Toledo CyberCafe - Web Terminology

_{Account Access}	_{The telephone number you use to dial into your local Internet Service Provider (ISP). To connect to the Internet you must first establish an account with an ISP your area. Usually you will receive a list of telephone numbers you can use to "dial-in" to the service}
_Access	_{To get into a computer system, dial-up service, or network, by dialing a phone number, logging on a network such as the Internet and retrieving data.}
_{Access Speed}	_{The speed of your connection to the Internet, determined by your modem speed (usually 14.4, 28.8, 33.6 or 56.0 bits per second.)}
_ActiveX(TM)	_{ActiveX(TM) is a set of technologies created by the Microsoft Corp. that enables a type of interactive content on World Wide Web sites. With ActiveX, Web sites come alive using multimedia effects, interactive objects, and sophisticated applications.}
_{Ad Banner}	_{Used for ad placement on a Web page - usually in the form of a rectangular banner with graphics and text.}
_Address	_{E-mail address, Internet address, and Web address - A code or series of letters, numbers and/or symbols by which the Internet identifies you or a location where information is stored. Through the use of addresses people can send you e-mail, look at your Web site, and send or receive information}
_{Address Book}	_{A feature of e-mail programs that lets you store a list of important e-mail addresses.}
_Agent	_{A software program that sorts through information on electronic networks.}
_AltaVista	_{Search engine technology and web site made by the Digital Equipment Corp.}
_AOL	_{AOL - America Online. A commercial on-line service.}
_ASCII	_{American Standard Code for Information Interchange - (pronounced "askee") The world-wide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower-case Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.}
_Attachment	_{An attached file or attachment also called an enclosure (Microsoft Mail) - A file(s) that is added to an e-mail. You can attach files through almost any popular e-mail program.}
_Bandwidth	_{Is used to measure the amount of time it takes for a Web page to fully load}
_BBS	_{Bulletin Board Service - A dial-up computerized meeting and announcement system for carrying on discussions, uploading and downloading files, and generally obtaining on-line information and services.}
_Beta	_{In the preliminary or testing stage.}
_Bit	_{The basic unit of information in a binary numbering system. Eight bits comprise what is called a byte. 1,000 bytes equal 1K.}
_Bookmark	_{A bookmark is considered by some to be the best thing about surfing the Web. By "bookmarking" a Web site while you visit it, you can easily return to it at a later. The equivalent for AOL is your "favorite" list.}
_Boot	_{To start a computer; more frequently used as re-boot. When you shut down a system then restart, you are re-booting. It tends to clear out bugs that are hampering smooth computing.}
_{Bridge Page}	_{(a.k.a. as jump page) - Customized pages that are created to jump between a Web Site and an Advertiser's Web site usually used to target a promotion.}
_Broadband	_{A network with incredibly high-speed data access.}
_Browser	_{Software that lets you visit the World Wide Web. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape are examples of browsers.}
_Bug	_{A programming error that causes a program or computer system to perform erratically or to crash the system.}
_Byte	_{Eight bits - the basic unit of information in a binary numbering system.}
_Cache	_{Caches come in many types, but they all work the same way: they store information where you can get to it fast. A Web browser cache stores the pages HTML code as well as any graphics, and multimedia elements embedded in it, that way, when you go back to the page, everything doesn't have to be downloaded all over again. Since hard disk access is much faster than Internet access, this speeds things up. Hard disk access however is slower than RAM, which is why there is disk caching, which stores information you might need from your hard disk in faster RAM.}
_{Case Sensitive}	_{When it matters if letters are typed uppercase or lowercase.}
_{CD ROM}	_{Compact Disc Read Only Memory - An optical storage technology that uses compact discs. CD-ROM technology was originally used for encyclopedias, dictionaries, and software libraries, but now they are often used in multimedia applications. One CD-ROM can hold about 600 megabytes, or the equivalent of 700 floppy disks.}
_Channel	_{A virtual area where Internet Relay Chat (IRC) users communicate in real time. There are thousands of channels located on the Internet.}
