GLOSSARY OF INTERNET
TERMINOLOGY AND SLANG

[TIP: Usually, any capitalized term in a definition is also defined in this glossary.]

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Access:

As a verb, to gain entry into a Computer Network and utilize it. As a noun, it is the method of connecting and interacting with the Network. The latter may be through a Computer at work, through a local Internet Service Provider (See: ISP), or through an On-Line Service such as America On-Line (See AOL) or CompuServe.

Address:

The unique combination of letters or numbers which identifies the person or location sought. It can be particular person (mbowen@koz.com), an Address on the World Wide Web (http://www.yahoo.com), or a specific machine (152.52.2.7).

AOL:

"America On-Line." An On-Line Service or Computer BBS which also offers Access to the Internet for its members.

Application:

The Software Program which handles a particular task, such as word-processing or spreadsheet.

Archie:

A Program which Searches archives for particular Software titles, then tells the user the location of the archive and the Directory in which the Software is stored.

ASCII:

"American Standard Code for Information Interchange." The world standard code for 128 characters representing all upper and lower case Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. Usually refers to straight, unformatted text Files.

B

Backbone:

The high-speed line or connection within a Network which functions as the main pathway for data transmission.

Bandwidth:

The amount of information which can flow through a given portal at any time. Akin to the capacity of a pipeline or the number of lanes in a highway.

Baud:

The previous designation used to describe the amount of information transmitted by a Modem. Now usually described in BPS (Bits Per Second).

BBS:

(See: Bulletin Board System.)

Beta:

An experimental or prerelease version of Software. Often released to the public for free, thus having the public do the final testing FOR the Software producer.

Binary:

The code which represents any alphanumeric character, punctuation or symbol as a 7-digit number to the base 2:

0000000 to 1111111.

Binhex:

"BINary-HEXadecimal." A method of converting non-text Files to ASCII. Internet mail can only transmit ASCII.

Bit:

"Binary digIT." A single digit number in base 2, either a 0 or a 1. The smallest unit handled by a Computer.

Bot:

(Short for "robot") A Program or process usually used on IRC to control a channel and/or keep it open. Frowned on by those running most IRC Servers and usually a good reason for getting yourself -- or your entire Domain banned from the Server altogether.

BPS:

"Bits Per Second." The measure of a Modem's speed, referring to the number of bits of data which can be sent and received per second.

Browser:

A Software Application or Client which is used to view the World Wide Web in a graphics format. Netscape, Mosaic, Websurfer, Explorer)

BTW:

"By The Way." Shorthand used in E-mail.

Bulletin Board System:

A BBS is a dedicated Computer system that acts as host for other Computers to call into. The special BBS Software usually allows Uploading and Downloading Files, E-mail, and discussion groups.

Byte:

A set of bits which represents a single character. Usually there are 8 BITS in a BYTE.

C

CGI:

"Common Gateway Interface." A File which runs a Program to perform a specific action depending on input by the user of a World Wide Web document.

Client:

A Software Application. Usually used in conjunction with SLIP/PPP connection. Also the term used for a system which is connecting to a Server.

Communications Program:

A Software Application which allows the Modem to contact a remote Computer to send and receive information. Usually refers to a Program which will note connect via SLIP/PPP. Examples are Terminal, Hyperterminal, Zterm, Telix, Smartcom, and Procomm.

Compressed File:

A File or number of Files which have been reduced in size and combined into a single File to simplify and speed up transmission via Modem. Examples are Files ending in ZIP, ARC, HQX, SEA, TAR, and the like.

Compression:

The method of creating compressed Files. The Programs such as often Binhex, Stuffit, Winzip and Pkzip often use code which will delete the spaces from a File, then restore them when the File is expanded.

CompuServe:

An On-Line Service or Computer BBS which also offers Access to the Internet to its members.

Computer:

Usually used to designate a desktop, laptop, or Personal Computer (PC). Lowest rung in the microchip food chain, the least microComputer sold today is FAR more powerful than the largest mainframe of just a few decades ago. The only problem is that the code for the operating systems and Programs of today is written by Programmers who do not have to BUY their own Memory.

Compuspeak:

(See also: Cyberbabble, Geek, Nerd) Computer jargon, closely related to teenage slang, Newspeak (see George Orwell's 1984), and legal documents.

Config File:

A system File (config.sys) in DOS used to set certain parameters in the Computer. It is read first on Bootup.

