Internet Glossary

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

Select the letter from the list above to jump to appropriate section.

Access Privileges -- The privilege to access and make changes to folders.

ActiveX -- Microsoft ActiveX technologies refers to an open technology platform that extends the Windows architecture to include Internet and corporate intranet features and capabilities. It embraces both Java and Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) technologies.

Adclick rate -- AdClicks as a percentage of AdViews, or the number of click on a banner ad as a percentage of the number of times users actually downloaded the banner ad. High click rate indicates higher level of user interaction.

Adclicks -- Number of times users "click" on an in-line ad (commonly called a "banner") within a certain period of time. Does not measure effectiveness of an ad.

Address -- Information used by the Internet to identify a specific TCP/IP location. The format is username@hostname, where username is your user name, login name, or account number, and hostname is the name of the computer or Internet provider you use. The hostname may consist of several segments linked together with periods, for example microsoft.com.

Adobe Acrobat -- A technology developed by Adobe Systems that allows documents created on one computer system to be read and printed on other systems, with the fonts, formatting, test attributes, and graphic elements intact. The Adobe Acrobat software family is used t read, view, and print files in Portable Document Format (PDF). The software is divided into three separate packages: The Acrobat Reader (reads PDF files), Acrobat Exchange (reads and creates PDF files), and Acrobat Distiller (converts PostScript files to PDF files).

Adviews -- Number of times a banner is downloaded by users within a specific period of time. A better measure of an ad’s impression than AdClicks, but does not indicate whether a sale resulted from the download.

Agent – A system acting on some other system’s or individual’s behalf. Agents can be used to do comparison shopping , for example. Similar to Knowbots or bots

Address -- The unique code assigned to the location of a file in storage, a device in a system or network, or any other data source on a network.

Analog line -- Voice-grade telecommunications line used for telephones. To communicate with a computer on an anolog line requires a modem at each end of the connection to convert digital information to analog, then back to digital.

Anchor -- Links added to a Web source document that point to text and images by way of HREF (hypertext references).

Anonymous FTP -- A public FTP file archive that any Internet user can access without having an account on the FTP server. An implementation of the file transfer protocol that allows users to access files The term anonymous refers to a generic account that is used by anyone to log into an FTP server.

Archie -- A program that keeps track of files on hundreds of Internet sites. Archie usually resides at other sites and is accessed over the net by users at your site.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) – Universal character set supported by most computer systems. It's the universal text format that can be displayed on any computer on the Internet. Refers to the "standard" alphanumeric character set.

Auditor – third party company that can verify ad deliveries or verify sites’ proprietary ad reporting. A counter is a company that strictly counts page deliveries and ad deliveries.

Authentication -- A security feature that allows access to information to be granted on an individual basis.

Autoresponder -- very similar to fax on demand, these guys will work for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on holidays and even on birthdays to get your message out to those who ASKED FOR IT! They are mail robots who send out your sales message to those who email a certain address. I'm amazed at how many people don't know what these things are and why they NEED them.

Backbone – A special type of internet intended specifically to connect other internetworks to the Internet, or used to connect internet-works across wide geographic areas..

Bandwidth -- A measure of the communication capacity or data transmission rate of a circuit or channel. A typical telephone link is capable of about 28.8 kbps (thousands of bits per second).

Banner – Ad on the Web that links to advertiser’s site or Buffer Page. Banners are the most common unit of advertising on the Web.

Baud (older term being replaced by bps - bits per second) -- The number of signaling elements that can be transmitted per second on a circuit.

BBS (Bulletin board system) -- An electronic bulletin board where users can leave messages. Many BBSs are on a membership basis.

Bearer channels or B-channels -- The two parts of an ISDN line that can handle up to 64 kbps each for a combined capacity of 128 kbps.

Bit -- The smallest amount of information that can be transmitted, represented as either "1" or "0". A combination of bits can indicate an alphabetic character, a numeric digit, or perform signaling, switching or other functions.

Bot -- is the colloquial term for programs that listen and respond on an IRC channel to conversation. Also short for Knowbot.

Bottleneck -- A system capacity constraint that may reduce traffic during peak load conditions.

Bozo filter -- A way to screen out the jerks. Also known as a squelch feature.

BPS (Bits per second) -- The measure of data transmission speed or modems speed.

Broadband -- A high-capacity communications circuit/path. It usually implies a speed greater than 1.544Mbps.

