address (also called e-mail address) A special code name that is a user's unique name on the Internet. Usually describing both the person and the place where the person works, the address is used to direct e-mail to its intended destination. See
Chapter 6.
Archie A special facility that helps users locate a file on the Internet. See Chapter 7.
browse To wander around a portion of the Internet, screen by screen, looking for items of interest, as one would when shopping.
browser An Internet software tool that helps users browse. See Chapter 7.
bulletin board A generic term for a computer system that enables users to read messages posted by others and to post messages for others. Many types of bulletin boards are available through Telnet. See Chapters 1 and 7.
Cello A software tool for using the World Wide Web; similar in function to Mosaic. See Chapter 7.
commercial traffic Internet messages or other online information created solely for commercial purposes, such as advertising. See Chapter 2.
compression The process of making a computer file smaller so it can be copied more quickly between computers. Compressed files must be decompressed on the receiving computer before they can be used. See Chapter 7.
cyberspace A broad expression used to describe the activity, communication, and culture happening on the Internet and other computer networks.
dial-in connection A method that allows a computer lacking a direct connection to access the Internet. Using a modem and the telephone lines, the computer contacts another computer that is directly connected to the Internet and then uses that
computer as an intermediary. See Chapters 5 and 10.
direct connection A permanent, 24-hour link between a computer and the Internet. A computer with a direct connection can use the Internet at any time. See Chapter 5.
e-mail Short for electronic mail, a system that enables a person to compose a message on a computer and transmit that message through a network to another user, who reads the message on his or her computer screen. See Chapter 6.
FAQ file Short for Frequently Asked Questions file, a computer file containing the answers to frequently asked questions about a particular Internet resource. See Chapter 7.
file The unit in which a discrete block of information (a document, a picture, and so on) is stored in a computer. Files come in different types, each containing a different kind of information: text, graphics, sound, video, or mathematical
data. See Chapter 7.
finger A facility that helps Internet users locate other Internet users and resources. See Chapter 6.
flame Hostile messages, often sent through e-mail or posted in newsgroups, from Internet users in reaction to breaches of netiquette.
freeware Software available to anyone, free of charge; unlike shareware, which requires payment. See Chapter 1.
FTP Short for file transfer protocol, the basic method for copying a file from one computer to another through the Internet. See Chapter 7.
Gopher A system of menus layered on top of existing resources that makes locating information and using services easier. See Chapter 7.
hypermedia and hypertext Methods for allowing users to jump spontaneously among on-screen documents and other resources by selecting highlighted keywords that appear on each screen. Hypermedia and hypertext appear most often on the World Wide
Web. See Chapter 7.
Information Superhighway A public relations nickname for the National Information Infrastructure. See Chapter 9.
Internet A large, loosely organized internetwork connecting universities, research institutions, governments, businesses, and other organizations so that they can exchange messages and share information. See Chapter 1.
Internet account The name that describes a person's authorization to access the Internet. Everyone who uses the Internet has an Internet account, just as everyone who uses the bank has a bank account.
internetwork A set of networks and individual computers that are connected so that they can communicate and share information. The Internet is a very large internetwork. See Chapter 1.
listserv A special type of software that automatically handles the management of a mailing list. See Chapter 6.
Macintosh A type of personal computer (PC) made by Apple Computer, Inc.
mailing list An Internet resource that automatically sends e-mail messages related to a particular topic to people who have indicated an interest in that topic. See Chapter 6.
menu A list of options that appear on the screen to make using computer systems easier. Users simply choose menu items to operate the system; they don't have to learn or remember special commands. See Chapter 7.
Microsoft Windows A popular software program that provides a graphical computing environment for IBM-type PCs. Software programs that support the Windows environment (such as Mosaic) can display pictures and can be made easy to use through menus
and on-screen pictures called icons.
modem A device that allows a computer to communicate with another computer through telephone lines. PC users typically need a modem and a dial-up connection to use the Internet. See Chapter 5.
Mosaic A software tool that helps users take advantage of the multimedia features of the World Wide Web. See Chapter 7.
mouse A small, hand-operated device that, when moved, moves a pointer displayed on the computer screen. Using a mouse, a PC user can conveniently manipulate on-screen objects and select items from menus.
MUD Short for Multi-User Dungeon, Multi-User Dimension or Multi-User Dialog, an Internet resource in which users role-play by interacting within an imagined environment created through on-screen messages. See Chapter 8.
multimedia A description for systems capable of displaying or playing text, pictures, sound, video, and animation.
National Information Infrastructure The formal name for the "Information Superhighway," a joint public-private initiative to revamp America's electronic communications system to support advanced business, educational, and consumer
services. See Chapter 9.
netiquette The code of proper conduct (etiquette) on the Internet ("the Net").
network A set of computers interconnected so that they can communicate and share information. Connected networks together form an internetwork. See Chapter 1.
newsgroup A Internet resource through which people post and read messages related to a specific topic. See Chapter 6.
NREN The National Research and Educational Network, a government-sponsored internetwork of academic and research computers. Now under construction, the NREN is a pilot for experiments in developing the National Information Infrastructure.
online An adjective describing things on a network. When a user is actually using the Internet, he or she is online (otherwise, he or she is offline).
password A secret code, known only to the user, that allows the user to access a computer that is protected by a security system. Used with a user name, passwords are needed most often for accessing computers through Telnet. See Chapter 7.
PC Short for personal computer, a term that can be used generically (as it is in this book) to refer to any type of single-user computer, including IBM-type PCs and Macintoshes.
PCTV An imaginary device combining the functions of a television and a PC. Some experts predict that PCTVs will be developed to replace TVs and PCs when new interactive services become available through the National Information Infrastructure.
See Chapter 9.
resource A generic term to describe the varied information and activities available to Internet users.
shareware Software programs that users are permitted to acquire and evaluate for free. Shareware is different from freeware in that, if a person likes the program and plans to use it on a regular basis, he or she is expected to send a fee to the
programmer. See Chapter 1.
sign on The act of accessing a computer system by typing a required user name and password. Internet users often must sign on to Telnet systems before they can use them.
smileys Pictures created from typed characters (often punctuation marks), used by Internet people to express emotions or other abstract ideas in messages. To see what a smiley represents, you tilt your head to the left. Examples are the smile
:-) and the frown :-( .
software tool Software programs that assist in using certain Internet resources. Examples are Mosaic and e-mail programs. See Chapter 5.
Spam The act of excessively or over-aggressively duplicating a message and broadcasting it all over the Internet; can incite flames in response. See Chapter 9.
Telnet A facility for accessing other computers on the Internet and for using the resources that are there. See Chapter 7.
user name Used with a password to gain access to a computer. A user name is a user's unique identifying name when using that computer. To access the computer, the user signs on by typing his or her user name and password. See Chapter 7.
Veronica A facility that helps users search for and locate information and resources available through Gopher. See Chapter 7.
Whois A facility that helps Internet users locate other Internet users and resources. See Chapter 6.
World Wide Web (WWW) A set of Internet computers and services that provide an easy-to-use system for finding information and moving among resources. WWW services feature hypertext, hypermedia, and multimedia information, which can be explored
through software tools such as Cello, Mosaic and Lynx. See Chapter 7.
Windows See Microsoft Windows.
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