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The Language
of the Information Age.
The Information Age has bought with it a whole new dictionary of terms,
words, phrases and acronyms, many of which don't mean anything to anyone
but computer buffs and teenagers.
However, it is important to learn the language of the Information Age.
This is not a complete list, just a guide.
Acrobat
Reader
Stand alone program or web browser plug-in from Adobe that lets you view
a PDF (Portable Document File) file in its original format and appearance.
The Acrobat Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe.
Access
Provider (see also Internet Service Provider)
Organisation that arranges for you to have access to the Internet through
a dial-up account. The charge is usually dependant on the amount of usage
you contract for.
Address
The unique identifier you need to either access a website: eg. www.onlinewa.gov.au
(see URL) or 207.27.207.97 (see IP Address) or to send email: jcitizen@commerce.wa.gov.au
(see Email Address).
AltaVista
Popular search engine. (www.altavista.digital.com)
Applet
Small program embedded in an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) page. When
you access that web page, the browser downloads the applet and runs it
on your computer. For security reasons applets cannot read or write data
onto your computer. The applet can only be executed if your browser supports
Java (see Java).
ASCII
- American Standard Code for Information Interchange
Worldwide standard for the code numbers assigned to each key on the keyboard.
ASCII text does not include formatting and therefore can be exchanged
and read by most computer systems.
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Backbone
Segment of a communications network where many lines come together. The
term is relative (the Internet backbone doesn't exist); a backbone in a
small network will be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large
network.
Bandwith
The transmission capacity, usually measured in bits per second (bps) of
a network connection.
Baud
Rate
The baud rate refers to the speed of a modem. Although not technically
accurate, baud rate is commonly used to mean bit rate (the number of bits
transmitted per second (bps)).
BBS
- Bulletin Board System
Members of a BBS can dial into their BBS, mostly to download files, to
send email or to join discussion groups. BBSs were the main source of
the online community until the breakthrough of the Internet and the WWW.
Bounce
Return of an email because it could not be delivered to the specified
address.
Browser
- Web Browser
Tool (software program) that allows you to surf (browse) the web. The
most popular web browsers right now are Netscape Navigator and Internet
Explorer. The very first web browsers, such as Lynx, only allowed users
to see text.
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Cache
Area of your computer memory or directory on your hard disk. This is the
place where your browser stores viewed web pages. When you return to a page,
the browser gets this page from the cache, saving you time. However, if
you return to a page that changes a lot, you need to click the "Reload"
button on your browser to get the latest version.
CC
Carbon Copy. To send somebody a copy of an email message.
CGI
- Common Gateway Interface
Interface that allows scripts (programs) to run on a web server. CGI-scripts
are used to put the content of a form into an email message, to perform
a database query, to generate HTML pages on-the-fly and so on. The most
popular languages for CGI-scripts are Perl and C.
Compression
Technology that reduces the size of a file to save bandwith.
CPU
- Central Processing Unit
The brains of your computer. In fact, the main silicon chip that runs
the operating system and programs, and controls essential operations.
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DCT
The Department of Commerce and Trade
Disintermediation
The process which sees the "middlemen" in business lose their role as
Ecommerce cuts them out.
Domain
Name
A unique name which identifies an Internet site. A domain name points
always to one specific server while this server may host many domain names.
Download
Transfer of data from a server to your computer's hard disk. You can use
your browser or an FTP program to download files to your computer. When
you're retrieving your email, you're downloading your email to your computer.
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E-commerce
The process of conducting a financial transaction through electronic means.
This can range from using your EFTPOS card to purchasing goods over the
Internet.
Electronic
Services Delivery [ESD]
The ability to be able to use services, such as government services, via
the Internet.
Email
- Electronic Mail
Message, usually text, transmitted over the Internet and sent from one
person to another (although you can also send email to a large number
of email addresses (mailing list)).
Email
Address
An electronic mail address. Email addresses are in the form of user@domain
(eg. jcitizen@commerce.wa.gov.au).
Most local ISPs offer you an email address via what is called a POP account.
A POP account requires a username and password to access your email.
