| 404 error |
When a browser cannot find a page that it requested or isn't
allowed to let the user have it, the browser will display a page that says
404 Error: File Not Found. If this message is displayed, back up and try
another link. |
| 56k line |
a digital phone-line connection (leased line) capable of carrying
56,000 bits per second. At this speed, a megabyte will take about three
minutes to transfer. This is four times as fast as a 14,400-bps modem. See
also: bandwidth, T-1, dedicated
connection, leased line, bps
|
| address |
An address is the unique identifier needed to either access
the services of an Internet site or send e-mail. Another word for Internet
site addresses is URL. E-mail addresses are in the form of username@server.com
provide a unique identifier for a users own in-box so the mail can be successfully
delivered. |
| anonymous FTP |
See: FTP |
| applet |
A small program that only work inside of another program. It can't start
up on its own because it needs another program's operating system and files.
For example, Java applets (e.g. clickable buttons or moving words) need
a Java-aware web browser. |
| ARPANet |
Advanced Research Projects Agency Network-the precursor to the Internet,
developed in the late '60s and early '70s by the U.S. Department of Defense
as an experiment in wide-area networking that would survive a nuclear war.
See also: Internet |
| ASCII |
American Standard Code for Information Interchange-the de facto worldwide
standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper
and lowercase Latin letters, numbers, punctuation symbols, etc. There are
128 standard ASCII codes, each of which can be represented by a seven-digit
binary number: 0000000 through 1111111. |
| AVI |
Audio Video Interleaved-a Windows multimedia video format from Microsoft.
It interleaves standard waveform audio and digital video frames (bitmaps)
to provide 15 fps animation at 160 x 120 x 8 resolution. Requires an add-on
viewer for most browsers. See also: Quicktime, MPEG
|
| backbone |
a high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway
within a network. The term is relative, as a backbone in a small network
will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network.
See also: network |
| bandwidth |
how much stuff you can send through a connection, usually measured in
bits per second. A full page of English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast
modem can move about 15,000 bits in one second. Full-motion, full-screen
video would require roughly 10,000,000 bits per second, depending on compression.
See also: 56k line, bps, bit,
T-1 |
| baud |
Bits At Unit Density. In common usage, the "baud rate" of a
modem is how many bits it can send or receive per second. Technically, baud
is the number of times per second that the carrier signal shifts value.
For example, a 1,200 bit-per-second modem actually runs at 300 baud, but
it moves four bits per baud (4 x 300 = 1,200 bits per second). See also:
bit, modem |
| BBS |
Bulletin Board System-a computerized meeting and announcement system that allows people to carry on discussions, upload and download files, and make announcements without the people being connected to the computer at the same time. Many thousands (millions?) of BBS's are in operation around the world. Most are very small, running on a single IBM-clone PC with one or two phone lines. Others are very large, to the point where the line between a BBS and a system like CompuServe gets very hard to draw.
|
| bit |
Binary DigIT-a single-digit number in base-2; in other words, either a 1 or a 0; the smallest unit of computerized data. Bandwidth is usually measured in bits per second. See also: bandwidth, bps, byte,
kilobyte, megabyte |
| bookmark |
Just like the paper ones stuck into a printed book, a bookmark is a placeholder
to a particular URL, or Web address, that one sets in an Internet browser
software access later. Bookmarks are often used to mark a site to be returned
to, or one to visit regularly. |
| bps |
Bits Per Second-a measurement of how fast data is moved from one place
to another. A 28.8 modem can move 28,800 bits per second. See also: bandwidth,
bit |
| browser |
a client program (software) that is used for looking at various kinds
of Internet resources. See also: client, URL,
WWW, Netscape® |
| byte |
a set of bits that represents a single character. Usually there are eight
bits in a byte, sometimes more, depending on how the measurement is being
made. See also: bit, kilobyte, megabyte,
gigabyte |
| cache |
Pronounced: "cash." A cache is an area of a computer's memory or its
hard drive that stores Web text and images already seen. When a browser
asks to see those things again, the computer has them stored and doesn't
have to go get them from the Net. For instance, the KET Distance Learning
logo is stored in the cache when a user first reaches our site. As they
move around in here and encounter the logo again and again, the computer
displays the logo it has saved, rather than coming back and asking the server
for it again. This improves speed and perceived throughput and works well
for things that don't change (like a logo), but not good when a user wish
to return to something that changes a lot, such as a page of stock quotes.
