A

Access provider

Company or institution that provides access to the Internet through a dial-up account.

Acrobat Reader

A viewing software provided free by Adobe that lets you view PDF (Portable Document Format) files on- or off-line.

Active
Server Pages (ASP)

 Microsoft technology created to allow easy combination of HTML, JavaScript and ActiveX.

AltaVista

A popular search engine located at http://www.altavista.com

Applet

A Java program built into many web documents that automatically downloads and runs when the web pages are accessed.

ASCII

Short for American Standard Code for Information Exchange. An international standard which assigns all characters such as numbers, letters, punctuation marks, symbols and control codes with a number from 0 to 127.

B

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Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network at one time. Measured in bits per second (bps).

Bit

A shortened form of “binary digit” which refers to the smallest unit of information that a computer can hold. Eight bits is equivalent to one byte.

Bit rate

The speed at which bits are transmitted over a network which is usually expressed as bits per second or bps.

Bps

Short for bits per second. A measurement of the speed or “bit rate” at which bits are transmitted over networks. 1000 bits are equivalent to 1 kilobit.

Broadband

A method of transmitting data in which the networks range of transmission frequencies or bands are 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 such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator that allows you to navigate the web and view web documents.

Byte

The number of bits used to represent a single character.

1 byte = 8 bits

1 byte = 0.001 kilobytes (KB)

1 byte = 0.000001 megabyte (MB)

C

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CD-R

Short for Compact Disk-Recordable. A computer disk drives that allows the user to “write” content on to a blank compact disk.

CD-ROM

Short for Compact Disk-Read Only Memory. A disk from which information may be read but not altered.

Client

A computer or program that retrieves data or by sending requests and receiving information from a Server

Configuration

All the hardware and software components that make up a computer system and the way it is set up to function and communicate with other computers.

Configure

Changing settings on software or hardware systems.

Cyberspace

The “space” occupied by Internet and the other computer networks.

D

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Dial-up Connection

A connection from your computer to a host computer such as RICS Online over standard telephone lines.

Direct Connection

A direct connection between your computer system and the Internet.

DNS

Short for Domain Name Server, DNS translates the textual Internet names and addresses into the original IP Addresses and vice versa.

Document Window

The scrollable window within a web browser through which HTML documents are viewed.

Domain

Indicates on which network a Web page resides such as .com and .co.uk etc. Most domains like .org and .gov are reserved exclusively for the type of organization that it was created for.

Domain Name

A unique address on the Internet consisting of the name of web site followed by the domain (the .com or .org etc.)

Download

To retrieve a copy of a file onto one computer from another.

E

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Email

A way to send messages to people over the Internet.

F

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FAQ

Short for Frequently Asked Questions, FAQs are available on web sites to reduce the man-hours spent by web administrators in replying to common query from number of users.

 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

Security software designed to protect a network from unauthorized and/or unwelcome access.

Freeware

This term refers to software that is available on the Internet that can be downloaded and operated on users machines for free. See Shareware.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol is a commonly used standard that enables the transfer of files from one computer to another.

It is also commonly refers to the act retrieving and sending files from one computer to another.

FTP Server

A computer with repositories of material that is accessible via FTP.

G

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Groupware

Software that facilitates shared work on documents and information.

GUI

Short for Graphical User Interface, the GUI is the  “face” of a program through which users are enabled to interact easily and safely with the densely complex software behind it.

H

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Home Page

The first web page displayed when a web browser is opened.

It also refers to the first seen and/or main page of a Web site.

Host

A computer connected to a network which is directly used as an information or communications server for public domain programs, data files, mailboxes, etc.

HTML

Short for HyperText Markup Language, HTML is a series of formatting tags used to create a Web document enabling a web browser to correctly display the document's hyperlinks, text, graphics and other attached media.

HTML Document

A document written in HyperText Markup Language.

HTTP

Short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, a set of standards for transmitting hypertext files across the Internet.

Hypermedia

An extension of the hypertext concept to include linked multimedia.

Hypertext

Text in the form of highlighted and/or underlined words or phrases in a  document that contain links to other documents. When “clicked” by the user enables another document to be retrieved and viewed.

I

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Internet

The world's largest computer network, connecting millions of smaller networks and stand-alone computers.

IP

Short for Internet Protocol, IP refers to the set of standards that define methods of communication between computers on the Internet.

