Web Glossary

Anchor
Means the same as Hyperlink i.e. it's the word or phrase that can be selected to connect to another page or resource. See Hypertext
Animated Graphics
A graphic image, usually a .GIF image which moves. The image can be made "Hyper" and used as a link to another document on the web.
Annotations
Personal notes you can attach to the documents you have saved in your Web browser. The notes are available to you whenever the document is viewed.
Archie
Derived from the word archive, Archie is a Net-based service that allows you to locate files that can be downloaded via FTP.
ASCII
(pronounced "Ask-ee") An acronym for American Standard Code for Information Exchange, ASCII is a plain, unadorned text without style or font specifications.
Asychronous Connection
The type of connection a modem makes over a phone line, this connection is not synchronized by a mutual timing signal or clock.
AU Sounds
This is an audio format developed for Sun workstations and often used to distribute sound clips via the Web.
Authoring Software
This term refers to software that enables the creation of multimedia or hypertext documents and presentations.
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. The term bandwidth also broadly includes throughput, meaning the amount of data sent.
Baud
A unit of speed in data transmission, or the maximum speed at which data can be sent down a channel. Baud is often equivalent to bits per second. Named after J. M. E. Baudot (died 1903).
BBS
This is an acronym for Bulletin Board System, a computer equipped with software and telecommunications links that allow it to act as an information host for remote computer systems.
BinHex
A file conversion format that converts binary files to ASCII text files.
Bit
A contraction of binary digit, a bit is the smallest unit of information that a computer can hold. Eight bits is equivalent to a byte. The speed at which bits are transmitted or bit rate is usually expressed as bits per second or bps.
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; examples are Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Explorer and NCSA Mosaic.
Byte
The number of bits used to represent a character.
CD-ROM
Compact Disk-Read Only Memory; an optical disk from which information may be read but not written.
CD-R or Compact Disk-Recordable
Refers to computer peripheral disk drives that allow the user to record content on to a blank compact disk.
Chat
To have a conversation online, by typing messages into a keyboard.
Client
A computer that has access to services over a computer network. The computer providing the services is a server.
Configuration
This is a general-purpose computer term that can refer to the way you have your computer set up. It is also used to describe the total combination of hardware components that make up a computer system and the software settings that allow various hardware components of a computer system to communicate with one another.
Configure
The act of changing software or hardware actions by changing the settings.
COPY
Copying information/ text/graphics from a Web page.
CyberMall
A term commonly used to describe an electronic site shared by a number of commercial interests.
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. The term is now used to describe the Internet and the other computer networks.
Dial-up Connection
The most popular form of Net connection for the home user, this is a connection from your computer to a host computer over standard telephone lines.
Direct Connection
A permanent connection between your computer system and the Internet. This is sometimes referred to as a leased-line connection because the line is leased from the telephone company.
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
When used in reference to the World Wide Web, a document is any file containing text, media or hyperlinks that can be transferred from an HTTP server to a client program.
Document Window
This is the Web browser's scrollable window in which HTML documents can be viewed.
Download
To transfer to your computer a copy of a file that resides on another computer.
Echo Cancellation Unit
A piece of equipment which removes unwanted echoes from the signal on a telephone line. Echoes are usually caused by impedance mismatches along an analogue line.
EDI
The abbreviation for Electronic Data Interchange, EDI system allows linked computers to conduct business transactions such as ordering and invoicing over telecommunications networks.
Electronic Mail
(e-mail) Messages automatically passed from one computer user to another, often through computer networks and/or via modems over telephone lines.
E-mail Address
A unique address within the Internet which enables people to send text messages to other computer users. It compriese your name, the @ symbol and your domain name. e.g. Lyn_Howdill@derwentside.ac.uk
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 Real Audio or Wave files fall into this category.
FAQ
This is the acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. A common feature on the Internet, FAQs are files of answers to commonly asked questions. Read FAQs before wasting electrons asking obvious questions. Saves you from receiving flames.
Firewall
This term refers to security measures designed to protect a networked system from unauthorised 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 by CompuServe for transferring graphics files to and from online services.
Groupware
This term refers to software applications that facilitate shared work on documents and information.
GUI
An acronym for Graphical User Interface, this term refers to a software front-end meant to provide an attractive and easy to use interface between a computer user and application. The Macintosh operating system has a GUI, DOS does not.
Home Page
This has three meanings: (a)The document displayed when you first open your Web browser and connect to your serivice provider, (b)Home Page can also refer to the first document you come to at a Web site and (c) The primary page of your own personal Web masterpiece.
Hotlists
Lists of frequently used Web locations and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators).
Host
A computer acting as an information or communications server.
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.
HTML Document
A document written in HyperText Markup Language.
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 related documents by clicking on a highlighted (Hyper) word or symbol.
Image
A picture. Images on the computer are usually represented as bitmaps (raster graphics) or vector graphics. See also JPEG and GIF.
Inbox
A file where the incoming messages to an email account are held before being read.
Index Page
A page on the World Wide Web which gives an index of other pages to link to using hypertext links.
