THE Glossary
(by Michael R. Irwin)Follows is a glossary of terms, we have put together, concerning the Internet. Another source for terms can be located at CNet's site:
Click here to go to C Net's Glossary
Select one of the choices below or simply scroll through the entire paper.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, ADSL, refers to a method where modems are connected to each end of a conventional telephone line in such a way that the line (usually copper, twisted pair) will perform very fast transmissions of data. It's typically used for applications such as interactive video and high-speed data communications. It is 'asymmetric' with up-link speeds (64Kps) differing from download speeds (up to 6 Mbps).
You use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to access files that are available to the public over the Internet. If an FTP site is an Anonymous FTP site, you do not have to use an account or a login ID and password to access files.
A program that is used on the Internet to help you find files that you can transfer to your PC. An Archie program searches other systems on the Internet for files matching a criteria you specify (for example, a file name or specific type of file), and once found, it provides you a list of locations that have those files, so that you can transfer those files using FTP.
Archie programs are usually found on publicly accessible Archie sites that you access using Telnet.
Address Resolution Protocol is a member of the TCP/IP protocol suite. It translates the IP address (like 138.12.4.54) into a physical network address. This is the key process that makes sure that a packet of data addressed to a particular host finds its destination.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a packet switching protocol which is widely used for transmitting varied information (data, voice, video, etc.) via high-speed networks.
Autonomous agents
Programs that travel between sites, deciding themselves when to move and what to do (e.g. General Magic's Telescript). These can only travel between special servers and are currently not widespread in the Internet.
Intelligent agents
Are programs that help users with things, such as choosing a product, or guiding a user through form filling, or even helping users find things. These have generally little to do with networking.
User-agents
Is a technical name for programs that perform networking tasks for a user, such as Web User-agents like Netscape Explorer, Email User-agent like Qualcomm Eudora etc..
The backbone is the high-speed main pathway of a network.
Bandwidth refers to the amount or quantity of data that can travel through your Internet connection per second, measured in bits. The greater the bandwidth of your connection the more information you can send per second.
A measurement of speed for modems. One baud is equal to one signal per second. For speeds less than 4800, the number of bits being transferred equal the baud rate, so 1200 baud equals 1200 bits per second being sent to the modem. Higher speeds, 9600 and above can send more than one bit, in compressed mode, therefore a 9600 baud modem does not mean that it will only send 9600 bits per second (bps).
All digital information/data is made up of bits and bytes. When computers talk or write to each other, they represent all of the information in ones and zero--known as binary (1's and 0's). Each of these individual items (1 or 0) is known as a bit.
bps, also known as baud rate (although it can be distinctly different) is the data transmission rate for moving information across a network. It usually refers to the speed of the modem or network connection. Modems support transmission rates like 2400, 9600, 14,400 or 28,800 bps. The higher the bits per second, the faster you will be able to access and transfer information.
A bookmark is a reference, comprised of a URLs (addresses) for a specific Web page on the Internet. As a collection, bookmarks are also referred to as a hotlist. This hotlist or collection of bookmarks are stored in a file and are used by the web browser, like Netscape, Internet Explorer or Mosaic to quickly select and move to a Web document.
A browser is a computer software program that allows you to access information on the World Wide Web, via use of a mouse. It supports display of both text and graphics at the same time. Netscape, Lynx, Cello, Internet Explorer and SPRY Mosaic are examples of World Wide Web browser programs.
A dial up computer system that holds files and messages that members access. It is used for discussions and is where users read messages left by other members of the bulletin board and provide, or post, their own messages. Bulletin boards can cover many different subjects, from antelopes to zoology. The Internet has what is considered the largest BBS -- a large-scale bulletin board-type system called USENET News. It consists of newsgroups containing messages from users all over the Internet and covering a wide range of subject areas.
A byte, which represents a single value (number, character or symbol like "3", "A", "b", or "©". Each byte is comprised of eight bits (0's and 1's).
The European collective of high-energy physics researchers (European Organization for Nuclear Research). This group is located in Geneva Switzerland. CERN, at one time, stood for a French name, today it has no meaning. This is where the World Wide Web began.
The Common Gateway Interface is a means of transferring information that has been placed in a Web page form by a user. It passes this information back to the Web server to scripts or programs and vice versa. The most common usage is for doing database queries. The most popular language for writing CGI programs in is Perl.
The actual meaning of a channel, as it pertains to the Internet, is emerging. In its simplest form, a channel is a number (or other easy representation) that is used to represent a specific Web site. Using channels, you can access a Web site just like you currently access a television channel. There is currently (July 1997) no standard channel format. This channel technology is an integral part of the 'push' technology that exists on the Internet today.
The act of conversing with groups over the Internet. Chat is often compared to a telephone conference call, only (instead of voice communications) you type your comments, and read others remarks from your computer screen. You can interactively chat with other users via a relay or chat server. Numerous Internet Relay Chat (IRC) applications can be found on the Internet and downloaded to your PC using FTP.
A computer or program that requests some service, like information, from another computer called a server. For example, a browser, like Netscape or Internet Explorer, is a client that displays Web pages that are located on a World Wide Web server.
Similarly, a FTP client can request and download files from an FTP server.
