-
- 1xRTT -- (Single Carrier (1x) Radio Transmission Technology)
-
A wireless communications protocol used for connections to networks by devices such as laptop computers.
1xRTT has the capability of providing data transfer speeds of up to 144 thousand bps. 1xRTT is a built on top
of another widely used protocol, CDMA and is also called CMDA2000. See also: bps, CDMA, Network, Protocol
-
- ADN -- (Advanced Digital Network)
-
Usually refers to a 56Kbps leased-line. See also: bps, Leased Line
- ADSL -- (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
-
A DSL line where the upload speed is different from the download speed. Usually the download speed is much greater. See also: Download, DSL, SDSL, Upload
- Anonymous FTP
-
See also: FTP
- Applet
-
A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page. Applets differ from full-fledged Java applications in
that they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local computer, such as files and serial devices (modems,
printers, etc.), and are prohibited from communicating with most other computers across a network. The common rule
is that an applet can only make an Internet connection to the computer from which the applet was sent. See also: HTML, Java
- Application Server
-
Server software that manages one or more other pieces of software in a way that makes the managed software available
over a network, usually to a Web server. By having a piece of software manage other software packages it is possible to
use resources like memory and database access more efficiently than if each of the managed packages responded directly to requests. See also: Server
- Archie
-
A tool (software) for finding files stored on anonymous FTP sites. You need to know the exact file name or a substring of it.
By 1999 Archie had been almost completely replaced by web-based search engines.
Back when FTP was the main way people moved files over the Internet archie was quite popular. See also: FTP
- ARPANet -- (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)
-
The precursor to the Internet. Developed in the late 60's and early 70's by the US Department of Defense as an experiment in
wide-area-networking to connect together computers that were each running different system so that people at one location could
use computing resources from another location. See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network, WAN
- ASCII -- (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
-
This is the defacto world-wide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower-case Latin
letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. There are 128 standard ASCII codes each of which can be represented by a 7 digit binary
number: 0000000 through 1111111.
- Atom
-
An evolving protocol for syndication and sharing of content.
Atom is being developed as a succesor to and improvement over RSS and is more complex than RSS while offering support
for additional features such digital signatures, geographic location of author, possibly security/encryption, licensing, etc.
Like RSS, Atom is an XML-based specification. See also: RSS, XML
- Back to Index
-
- Backbone
-
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone
in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. See also: Network
- Bandwidth
-
How much stuff you can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second. A full page of English text is about
16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about 57,000 bits in one second. Full-motion full-screen video would require roughly
10,000,000 bits-per-second, depending on compression. See also: Bit, bps, T-1
- Baud
-
In common usage the baud rate of a modem is how many bitsit can send or receive per second. Technically, baud is the
number of times per second that the carrier signal shifts value - for example a 1200 bit-per-second modem actually runs at
300 baud, but it moves 4 bits per baud (4 x 300= 1200 bits per second). See also: Bit, Modem
- BBS -- (Bulletin Board System)
-
A computerized meeting and announcement system that allows people to carry on discussions, upload and download files,
and make announcements without the people being connected to the computer at the same time. In the early 1990's there
were many thousands (millions?) of BBS?s around the world, most are very small, running on a single IBM clone PC with
1 or 2 phone lines. Some are very large and the line between a BBS and a system like AOL gets crossed at some point,
but it is not clearly drawn.
- Binary
-
Information consisting entirely of ones and zeros. Also, commonly used to refer to files that are not simply text files, e.g. images. See also: MIME, UUENCODE
- Binhex -- (BINary HEXadecimal)
-
A method for converting non-text files (non-ASCII) into ASCII. This is needed because Internet e-mail can only handle ASCII. See also: ASCII, MIME, UUENCODE
- Bit -- (Binary DigIT)
-
A single digit number in base-2, in other words, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of computerized data. Bandwidthis
usually measured in bits-per-second. See also: Bandwidth, Bit, bps, Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte
- BITNET -- (Because It's Time NETwork (or Because It's There NETwork))
-
A network of educational sites separate from the Internet, but e-mail is freely exchanged between BITNET and the Internet.
Listservs®, a popular form of e-mail discussion groups, originated on BITNET. At its peak (the late 1980's and early 1990's)
BITNET machines were usually mainframes, often running IBM's MVS operating system. BITNET is probably the only
international network that is shrinking. See also: Internet (Upper case I), Listserv ®, Network
- Blog -- (weB LOG)
-
A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps
a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.
Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.
- bps -- (Bits-Per-Second)
-
A measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another. A 56K modem can move about 57,000 bits per second. See also: Bandwidth, Bit
- Browser
-
A Client program (software) that is used to look at various kinds of Internet resources. See also: Client, Server, URL, WWW
- BTW -- (By The Way)
-
A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum. See also: IMHO
- Byte
-
A set of Bits that represent a single character. Usually there are 8 Bits in a Byte, sometimes more, depending on
how the measurement is being made. See also: Bit
- Back to Index
-
- CATP -- (Caffeine Access Transport Protocol)
-
Common method of moving caffeine across Wide Area Networks such as the Internet CATP was first used at the Binary Cafe in Cybertown and quickly spread world-wide. There are reported problems with short-circuits and rust and decaffinated beverages were not supprted
until version 1.5.3 See also: Internet (Upper case I), IRC, WAN
- CDMA -- (Code Division Multiple Access)
-
A protocol for wireless data and voice communication, CMDA is widely used in cellphone networks,
but also in many other data communications systems. CDMA uses a technique called "Spread Spectrum"
whereby the data being transmitted is spread across multiple radio frequencies, making more efficent use
of available radio spectrum. There are a number of additional protocols built on top of CDMA, such as
1xRTT (also called CMDA2000). See also: 1xRTT, Protocol
- Certificate Authority
-
An issuer of Security Certificates used in SSL connections. See also: SSL
- CGI -- (Common Gateway Interface)
-
A set of rules that describe how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same
machine, and how the other piece of software (the ?CGI program?) talks to the web server. Any piece of
software can be a CGI program if it handles input and output according to the CGI standard. See also: Server, WWW
- cgi-bin
-
The most common name of a directory on a web server in which CGIprograms are stored. See also: CGI
- Client
-
A software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another
computer, often across a great distance. EachClient program is designed to work with one or more
specific kinds of Server programs, and each Server requires a specific kind of Client. A Web Browser
is a specific kind of Client. See also: Browser, Client, Server
- co-location
-
Most often used to refer to having a server that belongs to one person or group physically located on
an Internet-connected network that belongs to another person or group. Usually this is done because
the server owner wants their machine to be on a high-speed Internet connection and/or they do not want
the security risks of having the server on thier own network. See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network, Server
- Cookie
-
The most common meaning of "Cookie" on the Internet refers to a piece of information sent by a Web
Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send back to the Server
whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server. Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browsers' settings, the Browser may accept or not accept
the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long time. Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online "shopping cart" information,
user preferences, etc. When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able to use the
information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what is sent back to the user,
or keep a log of particular users' requests. Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time and are usually saved in memory
until the Browser software is closed down, at which time they may be saved to disk if their "expire time"
has not been reached. Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be used to gather
more information about a user than would be possible without them. See also: Browser, Server
- CSS -- (Cascading Style Sheet)
-
A standard for specifying the appearance of text and other elements. CSS was developed for use with HTML
in Web pages but is also used in other situations, notably in applications built using XPFE. CSS is typically
used to provide a single "library" of styles that are used over and over throughout a large number of related
documents, as in a web site. A CSS file might specify that all numbered lists are to appear in italics. By changing that single specification the look of a large number of documents can be easily changed. See also: HTML, Web page, XPFE
- Cyberpunk
-
Cyberpunk was originally a cultural sub-genre of science fiction taking place in a not-so-distant, dystopian,
over-industrialized society. The term grew out of the work of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and has evolved
into a cultural label encompassing many different kinds of human, machine, and punk attitudes. It includes clothing
and lifestyle choices as well. See also: Cyberspace
- Cyberspace
-
Term originated by author William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer the word Cyberspace is currently used to
describe the whole range of information resources available through computer networks. See also: Cyberpunk
- Back to Index
-
- DHTML -- (Dynamic HyperText Markup Language)
-
DHTML refers to web pages that use a combination of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to create features such as
letting the user drag items around on the web page, some simple kinds of animation, and many more. See also: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Web page
- Digerati
-
The digital version of literati, it is a reference to a vague cloud of people seen to be knowledgeable, hip, or
otherwise in-the-know in regardsto the digital revolution.