(If users need to see pages that change often, they must click the "Reload"
button to get a fresh copy.) |
| case-sensitive |
Case-sensitive refers to whether or not a given software program requires
one to type with strict attention to upper- or lower-case characters. If
a program sees the letters "KET" and "ket" as the same, it is not case-sensitive.
If it finds them different, then it is. |
| CD-ROM |
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory-a data storage medium using the same physical
format as audio compact discs. It is popular for distribution of software,
especially multimedia applications. The maximum capacity is more than 600
megabytes, or the storage equivalent of more than 400 high-density floppy
drives. |
| character |
a letter, numeral, symbol, punctuation mark, or space. See also: ASCII,
byte |
| chat |
Online chat is just like chatting over a burger with friends, except the
participants may be anywhere in the world, and the words are typed instead
of spoken. Chat takes place in real time and is popular on America Online
, IRC, and the Web. |
| client |
a software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a server
software program on another computer, often across a great distance. Each
client program is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of server
programs, and each server requires a specific kind of client. A Web browser
is a specific kind of client. See also: browser, server
|
| compression |
(.zip, .sea, .sit, .tar) Any of various ways of squishing a file down
to a smaller size. Compressed files save time, as they transfer much more
quickly. Software that compresses files, such as the shareware utility PKZIP.EXE
or WinZip, look for repetition in the bytes comprising a file and assigns
various codes that represent the repeated bytes -- without storing the actual
bytes in the file's compressed version. |
| cookie |
A cookie is a small piece of information that a Web server sends to a
browser to hold onto until it's time for the server to read it. Cookies
also hold expiration dates and instructions about which sites can "eat"
them, along with security information to protect info. KET's pages are constructed
in such a way that cookies are required for normal use. |
| CPU |
Central Processing Unit-the main internal component of a computer where
executions of instructions are carried out and calculations are performed.
|
| cyberspace |
term originated by author William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer, currently
used to describe the whole range of information resources available through
computer networks. |
| dedicated connection |
a circuit, typically provided by the telephone company, which continuously
connects two or more computers or any other continuous data connection.
Such lines are usually used for data transmissions at higher speeds than
are possible with dial-up connections. |
| dial-up connection |
a temporary, as opposed to dedicated, connection between computers established
over a telephone line using modems. |
| domain |
(.edu, .com, .mil, .net, .uk, et al) Just as a Windows file extensions
(such as .txt for text files) give some indication of what kind of file
it is, the last part of an Internet site's domain name tells what kind of
site it is. The most rapidly expanding of these is ".com;other common ones
include .edu, for educational institutions, .gov for government, and .mil,
for military sites. For sites based outside the U.S., there are hundreds
of others. |
| domain name server (DNS) |
a computer system chiefly used on the Internet for translating domain
names into Internet protocol addresses. Every machine connected to the Internet
must have access to a DNS for this translation to take place. Some providers
offer multiple redundant servers to improve reliability and access time.
See also Internet, IP number |
| domain name |
the unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain names always
have two or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most
specific, and the part on the right is the most general. A given machine
may have more than one domain name, but a given domain name points to only
one machine. Usually, all of the machines on a given network will have the
same thing as the righthand portion of their domain names; e.g., gateway.gbnetwork.com,
mail.gbnetwork.com, www.gbnetwork.com, and so on. It is also possible for
a domain name to exist but not be connected to an actual machine, often
so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without
having to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, some real Internet
machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed domain name. See also:
IP number |
| download |
A common method of putting software onto a computer is through diskettes
in a disk drive. Online, one can obtain software by downloading it. The
software resides on a server on the Internet; and a browser or an FTP (file-transfer
protocol) program is used to find and retrieve the software to the local
computer. If one had software to send to another computer, the process is
reversed; this is known as "uploading." |
| e-mail |
Electronic Mail-messages, usually text, sent from one person to another
via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of
addresses (mailing list). See also: listserv, maillist
|
| Ethernet |
a very common method of networking computers in a LAN. Ethernet will handle
about 10,000,000 bits per second and can be used with almost any kind of
computer. See also: bandwidth, LAN,
TCP/IP |
| FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions-a document that lists and answers the most
common questions on a particular subject. There are hundreds of FAQs on
the Internet, on subjects as diverse as pet grooming and cryptography. FAQs
are usually written by people who have tired of answering the same question
over and over. |
| Finger |
an Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites.
