| Glossary | |
Note: Some of the links on this page will only work if you are on line.
Access
Or gaining entry to the Internet. You would normally do this via an ISP (Internet
Service Provider) such as Freeserve.
AnyTime
Freeserve AnyTime
is the Internet access service from Freeserve which gives you free Internet
calls all day and all night, every day of the week, for a simple monthly fee.
A is also for:
ADSL
Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a technology which allows people
to have superfast Internet access while simultaneously making ordinary voice
calls over existing phone lines. Connection speeds can be up 20 times faster
than existing modems amd allow computers to have a permanent link to the Internet.
Account
When you sign up for Freeserve you are given a username and a password. This
is your account and each time you go online it allows Freeserve to check that
you are authorised to access the Internet.
Address (email)
Addresses are needed to find people on the Internet in much the same way as
your address on an envelope enables you to receive post. Addresses contain letters,
numbers and symbols. Using addresses you can send and receive email.
Auction
Enjoy the thrill of bidding online at FSauctions,
the Freeserve auctions channel.
Attachments
These are files that are sent with an email message. They can be text, graphics,
sound, video, spreadsheets, databases, or even an entire application - which
are often the cause of conputer viruses.
Browser
A browser is a program that allows you to enter and explore the World Wide Web
in a relatively simple manner. Internet Explorer is the most popular browser
at present. You use a browser each time you are online, probably without realising.
B is also for:
Baud Rate
This is the technical term for the speed at which you connect to the Internet
via your modem, measured in kbps (kilobits per second).
Most modems have a baud rate of 56kbps - often shortened to just 56k - but the
actual connection speed is somewhat lower because of factors such as interference
on the phone lines.
Bookmark
Web browsers allow you to 'bookmark' Internet pages. That is, you can save them
and visit them again easily which stops you having to tap in their address every
time you want to read them.
Broadband
This is the much-hyped 'future' of the Internet: super-fast connections between
home users and Internet Service Providers using cable modems
or ADSL technology. This should make DVD-quality video and
audio available for download and viewing on your PC
or Internet TV. Unfortunately, due to a combination of high prices from BT and
apathy from the UK government, Britain is lagging behind even countries such
as Portugal and the Czech Republic in broadband use. Click on the link for further information regarding Freeserve's broadband
service.Freeserve Broadband.
Channel
This is a term borrowed from television and is just a way of categorising content
areas of larger websites such Freeserve. Freeserve has over a dozen channels
that allow you to do everything from bidding at auctions and finding a new job
to buying a new house and finding out the latest sports results.
Connect
You connect to Freeserve every time you access the Internet.
C is also for:
Chat
Chatting online has nothing to do with talking. The term refers to 'conversations'
that take place in text between two or more Internet users who are typing into
their computers. Imagine sending mobile phone text messages in real time with
instant replies and you get the picture.
Chat Room
A place on the Internet where online 'chat' takes place, such as the Freeserve
Chat area.
Click
A very common computer and Internet term that simply refers to the pressing
down of your mouse button (an action that normally causes something to happen
online).
Cookie
A cookie is a small piece of software, usually left by a website, which records
information about you and your browsing habits on the Internet. It holds this
information until such time that the website requests it. For example, if you
are browsing around a virtual shop such as Amazon.com, the website may greet
you by name and tailor its offers to match your previous purchases.
Cybercafe
A cafe or bar allowing customers to explore the World Wide Web whilst having a drink or snack, usually charged per half-hour of usage.
Dial-up
When you dial up, you connect to the Internet using an ordinary telephone line
and a modem. This process is normally automatic.
D is also for:
Domain Name
A domain name is a unique name identifying each site on the Internet, usually
made up of two or more groups of letters separated by full stops. 'Freeserve.com'
is a domain name.
Domain Name Server
These are computers connected to the Internet whose job it is to keep track
of the Domain Names of websites and translate them into the numeric IP
addresses that our computers actually use. Without Domain Name Servers (often
shortened to 'DNS') we would have to use hard-to-remember numbers such as '195.92.249.209'
rather than 'www.freeserve.com' to access websites through our browsers.
Dotcom
A term describing a company that tries to make money from the Internet. Few
so far have succeeded, many have gone forever.
Download
When you transfer information from a remote machine connected to the Internet
onto your local computer, you are downloading data.
See also: Upload
Electronic mail or email
A method of communication where an electronic message is sent from one computer
to another over the Internet. An email address - eg, george@washington.freeserve.co.uk
- identifies which computer an email message is sent to.
See also: Attachments, Header, Signature
Emoticons
These are the sideways smiles and frowns used in email to indicate emotions,
eg. :-) would indicate a smile and :-( would indicate a frown!
