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Definitions
Below are Definitions
to many common, but sometimes confusing, Computer, Internet and Technology terms.
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 - #
Adware: Generically, adware (spelled all lower case) is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user.
Adware has been criticized because it usually includes code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice has been dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Agent: On the Internet, an agent is a program that gathers information or performs some other service without your immediate presence and on some regular schedule.
Application: The term application is a shorter form of application program. An application program is a program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another application program. Examples of applications include word processors, database programs, Web browsers, development tools, drawing, paint, image editing programs, and communication programs.
BlackBerry: Is a handheld device made by RIM (Research In Motion) that competes with another popular handheld, the Palm, and is marketed primarily for its wireless e-mail handling capability.
Blog: A blog (short for web-log) is a personal journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. Topics sometimes include brief philosophical musings, commentary on Internet and other social issues, and links to other sites the author favors. The essential characteristics of the blog are its journal form, typically a new entry each day, and its informal style.
Blu-ray: Blu-ray is a new optical disc standard based on the use of a blue laser rather than the red laser of today's DVD players. The standard threatens to make current DVD players obsolete. It is not clear whether new Blu-ray players might include both kinds of lasers in order to be able to read current CD and DVD formats. Blu-ray's storage capacity is enough to store a continuous backup copy of most people's hard drives on a single disc. The first products will have a 27 gigabyte (GB) single-sided capacity, 50 GB on dual-layer discs.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection.
Boot (or) Boot Up: To boot (as a verb; also "to boot up") a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM). Once the operating system is loaded (and, for example, on a PC, you see the initial Windows or Mac desktop screen), it's ready for users to run applications. Sometimes you'll see an instruction to "reboot" the operating system. This simply means to reload the operating system (the most familiar way to do this on PC's is pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time).
Bot: A bot (short for "robot") is a program that operates as an agent for a user or another program or simulates a human activity. On the Internet, the most ubiquitous bots are the programs, also called spiders or crawlers, that access Web sites and gather their content for search engine indexes.
Broadband: In general, broadband refers to telecommunication in which a wide band of frequencies is available to transmit information. Because a wide band of frequencies is available, it allows more information to be transmitted in a given amount of time (much as more lanes on a highway allow more cars to travel on it at the same time).
Browser: A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.
Buddy List: A buddy list is a list of people a user wants to keep track
of. A buddy list can be used to see who is offline, who is online, or who is
online but away from their computer. When the user launches their instant
messaging application, it connects to the instant messaging server, logs the
user on, and displays the
CD Burner: A CD burner is the informal name for a CD recorder, a device that can record data to a compact disc.
CD-R: CD-R (for compact disc, recordable) is a type of write once, read many compact disc (CD) format that allows one-time recording on a disc.
CD-ROM: CD-ROM (Compact Disc, read-only-memory) is an adaptation of the CD that is designed to store computer data in the form of text and graphics, as well as hi-fi stereo sound.
CD-RW: CD-RW (for compact disc, rewriteable) is a compact disc (CD) format that allows repeated recording on a disc.
Clock Cycle: In a computer, the clock
cycle is the time between two adjacent pulses of the oscillator that sets the
tempo of the computer processor. The number of these pulses per second is known
as the clock speed, which is generally measured in
Compression: Compression is the reduction in size of data in order to save space or transmission time. For data transmission, compression can be performed on just the data content or on the entire transmission unit (including header data) depending on a number of factors.
Content compression can be as simple as removing all extra space characters, inserting a single repeat character to indicate a string of repeated characters, and substituting smaller bit strings for frequently occurring characters. This kind of compression can reduce a text file to 50% of its original size.
Cookie: A cookie is information that a Web site puts on your computer so that it can remember something about you at a later time. Typically, a cookie records your preferences when using a particular site. Cookies are commonly used to rotate the banner ads that a site sends so that it doesn't keep sending the same ad as it sends you a succession of requested pages. They can also be used to customize pages for you based on your browser type or other information you may have provided the Web site.
CPU: (Central Processing Unit) The computing part of the computer, also called the "processor". Today, the CPUs of almost all computers are contained on a single chip. The CPU, clock and main memory make up a computer. A complete computer system requires the addition of control units, input, output and storage devices and an operating system.
