Naturally, along with technological advances comes more technological jargon.
The following words are quite common, and you will encounter in this guide and/or on
the Internet.

bandwidth:  How much information you can send through the connection.  Try to
minimize drain on network resources by choosing a special service server (like FTP)
close to you and accessing busy sites during off hours (Snell, 1995).

computer-assisted instruction (CAI):  The deliverance of  instructional modules via the
computer, through on-line courses or CD-ROM programs, as a supplement to a course or
as an integral core of a course.

computer-assisted language learning (CALL):  A sub-part of CAI, CALL is the
deliverance of language instruction via the computer.

cyberspace:  The range of information sources available through the Internet (Internet
Literacy Consultants, 1997).

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):  A compilation of questions and answers to
common questions a user may have about a certain topic, application, software, etc.
freeware:  Programs that may be downloaded and are at no cost to use.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol):  The transfer of data from one computer to another
graphical browser (web browser, or browser):  A program that allows the user to view
the World Wide Web with images and color, and the user may use the mouse to activate
links or scroll the page.  Two well-known browsers are Netscape and Microsoft Internet
Explorer.

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language):  The format used to create documents for the
Internet, which allows for active links between pages

http (hyper text transmission protocol):  This means that the document is in hypertext

hyperlinks (or links):  Words or phrases that may be activated in order to take the reader
to another section or page which has more information related to that word or phrase.  In
a graphical browser, these links are often underlined and of a different colour than the
rest of the text.  Hypertext is a nonlinear text format using hyperlinks and “giving the
reader the possibility, during the reading process, to proceed through the text in the order
best suited to her  [or his] lines of thought” (Hult, Kalaja, Lassila & Lehtisalo, 1990, p.
189).

hypermedia:   This is “the combination of hypertext and multimedia:  in practice this
means hypertext augmented with pictures, sounds, etc.” (Hult et al., 1990, p. 189).
multimedia:  The simultaneous presentation of different media of communication, such
as a picture presented with audio and text.

newbie:  Someone who is new to the Internet and not experienced in its use and
applications

plug-ins:  Helper applications, external to the browser program, which are activated
when the browser cannot act upon the format of the material.

protocol:  The language the computers use to communicate with each other.
shareware:  Programs that may be downloaded, but a charge applies.  Some companies
adopt the honor system, whereas others allow only the download of a demo version, to be
replaced with the full version when the fee is paid.  Yet other programs have a timer, so
that when a trial time has expired, the program no longer functions.

spam:  Inappropriate use of a mailing list to send the same message to many people, most
of whom do not want it (Internet Literacy Consultants, 1997).

text browser:  A program to navigate the Internet which does not support graphics (e.g.
Lynx)

UNIX:  A computer operating system commonly used by Internet servers, designed for
simultaneous use by many, and functions similarly to DOS.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator):  The location of a file.

web page:  A document in HTML.

web site:  A collection of related pages, linked together.  There is often a homepage,
which lists links to the other pages belonging to that site.

For more Internet terms and definitions, see the ILC Glossary of Internet Terms at
http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html