- DNS -- (Domain Name System)
-
The Domain Name System is the system that translates Internet domain names into IP numbers. A "DNS Server"
is a server that performs this kind of translation. See also: Domain Name, IP Number, Server
- Domain Name
-
The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots.
The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general. A given machine may have more than one Domain Name but a given Domain Name points to only one machine. For example, the domain names:
matisse.net
mail.matisse.net
workshop.matisse.net
can all refer to the same machine, but each domain name can refer to no more than one machine. Usually, all of the machines on a given Network will have the same thing as the right-hand portion of their Domain
Names (matisse.net in the examples above). It is also possible for a Domain Name to exist but not be connected to
an actual machine. This is often done so that a group or business can have an Internet e-mail address without having
to establish a real Internet site. In these cases, some real Internet machine must handle the mail on behalf of the listed Domain Name. See also: IP Number, TLD
- Download
-
Transferring data (usually a file) from a another computer to the computer you are are using. The opposite of upload. See also: Upload
- DSL -- (Digital Subscriber Line)
-
A method for moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection,
and the wires coming into the subscriber's premises are the same (copper) wires used for regular phone service.
A DSL circuit must be configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line (however a DSL circuit
is not a leased line. A common configuration of DSL allows downloads at speeds of up to 1.544 megabits (not megabytes) per second,
and uploads at speeds of 128 kilobits per second. This arrangement is called ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Another common configuration is symmetrical: 384 Kilobits per second in both directions. In theory ADSL allows download speeds of up to 9 megabits per second and upload speeds of up to 640 kilobits
per second. DSL is now a popular alternative to Leased Lines and ISDN, being faster than ISDN and less costly than traditional
Leased Lines. See also: ADSL, Bandwidth, ISDN, Leased Line, SDSL
- Back to Index
-
- Email -- (Electronic Mail)
-
Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically
to a large number of addresses. See also: Listserv ®, SMTP
- Ethernet
-
A very common method of networking computers in a LAN. There is more than one type of Ethernet. By 2001 the standard type was "100-BaseT" which can handle up to about
100,000,000 bits-per-second and can be used with almost any kind of computer. See also: Bandwidth, FDDI, LAN
- Extranet
-
An intranet that is accesible to computers that are not hysically part of a companys' own private network, but that
is not accessible to the general public, for example to allow vendors and business partners to access a company web site. Often an intranet will make use of a Virtual Private Network. (VPN.) See also: Intranet, Network, VPN
- Back to Index
-
- FAQ -- (Frequently Asked Questions)
-
FAQs are documents that list and answerthe most common questions on a particular subject. There are hundreds
of FAQs on subjects as diverse as Pet Grooming and Cryptography. FAQs are usually written by people who have
tired of answering the same question over and over.
- FDDI -- (Fiber Distributed Data Interface)
-
A standard for transmitting data on optical fiber cables at a rate of around 100,000,000 bits-per-second (10 times
as fast as 10-BaseTEthernet, about twice as fast as T-3). See also: Ethernet, T-3
- Finger
-
An Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. Finger is also sometimes used to give access
to non-personal information, but the most common use is to see if a person has an account at a particular Internet site.
Many sites do not allow incoming Finger requests, but many do.
- Fire Wall
-
A combination of hardware and software that separates a Network into two or more parts for security purposes. See also: Network
- Flame
-
Originally, "flame" meant to carry forth in a passionate manner in the spirit of honorable debate. Flames most often
involved the use of flowery language and flaming well was an art form. More recently flame has come to refer to any
kind of derogatory comment no matter how witless or crude. See also: Flame War
- Flame War
-
When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debators, rather than discussion
of their positions. A heated exchange. See also: Flame
- FTP -- (File Transfer Protocol)
-
A very common method of moving files between two Internet sites. FTP is a way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many
Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by
logging in using the account name "anonymous", thus these sites are called "anonymous ftp servers". FTP was invented and in wide use long before the advent of the World Wide Web and originally was always used
from a text-only interface. See also: Login, WWW
- Back to Index
-
- Gateway
-
The technical meaning is a hardware or software set-up that translates between two dissimilar protocols, for
example America Online has a gateway that translates between its internal, proprietary e-mail format and Internet
e-mail format. Another, sloppier meaning of gateway is to describe any mechanism for providing access to another
system, e.g. AOL might be called a gateway to the Internet.