The interaction occurring between clients and servers is known as Client/server computing.
A computer model that is used by programs to provide services to users in a distributed environment. It is the primary model that the Internet is based on. A distributed environment does not maintain a single source of information. Rather, it offers the ability to have multiple sources of information. This model has two parts -- the client and the server. There can be multiple clients and multiple servers. Clients request services, and servers provide them. For example, you can use FTP, which works on a client/server basis, to download a file from another system to your computer.
Central Services Organization. An Internet service, which offers help in finding user and address information found within databases that, resides on the Net.
A term used to refer to the Internet's electronic universe of information. Unlike traditional physical services, the Internet's information is stored in non-tangible form -- electronic files.
A reference to a small UNIX program that is run to determine if something has happened. If it has happened, they react by performing some action, otherwise, they go back to sleep.
A collection of information that is organized in some specific manner, making it easy to access, or find the information. There are different ways to organize or structure the data stored in databases. The Internet has thousands of databases on it that contain a wide variety of information.
A datagram is a reference to packets of data that are sent across the Internet.
A dedicated line is a telephone or data line that is always available for use. Often called a lease line. Leased telephone lines can be dedicated for continual computer data communications.
Each leased line is only used by a single computer 24 hours a day and is never disconnected (except for maintenance purposes). Other computers or individuals do not use the line. In comparison, a switched, or dialup line is used only for a specified time and then disconnected.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP, is the method used to determine the IP address from a server. It allows for central control and management of IP addresses, thus allowing a site to have one IP address in one session and another in another.
A dial-up Internet account allows you to use a computer with a modem and software to connect to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider. The software "dials" the ISP's access number and you can then send e-mail, browse the World Wide Web or perform other Internet activities.
A dial-up line, also known as a switched line, is only used for the duration of the connection and then disconnected. Many users can share it.
A dialup account is a method of connecting to a network (often a connection to the Internet) that is accessed by dialing into a remote computer using a computer and modem. Using a dialup line, you must first dial the remote computer in order to establish a connection. This is in contrast to a dedicated line, which is a connection that is always available.
A directory, also known as a sub-directory, is similar to a paper folder. It can contain one or more documents or files, often related in some manner.
For example, all the files for an application are usually kept in one directory. When you need to access a file, it may be necessary to specify the directory in which it is kept.
A directory is also a type of search engine that you can use to locate resources of information on the Internet. A directory search engine maintains a database of records that it searches to find your information. It is similar to the yellow pages of a telephone company.
An Internet domain is the physical server or computer that exists on the Net. It has a physical address, also known as a name, which is comprised of a group of four numbers separated by periods. However, it can have an alias name assigned that is represented by text rather than a group of numbers, for example ibm.net or commerce.gov. When you send someone an e-mail, you must assign the domain name, like irwinmr@ibm.net (ibm.net is the domain).
Domain Name System/Service is a network service used to convert system names to their actual numeric IP addresses. Each server, and the physical computer that the server software resides on, has a unique address. This address, actually known as dotted decimal notation or the dotted 4s (fours) is comprised of four numeric numbers. For instance, the SPRY Mosaic Company has a server that is really named 165.121.1.70
By using a DNS, the user will not have to type in, or remember this numeric name. Rather, a person can use a human-readable name, like www.spry.com, rather than dotted decimal notation to refer to systems and users. In our example, DNS will convert www.spry.com, typed in by the user, to 165.121.1.70, the actual IP address of the server.
A server used to translate system names (like www.spry.com) to IP addresses (like 165.121.1.70). Many Internet programs, like Gophers and Browsers need access to a DNS server in order to work.
A domain is a specific region/area or section on the Internet, often referred to as a "site". It consists of computers and networks that are administered together. Each domain is identified by a Domain Name. A domain can be any size--from a single computer to a network within the Internet, or beyond. These domains are not really physical locations on a particular computer, although they usually physically reside in a particular network. In truth, they are better thought of as "logical" domains, as their electronic files can be located in a number of different pieces of physical equipment on the network and can move from day to day.
There are several top-level domains (last 2 or 3 characters). The most common are those that end in the following --
"net" (network)
"com" (commercial ventures)
"org" (usually a non-profit organization)
"edu" (educational institutions)
"gov" (governments)
"mil" (military)
In addition to these general category types there are domain names for many countries (us - United States of America, ph - Philippines, cn - People's Republic of China, hk - Hong Kong, etc. The state of California also has its own top-level domain name -- ca).
There is a proposal to extend the number of standard extensions and expected to take effect in 1997.
The unique name of any computer directly connected to the Internet. For instance in the address irwinmr@ibm.net, ibm is the domain name and the extension "net" (the domain) indicates that IBM is a network. Domain Names are issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
See DNS Server.
The Dot Address, also called Dotted Decimal Notation, refers to the common A.B.C.D. notation for IP addresses. Each letter represents, in decimal notation, one byte of the four-byte IP address.
The process of transferring a file from a remote computer to your computer. You can download files to your computer using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) in Internet.
Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, is a configuration of modems and a line. DSL is the type of modem employed for Basic Rate ISDN. At peak performance, the modem can transmit data in both directions at the same time (simultaneously, known as duplex data).
Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, enables computer-to-computer transfer of business documents, such as purchase orders, requisitions, invoices, etc.
A method used to send and receive messages over a network. You use an e-mail program to create and send a message on the Internet. The email program will send your mail, electronically, to a remote mailbox, where it can be retrieved and read by the addressee.
The location where e-mail messages can be sent to a user. An e-mail address consists of a username and an Internet address, or domain name, separated by an @ sign. For example, an e-mail address might be irwinmr@ibm.net where irwinmr is the username and ibm.net is the Internet address, or domain name.
A group of characters that when viewed sideways, looks like a face or an object. Emoticons are used to add expression to text. For example, the following group of characters when viewed sideways looks like a smiling face or smiley. :-)
A transport method, or configuration, that is used to link computers to a LAN.
Stands for Frequently Asked Questions. A FAQ is a document that covers some topic of general concern to several users. New users can refer to FAQs to get information on various aspects of the Internet. For instance, you might find a FAQ on using Netscape, a popular browser program on the Internet.
A computer, machine, that maintains files for use via a network.
An Internet program, or service, that lets you create a query, submit it, and then it will respond to the query. It will retrieve the information requested, remotely, and return it to you. It can be used to display information about users on a given system on the Internet, for instance, to find someone's e-mail address.
A firewall is broadly defined as anything that protects one network from another. A firewall can be accomplished via software or a combination of hardware and software.
Using a firewall and a program such as Sock 4.2, which permits communication across a firewall, a user, connected to a local area network, can access the resources of the Internet without actually existing on the Net. Machines on the LAN only speak to the local side of a firewall using TCP; via Socks, they can access the resources of the NET. Socks acts like a bridge that accesses both sides of the firewall. By using Socks, or a similar program, the user will not be required to post their IP address to the Net, saving resources.
A vicious, tasteless statement, criticism, or angry opinion made about some comments in an e-mail, chat session, or newsgroup item. Often it takes the form of a direct personal attack. When someone flames, they are considered rude and immature.
When two or more people exchange rude, angry, and sometimes violent dialogue during a chat session or newsgroup discussion it is referred to as a flame war.
Frame relay is a type of Internet connection. Frame relay is very efficient. It achieves this economy by electronically sharing an Internet connection among several users with similar requirements.
Freeware is a type of software that is distributed free of charge by the author. However, although the software will cost you nothing, the author still retains all copyright privileges.
File Transfer Protocol is a method or service used to transfer text and binary files across networks (between computers). Using FTP, you can copy files from a remote computer to your computer; you can also copy files from your computer to a remote computer, if the receiving computer permits it.
As a verb, ftp means to transfer files from a remote computer to your computer, using the FTP (File Transfer Protocol). You may see this usage as you work on the Internet. For example, a Web document may direct you to ftp a specific file.
A computer used to store, send and retrieve files using FTP. It is often referred to as an FTP site. However the server itself is comprised of two parts -- a physical computer that has an IP address and is on the Internet and a software program known as a FTP server application, that is performing the FTP work.
A computer which stores files that can be retrieved using FTP. If a FTP site allows anyone to retrieve files (without the need for an account, username and password, on that computer) is known as anonymous FTP sites.
A gateway is a server that is used to connect two networks that use different protocols. For example, a corporate Intranet can access the global Internet via a gateway.
Stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It is a graphics file format popularized by CompuServe and used heavily throughout the Internet. Most World Wide Web servers use GIF graphics to display graphical information. Another popular graphic format used on the Internet is known as JPEG.
A program that is operated on the Internet that is used to display information in organized menus.
A Gopher sever is another type of Internet server. Gopher servers contain a wide variety of information and resources (such as programs and images) that are organized in menus, that can be transversed by the user to find information.
Gopherspace is a term that references the collection of information available via Gopher servers on the Internet.
High data rate Digital Subscriber Line, or HDSL, is an efficient method of transmitting T1 over twisted pair copper lines. It uses less bandwidth. Common applications for HDSL are private data networks.
A commonly used World Wide Web (WWW) document. It is the default, or first, document that users see when connecting to a Web server for the first time. It usually consists of a visually pleasing table of contents with hyperlinks to other WWW servers.
In addition to the companies and universities on the Web, you can find individual Home pages for users of the Internet.
Any computer that you connect to over a network in order to access information.
Host computers, on the Internet, are always connected to the Net and are seldom taken off-line. The Host computer is where Web pages live, email is stored and chats occur.
A hotlist, also known as a bookmark, is a file which contains the URLs (addresses) of Internet Web pages. This file is used by a web browser, like Netscape, Internet Explorer or Mosaic to quickly select and move to a Web document. You can create, maintain and use a listing of common Web sites, storing them in the hotlist for use at a later time.
HTML is an abbreviation for the term HyperText Markup Language. This is the 'language' of the World Wide Web. It is actually a scripting type language that is used to define a document formatting and display methodology. For instance, heading type text, bold text, new paragraphs, and on and on.
HTML + is the most recent version of the HTML language. The current standard for HTML is version 3.0; however, version 3.2 is available, although not currently approved (March 1997). Many browsers support version 3.0, the minimum support is for the older version 2.0.
HyperText Transmission Protocol. It is the protocol used to transfer World Wide Web (WWW) pages through the Internet.
