subject: Internet Terminology-An overview [print this page] Internet Terminology-An overview Internet Terminology-An overview
Network A network is a group of computers that share computing resources
LAN Local Area Network confined to a relatively small area
WAN Wide Area Network used to connect workers in different geographic locations
Firewall used to prevent outside users from gaining access to network
Server a computer that provides files or services to another computer
Workstation a machine that can use the drives, folders, files, and programs on the network Client a workstation that is actively using the network's facilities.
Internet It is the largest international computer network. The most popular features of the Internet are World Wide Web (WWW), Chatting, File Transfer, Electronic Mail (E-Mail).
WWW World Wide Web portion of the Internet contains Web sites. Web sites are addresses on the Internet maintained by various organizations and individuals to provide information and services to Internet users.
Links Hyperlink - An element in an electronic document that links to another place in the same document or to an entirely different document. Hyperlinks are the most essential ingredient of all hypertext systems, including the World Wide Web.)Hypertext refers to a document or text that includes hyperlinks.
Internet Browser A computer program that allows you to use the Web.
Examples:
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Mozilla FireFox (www.mozilla.com) Free Download
Netscape Navigator
America Online
Connecting to the Internet Connecting with a Modem
Types of modems:
Traditional Modem
DSL (newer connection)
Cable Modem
Wireless & Satellite
T1 or T3 line
ISP Internet Service Provider is a company that connects us and our computer to the Internet.
Examples
AOL
AT&T WorldNet
MSN (Microsoft)
EarthLink
Charter, PCL
URL Uniform Resource Locator Web site address. It is a distant location just like a home address.
Example http://www.athensmiddle.org- http stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the communications protocol used by sites in the WWW.www stands for World Wide Web, the largest part of the Internet athensmiddle is the name used to identify the organization responsible for the content of the site, and org is the domain identifier
Domain Names A domain name is a unique name that is used to identify and locate computers on the internet, it can be used for websites and/or email addresses. For instance this website's domain name is www.helpwithpcs.com.You can tell the domain of a Web site by the 3-letter ending of its URL.
Examples
.com (commercial)
.edu (education)
.mil (military)
.org (organization)
IP Address All machines connected to the internet have their own IP Address, domain names are just an easier way to access a certain machine, for instance if you had to remember IP Addresses instead of domain names it would be cumbersome.
FTP File Transfer Protocol is a set of rules that enable electronic information, such as document files, graphics, and movies to be uploaded and downloaded. Uploading is sending a file from your computer to another computer using FTP. Downloading is using FTP to get a file from another computer and putting it into your own computer.
Shareware & Freeware
Shareware - Software available on the Internet for downloading so you can try it before buying it. It is copyrighted and distributed on a "free-will donation" basis, either via the Internet or by being passed along by satisfied customers. Users who continue to use the program after a trial period are expected to pay a registration fee.
Freeware - Free software available on the Internet for downloading. It is used and redistributed at no cost to the user. (Shareware, on the other hand, requires that you pay a registration fee after a certain amount of time.)
Webpage Terms
Home page - The first page or front page of a Web site. It serves as the starting point for navigation.
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
Bookmark or Favorite - A direct link to an often visited site, saved in your browser for easy access.
Cookie - It is a small file that a Web server automatically sends to your PC when you browse certain Web sites. Cookies are stored as text files on your hard drive so servers can access
them when you return to Web sites you've visited before. Cookies contain information that identifies each user, for example: login or username, passwords, shopping cart information, preferences, and so on. When a user revisits a Website, his or her computer automatically "serves up" the cookie, which establishes the user's identity, thus eliminating the need for the customer to reenter the information.
Search Engine Internet search engines are special sites on the Web that are designed to help people find information stored on other sites. Boolean operators allow you to refine and
extend the terms of the search (ex. AND, OR, NOT, QUOTATION MARKS
Telecommunications Communication over a long distance;
Chat It is an Internet application that allows people to engage in real-time communication with other users around the world.
Electronic Mail (Email) An electronic exchange of messages and files.
The process by which you send and receive mail from computers connected to the Internet or a private network. Email is one of the most popular features of the Internet.
Spam sending particularly annoying messages spam can come in a variety of forms, although the most common is unsolicited commercial email, SPAM emails can be very annoying and can clog up your inbox.
The golden rule when you receive a spam email is NOT TO REPLY, although the email will say something along the lines of "reply with unsubscribe in the subject line to be taken off our mailing list" as soon as you reply you are confirming that your email address exists.
One way of stopping spam is to use an email filter, this is special software that filters incoming emails and stops any unsuitable images being seen by children.
Chatting and Email Emoticon - The term "emoticon" literally means "an icon that represents emotion." An emot icon is a sequence of typed characters that creates a rough picture of something, such as a facial expression. Shouting using ALL CAPS in chatting or email. Netiquette - Short for Internet etiquette.
Computer Virus A program that runs on computer without our knowledge and can cause damage to files. It usually attaches itself to other programs, a common way to receive a virus is through an attachment via email. Virus protection is extremely important and can save a lot of problems in the future.