Crawler: A crawler is a program that visits Web sites and reads their pages and other information in order to create entries for a search engine index. The major search engines on the Web all have such a program, which is also known as a "spider" or a "bot." Crawlers are typically programmed to visit sites that have been submitted by their owners as new or updated.
Ctrl-Alt-Delete: Ctrl-Alt-Delete is the combination of keyboard keys that the computer user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system (have it shut down and restart itself). In Windows 95 or any later systems, Ctrl-Alt-Delete brings up a window that allows a user to see the status of all currently running programs and to terminate any of them, and also offers the options of shutting down, restarting, and so on (the specific options vary slightly with the particular version of windows). In Windows 95 or 98, if Ctrl-Alt-Delete is pressed a second time or twice in a row quickly, the operating system closes all programs that are running and then restarts.
Database: A database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.
Defrag (or) Defragment: Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Defragmentation reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently.
Desktop: A desktop is a computer display area that represents the kinds of objects one might find on a real desktop: documents, phonebook, reference sources, writing tools, project folders, etc.
Diskette: A diskette is a random access, removable data storage medium that can be used with personal computers. The term usually refers to the magnetic medium housed in a rigid plastic cartridge measuring 3.5 inches square and about 2 millimeters thick. Also called a "3.5-inch diskette," it can store up to 1.44 megabytes (MB) of data.
DLL: In computers, a dynamic link library (DLL) is a collection of small programs, any of which can be called when needed by a larger program that is running in the computer. The small program that lets the larger program communicate with a specific device such as a printer or scanner is often packaged as a DLL program (usually referred to as a DLL file). DLL files that support specific device operation are known as device drivers.
Download: Downloading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another, usually smaller computer system. From the Internet user's point-of-view, to download a file is to request it from another computer (or from a Web page on another computer) and to receive it.
Driver: A driver is a program that interacts with a particular device or special (frequently optional) kind of software. The driver contains the special knowledge of the device or special software interface that programs using the driver do not. In personal computers, a driver is often packaged as a dynamic link library (DLL) file.
Email: Email (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages by telecommunication. Email was one of the first uses of the Internet and is still the most popular use.
Email Spoofing: Email spoofing is the forgery of an e-mail header so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. Distributors of spam often use spoofing in an attempt to get recipients to open, and possibly even respond to, their solicitations.
Email Virus: An email virus is computer code sent to you as an email note attachment which, if activated, will cause some unexpected and usually harmful effect, such as destroying certain files on your hard disk and causing the attachment to be re-mailed to everyone in your address book. Although not the only kind of computer virus, e-mail viruses are the best known and undoubtedly cause the greatest loss of time and money overall.
Easter Egg: An Easter egg is an unexpected surprise, perhaps a message, an image, or a sound, hidden in a Web site or in an application program.
Emoticon: On the Internet in e-mail, chatting, and text messaging, an emoticon (sometimes referred to by the name of the original emoticon, the smiley) is a short sequence of keyboard letters and symbols, usually emulating a facial expression, expressing a feeling that supplements the message.
:-) Smile
;-) Smile with a wink
:<}) User with mustache, smiling
:-|| Mad
:-( Sad
:' -( Crying
:-D Big grin
:-* A kiss
:-o Wow!
:-| Grim
:-P Sticking out your tongue
:-/ Perplexed
=:O Frightened (hair standing on end)
=8O Bug-eyed with fright
:-} Embarassed smile
;-^) Tongue in cheek
>:) Perplexed look
.) Keeping an eye out for you
0:-) Angel
:-| "Have an ordinary day!" Smiley
Ethernet: Ethernet is the most widely-installed local area network (LAN) technology.
Executable: In computers, to execute a program is to run the program in the computer, and, by implication, to start it to run. In usage, people run programs and systems execute them. That is, a system user asks the system to run the program (or sets it up so that this happens automatically at a certain time) and, as a result, the system executes the program.
Faraday cage: A Faraday cage is a metallic enclosure that prevents the entry or escape of an electromagnetic field (EM field). An ideal Faraday cage consists of an unbroken, perfectly conducting shell. This ideal cannot be achieved in practice, but can be approached by using fine-mesh copper screening. For best performance, the cage should be directly connected to an earth ground.