Inline Images
These are the graphics contained within a Web document.
Intranet
Any network which provides similar services within an organisation to those provided by the Internet outside it but which is not necessarily connected to the Internet.
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 store and display colour photographs and images over computer networks. Along with GIF, it's one of the most common ways photos are presented on the Web.
Links
These are the hypertext connections between Web pages. This is a synonym for hotlinks or hyperlinks.
Live
When used in reference to a World Wide Web file, this term designates an object linked to another layer of information.
Mail Box
A file belonging to a particular user on a particular computer in which recieved electronic mail messages are stored ready for the user to read them. A mailbox may be just an electronic mail address to which messages are sent and may not actually correspond to a file if the messages are processed automatically, e.g. a mail server or mailing list.
MIME
An acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, MIME is a messaging standard that allows Internet users to exchange e-mail messages enhanced with graphics, video and voice across different kinds of computer systems.
Mosaic
This is the common name of a World Wide Web multimedia browser program developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. The official, copyrighted name of the program is NCSA Mosaic(tm).
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.
NCSA
This is the abbreviation for National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.
NFS
The abbreviation for Network File System, NFS is a protocol suite developed and licensed by Sun Microsystems that allows different makes of computers running different operating systems to share files and disk storage.
Node
A device attached to a network. A node uses the network as a means of communication and has an address on the network.
OPEN
Opening a file downloaded previously from the Internet.
Outbox
The area where a message is held before being sent through the Internet to another email account.
PASTE
Pasting copied text or graphics from a Web page into a document 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.
POP3
(Post Office Protocol 3) Universal standard for mail exchange.
POTS
This is an acronym for Plain Old Telephone Service.
PPP
The abbreviation for Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP is an Internet connection where phone lines and a modem can be used to connect a computer to the Internet.
PRINT
Printing a hard copy of a Web page. There should be a button on the tool bar of your web browser which lets you print the page you are viewing.
Protocol
A set of standards that define how traffic and communications are handled by a computer or network routers.
QuickTime
This is a digital video standard originally developed for Apple Macintosh computers but now also licenced to PC users. QuickTime is the viewing program.
Router
A communications device designed to transmit signals via the most efficient route possible.
SAVE
Downloading a web page into a user area or hard drive of a computer.
Search Engine
This term refers to a program that helps users find information in text-oriented databases.
Server
A computer system that manages and delivers information for client computers. In the www context the actual web documents and content reside on the remote server not your home computer. In the network context, the working programs reside on the network server with only small portions residing on your work station.
Shareware
This term refers to software that is available on public networks and BBSs. Users are asked to remit a small amount to the software developer, but it's on the honour system.
SLIP
The acronym for Serial Line Internet Protocol, SLIP refers to a method of Internet connection that enables computers to use phone lines and a modem to connect to the Internet without having to connect to a host.
Socket
This is a communication mechanism originally implemented on the BSD version of the UNIX operating system. Sockets are used as endpoints for sending and receiving data between computers.
Synchronous Connection
An analog to analog or digital to digital connection that is able to perform two or more processes at the same time by means of a mutual timing signal or clock.
T-1 to T-4
High-speed data line connection. T-1 operates at 1.45 Mbps (Megabytes per second) up to T-4 at 274.1 Mbps.
Tags
These are formatting codes used in HTML documents. Tags indicate how parts of a document will appear when displayed by browsing software.
TCP-IP
The basic protocols controlling applications on the Intn the Internet; it stands for "transmission control protocol/Internet protocol."
Text Talk
Two or more logged-in users having a typed, real-time, on-line conversation.
TIFF
This is the acronym for Tagged Image File Format, a graphic file format developed by Aldus and Microsoft. Not all browsers support the viewing of TIFF images.
Trash
To destroy/get rid of the contents of a data structure.
Trumpet Winsock
A popular TCP/IP protocol stack.
URL
This is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator (or Location), 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.
Video Conferencing
A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. Pictures and sound are carried by the telecommunication network and such conferences can take place across the world.
WAIS
The abbreviation for Wide Area Information Service, WAIS is a Net-wide system for looking up specific information in Internet databases.
WAIS gateway
This term refers to a computer that is used to translate WAIS data so it can be made available to an otherwise incompatible network or application.
Web Browser
This is the software that allows a user to access and view HTML documents. Examples of Web browsers include Netscape, Explorer, Mosaic and Lynx.
Web Document
An HTML document that is browsable on the Web.
Webmaster
This term refers to the person in charge of administrating a World Wide Web site.
Web Node
This term is synonymous with Web site or Web server.
Web Page
An HTML document that is accessible on the Web.
Webspace
This term refers to the space created by the World Wide Web.
Whiteboard
The equivalent of a blackboard, but on a computer screen. A whiteboard allows one or more users to draw on the screen while others on the network watch, and can be used for instruction the same way a blackboard is used in a classroom.
World Wide Web
Also known as WWW or W3, the World Wide Web is a hypertext- based Internet service used for browsing Internet resources.

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