is a program, which automates the management of Internet mailing lists. Commands are sent to Majordomo via electronic mail to handle all aspects of list maintenance Mailing List A mailing list is a list of different e-mail addresses that the user decides to send the e-mail to. Micron A measuring unit used for chip components since they are so small. One micron = One thousandth of a millimeter, or One 25-thousandth of an inch. Mosaic for X The first graphical WWW browser that was developed by Marc Andreessen, who later funded Netscape*. MILNET A network for military purposes. When ARPANET got popular, there was a need for a separate network, so ARPANET separated into two separate networks called MILNET and ARPANET.
N NSF NSF = National Science Foundation. Funded the NSFNET backbone and other internet-related projects. NSFNET NSFNET = National Science Foundation Network. It was created in 1988 by NFSNET with a T1 backbone that has upgraded to T3, and then to ATM. The NSF backbone is the US backbone for the Internet. In 1995 it stopped allowing direct connection to the backbone, and sold the rights to access it to four major companies to create networks that will connect to it. NCP NCP = Network Control Protocol. The early protocol that was used in ARPANET. It was used by ARPANET until the 1980’s when it was replaced by TCP/IP. Netscape* A browser for surfing the net. It is similar to Internet Explorer*, and was funded by Marc Andreessen, the creator of "Mosaic for X", the first graphical browser. Network Solutions* Network solutions* provide domain-registering services. Network A network is a group of computers connected together. Networks can connect to other networks. The internet is one huge network with many sub-networks. Node A connection point in a network. Napster* Napster* is a popular tool for sharing MP3 files. Users download MP3 files from other users. Napster* was recently brought to court over copyrights.
O Online Shopping Online Shopping became very popular recently. You can shop for everything on the web, from food to software. All you need is a credit card. Most online stores support the SSL technology so it is considered safe to use. Sometimes, online shopping can be a lot cheaper then shopping in a store. Online Service An online service, like AOL* and MSN*, provides it’s users with the chance to talk to other users on the network, participate in chats and forums, read news, and access the web. Opera* Opera is a browser like Netscape* and Internet Explorer* that offers a feature called "Hot List" that has a directory to the web as well as bookmarking. OutLook* Outlook* is an e-mail client by Microsoft*. It is used for sending and receiving e-mails, and has some nice features that include text color, images and more.
P Port A port (In TCP/IP) is a logical connection on a computer. Each port is specified for a certain service, port 80 is for HTTP for example. Protocol A protocol is a set of rules that determine how computers communicate with each other. The HTTP protocol has different rules then the FTP protocol. Packet A packet contains bits of information and it transmitted through a packet switching network. It contains the IP address of it’s destination so the routers would know where to rout it to. Port 80 Port 80 is the port number for the HTTP(HyperText Transfer Protocol) protocol. When you type an URL like www.thinkquest.org, the :80 (Which specify the port number to 80) part is added by default. Port 21 Port 21 is the port number for the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) protocol. FTP is heavily used for downloading files on the internet. Packet Switching Packet Switching is the technology used for sending packets. The theory was introduced in the 1960’s. Prodigy* One of the first big online services created in 1994. It still offers Internet Access like most of its competitors. PHP PHP is a scripting language like JavaScript. It is like ASP, but doesn’t require a Windows NT* server in order to work. The WebPages is generated when the user requests it according to the PHP script, which specifies what goes in . A PHP page is a dynamic page. Portal A website that offers e-mail, news, online shopping and more to it’s users. A popular web portal is www.msn.com *. Most search engines are becoming portals that include those services as well as a search option. Parallel A parallel port can do more then one operation at a time. It is faster then serial ports. Ping Ping = Packet Internet Groper. It is a program to check if a certain IP address is working. It sends a packet to the IP and waits for a reply. Pull Pull is when a user requests something using their browser, for example. When a user enters the URL of a page, the browser requests it to be sent and the page will only be sent when the server receives a request for it to be sent. A user is pulling when he requests a website. Push Push is when a user does not request something from a server to be sent, but the server is sends it whether the user wants it or not. An e-mail is a good example for push, because an e-mail is received whether the user wants it or not. Plug-in An add-in to a program. Flash* is a plug-in for browsers for example. Many companies develop plug-ins for browsers that can do everything from playing games to changing mouse cursors. POP3 POP3 = Post Office Protocol 3. It is a client/server protocol where e-mail is received and held for you at your "virtual mailbox" on a server. PERL PERL =Practical Extraction and Report Language. A popular programming language used to program CGI. Many CGI scripts are written in Perl. Proxy Server A proxy server is a server between the user and the real server. It stores recently visited pages from all it’s users, and filters information. It checks all the information that the user’s program (browser for example) sent to the real server, if the user wanted to visit a page that another user connected to that proxy server has visited sometime before, it can send it to the user, and this process is much faster then the server(that site is stored on ) sending it.