FAT: A file allocation table (FAT) is a table that an operating system maintains on a hard disk that provides a map of the clusters (the basic units of logical storage on a hard disk) that a file has been stored in. When you write a new file to a hard disk, the file is stored in one or more clusters that are not necessarily next to each other; they may be rather widely scattered over the disk. The operating system creates a FAT entry for the new file that records where each cluster is located and their sequential order. When you read a file, the operating system reassembles the file from clusters and places it as an entire file where you want to read it.
Fatal Exception: In a computer error message, a fatal exception indicates an exceptional situation requiring that the program responsible for the situation be closed. In general, an exception is any uncontemplated situation (which includes but is not limited to program errors). A fatal exception simply means the exception can't really be handled so that the program can continue to run.
FDISK: FDISK is a utility, included in all versions of MS-DOS and Windows, for formatting (preparing) a hard disk drive to hold data and to logically partition the disk, specifying and naming major portions of it for different uses. FDISK is used to prepare and partition a brand new hard drive, and typically most personal computers today arrive with the drive already partitioned and loaded with the operating system and perhaps other software.
File: A file is an entity of data available to system users that is capable of being manipulated as an entity (for example, moved from one file directory to another). The file must have a unique name within its own directory.
File Allocation Table: A file allocation table (FAT) is a table that an operating system maintains on a hard disk that provides a map of the clusters (the basic units of logical storage on a hard disk) that a file has been stored in. When you write a new file to a hard disk, the file is stored in one or more clusters that are not necessarily next to each other; they may be rather widely scattered over the disk. The operating system creates a FAT entry for the new file that records where each cluster is located and their sequential order. When you read a file, the operating system reassembles the file from clusters and places it as an entire file where you want to read it.
File Transfer Protocol: File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a standard Internet protocol, is the simplest way to exchange files between computers on the Internet. Like the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which transfers displayable Web pages and related files, and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which transfers e-mail, FTP is an application protocol that uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols. FTP is commonly used to transfer Web page files from their creator to the computer that acts as their server for everyone on the Internet. It's also commonly used to download programs and other files to your computer from other servers.
Firewall: A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server, that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks.
Flash: Flash, a popular authoring software developed by Macromedia, is used to create animation programs small enough to stream across a normal modem connection.
Flash Memory: Flash memory (sometimes called "flash RAM") is a type of constantly-powered nonvolatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks.
Format: A format is a pre-established layout for data. A computer program accepts data as input in a certain format, processes it, and provides it as output in the same or another format. All data is stored in some format with the expectation that it will be processed by a program that knows how to handle that format.
A hard disk or other storage device is also said to be formatted when its space has been organized and divided into pieces that can be controlled for convenient storage and access.
To format a document or file for printing or displaying is to add the necessary information to it so that the output device will know how to present the output.
To format a hard disk or diskette is to set up the space divisions on the medium and initiate a space allocation table that will know exactly how to reach each bit of data that may be stored there later.
Free Software: Free software is software that can be freely used, modified, and redistributed with only one restriction: any redistributed version of the software must be distributed with the original terms of free use, modification, and distribution (known as copyleft). The definition of free software is stipulated as part of the GNU Project and by the Free Software Foundation. Free software may may be packaged and distributed for a fee; the "free" refers to the ability to reuse it, modified or unmodified, as part of another software package. As part of the ability to modify, users of free software may also have access to and study the source code.
Freeware: Freeware is programming that is offered at no cost and is a common class of small applications available for downloading and use in most operating systems. Because it may be copyrighted, you may or may not be able to reuse it in programming you are developing.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a standard Internet protocol, is the simplest way to exchange files between computers on the Internet. Like the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which transfers displayable Web pages and related files, and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which transfers e-mail, FTP is an application protocol that uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols. FTP is commonly used to transfer Web page files from their creator to the computer that acts as their server for everyone on the Internet. It's also commonly used to download programs and other files to your computer from other servers.
GB: A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is "roughly" a billion bytes. A gigabyte is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation.
Ghost Imaging: Ghost imaging is the copying of the contents of a computer's hard disk into a single compressed file or set of files (referred to as an image) so that the contents of the hard disk, including configuration information and applications, can be copied to the hard disk of other computers or onto an optical disc for temporary storage.
GHz: The gigahertz, abbreviated GHz, is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one thousand million hertz (1,000,000,000 Hz). The gigahertz is used as an indicator of the frequency of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) and microwave EM signals and also, in some computers, to express microprocessor clock speed.
