Internet Terminology
Applet
A small Java program that is embedded in an HTML page (webpage). Applets usually provide a
more interactive element to a webpage. For example, when you hover your mouse over an
image, another image shows or the image changes color.
ARPANet
(Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) The predecessor to the Internet. Developed
30-40 years ago by the US Department of Defense as an experiment in wide-area-networking
that would survive a nuclear war
ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) ASCII is the world-wide standard for
the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower-case Latin
letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.
Backbone
A high-speed line, or series of connections, that form a major pathway within a network.
Bandwidth
How much information you can send through a connection, usually measured in
bits-per-second.
Baud
In common terminology the baud rate of a modem is how many bits it can send or receive per
second.
BBS
(Bulletin Board System) A computerized meeting and announcement system that allows people
to carry on discussions, upload and download files, and make announcements without the
people being connected to the computer at the same time. A BBS is essentially like a
message board.
Binhex
(BINary HEXadecimal) A method for converting non-text files (non-ASCII) into ASCII. This
is necessary because Internet e-mail can only handle ASCII.
Bit
(Binary DigIT) A single digit number in base-2 (either a 1 or a 0). The smallest unit of
computerized data.
BITNET
A network of educational sites separate from the Internet, but e-mail is freely exchanged
between BITNET and the Internet.
Bps
(Bits-Per-Second) A measurement of how quickly data is moved from one computer to another.
A 56.6 modem can move 58,600 bits per second.
Browser
A Client program (software) that is used to look at various types of Internet resources.
Byte
A set of Bits that represent a single character.
CGI
(Common Gateway Interface) Usually a CGI program is a program that takes information from
a web server and performs a specific task with it. For example, taking the content of a
form (on a webpage) and translating it into an e-mail message, or getting information from
a database.
cgi-bin
The most common name of a directory on a web server in which CGI programs are stored. The
“bin” part of “cgi-bin” is a shorthand version of “binary”,
because once upon a time, most programs were referred to as “binaries”. In real
life, most programs found in cgi-bin directories are text files.
Client
A software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program
on another computer. Each Client program is designed to work with one or more specific
kinds of Server programs, and each Server requires a specific kind of Client. A Web
Browser is a specific kind of Client.
Cookie
The most common meaning of “Cookie” on the Internet refers to a piece of
information sent by a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to
save and to send back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from
the Server.
Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browser’s settings, the Browser may
accept or not accept the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long
time.
Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online “shopping
cart” information, user preferences, etc.
When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able
to use the information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what
is sent back to the user, or keep a log of particular user’s requests.
Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time and are usually
saved in memory until the Browser software is closed down, at which time they may be saved
to disk if their “expire time” has not been reached.
Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be
used to gather more information about a user than would be possible without them.
Cyberspace
Generally known as the Internet.
DSL
(Digital Subscriber Line) A method for moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit
is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires coming into the subscriber’s
premises are the same (copper) wires used for regular phone service. A DSL circuit must be
configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line.
A commonly discussed configuration of DSL allows downloads at speeds of up to 1.544
megabits (not megabytes) per second, and uploads at speeds of 128 kilobits per second.
This arrangement is called ADSL: “Asymmetric” Digital Subscriber Line.
Another common configuration is symmetrical: 384 Kilobits per second in both directions.
In theory ADSL allows download speeds of up to 9 megabits per second and upload speeds of
up to 640 kilobits per second.
DSL is now a popular alternative to Leased Lines and ISDN, being faster than ISDN and less
costly than traditional Leased Lines.
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have 2 or more
parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the
right is the most general. A given machine may have more than one Domain Name but a given
Domain Name points to only one machine. For example, the domain names:
twsc.biz
www.twsc.biz
E-mail
(Electronic Mail) Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another over a computer.
Ethernet
A very common method of networking computers in a LAN. Ethernet will handle about
10,000,000 bits-per-second and can be used with almost any kind of computer.
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) FAQs are documents that list and answer the frequently asked
questions on a particular subject.
Firewall
A combination of hardware and software that separates a LAN into two or more parts for
security purposes. Single computers may also have a firewall to filter out any unwanted
information.
Flame
Flaming refers to making derogatory remarks about another person/company. Companies are
often flamed for spamming.
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) A very common method of moving files between two computers.
Gateway
The technical meaning is a hardware or software set-up that translates between two
dissimilar protocols, for example some ISP's require you to set-up a gateway to access
their services.
GIF
(Graphic Interchange Format) A popular format for image files, especially suitable for
images containing large areas of the same color. GIF's also allow you to have
"moving" images.
Gigabyte
1024 Megabytes.
Hit
As used in reference to the World Wide Web, “hit” means a single request from a
web browser for a single item from a web server.