Q QuickTime* The QuickTime* player by Apple* is used for viewing movie files (.mov). QuickWeb QuickWeb* is a product by Intel*, installed on ISP’s computers, and is supposed to make the web faster by compressing the information that is sent to a more dense level.
R Router A router is a device for forwarding packets to their destinations by reading the IP address that specifies where the packet should be forwarded too. Packets go through a lot of packets until their destination is reached. Every packet takes a different route of routers. RFC RFC = Request for Comments. It is an Internet formal document or standard. RFC was started in 1969. Robot A robot is an automated program, spiders are robots. Usually robots are used to add web pages to a search engine’s database by automatically visiting pages and following the links on that web site. RealAudio* A streaming sound technology developed by Real Networks Inc*. A real player* is used to play the audio. Root Directory A root directory is a directory that includes all the other directories. The "home" directory. RAM RAM = Random Access Memory. Data that is currently used is stored there for quick access, it is much quicker then any other storage device in your computer. RDRAM RDRAM = Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory. It is the fastest memory available at 600Mhz.
S Server A server is a computer connected to the internet that offers it’s services to users. All files are stored on servers, so when you go to a page, you request it from the server that page is stored on, and sends it back to you. Surfing Surfing the net means simply using the web to find, read and look at something. It can also mean browsing through random WebPages. The first was first used in 1992 by Jean Armour Polly. Script A script is a set of instructions that are interrupted by a program and not a computer CPU. For example, a set of JavaScript instructions are interrupted and displayed by the browser. Common internet scripting languages are JavaScript and VB* Script. SQL SQL = structured query language. A programming language used on the web for getting information from a database and changing it. Serial A Serial port can only process one piece of information at a time. A serial port is slower then parallel. Keyboards and mice can be connected to serial ports. Search Engine A search engine is a huge searchable index of web pages. It has spiders that crawler around the web adding every possible site to the engine’s database, which you can search by writing what you want to search for in the search engine’s website. After you search it has a CGI script that assembles all the results and displays an HTML document with your search results. Yahoo* and Altavista* are search engines. Shockwave* A technology developed by Macromdeia Inc.* It is used for displaying multimedia objects on WebPages. A shockwave movie can include smooth animation, high quality sound, and interactivity in a very small file size. A program named Director* is used to create those movies. Spider A spider is a robot (an automated computer program) that looks for web pages (automatically) to add to a search engine’s database. It can also follow links on the page to catalog them as well. All the major search engines use spiders to add pages to their databases everyday. It "crawls" around the web looking for new web pages to add all the time. SMTP SMTP = Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is a protocol used for sending and receiving e-mail. It works with a POP or IMAP protocol in order to save the messages in a server (virtual) mailbox. SSI SSI = Server-Side Include. SSI can request information from a server about a page (For example when was the page last modified) and display it on the page for users to see. It is written in the HTML as an "Include" statement. It is a limited form of CGI, it can request environment variables from a server. SSL SSL = Secure Sockets Layer. A method of transferring data securely on the internet. When you order something on the web, usually a small lock icon will appear in your browser to the tell you the page is using SSL and it is safe. SVGA Super VGA. Graphic standards that offer bigger resolutions then VGA. It also supports the palette of 16 million colors. SDRAM SDRAM = Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. A new type of memory that car run at 133Mhz.
T TCP/IP Protocol TCP/IP = Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The basic communication method for the internet. TCP is used for organizing the data in pockets and sending them. The IP protocol is used to make sure the packets get to the right place by sending it to the correct IP address through routers. The TCP/IP is a client/server protocol. A client requests the information, and the server provides it by sending it back to the client. Telnet Telnet is used to log-on to a remote computer. The difference between FTP and Telnet is that in Telnet you are actually logged on to a remote computer. A basic knowledge in UNIX is useful for using Telnet. Telnet was the first service that the internet offered. Telnet could be used for changing files and downloading files. TCP TCP = Transmission Control Protocol. T1 T1 is a line that is used to connect to the Internet, at 1.544 Mbps. T3 T3 is a line that is used to connect to the Internet, at 44.736 Mbps. The World* The World* was the first commercial service to offer a dial-up connection to NSFNET in 1990. Tag A tag is a command line that specifies instructions on how the document should be formatted. An HTML page is made of different tags that tell it how to display itself (using the text, images, etc.). Trojan Horse A Trojan Horse is a program that appears to be un-harmful, but can delete, change and do all kinds of things to your computer without you knowing it. A Trojan Horse is a type of virus, it is usually sent to you by e-mail, and sometimes the senders don’t know that they’ve sent it since the program sends itself.