Cyberbabble:

(See: Compuspeak, Geek, Nerd)

Cyberspace:

A term originated by William Gibson in his novel NEUROMANCER and used today to describe the range of resources available through the Internet.

D

Dialer:

A Computer Program which actually dials a telephone number through the Modem and connects one Computer to another.

Dilbert:

A cartoon character; the Patron Saint of Nerds, Geeks, and other Computer Wonks.

Directory:

A subdivision of a hard disk -- known in some systems as a Folder, much like a File drawer. Directories allow the user to divide Files and Programs and keep them separate.

DLL:

"Dynamic Link Library." A File (WINSOCK.DLL) which contains instructions for several different Applications Programs. The WINSOCK (short for WINdows SOCKet) is specific to the TCP/IP connection Program used (Chameleon, Trumpet, etc.) and must be locatable by the various Applications in order for them to run. There should be only one WINSOCK.DLL on the system (or at least only one version of the File.)

DNS:

"Domain Name Server." The specific machine which contains all the Addresses on the Internet and parses (translates) whatever Address the user inputs to its alphanumeric equivalent for transmission to the remote system.

Dogbert:

Dilbert's dog. (See also: Dilbert.)

Domain Name:

The unique name which designates a specific site on the Internet. The Domain Name usually consists of two parts, such as nando.net, separated by a period. The part on the left is most specific (nando), while the one on the right (net) is the most general.

Domain Suffix:

The Domain attached to E-mail if it is not otherwise Addressed. It is usually in the form "yourprovider.net." Thus, if I Addressed mail only to "Sysop," the mail Program would automatically direct the mail to Sysop@yourprovider.net

Download:

The term for transferring Files from a remote Computer to your own machine. To send Files from your machine to the remote, the term is Upload.

E

E-mail:

Electronic correspondence sent from one user to another on a Network.

F

FAQ:

"Frequently Asked Questions." Encyclopedic Files of information on a specific topic. Usually prepared by an expert or group in a standard format and updated at regular intervals. An excellent source of information.

File Transfer:

Movement of a File from one Computer to another.

File transfer Protocol:

The method (Protocol) used to transfer specific Files. Some examples are:

Z-Modem, Y-Modem, X-Modem, Kermit, X-Modem-CRC, etc. The Protocol *must* be the same at both ends for the transfer to work.

File:

A single document or Program. A unit of storage on the Computer.

Fire Wall:

Hardware or Software which separates one Network from another for security purposes.

Flame:

Originally used to designate florid or passionate speech, the term has since come to mean any derogatory comment -- from the other person, of course.

Flame War:

An exchange of insults in an On-Line discussion in which the debaters rather than the subject are the topic of discussion.

Folder:

(See: Directory)

Freeware:

Software which is distributed freely, without charge.

FTP:

"File Transfer Protocol." The method of transferring Files from one Computer on the Internet to another. This requires a special Program which uses FTP. If the user does not have an account on the remote system, the method most often used to login is via "Anonymous FTP," where the word "anonymous" is used as the login name and the user's E-mail Address is used in place of the password.

G

Gateway:

The hardware/Software arrangement which translates between two different Protocols.

Geek:

A carnival act in which the person so named bites the heads off live chickens. Term of endearment (or derision, depending on the user) which signifies a person who tends to cloak him/herself in technical details or jargon. (See also: Compuspeak, Cyberbabble, Nerd.)

GIF:

"Graphics Interchange Format." A File format developed by CompuServe for transferring and viewing graphics Files.

Gigabyte:

One thousand Megabytes (which is one thousand Kilobytes).

Gopher:

Menu-driven Access to the information on the Internet. Most systems have a Gopher Program. Requires a Gopher Client (Program) to Access.

GUI:

"Graphics User Interface." Pronounced "GOO-ee." A terminal or Communications Program which allows the user to see graphics.

Guru:

One who is experienced and usually willing to teach others the ropes.

H

Hacker:

Once a term or respect and endearment (See "Hackers" by Stephen Levy) for Computer users who competed informally to write shorter, more concise and more elegant code. Now used primarily to describe the Computer equivalent of street gangs and hooligans who try to break into Computer systems for their own purposes.

Help Desk:

The god-like Gurus who endow every conversation with confused users with the unselfish dispensation of infinite patience and wisdom. (See also: divine, majestic, miracle-workers.)

Helper Applications:

Programs or Clients which allow the user to translate Compressed and Multimedia Files into a format which can be used on the user's Computer. (See also: JPEG, MPEG, ZIP.)

