[Biotronik]

P

Packet - Packets are simply chunks of data with their own individual destination addresses. Imagine packets as sealed envelopes containing data, with addresses written on them. They travell through the system, untill they reach the correct destination. (Information which is shifted around the Internet in 'packets')

Page - In the context of the World Wide Web, a 'page' is the name given to a basic Web document, such as the one you are viewing on Velnet at the moment.

Password - A group of characters required to be given correctly when demanded by a computer or web site before it will allow access by the user

Peripheral - Any device that is connected to, and controlled by, a computer but external of the Central Proccessing Unit (CPU). (A printer for example).

Pixel - These are the tiy areas (dots) that make up a computer graphic picture that appears on your screen

Plug-In - Your browser is limited to certain capabilities such as displaying images and web pages. More complicated things such as audio and video may require plug-ins like Shockwave and RealAudio to enable them to work.

POP (Post Office Protocol) - This provides a store-and-forward service, to enable movement of E-mail on demand from an intermediate server to a single destination machine, usually a PC or Macintosh.

POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) - A protocol that provides a simple, standardized way for users to access mailboxes and download messages to their computers

PPP (Point to Point Protocol) - PPP is a type of Internet connection that enables a computer to use Internet protocols to exist as part of the Internet. It requires a modem, a standard telephone line and an account from a service provider.

Program - The set of instructions which the computer carries out. In whatever language the program is written the machine follws the instructions one at a time in order.

Programming Language - The language that allows the computer user to tell the computer what to do. There are many different languages

Protocol - The method by which computers communicate to each other over the Internet in order to provide a service

Public access provider - An organization or company that supplies Internet access for individuals or other organizations

Public domain - This refers to software that anybody can use or modify without the need for authorisation. (it`s free)

Pull Down Menu - A facility which is available as a list of options with software packages. With a mouse clicking on an icon at the top of the screen and moving downwards results in the menu (of options) being 'pulled down' to reveal more options.

Q

Qwerty - A computer keyboard of the normal two handed type, (probably what is infront of you right now). The word comes from the first six keys on the second or third row down on the keyboard.

R

R.A.M. (Random Access Memory) - A set of storage locations any of which can be accessed directly without having to work through from the first one. These can be written to and read from. (to core store)

R.O.M. (Read Only Memory) - A memory that holds data or instructions permanently and cannot be altered by the computer or programmer.

Re-Boot - A term instructing the user to load the system again. Often used when the program has gone wrong or is on an endless loop from which it cannot leave.

Read Write Memory - This type of memory can be written into, as well as read, as opposed to ROM.

Refresh Rate - The number of times per second that the data held in a dynamic RAM chip or on screen display must receive a 'booster' signal to maintain its accuracy or visability.

Router - Routers concentrate examining the destination addresses of the packets that pass through them and then decide which route to send them on. A router is classed as a special-purpose computer (or software package) that will handle the connection between 2 or more networks.

S

Scripting language - A series of commands that are programmed to help designate how one computer communicates with another computer.

Server - In a network, a server makes files available to client programs located on other computers when requested.

Service Provider - The role of a Service Provider is to supply a gateway to the Internet for subscribers.

Shareware - Software that is distributed freely on the internet, usually with certain conditions attached. Either the software is released on a trial basis only, and must be registered after a certain period of time, or in other cases no support can be offered with the software without registering it. In some instances direct payment to the author is required.

Signature - This could be your name, position in company and contact details that will sit at the bottom of any messages that are sent from your e-mail address (to let the recipient know who you are.)

SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) - Similar to PPP, SLIP lets you use a modem and phone line to connect to the Internet without the need to connect to a host computer.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) - Commonly referred to as sendmail, SMTP is designed to allow the delivery of mail messages to Internet users.

Smileys - Small characters that are often used in email and forum messages, they provide some degree of character or emotion. Example :-) or (",)

T

T-1 - T-1 is a Network link utilised on the Internet allowing speeds of up to 1.54 megabits/second.

T-3 - A Higher speed (45 megabits/second) Network link that is used on the Internet.

Tag - In terms of HTML, a 'tag' is used for the marking-up of text in different ways thus enbling it to be formatted in a Web document. Often called 'Markup Tags'.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - This works hand-in-hand with IP to ensure that packets reach their intended destinations.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) - TCP & IP are the two fundamental protocols which form the basis of the Internet.

Telnet - Terminal emulation program enabling an authorised user to access another computer that is connected to the Internet as if it were in the same room. (when in reality it could be several thousand miles away).

Terabyte - 1000 gigabytes

Terminal - Piece of hardware like a keyboard or V.D.U.(visual disply unit) that allows commands to be sent to a computers CPU(central processing unit).

Terminal emulator - Enables a PC to emulate(mirror) several terminal types.

Thread - In a Usenet group scenario, it is a list of messages and replies usually on a chat room forum(textual) working within a database.

Timeout - This function allows the connection to be dropped after a certain period of inactivity.

U

Unix - Operating System that is typically written in C, and constructed for multi-user environments. It has TCP/IP incorporated, and is therefore one of the most popular operating systems for servers on the Internet.

Upload - This is where the user transfers (uploads) files from a local or home computer to a specified remote computer (as opposed to download where files are pulled off a remote machine and located ontp local p.c.).

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - A URL is classed as a resource addressing scheme of the World Wide Web. It assists in locating and identification of multimedia resources or multiple copies of resources (it acts a bit like an address for websites, images etc that are accesible on the internet).

Usenet - A specialised network that links thousands of newsgroups covering every subject imaginable.

W

WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers) - This is an architecture used by a distributed information retrieval system. WAIS is based on the client-server model of computation, it allows users of computers to share information using a common computer-to-computer protocol.

Wide Area Network (WAN) - WAN`s are Group of computers located geographically apart, they will usually belong to a single company or organisation, WAN`s are connected together using dedicated lines or by satellite,s to simulate a local network.

WinSock (WINdows SOCKets) - A Windows utility program which allows users that are connected by SLIP, PPP or other direct connection to communicate with other computers on the Internet by TCP/IP.

World Wide Web ('WWW' or 'Web') - The World Wide Web is a Specialised Internet Service which allows users (you) to connect to remote sites (like Velntet), with information presented as text with hypertext links. Gaphics can be embedded into Web pages, but they can only be viewed using a graphical Web browser. Other applications supported are sound files and movie files.

Worm - A search function or utility on the World Wide Web that can locate resources following user-determined guidelines.

Z

ZIP - Filenames that have the .ZIP extension will have been compressed using the PKZIP program. They can be decompressed using the PKUNZIP utility.