You have to configure your email software to retrieve the email from your
POP account (see also Email Alias).
Encryption
Procedure that scrambles the contents of a file before sending it over
the Internet. The recipient must have software to "decrypt" this file.
If you want to transmit "hot stuff" like credit card information or a
password, you have to use some form of encryption. PGP is a commonly used
encryption program.
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Firewall
Internet security to protect a LAN (Local Area Network) against hackers.
A combination of hardware and software acts as a firewall to separate the
LAN into two parts. "Normal" data is available outside the firewall, while
"hot stuff" is inside the firewall.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
FISH
First in, still here. (One of hundreds of acronyms that are frequently
used on chat sites)
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) A Protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP
network (Internet, UNIX, etc). It includes functions to log onto the network,
list directories and copy files.
FTP transfers can be initiated from within a Web browser by entering the
URL preceded with ftp://
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Gateway
An interface that connects two different networks (a LAN can be connected
to the Internet through some kind of gateway). An interface that translates
between two different protocols is also called a gateway.
GIF
- Graphics Interchange Format
Common graphics file format on the Internet. This format can display only
256 colours at the maximum (8 bits), therefore a GIF is mostly used to
show clip-art images (photographic images are usually in the JPEG format).
The GIF 89a standard allows multiple images in one file so you can use
a GIF file to show some animation on your website (also called an "animated
gif").
Gigabyte
- GB
About 1 billion bytes.
1 Kb = 1,024 bytes
1 Mb = 1,024 Kb (= 1,048,576 bytes)
1 GB = 1,024 Mb (= 1,073,741,824 bytes)
Gopher
Forerunner of the World Wide Web, invented at the University of Minnesota
and named after its mascot. It was the most important tool for finding
Internet resources, before the breakthrough of the World Wide Web.
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Hardware
The general term for your computer.
Home
Page
Main page of a website. A website containing only one page is also called
a home page.
Host
The server on which a website is stored.
Hosting companies store websites of their customers on powerful web servers
(with fast, permanent connections to the Internet).
HTML
- Hyper Text Mark-up Language
The coding language to create hyper text documents on the World Wide Web.
HTML is a way to format text by placing marks ("tags") around the text
(like old-fashioned typesetting code).
Hyperlink
A highlighted word (or graphic) within a hyper text document (web page).
When you click on a hyperlink, it will take you to another place within
the same page, or to another page.
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Information
Age
For the last couple of hundred years, people have been harnessing the power
of machinery to make our lives easier and to increase our standard of living.
Industry has been the global currency of the Industrial Age. However, in
recent years there's been a significant shift in the world that is seeing
us harness the power of communications and information, which are increasingly
becoming the currency of modern society. The world is now entering the "Information
Age".
Interface
A point or area when any two systems act on each other, or a way of causing
two systems to act on each other.
Internet
The Internet evolved from the ARPANET (a U.S. military network) to an
academic research network, to the current (global) commercial network.
The Internet is growing tremendously in the number of connected servers,
and users. Other common names used to refer to the Internet include: the
"net", "cyberspace", and the "information superhighway".
Internet
Explorer
Web browser from Microsoft.
Intranet
Private (company) network of computers using the same protocols as the
Internet, but only for internal use.
IP -
Internet Protocol
The rules that provide basic Internet functions. IP allows computers to
find each other.
IP Address
A unique 32-bit Internet address consisting of four numbers, separated
by dots and sometimes called a "dotted quad". Every server connected to
the Internet has an IP number.
IRC
- Internet Relay Chat
A chat network where the words are written rather than spoken. All words
typed by any user are seen by everyone who is in that "chat room" at that
moment.
ISDN
- Integrated Services Digital Network
Digital telephone system that can provide high-speed (up to 128 Kbps)
transmission of voice and data.
ISP
- Internet Service Provider
An ISP provides Internet access to its members. Every time you log on,
your ISP connects you to the Internet.
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Java
A platform-independent programming language invented by Sun Microsystems.
