CCS Thesis - Glossary

	:o) -- If you tilt your head to the left to look at this term, you will see that someone is smiling at you.
A
B	baud -- the baud rate of a modem is how many bits it can send or receive per second. The higher the number, the faster the modem.
	browser -- see web browser
C	chat room -- a place on the Internet where people go to "chat" with other people in the room. Chatting is simple the quick exchange of text messages.
	client -- a software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a server software program on another computer on the Internet. Each client program is designed to work with one or more specific kinds of servers, and each server requires a specific kind of client. A web browser is a specific kind of client designed to access web servers.
	cyberspace -- term used to describe the Internet. The term was coined by science-fiction novelist William Gibson in the 1984 novel Neuromancer.
D	domain name -- the highest level name of the web site. For example, the web address for NetCommish is http://members.aol.com/netcommish/. The domain name is members.aol.com. Domain names are the main web address on the server. If you enter members.aol.com in your web browser, you’ll be taken to HomeTown AOL, the main page on the web server where NetCommish resides.
	download -- the transfer of files from the Internet to your computer. Every time you instruct your computer system to retrieve your mail, you are downloading your mail to your computer. You may also download programs to your computer. However, you must be careful. If you download a file from an unreliable source, it could have a virus.
E	e-mail (electronic-mail) -- messages that are sent back and forth over the Internet.
F	FAQ (frequently asked questions) -- usually a simple, to the point mini-help file.
	flame -- making derogatory comments.
	FTP (file transfer protocol) -- don’t let the name fool you. The term FTP is rarely used to refer directly to the file transfer protocal. Usually it refers to software (FTP clients) that are used to transfer files through the Internet from one computer to another or the Internet sites were these files can be found. These begin with "ftp://"
G	GIF (graphic interchange format) -- a common format for image files on the Internet. See JPEG.
	gopher – invented at the University of Minnesota and named after its mascot, this is the direct precursor, in both concept and function, to the World Wide Web.
H	HTML (hypertext mark-up language) -- HTML is not really a programming language, but a way to format text by placing marks around the text. For example HTML allows you to make a word bold or underline it be using the tags <b></b> or <u></u> respectively.
	http (hypertext transfer protocol) -- a protocol that tells computers how to communicate with each other about web pages. You will notice most web page locations begin with "http://"
	hypertext -- text on a web page that links the user to another web page or resource. The hypertext links are usually underlined and colored different than the other text on the page.
I	IRC (Internet relay chat) -- worldwide real-time conferencing on the Internet. See chat rooms.
	ISDN (integrated services digital network) -- a different kind of modem designed to move more data over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is not available everywhere.
	ISP (Internet service provider) -- your connection to the Internet. You use an ISP to connect onto the Internet every time you log on.
J	Java -- a programming language that developers use to create applets, small programs that are embedded in Web pages and that run when a user accesses the page or clicks on a certain area. If you have visited sites that play sounds, have animated figures trotting across the screen, or display scrolling text, you have already seen Java.
	JPEG (also JPG) (Joint Photographic Experts Group) -- a common format for image files on the Internet. JPEG format is preferred for photographic images. See GIF.
K
L	list server -- a server used to process e-mail for mailing lists.
	location – an Internet address. At the top of the page in your web browser, you’ll see a box titled "location". This is where you can enter Internet addresses to go places on the web.
M	mailing list -- an automated system that allows people to send e-mail to one address, whereupon their message is copied and sent to all of the other members of the list.
	modem (short for modulator-demodulator) -- a device that allows your computer to transmit information to another one via an ordinary telephone line.
N	newbie -- a nickname for people who are new to the web. Does that describe you?
	newsgroups -- these are discussion groups that share e-mail with each other. They really don’t have anything to do with news.
O	online -- accessing the Internet.
P
Q
R
S	search engine -- Web sites you can visit that will help you find information on the Internet. Alta Vista is one of the largest search engines but it still only contains information for a small portion of the Internet. Yahoo! is the most popular search engine and is very user friendly.
	server -- a computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers.
	site -- a place on the Internet. Web pages are referred to as web sites, ftp servers as ftp sites, etc.
	spam -- the Internet version of junk mail. Spamming is sending the same message to a large number of users, usually to advertise something.
	surf -- To view the world wide web using an Internet web browser. Often refers to the tendency to wander, straying from your original intent because you followed a link to some other interesting subject. Also refers to Internet use in general.
T	telnet -- the command and program used to login from one Internet site to another with a look and feel similar to old fashioned electronic bulletin board systems.
U	upload -- the process of transferring information from your computer to another computer through the Internet. If you create web pages offline, you have to upload them to your web site.
	URL (uniform resource locator) -- the system created to make use of word names for Internet addresses. Real addresses are simpy numbers.
	Usenet -- see newsgroups.
V
W	web browser -- the tool (program) that allows you to surf the web. The most popular web browsers right now are Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.
	World Wide Web -- the portion of the internet that includes web pages. It is becoming common usage to use this phrase to include the Internet as a whole.
	WWW -- an acronym for the World Wide Web but in Scouting circles may also refer to the Order of the Arrow.
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