Gigabyte: A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is "roughly" a billion bytes. A gigabyte is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation.
Gigahertz: The gigahertz, abbreviated GHz, is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one thousand million hertz (1,000,000,000 Hz). The gigahertz is used as an indicator of the frequency of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) and microwave EM signals and also, in some computers, to express microprocessor clock speed.
GIF: The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is one of the two most common file formats for graphic images on the World Wide Web. The other is the JPEG.
Gigabyte: A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is "roughly" a billion bytes. A gigabyte is two to the 30th power, or 1,073,741,824 in decimal notation.
Google: Google is a popular Web search engine that says it offers search access to over three million Web documents in over 30 languages. Almost half of Google's over 150 million searches a day are said to originate from U.S. locations; the rest come from places as far-flung as Antarctica and Ghana. During its peak traffic hours between six a.m. and noon PST, Google processes over 2,000 user searches per second. The central component of Google searching is its trademarked "PageRank" technology that rates Web pages for usefulness and lists result links accordingly.
Graphical User Interface: A GUI is a graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer. The term came into existence because the first interactive user interfaces to computers were not graphical; they were text-and-keyboard oriented and usually consisted of commands you had to remember and computer responses that were infamously brief.
GUI: A GUI is a graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer. The term came into existence because the first interactive user interfaces to computers were not graphical; they were text-and-keyboard oriented and usually consisted of commands you had to remember and computer responses that were infamously brief.
Hacker: Hacker is a term used by some to mean "a clever programmer" and by others, especially journalists or their editors, to mean "someone who tries to break into computer systems."
Hard Disk: A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive," "hard drive," or "hard disk drive," that stores and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces. Today's computers typically come with a hard disk that contains several billion bytes (gigabytes) of storage.
Hardware: Hardware is the physical aspect of computers, telecommunications, and other devices. The term arose as a way to distinguish the "box" and the electronic circuitry and components of a computer from the program you put in it to make it do things. The program came to be known as the software.
Heatsink: A heatsink is a device that
is attached to a microprocessor chip to keep it from overheating by absorbing
its heat and dissipating it into the air. Generally, a microprocessor's
temperature should not run in excess of 50-55
Home Page: The home page is the first Web page that is displayed after starting a Web browser like Netscape's Navigator or Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
HTML: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page. The markup tells the Web browser how to display a Web page's words and images for the user.
HTTP: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the set of rules for transferring files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web. As soon as a Web user opens their Web browser, the user is indirectly making use of HTTP.
Hyper-Threading: Hyper-Threading is a technology used by some Intel microprocessors that allows a single microprocessor to act like two separate processors to the operating system and the application programs that use it. It is a feature of Intel'sWith Hyper-Threading, a microprocessor's "core" processor can execute two (rather than one) concurrent streams (or threads) of instructions sent by the operating system. Having two streams of execution units to work on allows more work to be done by the processor during each clock cycle. To the operating system, the Hyper-Threading microprocessor appears to be two separate processors.
ICQ: ICQ ("I Seek You") is a program you can download that will let you know when friends and contacts are also online on the Internet. ICQ allows you to page them, chat with them, and initiate and participate in PC-to-PC calls, PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone calling cards calls. Like AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM), in order to use ICQ, both parties must have downloaded the program.
IM: Instant messaging is the ability to easily see whether a chosen friend or co-worker is connected to the Internet and, if they are, to exchange messages with them. Instant messaging differs from ordinary email in the immediacy of the message exchange and also makes a continued exchange simpler than sending email back and forth. Most exchanges are text-only. However, some services, such as AOL, allow voice messaging and file sharing.
Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer (IE) - sometimes referred to as Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) - is the most widely used World Wide Web browser. It comes with the Microsoft Windows operating system and can also be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site.
Internet Service Provider: An ISP (Internet service provider) is a company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting. An ISP has the equipment and the telecommunication line access required to have a point-of-presence on the Internet for the geographic area served.
IP Address: An IP address is a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent in packets across the Internet.
ISP: An ISP (Internet service provider) is a company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting. An ISP has the equipment and the telecommunication line access required to have a point-of-presence on the Internet for the geographic area served.
IT: IT (information technology) is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange, and use information in its various forms.
Java: Java is a programming language expressly designed for use in the distributed environment of the Internet. It was designed to have the "look and feel" of the C++ language, but it is simpler to use than C++ and enforces an object-oriented programming model. Java can be used to create complete applications that may run on a single computer or be distributed among servers and clients in a network. It can also be used to build a small application module or applet for use as part of a Web page. Applets make it possible for a Web page user to interact with the page.
Java Virtual Machine: A Java virtual machine (JVM), an implementation of the Java Virtual Machine Specification, interprets compiled Java binary code (called bytecode) for a computer's processor (or "hardware platform") so that it can perform a Java program's instructions.
JPEG: JPEG (usually pronounced JAY-pehg) is also a term for any graphic image file produced by using a JPEG standard. A JPEG file is created by choosing from a range of compression qualities (actually, from one of a suite of compression algorithms). When you create a JPEG or convert an image from another format to a JPEG, you are asked to specify the quality of image you want. Since the highest quality results in the largest file, you can make a trade-off between image quality and file size.
Jumper: In a computer, a jumper is a pair of prongs that are electrical contact points set into the computer motherboard or an adapter card. When you set a jumper, you place a plug on the prongs that completes a contact. In effect, the jumper acts as a switch by closing (or opening) an electrical circuit. Jumpers can be added or removed to change the function or performance of a PC component. A group of jumpers is sometimes called a jumper block.
Kazaa: Kazaa (its full name is Kazaa Media Desktop or KMD) is a decentralized Internet peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program owned by Sharman Networks. Kazaa is described as "a proactive, virtual, global technology and publishing company, focused on delivering peer-to-peer software."
Sharman Networks maintains that peer-to-peer file sharing has legitimate applications and that the technology should not be prohibited simply because some people might misuse it to exchange copyrighted materials. To that end, Kazaa has partnered with a company called Altnet to promote legally licensed music files, videos, video games, and time-restricted downloads. Kazaa has been criticized in its effort to go mainstream, mainly because it includes advertising software (adware) in the installation.
Unlike the file-sharing program Napster, which used a centralized server to index files, Kaaza users share files directly from each other's hard drives. A computer's owner can decide during Kazaa setup which, if any, files on their computer will be available for sharing.
Network administrators tend to discourage the use of Kazaa, because in addition to Kazaa users taking up valuable network resources, several damaging viruses and worms have been distributed from within its interface.
keystroke logger: A keystroke logger, sometimes called a system monitor, is a hardware device or small program that monitors each keystroke a user types on a specific computer's keyboard. As a hardware device, a keystroke logger is a small battery-sized plug that serves as a connector between the user's keyboard and computer. Because the device resembles an ordinary keyboard plug, it is relatively easy for someone who wants to monitor a user's behavior to physically hide such a device "in plain sight." (It also helps that most workstation keyboards plug into the back of the computer.) As the user types, the device collects each keystroke and saves it as text in its own miniature hard drive. At a later point in time, the person who installed the keystroke logger must return and physically remove the device in order to access the information the device has gathered.
A keystroke logger program does not require physical access to the user's computer. It can be downloaded on purpose by someone who wants to monitor activity on a particular computer or it can be downloaded unwittingly as spyware and executed as part of a rootkit or remote administration (RAT) Trojan. A keystroke logger program typically consists of two files that get installed in the same directory: a dynamic link library (DLL) file (which does all the recording) and an executable file (.EXE) that installs the DLL file and triggers it to work. The keystroke logger program records each keystroke the user types and uploads the information over the Internet periodically to whoever installed the program.
Although keystroke logger programs are promoted for benign purposes like allowing parents to monitor their children's whereabouts on the Internet, most privacy advocates agree that the potential for abuse is so great that legislation should be enacted to clearly make the unauthorized use of keystroke loggers a criminal offense.
kHz: The kilohertz, abbreviated kHz or KHz*, is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one thousand hertz (1,000 Hz). The unit is also used in measurements or statements of signal bandwidth.
Kilobyte: As a measure of computer memory or storage, a kilobyte (KB) is approximately a thousand bytes (actually, 2 to the 10th power, or decimal 1,024 bytes).
LAN: A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users. A local area network may serve as few as two or three users or as many as thousands of users.