IP address

An IP address is the location assigned to any computer that is connected to the Internet. It is a unique numeric address made up of 4 numbers separated by dots. 203.03.805.04

ISDN

Short for Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN is a telecommunications standard that digitally transmits voice, video and data communications applications over regular telephone lines at an approximate speed of 128 Kbps.

J

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JPEG

Short  for Joint Photographic Experts Group, an organization that developed the .jpeg image compression format used to transfer colour photographs and images over computer networks.

K

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KB

Short for kilobyte.

1 kilobyte = 1000 bytes

1 kilobyte = 0.001 megabytes

Kbps

Short for kilobits per second. A measurement of the speed or “bit rate” at which of kilobits are transmitted over networks. One kilobit is equivalent to 1000 bits.

L

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Links

Synonymous with hyperlinks, links connect one web page to another.

M

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MB

Short for megabyte.

1 megabyte = 1 000 000 bytes

1 megabyte = 1000 kilobytes (KB)

Mbps

Short for megabits per second. A measurement of the speed or “bit rate” at which of megabits are transmitted over networks. One megabit is equivalent to 1 000 000 bits.

MIME

Short for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, MIME is a set of standards that allow users to exchange e-mail messages enhanced with graphics, video and voice over the Internet.

MPEG

Short for Moving Pictures Expert Group, an organization that developed an international standard for video and audio compression and desktop movie presentation. See .mpeg

Modem

A device that connects one computer to another computer via phone lines and enables them to communicate

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POP

Short for Point of Protocol, POP refers to the location where users dial-up to the host computer.

POP3

A POP account service

POP Account

Users that connect to the Internet via an Internet connection account with a provider are usually provided with a POP account which enables their email software to access and download their email messages.

POTS

Short for Plain Old Telephone Service.

PPP

Short for Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP is a type of connection using phone lines and a modem to connect a computer to the Internet.

Protocol

A set of standards that describe the rules and formats computers must follow in order to communicate effectively across varying systems built by different manufacturers.

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QuickTime

A digital video standard called QuickTime developed by Apple Computer Inc. Special viewing applications are needed to run QuickTime movies. See .mov

R

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Router

A communications mechanism that transmits data packets via the most efficient route possible.

S

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Search Engine

A program often placed on web pages and web portals that enable users to search for information within a web site, throughout the web and linked databases.

Server

A computer system that manages and delivers information for client computers.

Shareware

This term refers to software that is available on the Internet that can be downloaded and operated on users machines (usually for a small fee). See Freeware.

SLIP

Short for Serial Line Internet Protocol, SLIP enables computers to connect to the Internet via phone lines and a modem eliminating the need for a host.

Socket

Sockets are communication devices used as endpoints for sending and receiving data between computers.

T

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T-1

T-1 is a high-speed connection that sends and receives data at 1.45 Mbps.

Tags

Tags are used in building HTML documents to set-up and design its format.

TCP-IP

Short for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol, TCP-IP refers to the set of procedures that control applications on the Internet.

Throughput

The amount of data transferred over a network

U

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USB

Short for Universal Serial Bus. A computer standard designed to easily connect peripherals such as modems and external drives to computer.

Uniform
Resource Locator

See URL

URL

Short for Uniform Resource Locator, a URL is the “address” of a web site which also contains information about how, where and what is being accessed.

W

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Web Browser

A type of software, that enables users to view HTML documents on and offline. Commonly used browsers included Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape.

Web Document

A file that may contain text, multimedia or hyperlinks or combination of all three which can be retrieved from an HTTP server to a client computer.

Web Page

An HTML document that is accessible on the Web.

Webmail

Email accounts enabled by internet connection providers that need to be accessed online or downloaded from the host server.

Webmaster

The person in charge of administrating a Web Site.

World Wide Web

Otherwise known as WWW or W3, the World Wide Web is an Internet browsing system that enables point and click navigation of Internet information resources.

Misc

.au

The file extension for a sound or music file in the audio format developed for Sun workstations often used to distribute sound clips via the Web.

.gif

The file extension for Graphic Interchange Format images, a commonly used file compression format developed by CompuServe for transferring graphics files to and from online services.

.mov

The file extension for a QuickTime digital video movie which requires special software to be viewed.  Viewers can be downloaded free from the Internet from the developers site. See QuickTime.

.mpeg

The file extension for an MPEG movie presentation. Viewing applications are needed to run MPEG files on user computer.

.tif

The file extension for a TIFF graphic in the Tagged Image File Format, a graphic file format developed by Aldus and Microsoft.