Finger is also sometimes used to give access to non-personal information,
but the most common use is to see whether a person has an account at a particular
Internet site. Some sites do not allow incoming Finger requests, but many
do. |
| fire wall |
a combination of hardware and software that separates a LAN into two or
more parts for security purposes. See also: network,
LAN |
| flame |
Originally, "flame" meant to carry forth in a passionate manner
in the spirit of honorable debate. Flames most often involved the use of
flowery language, and "flaming well" was an art form. More recently,
"flame" has come to refer to any kind of derogatory comment, no
matter how witless or crude. When an online discussion degenerates into
a series of personal attacks against the debaters, rather than discussion
of their positions, it may be known as a Flame War. |
| frame |
Frames are a feature introduced in Netscape 2.0 that allows
Web authors to divide the browser window into several smaller windows, each
of which can contain different things. This permits Webmasters to create
navigation bars and content that stay on the screen as the user clicks through
a site. |
| freeware |
software for which there is no license fee or usage charge, but whose
use may be restricted by its owner. Typically it is protected by copyright;
you may distribute it without cost and share copies at no charge. See also:
shareware |
| FTP |
File Transfer Protocol-a very common method of moving files between two
Internet sites. FTP is a special way to log in to another Internet site
for the purpose of retrieving and/or sending files. Many Internet sites
have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be
obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name "anonymous."
Thus these sites are called anonymous ftp servers. |
| gateway |
the technical meaning is a hardware or software set-up that translates
between two dissimilar protocols. For example, Prodigy has a gateway that
translates between its internal, proprietary e-mail format and Internet
e-mail format. Another, sloppier meaning of "gateway" is to describe
any mechanism for providing access to another system; e.g., America Online
might be called a gateway to the Internet. |
| GB |
gigabyte-one billion bytes of data; one thousand megabytes. See also:
megabyte, kilobyte, byte
|
| GIF |
Graphical Interchange Format-Compuserve's low-resolution, compressed graphic
format. See also: JPEG |
| helper app |
A browser can present a wide range of media: GIFs, JPEGs, text, even sound
and video. However, as up-to-date as a browser might be, sometimes it needs
a little help. Thankfully there are a group of applications designed to
do that. These are called "helper-apps." The term is used to describe any
program that works with a browser to let it make use of files that it doesn't
recognize on its own (such as animation, multimedia, or other specialized
resources). When a browser encounters a file it can't understand, it consults
its list of helper-apps, and decides which application it needs to use the
file. If it can't find one, it will ask the user to either pick an application
or specify where to save the file on the hard disk. Helper-apps are very
similar to plug-ins. Plug-ins help to deal with strange file types as well,
except plug-ins work within the browser, while helper-apps work independently
of it. Thus, plug-ins display the information directly in the browser window,
while helper-apps make their own window. |
| home page |
The main page of a Web Site. |
| host |
any computer on a network that is a repository for services available
to other computers on the network. It is quite common to have one host machine
provide several services, such as WWW and USENET. See also: node,
network |
| HTML |
HyperText Markup Language-the coding language used to create hypertext
documents for use on the World Wide Web. HTML looks a lot like old-fashioned
typesetting code, where you surround a block of text with codes that indicate
how it should appear. Additionally, in HTML you can specify that a block
of text, or a word, is linked to another file on the Internet. HTML files
are meant to be viewed using a World Wide Web client program, such as Mosaic.
See also: client, SGML, server,
WWW |
| HTTP |
HyperText Transport Protocol-the protocol for moving hypertext files across
the Internet; requires an HTTP client program on one end and an HTTP server
program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the
World Wide Web (WWW). See also: client, server,
WWW |
| hypertext/ hyperlink |
generally, any text that contains links to other documents-words or phrases
in the document that can be chosen by a reader and that cause another document
to be retrieved and displayed. |
| interactive |
Refers to any technology that allows the user to exchange information
with a computer program, so that the user and the program "interact." This
interaction can be as simple as clicking buttons or typing something in,
or as complex as controlling a robot or navigating a virtual world. |
| Internet |
the vast collection of interconnected networks that all use the TCP/IP
protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late '60s and early '70s.
