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DAWN
Canada: DisAbled Women's Network Canada Glossary
Glossary of Net Terms ACTIVEX - A new programming standard proposed by Microsoft Corporation which would increase the functionality of webpages. Similar in nature to Java and Javascripts. APPLET - The name given to a small binary file which is executed on your computer as part of a Web Page loading. Applets are created by JAVA. Applets should not be confused with pages which have JAVASCRIPT in them. ARCHIVE - (1) A term used to describe a server containing a large amount of publicily accessible software. (2) A term used to describe a file which contains one or more files that have been compressed and stored. BAUD - A term used to refer to the transmission speed of a modem. The higher the value, the faster the modem. The value is usually measured in Bits Per Second. C - A programming language used to code server based applications. CGI - Common Gateway Interface. This is a programming standard which defines how a Web Page can interact with a user, i.e. fill out a form. Typically CGI applications are written in either PERL or C, both are computer languages of varying complexity. CGI applications run on the server, not on the visiting client. CIAC - Computer Incident Advisory Center. A US Government sponsored group charged with diseminating information concerning computer security and viruses to other government agencies and the public. A working group of the US Department of Energy. CLIENT - There are multiple meanings for this word in computer technology, however in the context being presented here, a client typically refers to a computer which is temporarily connected to the Internet via a modem connection. COOKIE - A small file on your computer in which a web site may write data. The data may be used by that web site only, to track your choices and custom tailor its responses. DNS - Domain Name Server. This is a program running on a server which automatically translates domain names into their correct TCP/IP addresses. A busy DNS server is the most common reason for Navigator's frequent "Unable to find Domain Name or invalid entry in the DNS" error. DOMAIN NAME - An english language equivalent of a computer systems TCP/IP address. DOWNLOADING - The process of transferring a file or program from some source computer to your computer. Downloading is a controlled process using a protocol to move the file in such a way as to insure it remains intact and undamaged. (see protocols) EMAIL - A method by which one person can send messages to another. Distance and location are not relevant to email. FTP - File Transfer Protocol. A software method by which files are moved from one computer on the Internet to another. FINGER - Finger is a program which shows you information about your account or other accounts, not all Internet users have access to finger. FTP - A term used to describe a program capable of downloading and uploading files from the internet. It also describes the lower level protocol used by such a program. File Transfer Protocol. GIF - A graphic format commonly found on web pages. Its main claim to fame is its ability to handle artwork very well. HITS - A term used by people with web pages. Used to describe the volume of traffic a particular web site may be receiving. HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language, this is the computer layout script used to design the look of each Web page. HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. This is the protocal used by most browsers when reading a web page. IETF - Internet Engineering Task Force. This is a working group charged with developing new standards and technologies for adoption on the internet. INDEX - (Multiple meanings) (a) A term used to describe a web page which contains links to other webpages of a specific category. (b) Another term used to describe the means by which a search engine catalogs a web site. (c) Most commonly, the main or starting page of a website. INTERNIC - The main source of all domain names issued within the United States. InterNIC is the controlling agency which handles all of the domain names, and domain disputes within the United States. IRC - Internet Relay Chat. Both a protocol and a program type. IRC allows someone on one to talk in real time to someone else, anywhere in the world. ISP - This is a company through which you can access the Internet. JARGON - A general term used to talk about the many abbreviations used on the net. Here are some of those terms and their meanings; LOL - Laughing
Out Loud JAVA - An object oriented computer language which was developed by SUN Microsystems for the purpose of enhancing the capabilities of Web pages. At the time of this writing the only browsers which support JAVA are Sun's HotJava and Navigator 2.0 or higher and Explorer 3.0. JAVA programs are called Applets JAVASCRIPT - Formerly called LiveScript, this language was developed by Netscape. Patterned after JAVA, it's primary difference is that the program is embedded into an HTML file instead of being an executable which loads when you load a web page. JPEG - Another commonly found graphic format on web pages. JPEG formatted graphics are especially good at handling photographs. LYNX - A UNIX program which allows character based terminals to access websites. Lynx users do not ordinarily see the graphics on a web page. MODEM - A device which translates computer signals into acceptable format and then transmits those signals over a phone line to another computer. Bidirectional, capable of sending and receiving data via the telephone line. MOSAIC - The name given to the first web browser ever made available. MOSAIC is free, and available from NCSA. MOSIAC is compliant to the