|
Please click above (or
below) on the corresponding
letter, the word you wish to search for.
|
| A |
|
| Address |
The
unique location of a Web page on the Internet |
| Address
Bar |
The
space on your toolbar where you enter the address of the web site you are
looking for. |
| Address
Book |
Software
that stores the e-mail addresses of the people you contact on line. All
popular e-mail packages have them built in |
| Analogue
signal |
A
continuous signal, such as the one sent over the phone line. See also our
entry under Digital signal. |
| Anti
- virus programmes |
These
monitor the files on your computer for viruses. They usually give you the
option to kill the virus or delete the file if a virus is found. |
| Application |
Another
word for a computer program such as Word or Acess etc: |
| Attachment |
A
separate file that can be attached to an email message. It could be a
word-processed document or a a visual image. |
| Autocomplete |
When
you type part of a Web page address in a browser's location bar, the
browser tries to make things easier by guessing the rest of the address
for you, according to the sites which you have already visited. |
|
|
| B |
|
| Bit |
The
smallest measurement of computer data. |
| BCC
(blind carbon copy) |
You
can use this to send a copy of a message to other Net users as well as to
the main recipient, who can't see who else you're sending the message to. |
| Bookmark |
Netscape
Navigator's way of remembering the addresses of the Web pages you like, so
you can return to them at the click of a mouse button. |
| Boolean
Logic |
The
system search engines use for their keyword searches. It consists of using
the AND, NOT and OR commands to refine your search . |
| Bot |
A
program designed to automatically search the Net for information. Many of
the search engines, including, Infoseek and AltaVista, employ bots to
scout the Net for new Web sites and for appropriate keywords to include in
their database. |
| Broken
Link |
An
HTML link that's not working properly. Broken image links appear as a
broken icon in Netscape Navigator and as a box with a red cross in
Microsoft Internet Explorer. |
| Browser |
A
programme allowing you to see and interact with web pages. The two most
popular Web browsers are Internet Explorer and
Netscape Navigator |
| Browsing |
Finding
your way around the websites on the Internet, using either a search engine
or Hyperlink or Link |
| Bulletin
Board |
This
is another measurement of computer data (a byte=8 bits). A Kilobyte (Kb)
equals a thousand bytes, a Megabyte (Mb) is a million bytes and a Gigabyte
(Gb) is a thousand million. |
| Byte |
This
is another measurement of computer data (a byte=8 bits). A Kilobyte (Kb)
equals a thousand bytes, a Megabyte (Mb) is a million bytes and a Gigabyte
(Gb) is a thousand million. |
|
|
| C |
|
| Cable
Modem |
A
potentially exciting new development that will enable cable telephone
subscribers to connect to the Net at very fast speeds. |
| Cache |
When
you access a Web page, your browser saves its text and graphics in a
folder on your hard disk, called the cache. The next time you visit the
page, the parts that haven't changed are loaded from the cache rather that
from the Web. |
| CC
(carbon copy) |
You
can use this to send a copy of a message to other Net users as well as to
the main recipient. |
| CD
ROMs or CDs |
Disks
which you place on your compyer 's CD drive to access information held on
them. |
| Channels |
Channels
refer to websites or other technologies that facilitate the transfer of
information. In chatting, channels are the areas (known as chat rooms)
where people can talk to each other. |
| Chat
programs |
Chat
or chatting -These programs enable you to talk to other Net users in real
time on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels. The words you type are
instantly displayed on the screens of other people who are using the same
channel. WSIRC (PC) and Ircle (Mac) are examples of these. |
| Chat