A personal hypermedia/multimedia creating system that is used on Apple Computers.
Hyper-g refers to a distributed hypertext system that is popular in Europe.
A hyperlink is a defined connection between hypermedia or hypertext documents and other media. Often it is simply referred to as a link. It can be thought of as a quick route to other web documents on the Internet.
Using these links, often displayed as underlined text or a picture in a document, you can quickly navigate around the Internet.
Documents that are viewed on the Internet can contain links to other related forms of media. They are similar to hypertext but are not restricted to text only, as is hypertext. Hypermedia includes text, graphics, images, and other types of information. The Web is a hypermedia-based system that allows you to point and click on hyperlinks to go directly to related information.
Hypertext is some specific text on a document that is linked to other related text, in the same document or another document on the World Wide Web. Hypertext is not limited to the Internet, for example, most Help information is hypertext based. Hypertext words are typically highlighted in some manner, either by being displayed in a different color or underlined (or both). Clicking on a hypertext word takes you directly to the related information.
The standard language used for creating hypertext and hypermedia documents that are used on the World Wide Web.
HTTP is the standard protocol language that World Wide Web clients and servers use to communicate with each other. hytelnet A hypertext interface to telnet.
An Internet Control Message Protocol, or ICMP, is a TCP/IP protocol used to send error and control information about the IP datagram transmission. For instance, when an IP datagram (message) cannot be delivered to its destination, a router can use ICMP to notify the sender of the failure. This failure may be due to traffic or even a temporary outage of the server.
An Internet Group Management Protocol, or IGMP, is a TCP/IP protocol that lets Internet hosts use IP multicasting.
The Internet Inter-ORB Protocol, or IIOB, is an evolving (June 1997) wire-level protocol that specifies how distributed objects will communicate with each other on the Net. IIOP is similar to Microsoft's Distributed Common Object Model (DCOM); however, ti is based around the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). In theory any IIOP compliant client software package on any hardware platform will be able to access the same object.
Internet Message Access Protocol, Version 4, or IMAP4, is an evolving protocol (June 1997) that allows a client to access and manipulate e-mail messages on a server. It lets the user perform tasks like manage folders remotely view subject lines and selectively download messages and attachments. It also allows for shared mail folders.
A relatively recent metaphor, initially coined by Vice-President Al Gore (US), that refers to a future worldwide network that will provide connectivity, access to information, and online services for people around the world.
The Internet is considered a prototype for the information superhighway, and is often referred to as the information superhighway in the media. Although recently, the press and US Government, who has been the driving force of this concept are moving away from it.
A graphic that is inside a Web document known as a hypermedia document. Usually you will find a mix of graphics and text on the same document. The Internet tends to support two graphic types -- GIF and JPEG.
The largest collection of interconnected networks in the world. It includes university, corporate, government, and research networks from around the world, tied together in a large network. You can connect to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider.
The Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC) is an organization funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that provides network information services to Internet users. InterNIC provides registration, directory, database, and information services.
An Intranet is an internal, enterprise (company, office, etc) network that utilizes Internet technology for internal communications.
Internet Protocol (IP) is the standard networking protocol that is used to route information through the Internet via numeric IP addresses.
A numeric address for a machine on the Internet. An IP address is a grouping of four numeric groups separated by periods, for instance an address of 165.121.2.126. Often the IP address is referring to a Fully Qualified Domain Name, known as a Uniform Resource Locator name, such as www.msn.com. Note that the physical IP address is always a numeric, although it is often referred to as a text based name. A program on the Internet will convert the text name to the actual numeric.
A method used to broadcast messages to a group of computers simultaneously.
Internet Relay Chat is a program that allows users on the Internet to communicate by typing messages to each other in real time.
IRC sites on the Internet have channels set up for different topics, similar to USENET newsgroups.
A standard method of connection to the Internet, offering up to four times faster access than that offered by a 28.8 kbps modem.
ISDN connections require setup and configuration by the local telephone company. In addition, it also requires use of a special ISDN terminal adapter, known as a digital modem.
A standard set of characters that include accented letters and symbols.
The character set, defined by the international standards organization (ISO) committee defines text that most languages can use to access and display information on the Internet.
Internet Service Provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. An access provider is similar to the local cable TV operator, however, it provides access to Internet services instead of cable television.
An Internet Service Provider does not dictate what information you can see or what tools you must use, unlike the cable "guy".
A provider can offer several different types of access to the Internet: (1) simple dialup access, (2) SLIP/PPP access, or (3) use of a dedicated line. Typically, the service provider charges a monthly subscription fee for access to the Internet. This base fee usually includes access to the Internet for a number of hours per month. If you exceed this number, you are typically charged extra for each additional hour of usage.
A standard image compression mechanism for graphic files.
JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the original name of the committee that wrote the standard. However, JPEG has come to be known as a type of image format found on the Internet. Many World Wide Web servers contain JPEG images.
Kilobits per second, or kbps, is used to indicate the speed of computer modems, as in 28.8 kbps, 33.6 kbps or 56 kbps.
Kilobyte, or just K, is a unit of measurement for determining file sizes. A kilobyte actually contains 1,024 bytes (that's 2 to the 10th power). Although kilo is Greek for a thousand, it is actually 1024 in computer jargon.