Lan Party: A LAN party is a gathering in which gamers (devotees of computer games) gather to share a local area network (LAN) and participate in extended gaming sessions of popular games such as HALO, Quake, Doom, or Wolfenstein. On a LAN, response time among players is much faster than the same interaction over the Internet, changing the quality of the game. In addition, gamers have the opportunity to meet other participants in the flesh. LAN parties range in size from a few players getting together in a private home to gatherings of over a thousand players converging to participate in a large public event.
Lindows: Linspire, formerly known as Lindows, is a low-cost commercial Linux-based operating system with a user interface similar to the latest Microsoft Windows operating system. Although Linspire is proprietary, rather than open source like Linux, it is considerably less expensive than Windows XP.
Linspire: Formerly known as Lindows, is a low-cost commercial Linux-based operating system with a user interface similar to the latest Microsoft Windows operating system. Although Linspire is proprietary, rather than open source like Linux, it is considerably less expensive than Windows XP.
Linux: Linux is a Unix-like operating system that was designed to provide personal computer users a free or very low-cost operating system comparable to traditional and usually more expensive Unix systems. Linux has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing system.
LCD: LCD (liquid crystal display) is the technology used for displays in notebook and other smaller computers. LCDs consume much less power than LED and gas-display displays because they work on the principle of blocking light rather than emitting it.
Local Area Network: A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users. A local area network may serve as few as two or three users or as many as thousands of users.
LPT: LPT (line print terminal) is the usual designation for a parallel port connection to a printer or other device on a personal computer. Most PCs come with one or two LPT connections designated as LPT1 and LPT2.
MAC Address: In a local area network (LAN) or other network, the MAC (Media Access Control) address is your computer's unique hardware number. (On an Ethernet LAN, it's the same as your Ethernet address.) When you're connected to the Internet from your computer, a correspondence table relates your IP address to your computer's physical (MAC) address on the LAN.
Mail Server: A mail server is an application that receives incoming e-mail from local users (people within the same domain) and remote senders and forwards outgoing e-mail for delivery. A computer dedicated to running such applications is also called a mail server.
Megabyte: As a measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory, a megabyte (abbreviated MB) is 2 to the 20th power bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes in decimal notation.
Megahertz: The megahertz, abbreviated MHz, is a unit of
alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (
Microchip: A microchip is a unit of packaged computer circuitry that is manufactured from a material such as silicon at a very small scale. Microchips are made for program logic and for computer memory (RAM).
Microprocessor: A microprocessor is a computer processor on a microchip. It's sometimes called a logic chip. It is the "engine" that goes into motion when you turn your computer on. A microprocessor is designed to perform arithmetic and logic operations that make use of small number-holding areas called registers. Typical microprocessor operations include adding, subtracting, comparing two numbers, and fetching numbers from one area to another. These operations are the result of a set of instructions that are part of the microprocessor design. When the computer is turned on, the microprocessor is designed to get the first instruction from the basic input/output system (BIOS) that comes with the computer as part of its memory. After that, either the BIOS, or the operating system that BIOS loads into computer memory, or an application program is "driving" the microprocessor, giving it instructions to perform.
Microsoft: Microsoft is the world's leading producer of computer software. Microsoft was incorporated in 1981, but the company's roots go back at least as far as 1975, when the first commercially available personal computer appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics. Microsoft's major breakthrough occurred in 1981 when they furnished an operating system for IBM's first major entry into personal computers. Called PC-DOS by IBM, Microsoft also marketed its own version, MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).
Mirror: A mirror is a Web site or set of files on a computer server that has been copied to another computer server so that the site or files are available from more than one place. For files that are popular for downloading, a mirror helps reduce network traffic, ensures better availability of the Web site or files, or enables the site or downloaded files to arrive more quickly for users close to the mirror site.
Modem: A modem modulates outgoing digital signals from a computer or other digital device to analog signals for a conventional copper twisted pair telephone line and demodulates the incoming analog signal and converts it to a digital signal for the digital device.
Multitasking: In a computer operating system, multitasking is allowing a user to perform more than one computer task (such as the operation of an application program) at a time. The operating system is able to keep track of where you are in these tasks and go from one to the other without losing information.
