| Anchor |
Synonymous with hyperlinks, anchor refers to non-linear links among documents. More simply put, it’s the word or phrase that can be selected to connect to another page. |
| Bandwidth |
The range of transmission frequencies a network can use. The greater the bandwidth the more information that can be transferred over that network at one time. |
| Broadband |
A transmission method in which the networks range of transmission frequencies is divided into separate channels and each channel is used to send a different signal. Broadband is often used to send different types of signals simultaneously. |
| Browser |
A type of software that allows you to navigate information databases. eg, Netscape. |
| Byte |
The number of bits used to represent a character. |
| Configuration |
The act of changing software or hardware actions by changing the settings. |
| Cyberspace |
A term coined by William Gibson in his novel “Neuromancer” to refer to a near-future computer network where users mentally travel through matrices of data. |
Direct
Connection |
A permanent connection between your computer system and the Internet. |
|
DNS
|
An acronym for Domain Name Server, DNS refers to a database of internet names and addresses which translates the names to the official Internet Protocol numbers and vice versa. |
Document
Window |
This is the Web browser’s scrollable window in which HTML documents can be viewed. |
| External Viewer |
A program used for presenting graphics, audio and video files. Programs that allow the viewing of GIF and JPEG files and the hearing of AU files fall into this category. |
| Firewall |
This term refers to security measures designed to protect a networked system from unauthorized or unwelcome access. |
| FTP |
File Transfer Protocol is a protocol that allows the transfer of files from one computer to another. FTP is also the verb used to describe the act of transferring files from one computer to another. |
| GIF |
This acronym stands for Graphic Interchange Format, a commonly used file compression format developed for transferring graphics files to and from online services. |
| HTML |
An acronym for HyperText Markup Language, HTML is the language used to tag various parts of a web document so browsing software will know how to display that document’s links, text, graphics and attached media. |
| HTTP |
The abbreviation for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTP is used to link and transfer hypertext documents. |
| Hypermedia |
The hypertext concept extended to include linked multiple media. |
| Hypertext |
This term describes the system that allows documents to be cross-linked in such a way that the reader can explore further by clicking on a highlighted word or symbol. |
| IP |
The abbreviation for Internet Protocol, IP refers to the set of communication standards that control communications activity on the internet. An IP address is the number assigned to any Internet-connected computer. |
| ISDN |
The abbreviation for Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN is a telecommunications standard that uses digital transmission technology to support voice, video and data communications applications over regular telephone lines. |
| JPEG |
The acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is an image compression format used to transfer colour photographs and images over computer networks. |
| MPEG |
The acronym for Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG is an international standard for video compression and desktop movie presentation. A special viewing application is needed to run MPEG files on your computer. |
| POP |
An acronym for Point of Presence, POP is a service provider’s location for connecting to users. Generally, POPs refer to the location where people can dial into the provider’s host computer. Most providers have several POPs to allow low-cost access via telephone lines. |
| Protocol |
A set of standards that define how traffic and communications are handled by a computer or network routers. |
| Server |
A computer system that manages and delivers information for client computers. |
| URL |
This is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator, the addressing system used in the world wide web and other Internet resources. The URL contains information about the method of access, the server to be accessed and the path of any file to be accessed. |
| Webmaster |
This term refers to the person in charge of administrating a world wide web site. |