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| Basic Terminology |
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Before You Begin March 1999 • Vol.5 Issue 3 |
Basic Terminology | ||
 Using the Internet is one thing. Talking about it is another. Except for the few industry insiders who have nothing better to do than invent terms to describe every technology that comes along, few people can keep the mess of acronyms and jargon straight. It would take hundreds of pages to define all of the Internet-related terms you might encounter in your travels on the 'Net. Here's a list of some of the most important. Chat room—An online forum where users gather to hold real-time, text-based conversations. Most chat rooms have a dedicated subject and are monitored by a moderator, but discussions can wander into unrelated topics. Actually, it is a stretch to call most of the babbling that occurs in a chat room a conversation. Much—but not all—of the time, chat rooms are filled with incoherent fragments that scarcely resemble human speech. A Web browser is the only equipment needed to participate in most chat rooms. Cookie—A cookie is a string of programming code used to identify a visitor to a Web site so that the site can present customized data to the visitor whenever he or she visits the site. The site obtains the information about the visitor either when the individual completes a short registration form at the site or by monitoring the behavior of the visitor at the site. The cookie then is transmitted from the site to the visitor's computer, where it is stored until he or she returns to the site. At that point, the cookie is transmitted back to the Web site, which reads the identifying information about the visitor and presents an interface that is customized to suit the preferences of the visitor.
electronic mail (E-mail)—Digital messages transmitted between users on a network. E-mail messages, which may contain text and multimedia data, can be delivered within seconds to almost any E-mail address in the world. E-mail is the most popular use of the Internet and has redefined the way individuals and organizations communicate with one another. In some circles, E-mail has become the accepted and expected form of communication. To send and receive E-mail, the user must have an E-mail account and an E-mail application. E-mail accounts can be obtained through an Internet service provider (ISP) or online service. They also can be obtained for free through a number of Web sites and some private companies. E-mail applications are built into most Web browsers and operating systems and also are available as separate products. encryption—A security method that converts data into a code that can be read only by authorized individuals. Encryption is commonly used for transmitting E-mail messages or making transactions on the Internet. Encryption is a vital component of the primary Internet security standards, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Secure Electronic Transaction (SET). home page—The introductory page of a Web site. The home page typically contains hyperlinks to the various components of the site. Also known as an index page. hyperlinks—Any icon, graphic, or text in an electronic document that is connected to a specific location within the same document or to a different document. Users must position the on-screen pointer over the hyperlink and press the mouse button to access the target location or document. For example, a document about computer magazines may contain a hyperlink to the Smart Computing Web site. When users click the hyperlink, they are connected to the home page of the Smart Computing Web site. A text document that contains hyperlinks is called hypertext. Any document or application that supports hyperlinks is called hypermedia. Hyperlinks most often are on the World Wide Web and on interactive CD-ROMs. Also called links. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)—A user-friendly programming language that is used to create interconnected electronic documents, including most of the pages on the World Wide Web. HTML is based on tags, which are bits of code that are embedded in the document and that define the various attributes of the document. To create a hyperlink, for example, the user simply places the hyperlink tags <A HREF> and </A> around the universal resource locator or E-mail address. Documents created with HTML are identified by a .HTM or .HTML file extension. HTML 4.0 is the latest version of this popular programming language. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)—The standard that governs the exchange of Web data on the Internet. To access a Web document on the Internet, a user must first enter http:// in the browser's address field to indicate that the document should be formatted and processed as a Web document. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)—A telecommunications standard that supports digital audio, video, and data transmissions at a maximum rate of 128 kilobits per second (Kbps), which is nearly two times faster than the fastest modem transmissions. ISDN is used primarily for Internet access service and is available from most ISPs. ISDN service costs more than traditional dial-up Internet access, however, and has failed to gain a substantial number of users. A new generation of ISDN, called broadband-ISDN (B-ISDN), uses fiber optic technology and supports data transmissions of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps). B-ISDN is not available in most areas. Internet—The physical infrastructure of interconnected TCP/IP networks. The infrastructure consists of all servers, routers, telephone lines, satellites, and other communications instruments used to convey Internet-based electronic data, including Web sites, Internet E-mail messages, and Internet newsgroups, from one point to another. Originally developed for the U.S. military in 1969, the Internet has reached global prominence during the past five years. Access to the Internet is provided by online services and ISPs. Also referred to as the 'Net. Internet service provider (ISP)—A company that provides Internet access to paying subscribers. ISPs typically offer three methods of Internet access: dial-up modem connections, whereby the customer connects to the Internet by dialing up the ISP's central computer system; ISDN, whereby the subscriber connects to the Internet via an ISDN line; and leased lines, whereby the subscriber obtains a high-speed, private, and direct connection to the Internet. Most ISPs are local or regional in nature, but there is a significant number of national providers. In addition to Internet access, subscribers often receive a free E-mail account, a free Web browser, and a certain amount of space on the ISP's computers to store a Web site. Java—A complex programming language developed by Sun Microsystems that allows for the creation of embedded applications (called applets) that can be downloaded from the Internet and run immediately within a Web browser on any platform. Java can be used to create applets that have practical purposes—an interest calculator, for example—or entertainment purposes—animations, for instance. To view Java applets, a user must have a browser that supports Java. newsgroup—A text-based online forum where registered users gather to share information about a variety of subjects. Each newsgroup has a dedicated subject to which all communications within the newsgroup are supposed to relate, and newsgroup members post their text messages to a central newsgroup server, where the messages may be accessed by other members of the newsgroup. To view and transmit newsgroup messages, the user must have a newsreader application. Newsreader applications are built into most Web browsers and operating systems and also are available as separate products. plug-in—An application that provides a complementary feature to another application. The term most often is used to describe the plethora of applications that can be downloaded from the Web to supplement the capabilities of a Web browser. Among the most common plug-ins are those that provide support for audio and video playback. server—Any computer containing data or applications that can be accessed by remote computers. A server can be dedicated, meaning its sole purpose is to be a server, or it can be non-dedicated, meaning it also can be used for basic computing tasks. Various types of servers are connected to the Internet. A Web server contains information that is accessible on the World Wide Web. A mail server processes and stores an individual's incoming and outgoing E-mail messages. A newsgroup server controls access to and retains messages posted to a newsgroup. A Domain Name Server (DNS) directs the flow of data on the Internet by translating domain names such as www.mydomain.com into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses such as 111.22.333.44. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)—Standards developed by the Department of Defense that govern communication among the various computers that make up a network. The TCP standard governs the integrity of data transmissions. The IP standard governs the way data is transmitted across the network. The Internet is the best example of a TCP/IP network, but many smaller networks also use the protocols. universal resource locator (URL)—An Internet address. Every electronic document that is accessible via the Internet has a unique URL. Each URL consists of several components that provide information about the location of the corresponding document. For example, the URL http://www.mysite.com/mybusiness/mybiography.html reveals that the Mybiography.html Web document is on the Mybusiness subdirectory of the Mysite domain. Web browser—The application that lets a user access Web data on the Internet. The typical Web browser supports graphics and contains an address field, where the URL for a Web site is entered; a viewing field, where the Web page can be viewed; and a number of toolbar buttons that span the top of the browser. The two most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. World Wide Web—The conglomeration of interconnected data that is accessible on the Internet. The World Wide Web, which was developed in Switzerland in 1991 by the English-born physicist Tim Berners-Lee, features two main characteristics: hyperlinks and support for multimedia data, including graphics, motion video, and audio. It has an estimated 97 million users worldwide and has rightfully been credited for popularizing the Internet. Also called the Web. by Jeff Dodd |
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