Glossary of Internet Terms
alias
A
nickname that refers to a person or group of people on a network.
For example, the mailing-list named NETGLOS is an alias
for all the e-mail addresses on the NETGLOS subscribers' list
at coopnet.org. Whenever an e-mail message is sent to netglos@coopnet.org,
it will automatically be forwarded to all the people on the mailing-list.
Similarly, the address "webmaster@widgets.com" usually
found on WWW sites, is an alias for the person responsible
for maintaining that site. All e-mail sent to this address will
be routed accordingly.
anchor
In
HTML,
anchors mark the start and end of
hypertext
links.
Anonymous
FTP
SeeFTP
archive
A collection of files stored on
a computer network - often retrievable by
FTP
authentication
A
security measure for checking a network user's identity.
backbone
The
Internet's high speed data highways that serve as major access
points to which other networks connect.
bandwidth
The
amount of data you can send through a network connection. Bandwidth
is usually measured in bits-per-second (bps).
bookmark
A
feature of most
Web
browsers.
You can save frequently accessed
links
in a bookmark file, rather than have to look up the
URL each
time.
browser
Another
name for a
client
program that allows users to access documents on the
WWW.
Browsers can be both
text-based
or graphic.
bullet
In
HTML,
a bullet is a large dot used to separate listed items
on a
WWW
page
BBS
(Bulletin
Board System) -- A dial-up computerized meeting and announcement
system for carrying on discussions, uploading and
downloading
files, and generally obtaining
online
information and services.
checkbox
In
HTML,
a way to allow the user to interact with the material on a
web page
by clicking on a box or other input element.
clickable
image map
A
map or graphic where certain parts of it are associated with different
hyperlinks.
For example, users can click on cities on a map of a country and
bring up linked pictures and other information about each place.
For example,
Honolulu
Community College has developed an interactive campus
map that lets you get information about each building, its hours
of services, etc.
client
A
remote computer connected to a
host
or
server
computer. Also refers to the software that makes this connection
possible.
cross-post
To
post a message to several
newsgroups
simultaneously - an action usually frowned on in
Internet culture
cyberspace
A
term coined by author William Gibson in his novel "Neuromancer".
Cyberspace is currently used to refer to the digital world
constructed by computer networks, in particular the
Internet
database front end
In
the context of the
Internet,
this is an interface which integrates
WWW
applications with sophisticated database programs.
data
traffic
The
number of
TCP/IP
packets
traversing a network.
dial-up
account
A
basic type of
Internet
account that allows you to to dial-up a
provider'scomputer
with a modem. These types of accounts usually have a UNIX or other
command-line interface.
dedicated
line
A
telecommunications line that lets your computer have a direct,
permanent connection to the
Internet
domain
name
The
address that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names consist
of at least 2 parts. The part on the left is the name of the company,
institution, or other organization. The part on the right identifies
the highest subdomain. This can be a country, such as ca
for Canada, fr for France, or the type of organization:
com for commercial; edu for educational, etc. The
IP address is translated into the domain name by the
DNS
DNS
Domain
Name System --- A database
system that translates an
IP address
into a
domain
name. For example, a numeric address like 205.206.106.50
is converted into wwli.com.
download
To
transfer files from one computer to another. The most common way
of doing this on the
Internet
is by
FTP
e-mail
(electronic mail)
A
way of sending messages on computers attached to local or global
networks.
electronic
mall
A
virtual
shopping mall where you can browse and buy products and services
online
electronic
storefront
A
virtual
space in an
electronic
mall. This consists of space on a
server
(usually at a
web
site) where
html
documents are stored.
embedded
hyperlink
A
hyperlink
that is incorporated into a line of text.
emoticon
A symbol to compensate for the
absence of nonverbal clues when commicating on the
Internet
For example signifies a "grin", :} or :-} a "smile",
when inserted in the text of an
e-mail
message and alerts the reader not to take it seriously.
encryption
A
way of making data unreadable to everyone except the receiver.
An increasingly common way of sending credit card numbers over
the
Internet
when conducting commercial transactions.
FAQ
Frequently
Asked Questions - a
list of the most common questions
posted
on a
newsgroup
feedback
form
Sections
of
html
documents that accept user input. You can usually input comments,
order products, or search for information with these forms.
finger
An
Internet
software tool that helps you find people on other sites.
firewall
The
computer file system of a site's inner network that is protected
against unauthorized access by
Internet
users
flame
An
angry remark or message on a
newsgroup
or
mailing
list, often aimed at a user who has violated
netiquette
in some way.
form
support
Not
all browsers, nor all servers can handle the use of forms where
the reader can give input, for instance his address, or a question.
Browsers and servers that allow this, do have form support.
freenet
An
organization committed to making
Internetaccess
available to the general public for free or for a small contribution.
freeware
Free
software available on the
Internet
that can be redistributed.
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) -- A
way of moving files across networks. With FTP you can
login
to another Internet site and
download or send files. Some sites have public file archives
that you can access by using FTP with the account name
"anonymous" and your
e-mail
address as password. This type of access is called anonymous
ftp
gateway
A
computer system for exchanging information across incompatible
networks that use different
protocols.