U URL URL = Uniform Resource Locator. Can also be refereed to as an address of a site or page. Unix An operating system developed in 1969, usually used in servers and computers that run websites. USENET USENET is made out of hundreds of newsgroups. Each newsgroup discusses a different subject, and every user can post new messages about a subject or reply to posted ones. It was started in 1979. UUCP UUCP = Unix to Unix Copy. A UNIX protocol and utility developed in 1976-1978. It allows computers to send files to other computers over a serial connection or via modems. The early USENET used the UUCP protocol.
V VRML VRML = Virtual Reality Modeling Language. VRML is used for creating 3D words that can be viewed with a VRML browser or plug-in. Virtual A place, object or space not in real life. Veronica A program to search GOPHER sites. It used a spider to index the files on GOPHER sites. Visual Basic* A programming language, used often to make programs for windows. It had visual interface, therefor its easier to use and learn then languages like C++. VB* Script VB* Script is very similar to JavaScript. It can be implanted in an HTML page to do things like clocks and small games. Virus A file that can be transferred through email , files you download from the internet or disks, it attaches itself to other files and does DAMAGE…. There are more the 250 new viruses every month so get an anti-virus!!! Virtual Server An online server to hold/host your website online, and hosts many other websites as well. V.90 V.90 is a standard for 56K modems, which will be used in future modems. User can upgrade their modem to support V.90 with a downloadable software. VGA VGA = video graphics array. A graphic display system for PCs. It has become a standard for PCs.
W WYSIWYG WYSIWYG = What You See Is What You Get. There are many WYSIWYG HTML editors that can help people make WebPages without having to know HTML. For example, Front Page* is a WYSIWYG editor, you specify how you want the web page to look, and it will look to the users who access it the same way. WebTV* WebTV* by Microsoft* enables users to surf the Web with their TVs. It uses phone cables like regular modems to connect to the web. Windows* The most popular operating system for PCs. Microsoft* develops it, and almost all new PC programs require Windows* to work. Windows* started with version 3.11, then 95, 98, and now 2000. Webmaster A person that maintains a website and designs it. The webmaster makes sure all the site areas work, posts news, and updates the site with new information. World Wide Web The World Wide Web is the most popular service on the internet. It is used to view HTML pages and was invented in 1991 at CERN labs, and relays on the HTTP protocol to work. Web Site A Web Site contains all the HTML Web Pages. It is not one page, but rather a name for the entire site. Web Page A Web Page is a HTML document that contains text, links , images and other multimedia components. A Web Page is one page, while a Web Site contains all the web pages. WAIS WAIS = Wide Area Information Server. A program for finding documents on the internet. WhoIS With WhoIS you can search and get information about a certain domain, who owns it, etc. It is offered by InterNIC*, http://www.internic.net WinSock WinSock = Windows Socket. It is used for developing windows applications that can communicate through TCP/IP. It is an API(Application Programming Interface). W3C W3C = World Wide Web Consortium. An international organization of companies that develop standards for the web so it would develop in one single direction, rather then many different ones.
X XML XML = Extensible Markup Language. A way to create common information formats on the web. It is similar to HTML. XSL XSL = Extensible Stylesheet Language. Used for creating a style sheet that describes how the data is represented to the user. Xmodem Xmodem is an error correcting protocol developed in 1978. The information is sent in 128-byte blocks (128 bytes of information) of information. If the information was received, a positive signal is sent back, if not, a negative one is sent back to the sender and the information is sent again.
Y Ymodem Ymodem is an error correcting protocol. The information is sent in 1024-byte blocks (1024 bytes of information) of information. If the information was received, a positive signal is sent back, if not, a negative one is sent back to the sender and the information is sent again. Y2K Bug As the year 2000 approached, people were afraid that because the computers only support a two digit year (1997 = 97), when 2000 approached, it will be thought on the computer as 1900 and not 2000. At the end Y2K didn’t create any major problems. Yahoo!* Yahoo!*, The first search engine, and one of the most popular ones. It is now a web portal like most other search engines. www.yahoo.com
Z Zmodem Zmodem is an error correcting protocol. The information is sent in 512-byte blocks (512 bytes of information) of information. If the information was received, a positive signal is sent back, if not, a negative one is sent back to the sender and the information is sent again. Zone* The Zone* is a website, www.zone.com where users can play online games and compete with other users. ZOO A ZOO is a website that contains viruses, it is an illegal site. Zip A ZIP is a file that contains other files in it. The advantage of the zip is that it can contain an unlimited number of files in just one file. When you want to send a couple of files through e-mail for example, you ZIP them into one file with a .zip extension, and send it. The user who received the e-mail can un-ZIP it with the ZIP program and get all the files out of one file. . .
LEGAL: The World® is a registered trademark of Software
Tool & Die.
Team C005753 |