_Chat	_{A form of interactive on-line communication that allows you to have real time conversations with others on your computer. Chatting on the Internet can take place via Web pages at places known as chat rooms or on IRC channels. Either way, when participating in a chat discussion, your messages are instantaneously relayed to other members and their messages are instantaneously relayed to you.}
_{Communications Satellite}	_{Earth-orbiting spacecraft designed to receive and send data.}
_Cookie	_{When you need to pass some snippet of information to another system to make it do something, how do you do it? If you're on the Web or some other network, you use a cookie. The cookie is a text file received over the internet from a Web site and stored on your hard drive. Most of the information in a cookie is pretty mundane stuff, but some Web sites use cookies to store personal preferences.}
_CPU	_{Central Processing Unit - Look for the most powerful microprocessor chip in your computer, and that'll be the CPU.}
_Crackers	_{People who take pride and joy in outwitting security systems designed to keep them from breaking into a computer network.}
_Cybercrime	_{Criminal activities in cyberspace, e.g., theft of R&D secrets from a computer or vandalization of networks by letting loose a virus.}
_{Digital Cash}	_{Electronic currency that does not exist in the physical world, only in cyberspace.}
_Download	_{To transfer files from one computer to another. The most common way of doing this on the Internet is by FTP.}
_{E-mail , Internet Address, and Web Address}	_{A code or series of letters, numbers and/or symbols by which the Internet identifies you or a location where information is stored. Through the use of addresses people can send you e-mail, look at your Web site, and send or receive information. As an e-mail identifier it looks something like username@hostname.com, in which username is the userID, account, or nickname of a particular person or machine designated to receive e-mail, and hostname could be the name of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) the account is set up with or the name of the computer itself which will store the e-mail messages sent to it. The symbol in the middle of an e-mail address is an "at" symbol (@), and the symbol which follows the hostname is called a period but is spoken in computer terms as a "dot", therefore an e-mail address would be verbalized as username at hostname dot com. A Web address is the same as a URL or Uniform Resource Locator this address usually starts with http://www followed by a "dot" and then a domain name and a path. Internet address can refer to both of the above as well as IP addresses which are numeric designations given to computers or domain names and users that log on to the Internet.}
_{E-mail Shorthand}	_{Acronyms for commonly used phrases that one would otherwise type. Some of the most popular ones are: -IMHO: In My Humble Opinion -BTW: By The Way -RTM: Read The Manual -LOL: Laughing Out Loud -FWIW: For What It's Worth -ROFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing}
_Emoticon	_{Little caricatures that look like faces, made by typing keyboard characters.}
_FAQ	_{Frequently asked question.}
_Firewall	_{An electronic boundary that limits access between networks that are linked together.}
_Freeware	_{Copyrighted software available free of charge.}
_FTP	_{File Transfer Protocol}
_{FTP site}	_{A computer dedicated to the storage of files, usually organized by subject, that can be accessed through anonymous FTP or e-mail. Most files stored at archive sites are compressed and need to be extracted (unzipped, or unstuffed) to be used.}
_GIF	_{Graphics Interchange Format - a graphic format.}
_Gopher	_{A program that lets you browse the Internet and find information using menus.}
_GUI	_{Graphical user interface (pronounced gooey), this is the part of the computer that creates icons and puts them on the screen for you to work with.}
_Hit	_{Every file request made to a Web Server is equivalent of one hit.}
_HTML	_{Hypertext Markup Language - The coding method used to format documents for the World Wide Web.}
_HTTP	_{Hypertext Transfer Protocol - The protocol that tells the server what to send to the client, so the client can view Web pages, FTP sites, or other areas of the net.}
_Hypertext	_{A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to be linked in multiple ways.}
_Hyperlink	_{Text you find on a Web site which can be "clicked on" with a mouse which in turn will take you to another Web page or a different area of the same Web page.}
_{Image Map}	_{A embedded graphic that links to related files.}
_Impressions	_{(a.k.a. page views) Each time an end user retrieves an HTML document.}
_{Interactive Multimedia}	_{Computer-based programs that incorporate audio, video, animation, still images, photographs, and text - all controlled by the user.}
_Interface	_{Where man and machine meet; the interface for a computer is its screen. The hardware that connects different devices, such as a computer and its printer.}
_Internet	_{The Internet is a noncommercial, self-governing network devoted mostly to communication and research with some 20 million users world-wide. The Internet is not an online service and has no real central "hub." There is no one in charge. Rather, it is a collection of tens of thousands of networks, online services, and assorted single-user computers. More popular components of the Internet are: the World Wide Web, electronic mail, file transfer protocol, gopher, and telnet.}
_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.}
_IRC	_{Internet Relay Chat - A live chat area of the Internet in which real-time conversations among two or more people take place via IRC software, ASCII commands, and channels.}
_ISDN	_{Integrated services digital network. A type of phone line that provides fast data transfer speeds.}
_ISP	_{Internet Service Provider - This is the company which provides your connection to the Internet - AOL, Prodigy, CompuServe and Microsoft Network are all ISPs.}
_Java	_{Java is a programming language that is specifically designed for writing programs that can be safely downloaded to your computer through the Internet and immediately run without fear of viruses or other harm to your computer or files. Using small Java programs (called "Applets"), Web pages can include functions such as animations, calculators, and other fancy tricks.}
_{JPEG or JPG}	_{Joint Photographic Experts Group - One of two types of graphic formats used on the World Wide Web the other being a GIF. JPEGs are used to make moving images.}
_{Key Word}	_{Word(s) that you use to search for a general topic.}
_LAN	_{Local Area Network - A network that connects computers in a small area (like a room, a building, or a set of buildings.)}
_{Log File}	_{Every hit on a Web Server is recorded in this file. It is used to track usage.}
_{Log Off}	_{To disconnect from a network.}
_{Log On}	_{The process of connecting to a network or remote system.}
_Mac	_{Macintosh Computer by Apple}
_{Mail Bombing}	_{The act of flooding a person's electronic mailbox with lengthy unrelated files.}
_MIDI	_{Musical Instrument Digital Interface; hardware and protocol that allows the sound from a musical instrument to be input to a computer.}
_Modem	_{A device that you connect to your computer and to a phone line, that allows the computer to talk to other computers through the phone system.}
_Mosaic	_{Software program that allows you to read and explore the Internet's World Wide Web.}
_MSIE	_{Microsoft Internet Explorer}
_Multimedia	_{To use several different media at once - sight, sound and motion.}
_Navigation	_{Finding your way around in cyberspace.}
_Netiquette	_{Etiquette in cyberspace.}
_Network	_{The connection between a few local computers or many computers worldwide.}
_Newbie	_{Somebody new to the Internet or to computers in general.}
_Newsgroup	_{A part of the Internet which allows users to "post" and "reply to" messages from other users. A discussion forum similar to that found on local BBSs.}
_Off-line	_{When a computer is not connected to a host system or the Net, it is off-line.}
_On-line	_{When a computer is connected to a host system or the Net.}
_{Online Magazine}	_{A magazine that never sees a printing press, existing only in cyberspace. You subscribe just as you would from a printed magazine, and you pay with "cybercash".}
_Packet	_{The unit of data sent across a network.}
_Password	_{A secret combinations of letters and other symbols needed to login to a computer system. At The Bingo Zone your password must be at least 6 letters or numbers long, you can choose your own password, or use one you already have.}
_PC	_{Personal Computer}
_{Pen Interface}	_{Technology enabling you to enter information into a computer by writing with a special pen directly onto a computer screen.}
_Plug-in	_{A smaller "add-on" computer program which works in conjunction with a larger application. Usually a plug-in enhances the capabilities of the program it is "plugged" into. Examples are Real Audio and QuickTime VR.}
_Protocols	_{Rules that different computers use to communicate and work with each other. TCP/IP is the international language that is spoken by computers on the internet.}
_{Public Domain Software}	_{Software for which there is no copyright. It may be used and copied without paying any fee.}
_{QuickTime VR}	_{Software for Macintosh and Windows which brings 3D photographic or rendered representations of any person, place or thing.}
_RealAudio	_{RealAudio client-server software system enables Internet and on-line users equipped with conventional multimedia personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines to browse, select, and play back audio or audio-based multimedia content on demand, in real time.}
_{Real Time Chat}	_{A program allowing live conversation between individuals by typing on a computer terminal. The most common tools are Talk and IRC (International Relay Chat).}
_{Search Engine}	_{A program which acts like a library card catalog for the Internet. Search engines attempt to help a user isolate desired information or resources by searching for keywords that the user specifies. Webcrawler, AltaVista, Yahoo, and Excite are all search engines.}
_Sequencer	_{Computer or computer program that enables you to record, edit, and manipulate musical notes that are entered through a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface).}
_Shareware	_{Software available for downloading on the Internet that you can try before you buy.}
_Shockwave	_{A Web browser plugin which provides for Macromedia Director movies to be viewed on World Wide Web pages.}
_Site	_{A place on the Internet or World Wide Web.}
_{Snail Mail}	_{Sending mail the old fashioned way - through the US Postal Service.}
_Surf	_{To scan the Internet for information that interests you.}
_{System Operator}	_{"Sysop", pronounced sis-op, person who manages and monitors a bulletin board system, an online service platform or a local area network.}
_TCP/IP	_{Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - This set of protocols makes TELNET, FTP, e-mail, and other services possible among computers that don't belong to the same network.}
_Telephony	_{Pronounced tell-eff-a-knee, translation of voice, data, video, or image signals into electrical impulses that can be sent long distances.}
_TELNET	_{One of the TCP/IP applications, it lets you log in to computers around the world that are connected to the Internet, and to use them as if they were your own.}
_{Trojan Horse}	_{Computer virus, at first looks benevolent and useful, but really holds trouble.}
_UNIX	_{An operating system invented in 1969 at AT&T Bell Laboratories that was made available to researchers and students in 1973. It was used to develop the Internet's communication software protocols.}
_URL	_{Uniform Resource Locator - Describes the location and access method of a resource on the Internet. All web sites have URLs. One could say a URL is what a telephone number is to a telephone or a street address is to a house. For example Toledo CyberCafe's URL is http://www.toledocybercafe.com}
_USENET	_{Often referred to as simply "newsgroups" is a distributed bulletin board system supported mainly by UNIX machines.}
_Username	_{The name by which you or someone else is known by on the Internet. Used when logging into an access provider or when entering a member's only area on the Web.}
_Vaporware	_{New Software that is announced long before it is ready to be shipped.}
_{Virtual Reality}	_{(VR); world that only exists in cyberspace, but is made to look and sound and feel real to a human being wearing special gear.}
_WAN	_{Wide Area Network - A network that connects computers over a large geographic area.}
_{Web Server}	_{The computer that stores and delivers all the data for a Web site.}
_WebTV	_{WebTV is a new way to access the Internet from your TV. You don't need a computer and there's no software to load. All you need is a television, a phone line, and a WebTV Internet terminal, and you're on the Internet.}
_Wideband	_{A medium-capacity communications circuit/path.}
_Wirehead	_{Mr. Fixit of the cyber age. These are folks who can lash together a computer from spare parts strewn around the kitchen.}
_WWW	_{World Wide Web - or W3 The global (Worldwide) hypertext system that uses the Internet as it's transport mechanism. In a hypertext system, you navigate by clicking hyperlinks, which display another document which also contains hyperlinks. When you're at The Toledo CyberCafe, you are on the WWW.}
_Yahoo	_{A commercial service web site which is a searchable directory of Internet resources. Also publishes a print magazine about the Internet.}
_Zine	_{Electronic magazine or publication}