The Internet now connects several hundred thousand independent networks
into a vast global internet. See also: internet, TCP/IP,
ARPANET |
| internet |
Any time you connect two or more networks together, you have an internet
(with a lowercase i)-as in inter-national or inter-state. See also: Internet,
network |
| intranet |
a private network inside a company or organization that uses the same
kinds of software you would find on the public Internet but that is only
for internal use. As the Internet has become more popular, many of the tools
used on it are being used in private networks. For example, many companies
have Web servers that are available only to employees. Note that an intranet
may not actually be an internet-it may simply be a network. See also: internet,
Internet, network |
| IP Number |
Sometimes called a "dotted quad," this is the number that identifies
a particular machine on the Internet. The IP number consists of four parts
separated by dots; e.g., 165.113.245.2. Every machine on the Internet has
a unique IP number-if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really
on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more domain names that are
easier for people to remember. See also: domain name,
Internet |
| IRC |
Internet Relay Chat-basically a huge multi-user live chat facility. A
number of major IRC servers around the world are linked to one another.
Anyone can create a channel, and anything that anyone types in a given channel
is seen by all others in the channel. Private channels can (and are) created
for multi-person conference calls. |
| ISDN |
Integrated Services Digital Network-basically a way to move more data
over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is rapidly becoming available to
much of the USA, and in most markets it is priced very comparably to standard
analog phone circuits. In theory, it can provide speeds of roughly 128,000
bits per second over regular phone lines. In practice, most people will
be limited to 56,000 or 64,000 bits per second. |
| ISP |
Internet Service Provider-an institution that provides access to the Internet
in some form, usually for money. See also: Internet,
dial-up connection, dedicated connection
|
| Java |
a new programming language invented by Sun Microsystems that is specifically
designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded to your computer
through the Internet and immediately run without fear of viruses or other
harm to your computer or files. Small Java programs (called "Applets")
allow Web page designers to include functions such as animations, calculators,
and other fancy tricks. We can expect to see a huge variety of features
added to the Web using Java, since you can write a Java program to do almost
anything a regular computer program can do, then include that Java program
in a Web page. |
| JavaScript |
JavaScript is not a full-fledged programming language, rather it is an
add-on to HTML. The name "JavaScript" is unfortunate because it has nothing
to do with Java. It is used by web authors to add powerful features into
web pages. Its content is more complex than HTML, but it allows more freedom
and flexibility. |
| JPEG or JPG |
Named for the Joint Photographic Experts Group, this is the standard for
compression of 24-bit color images. It is "lossy" in that it reduces
the file size at the expense of image quality, but it is the preferred method
of displaying large or highly detailed graphics on the WWW. See also: GIF
|
| Kbps |
Kbps stands for Kilobits Per Second. It is a measure of throughput, and
is most often used in association with measuring modem speed. Kilobits per
second should not be confused with Kilobytes (or just "K") per second, however.
Since there are 8 bits in a byte, a modem that goes 28.8Kbps is only capable
of transmitting about 3.5K per second. |
| kilobyte |
a thousand (actually, 1,024 or 210) bytes. See also: byte,
bit, megabyte |
| LAN |
Local-Area Network-a computer network limited to the immediate area, usually
the same building or floor of a building. See also: Ethernet
|
| leased line |
refers to a phone line that is rented for exclusive 24-hour, seven-day-a-week
connectivity from your location to another location. The highest speed data
connections require a leased line. See also: 56k line,
dedicated connection, T-1, T-3
|
| link |
A reference to another place/document/data file on the internet. |
| listserv |
the most common kind of maillist. Listservs originated on BITNET, but
they are now common on the Internet. See also: e-mail,
maillist |
| login or logon |
Noun: the account name used to gain access to a computer system; not a
secret (contrast with password). Verb: the act of entering into a computer
system; e.g., "Login to the WELL and then go to the GBN conference."