E is also for
Entertainment
Spice up your life on the Freeserve Entertainment
Channel.
Ethernet
A type of local network connection allowing data transfers between computers
of up to 10MB per second.
See also: Megabyte (MB)
FAQ
FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. Lists of FAQs (and their answers)
covering a vast range of topics can be found across the World Wide Web, allowing
the user to search for a query that somebody has already answered.
Firewall
A firewall is a computer software program which acts like a wall to protect
a company or organisation's internal network from unauthorised external access
(most commonly in the form of Internet hackers).
F is also for:
Flame
An insulting or derogatory message usually sent via email or posted on website
message boards. There have been instances of 'Flame Wars', when other people
join in the heated exchanges. In either case, not recommended.
See also: Email, Netiquette
Forms
Certain web browsers support electronic fill-in forms. A form on a web page
can be filled in by users all over the world, and the information sent electronically
to the relevant site.
Freeware
Software allowed to be distributed free by the author, but often with certain
conditions applying (eg, the software cannot be changed, etc.).
See also: Shareware
FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is one of the main methods used to
transfer files quickly across the Internet. An FTP site is one provided by a
company or organisation as a library for all kinds of files which users may
download.
GIF
Gif stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is an online image format developed
by Compuserve, a US-based ISP. Gifs are now used extensively throughout the
Internet for graphics files, and those annoying banner ads which flash and rotate
on many websites are probably examples of animated gifs.
For great online games visit the Freeserve Games Channel.
G is also for:
Gigabyte (GB)
A thousand megabytes.
See also: Megabyte
Header
In E-mail terms, this is the part of the message indicating who the sender is and some other brief details, such as the subject of the message.
See also: Attachments, Email, Signature
Hit
On the Internet a “hit” means a single request from a web browser for a single
item from a web server; so in order for a web browser to display a page that
contains three graphics, four “hits” would occur at the server: one for the
HTML page itself, and one for each of the three graphics on it.
Home Page
On the World Wide Web, this is the main navigation page owned by a company,
organisation, university, individual, etc, from which links - also known as
hyperlinks - can be made to other pages on the site
(or to other sites).
HomeTime
Freeserve HomeTime
is the off-peak Internet access service offered to Freeserve members who wish
to benefit from free Internet calls between 6pm-8am weekdays and all day and
night on weekends.
H is also for:
Host
You usually connect to a host computer whenever you use the Internet.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the language used to create web pages. It
allows pictures and text to be combined to create web documents that can be
viewed by browsers, and the most important feature - hypertext - makes it possible
for links to be made between different documents.
See also: Gif, Jpeg, Tag, World Wide Web
HTTP
Are the initials you see before most website addresses in your browser and stand
for HyperText Transport Protocol - the computer 'language' used on the World
Wide Web.
Hyperlink
In World Wide Web pages, hyperlinks are highlighted text or images which, when selected (usually by clicking the mouse button), follow a link to another page. Hyperlinks can also be used to automatically download other files as well as sounds and video clips.
See also: Download
Internet
With a capital I, it is the collection of all the interconnected networks in
the world, and is often simply referred to as 'the net'.
ISP
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company or organisation, such as Freeserve,
dedicated to providing home users and businesses with access to the Internet.
I is also for:
Image Map
An image on a web page with clickable 'hot spots', allowing several hyperlinks
from a single image file. For example, the image could be of a country, split
into different areas, each of which could be clickable and link to a more detailed
view of that specific area.
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is the world's most popular web browser,
and was developed by Microsoft - who else?
IP
Internet Protocol (IP) is the main protocol - or computer
'language' - used across the Internet.
IP Address
A unique four-number code designated to every website on the Internet. Each
website also has a Domain Name as well as an IP address
to make site addresses easier to remember.
IRC
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a real-time, world-wide electronic chat
program allowing you to communicate immediately with other people across the
globe who are online at the same time.
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a digital telephone line allowing
faster transfer rates than existing analog lines. ISDN allows simultaneous transfer
of voice, data and video information. It may soon be made obsolete by the growing
spread of ADSL and cable modems, which are both examples
of broadband connections.
Jargon
Like all other specialised subjects, the Internet has its own jargon; a cryptic
set of terms often designed to make simple things appear more complex. Some
jargon is explained in this glossary.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is a standard of image compression -
or making pictures quicker to download - developed especially
for use on the Internet. Most photographic images can be highly compressed using
this method, without compromising image quality too much. The filename extension
of JPEG files is .jpg or .jpeg
Kilobyte
1024 bytes, usually rounded down to a thousand bytes for simplicity.
Link
Link puts the hyper in hyperlink. Links are the connections
between hypertext pages. Every time you click on highlighted text to go to another
page you're following a link.
