ADSL

Abbreviation for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A technology developed by Bell Labs to transmit compressed digital video and audio over regular (twisted pair) telephone lines with the use of special modems. It entails one high-speed, unidirectional data channel and one low-speed, bidirectional control channel (making it asynchronous). Basically, this means you can download faster than you can upload. Like DSL, this technology uses the existing copper wiring found in almost every home and office to provide a faster connection to the Internet. Special hardware is attached to both ends of the line to allow data to transmit over the wires at a far greater speed than the standard phone wiring (POTS). ADSL supports data rates from 1.5 to 9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to 640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate).

Affiliate programs

Affiliate programs allow Web sites who provide links to your site to receive payments or reciprocal advertising in exchange for promoting your Web site.
Algorithm

The term algorithm (pronounced AL-go-rith-um) is a procedure or formula for solving a problem. The word derives from the name of the mathematician, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi, who was part of the royal court in Baghdad and who lived from about 780 to 850. Al-Khwarizmi's work is the likely source for the word algebra as well.
A computer program can be viewed as an elaborate algorithm. In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm usually means a small procedure that solves a recurrent problem.
ASCII

Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, which specifies the standard 7-bit character set.
Asynchronous

A method of data transfer in which the device cannot proceed to the next block of data until it has received positive acknowledgment that the other device received the block correctly.
Audio/Video streaming

Audio/video streaming allows you to provide visitors to your site with a real-time sound or video experience.

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Backbone

The network of connections and high-speed lines that forms the infrastructure of the Internet. An important consideration in choosing a Web site host is that host's proximity to the backbone. The less intermediate network distance between your provider and the backbone, the faster and more reliable your Web site will be.
Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a measurement for the rate at which data can be transfer#BBBEFF, or in non-digital systems, the range of frequencies available for transmission.
Banner ads

Banner ads are one of the primary methods of advertising on the Internet. They are usually small graphics with a very brief advertising message.
BIOS

bye-ose Acronym for Basic Input/Output System, generally the lowest level of the Operating System, defining the set of routines programs can use to interface with hardware.
bit

Acronym for BInary digiT. The smallest unit of space in computing, a bit contains a single binary value.
bps

Acronym for bits-per-second, a measurement of bandwidth.
bootstrap

The ROM routine used to load the OS is often known as the 'bootstrap', from the old expression "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps".
boot

To start a computer or other device by loading the Operating System.
Bulletin board

A computerized version of the bulletin boards found in stores and other public places, where people can leave messages and advertise things they want to buy or sell.
byte

A set of 8 bits, usually representing a single character in English and European languages.

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Cache

A cache is a system for storing frequently accessed information for faster response. Cache memory on your motherboard is extra-fast RAM that keeps a copy of the most recently requested bits from regular RAM. A 'caching proxy web server' keeps the most recently requested web documents sto#BBBEFF locally, #BBBEFFucing response time from (often very slow) remote web sites.
CGI scripts

Programs that run on a Web server, in response to input from a browser. CGI scripts link the server and a program running on the system; for example, CGI scripts are used with interactive forms.
Chat room

A real-time electronic forum; a virtual room where visitors can meet others and share ideas on a particular subject. There are chat rooms on the Internet, Bulletin Board Services, and other online services.
Cisco

A major network equipment vendor, the name is derived from the city of San Francisco. The company is best known for it's routers and general high quality software and hardware.
Common Getaway Interface (CGI)

A set of rules that describe how a Web server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine, and how the other piece of software talks to the Web server. Usually, a CGI program is a small routine that takes data from a Web server and does something with it, like putting the content of a form into an email message, or turning the data into a database query.
Cookie

A piece of data given to your browser by a web server, so that your browser will hand it back to the server with subsequent requests. First implemented by Netscape. Although there has been some furor over the privacy implications of cookies, they cannot be used to reveal anything about you to the server that you have not already explicitly revealed.
CPU

Central Processing Unit. The part of a computer that executes commands and interfaces between the various devices and sub-processors.

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daemon

Under Unix, a daemon is a process that runs in the background, doing automated processing. The FreeBSD Unix OS has it's own rendition.
DHTML

A combination of HTML enhancements, style sheets, and scripts that allow for animation, interactions, and dynamic updating of Web pages. Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer have implemented Dynamic HTML with proprietary methods, but are expected to implement the W3C's Dynamic Object Model (DOM) in future versions.
DNS

Acronym for Domain Name Service, the mechanism by which human-readable hierarchial names are translated to IP addresses, and vice-versa.
Domain

An internet 'domain' is a subsection of the internet. The primary domains of the internet are .COM, .INT, .NET, .MIL, and .ORG, which refer to Commercial, International, Network, Military, and Organization. There are also two-letter domains associated with specific countries ('IT' for Italy, 'HU' for Hungary, 'RU' for Russia, 'UK' for the United Kingdom, etc.). Each domain has a primary and secondary Domain Name Server associated with it. (For instance, www.allwebinternational.com is the domain name for AllWeb International.)
Domain Name Server

Each internet domain has two domain name servers, or DNS. The primary DNS for a domain is usually located on one of the machine in that network, you can often determine the server from the output of the 'nslookup' command.
DOS

Disk Operating System, the basic computer instruction set used to provide an interface to storage and other devices. Also, Denial Of Service, a form of attack in which the goal is to make a computing resource unavailable to legitimate users.
DSL

Digital Subscriber Line. A method of providing connectivity at speeds up to 9Mbps using the existing 'POTS' copper wiring.
DVD

Digital Versatile Disk, a high-density mass storage medium similar to CD-ROM, but capable of storing much larger amounts of information due to improvements in recording density and use of multiple layers per side.

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E-Commerce

Electronic commerce is the exchange of goods or services via the Internet.
Emoticons

Emoticons are facial expressions made by a certain series of keystrokes. Most often producing an image of a face sideways.
Encryption

The process of using cryptography to protect data from unauthorized access.
Ethernet

A standard for LAN communications, ethernet defines the hardware and communications standard for communications at 10Mbps over coax, twisted-pair or fiber. There is also a 'fast ethernet' standard for both twisted pair and fiber.
Extranet

A private network segment providing limited connectivity between a completely non-public intranet, and outside partners or the public internet.
E-Zine

Electronic magaZINE) A magazine or newsletter published online.

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FAQ

An Acronym for Frequently Asked Questions, these are lists of questions that occur frequently on Usenet newsgroups, they are posted at regular intervals and archived at several sites. You should always read the FAQ (if there is one) for a group before posting a message, or risk being flamed.
Firewall

A firewall is used on some networks to provide added security by blocking access to certain services in the private network from the rest of the internet, in the same way that a firewall in a building keeps fire from spreading, an internet firewall keeps hackers from spreading.
Flame

An offensive or insulting e-mail or Usenet News message, often the result of an error in netiquette.
Font

A character set or typeface family denoting a particular size and style, either for on-screen display or printing, usually on a laser or inkjet printer.
FTP

An Acronym for File Transfer Protocol, a method of retrieving files to your home directory or directly to your computer using SLIP/PPP. There are thousands of FTP sites on the Internet offering files and programs of all kinds.

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GIF

GIF is an acronym for Graphic Interchange Format, developed by compuserve. This is a very popular format for exchanging pictures, though it is slowly being replaced by the JPG image format.
Giga

Prefix meaning 'billion', as in gigabyte.
GUI

Acronym for Graphical User Interface, such as the Mosaic(tm) browser and the Macintosh and MS-Windows systems.

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Host

Any machine can be a host. The machine you log into is your 'login host', the machine you read news from is a 'news host', etc.
HTML

Acronym for HyperText Markup Language, the underlying formatting for World-Wide-Web documents.
HTTP

Acronym for HyperText Transport Protocol the system for requesting HTML documents from the World-Wide-Web.
Hyperlink

A jump from text or from an image map to a page or other type of file on the World Wide Web. In World Wide Web pages, hyperlinks are the primary way to navigate between pages and among Websites.
Hypertext

A system of "live" documents where a text file contains references to other documents that can be followed, thus linking documents to other related materials. The best known example is HTML.

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Icon

A graphical image representing a (usually easily recognized) function or control, usually reacts to being selected by performing some useful or entertaining action. A primary feature of most GUIs.
Internet

A loose confederation of networks around the world, the networks that make up the Internet are connected through several backbone networks. The Internet grew out of the U.S. Government ARPAnet project, and is specifically designed to have no central governing authority or 'root', node.
Internet Explorer

Web browser by Microsoft. This is what AllWeb International would recomment for anyone to use. Click HERE to get it.
Intranet

A private network using standard internet protocols but with limited or no connectivity to the public internet. An intranet is often connected to the public networks via a firewall.
IP

Internet Protocol, the standard communications scheme used for internet connected hosts.
IRC

Acronym for Internet Relay Chat, a world-wide distributed live chat system.
ISDN

Acronym for Integrated Services Digital Network, a high-speed digital phone system that supersedes POTS.
ISP

Acronym for Internet Service Provider, these are the companies that provide access to end users of the Internet, as opposed to NSPs.

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Java

Java is platform-independent object-oriented programming language. Originally developed as 'oak' by Sun Microsystems's #FF9E2B Project in 1991, Java is superficially very similar to C++, but is unique in many ways. Java interpreters have been ported to every viable computing platform in existence.
JPG

An variable-compression image format, JPeG supports true color images and lossy compression. The name comes from Joint Pictures Expert Group.

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Kilobyte

A Kilobyte consists of 1,024 bytes.

kernel

The kernel is the essential center of a computer operating system, the core that provides basic services for all other parts of the operating system. A synonym is nucleus. A kernel can be contrasted with a shell, the outermost part of an operating system that interacts with user commands. Kernel and shell are terms used more frequently in Unix and some other operating systems than in IBM mainframe systems.
Typically, a kernel (or any comparable center of an operating system) includes an interrupt handler that handles all requests or completed I/O operations that compete for the kernel's services, a scheduler that determines which programs share the kernel's processing time in what order, and a supervisor that actually gives use of the computer to each process when it is scheduled. A kernel may also include a manager of the operating system's address spaces in memory or storage, sharing these among all components and other users of the kernel's services. A kernel's services are requested by other parts of the operating system or by application through a specified set of program interfaces sometimes known as system calls.
Because the code that makes up the kernel is needed continuously, it is usually loaded into computer storage in an area that is protected so that it will not be overlaid with other less frequently used parts of the operating system.
The kernel is not to be confused with the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS).

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LAN

Acronym for Local Area Network, a LAN is a network contained within a single physical site (one or more buildings), as opposed to a WAN.

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Meta

A prefix meaning to provide added meaning, transcending or going beyond, however meta is nearly as abused a term as cyber. A 'meta' key is a key (shift, control, etc) that is used to change the meaning of other keys when used in combination. From the Greek, meaning 'with'. You can basically think of 'meta' as meaning 'this, but something more'.
MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Extensive documentation is provided by the MMA (MIDI Manufacturers Association).
Modem

Shorthand for MODulator/DEModulator, a modem allows the transmission of digital information over an analog phone line. A modem dictionary is available that defines all the basic terms.
Morph

Meaning 'to change forms', in computer graphics 'morphing' is an animation transforming a picture from one image to another, as in this example.
MPEG

MPEG, the Moving Picture Experts Group, develops standards for digital video and digital audio compression. It operates under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The MPEG standards are an evolving series, each designed for a different purpose.
To use MPEG video files, you need a personal computer with sufficient processor speed, internal memory, and hard disk space to handle and play the typically large MPEG file (which has a file name suffix of .mpg). You also need an MPEG viewer or client software that plays MPEG files. (Note that .mp3 file suffixes indicate MP3 (MPEG-1 audio layer-3) files, not MPEG-3 standard files.) You can download shareware or commercial MPEG players from a number of sites on the Web.
MP3

MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for compression a sound sequence into a very small file (about one-twelfth the size of the original file) while preserving the original level of sound quality when it is played. MP3 files (identified with the file name suffix of ".mp3") are available for downloading from a number of Web site. Many Windows 98 users will find that they have a player built into their operating system. Otherwise, you can download a player from one of several popular MP3 sites. MP3 files are usually download-and-play files rather than streaming sound files that you link-and-listen-to with RealPlayer and similar products (However, streaming MP3 is possible.) Winamp (PC), MacAmp (Mac), and mpeg123 (UNIX) are popular MP3 players, but there are many others. To create an MP3 file, you use a program called a ripper to get a selection from a CD onto your hard disk and another program called an encoder to convert the selection to an MP3 file. Most people, however, simply download MP3s from someone else and play them. digital audio is typically created by taking 16 binary digit samples a second of the analog signal. Since this signal is typically spread out over a spectrum of 44.1 thousand cycles per second (kHz), this means that one second of CD quality sound requires 1.4 million bits of data. Using their knowledge of how people actually perceive sound, the developers of MP3 devised a compression algorithm that reduces data about sound that most listeners can not perceive. MP3 is currently the most powerful algorithm in a series of audio encoding standards developed under the sponsorship of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and formalized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Since it is relatively easy to create MP3 files from CD selections and make them available on Web sites for downloading, companies and sites that promote the MP3 format are sometimes accused of encouraging copyright violations. (It is illegal to copy music from a CD and redistribute it unless you have the copyright owner's permission.) On the other hand, MP3 enthusiasts claim that what CD publishers are afraid of is any kind of non-CD distribution. While there are several proposals for how to discourage such piracy, there is currently no secure distribution and copyright management standard that publishers and other parties agree upon.
Several Web sites are promoting MP3 as both a high-quality audio format and as a way in which self-publishers can gain ready access to an audience. Currently, some music publishers are providing sample cuts in the MP3 format as a way to entice users to buy a CD. However, not much mainstream copyrighted material is available except as an illegal download.
As an alternative approach to individual MP3 downloads, IBM and five recording companies plan to offer entire CD downloads to users with access to high-bandwidth cable modem service. Formerly called Madison, the service, which will be tested during 1999, will ensure royalty payment to the artists and publishers. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is also working on a Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI).
MS-DOS

Microsoft DOS, an older non-graphical operating system, p#BBBEFFecessory to Microsoft Windows.

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NAP

Acronym for Network Access Point, the major internet providers usually have peering points at one or more NAPs.
Netiquette

The informal set of rules for using the Internet, ignoring them may result in being flamed or mail-bombed. Guidelines for usenet news can be found in news.announce.newusers.
Netscape™

A commercial GUI World-Wide-Web browser for X-Windows, MS-Windows and Macintosh, available from Netscape Communications. This is something that AllWeb International would never recommend for anyone to use.
Newbie

Somebody new to the Internet, or to computers in general. If you needed to look this up, you are most likely a newbie.
Newsgroup

A message area in the Usenet News, each newsgroup can be either 'moderated' with only postings approved by a moderator publically posted, or 'unmoderated' where all messages are distributed to the newsgroup immediately.

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OLE

Object Linking and Embedding, Microsoft's proprietary mechanism for allowing documents and applications to access data and subroutines from within other applications. OLE is itself built on top of COE (the Component Object Model, the fundamental class of Microsoft's attempt to defuse the growth of Java platform-independent code). OLE is a major component of ActiveX (Microsoft's own take on live web content, ActiveX is propietary system for embedding controls and the underlying code into any OLE application, most commonly a web browser), and sees some minimal use in linking data (primarily video and audio clips) across applications.
OS

Operating System, the basic instruction set used to provide a computer with the routines necessary to communicate with the user and hardware devices.

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Palmtop

Palmtops are a class of personal computers (generally with PDA software) that fit in the palm of your hand. One of the most well-known palmtops is the Pilot, developed by PalmOS and marketed by US Robotics.
Parallel

Parallel data communications send several bits over the connection (usually multiple physical wires) at once, as opposed to serial links which send one bit at a time. Parallel connections are generally used for printers and for some high speed data connections.
Ping

A network program which sends UDP packets to a host, and listens for responses. Used to check if a machine on the Internet is alive and reachable, and measure the Round Trip Time (RTT) between the local and remote host.
Pixel

The smallest individually controllable element of a video or printed image. A digital image is composed of an array of individual pixels, each of which is assigned a value determining the color or brightness.
POP

Acronym for Post Office Protocol, an extensible protocol for retrieving mail from a remote server.
Popmail

A program used to remotely read e-mail across a network, often used in conjunction with SLIP.
PPP

An acronym for Point-to-Point-Protocol, an advanced serial packet protocol similar to SLIP.
Protocol

Any standard for the exchange of information, a protocol defines the specific wording and control flow for communications between two or more programs, devices, or systems.
Proxy

A proxy is somebody you delegate to do something for you, in the Internet, a 'proxy web server' is often used for hosts behind firewalls. The firewalled host sends an http request to the proxy server, which forwards it to the real web server outside, collects the response, and passes it back to the internal host.

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Qwerty

The standard english-language keyboard layout. Term comes from the first six letters below the row of numbers.

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RAM

Acronym for Random Access Memory, a form of primary storage that allows direct read and write operations. RAM storage is generally a very high-speed medium that requires constant power to avoid data loss.
ROM

Acronym for Read-Only Memory, ROM is used for permanent storage, such as system bootstrap routines.

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Server

A server provides information or other services to its clients. Most network protocols are client-server based. While a server usually refers to an entire machine, it can also be used to refer to a particular daemon on that machine.
SLIP

Acronym for Serial Line Internet Protocol. SLIP is a serial packet protocol used to connect a remote computer to the Internet using modems or direct connections. SLIP requires an Internet provider with special SLIP accounts.
SMTP

An acronym for Simple Mail Transport Protocol, which defines a common mechanism for exchanging mail across a network.
Snail mail

Postal service or other form of ground mail. As opposed to E-Mail.
spam

Bulk, mass, or repeated posting or mailing of substantially identical messages. The emphasis is on the multiple sending, either many copies to one destination, or one copy to many destinations.
SQL

Structural Query Language. A standard programming language for access to database systems.
Streaming Video

Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers. A player can be either an integral part of a browser or downloaded from the software maker's Web site.
Major streaming video and streaming media technologies include RealSystem G2 from RealNetwork, Microsoft Windows Media Technologies (including its NetShow Services and Theater Server), and VDO. Microsoft's approach uses the standard MPEG compression algorithm for video. The other approaches use proprietary algorithms. (The program that does the compression and decompression is sometimes called the codec.) Microsoft's technology offers streaming audio at up to 96 Kbps and streaming video at up to 8 Mbps (for the NetShow Theater Server). However, for most Web users, the streaming video will be limited to the data rates of the connection (for example, up to 128 Kbps with an ISDN connection). Microsoft's streaming media files are in its Advanced Streaming Format (ASF).
Streaming video is usually sent from prerecorded video files, but can be distributed as part of a live broadcast "feed." In a live broadcast, the video signal is converted into a compressed digital signal and transmitted from a special Web server that is able to do multicast, sending the same file to multiple users at the same time.

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T1

A leased-line specification providing for 24 frames with an aggregate bandwidth of up to 1.544 Megabyte per second.
T3

A leased-line specification providing for an aggregate bandwidth of 44.746Mbps.
Terabyte

A unit of measurement of data storage capacity, a terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes.
TCP/IP

Acronym for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a Networking standard commonly used on the Internet.
Telnet

A communications protocol for connecting to other computers locally or across the Internet.

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UNIX

A popular multi-user operating system.
URL

An acronym for Uniform Resource Locator, URL-s are a standardized format for giving a pointer to information available from WWW and other servers.
USB

Universal Serial Bus. A serial communications standard available on new Macintosh and PC systems, this is a 12Mbps bus. The USB standard provides for up to 127 devices on a single bus, there are fewer than a dozen different USB devices on the market.

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WAN

Acronym for Wide Area Network, which is generally a network connecting several physically distant locations, as opposed to a LAN. The Internet is an example of a worldwide WAN.

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Zip

A compression and archiving format made popular on the MS-DOS/PC platform with the PKzip software, Zip offers one of the best compression ratios of the popular formats.