room |
A
Web page where you can send text messages to other visitors in real time. |
| Clicking |
Pressing
the left hand button of your mouse, often over something like a Hyper link
or button in order to be taken to another page or even submit your details
to another site. |
| Client |
A
program which connects to and interacts with another computer resource
(called a server program) or the computer which runs the program. |
| Clip
Art |
Pictures
that can be used to illustrate personal web pages or documents. |
| Compression
programs |
These
programs enable you to squeeze several files into one smaller file,
usually with a zip suffix. To save time, all the files that make up a
program are often zipped up into one zip archive before they're sent over
the Net. |
| Cookie |
A
file in the Web browser's directory on your computer's hard disk which is
used by Web sites to store information about you, such as when you last
visited their site and which Web pages you've viewed. |
| Cursor |
Used
to click your way around the web. Controlled by your mouse, it's signified
by an arrow that turns into a pointing finger when you roll it over a
Hyper link. An egg timer will appear next to your cursor when it is busy
searching for a new web page. |
| Cyberspace |
This
is the imaginary space you're moving through when you're travelling on the
World Wide Web. The term was first coined by the science fiction writer
William Gibson. |
|
|
| D |
|
| Default
browser |
The
Web browser your computer automatically runs whenever you connect to the
Net. |
| Digital
Signal |
A
signal made up of 'offs' and 'ons' - the 0 and 1 of computer data. Phone
lines can't carry digital signals, so your computer's data has to be
converted into analogue data before it is sent, and converted back from
analogue when it is received. And the device that does that is called a modem. |
| Directory |
A
Web site that enables you to find the addresses of other sites. Unlike
search engines, they are maintained by humans and often have a
subject-based menu hierarchy to make it easy to find sites. Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com)
is the most popular example of a directory site. |
| Domain
Name |
Identifies
a computer connected to the Net. Domain names typically consist of a host
name followed by a top-level domain category, such as.com, .co or .org,
and then perhaps a country abbreviation, like .uk |
| Domain
Name System (DNS) |
A
bit like a phone book of Internet addresses. Every Net address or, to use
its proper name, IP address, consists of a series of digits, such as
194.217.172.1. |
| Download |
When
you download something from the Net - a Web page or a piece of software -
you are transferring it from someone else's computer on to yours. |
|
|
| E |
|
| E-book |
A
book that's been condensed into a special package. It's quick to download
but you need an E-reader to view it. |
| Email |
Short
for electronic mail, which enables you to send messages worldwide across
the Internet from one computer to another. You have to be connected to the
Net to send and receive email, but you don't have to be connected to read
it. You can attach files to E-mails. |
| Email
programs |
These
programs enable you to send and receive electronic mail messages. Eudora
(Windows and Mac), Netscape Messenger (Windows and Mac) and Outlook
Express (Windows and Mac) are all fine. |
| Emoticons |
Otherwise
known as smileys, these are shorthand ways of expressing emotion in email
message by using punctuation marks like: :-) for "I am happy",
and :-( for "I am not happy". |
| Encryption |
A
way of scrambling data so only the intended recipient can decipher it. |
| E-zine |
A
magazine on the Web. |
|
|
| F |
|
| Favourite |
Internet
Explorer's way of telling your Web browser to remember the address of the
Web pages you visit often, so that you can return to them whenever you
want. |
| Filters |
Filters
are rules which you can set up to automatically handle incoming email.