Home Page (or Homepage)
A Homepage is the default webpage for either a person or a company's website. A Homepage
can also refer to the default webpage that loads up when you start your web browser.
Host
Any computer that offers services to other computers. It is common to have one host
machine provide several services, such as WWW and Email.
HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) The programming language used to create Hypertext documents
for use on the WWW. HTML files are meant to be viewed using a World Wide Web Client
Program, such as Netscape or IE.
HTTP
(HyperText Transfer Protocol) The protocol for moving hypertext files across the Internet.
Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end.
HTTP is the most common protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW).
Hypertext
Text that contains links to other hypertext documents or programs.
Internet
(Upper case I) The vast collection of inter-connected networks that all use the TCP/IP
protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60’s and early 70’s.
internet
(Lower case i) Any time you connect two or more networks together, you have an internet -
as in inter-national or inter-state.
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.
As the Internet has become more popular, many of the tools used on the Internet are being
used in private networks. For example, many companies have web servers that are available
only to employees.
IP Number
(Internet Protocol Number) A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g.
165.113.245.2
Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number. Most machines also have one
or more Domain Names that are easier for people to remember.
IRC
(Internet Relay Chat) Real time chat facilitated by a server that allows people to
communicate through a chat client.
ISP
(Internet Service Provider) An institution that provides access to the Internet.
Java
Java is a network-oriented programming language invented by Sun Microsystems 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.
JPEG
(Joint Photographic Experts Group) JPEG (*.jpg) is a method of creating compressed image
files. The JPEG format allows you to create photorealistic images that can be placed on
webpages.
Kilobyte
1024 bytes.
LAN
(Local Area Network) A computer network limited to the immediate area, usually an office
building or someone's home.
Leased Line
Refers to a phone line that is rented for a static connection (24/7) to the Internet.
Login
The account name used to gain access to a computer system. It can also be the act of
entering into a computer system.
Megabyte
1024 kilobytes.
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) -- The standard for attaching non-text files to
standard Internet mail messages. Non-text files include graphics, sounds, or documents.
Mirror
(AKA Doorway Sites) Mirror sites contain identical files (webpages, program files, etc.).
Modem
(MOdulator, DEModulator) A device that you connect to your computer and a phone line, that
allows your computer to communicate to other computers through your phone lines.
MOO
(Mud, Object Oriented) -- One of several kinds of multiplayer role-playing environments.
MUD
(Multi-User Dungeon or Dimension) -- A multiplayer simulation environment. A popular
feature of MUDs is that users can create things that stay, after they leave, that others
can interact with. Allowing it to be built over time.
Netiquette
The etiquette on the Internet, usually to be courteous to others.
Netscape
A WWW client that allows people to navigate the web and view content.
Network
When two or more computers are linked together so that they can share resources.
Newsgroup
The name for discussion groups on USENET.
NIC
(Networked Information Center) Either an office that handles information for a network or
a Network Interface Card that allows a computer to be connected directly to a network to
share resources.
NNTP
(Network News Transport Protocol) The protocol used by client and server software to carry
USENET postings back and forth over a TCP/IP network.
Node
Any single computer connected to a network.
Packet Switching
The method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet switching, all the data
coming out of a computer is broken up into chunks; each chunk has the address of where it
came from and where it is going. This allows multiple computers to share the same lines.
Password
A code used to gain access to a locked computer system or program. Good passwords contain
both alpha and numeric characters. Passwords are usually case (upper or lower) case
sensitive.
Plug-in
A (usually small) piece of software that adds features to a larger piece of software.
Common examples are plug-ins for the Netscape browser. They allow you to view content that
you wouldn't be able to view without the plugins.
POP
(Post Office Protocol) Post Office Protocol refers to the way e-mail software gets mail
from a mail server. POP will tell your software to get your email messages.
Port
A port is the place where information is both transmitted and received by a computer. For
example, HTTP is usually transmitted on port 80. Another meaning is when a piece of
software is translated to work on another computer operating system, it is port of the
original.
Posting
A single message entered into a network communications system. For example, you are
posting a message when you leave a message on a Newsgroup.
PPP
(Point to Point Protocol) A protocol that allows a computer to use a regular telephone
line and a modem to make TCP/IP connection to the Internet.
RFC
(Request For Comments) The name of the result and the process for creating a standard on
the Internet. New standards are proposed and published on line, as a Request For Comments.
The Internet Engineering Task Force is a consensus-building body that facilitates
discussion, and eventually a new standard is established, but the reference number/name
for the standard retains the acronym RFC, e.g. the official standard for e-mail is RFC
822.
Router
A computer or software program that handles the connection between 2 or more networks.