Local Area Network, or LAN, is a network of computers, often in the same building, or group of buildings.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, or LDAP, is an emerging (June 1997) directory services protocol that uses a subset of the x.500 directory standard. It is used to provide a common way to identify user and group information.
A leased phone line, from the local telephone company, that provides a dedicated (full-time) Internet connection.
Line noise is simply the static that can be heard on a telephone line. Noise can cause modem problems, even on lease lines.
A link is some text or graphic on a web document, page, that when selected (usually by clicking on it) will quickly route you to another web document. These documents that are linked are usually related in some manner. It is also known as a hyperlink.
A program on a mail server that manages an e-mail mailing list on a particular topic. A LISTSERV program allows you to automatically subscribe to or unsubscribe from a mailing list.
LISTSERV programs eliminate the need for human administrators to manage mailing lists in some cases.
The system you are using on the Internet is known as the local system. Interactions between your computer and another computer on the Internet are sometimes described using the terms local and remote systems. The local system is your computer and the remote system is the other computer.
The process of signing onto another computer system. You typically have to log into a computer before you are allowed to use it or access its programs or files. When you log in, you usually need to provide your name or identification and password. This prevents unauthorized users from accessing computers.
Simply viewing, or listening in on, mailing lists, newsgroup, or bulletin board discussions without actively participating. When you initially join a newsgroup, you should consider lurking for awhile before joining in the discussion (or as someone said 'lurk before you leap'). This will give you an opportunity to see what other members of the group are writing before you write your own thoughts, ideas, or comments.
Metropolitan Area Exchange, or MAE, is a major Internet hub or interchange.
A mailing list is just a list of e-mail users who are members of a common group. A mailing list can be an informal group of people who share e-mail with one another or it can be a more formal LISTSERV group that is focused toward a specific topic.
A program that provides access to files via email.
A Mail Transfer Agent is a program that runs on a server (usually UNIX) that delivers mail to another machine on the IP network.
Some online documentation that comes bundled with computers that operate based on the UNIX operating system.
A Megabyte, or MB, is a unit of measure that is used to represent file or storage size (hard drives). The word Mega in Greek represents a million. However, in computer jargon, a megabyte actually contains 1,048,576 bytes (1,024 x 1,024 bytes).
A bar of choices that contain menus and submenus found in programs that offer graphical interfaces. It allows a user to select choices via menus.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension, or MIME, is a protocol for sending non-ASCII/Text data (sound, graphics, etc) over the internet using text-based transport protocols, like SMTP.
A communications device that connects your computer to a telephone line. It is used to converts data between the digital format used by computers and the analog format used for transmission across telephone lines. The name is derived from the term MOdulation/DEModulation, which is the actual process of conversion.
A type of World Wide Web (WWW) browser originally developed at NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications). It was the first graphical, mouse-driven interface to the World Wide Web. It offers versions for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX based machines, free of charge.
There are several variants of the original Mosaic, including SPRY Mosaic, one of the more popular commercial browsers today.
Although it is based on the original Mosaic, it offers many enhancements to the original.
Moving Picture Experts Group. MPEG is a standard (set by the MPEG group) used for digital video, (movie) and mixed audio type compression. MPEG is used to refer to movie files commonly found on the Internet. You must have an MPEG player to view MPEG files; many shareware and freeware MPEG players are available on anonymous ftp sites.
Multimedia represents the combination of different types of data in one environment, such as text, graphics, sounds, and moving images.
The Network Access Point, or NAP, serves as "intersections" where the various Internet Service Provider network backbones can interchange data. There are four in the United States.
The act of navigating is the act of maneuvering or traveling through the various areas on the Internet. You can navigate through the Internet in a variety of ways.
For example, you can use a series of gopher menus, selecting entries on each menu.
You can also navigate through World Wide Web (WWW) pages by clicking on hyperlinks on each page via a browser program. In addition to these ways, you can navigate directly by specifying the locations, called URLs, you wish to visit.
A US government funded organization whose mission is to develop and research high-technology resources for the scientific community.
Another US federally-funded organization that manages the NSFnet, which connects education institutions together in the United States.
Software developed by the NCSA. It is shared whiteboard, or collaborative, software.
NetBIOS Extended User Interface, or NetBEUI, is the common network protocol for Windows for Workgroups.
Network Basic Input / Output System, NetBIOS, is a basic applications interface that allows an application to communicate on a network.
The Net is another term for the Internet.
A coined term used to explain network etiquette. More specifically, it refers to your conduct, attitude, and decorum while working on the Internet. For instance, it is considered rude netiquette to TYPE IN UPPERCASE LETTERS WHEN SENDING A MESSAGE BECAUSE IT IMPLIES YOU'RE SHOUTING! An entire body of proper usage or etiquette has evolved since the Internet came into being.
A common method, or protocol, used to transfer articles across the Usenet.
A term used to refer to USENET news, which is a popular forum for discussion on the Internet.
A newsgroup is a discussion group usually found on USENET news. There are thousands of newsgroups available on the Internet. Each group devotes its discussions to a specific topic.