Home Page:

The main page of a Hypertext document on the World Wide Web. On some systems, users are allowed to put up their own Home Pages for Access by others. (See also: Web Page.)

HTM:

"HyperText Markup." The DOS version of HTML, truncated to three letters because DOS only allows a three-character File extension.

HTML:

"HyperText Markup Language." The language used to write documents for the WWW so Browsers such as Netscape, Mosaic or MacWeb can translate them for viewing. Special effects, headings, graphics, sound, animation and Links are all available for placement in HTML documents. HTML can be written with any word processing Program, but special HTML editors such as HotDog, HTML Assistant, etc., are available to simplify the task.

HTTP:

"HyperText Transfer Protocol." The method of transferring the data in an HTML File to the user's screen. All WWW Addresses start with "http://" but newer Browsers take this for granted and allow the user to put in the Address without having to enter this each time.

Hypertext Link:

A highlighted Link in an HTML document which allows the user to click on it and be transported to the new Address immediately. These Links can be added in most Browsers as "bookmarks" or "hot lists."

I

IMHO:

"In My Humble Opinion." Shorthand in an On-Line forum indicating that the writer is offering an opinion which may be debatable. Often followed by BS, but polite BS.

Information Superhighway:

A term originated by the government which causes hackles to rise and teeth to be gnashed by many on the Internet now, much like the term "surfing the 'Net" or the use of the word "groovy" by your parents.

INI File:

Initialization File for a Program such as Windows or Netscape. Usually contains setup information for the Program startup.

Initialization String:

A series of commands sent to the Modem to set certain switches in Memory. The initialization string starts with AT ("attention"). Other common commands are:

"Z" to completely reset Modem Memory; &F (or &F1) to reset to factory default settings; and on some Modems, %C0 to turn off data compression. Further commands can be found in your Modem manual.

Internet:

A Network Linking millions of Computers together in a state of sustained, benevolent anarchy. Originally started by the U.S. government as a way of assuring redundant routing and survivability in the event of nuclear war, the Network has taken on a life of its own and is the closest thing ever created to a manmade organism It is composed of a number of different methods of Access as well as a number of different ways of moving data, including the World Wide Web, File Transfer Protocol, Telnet, Gopher, and Internet Relay Chat.

IP Address:

The four-part numeric Address for any machine connected to the Internet, used for purposes of routing information, e.g., 152.52.2.2. Every on the Internet has a unique code number. Some numbers are permanent -- or "static" -- while some numbers are assigned "dynamically," that is they are assigned only for the current session and are likely to be different for the next session.

IRC:

"Internet Relay Chat" A method of logging on to certain areas of the Internet and carrying on two-way typed conversations with others. IRC is broken into "channels," each channel with a specific area of interest or topic for the conversation.

ISDN:

"Integrated Services Digital Network." A method of connecting to the Internet through existing phone lines which allows much faster transmission of data. Instead of the 28,800 BPS limit of most Modems, ISDN allows users to transmit and receive at 56,000 BPS and sometimes as high as 128,000 BPS.

ISP:

"Internet Service Provider" A service which offers Access to the Internet. Usually a local company, it may offer some other services as well, but its primary business is Internet Access. On the other hand, an On-Line Service provides BBS and forum services first, then Access to the Internet as an additional benefit.

J

JPEG:

"Joint Photographic Experts Group." A committee that has established standards for the compression and decompression of graphic images. Also the extension for such Files (written sometimes as JPG).

K

Kilobyte:

A thousand bytes, actually 1024 (2^10) bytes.

L

Links:

Addresses to other resources on the World Wide Web. Links are usually a different color from the rest of the text and can be clicked on with a mouse, thus transporting the user to the new location. Most sites have Links to other, similar sources of information. Other sites such as some personal Home Pages merely provide Links to other locations the site provider finds of interest to him or her.

Listserv:

The most common kind of Mailing List. The Listserv is also the Software and hardware which maintains and distributes the list.

M

Mailing List:

A subscription service which allows the user to place him/herself on a list to receive messages daily (also available on some lists as a daily, weekly or monthly digest form) on a very specific topic of interest. There are Mailing Lists as diverse as Ferrets to Schizophrenia, from Militia Groups to Home Schooling.

Majordomo:

Another Program to handle Mailing Lists.