Browser – An application that enables individual users to access the Internet with a Graphical User Interface (GUI). These applications make it easy for Internet users to do research, locate specific sites or services, conduct financial transactions, and keep up on the news available on the WWW.

BTW (By the Way)

Buffer Page – page in addition to advertiser’s Website which ad message can link to that simplifies navigation or focuses message. Buffer Pages are typically hosted by the site where ad is running.

Button – smallest ad unit on the Web, generally used for logo placement or download links. Buttons typically link to advertiser’s site or Buffer Page.

Byte – A basic unit of data, consisting of 8 bits.

Capacity -- The highest possible (reliable) transmission speed that can be carried on a channel, circuit or piece of equipment. Capacity may be expressed as raw speed or net throughput.

Card-not-present transaction – A credit card transaction where the merchant receives the card number but cannot physically link the card to the purchaser. This includes telephone and mail orders, as well as online transactions.

Carrier -- A telecommunications provider which owns network switch equipment.

CATV (Cable Television - Community Antenna Television) -- The term used for the cable system that delivers television. This cable system promises high-speed data communications for Internet connections in the future.

Cern -- The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, site of the first World Wide Web conference and considered the birthplace of WWW technology. Work on WWW technology and setting standards has moved to the World Wide Web Organization (W3O, at w3.org). http://www.cern.ch/

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) – A specification for creating programs that accept information acquired through World Wide Web pages and pass it on to other programs, or that take information from other programs and make it accessible through Web pages.

It is an interface for programmers who build scripts or applications which run behind the scenes on a web server. These scripts can generate text or other types of data on the fly, perhaps in response to input from the user or from mining information from a database.

Channel -- A telecommunications path (pipe) of a specific capacity (speed) between two locations in a network.

Chat -- "Chat" is a term used to describe real-time conferencing. For example, IRC, "WebChat", Prodigy and AOL chat rooms are all examples of "chat".

CIX (Commercial Internet Exchange) – An industry organization for Internet service providers.

Cleartext – Text that has not been encrypted.

Click – number of times a user clicks a banner or other clickable advertising unit.

Click Rate – percentage of Impressions that resulted in clicks. Also called Response Rate.

Client – Any computer remotely connected to a host computer. This term is also used for software used to connect to host computer, such as a Web browser. A computer or system that makes requests for some kind of network service from another computer or system acting as a service.

Client/Server computing -- The fundamental relationship of computers on the Internet (or any network) where one computer acts as the client to remotely connect to another computer that acts as a server (also called a host).

Clueless newbie -- Somebody new on the Net who didn't bother to read the FAQ file or get oriented to the culture and netiquette before foisting themselves upon the masses. However, we were all clueless newbies at some point, and always will be as we progress, if we take any risks at all. Only geeky jerks call people clueless newbiews, so just ignore them.

Common Carrier -- A carrier that holds itself out as serving the public (or a segment thereof) indifferently (i.e., without regard to the identity of the customer and without undue discrimination).

Communication Link -- A system of hardware and software connecting two end users.

Compression / Decompression -- A method of encoding/decoding signals that allows transmission (or storage) of more information than the media would otherwise be able to support.

Conference – A group of public messages on a BBS, usually focused on a particular topic and often moderated by a conference host or moderator who guides the discussion.

Connection -- A point-to-point dedicated or switched communication path.

Cookies – tag placed on the user’s browser as he or she visits a particular site or page. Cookies can be used to identify the user and track behavior during a visit, and to recognize the user on repeat visits. In other words, a mechanism for server-side connections to store and retrieve information on the client side.

Cracker – An individual who uses computer for criminal pursuits. This term is not yet in general use, but is current among computer professionals and academicians

Cryptography – The study of mathematical processes useful for keeping data secret by encryption, guaranteeing its provenance, or guaranteeing that its content has been unchanged.

Cyberspace -- The void within which modems help people communicate. It's also the same place you're communicating in when you talk on the phone, so the mystique is highly over-rated, but it's a useful term. Originally used in "Neuromancer," William Gibson's novel of direct brain-computer networking, refers to the collective realms of computer-aided communication.

Database -- A multi-user collection of information. Often supports random access selectivity and multiple "views" or levels of abstraction of the underlying data.

Decryption – The process of reversing encryption; application of a mathematical process to encrypted data to restore it to its cleartext version.

Dedicated Line -- A private line leased from a telecommunications carrier.

DES (Data Encryption Standard) – A private key encryption standard approved by the United States government for the encryption of data when implemented in hardware. Uses 56-bit encryption and is generally accepted as sufficiently secure when correctly implemented.

Dialin line IP connections via SLIP or PPP -- The essence of full Internet connectivity is access via the TCP/IP protocol. SLIP or PPP access enables you to enjoy all the services listed here from your site. This means that all graphical capabilities (like WWW) are available to the consumer of a PPP/SLIP line. These protocols frame the TCP/IP packets correctly onto the phone line and deliver them to the other end. PPP can also transport other protocols.

Dial-up access -- Refers to having direct access through your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) rather than getting to the Net through the gateway of a commercial service.

Digital -- A device or method that uses discrete variations in voltage, frequency, amplitude, location, etc. to encode, process, or carry binary (zero or one) signals for sound, video, computer data or other information.

Digital cash -- The technologies which use sequences of characters to validate the authenticity and value of "electronic money". Digital cash is purchased from private companies, often associated with large banks and financial institutions, traded for goods and services, and redeemed for cash.

Digital line -- A telecommunications line that transmits data in digital format, which is the way compter handle data. A digital line allows highspeed data transmission. Digital lines are generally leased.

Digital signature – The result of the application of a cryptographic process to the digital document being signed. The signer uses his or her private key (of a public/private key pair) to come up with the signature, which is a sequence of characters. The document can be verified as coming from the signer by using signer’s public key to verify the document.

DNS (domain name system) – A distributed database system implemented across the Internet to link Internet host names (used by people) with Internet Protocol addresses (used by computers).

Domain Name – unique name that identifies an Internet site or computer on the Net – it’s part of the Internet address that comes after the @. (Companies have .com addresses; government agencies have addresses ending in .gov; and universities and schools have .edu addresses, etc.)

Download -- Retrieve or transfer programs or data from a server or another computer to a personal computer.

Drag and Drop -- A GUI (Graphic User Interface) concept that allows one screen object to be selected and passed as input to another screen object (icon).

Dynamic IP address -- A numeric IP address that changes. Using dynamic IP address means you are assigned a different numeric IP address each time you connect to your service provider.

Dynamic Rotation – delivery of ads on a rotating, random basis (the opposite of Hardwired). Dynamic Rotation offers the potential for each user to see a different message and for ads to be seen in more than place on a site. Also called Dynamic Delivery.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) -- Refers to the exchange of business information, including purchase orders and invoices, between computers used by cooperating companies, typically trading partners.

EDMS (Electronic Document Management Systems -- The storage and management of information in a paperless environment; electronic publishing.

EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer or electronic financial exchange transactions).

E-mail (Electronic mail) -- an electronic equivalent to a letter delivered by the US Postal Service. However, in its electronic format, mail can be delivered almost instantaneously around the world. Communication with users throughout the world; many say that 30,000,000 people are connected to the Internet. E-mail can be served to users directly on a server or to their PC via the POP mail protocol and publicly available (free) programs like Eudora.

E-mail aliases -- What this means is that besides their regular E-mail address login@theirdomain.com they can also create other 'addresses' that still go to the same mailbox but can make their company appear much larger to the Internet population and allows them to segment their mail so they can respond to sales leads first, support questions next, and so on. Some favorite other addresses are billing@domain.com, sales@domain.com, advertising@domain.com, questions@domain.com, webmaster@domain.com. Even the smallest businesses can appear very large and professional using this feature.

Emoticons -- Smileys :-) and other cutesy typographical symbols used online to convey emotion. Corny, yes, but they can help prevent hurt feeling and misunderstandings.

Encryption – A reversible process of modifying cleartext to keep it secret from anyone other than its intended recipient.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) – A list of questions with answers pertaining to a mailing list, Usenet newsgroup, product, service, or product.

File Server – A computer connected to a network and capable of offering other remote users (clients) on that network access to its file system.

Filter -- A program or feature that lets users sort through data. Filters typically refer to e-mail programs used to send mail messages to a particular mail folder.

Finger -- Protocol which allows finding information about the users on your host network. Some networks do not allow fingering from an external system, and some do not allow fingering at all.

Firewall -- A system or combination of systems that enforces a boundary between two or more networks to prevent attacks on an organizational internetwork originating from the global Internet. The firewall may include one or more gateways or routers, and may include separate network segments, as well as software filtering and other mechanisms for protecting corporate network resources.

Flame -- An angry or hostile message or attack on someone. Think incendiary and flame-thrower, and you'll get the idea. Most flamers, as they're known, are male, and most of them are young or immature.

Flame War -- A heated and emotional debate online where polity is ignored.

Forum -- A discussion group, usually used in reference to those on commercial services, such as AOL. Counterpart of newsgroups and mailing lists on the Net.

Forwarding -- Directing e-mail from one e-mail box to another.

Freeware -- Software that is free on the net.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) -- Is one of the Internet's most widely used services. It allows files to be transferred between computers on the Internet using an FTP program.

Gateway – A computer that connects one network with another network when the two networks use different protocols. Often used as a synonym for router. Also refers to a system mediating protocols, as with e-mail gateways that accept e-mail from the Internet and translates it to the appropriate e-mail protocol on the internal LAN.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) -- Almost every color graphic image and background on the Web is a GIF file. Ad banners, buttons and logos are usually in GIF format. The GIF file format is popular because it uses a compression method to make files smaller.

GIF89a – file format composed of a certain number of frames (each one is an image) that when viewed together create an animation. GIF89a’s are commonly used in ad banners – they give the sense of animation with a potentially small increase in file size and without taxing servers.

Gigabits – 1 billion bits

Gigabytes – 1 billion bytes.

Gopher -- Is a file retrieval program popular with the BBS community. Its functionality is now included in World Wide Web browsers. Gopher servers enable a simple access technique to transfer information at your site to others as they request it via gopher and WWW. Internet public database browsing and searching program.

GUI (Graphical User Interface) -- which softwae that has icons or pictures on click on, and clicking on them automates complicated commands that you never have to bother learning. The alternative is a command-line interface, which means it's strictly text, and you have to learn the commands.

Hacker – Not to be confused with cracker. Hackers are computer savvy people able to hack out a solution to a problem; whereas crackers are hackers or more like safecrackers who use their technical knowledge and skills maliciously or illegally, such as breaking into a system to raid it for passwords or credit card numbers or, often, just prove it can be done. Nonetheless, the terms are often used interchangeably. praticulary by the media.

Handshake – The process of negotiating a connection between two hosts. The initiating host waits for acknowledgment from the destination host, which in turn waits for acknowledgment of its own response.

Hardwired -- ads set in a fixed position on a page and delivered each time that a page is delivered (the opposite of Dynamic Rotation).

Helper application -- An application set up to run from a browser, such as a program used to view video files.

Hit -- This measures the number of graphics that are downloaded from each page of a site. If the home page has 4 graphics, one person will view the page and be counted as four hits. The number of hits has no predictable relation to the number of visitors to a Web site.

Home -- The startup page of a site, containing identity and index information.

Home page – The opening document of a World Wide Website. It may also refer to the document that an individual user’s Web browser points to on startup.

Host – A computer that acts as a server to let users remotely access information on that computer. Any device connected to a network that can send or receive requests for network services.

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) -- A "tag" language in which web pages are formatted and web information is distributed.

HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) -- The method by which documents are transferred from the host computer or server to browsers and individual users.

Hyperlink -- Connections between one piece of information and another.

Hypermedia -- Another word for multimedia. Hypermedia is frequently used instead of multimedia to imply the inclusion of hypertext in an interactive environment. The information may be presented using a variety of media such as text, graphics, audio, video, animation, image or executable documentation.

Hypertext -- Describes a type of interactive online navigation functionality. Links (URLs) embedded in words or phrases allows the user to select (e.g. mouse click) text and immediately display related information and multimedia material.

IMO or IMHO (In my opinon or in my humble opinion)

Impressions – number of times a banner is downloaded and presumably seen by users. Guaranteed Impressions is the minimum number of times an ad banner is delivered to a user (per contact).

Information Superhighway -- A Buzz word which refers to the Clinton/Gore administration plan to deregulate communication services allowing for the integration of all aspects of the Internet, CATV, telephone, business, entertainment, information providers, education, etc.

InterNIC (Internet Network Information Center) – Administers and assigns Internet domains and network addresses.

IP (Internet Protocol) -- The Internet protocol that defines the unit of information passed between systems that provides a basis packet delivery service.

IP number or address -- A four-part number separated by dots (for example, 165.113.245.2) which uniquely identifies a machine on the Internet. Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number. The IP address has a host component and a network component. Most machines also have one or more domain names that are easier to remember. See also domain name.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) -- A system that enables Internet users to communicate with each other in real time over the Internet. This program includes hundreds of public and private `chat areas' with topics that span the entire gamut of human interests. Chat in English or a dozen different foreign languages in a real-time discussion forum with people across the globe.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) -- A set of standards for high-speed transmission of simultaneous voice, data and video information over fewer channels than would otherwise be needed, through the use of out-of-band signaling.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Internetwork – Literally, a network of networks. Any network consisting of two or more discrete networks connected by routers and capable of supporting seamless interoperability between hosts connected to any part of it.

Java – Sun Microsystems’ programming language for adding animation and other action to Websites. Java applications are call applets.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) -- is a popular method used to compress photographic images. Many web browsers accept JPEG images as a standard file format for viewing.

KB (Kilobyte) – 1024 bytes, often generically applied to 1000 bytes as well

Kbps (Kilo bits per second) – A measure of data transmission speed indicating 1024 bits transmitting in one second.

Key – A quantity of data used in cryptographic procedures to encrypt, decrypt, or authenticate other data.

Knowbots – A technology of knowledge-seeking robots that scour the Web locating information to answer a question you posed. Another definition, a computer script that automates commands, telling the computer to search many different sites or sources for information. Among other uses, this is how some electronic clipping services find the news from many different publications and deliver it to you in capsule form.

LAN (Local Area Network) – A group of connected computers, usually located in close proximity (such as the same building or floor of the building) so data can be transferred between them. A network connecting computers in the same general area on a single network cable (or a set of cables that emulate a single wire).

Link -- See Hyperlink.

List-Serv -- "ListServ" is a group of programs that automatically manage mailing lists by distributing messages posted to the list, adding and deleting members automatically. There are mailing lists for many different topics - some lists are "open" (which means anyone on the list can send a message to the whole list, as in a conversation), and some are "closed" (only certain people can post information to them).

Logon or login -- Connect to an online service via modem.

Lurk -- To read messages without replying or participating in the discussion. Good way to oriented, but not a good way to get the benefit.

Mail bot -- An e-mail server that automatically sends out information via e-mail to anyone requesting the information via e-mail.

Mailing List -- A forum where e-mail messages are delivered to the people who subscribe to the list. Some mailing lists are moderated, so people can send messages to the moderator, who in turndecides whether to post the message. A person joins a mailing list by sending a message to a specific e-mail address, which typically is the mail server that sends out the e-mail.

Media -- Information storage and distribution format (e.g. video tape, floppy disk, optical disc, print, etc.) The extensions of mankindıs ability to communicate. This is the message.

Microcommerce -- for the purchase of small amounts of information, goods and services, and Net deliverable products.

Modem (MODulator-DEModulator) -- End user computer interface that enables digital data to be transmitted over analog transmission facilities like phone lines.

MB (megabyte) – technically 1024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes - but often applied to the more rounded term of million bytes as well.

MBONE (Multicast Backbone) – A special network backbone used to transmit multicasts (including coverage of standards meets and other content, in real time) over the Internet.

Mbps (megabits per second) – A measurement of data transmission speed indicating 1024 kilobits per second or 1048576 bits per second.

Mime (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) – A specification for the linking and transfer of non-text files with Internet email and other IP applications.

MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group) -- is a standard way to compress full-motion video.

MUDs (Multi-user Dimensions, also known as multi-user dungeons) -- from the Dungeons & Dragons heritage. Places where people create "virtual" or simulated worlds or communities with made-up characters, including people and other creatures, complete with objects and terrain. Highly addicting for some people.

Multicast –is an open, standards-based way to distribute identical information to many users simultaneously, to some but not all hosts connected to the network or internetwork. This contrasts with regular TCP/IP unicast where the same information may be sent to many clients, but the sender must transmit an individual copy to each user.

Multimedia -- Computer systems that integrate audio, video and data.

NCSA (The National Center for Supercomputing Applications) -- is an educational institute. The Mosaic web browser was created here. http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Network . A system of interrelated elements that are interconnected in a dedicated or switched linkage to provide local or remote communication (of voice, video, data, etc.) and to facilitate the exchange of information between users with common interests.

Net -- As used by most people, with a capital N, the Internet. With a lower case letter, everything online.

Netiquette -- Online etiquette.

NetShow On-Demand Server -- A Windows NT service designed for storage and real-time delivery of .asf files. NetShow On-Demand Server streams .asf files at varied bit rates, and is intended for use on an intranet or the Internet. In the corporate network environment, the server is targeted initially at 10-Mbps and 100-Mbps Ethernet networks.

NetShow On-Demand Player -- An ActiveX-based client application that works with Internet browser software to allow playback of .asf files.

Newsgroups – Collection of email messages arranged in a hierarchical topic structure and distributed to computers all over the Internet. Users of sites that receive newsgroups can elect to receive particular newsgroups, add messages to the shared message base, and thus join several global special interest groups. There are currently over 25,000 USENET newsgroups available.

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) – A TCP/IP protocol defining the exchange of Usenet news between servers and clients.

Online -- Not synonymous with the Internet, because it also includes the commercial services, research databases such as Nexi or Dialog.

- P -

Packet -- A piece of information sent over a network. Each packet contains the destination address, the sender’s address, error-control information, and data.

Packet-switching -- The communications technology on which the Internet is based. Packets of digital data are transmitted from many people simultaneously between computers.

Page -- A hypermedia document on the web.

Page View (or Page Deliveries) -- Indicates the number of times a specific page of a site is viewed. Method of measuring Page Views vs. Hits is very important to media buyers evaluating potential on-line placements.

PDF (Portable Document Format) -- The file format for documents created using Adobe Acrobat. PDF documents allow people to share formatted documents across different platforms. To create a PDF document, you use Adobe Acrobat Exchange and print the existing document to a file. The PDF file can be viewed using the Acrobat Reader which is distributed free.

PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) – An Internet standard defining a protocol for the secure, authenticable, and non-repudiable transmission of electronic mail.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) – A freely distributed program implementing public key cryptography for email; also sometimes used for electronic commerce.

Ping – A network management tool that checks to see whether you can communicate with another computer on the Internet. Ping sends a short message to which the other computer automatically responds. If the other computer does not respond to the ping, you usually cannot establish communication.

Pkzip -- is a shareware compression utility for PCs. A program called Pkunzip is used to decompress these files.

Pointer -- An address (URL) embedded in data that specifies the location of data in another record or file. A hyperlink is an example of a pointer.

"POP" (point of presence) -- A "pop" is an Internet service provider's dialup connection for modem users, used particularly to describe local connections so modem users don't have to dial long distance. For example, a particular ISP might be based in San Jose, but have "POP"s in Los Angeles and New York.

POP3 (Post Office Protocol) – An alternative mail protocol used to service intermittent dialup connections to the Internet whereby mail is held until the caller makes the connection and requests mail.

Post -- To send a message, called an article, to a network newsgroup.

PostScript -- Adobe's proprietary page-description language, designed to relay instructions about fonts and objects to a printer. The de facto standard for the Macintosh, UNIX, and desktop publishing.

Private key – One of two keys used for public key cryptography, the one that must be kept secret, so the owner of the key can decrypt messages encrypted with the public key.

PPP (Point to Point Protocol) -- A scheme for connecting two computers over a telephone line (or a network link that acts like a telephone line). Dial-up Internet connection speaking in TCP/IP protocol, somewhat faster than SLIP. This protocol frames the TCP/IP packets correctly onto the phone line and delivers them to the other end. PPP can also transport other protocols.

Protocols -- Just as humans use certain rules and schemes for communications, so do computers. Interestingly enough, the world of 1's and 0's includes many different ways to communicate information. Each of these ways is called a `Communications Protocol' or just `Protocol'. The Internet uses the TCP/IP protocol. Sometimes other protocols are `encapsulated' in the TCP/IP protocol to be moved from one point to another, but generally TCP/IP is the lingua franca of the Internet.

Public key – of the two keys used for public cryptography, the one that can be made public, so that senders can encrypt messages.

Public key cryptography – The cryptographic system in which encryption is done with one key and decryption is done with another.

Qualified hits -- Hits that deliver information to a user. Excludes such things as error messages and redirects. Does not indicate number of visitors.

QuickTime -- An Apple technology for real-time video and multiple-media data. QuickTime files can include text, sound, and video, among other formats.

Real Audio -- Progressive Network’s software that allows playback of live and on-demand audio from Web browsers over Internet connections of 28.8 kbps and faster.

Real Time -- Rapid transmission and processing of event-oriented data and transactions as they occur, in contrast to being stored and re-transmitted or processed as batches.

Reporting (also Tracking) -- statistical data reported by sites to advertisers that include daily impressions and clicks.

Response Rate -- percentage of Impressions that resulted in clicks.

RFC (Request for Comments) – The generic term for Internet standards documents.

Robot -- "Robot"s or "Bot"s are usually mentioned in the context of the WWW as programs which traverse the web looking for information, perhaps for indexing into a search engine or to find errors in web sites or some such.

ROFL (Rolling on the floor, laughing) -- more likely sitting, chuckling and considering contrived and corny.

Router – A multihomed host (connected to at least two networks) that is able to forward network traffic from one connected network to another.

RTFM (Read the friggin' manual)

Secret key – A key that must by kept secret. The term is sometimes used to refer to the private key in asymmetric cryptography (public key cryptography), but more properly refers to a shared secret between parties who use the same key to encrypt and decrypt messages.

Security -- Control mechanisms that prevent unauthorized use of resources.

Serial line -- Serial means one by one. A serial line is used to refer to data transmission over a telephone line via a modem or when data goes from a computer to a printer or other device.

Server -- In a network, a host data station that offers services or provides facilities to other systems or stations on the network.

SET (Secure Electronic Transactions) – A protocol specification released by Microsoft and Visa designed to provide a secure method for handling credit card and other financial transactions across public and private electronic networks.

Shareware – Try-before-you software that requires a registration fee if you continue to use it after the trial period, which is usually 30 days. Not to be confused with freeware or public domain software, which are both free. Shareware is not free, and if you use it without paying for it, you'rre violating international copyright law. This is tempting, because there's lots of shareware online, but it's a poor example to set for your kids and creates bad karma.

Shell account -- A UNIX-based account on a service provider's computer.

Shockwave – Macromedia’s software for creating and packaging multimedia for the Web (currently a browser plug-in).

Shopping Cart -- for companies who want to use the Internet to SELL products! Instead of having a web page order form that takes information from the customer, a shopping cart program does much, much more. It allows companies to have product order forms on multiple web pages which was impossible to do before shopping cart systems came out, because the web server could not possibly know it is the SAME customer flipping between the catalogue pages. Now with shopping cart technology, each customer is assigned a unique ID that the program can recognize no matter which product web page they are on. Other nice things a shopping cart can do is calculate totals, add shipping, and make a fun and exciting interface for on-line Internet shoppers!

SIG (Special-interest Group) -- Same thing as a forum or a newsgroup, or a mailing list for that matter.

SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) -- is a language for describing other tag- based structural document languages. For example, HTML is defined using SGML.

S-HTTP (Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol) – A protocol that defines security additions to the HTTP protocol, developed within the traditional Internet standards process. S-HTTP operates strictly at the application level, adding encryption and authentication to Web client/server communications.

Signal -- An event-oriented change in state (e.g. a tone, frequency shift, binary value, alarm, message, etc.).

Signature -- A standard sign-off used by people for e-mail and newsgroups posts, often contained in a file and automatically appended to an outgoing message or network news post.

Site -- Address location of a server on the Internet.

SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) -- Dial-up Internet connection speaking in TCP/IP protocol.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) – The set of rules defining the transmission of electronic mail between users.

Snail mail -- Regular postal mail. Also called earth mail.

Socket – When your computer is on the Internet by means of a connection, a socket is a conversation your computer is having with a computer elsewhere on the Internet. You may have one socket for an FTP session, another socket for Telnet session, and another socket for retrieving your e-mail.

Spamming – A user can flood a site with thousands of messages, or can blanket a large mailing list with a single message.

Squelch features -- See bozo filter.

SSL (The Secure Socket Layer) -- is a protocol that Netscape uses to provide people with secure transactions over the network.

Streaming -- normally, when accessing networked multimedia content a user has to wait for the entire file to be transferred before she or he can use the information. Streaming allows a user to see or hear the information as it arrives without having to wait.

System Administrator -- The person who manages a network or host computer.

T1 – A classification of leased telephone line service offering 23 voice channels and 1 supervisory channel or 1.544 Mbps digital data service.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) -- is the standard network communications protocol used to connect computer systems across the Internet.

TCP/IP stack -- The software that allows a computer to communicate via TCP/IP.

Telnet -- is a network program that offers a way to log into and work from another computer. By logging into another system, users can access Internet services that they might not have on their own computers.

Throughput -- A measure of a network or computer's overall performance that is a function of all the configuration components of a system.

Tracking (also Reporting) -- statistical data reported by sites to advertisers that include daily impressions and clicks.

Unique Users – number of different individuals who visit a site within a specific time period. To identify unique users over time, websites need a unique identifier like a cookie or some form of user registration or identification. Most Web sites are not equipped with this feature.

Unzip -- To unzip a file means to decompress, or expand a file that has been made smaller using a compression utility.