See also: password |
| maillist |
(from "mailing list")-a system, usually automated, that allows
people to send e-mail to one address, whereupon their message is copied
and sent to all of the other subscribers to the maillist. In this way, people
who have many different kinds of e-mail access can participate in discussions
together. |
| megabyte |
a million bytes; a thousand kilobytes. See also: byte,
bit, kilobyte, gigabyte
|
| MIME |
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions-the standard for attaching non-text
files to standard Internet mail messages. Non-text files include graphics,
spreadsheets, formatted word-processor documents, sound files, etc. An e-mail
program is said to be MIME-compliant if it can both send and receive files
using the MIME standard. When non-text files are sent using the MIME standard,
they are converted (encoded) into text-although the resulting text is not
really readable. Generally speaking, the MIME standard is a way of specifying
both the type of file being sent (e.g.; a Quicktime video file) and the
method that should be used to turn it back into its original form. The MIME
standard is also universally used by Web servers to identify the files they
are sending to Web clients. New file formats can be accommodated simply
by updating the browsers' lists of pairs of MIME-types and appropriate software
for handling each type. See also: browser, client,
server |
| mirror |
Internet sites that are unable to accommodate everyone who wants to access
their files can place copies of their site at other locations (called mirrors)
and ask users to choose the location that's closest to them. Other sites
located in unreliable areas of the world, or on notoriously slow servers
may also be mirrored to speed access to the content. |
| modem |
MOdulator/DEModulator-a device that you connect to your computer and to
a phone line that allows the computer to talk to other computers through
the phone system. Basically, modems do for computers what a telephone does
for humans. |
| Mosaic |
the first WWW browser that was available for the Macintosh, Windows, and
UNIX with the same interface on all three. Mosaic really started the popularity
of the Web. The source code to Mosaic has been licensed by several companies,
and there are now several other pieces of software as good as or better
than Mosaic (most notably, Netscape®). See also: browser,
client, Netscape®, WWW
|
| MPEG |
Named for the Motion Picture Experts Group, this is the ISO standard for
moving images and a common file format for movies on the Internet. See also:
AVI, Quicktime |
| netiquette |
the etiquette on the Internet. See also: Internet
|
| Netscape® |
Netscape Netscape Communications Corp. is the company that
produces the market-leading Web browser software, Netscape Navigator (currently
in version 4.05), and a host of related products. Netscape came into being
in April 1994 through the efforts of Jim Clark, former chairman of Silicon
Graphics, and Marc Andreessen, the development brains behind the NCSA Mosaic
browser. While they were unmatched until mid-1996, Netscape is currently
locked in a struggle with Microsoft for control of the Web browser market.
See also: browser, Mosaic, server,
WWW |
| network |
The connection between 2 or more computers so they can share resources.
An "internet" (lower case) is the connection between 2 or more networks.
See also: internet, Internet, intranet
|
| newsgroup |
the name for a discussion group on USENET. See also: USENET
|
| NIC |
Networked Information Center-generally, any office that handles information
for a network. The most famous of these on the Internet is the InterNIC,
which is where new domain names are registered. |
| node |
any single computer connected to a network. See also: network,
Internet, internet |
| online |
Being online means being connected to another computer, presumably via
phone line. When users log onto an ISP for Internet access, they are online.
A computer that is active on a network can also be said to be online. Another
meaning is the status of an Internet server: when online, its network connection
is working, and authorized users can access its resources. A printer can
also be online; in this state, it can accept data from its host computer. |
| operating system (OS) |
the software that handles basic system chores such as memory management,
process scheduling, and input/output; accessed by software through a defined
interface. Examples include DOS, Windows '95, Windows NT, and IBM's OS/2.
|
| packet switching |
the method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet switching,
all the data coming out of a machine is broken up into chunks. Each chunk
has the addresses of where it came from and where it is going. Chunks of
data from many different sources can then co-mingle on the same lines and
be sorted and directed to different routes by special machines along the
way, allowing many people to use the same lines at the same time. |
| password |
a code used to gain access to a locked system. Good passwords contain
letters and non-letters and are not simple combinations. See also: login
|
| ping |
Packet INternet Groper (probably originally contrived to match the submariners'
term for a sonar pulse)-a small network message sent by one networked computer
to verify the presence of or get the attention of another. |
| plug-in |
There are things a browser can do by itself, such as showing graphics
and Web pages. Other things are more difficult, and the browser needs help.
Thankfully, one can expand the capability of a browser by "plugging in"
various tools to let it play certain files, such as audio or video files.