MAM:

"Middle-Aged Men." A special dread of any Help Desk staff. (See also PITA). The explanation is simple. For the same reason men cannot stop at service stations and ask directions until their wives threaten to get out of the car and walk, MAM (The age varies from about 19 to just over 106) cannot call the Help Desk and ask for assistance until they are so frustrated and mad, they are ready to bite the heads off chickens. (See also: Geek.) By that time, it is THE HELP DESK'S fault, and THE HELP DESK is deliberately making life hard JUST FOR THEM! (See also: Yousarian's theory about German anti-aircraft gunners in CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller.) The answer is often Prozac, a long vacation -- without Computers! -- or a consultant. (As a last resort, any 12-year-old in the neighborhood can probably explain it.)

Megabyte:

One thousand Kilobytes. (For comparison, a single page of double-spaced type is roughly two Kilobytes.)

Memory (RAM):

The amount of Random Access Memory a Computer has. It is not related to hard disk storage, but rather is the amount of space available for Programs to run. Usually given in MB or Megabytes, 4 MB or RAM is usually considered the absolute minimum for running a SLIP/PPP connection, and then under older versions of the Connection and Browser Programs.

MIME:

"Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions." Protocol for E-mail which allows transmission of non-text Files such as graphics, audio, video, and Program Files. Uses encoding which sends the message as text, then unencodes it at the other end when it is Downloaded.

Modem:

"MOdulator-DEModulator." A device which -- IN THEORY -- connects a Computer to a phone line and Modulates the Computer's electronic signals into "sound," transmits it across telephone lines, then DEModulates that sound at the other end of the line into electronic signals for the remote Computer to read. There is only MINIMAL standardization among Modem manufacturers, thus earning Modems the Help Desk sobriquet, "Spawns of Satan!"

MPEG:

"Motion Picture Experts Group." A committee that has established standards for the compression and decompression of motion pictures and audio. Also the extension for such Files (written sometimes as MPG).

Multimedia:

Various methods of presenting information on the Computer including audio, video, animation, and telephony. There are Programs which can be Downloaded which will run the various types of Files (See also: Helper Applications.)

N

Nerd:

Any male above the age of puberty who is more interested in Computers than girls! (Unless it is "girls with Computers!") Also anyone who wears a pocket protector and carries more than one color of highlighting pens without a coloring book. Anyone who has done a book report without referring to Cliff Notes. (See also: Dilbert.)

Network:

Any group of Computers connected together in such a way that they can communicate and share data.

Newbie:

An affectionate term (sometimes) for new Internet users. Anyone who has not yet learned the ropes or who posts: a) any urgent appeal for "get well cards" for poor, dying Craig Shergold; b) any message with the subject line "GET RICH QUICK!"; c) any message about a "green card lottery"; d) any message referring to a "$250 Cookie Recipe"; or e) any (serious) warning about the "Good Times" virus. (See also: PITA, Spam.)

News:

All of anything that is "fit to print."

Newsgroup:

A subscribed service on Usenet in which the user receives by mail all correspondence on a particular topic.

O

On-Line Service:

A service such as AOL or CompuServe which offers On-Line BBS services, forums and special interest areas as well as Internet Access.

On-line:

Wired up, fired up, connected up and ready to go!

P

PITA:

"Pain In The Ass." (See also: MAM)

Pop:

"Point Of Presence." A physical site with Modems and Routers which allows a user to call in locally and gain Access to the Internet.

POP:

"Post Office Protocol." Also POP3.

POP3:

A method of delivering mail to users on the Internet via SLIP/PPP, but who do not have a permanent IP Address. Mail is held in an account much like General Delivery at the Post Office. When the user signs in with his/her user ID and password, the mail is taken from their holding area and passed across the counter to the user. (See also: Popper.)

Popper (Popper session):

If the SLIP/PPP mail Program is: a) interrupted while the mail is being transferred; or b) the mail Program is terminated without exiting and shutting it down properly, the result is the dreaded "A Popper Session Is Still Active" or "Your Password Stinks" message. You have two choices -- neither of which is to go back and try to read your mail again! If you are a Unix Guru (See also: Nerd, Geek, Wonk.), you can Telnet to both Parsifal and Merlin and kill any Popper sessions still active there. If you are NOT a Unix Guru, you just call the Help Desk and DEMAND to know why your password has been changed (it hasn't, I promise!).