latest releases of the HTML specification. NEWBIE - A term used to describe someone who is new. New to the Internet, or new to a particular aspect of the internet. NEWSGROUPS - A general name given to a vast collection of public access bulletin boards. NNTP - Network News Transfer Protocol. The server you connect to for newsgroups would be your NNTP server. PAGE - A web page is not comparable to a real page of printed material, such as a brochure or a page from this document. Web pages can be nearly any length, although for practical reasons most people limit them to less than 400 lines of 80 column text or less. A Web Page is a computer file written in the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). PERL - Another commonly used programming language used to code server based web applications. PPP - Point to Point Protocol. PPP is a superset of the TCP/IP protocols. Built upon that foundation, but instead of allowing one computer to be able to talk to many, it relies on the fact that the other computer it's linked with has that ability and therefore does not need it. PING - A unix command which allows you to verify a connection from the machine you are on, to another machine on the internet. SEARCH ENGINES - A Search Engine is a piece of software, available to all users on the Web which allows the user to locate all related sites using a keyword search. For example a user may search for all sites with the words IDAHO and REALTY in their description. The Search Engine will return a list of all the sites that match those words. SERVER - A Host machine. A server provides two roles, those are; a) Providing connectivity to the Internet, and b) Passing files from it's hard drive to someone requesting them. In effect, serving files. SIGNATURE - A small piece of text which is automatically appended to an email. (Also called a Sig or a Tag file) SLIP - Serial Link Internet Protocol. SLIP is a simulation of TCP/IP, except that instead of actual computer networking hardware on one of the computers, it connects to the network via a serial link, typically using a modem. SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. One of the protocols used by your server to send/receive email. SURFING - The process of reading web pages and moving from one web site to another. TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This term actually describes two software mechanisms used to allow multiple computers to talk to each other in an error free fashion. UNIX - One of the most popular disk operating systems for the internet hosts. URL - Universal
Resource Locator. This is a Internet address which tells a user where
to locate a specific Web HTML File. For example, Northern Web's EMALL,
The Panhandle Pages resides at: http://www.northernwebs.com/ppages
Other examples
of URL's are: Vanity Page - A vanity page is a website placed on-line by an individual, not for commercial purposes, or as an informational resource, but simple because it tells something about the person that put the page up. WEB SITE - The Web Site is a location on the Internet, specifically it refers to the POP location in which it resides. All Web Sites are referenced using a special addressing scheme called a URL. A Web Site can mean a single HTML file put up by an individual (called a personal page or vanity page) or hundreds of files placed on the net by a commercial venture. W3 - W3 is a group of networking professionals, academia, scientists and corporations who have been charged with maintaining and developing the emerging internet technologies which apply to the web. W3 is also in charge of any new standards for HTML. ZIP - One of the most commonly used compression formats for PC and UNIX based computers.
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): A binding document signed by all users that explains the rules of Internet use at an institution. Address: The identification
of a physical or virtual distinct entity in a Amplitude: The amount of variety in a signal. Commonly thought of as the height of a wave. Analog: Representation of coding of information in a continuous signal that varies in proportion to what is being represented, compared to digital, where information is coded into discrete numerical values. Voice and video sources(microphones, cameras) produce analog information; electronic equipment produces digital information. Conventional telephone networks and transmissions have been analog, with modems needed to convert digital computer data to analog form for sending over the network. Analog networks are subject to interference, relatively low in reproduction quality, and not able to handle large quantities of data. The analog network is rapidly being replaced by a Digital Network. Archie: A program
that locates files that are freely available on anonymous ftp sites
across the Internet. To use Archie, telnet to one of these sites and
login as archie. (ARPANET) Advanced Research Projects Agency Network: The first "Internet". Linked UCLA, Stanford and defense contractors beginning in the late 1960's. Retired in 1990 and its younger, brother, the Internet was brought on-line. (ASCII) American Standard Code for Information Interchange: A standard for digital representation of letters, numbers, and control codes; understood by most computers. Asynchronous: It means there is a lack of synchronization. A method of transmitting data over a network using a start bit at the beginning of a character and a stop bit at the end. The time intervak between characters may be varying lengths. In video, a signal is asynchronous when its timing differs from that of the system reference signal. Asynchronous Distance Education: Education in which interaction between instructor and student does not take place simultaneously, e.g., traditional correspondence courses. ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode. High Speed (up to 155 Mbps), high bandwidth, low-delay, transport technology, integrating multiple data types (voice, video, and data), International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has selected ATM as the basis for the future broadband network because of its flexibility and suitability for both transmission and switching. It may be used in the phone and computer networks of the future. It is also a multiplexed information transfer technique of sending data in irregular time intervals using a code such as ASCII. ATM allows most modern computers to communicate with one another easily. Audio Conference: Audio teleconference. An electronic meeting in which participants in different locations use telephones or audioconferencing equipment to interactively communicate with each other in real time. Backbones: The Central
network infrastructure of the Internet is often Band: A range of frequencies between defined upper and lower limits. Bandwidth: A Term used to describe how much data you can send through a connection to the Net. The taansmission capacity of a given medium, in terms of how much data the medium can transmit in a gievn amount of time. The greater the bandwidth, the faster the rate of data transmission. Information carrying capacity of a communication channel. Baudrate: The speed of a modem measured in bits per second, 33.6Kbps is the current fastest speed. Bit:An acronym for
BInary digiT. It is the basic unit of information in bps: Bits per second- a measurement of data transmission speed. Broadband: A loose term used to describe a high bandwidth lines, usually aT-3 line, with 45Mps or higher Browser: A Program which allows your computer to download and display documents from the World Wide Web. The two most popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. It is also a software that allows users to access and navigate the World Wide Web. Some Web browsers, such as Mosaic and Netscape, are graphical. Lynx is a text-based browser. Bulletin Board Service (BBS): A forum for users to browse and exchange information. Computer BBSs are accessible by telephone via a personal computer and a modem. Many BBSs are small operations run by a single person that allow only several users to log on at the same time. Some are much larger and allow hundreds of users to login simultaneously to use the system. Huge, commercial examples are America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy. For example, please visit at http://www.tcworld.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html Byte: A single computer character, generally eight bits. For example, the letter "G" in binary code is 01000111. Cable Television: A broadband communications technology in which multiple television channels as well as audio and data signals are transmitted either one way or both ways through a direct by wire distribution system to single or multiple locations. CD-i- Comapct Disc
Interactive: A multimedia format that uses digital and optical laser
technology to store and display text, video, still, and CD-ROM, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory: A record like storage medium that uses digital and optical laser technology to store about 600Mb of text, pictures, and sound on a single disk. With newer versions (CD-ROMXA, CDTV, CD-i) animations and moving pictures can be retrieved from the discs. (CGI) Common Gateway
Interface: An interface between a Web site and Codec (COder/DECoder): Device used to convert analog signals to digital signals for transmission and reconvert signals upon reception at the remote site while allowing for the signal to be compressed for less expensive transmission. Compressed Video:
Video signals are downsized to allow travel along a Compression: Reducing the amount of visual information sent in a signal by only transmitting changes in action. COM port: Communication or serial port on PCs usually used for a datacommunication interface Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI): Teaching process in which a computer is used to enhance the education of a student. (CPU) Central Processing Unit: The component of a computer in which data processing takes place. (CSU/DSU) Customer Service Unit/Digital Service Unit: Sometimes called a digital modem. It does not modulate or demodulate, but converts a computer's uni-polar digital signal to a bi-polar digital signal for transmission over ISDN lines. Cyberspace: The nebulous "place" where humans interact over computer networks, same as virtual space. Database: A computer holding large amounts of information that can be searched by an Internet user. A storehouse of information on the Net. Desktop Video: The merger of video, telephone, and computer technologies for the purpose of delivering multimedia information and telecommunication capabilities at the individual computer workstation. Dial-up: It is using
telephone lines or ISDN networks to connect your Dial-Up Network: Connection to a network (Internet) using a modem and telephone lines. Usually done with a commercial on-line service, e.g.,AOL, or a Internet Service Provider (ISP) e.g., NETCOM. Digital: A data
signal transmitted using discrete steps in voltage rather Directory: A list
of files or other directories on a computer at an Distance Education:
Conveying knowledge from a distance. The Distance Learning:
The term Distance Learning is typically used describe video-enabled
instruction, that means, it is integrated voice, data, and video transmissions)
in college, university, medical school or Distribution System:
Any program that can be received by a satellite Domain: It is the
part of the Internet address that specifies your The Most common
