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Glossary
This glossary is designed to give you both the simple dictionary-style
term for the word you are looking up and then (where necessary) a further
short explanation of the word or term or a link to more information, relevant
to its use on our Web site.
A | B | C | D
| E | F | G | H
| I | J | K | L
| M | N | O | P
| Q | R | S | T
| U | V | W | X
| Y | Z
A
Acronym
Acronyms are constructed from the initial letters of a phrase, e.g: FAQ
is an acronym for Frequestly Asked Questions. Acronyms
are used to simplify saying, remembering and typing commonly used terms
& expressions.
Adware (see Spyware)
Software which displays advertising banners while the program is running.
Applet
A small JAVA program that exists inside a web page.
ASCII
The acronym which stands for: American Standard Code for Information Interchange
(pronounced: ęski) and is the global standard for the code numbers which
define the ASCII set of 128 characters. It is also used to produce ASCII
art and ASCII animation (asciimation).
Click here to use our Acronym Finder >>
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B
Bandwidth
The rate at which information can travel through the wire into your computer.
Usually measuered in bits per second. A full page of English text is about
16,000 bits. A fast modem cam move about 30,000 bits per second.
Baud rate
How many bits can be sent or received per second. Bits per second (Bps)
is a measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another.
A 28.8 modem can move 28,000 bits per second.
BBS
Stands for: Bulletin Board System and is an online system for discussion,
information sharing and announcements.
Click
here to visit our Online Q & A Forum, for an example of how a BBS
works >>
Blocking Software
Special programs that allow parents to "block" accesss to certain
sites and information on the Internet.
Bookmark
A URL saved in your browser.
Bookmarking
The process of saving a URL in oyur browser that allows it to be recalled
instantly in the future.
Browser (ALSO web browser) noun
Software that is used to view Web pages.
Byte
A set of bits that represent a single character. generally there are eight
or ten bits to a byte, depending on how the measurement is being made.
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C
Cache
A device, usually RAM, used to temporarily store data. It is a timesaving
feature that can be especially helpful on the Web, allowing the cache
file in your computer to store sites that you have recently visited, so
that you can get back to them quickly.
CD-ROM
Stands for Compact Disk - Read Only Memory. CD-ROMs are optical disks
that can only be read (i.e., the data cannot be changed or deleted).
Chat Room
A virtual room where users can "talk" with each other by typing.
Client
The computer browser that "asks" for information. One computer
can be a client and a host at the same time (see Host).
Cookies
A piece of information sent to a Web server to a Web browser that the
browser software saves and uses to send back information to the server
in the future.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The part of a computer which controls all the other parts and does most
of the data processing.
Child Pornography (see Pornography)
Cyberspace
A term used to describe the online world, coined by William Gibson in
his novel Neuromancer
Cybersquatting (ALSO
cyber-squatting, see also Tyopsquatting)
Purchasing domain names that are or include registered trade marks with
the intention of reselling them back to the legal copyright holder.
Cyberstalking
Although no universal definition yet exists, cyberstalking is when an
individual or a group uses the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications
devices to stalk or harass others.
Follow
this link to our cyberstalking section >>
Cyberstalker
One who cyberstalks.
Cyberterrorism
Any criminal activity intended to disrupt, discredit or destroy online
services.
Cyberterrorist
Someone who takes part in criminal activity intended to disrupt, discredit
or destroy online services.
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D
Download
To transfer data from one computer to another.
E
E-mail (ALSO email, electronic mail)
Messages sent through an electronic (computer) network to specific groups
or individuals.
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H
Harassment
Any behaviour, verbal or physical, which is unwelcome and offensive to
a person and which upsets, annoys or insults a person
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I
internet (see Internet)
An "internet" (lower case i) is any computers connected to each
other (a network), and are not part of the Internet unless the use TCP/IP
protocols.
Internet (INFORMAL the Net, see Internet)
The Internet (upper case I) is a collection of interconnected networks
that all use the TCP/IP protocols.
Intranet
An "intranet" is 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. An intranet may be on the
Internet or may simply be a network.
Follow
this link to our Internet 101 section to learn more >>
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K
Kiddie Porn (see Pornography)
N
the Net (see the Internet)
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O
Online
For an individual, a device or information to be online is to be connected
to or available on the Internet.
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P
Pornography
Erotic acts, behavior or material depicted in pictures or writing, e.g.
books or photographs intended to cause sexual excitement.
Pornography, Child (also known as Kiddie Porn or Child Porn)
Sexually explicit images of children, a child being under 16 years of
age, (i.e. photographs, negatives, slides, magazines, movies, videotapes
and computer disks)
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S
Spyware (see Adware)
Like Adware, software which displays advertising
banners while the program is running BUT sends data back to a third party
without the user's permission (or sometimes knowledge)- WITHOUT ASKING
the user - is Spyware.
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T
Trojan
A program that appears desirable or legitimate but actually contains something
damaging.
Typosquatting (ALSO typo-squatting,
see also Cybersquatting)
Purchasing domain names that are variations on a popular domain name with
the expectation that the site will get traffic intended for the original
Web site, because of the mis-spelling.
Follow
this link to read our information on typosquatting >>
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V
Virus
A software program capable of reproducing itself and spreading from location
to location, typically via e-mail without user knowledge or permission.
Follow
this link to read our latest virus updates and/or get help with virus
problems >>
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W
Web browser
See Browser
Webcam
A video camera or digital camera for sending/streaming live and recorded
video and images over the Internet .
Whois
An online database access protocol (pronounced: who-is), primarily used
in reference to the looking up of domain name ownership information on
InterNIC.
Wired
To be online (connected to the Internet) or a member of the online community.
the World Wide Web (ABBREVIATION www, ALSO the Web)
All of the publicly accessible Web sites in the world, plus other information
sources such as FTP sites, USENET newsgroups and Gopher sites.
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