For example, many commercial services have
e-mail
gateways for sending messages to
Internet
addresses.
hit
In
the context of the
WWW,
it refers to the act of accessing an
htmldocument
on a
server.
home
page
The
first page on a
Web
site that acts as the starting point for navigation.
host
A
computer that acts as a
server.
hotlist
A
list of frequently accessed
URLs
hotspot
A
place in a document that contains an
embedded
hyperlink.
HTML
Hypertext
Markup Language - the
coded format used to create
WWW
documents. html commands control how a piece of text will appear.
Files in html format are viewed with a World Wide Web Client
program.
hyperlink
These
are links in
HTML
documents that you can click on to go to other
Web
resources.
hypermedia
The
multimedia links on the
Web
that lead to sound, graphics, video, or text resources
hypertext
A
term coined by Ted Nelson to refer to a nonlinear system of information
browsing and retrieval that contains associative links to other
related documents. Hypertext is the basic organizing principle
of the
WWW
information packet
A
bundle of data sent over a network. The
protocol
used determines the size and makeup of the packet.
inline
image
A
built-in graphic that is displayed by the
browser
as part of an
HTMLdocument
and is retrieved along with it.
Internet
A
global collection of computer networks that exchange information
by theTCP/IP
suite of networking
protocols
nternet
account
An
account with an
ISP
that allows you to access the
Internet
IP
address
The
Internet Protocol address - the numeric address that is
translated into a
domain
name by the
DNS
ISDN
Integrated
Services Digital Network
-- Digital telecommunications lines with 2 channels that can yield
a combined capacity of 128 kbps.
Internet
service provider
A
company that provides various kinds of
Internet
accounts to organizations and individuals.
leased
line
Refers
to a
dedicated
phone line that is rented for exclusive 24-hour, 7-days-a-week
use from your location to another location. The highest speed
data connections require a leased line.
load
On
the
WWW,
HTMLdocuments
and graphics are loaded into the
browser
whenever an
URL
is accessed.
log
file
A
file that keeps track of network connections.
login
The
account name used to access a computer system or, used as a verb,
the act of typing your
username
and
password
on a terminal.
logon
The
process of connecting to a network or remote system.
logoff
To
disconnect from a network or remote system.
logout
To
type logout, or a similar word (e.g. "exit",
"quit". etc.) in order to disconnect from a network.
mail-bomb
The
flooding of an
e-mail
address with (usually angry) messages.
mailbot
An
e-mail
server that automatically responds to requests for information.
mail-filter
A
program that allows a user to sort
e-mail
messages according to information contained in the header.
mailing-list
A
discussion forum where participants subscribe to a list and receive
messages by
e-mail.
MIME
Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions
- an extension to the traditional
Internet
mail
protocol
that allows binary, or non-text, files, (i.e. graphics, executables,
audio files etc.) to be sent as attachments to regular
e-mail messages.
modem
A
device for translating the digital data of computers into analog
signals. Two or more computers connected together over phone lines
are therefore able to exchange files, and generally communicate
with each other.
moderated
mailing-list
A
mailing-list
where messages are first sent to the list owner before they are
distributed to all the subscribers.
navigate
To
move around on the
WWW
by following
hypertext
paths from document to document on different computers.
netiquette
The
rules of etiquette that guide
online
interaction on the
Internet.
Brandon University has a
netiquette
guide for the beginner available from their
WWW
site.
netizen
A
citizen of the
Internet.
newsfeed
ISPs
get their
newsgroups from different newsfeeds, or news sources,
by transferring them over the Internet, or other networks.
newsgroup
A
discussion forum on the
Internet
similar to that found on local
BBSs.
There are currently around 15,000 different groups covering a
wide range of topics.
newsreader
Application
software for reading and
posting
articles to
newsgroups.
online
When
a user is connected to a network, they are described as being
online.
password
A
secret combinations of letters and other symbols needed to
login
to a computer system.
pointer
A
link to related resources inserted into a
Web
page.
platform
The
type of computer or operating system on which a software application
runs. For example, some common platforms are PC, Macintosh,
Unix, and NeXT.
POP
(Post Office Protocol)
Post
Office Protocol. This is the protocol used by mail clients to
retrieve messages from a mail server.
POP
(Point of Presence)
The
nearest connection point at which a user may connect to a remote
site - usually that of the
ISP
or telephone company. This is relevant when ordering a
dedicated
line, since you have to pay for mileage.
post
Subscribers
to
newsgroups
and
mailing
lists take part in discussions by sending, or posting
their articles or comments
online.
postmaster
An
alias
on a mail
server
for administering routing of
e-mail.
preference
setting
A
set of parameters on software tools, especially
WWW
browsers,
that allows the user to attach a
signature
file to
e-mail
or
newsgroup
messages, change the colour and appearance of text, etc.
protocol
A
specification that describes how computers will talk to each other
on a network.
radio
button
Used in
forms
to indicate a list of items. Only one button can be selected at
one time. Here is an example: