Anonymous FTP
Using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
to access files that are available to the public. Anonymous
FTP sites do not require you to have an account or use a
login ID and password to access files.
Archie
A program that to find publicly
accessible Internet files that you can transfer to your PC.
An Archie program searches other systems on the Internet for
files matching the criteria you specify (for example, file
name or file type), and provides you a list of the locations
of those files, so that you can transfer those files using
FTP. Archie programs are usually found on publicly
accessible Archie sites that you access using Telnet.
Acrobat
Acrobat is a program from adobe.com
that let you capture a document and then view it in its
original format and appearance. Acrobat is ideal for making
documents or brochures that were designed for the print
medium viewable electronically and capable of being shared
with others on the Internet. To view an Acrobat document,
which is called a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, you
need Acrobat Reader. The Reader is free and can be
downloaded from Adobe. You can use it as a standalone reader
or as a plug-in in a Web browser.
Acrobat is actually a set of products.
The latest version, Acrobat 3.0, includes a "toolkit" that
lets you scan in or otherwise capture documents created with
Word, PageMaker, and other desktop publishing products. The
resulting PDF files can then be available for viewing either
directly with the Reader or they can be viewed as embedded
files within the Netscape Navigator browser. Acrobat 3.0
comes in versions for Windows 3.1, 95, and NT; for the MAC,
and for UNIX platforms.
ActiveX
ActiveX is the name Microsoft has
given to a set of "strategic" (object-oriented programming
technologies and tools. The main technology is the Component
Object Model (COM) Used in a network with a directory and
additional support, COM becomes the Distributed Component
Object Model (DCOM) The main thing that you create when
writing a program to run in the ActiveX environment is a
component, a self-sufficient program that can be run
anywhere in your ActiveX network (currently a network
consisting of Windows and Macintosh systems). This component
is known as an ActiveX control. ActiveX is Microsoft's
answer to the Java technology from Sun Microsystems. An
ActiveX control is roughly equivalent to a Java applet.
ActiveX Control
An ActiveX control is a program that
can be re-used by many application programs within a
computer or among computers in a network. The technology for
creating ActiveX controls is part of Microsoft's overall
ActiveX set of technologies, chief of which is the Component
Object Model (COM) ActiveX controls can be downloaded as
small programs or animations for Web pages, but they can
also be used for any commonly-needed task by an application
program in the latest Windows and Macintosh environments.
Bits Per Second
Also known as baud; the data
transmission rate, usually on a modem or network connection.
Modems usually support transmission rates or 65 bps or
higher. The higher the bits per second, the faster you will
be able to access and transfer information.
Browser
A program that allows you to access
and view information on the Internet through the World Wide
Web. SPRY Mosaic and Lynx are examples of World Wide Web
browser programs.
Bulletin Board System(BBS)
A forum for discussion in which users
read messages left by other members of the bulletin board
and provide, or post, their own messages. Bulletin boards
cover many different subjects, from cats to politics to
relationships. The Internet has a large-scale bulletin
board-type system called USENET News, which consists of
newsgroups containing messages from users all over the
Internet and covering a wide range of subject areas.
Chat
conversation with groups over the
Internet. Chat is similar to a telephone conference call,
only you type your comments, and read others remarks from
your computer screen. You can interactively chat with other
users via a relay or chat server. Numerous Internet Relay
Chat (IRC) applications can be found on the Internet and
downloaded to your PC using FTP.
Client
A program that requests information
from a server. For example, a Mosaic browser is a client
that displays Web pages that are located on a World Wide Web
server. Likewise, an FTP client can be used to download
files from an FTP. The interactions between clients and
servers are referred to as client/server computing.
Client/server
Conversing with groups over the
Internet. Chat is similar to a telephone conference call,
only you type your comments, and read others remarks from
your computer screen. You can interactively chat with other
users via a relay or chat server. Numerous Internet Relay
Chat (IRC) applications can be found on the Internet and
downloaded to your PC using FTP.
Cyberspace
A term used to refer to the electronic
universe of information available through the Internet.
Database
A collection of information organized
in a manner that makes it easy to access. There are many
different ways to organize or structure the data stored in
databases. There are thousands of databases on the Internet
containing a wide variety of information.
Dedicated Line
A telephone or data line that is
always available for use. For example, a leased telephone
line can be dedicated for computer data communications. This
line is not used by other computers or individuals, is
available 24 hours a day, and is never disconnected (except
for maintenance purposes). A switched, or dialup line, on
the other hand, is used only for the duration of the
connection and can be shared by many users.
Directory
A directory is like a folder that
contains one or more documents or files. Typically, related
files are kept in the same directory. For example, all the
files for an application are usually kept in one directory.
When accessing a file, you might have to specify the
directory in which it is kept.
DNS (Domain Name System)
Domain Name System, a network service
used to convert system names to numeric IP addresses. This
allows you to use human-readable names rather than dotted
decimal notation to refer to systems and users.
DNS Server
A server used to translate system
names to IP addresses you will need access to a DNS server.
Download
To transfer a file from a remote
computer to yours. You can download files to your computer
using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
E-mail (Electronic Mail)
A method used to send and receive
messages over a network. You use an e-mail program to
compose and send a message, and it is sent to a remote
mailbox, where it can be retrieved and read by the address.
E-mail Address
A method used to send and receive
messages over a network. You use an e-mail program to
compose and send a message, and it is sent to a remote
mailbox, where it can be retrieved and read by the
addressee.
Emotion
A group of characters which when are
viewed in a particular way, such as sideways, looks like a
face or an object. Emotions are used to add expression to
text. For example, the following group of characters when
viewed sideways looks like a smiling face or smiley. :-)
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
File Transfer Protocol, a service used
to transfer text and binary files between computers. Using
FTP, you can copy files from a remote computer to your
computer; you can also copy files from your computer to a
remote computer, if that computer permits it. The verb ftp
means to transfer files from a remote computer to your
computer using FTP (File Transfer Protocol). You will often
come across this usage when surfing the.
FTP site
A computer which stores files that can
be retrieved using FTP. FTP sites that allow anyone to
retrieve files (without requiring you to have an account on
that computer) are known as anonymous FTP sites.
Freeware
Free software distributed by the
author. The author retains all copyright privileges.
GIF (Graphic Interchange
Format)
Graphics Interchange Format; a
graphics file format popularized by CompuServe and used
heavily throughout the Internet. Most World Wide Web servers
use GIF graphics to display graphical information. JPEG is
another common graphics format.
Home page
A commonly used World Wide Web (WWW)
document. A home page often resembles a snazzy table of
contents with hyperlinks to other WWW servers around the
world. Mosaic is pre-configured with its own Home page. In
addition, many companies, universities, and individuals have
their own Home pages.
HTML (Hypertext Markup
Language)
Hypertext Markup Language, the
document formatting language used to design most World Wide
Web pages.
HTTP( Hypertext Transmission
Protocol)
Hypertext Transmission Protocol, the
protocol used to transfer World Wide Web (WWW) pages through
the Internet.
Hypertext
Text that is linked to other related
text. For example, most Help information is hypertext based.
Hypertext words are typically highlighted in some manner,
either by being displayed in a different color or underlined
(or both). Clicking on a hypertext word takes you directly
to the related information.
Internet
The largest collection of
interconnected networks in the world. These include
university, corporate, government, and research networks
around the world. Millions of systems and people are
connected to the Internet through these networks. You can
connect to the Internet through an Internet Service
Provider.
Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol, the networking
protocol used to route information through the Internet via
numeric IP addresses.
JPEG (Joint Photographic
Experts Group)
A standardized image compression
mechanism. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group,
the original name of the committee that wrote the standard,
but is used to refer to a type of image format found on the
Internet. Many World Wide Web servers contain JPEG images.
Local System
The system you are using. Interactions
between your computer and another computer on the Internet
are sometimes described using the term's local and remote
systems. The local system is your computer and the remote
system is the other computer.
Login
The act of signing onto a computer.
You typically have to log into a computer before you are
allowed to use it or access its programs or files. When you
log in, you usually need to provide your name or
identification and password. This prevents unauthorized
users from accessing computers.
Mailing List
A list of e-mail users who are members
of a group. A mailing list can be an informal group of
people who share e-mail with one another.
Modem
A communications device that converts
data between the digital format used by computers and the
analog format used for transmission on telephone lines. The
name modem is derived from the term modulation/demodulation,
which is the process described above. You can use a modem to
connect your computer to another computer, an online
service, and more.
MPEG
Moving Picture Experts Group. MPEG is
a standard (set by the MPEG group) used for digital video,
(movie) type compression. MPEG is used to refer to movie
files commonly found on the Internet. You must have an MPEG
player to view MPEG files; Shareware and freeware MPEG
players are often available on anonymous ftp sites.
Multimedia
Combining different types of data,
such as text, graphics, sounds, and moving images.
Navigate
To maneuver, move, or travel through
the various areas on the Internet. You can navigate through
the Internet in a variety of ways. You can move through a
series of gopher menus by selecting entries on each menu.