They can automatically delete all the messages from a certain source or
containing a specific subject line, for example. |
| Firewall |
A
security set-up that prevents unauthorised users from gaining entry to a
private network, such as a corporate network. |
| Forward |
By
clicking this button on the menu bar you can send an email on to another
Internet user. |
| Frames |
A
way of dividing Web pages into separate areas that can be scrolled
individually. |
| Freeware |
A
program which the author lets you use (and often distribute) free of
charge. |
| FTP
programs |
File
Transfer Protocols (FTP) is a fast way of uploading and downloading files
from the Internet. Web browsers can now perform FTP downloads, but
dedicated FTP programs do it better. |
|
|
| G |
|
| Gateway |
A
computer that controls access to the Net. You'll go through a gateway
computer to get to the Net from your company's network. This means the
system administrator can monitor your Net activities - so watch out! |
| GIF |
GIF
(or Graphics Interchange Format) is a file format for saving images so
that they can be viewed by a Web browser. |
|
|
| H |
|
| History |
A
record kept by your Web browser of all the sites you have visited within a
specified period. To find it, click on the window at the top of your
browser. |
| Hit |
A
hit is a unit of measure of a visit to a Web site. When someone visits a
Web site, that site has received a hit. Web sites will often tell you how
many hits they have received so far. Our sites advise hits by monthly,
weekly, daily and hourly, they also advise the type of Operating System
that was used to visit you. |
| Homepage |
This
can be either the page your Web browser automatically loads when you run
it, or your own personal page. |
| HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) |
This
is the code that creates every Web page. Your browser reads the HTML and
then shows the page on your screen. |
| HTML
editors |
These
are used for writing the code that makes Web pages. |
| HTTP
(HyperText Transfer Protocol) |
HTTP
is the protocol used to carry traffic between a browser's computer and the
Web site. Most modern browsers already have the 'http://' part of the
address stored so you can start to key in the address with 'www'. |
| Hyperlink
or Link |
The
link may be highlighted, underlined, coloured blue or red when the Web
page is displayed. The reader will be able to click on the link to jump to
the place specified by the Href attribute |
|
|
| I |
|
| Internet
Explorer |
Microsoft's
Web browser. |
| IRC |
IRC
(or Internet Relay Chat) is a facility to hold live conversations with
other people on the Internet. |
| ISDN |
ISDN
(or Integrated Services Digital Network) is an alternative way of
connecting computers, which uses digital lines instead of analogue phone
lines. |
| ISP |
An
Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that provides access to the
Net. ISPs have permanent connections to the Net and use fast computers
called servers to handle the exchange of data between you and other
computers on the Net. |
|
|
| J |
|
| Java |
A
powerful Web page programming language. |
| JPEG
(Joint Photographic Experts Group) |
This
is a file format with a compressed image which reduces the file size for
faster loading of images. |
|
|
| K |
|
| Keyword |
The
word, words or phrase you enter into a search engine to try to find the
Web site you want. See also Meta Tag |
|
|
| L |
|
| Link |
A
'hot-spot' on a Web page, indicated by your cursor changing to a finger
symbol. A link connects you to another Web page when you click on it with
your mouse. |
| Location
Bar |
The
white box at the top of your browser window where you type in the address
of a Web site. |
|
|
| M |
|
| Mac |
An
abbreviation for Apple Macintosh, or Apple Mac. A popular type of computer
with an easy-to-use, user interface. Macs are often used by designers. |
| Mail
Server |
The
hardware and software used by your Internet Service
Provider to send and
receive your e-mail. |
| Mailbox |
The
place where your messages are saved by your ISP until you decide to
download them. When they arrive on your computer, they wait for you in
your in-box. |
| Mailing
List |
Subject-based
forums whose messages are distributed by e-mail. You send your e-mail
address to a central point and then you receive all the messages that have
been sent to that list. |
| Meta
tag |
Meta-information
about the page itself |
| Modem |
A
device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone
lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information
transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog
waves. Modems convert between the two forms |
|
|
| N |
|
| Netiquette |
The
etiquette to be observed when communicating on the Net. |
| Newsgroups |
Public
discussion groups where people can read messages posted by others,
contribute their own ideas and talk to other users. There are thousands on
the Net, covering a multitude of subjects. |
| Netscape
Navigator |
The
second most popular browser in use on the Web today. |
|
|
| O |
|
| Offline |
When
you are not connected to the Net, and hence not incurring phone charges. |
| Online |
You
are online when you are connected to the Internet and are therefore
incurring telephone charges. |
| Online
Service |
An
ISP that, in addition to providing Internet access, provides its own