Web developers use it to create applets. Java-enabled web pages can include
animations, calculators, scrolling text, sound effects and even games. Although
many web designers like Java because of its possibilities, they have to
take into consideration that many people are surfing the web with a Java
disabled browser, simply because they don't want to wait until some applet
is entirely loaded into their browser.
JPEG
- Joint Photographic Experts Group
An image compression standard, optimised for full-colour (millions of
colours) digital images. You can choose the amount of compression, but
the higher the compression rate, the less quality the image has. Almost
every full colour photograph you see on the web is a JPG file, while GIFs
are used to display clip-art images (up to 256 colours).
Kbps
- Kilobits Per Second
Measure of data throughput via modem.
Kilobyte
- KB
A thousand bytes.
LAN
- Local Area Network
Computer network limited to one single location, usually an office.
Link
Marked text (usually underlined) or picture within a hyper text document
(web page). With just one click of your mouse, a link brings you to another
web page (or to another place on the same page).
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Mailing
List
Email based discussion group. List servers maintain a list of email addresses
of subscribers. When you send an email message to this group, your email
is copied and sent to all subscribers.
Mail
Server
Server that handles incoming and outgoing email.
Mbps
[Mega-bits per second]
Measure of data throughput in millions of bits per second.
Megabit
About 1 million bits.
Megabyte
- MB
About 1 million bytes.
MIPS
- Million Instructions Per Second
Measure of processor speed.
MIME
- Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
Standard for attaching non-text files to email messages (formatted word
processing files, spreadsheets, pictures, executable files etc.)
Mirror
or Mirror Site
More or less an exact copy of another WWW or FTP site. Mirror sites are
created when the traffic on the original site is too heavy. They are usually
on servers which are located in different geographical areas.
Modem
A modem allows computers to transmit information to each other via ordinary
telephone lines.
MPEG
- Moving Pictures Experts Group
Compression standard for video in a format similar to JPEG.
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Navigator
Web browser from Netscape.
Netiquette
The ettiquette or behaviour acceptable on the Internet.
Network
Group of computers that are connected so that they can share resources
and exchange data.
Newbie
A newcomer to the online world.
Newsgroup
Discussion group (on USENET) among people who share a mutual interest.
In one particular newsgroup you can find several conversations on different
topics.
There are thousands and thousands of newsgroups, covering almost every
possible subject.
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Online
Services
Online services are those services accessed through the use of technology,
with an emphasis on Internet and telecommunications technology. When we
talk about online services, there are two main forms:
1.Ecommerce - doing business electronically (usually involving a
financial transaction) and;
2.Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) - obtaining a service electronically
(usually involving a government department).
Online
Champion
An Online Champion is someone who has embraced the Information Age and
is helping others to do the same.
OIC
The Office of Information and Communications.
Peripherals
The collective term used to describe add-on items for your computer such
as scanners, printers, ZIP drivers and so on.
PGP
- Pretty Good Privacy
A program that protects files from being read by others. You can also
use PGP to attach a digital signature to a file to prove that you are
the sender.
POP
(Point of Presence) The point at which a line from a long distance carrier
connects to the line of the local telephone company or to the user if
the local company is not involved.
For online services and Internet providers, the POP is the local exchange
users dial into via modem.
Protocols
(see IP)
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Search
Engines
A website that allows users to search for keywords on web pages. Every
search engine has its own strategy for collecting data, so it's no wonder
that one particular search produces different results on different search
engines.
SOHO
Acronym for Small Office, Home Office
Spam
Junk email. Spam is considered a serious breach of netiquette (appropriate
behaviour for net users).
TCP/IP
- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
A suite of communications protocols which defines the basic workings of
the Internet.
In fact TCP/IP is the protocol of the Internet because it's the language
by which all Internet computers talk to each other.
URL
- Uniform Resource Locator
Address of any resource on the World Wide Web.
World
Wide Web [WWW]
An internet client-server system to distribute information, based upon
the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http).
Also known as WWW, W3 or the web. It was created at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland
in 1991 by Dr.Tim Berners-Lee.
Yahoo!
Search engine at www.yahoo.com
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