top level domains: Download: The process
of taking information stored on the internet and copying it to your
computer's hard disk, You will find yourself (DVI) Digital Video
Interactive: A format for recording digital video onto (DVTC) Desktop Videoconferencing:
Videoconferencing on a personal Echo Cancellation:
The process of eliminating the acoustic echo in a E-mail Address:
The Unique address within the Internet which allows people to send mail
to you. Your e-mail address is made up of your name, the symbol and
your domain name, so the address is Facsimile (FAX):System used to transmit textual or graphical images over standard telephone lines. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions. FAQS are files stored on the Net which store the answers to Frequently Asked Questions, if you are stuck check the FAQS first before you ask you own question. FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface: a standard that defines high-speedfiber networks. Fiber Optic Cable:
The transport fibres of glass or plastic that are Filter: Hardware or software designed to restrict access to certain areas on the Internet. Finger: Software that allows the user to enter the address of an Internet site to find information about that systemOs users or a particular user. Some finger addresses return other topic-specific information. File Transfer Protocol
(FTP): An application program that uses TCP/IP Flame: It is an inflammatory e-mail usually directed against the poster ofa message. Free-Net: Any one of more than two dozen freely accessible Internet sites, primarily offering community and educational information. Frequency: The number
of complete oscillations per second of an Full Duplex: Process
that allows both parties to Receive (listen) and Full Motion Video:
Signal which allows transmission of complete action Fully Interactive
Video: (Two way interactive video) Two sites interact Gateway: A network
element(node) that performs conversions between Gopher: A menu-based system for browsing Internet information. Graphical interface
Software designed to allow the user to execute commands by GUI- Graphical User
Interface: A picture like control panel or screen(as Hacker Half Duplex: Communication
process that allows only one parties to Home Page or Homepage: the top level hypertext document in a collection of pages or web site. Often uses index.htm as file name. Host: A network
computer that can receive information from other (HTML) HyperText Markup Language: The programming language used to create web pages. (HTTP) Hypertext Transfer Protocol: The protocol used to provide hyper text links between pages. It is the standard way of transfering HTML documents between Web servers and browsers. Hypertext: A document which has been marked up to allow a user to select words or pictures within the document, click on them, and connect to further information. Infobot (or mailbot): An email address that automatically returns information requested by the user. Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS): Microwave-based, high-frequency television used in educational program delivery. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN): A digital telecommunications standard allowing communication channels to carry voice, video, and data simultaneously, see module three. Interactive Media:
Frequency assignment that allows for a two-way Internet: A worldwide
network of networks. It si also the network of Internet account:
Purchased through an Internet service provider, the Internet Relay Chat
(IRC): Interactive, real-time discussions between Internet server: A computer that stores data that can be accessed via the Internet. Internet Service Provider (ISP): Any organization that provides access to the Internet. Many ISPs also offer technical assistance to schools looking to become Internet information providers by placing their schools information online. They also help schools get connected to the Net. Internet site: A computer connected to the Internet containing information that can be accessed using an Internet navigation tool such as ftp, telnet, gopher, or a Web browser. (IP) Internet Protocol:
The underlying packet standard used to connect ISDN- Integrated Services Digital Network: A type of digital phone service that provides versatility in terms of switching and data management. ISO: International
Standardization Organization, An international ITFS- Instructional
Television Fixed Service: A band of low-power JAVA: A Computer language developed by SUN which allows you to write software which works on a wide range of computers . JAVA is currently the programming language of choice on the Internet and it allows tiny programs to be created and sent over the network, More information is available at http://java.sun.com JPEG: Joint Photographic
Experts Group, a joint effort of ISO and TSS. JPEG has established an
international standard for still image Kbps: One Thousand bps, actual number is 1024 bps. LAN- Local Area
Network: A private transmission that interconnects LaserDisc: A record-like
storage medium that uses analog and laser optical technology to store
up to 54,000 full colour still pictures and 30-60 minutes of full motion
video on a disc. LaserDisc players can be LCD Panel: A device using a semi-transparent liquid crystal display(LCD) that allows the display of computer information on an overhead projector. The panels cut the light substantially, requiring very bright projectors. Listserv: An e-mail program that allows multiple computer users to connect onto a single system, creating an on-line discussion. Local Area Network (LAN): Two or more local computers that are physically connected. (MBONE) Multicast Backbone: a network that works in conjunction with the Internet for audio and video applications Microcomputer: A computer with a microprocessor chip-based processing unit. Microcomputers are the original personal computers that many people use at home and at work. Microwave: Electromagnetic