.POP File:

The File to which mail is moved when transferring it from us to you. To repeat, if the SLIP/PPP mail Program is: a) interrupted while the mail is being transferred; or b) the mail Program is terminated without exiting and shutting it down properly, the result is the dreaded "A Popper Session Is Still Active" or "Your Password Stinks" message. (See: Popper)

PPP:

"Point-to-Point Protocol." A method of connecting to the Internet via TCP/IP (See: TCP/IP) which allows the user to use additional Programs or Clients so the information can be viewed in a graphics mode, much like the Mac desktop or Microsoft Windows. Newer and more reliable than SLIP. (See also: SLIP.)

Program:

Software (See also: Application, Client) which allows the user to perform a specific task, thus word processing Programs, spreadsheet Programs, etc. On the Internet, Programs are often referred to as Clients, since they normally work under other Programs which make the initial connection.

Prompt:

The command line indicator that input from the user is expected. Examples are the "C:>" or "C:\" in DOS or the "mbowen@parsifal:~$" Prompt in the Unix Shell.

Protocol:

Rules agreed upon by both parties for the transmission of data on a Network. It can be as complex as Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol which packages and routes data to millions of points on the Internet at once or as simple as the Kermit Protocol to Download a copy of the "$250 Cookie Recipe."

Q

R

ROFL:

"Rolling On The Floor Laughing." E-mail shorthand for, "I find this rather droll."

RTFM:

"Read The F***ing Manual!" A gentle e-mail shorthand reminder that one should read the documentation before asking questions.

S

Search:

To seek information on a specific topic on the Internet.

Search engine:

The Software or Program used to Search. The most familiar Search Engines are Yahoo, Lycos, Altavista, and Webcrawler.

Server:

A Computer set up to provide a specific type of service for a Client. A single Computer can provide several different kinds of service depending on the Software installed on it. Thus it might act as a WWW Server, a mail Server, an FTP Server, etc., all at the same time.

Shareware:

A class of Software which is distributed freely, but meant only as an evaluation copy. If the user decided to keep it, he/she is expected to purchase the Program. Netscape and Trumpet are two leading examples of Shareware.

Shell:

A command interpreter and Programming language which allow you to use the host Computer's facilities and Programs. The Unix Shell is the most common example. When you log into the Unix Shell, you can use the Software on the remote system to Access every part of the Internet from a command Prompt.

SLIP:

"Serial Line Interface Protocol." A method of connecting to the Internet via TCP/IP (See: TCP/IP) which allows the user to use additional Programs or Clients so the information can be viewed in a graphics mode, much like the Mac desktop or Microsoft Windows. Older and less reliable than PPP. (See also: PPP.)

Software:

A Program which allows the user to perform a specific task, such as word processing, database or spreadsheet. Telecommunications Software such as Terminal, HyperTerminal, Microphone or ClarisWorks is used with a Modem to communicate with a remote Computer.

Spam:

Pink, semi-viscous canned luncheon meat of suspicious origin with the shelf life of gravel. (Spam is a registered trademark of the Hormel Company, which claims sole responsibility for its continued production.) Also any mass mailing of the same message to more than a dozen news groups with nothing whatsoever in common or any relationship to the message at hand. An excellent way to get 2,000 copies of the FAQ for each group delivered to your mailbox and sudden silence on your line where your Internet account used to be.

Spider:

An arachnid, known for spinning webs and scaring people in cartoons. Often has a fondness for pigs named Wilbur. On the Internet, a Program which explores the Web in off-hours and brings back reports of new resources to add to a Search Engine's database.

Storage:

The method of saving data, usually on a hard disk drive. The drive capacity is usually measured in Megabytes or Gigabytes. My provider allows each account up to 5 Megabytes of storage.

Subscribe:

To ask to receive all the correspondence accruing to a Newsgroup or Mail List. (See also: Unsub, Unsubscribe.)

Surf:

A term for moving from one point to another on the Internet randomly, came in vogue and went out again roughly about the same period as "grody," "fer shure" and "gag me with a spoon."

Sysop:

SYStem OPerator, or the person in charge of running a Bulletin Board System (BBS). Usually requires infinite patience, omniscience, and a 28-30 hour day.

T

Tar:

Tape ARchive, a method of Compressing data and Files in Unix.

T1:

A leased line connection capable of transmitting and receiving data at the rate of 1,544,000 Bits Per Second. Faster than a speeding bullet.

T3:

A leased line connection capable of transmitting and receiving data at the rate of 45,000,000 Bits Per Second. More powerful than a locomotive.