Log In
When you connect to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider such as
Freeserve, you must first log in with your username and password.
L is also for:
LAN
Stands for local area network - if you are using the Internet at work you are
most probably accessing it via your company's LAN.
Leased Line
A rented, high-speed Internet connection for private use, available 24 hours
a day. Leased lines can cost companies (and some very rich individuals) more
than £100,000 a year.
Mailserver
The computer (and software running on it) that allows the sending, sorting and
retrieval of email messages.
Megabyte (MB)
The unit of measurement for computer files - a megabyte is a thousand kilobytes
or a million bytes. A 1MB file takes about five minutes to download
using a typical 56k modem over the Internet.
Modem
A Modem is the device that connects your PC to the telephone network so that
it can communicate with other computers on the Internet. Modems these days are
often built into your PC and all you really need to know is that they make a
strange whistling and boinging noise while going about their business. Show-offs
may want to note that it stands for MODulator-DEModulator.
MP3
MP3 (which is a thankfully shortened form of Motion Picture Expert Group 1:
Layer 3) is the end result of a process which turns big, heavy music files on
a CD into lean, web-friendly computer files that can downloaded quickly. The
process itself is called 'ripping'.
M is also for:
MIME
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) a format designed originally to include
images, sounds, animations and other types of documents within Internet mail
messages.
Mirror site
An FTP site containins exactly the same files as the site it is mirroring. Sites
may be mirrored several times, often in different countries around the world.
They relieve the load that can be placed on a very popular FTP site, making
it easier for users to gain access and download files faster.
MPEG
(Motion Picture Experts Group) video compression format used for movie or animation clips on the World Wide Web.
.mpg or .mpeg
Filename extension for MPEG movies.
NCSA
(National Center for Supercomputing Applications) powerful organisation that launched the Mosaic Web Browser in 1993 for Windows, x-Windows and Macintosh platforms.
Netiquette
Informal, largely undocumented set of rules designed to make the Web a polite and civilised 'society'.
Netscape
The name of one of the world's first really popular web browser. The company
that made it, Netscape Communications, has since been bought by AOL, the US
Internet Service Provider, while the software itself has
been eclipsed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Network
Two or more computers linked together and able to share resources constitutes a network.
Network Time Protocol
Internet protocol ensuring that the correct time is transmitted.
See also: Protocol
Network time server
Using Network Time Protocol, you access this machine to get the right time.
Newsgroup
Thousands of Newsgroups exist, distributing information on different subjects using Usenet.
Newsreader
Program that allows the user to read Newsgroup messages via Usenet.
NNTP
Net News Transport Protocol (NNTP) is the protocol - or computer 'language'
- that powers the thousands of newsgroups on the Internet.
No Ties
Pay as you go Internet at local call rates with no extra monthly fees or subscription.
See also: Usenet
Offline
When your computer performs an operation when it is not connected to any other computers, it is working offline.
Online
You are online when you are connected to the Internet.
Packet
Information moves around the Internet in 'packets'; chunks of data each with their own destination address. Think of packets as sealed envelopes containing data, with addresses written on them. They all go through the system, and usually end up at the correct destination. The more envelopes the system must handle, the slower the process becomes.
Page
A World Wide Web 'page' is the name given to a basic Web document, such as the one you are viewing at the moment.
PKZIP or PKUNZIP
Utilities for easily compressing and uncompressing DOS and Windows files. They use the .zip filename extension.
Plug-In
There are many things that your browser can do such as displaying images and web pages. Other things are beyond its capabilities and that's where the plug-ins are introduced. Shockwave and RealAudio are examples of plug-ins required for audio and video.
POP
(Post Office Protocol) provides a store-and-forward service, intended to move E-mail on demand from an intermediate server to a single destination machine, usually a PC or Macintosh.
PPP
(Point to Point Protocol) PPP is a kind of Internet connection that allows a computer to use Internet protocols to become a part of the Internet. Requires a modem, a standard telephone line and an account from a service provider.
Protocol
Method by which computers communicate to each other over the Internet in order to provide a service.
See also: FTP, HTTP, IP, NNTP, POP, PPP, SLIP, SMTP, TCP
Public access provider
An organization that provides Internet access for individuals or other organizations, often for a fee.
Public domain
Refers to software that anybody can use or modify without authorisation.
QuickTime
The popular video and audio format developed by Apple Computer which works on
both Windows PCs and Apple Macs.
Resource
A particular object of information provided on the Internet. Can be anything from a picture through to a video or application.
Router
A special-purpose computer (or software package) that handles the connection between 2 or more networks. Routers concentrate on looking at the destination addresses of the packets passing through them and deciding which route to send them on.
See also: Network
Scripting language
Series of programmed commands that designate how one computer communicates with another computer.
Self-extracting archive
An archived file with the filename extension .exe, indicating that when downloaded and run, it will be extracted by the decompressing program around it, without user intervention.
Server
Within a network, a server makes files available to other computers when requested.
Service Provider
Freeserve are currently the largest Internet Service Provider in the UK. The role of a Service Provider is to provide subscribers a gateway to the Internet.
Shareware
Software distributed freely, but with certain conditions applying to it. Either the software is released on a trial basis only, and must be registered after a certain period of time, or in other cases no support can be offered with the software without registering it. In some cases direct payment to the author is required.
See also: Freeware, Public Domain
Signature
The automatic addition of a few lines at the foot of an email. These usually
consist of the sender's email address, full name and other details. Often there
is a joke or quotation to show how wacky and wise the sender is.
SLIP
(Serial Line Internet Protocol) like PPP, lets you use a modem and phone lines to connect to the Internet without connecting to a host computer.
Smileys
Characters often used in News messages, E-mails and on Web Pages to offer some degree of character or emotion. Example :-)
SMTP
(Simple Mail Transport Protocol) often referred to as sendmail, is designed to allow the delivery of mail messages to Internet users.
Snail mail
Write a letter. Buy a stamp, put stamp on letter. Walk to the postbox and post
letter. Wait a day or two and hopefully it will have reached its intended destination...
that's s n a i l - m a i l.
Surfing
A popular metaphor used for describing someone exploring the World Wide Web.
Tag
In HTML terms, a 'tag' is used for marking-up text in various ways so that it is formatted in a Web document. They are sometimes called 'Markup Tags'.
See also: HTML
T-1
Network link used on the Internet allowing speeds of up to 1.54 megabits/second.
See also: ADN
T-3
Higher speed (45 megabits/second) Network link used on the Internet.
See also: ADN
TCP/IP
Stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol - the two fundamental
protocols which form the basis of the Internet.
Telnet
Terminal emulation program allowing an authorised user to access another computer on the Internet and use that computer as if it were local (when in reality it could be several thousand miles away).
Terminal
Piece of hardware that allows commands to be sent to a computer, usually by means of a keyboard and display unit.
Terminal emulator
Allows a PC to emulate several terminal types.
Thread
In a Usenet group, this is a list of messages loosely relating to one another (using the same 'thread').
Timeout
The often annoying function which automatically disconnects you from the Internet
after a set period of inactivity.
Unix
An Operating System typically written in C, and designed for multi-user environments. It has TCP/IP built in, and is therefore one of the most popular operating systems for servers on the Internet.
Upload
Transfer of files from a local computer up to a specified remote computer (as
opposed to download where files are pulled off a remote machine).
See also: Download
URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) resource addressing scheme of the World Wide Web. Assists in locating and identification of multimedia resources or multiple copies of resources.
Usenet
Specialised network linking thousands of newsgroups covering every subject under the sun.
Veronica
(Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerised Archives) A resource-discovery system providing access to information resources held on most ( 99% + ) of the world's gopher servers. In addition to native gopher data, veronica includes references to many resources provided by other types of information servers, such as WWW servers, usenet archives, and telnet-accessible information services.
Virus
A virus is virtual evil. It can hide anywhere where a computer stores information. They have the ability to transfer from computer to computer with the use of the Internet and various other networks. A virus can do a number of things to a recipient such as reformatting hard drives (destroying data).
WAIS
(Wide Area Information Servers) an architecture for a distributed information retrieval system. WAIS is based on the client-server model of computation, and allows users of computers to share information using a common computer-to-computer protocol.
See also: Protocol
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Group of computers located geographically apart, usually belonging to a single company or organisation, connected together using dedicated lines or by satellite to simulate a local network.
WinSock
(WINdows SOCKets) Windows utility program allowing users connected by SLIP, PPP or other direct connection to communicate with other computers on the Internet by TCP/IP.
World Wide Web ('WWW' or 'Web')
Specialised Internet Service allowing users to connect to remote sites, with information presented as text with hypertext links. These links can be used to refer to almost all other resources on the Internet. Graphics can be embedded into Web pages, but can only be viewed using a graphical Web browser. Other applications supported are sound files and movie files.
See also: Browser, HTML, Internet
Worm
A search utility on the World Wide Web that locates resources following user-determined guidelines.
XMODEM
A popular but slow file transfer protocol.
YMODEM
Another file transfer protocol, slightly faster than XMODEM.
.ZIP
Files that have been compressed using the PKZIP program have this filename extension. They can be decompressed using the PKUNZIP utility.
ZMODEM
The fastest and most popular file transfer protocol, due to its efficiency and crash recovery properties.