online content that is only available to its members. The online services
available in the UK include AOL, CompuServe, LineOne and MSN. |
| Operating
System |
The
most important program that runs on a computer. Operating systems perform
basic tasks,e.g. sending output to display screen. |
|
|
| P |
|
| Plug-In |
A
plug-in is a piece of software that enhances the capabilities of your Web
browser to do things like play animations (e.g. Shockwave), video clips
and sound (e.g. RealPlayer). |
| POP
3 |
POP3
(or Post Office Protocol 3) is the protocol used by your e-mail program to
retrieve messages from your Internet Service Provider's mail server. |
| Postmaster |
The
person at an ISP, or company, in charge of its e-mail. If someone from an
ISP or from a company is constantly sending you e-mail abuse, you can
complain to your postmaster. |
| Public
Domain |
The
virtual realm where shareware and freeware programs exist. If something is
in a public domain, you should be able to use it without infringing any
copyright rules. |
| Programs |
An
organised list of instructions that when executed causes computer to
behave in a predetermined manner. Without programs, computers are useless |
| Programming
languages |
A
vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to
perform specific tasks |
|
|
| R |
|
| RAM
(Random Access Memory) |
RAM
is a place in a computer where the data in current use is stored so that
it can be quickly reached by the computer's processor. When you turn the
computer off, RAM loses its data. |
| Real
time |
Things
that happen in real time occur at the same speed that they would in real
life. |
|
|
| S |
|
| Secure
server |
This
is a computer that handles encrypted data for secure transactions. For
example, when you subscribe to Internet Advisor from our Web site, you are
connected to a secure server so that your credit card details cannot be
read by anyone else. |
| SSL
(Secure Socket Layer) |
This
is an encryption system built into servers and browsers that uses
'identity certificates' to recognise surfers. |
| Server |
A
large and powerful computer which provides other computers with
information. Web sites are stored on Web servers, e-mail is handled by
mail servers and newsgroups are handled by, you guessed it, news servers. |
| Shareware |
A
shareware program is one you can try free of charge, though often for a
limited period, or with certain features disabled. A registration fee is
usually payable to continue using it. |
| Signature |
A
few lines of text that are automatically added to the end of your messages
by your e-mail program. Many Net users like to include a favourite quote,
song lyric or some ASCII art. |
| SMTP
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) |
SMTP
is the standard protocol for exchanging e-mail. |
| Spam |
The
electronic equivalent of junk mail. You can install software to block spam
e-mails. If you receive any unsolicited messages, delete them immediately. |
| Search
Engines |
Used
to add searching capabilities to your pages so that your users can enter
the keywords of things they're looking for and get a list of pages that
contain those keywords |
|
|
| T |
|
| Temporary
Internet Files |
Internet
Explorer's version of a cache (a place in your computer where the data is
stored) |
| Toolbar |
Running
along the top of your browser, this is where you will find all the
commands you need to navigate the Internet |
|
|
| U |
|
| Upload |
When
you upload data on to the Internet, you transfer it from your computer to
another computer (see download). |
| URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) |
The
jargon for Web site address |
| Usenet |
The
name for the network of newsgroups on the Internet. |
|
|
| V |
|
| Viewers |
These
enable you to view files on your computer screen. |
|
|
| W |
|
| WAP
(Wireless Application Protocol) |
This
standardises Internet content and serves it up in a simplified form that
handheld wireless devices, such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios,
smartphones and communicators, can understand. |
| Web
Page |
A
single document found at a specific website
address, which can include
text, pictures, sound and animation, plus links to other pages on the
World Wide Web |
| Wizard |
This
is a utility within a software application that performs a particular
task. For example, a letter wizard within a word processing program would
guide you through the necessary steps to write different types of
correspondence. |
| World
Wide Web (www) |
The
multimedia part of the Internet that we all use. |
| Webmaster |
A
person who maintains the information on a Web site. |
| Web
space |
The
space on a Web dedicated to hosting Web sites. Many Internet Service
Providers give away free Web space so that you can build your own Web
site. |
| Web
browser |
A
web browser is used to view and navigate Web pages and other information
on the World Wide Web |
| Web
Site Address |
A
common convention to the Web is that the system that serves Web pages to
the Network has a name that begins with www. Typically, your network
administrator or your network provider will create a hostname alias. |
|
|
| Z |
|
| Zip |
The
most popular form of compression for files being transferred across the
Internet. Get a copy at http://www.winzip.com. |