When a browser needs a plug-in it doesn't yet have, it will tell the user
it has encountered an "unknown file type" and tell them which plug-in is
needed and where to get it. Some of the most popular plug-ins are Shockwave
(for audio and video), RealAudio (audio that broadcasts to the computer
like a radio station), and QuickTime (more video). Plug-ins are very similar
to another kind of Web tool called helper apps. |
| POP |
This abbreviation has two commonly used meanings: Point of Presence and
Post Office Protocol. A Point of Presence usually means a city or location
a network can be connected to, often with dial-up phone lines. So if an
Internet company says it will soon have a POP in Belgrade, it means that
it will soon have a local phone number in Belgrade and/or a place where
leased lines can connect to its network. Post Office Protocol refers to
the way e-mail software such as Eudora® or Netscape® gets mail from
a mail server. When you obtain a SLIP, PPP, or shell account, you almost
always get a POP account with it, and it is this POP account that you tell
your e-mail software to use to get your mail. See also: PPP
|
| port |
1. Most generally, a place where information goes into or out of a computer,
or both. For example, the serial port on a personal computer is where a
modem would be connected. 2. On the Internet, "port" often refers
to a number that is part of a URL, appearing after a colon (:) right after
the domain name. Every service on an Internet server listens on a particular
port number on that server. Most services have standard port numbers; e.g.,
Web servers normally listen on port 80. Services can also listen on non-standard
ports, in which case the port number must be specified in a URL when accessing
the server. So you might see a URL of the form gopher://peg.cwis.uci.edu:7000/,
which shows a Gopher server running on a non-standard port (the standard
Gopher port is 70). 3. Finally, "port," as a verb, also refers
to translating a piece of software to bring it from one type of computer
system to another (for instance, translating a Windows program so that it
will run on a Macintosh). See also: domain name, server,
URL |
| posting |
(verb: to post)-a single message entered into a network communications
system, such as a single message posted to a newsgroup or message board.
See also: newsgroup |
| PPP |
Point-to-Point Protocol-best known as a protocol that allows
a computer to use a regular telephone line and a modem to make TCP/IP connections
and thus be really and truly on the Internet. See also: IP
number, Internet, TCP/IP |
Quicktime
(or .MOV) |
a cross-platform digital movie format defined by Apple Computer for animation
and video that can also have tracks of digital audio and external hooks
such as MIDI. You can cut, copy, and paste with a Quicktime document as
you can with many other file formats. See also: AVI,
MPEG |
| RealAudio/RealMedia |
A plug-in that permits the live distribution of audio/video/animation
over the Internet. Before this "Streaming media" method became popular,
it was necessary to download an entire file before beginning to view/listen
to the content. With the RealMedia plug-in installed, the media begins playing
a few seconds after the download is begun. Viewing live material is also
possible with this technology. |
| RFC |
Request For Comments-the name of the result and the process for creating
a standard on the Internet. New standards are proposed and published online
as a Request For Comments. The Internet Engineering Task Force, a consensus-building
body, facilitates the discussion, and eventually a new standard is established.
But the reference number/name for the standard retains the acronym RFC;
e.g., the official standard for e-mail is RFC 822. |
| router |
a special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the connection
between two or more networks. Routers spend all their time looking at the
destination addresses of the packets passing through them and deciding which
route to send them on. See also: network, packet
switching |
| search engines |
Searchable databases against which keywords can be entered to locate specific
web pages, UseNet Newsgroups postings, or FTP sites. Altavista.digital.com
is a powerful and popular search engine. |
| server |
a computer or a software package that provides a specific kind of service
to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular
piece of software, such as a WWW server, or to the machine on which the
software is running, as in "Our mail server is down today; that's why
e-mail isn't getting out." A single server machine could have several
different server software packages running on it, thus providing many different
servers to clients on the network. See also: client,
network |
| SGML |
Standard Generalized Markup Language-an international standard for defining
the formatting in text documents; a comprehensive language that defines
hypertext links. HTML is a superset of SGML. See also: HTML
|
| shareware |
software for which the author requests some payment, usually in the accompanying
documentation files or in an announcement made by the software itself. Such
payment may or may not buy additional support or functionality. See also:
freeware |
| shockwave/Flash |
Shockwave is a tool from a company called Macromedia. It lets web creators
quickly display a variety of graphics online, such as animations, cartoons
and simple puzzles. |
| SMTP |
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol-for sending/retrieving e-mail. Supports
the Post Office Protocol 2 or 3 standards for retrieving mail from a mail
server. See also: e-mail |
| spam (or spamming) |
an inappropriate attempt to use a mailing list, USENET, or other networked
communications facility as if it were a broadcast medium (which it is not)
by sending the same message to a large number of people who didn't ask for
it. The term probably comes from a famous Monty Python skit which featured
the word "Spam" repeated over and over. The term may also have
come from someone's low opinion of the food product with the same name,
which is generally perceived as a generic, content-free waste of resources.