Upload -- To send a file to a server or another computer.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) -- The form of the site address that reveals the name of the server where the site's files are stored, the file's directory path, and its file name.

Usenet (USEr NETwork) -- Internet newsgroups. The function of Usenet news is to allow Internet users to exchange ideas about particular subjects ranging from highly technical to political to recreational. Many users find that Usenet news is a valuable resource since specific questions or ideas can be posted to a news group and a response is usually posted fairly rapidly. Internet users tend to monitor news groups that are of specific interest to them; therefore, the likelihood of getting valuable, free information is quite high. Since Usenet is not administered by any one entity, news groups may or may not be moderated. This means that some newsgroups may be considered distasteful, offensive, or inappropriate to certain users. Newsgroups discussions include contributions from thousands of global users who post `articles' that can then be viewed at any time in the future by readers (who often reply). USENET newsgroups generate hundreds of thousands of pages of discussion every day. Of course, older articles are deleted after a few days or weeks. One of the earliest forms of "group electronic mail," currently at a level of over 20,000 different newsgroups.

UART -- It's a computer chip inside your computer, or on a modem if you have an internal modem. The thing to remember is that you need an up-to-date 16650A UART if you're installing a high-speed modem, which means anything 9600 bps or faster.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) -- the technical name for an address on the World Wide Web. It's called uniformed because Web addresses because all start with http:// which stands for hypertext transfer protocol.

USP (Unique Selling Proposition) --It is like a headline, describes what you do and differentiates you from your competition. As one rich and successful marketing guru once said, "You should be able to tell people your powerful USP, and then be able to 'look" them straight in the eye, and feel that they'd have to be nuts not to take you up on your offer! You have to have total conviction that what you are offering is so unique, and gives them exactly what they want, so badly, that they say YES, YES, YES!!"

V.34 -- The 28.8 kbps standard.

Veronica -- (provided at other sites) searches WWW sites for various information. Like Archie, Veronica resides on other people's sites.

Virtual -- Stimulated, as in virtual reality, or almost real. A virtual corporation is real, however, but the employees or partners are located in different places, and they conduct much of their business by modem.

Virtual commerce -- The process of conducting business on the Internet using a combination of tools and establishing a server presence for users.

Virtual storefront -- The online version of a full-service storefront, including the publishing of sales materials and the capability of processing credit-card transactions.

Visit -- A sequence of hits made by one user at a site within a set period of time. Does not indicate whether visitors are digging into the site’s content or just skimming.

VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) -- A "tag" language in which web pages are formatted that can support 3D graphics and interactive spatial navigation.

WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) -- Is a text searching service. If you wish to WAIS-ify documents that your site creates and makes available to the Internet, plan to spend some time performing local configuration. Visiting other WAIS sites via the net is easy, of course. There's not so much hype about WAIS these days now that search engines like Yahoo, Lycos, an Alta Vista are available on the World Wide Web. A powerful system for searching large amounts of information very quickly over the Internet.

WAV -- is the file extension used on some types of audio files.

Webmaster/Webmistress -- System operator for a web site server.

Wideband -- A medium-capacity communications circuit/path. It usually implies a speed from 64Kbps to 1.544Mbps.

Winsock – A dynamic link library (dll) program for Microsoft Windows that provides a simple program interface to TCP/IP services. Originally developed by NetManage, Inc, it has become the model for most Windows base Internet application programs. The most widely used Winsock.dll would be the shareware program Trumpet Winsock. Internet applications programs then use the Winsock for TCP/IP services.

Winzip -- Winzip is a compression utility that lets Windows 95, 3.1, and NT users make their files smaller for faster transfer over the Internet. This utility also decompresses files that were originally compressed using PKZIP or TAR formats. http://www.winzip.com/winzip/WWW (World Wide Web) - Internet system for world-wide hypertext linking of multimedia documents, making the relationship of information that is common between documents easily accessible and completely independent of physical location.

Wired -- Meaning you're online connected to the Internet in some way, which is where Women's Wire gets its name. Also the name of a self-consciously hip magazine about related technology with 85% young male subscribers, but somtimes a good read, nonetheless.

WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) -- meaning don't expect magic, because what you see on the screen is probably representative of the real thing. Related to GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out, meaning computers, like humans have their limitations.

Zip -- When one "compresses" (i.e., makes a smaller but equal copy) a file using "winzip" or "pkzip", the resulting file is called a "zip" file. It usually ends with the file extension ".zip".