The internet dictionary

Account - An area partitioned for a user of a particular host computer. To assure validity, account holders cannot gain access without using assigned login and password information.

Address - An individualised name (or number) identifying a computer user or computer.

Archie - A programme used to search files at FTP sites; there are currently about 30 Archie servers in the world.

Bandwidth - Measured in kilobytes of the traffic transferred via one of the several Internet protocols.

Boolean logic - A system for searching and retrieving information from computers by using and combining terms such as AND, OR, and NOT to sort data.

Client - Any programme you use to access a server; a computer application that requests support from another programme (often called a server), which usually runs on a remote computer. For example, Netscape Navigator is a client that accesses programmes (and web pages) from servers on the Internet.

Dial-up - As opposed to a dedicated or leased line; a type of computer linkage using regular telephone lines, generally referring to the kind of connection one makes when using a terminal emulator and a regular modem.

Domain name - The text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a computer on the Internet (i.e., www.oh-no.com).

Domain Name System (DNS) - The unique name of a collection of computers connected to networks such as the Internet. A general-purpose, replicated, distributed data query service for looking up host IP addresses based on host names. The DNS is hierarchical, consisting of domains, subdomains, sites, and hosts. Unique names are formed from smallest to largest, and are of the form user@host.site.subdomain.domain, where host and site are often optional. On the Internet, domain names typically end with a suffix denoting the type of site:

.com (commercial)

.edu (educational)

.net (network operations)

.gov ( government)

.mil (military)

.org (organization)

.us (United States)

.ca (Canada)

.uk (United Kingdom)

.au (Australia)

.jm (Jamaica)

Download - To receive a file sent from another computer via modem.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - A collection of questions and answers about a particular topic.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - The principle of FTP is simple. You logon to a site, then you choose a file to transfer. All FTP activity requires you to log on to the remote computer with a user name and password.

FYI (For Your Information) - They convey general information about subjects related to TCP/IP or the Internet.

Gopher - A menu-based system that allows a user to access information from a remote computer. Menu items point to a file or directory item, which may be located on the same computer or on a different one. Gophers essentially point to other gophers on remote machines. Through gopher, you can perform searches on searchable databases.

Hit - More than a page view, a "hit" is any action experienced at a web site. A "hit" is any content delivered by a web server. A single web page may place several dozen demands on the web server to deliver content: one for the page itself (or the collection of pages that make up a frame set), another for each graphic image displayed, and others for streaming media, sound bites and other content. Each of those demands is considered a "hit". Every file a web server delivers is a "hit".

Home page - The main page of a Web site. The home page provides visitors with an overview and links to the rest of the site. It often contains or links to a table of contents for the site.

Host - A computer system that is the source of network services; also the site where you can hold an interactive session.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) - An organisation that lets users dial into its computers to connect to its Internet link for a fee. ISPs generally provide only an Internet connection, an electronic mail address, and maybe World Wide Web browsing software.

Modem (MOdulator/DEModulator) - A device that allows a PC to communicate and exchange information with other modem-equipped computers via telephone lines.

Search engine - A WWW site that serves as an index to other sites on the Web. Search engines are relatively easy to use. Normally, they contain references to common subject areas that you can point-and-click to connect to other links, that connect to other links, and so on.

Server - A computer (or computer application) that delivers or routes information to other computers on a network (mail servers, web servers, and database servers for example).

-www.oh-no.com

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