Routers spend all their time looking at the destination addresses of the packets passing
through them and deciding which route to send them on. Routers are the backbone of the
Internet.
Server
A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client
software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software,
such as a WWW server, or to the machine on which the software is running.
SMDS
(Switched Multimegabit Data Service) A new standard for very high-speed data transfer.
SMTP
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the
Internet.
SMTP consists of a set of rules for how a program sending mail and a program receiving
mail should interact.
Almost all Internet email is sent and received by clients and servers using SMTP, thus if
one wanted to set up an email server on the Internet one would look for email server
software that supports SMTP.
Spam (or Spamming)
An inappropriate attempt to use a mailing list, search engines or USENET or other
networked communications facility as if it was a broadcast medium by sending the same
message to a large number of people who didn’t ask for it.
SQL
(Structured Query Language) -- A specialized programming language for sending queries to
databases. Most industrial-strength and many smaller database applications can be
addressed using SQL. Each specific application will have its own version of SQL
implementing features unique to that application, but all SQL-capable databases support a
common subset of SQL.
SSL
(Secure Sockets Layer) -- A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable
encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet.
SSL used mostly (but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web
servers. URL’s that begin with “https” indicate that an SSL connection will
be used. SSL provides 3 important things: Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity.
In an SSL connection, each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which
each side’s software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends using
information from both its own and the other side’s Certificate, ensuring that only
the intended recipient can de-crypt it, and that the other side can be sure the data came
from the place it claims to have come from, and that the message has not been tampered
with.
Sysop
(System Operator) -- Anyone responsible for the physical operations of a computer system
or network resource. A System Administrator decides how often backups and maintenance
should be performed and the System Operator performs those tasks.
T-1
A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits-per-second. At maximum
theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a megabyte in less than 10 seconds. That is
still not fast enough for full-screen, full-motion video, for which you need at least
10,000,000 bits-per-second. T-1 is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to
the Internet.
T-3
A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits-per-second. This is
more than enough to do full-screen, full-motion video.
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) -- This is the suite of protocols that
defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating system, TCP/IP software
is now available for every major kind of computer operating system. To be truly on the
Internet, your computer must have TCP/IP software.
Telnet
The command and program used to login from one Internet site to another. The telnet
command/program gets you to the login: prompt of another host.
Terabyte
1000 gigabytes.
Terminal
A device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere else. At a minimum, this
usually means a keyboard and a display screen and some simple circuitry. Usually you will
use terminal software in a personal computer - the software pretends to be (emulates) a
physical terminal and allows you to type commands to a computer somewhere else.
Terminal Server
A special purpose computer that has places to plug in many modems on one side, and a
connection to a LAN or host machine on the other side. Thus the terminal server does the
work of answering the calls and passes the connections on to the appropriate node. Most
terminal servers can provide PPP or SLIP services if connected to the Internet.
UDP
(User Datagram Protocol) -- One of the protocols for data transfer that is part of the
TCP/IP suite of protocols. UDP is a “stateless” protocol in that UDP makes no
provision for acknowledgement of packets received.
UNIX
A computer operating system (the basic software running on a computer, underneath things
like word processors and spreadsheets). UNIX is designed to be used by many people at the
same time (it is multi-user) and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most common operating
system for servers on the Internet.
URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) -- The standard way to give the address of any resource on the
Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this:
http://www.cybe.com
ftp://ftp.cybe.com
etc.
USENET
A world-wide system of discussion groups, with comments passed among hundreds of thousands
of machines. Not all USENET machines are on the Internet, maybe half. USENET is completely
decentralized, with over 10,000 discussion areas, called newsgroups.
VPN
(Virtual Private Network) -- Usually refers to a network in which some of the parts are
connected using the public Internet, but the data sent across the Internet is encrypted,
so the entire network is "virtually" private.
A typical example would be a company network where there are two offices in different
cities. Using the Internet the two offices merge their networks into one network, but
encrypt traffic that uses the Internet link.
WAIS
(Wide Area Information Servers) -- A commercial software package that allows the indexing
of huge quantities of information, and then making those indices searchable across
networks such as the Internet. A prominent feature of WAIS is that the search results are
ranked (scored) according to how relevant the hits are, and that subsequent searches can
find more stuff like that last batch and thus refine the search process.
WAN
(Wide Area Network) -- Any internet or network that covers an area larger than a single
building or campus.
Web or WWW
(World Wide Web) -- Frequently used (incorrectly) when referring to "The
Internet", WWW has two major meanings - First, loosely used: the whole constellation
of resources that can be accessed using Gopher, FTP, HTTP, telnet, USENET, WAIS and some
other tools. Second, the universe of hypertext servers (HTTP servers) which are the
servers that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc. to be mixed together.
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