Also, you can navigate through World Wide Web (WWW) pages by
clicking on hyperlinks on each page. Additionally, you can
navigate directly by specifying the locations you wish to
visit.
Net
Another term for the Internet.
News
A term often used to denote USENET
news, a popular forum for discussion on the Internet.
Newsgroup
A discussion group usually found on
USENET news. There are thousands of newsgroups available on
the Internet. Each group devotes its discussions to a
specific topic.
News server
A machine that contains a number of
USENET newsgroups, discussion groups on countless subjects.
You can connect to a News Server read and post network news.
News Server administrators decide which of the thousands of
USENET newsgroups to carry. News Servers may only allow
access to certain individuals.
Online
The state of being actively connected
to a network. While online, you may exchange data and
interactively communicate with other users or computers on
the network.
Packet
A unit of data with attached headers
containing addressing information. Packets are used to route
information between computers through the Internet. For
example, a packet might contain text from a document, a
graphic, or the binary code for a program. All the
information that flows through the Internet does so in the
form of packets.
Password
A word or sequence of characters that
uniquely identifies you. A password is typically associated
with your user name. The combination of your user name and
password is used to verify that you are who you say you are,
and that you are authorized to use certain systems or
resources on the Internet. Typically, when you login to a
computer, you must specify your user name and password.
PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
Point-to-Point Protocol, a
communication protocol that let you accesses the Internet
over a phone line. You can use a wide variety of
applications over a PPP connection. In contrast, other types
of dialup accounts such as shell or terminal access account
allow you to get to the Internet, but often require you to
use applications provided by the Internet Service Provider.
Remote System
Another computer on the Internet to
which you connect. Interactions between computers are often
described using the term's local and remote system. The
local system is your computer and the remote system is the
other computer to which you connect. Another common term for
system is host (remote host, or local host).
Rlogin
A method used to access a remote host,
which does not require a login procedure. You can only use
Rlogin if the remote host is set up to allow you access.
RFC (Request for Comments)
A type of document that defines
standards or provides information on various topics. Many
Internet and networking standards are defined, as RFCs. RFCs
are available through the Internet.
Server
A program that provides services to
client programs. Different types of servers provide
different types of services. For example, an FTP server
allows an FTP client program to access files on that server.
A Web server allows a Web client to view pages on that
server, and gets information from that server.
Shareware
Freely distributed software that you
may try before paying. If you keep the software and use the
program, then you should send payment to the shareware
author.
Signature
Lines of text that is automatically
added to the end of your e-mail messages. You might want
your signature to include your real name and address, or
something you want to be noted for, such as a witty saying.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol)
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a
method used for sending Internet e-mail.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol)
Transmission Control Protocol and
Internet Protocol, two communication protocols that are used
to route information through the Internet. TCP and IP are
also used for local area network (LAN) communications and
tying networks together (internetworking).
Upload
Transferring a file from your computer
to another computer on the Internet. You can use File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) to upload files from your computer
to other computers on the Internet.
UNIX
A multi-user operating system
developed by Bell Laboratories. UNIX runs on a wide variety
of hardware platforms, and supports multitasking operations.
Many of the systems on the Internet are UNIX-based.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Uniform Resource Locator, a string of
characters that represents the location or address of a
resource on the Internet and how that resource should be
accessed. World Wide Web pages are assigned a unique URL.
Each hyperlink on a web page contains the URL of the page to
be linked to. A sample URL is:
http://www.aims-eg.com
Username
The string of characters that
identifies you. When connecting to a computer, you typically
need to provide your user name and password. This
information is used to verify that you are authorized to use
the system.
Wide Area Information Servers
(WAIS)
A distributed information system that
allows you to search databases for information based on
keywords that you specify. WAIS returns a weighted list of
files that match your keywords. There are numerous shareware
and freeware WAIS applications available on the Internet for
anonymous FTP download.
Web page
An HTML document found on the World
Wide Web also referred to as a home page. You can view a Web
page using a browser.
Whois
A database that you can use to locate
people on the Internet. If found, the user's name, address,
phone number, company, and e-mail address is typically
displayed. Whois can be used to find someone's e-mail
address. The Whois database can be accessed using a Telnet
program.
World Wide Web (WWW)
A hypermedia-based system that makes
it easier to browse for information on the Internet.
Information available on the World Wide Web is presented on
Web pages. A Web page can contain text and graphics, which
can be linked to other pages. These hyperlinks allow you to
navigate in a non-sequential way through information.
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