(Spam is a registered trademark of Hormel Corporation, for its processed
meat product.) Example: Mary spammed 50 USENET groups by posting the same
message to each. See also: maillist, USENET
|
| sysop |
Systems Operator-anyone responsible for the physical operations of a computer
system or network resource. A system administrator decides how often backups
and maintenance should be performed, and the sysop performs those tasks.
|
| T-1 |
a leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits per
second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a megabyte
in less than 10 seconds. That is still not fast enough for full-screen,
full-motion video, for which you need at least 10,000,000 bits per second.
T-1 is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to the Internet.
See also: 56k line, bandwidth, bit,
byte, Ethernet, T-3
|
| T-3 |
a leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits per
second. This is more than fast enough to do full-screen, full-motion video.
See also: 56k line, bandwidth, bit,
byte, Ethernet, T-1
|
| TCP/IP |
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol-the suite of protocols
that defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating system,
TCP/IP software is now available for every major kind of computer operating
system. To be truly on the Internet, your computer must have TCP/IP software.
See also: IP number, Internet |
| telnet |
the command and program used to login from one Internet site to another.
The telnet command/program gets you to the login: prompt of another host.
See also: host, login |
| terminal |
a device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere else.
At a minimum, this usually means a keyboard, a display screen, and some
simple circuitry. Usually you will use terminal software in a personal computer.
The software pretends to be (emulates) a physical terminal and allows you
to type commands to a computer somewhere else. |
| terminal server |
a special-purpose computer that has places to plug in many modems on one
side and a connection to a LAN or host machine on the other side. The terminal
server does the work of answering the calls and passes the connections on
to the appropriate node. Most terminal servers can provide PPP or SLIP services
if connected to the Internet. See also: LAN, modem,
host, node, PPP, |
| throughput |
Throughput is another word for "communications speed." If a user uploaded
a megabyte in 10 minutes, the throughput would have been 13,981 bits per
second -- close to the best-case throughput of a 14.4Kbps modem, but relatively
slow by modern standards. |
| upload |
If one thinks of the Internet as a great network in the sky, then the
words "upload" and "download" make more sense. Whereas downloading is when
something is received, -- a message, data, whatever -- from another computer,
uploading is when one sends something to another computer. |
| URL |
Uniform Resource Locator-the standard way to give the address of any resource
on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like
this: http://www.matisse.net/seminars.html or telnet://well.sf.ca.us or
news:new.newusers.questions etc. The most common way to use a URL is to
enter it into a WWW browser program, such as Netscape®. See also: browser,
WWW |
| USENET |
a worldwide system of discussion groups with comments passed among hundreds
of thousands of machines. Not all USENET machines are on the Internet (maybe
half). USENET is completely decentralized, with more than 10,000 discussion
areas, called newsgroups. See also: newsgroup |
| VRML |
Pronounced "vermal." VRML is a way by which programmers design and create
3-D environments on the Web. Using VRML, a programmer can design a room
or a landscape through which one can move around and look at (and touch!)
things much as one would in the world outside a computer. Usually in a VRML
space there is an onscreen representation of the user, called an "avatar,"
that the participant controls. The user can move around and look at things,
see other avatars, and interface with the environment. To use VRML pages
one needs special software, or additions to the usual browser. VRML stands
for "Virtual Reality Modeling Language." |
| WAIS |
Wide-Area Information Servers-a commercial software package that allows
a user to index huge quantities of information and then make those indices
searchable across networks such as the Internet. A prominent feature of
WAIS is that the search results are ranked (scored) according to how relevant
the hits are. Subsequent searches can find more stuff like that last batch
and thus refine the search process. |
| WAN |
Wide-Area Network-any internet or network that covers an area larger than
a single building or campus. See also: Internet, internet,
LAN, network |
| WWW |
World Wide Web. 1. loosely used, the whole constellation of resources
that can be accessed using Gopher, FTP, HTTP, telnet, USENET, WAIS, and
some other tools. 2. the universe of hypertext servers (HTTP servers), which
are the servers that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc. to be mixed
together. See also: browser, FTP,
HTTP, telnet, URL,
WAIS |