A machine that contains a number of USENET newsgroups, discussion groups on countless subjects. You can connect to a News Server and read and post network news. News Server administrators decide which of the thousands of USENET newsgroups to carry. News Servers often limit access to certain individuals, usually those associated with a specific Internet Provider.
Network Information Center is an organization that provides users with information about services available on a network. InterNIC is a NIC that provides information about Internet services.
The Network News Transfer Protocol, or NNTP, is a protocol used to transmit Usenet messages across the Internet. It is also used by the news servers to replicate newsgroup discussions.
Network Operations Center, or NOC, is the Internet Service Provider's equivalent of NASA's Mission Control.
A network of major research institutions, colleges, and campuses together in the United States. The US government funds it.
OC-3 refers to a type of circuit. An OC-3 circuit is capable of carry data at transmission speeds of 155,000,000 bits per second. (155 Mbps)
OC-256 is another type of circuit. It is capable of transmitting data at 13,271,000,000 bits per second. (13,271 Mbps)
The act of being actively connected to a network. Once online, you may exchange data and communicate with other users or computers on the network.
Refers to a commercial online computer service like CompuServe, America Online or Wow. These services offer rich chat facilities, email and forums. Most of them also offer some Internet access and tools.
Often you will pay significantly more for these types of services vs. straight Internet access via an Internet Service Provider.
Page or Home page is a term for the most basic document type on the World Wide Web.
A small unit of electronic data which contains an attached headers, trailer and information. The packet is used to move information between computers through the Internet.
For example, a packet might contain text from a document, a graphical picture, or some of the binary code for a program. All the information that flows through the Internet does so in the form of packets.
When information is sent across the Internet it is first broken into small units, called packets, then they are sent across the Net from one site to another, finally being put back together on the other end. The path each one follows may be different and may be re-directed, based on the activity at the time the packet passes from one path to another. Special computers known as routers direct these paths.
A hypermedia document as viewed via a Web browser.
A password is simply a word or sequence of characters that uniquely identifies you. A password is typically associated with your user name.
The combination of your user name and password is used to verify that you are who you say you are, and that you are authorized to use certain systems or resources on the Internet. When you login to a computer, you may be prompted to specify your user name and password.
A TCP/IP program, known as Packet Internet Groper, or ping, is used to check if a particular computer system, machine, is up and running on the Internet. The Ping program sends a sequence to the target system and looks for a response back. A response indicates that the system is available. Many shareware and freeware Ping applications are available on the Internet.
This stands for Point of Presence, which is a fancy way to refer to an ISPs location. If you hear that they have a local POP, it means there is a local access number.
Post Office Protocol 3 is a popular method used for storing Internet mail. Many Internet mail applications require a POP3 mailbox in order to receive mail. It provides a way for mail programs to interact with the virtual mailboxes in which messages wait until they are sent or received. Unlike the richer, IMAP4 specs, it simply allows for store-and-forward email functionality.
In TCP/IP networking, a port is the number that identifies a specific "channel" used by network services. For instance, Gopher generally uses port 70, but occasionally is set to use other ports on various machines.
Point-to-Point Protocol is a communications method that lets you access the Internet over a telephone line. It, like SLIP, another protocol, allows you, once connected, to use a wide variety of applications over the connection. In contrast, other types of dialup accounts such as shell or terminal access accounts only allow you to get to the Internet. Once on the Internet you are required to use applications provided by the Internet Service Provider on the Host computer.
PPP is built into Windows '95 and is slowly replacing SLIP as a dial-up protocol. It supports ISDN (direct binary access) as well as standard MODEM connections.
The term is used to refer to software or information that is available for use by the general public free of charge. Unlike freeware, public domain software has no copyright or title restrictions.
The authors or creators of the software or information have relinquished their title and copyright rights.
Push, as it refers to the Internet is an emerging technology term. In general, push, refers to the process where a user (client) receives information (or applications) automatically from a network server. Although the general concept is relatively easy to understand, the implementation of this technology is currently (July 1997) not standardized. Currently this push technology can exist in one of three primary forms -- (1) server side only, (2) client receiver software only, (3) via proprietary client and server combined technology. Obtaining 'pushed' information is based on another emerging Internet technology known as a Channel.
A digital video format developed by Apple Computer that integrates synchronized video and audio with a compression technique.
Reverse Address Resolution Protocol, or RARP, is an Internet protocol that converts a physical network address (like a 48 bit Ethernet address) into an IP address by sending a request to an RARP server. It is commonly used by diskless workstations to determine their own IP address at startup.
Some other computer also connected to the Internet, which you connect to. The interactions between two computers are often described using the terms local and remote systems. The local system is your computer and the remote system is the other computer to which you connect. Another common term for system is host (remote host, or local host).
An Internet resource is a site that offers some sort of support or help. There are many different types of resources, like WWW documents (HTTP) that can be viewed and saved locally. Other types of resources include File Transfer sites, for downloading files, Gopher sites for locating files and other resources.
A Request for Comments, or RFC, is a type of document that defines standards or provides information on various topics. Many Internet and networking standards are defined as RFCs, and can be found on the Internet.
Rich Text Format is a common specified text format that is used to exchange electronic documents between computers and computer applications.