waves that travel in a straight line and are MODEM: Acronym for MOulate DEModulate. Hardware that allows computers to interact with each other via telephone lines by converting digital signals to analog for transmission along analog lines. MOdulator/DEModulator, a gizmo which translates the digital information your computer produces into analogue signals that can be sent down the phone lines. MOO: Acronym for
a lot of things, on of which is Multi-user-dimension MPEG -Moving Pictures Experts Group: The group that has defined the multimedia compression standard for consumer and professional digital audio and video. Mosaic: A dated example of browser. Mbps: One million bps, actual number is1,048,576 Multimedia: Any document which uses multiple forms of communication, such as text, audio, and/or video. Multi-Point Control Unit (MCU): Computerized switching system which allows point-to-multipoint videoconferencing. National Information
Infrastructure (NII): The official U.S. government Net surfer: Someone who browses the Internet with no definite destination. Network: A group
of computers that are connected in some fashion. Most school networks
are known as LANs, or Local Area Networks, because they are networks
linking computers in one small area. The Internet could be referred
to as a WAN, or a Wide Area Network, because it connects Netiquette: The
Etiquette of using the Internet, to avoid breaching Newsgroups: These
are the bulletin boards of the Internet. There are Online/Offline: When you are logged onto a computer through your modem, you are said to be online. When you are using your computer but are not connected to a computer through your modem, youOre said to be working offline. On-line is also a Buzz word that indicates access to a computer network. PC(Personal Computer):
A generic term used to describe many kinds of small format personal
computer systems found at schools, homes, and offices. Sometimes identified
by the speed of the central processing board (POP) Point of Presence: actual site of an ISP or other service (PPP) Point-to-Point
Protocol: a type of Internet protocol that uses the Protocol: A formal set of standards, rules, or formats for exchanging data that assures uniformity between computers and applications. QuickTime: A software solution developed by Apple to allow the simulation of moving video throughout a variety of programs. Files are known as "Quick-Time Movies". RAM: Random Access Memory, It is temporary memory storage area in a computer that can be changed. RealTime: An application in which information is received and responded tp immediately. Request For Comments
(RFC): Online documents that have to do with Satellite TV: Video
and audio signals are relayed via a communication Scanner: A device
that uses a moving optical reader to store a page or (SLIP) Serial Line Internet Protocol: Predecessor of PPP. Allows a user to connect to the Internet directly over a high-speed modem. Server: A computer with a special service function on a network, generally receiving and connecting incoming information traffic. Signature file: Return address information such as name, phone number, and email address that users put at the bottom of email messages. Spam: Slang for posting the same message to multiple newsgroups--frowned at on the Internet. Synchronous Distance Education: Distance Education that takes place real time but in different locations, the virtual classroom. T-1 (DS-1): High
speed line capable of carrying 1.54 Mbps. T-1 has 24 T-2 (DS-2): High
speed line capable of carrying 6.312 Mbps. 96 voice T-3 (DS-3): High
speed line capable of carrying 44.736 Mbps. 672 voice T-4 (DS-4): High speed line capable of carrying 274.176 Mbps. 4032 voice circuits TCP: Transmission
Control Protocol ---the BIG DADDIE of the Internet Telecommunication: The science of information transport using wire, radio, optical, or electromagnetic channels to transmit receive signals for voice or data communications using electrical means. Teleconferencing: Interactive communication among people at two or more locations using telecommunications. Telnet: It allows users to access computers and their data at thousands of places around the world, most often at libraries, universities, and government agencies.
Unix: A computer operating system commonly used on the Internet. Uplink: The communication link from the transmitting earth station to the satellite. Usenet Newsgroups:
More than 10,000 topic-oriented message bases that can be read and posted
to. Also called newsgroups, please visit at URL: A Uniform Resource Locator is basically the address of any resource on the Internet. You type the URL in your browser and you are whizzed off to the appropriate site. e.g. http://ole.net/ole Veronica: A computer
program that helps Internauts find what theyOre WAIS Wide Area Information Servers: These servers allow users to conduct full-text keyword searches in documents, databases, and libraries connected to the Internet. WWW: World Wide Web--also known as WEB--this is the generic name given to all of the hypertext-based HTML documents on the Internet. A revolutionary Internet browsing system that allows point-and-click´navigation of the Internet. The WWW is a spiderweb-like interconnection of millions of pieces of information located on computers around the world. Web documents use hypertext, which incorporates text and graphical links to other documents and files on Internet-connected computers.
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