TCP/IP:

"Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol." The method of routing information to and from a remote Computer while on the Internet. TCP tells the Network how to bundle the individual packets of data and IP handles the routing to your particular Address.

Telnet:

A Program which allows the user log onto a remote Computer system and run the Applications there as if he/she were sitting at the remote keyboard.

Terminal Server:

A device who's sole duty is to tell you where to go and how to do things once you have become part of the Network or family. The Computer equivalent of a mother-in-law.

TIA:

"Thanks In Advance." E-mail shorthand.

TTFN:

"Ta-Ta For Now." E-mail shorthand used only by English lords with minimal social skills and interior decorators who live with their mothers and have Toy Poodles with ribbons in their hair and are named "Mrs. Tiggywinkle." (The poodle, that is.)

TTYL:

"Talk To You Later." E-mail shorthand.

U

Uniform Resource Locator (URL):

A $2 word for Address on the World Wide Web. Written in the form "http://www.*****.*****".

Unix:

"The operating system from Hell!" A multi-user operating system developed by Bell Labs shortly before the appearance of Cro-Magnon Man and still in use today. The basis for the Internet, it still shows up at odd times and requires continued obeisance, genuflection and occasional sacrificing of goats. (It has still not been proven whether the parents of the Programmer who introduced "case sensitivity" into Unix were indeed married or not.) Understood fully only by individuals (See also: Wonks, Geeks, Nerds) who have totally lost the ability to speak English and who alternately growl and chuckle insanely at inappropriate times.

Unsub:

To withdraw or reverse one's request for receipt of particular Newsgroup or Mailing List.

Unsubscribe:

(see also: Usenet, Newsgroups, Sub, Subscribe, Unsub.)

Upload:

To transfer a File from one's own Computer "up" to a remote Computer. (See also: Download.)

URL:

(See: Uniform Resource Locator.)

Usenet:

A collection of over 23,000 Newsgroups worldwide. Usenet Newsgroups are Subscribed to individually by the user, depending on his or her interests and tastes. Newsgroup topics range from crafts to Computer languages, from genealogy to cartoon soundtrack clips, from old-time radio to sexy bald-headed starship captains. There is literally "something for everybody."

V

Virus (Computer):

A routine which may be hidden in another Program and used to infect and cause damage to the user's Computer (often causing loss of data). There are many Programs from reputable companies such as Norton, Microsoft and McAfee which will Search for viruses and destroy them as well as "immunize" the system against the introduction of new viruses. Viruses are usually created by lower life forms at the bottom of the evolutionary ladder.

W

Webcrawler:

A Program which Searches the WWW and returns a list of Links the user can go to for information about the Search topic.

Web page:

A File on the World Wide Web which can be viewed in either a text or graphics mode. It can either be a commercial site or a personal Web Page.

Winsock:

(See: DLL.)

Winsock.dll:

(See: DLL)

Wonk:

Anyway who free-associates the word "messiah" with "Bill Gates."

World Wide Web:

For many users today, the ONLY part of the Internet they see, outside of mail. Originally created at CERN, the particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, as a method of sharing scientific papers On-Line, the WWW has burgeoned -- according to one recent report -- over 800 percent in just one year! Companies such as IBM, the New York Times, and Time-Life have all established a presence on the Web. In addition, millions of individuals have placed personal Home Pages On-Line with everything from pictures of their new baby to the Rapture Index, an analysis of diverse factors from false messiahs to the price of oil to try to predict the Second Coming. The Web can be Accessed in text mode through a Program like Lynx in Unix, or in graphics mode through a SLIP/PPP connection and the use of a Browser such as Netscape.

X

Xyplex:

A "router" used to direct an incoming call from the answering Modem to the correct connection. At my provider, this may be either the BBS, the Unix Shell, or the Internet via SLIP/PPP.

Y

Yahoo:

One of the best Search Engines on the WWW. Started by two college students as a method of finding things on the Web, it has grown into a cottage industry (a BIG cottage!) with books and magazines (and presumably mugs, sweatshirts and cutesy fake tattoos for teenyboppers). Also placed here to keep "Y" and "Z" from slamming together like "Q" and "R" did.

Z

Zip:

File created using the ZIP compression Protocols. To UnZIP -- or decompress -- it, you will need to use the PKUNZIP or the WINZIP Program.

Copyright © 1996-97 by Mike Bowen. All rights reserved.