A method used to access a remote host that does not require a login procedure. You use Rlogin only when the remote host is set up to allow you access.
A robot is a program that automatically traverses the Web's hypertext structure by retrieving a document, and recursively retrieving all documents that are referenced.
Web robots are sometimes referred to as Web Wanderers, Web Crawlers, or Spiders. These names are a bit misleading as they give the impression the software itself moves between sites like a virus; this not the case, a robot simply visits sites by requesting documents from them.
A method of encoding messages on Usenet that may be offensive to others reading them. It works on the premise of converting each letter to a number -- a= 1, b=2, etc. Once the letter is converted the number than adds 13 to it and then it converts back to letters, making the file unreadable with deciphering.
A router is a communication computer that is programmed to figure out the best packet route to take for each packet that comes into its domain.
A graphical computer interface element that allows the user to scroll electronic documents on a computer screen. For instance, a document you are looking at may continue beyond the bottom of your screen. Using a graphical scroll bar (along the right side of the screen), you can move the bottom portion of the text and graphics into the visible area of the screen. As the contents of a document scroll up, the top portion of the document will disappear from the screen.
A search engine is an Internet resource that can be used to find information that resides on the Internet. The information you are seeking can be a book, graphic, white paper, Web document, even a program file. Using the search engine, you enter a request to find information, then the engine goes out a finds any matches of your request.
There are two basic types of search engines -- directories and web crawlers. Directories are similar to the yellow pages of a telephone directory. Web crawlers are a bit more sophisticated, they constantly go back to any site that registers with them to see if there are any more listings that can be added.
Some program that provides a service to client programs. Different types of servers provide different types of services. For example, an FTP server allows an FTP client program to access files, via ftp, on that server. A Web server allows a Web client to view pages on that server, and get information from that server.
Also known as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). They are a company that provides access to the Internet. See ISP for more information.
Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol. A version of HTTP that includes the ability to perform secure transactions using public key encryption methods. S-HTTP servers on the World Wide Web are used for secure transactions such as credit card processing. It was developed by EIT (Enterprise Integration Technologies) using cryptographic algorithms from RSA Data Security, Inc.
Shareware is software that is freely distributed, however, if you use it, you are obligated to pay the author a fee for using it -- it is not free of charge. It allows you to try the software before paying. If you keep the software and use the program, then you should send payment to the shareware author.
Simple Internet Protocol Plus, or SIPP, is one of the new versions of IP that is under consideration. Use of it will enhance, rather than replace IP. It will depend upon use of new Domains, like STORE and others.
Lines of text that can automatically be added to the end of your e-mail messages. You might want your signature to include your real name and address, or something you want to be noted for, such as a witty saying.
Serial Line Internet Protocol is another communications protocol, it is still widely used although relatively outdated.
It lets you access the Internet over a phone line. Once connected you can use a wide variety of applications via a SLIP connection. It, like PPP, differs from other types of dialup accounts such as shell or terminal access accounts that only allow you to run applications sitting on their Host system.
SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol) and PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) are communications protocols that let you access the Internet over a phone line. Often called dial-up protocols
Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, is a protocol based on a public-key encryption for securely sending MIME attachments.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is a method used for sending Internet e-mail. It is a simplified version of an early method known as MTP (Mail Transport Protocol). It defines the format and content of transactions between mail servers.
Standford Research Institute (SRI) international.
Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a protocol for sending encrypted information between a client and a server, usually a Web server. It is most commonly used with HTTP, however, it can work with any application-layer TCP/IP protocol.
T1 refers to a type of lease line that offers high-speed (1.544 Mbps) connection to the Net. These types of lines are typically found in University environments and large-companies.
A T3 line is also a lease line. It offers very high speed (45 Mbps) connections to the Internet.
Real time chatting on the Internet. A talk, or chat, application allows you to type a message to another user who is also active on his/her computer.
Transmission Control Protocol, or TCP, is part of the TCP/IP protocol that sends reliable streams of data across the Net. Using TCP, a Net client can open a connection (virtual) to another Internet client and transmit streams of data. It, unlike its counterpart -- UDP, will ensure reliable delivery of information by re-sending lost or corrupted data packets. It is the part of the TCP/IP protocol that ensures that the bits and bytes received are received in the same order they were sent.
Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP is actually a suite of networking protocols that act as the 'glue that binds the Internet together'. Typically, people think of two communications protocols -- TCP and IP, however it is comprised of many protocols including UDP, ARP, RARP, and ICMP. They are used to route information through the Internet and tie many separate physical networks together to form a very large virtual network, known as the "Internet". In addition to being used on the Internet, many local area networks also use TCP and IP.
An information system developed by MIT that allows campus-wide information retrieval.
A terminal emulation protocol that allows users to remotely connect to a computer across networks, as if it is a terminal directly connected to the remote computer.
Telnet passes the keystrokes you type on your computer to the computer to which you set up the telnet connection. Using Telnet, you can access files on the remote server, even run programs on them.
Texinfo is another common campus-wide information system, similar to techinfo.
Trivial File Transfer Protocol, or TFTP, is a simplified version of FTP that lacks the authentication services of FTP. It relies on UDP rather than TCP for transporting data.