- GIF -- (Graphic Interchange Format)
-
A common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color. GIF format
files of simple images are often smaller than the same file would be if stored in JPEG format, but GIF format does not
store photographic images as well as JPEG. See also: JPEG, PNG
- Gigabyte
-
1000 or 1024 Megabytes, depending on who is measuring. See also: Byte
- Gopher
-
Invented at the University of Minnesota in 1993 just before the Web, gopher was a widely successful method of making
menus of material available over the Internet. Gopher was designed to be much easier to use than FTP, while still using a text-only interface. Gopher is a Client and Server style program, whichrequires that the user have a Gopher Client program. Although
Gopher spread rapidly across the globe in only a couple of years, it has been largely supplanted by Hypertext, also known
as WWW (World Wide Web). There are still thousands of Gopher Servers on the Internet and we can expect they will
remain for a while. See also: Client, FTP, WWW
- Back to Index
-
- hit
-
As used in reference to the World Wide Web, ?hit? means a single request from a web browser for a single item from
a web server; thus in order for a web browser to display a page that contains 3 graphics, 4 ?hits? would occur at the
server: 1 for the HTML page, and one for each of the 3 graphics. See also: Browser, HTML, Server
- Home Page (or Homepage)
-
Several meanings. Originally, the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common meaning
refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages,
e.g. "Check out so-and-so's new Home Page." See also: Browser, WWW
- Host
-
Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network. It is quite common
to have one host machine provide several services, such as SMTP (email) and HTTP (web). See also: Network, SMTP
- HTML -- (HyperText Markup Language)
-
The coding language used to create Hypertext documents for use on the World Wide Web. HTML looks a lot like
old-fashioned typesetting code, where you surround a block of text with codes that indicate how it should appear. The "hyper" in Hypertext comes from the fact that in HTML you can specify that a block of text, or an image, is linked
to another file on the Internet. HTML files are meant to be viewed using a "Web Browser". HTML is loosely based on a more comprehensive system for markup called SGML. See also: Browser, Hypertext, WWW
- HTTP -- (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
-
The protocol for moving hypertextfiles across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an
HTTP server program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW). See also: Client, Hypertext, Server, WWW
- Hypertext
-
Generally, any text that contains links to other documents - words or phrases in the document that can be chosen
by a reader and which cause another document to be retrieved and displayed. See also: HTML, HTTP
- Back to Index
-
- IMAP -- (Internet Message Access Protocol)
-
IMAP is gradually replacing POP as the main protocol used by email clients in communicating with email servers. Using IMAP an email client program can not only retrieve email but can also manipulate message stored on the
server, without having to actually retrieve the messages. So messages can be deleted, have their status changed,
multiple mail boxes can be managed, etc. IMAP is defined in RFC 2060 See also: Client, Email, POP, RFC, Server
- IMHO -- (In My Humble Opinion)
-
A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum, IMHO indicates that the writer is aware that
they areexpressing a debatable view, probably on a subject already under discussion. One of many such shorthands
in common use online, especially in discussion forums.
- internet (Lower case i)
-
Any time you connect 2 or more networks together, you have an internet - as in inter-national or inter-state. See also: Internet (Upper case I), Network
- Internet (Upper case I)
-
The vast collection of inter-connected networks that are connected using the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved
from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early 70's. The Internet connects tens of thousands of independent networks into a vast global internet and is probably the
largest Wide Area Network in the world. See also: internet (Lower case i), Network, WAN
- Intranet
-
A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find
on the public Internet, but that is only for internal use. Compare with extranet. See also: Extranet, internet (Lower case i), Internet (Upper case I)
- IP Number -- (Internet Protocol Number)
-
Sometimes called a dotted quad. A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g.
165.113.245.2
Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not
really on the Internet. Many machines (especially servers) also have one or more Domain Names that are easier
for people to remember. See also: Domain Name, Server, TCP/IP
- IPv4 -- (Internet Protocol, version 4)
-
The most widley used version of the Internet Protocol (the "IP" part of TCP/IP.)
IPv4 allows for a theoretical maximum of approximately four billion IP Numbers (technically 232), but the actual
number is far less due to inefficiencies in the way blocks of numbers are handled by networks. The gradual adoption
of IPv6 will solve this problem. See also: IP Number, IPv6, Network, Protocol, TCP/IP
- IPv6 -- (Internet Protocol, version 6)
-
| |