The word thread refers to a specific group of messages that refer to a conversation topic in a newsgroup. Many news reader programs allow you to sort news articles by threads, allowing you to more easily follow a specific discussion.
TN3270 refers to a specific version of Telnet that is used to access IBM mainframes. It allows you to connect to an IBM computer as if you were a 3270 Terminal.
See Domain.
The User Datagram Protocol, or UDP, is a TCP/IP protocol that allows packets of data, or datagrams, to be exchanged between two Net applications. It is known as the "connectionless" protocol, because, it does not require he sender and receiver establish a connection before data is transmitted. It is less reliable than TCP because it does not guarantee that the datagrams will arrive in the same order they were sent. In fact, it doesn't verify that the data was event received.
A multi-user operating system developed by Bell Laboratories. UNIX runs on a wide variety of hardware platforms, and supports multitasking operations. Many of the Internet systems are UNIX-based.
Uploading files refers to the act of transferring, copying, files from your computer to another computer on the Internet. You can use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to upload files from your computer to other computers on the Internet.
Uniform Resource Locator is a representative Internet address comprised of a human readable string of characters that are used to refer to an actual location or address of a resource on the Internet. In addition to the resource address, it also specifies how that resource should be accessed. All World Wide Web pages are assigned a unique URL. A sample URL is http://www.ibm.com.
Usenet refers to a network of newsgroups. It is a global news-reading network that is not a direct part of the Internet. Rather it is a separate network that can be accessed via the Internet. There are thousands of newsgroups available through USENET. Each newsgroup covers a specific topic or subject area.
A username is a name that you supply that is comprised of a string of characters that you use to identify yourself. When you connect to a computer, you typically need to provide your user name and password. This information is used to verify that you are authorized to use the system.
UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program, a program that lets you copy files between UNIX systems. UUCP protocols are what the USENET uses to transfer news and e-mail messages around.
A common method used to send binary e-mail attachments as plain ASCII text. It is actually two separate programs, the first, converts binary data into plain text for transmission, the second converts data back to it original binary form.
A tool you can use to search Gopher menu items for documents using keywords that you specify. Using Veronica simplifies the search for information available throughout Gopherspace.
A virtual domain is, as the name implies, a domain name that can be used to point people to an Internet site. However, the domain is not directly to a given site. When the owner of the virtual domain changes providers, they can use the same domain name on the new providers host system.
Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a network established for the exclusive use of a single enterprise with an emphasis on privacy (security, etc.)..
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language is a 3D counterpart to HTML. VRML is also a script-like language that is used to create 3D rich scenes. Once created, an VRML capable Web browser can read and interpret these text based files. The text based VRML code is converted to graphic representation by the browser. This eliminates the need for transmitting large quantities of graphical, binary, data across the Net.
A specific version of Telnet that is used to access DEC mini and mainframe computers. It is an emulation protocol for use when connecting to computers that support these types of terminal emulations.
Wide Area Information Server, or WAIS, is a distributed information system that allows you to search databases for information based on keywords that you specify. It is similar to a Gopher, however, it uses more than one database. WAIS returns a weighted list of files that match your keywords. There are numerous shareware and freeware WAIS applications available on the Internet for anonymous FTP download.
Wide Area Network, or WAN, is a large network that links computers located long distances from one another.
Another name for the World Wide Web, often confused with the Internet.
A type of search engine that based on your request goes out and examines Internet sites for information that matches your request.
The person, also known as an administrator, that is responsible for the management of a World Wide Web site.
An HTML document found on the World Wide Web is referred to as a web page. The first web page of a document is also known as a home page. You can view a Web page using a browser such as Internet Explore, Mosaic, Lynx, Cello or Netscape.
A database used to locate people on the Internet. If found, the user's name, address, phone number, company, and e-mail address is typically displayed. The Whois database can be accessed using a Telnet program.
See WAIS.
Winsock, a term that stands for Window's Sockets, is a standard method of connecting to the Internet. It works in Microsoft Windows and IBM's OS/2.
The WWW is a hypermedia-based system that makes it easier to browse, or work with, information on the Internet. The project was initiated to create a universal, hypermedia-based method to access information on the Internet. Information is presented on Web pages, known as documents. Each Web page can contain text and graphics and can be linked to other pages. These hyperlinks allow you to navigate in a non-sequential way through information.
A worm is a small program that infiltrates your computer, via the Internet, and fills up memory and disk space by copying it self over and over. The most famous to date (1997) was accidentally released by Robert Morris and was instrumental in bringing down whole parts of the Internet.
A standard two-color bitmap image format supported by the X Windows system.
A standard used to define electronic mail directory services. It is mainly used throughout Europe.
An X.509 certificate is a digital signature certificate that uses public-key encryption for verifying a user as being who they claim to be. X.509 certificates can be issued by either a certificate authority (like VeriSign) or an internal certificate server.
A client/server system based on networked hypertext that emphasizes electronic publishing and commerce.
XCMD is a program module that is used to extend the HyperCard by adding functionality.
A common file transfer protocol.
In Internet jargon, the Yellow Pages is a reference to an online database of machine names and addresses on the Internet provided by the InterNIC Registration Services.
A common file transfer protocol.
A common file transfer protocol, considered the fastest method today (1997).
Working on the Internet
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