Motherboard: A motherboard is the physical arrangement in a computer that contains the computer's basic circuitry and components. On the typical motherboard, the circuitry is imprinted or affixed to the surface of a firm planar surface and usually manufactured in a single step. The most common motherboard design in desktop computers today is the AT, based on the IBM AT motherboard. A more recent motherboard specification, ATX, improves on the AT design. In both the AT and ATX designs, the computer components included in the motherboard are:
- The microprocessor
- (Optionally) coprocessors
- Memory
- basic input/output system (BIOS)
- Expansion slot
- Interconnecting circuitry
Additional components can be added to a motherboard through its expansion slot. The electronic interface between the motherboard and the smaller boards or cards in the expansion slots is called the bus.
MS DOS: MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the Microsoft-marketed version of the first widely-installed operating system in personal computers. It was essentially the same operating system that Bill Gates's young company developed for IBM as Personal Computer - Disk Operating System (PC-DOS).
Napster: (OLD DEFINITION!!!) Napster is a controversial application that allows people to share music over the Internet without having to purchase their own copy on CD. After downloading Napster, a user can get access to music recorded in the MP3 format from other users who are online at the same time. You can simply type in the name of an artist or song, receive a list of what's available, and then download the music from another user's hard drive. Users need to continually check the Napster directory since the music that is available depends on who is online at the time.
Nerd: A nerd is a technically bright but socially inept person. The classic image of the nerd has been the wild-haired genius kid with thick-lensed glasses surrounded by test tubes and computers. Microsoft's Bill Gates is sometimes considered the walking embodiment of the older, successful nerd. As computer technology becomes less frightening and "nerdish" to larger numbers of people, society seems to be developing a more tolerant, even benevolent view of the nerd.
Network: A network is a series of points or nodes interconnected by communication paths. Networks can interconnect with other networks and contain subnetworks.
Network Access Point: A network access point (NAP) is one of several major Internet interconnection points that serve to tie all the Internet access providers together so that, for example, an AT&T user in Portland, Oregon can reach the Web site of a Bell South customer in Miami, Florida.
Network Access Server: A network access server (NAS) is a computer server that enables an independent service provider (ISP) to provide connected customers with Internet access. A network access server has interfaces to both the local telecommunication service provider such as the phone company and to the Internet backbone.
Newbie: A newbie (or Noob) is a novice or neophyte: anyone who is new to any particular type of endeavor, such as a sport or a technology. The term is commonly applied to new users of personal computers and to new users of the Internet.
Node: In a network, a node is a connection point, either a redistribution point or an end point for data transmissions. In general, a node has programmed or engineered capability to recognize and process or forward transmissions to other nodes.
Noob: A Noob (or newbie) is a novice or neophyte: anyone who is new to any particular type of endeavor, such as a sport or a technology. The term is commonly applied to new users of personal computers and to new users of the Internet.
OCR: OCR (optical character recognition) is the recognition of printed or written text characters by a computer. This involves photoscanning of the text character-by-character, analysis of the scanned-in image, and then translation of the character image into character codes.
Online: Online is the condition of being connected to a network of computers or other devices. The term is frequently used to describe someone who is currently connected to the Internet.
Open Source: In general, open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit. (Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available.) Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available.
OpenGL: OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is the computer industry's standard application program interface (API) for defining 2-D and 3-D graphic images. Prior to OpenGL, any company developing a graphical application typically had to rewrite the graphics part of it for each operating system platform and had to be cognizant of the graphics hardware as well. With OpenGL, an application can create the same effects in any operating system using any OpenGL-adhering graphics adapter.
Operating System: An operating system (sometimes abbreviated as "OS") is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by a boot program, manages all the other programs in a computer. The other programs are called applications or application programs. The application programs make use of the operating system by making requests for services through a defined application program interface (API). In addition, users can interact directly with the operating system through a user interface such as a command language or a graphical user interface (GUI).
Optical Mouse: An optical mouse is an advanced computer pointing device that uses a light-emitting diode (LED), an optical sensor, and digital signal processing (DSP) in place of the traditional mouse ball and electromechanical transducer. Movement is detected by sensing changes in reflected light, rather than by interpreting the motion of a rolling sphere.
Overclocking: Overclocking is resetting your computer so
that the microprocessor runs faster than the manufacturer-specified speed (for
example, setting an Intel 166
P2P: Peer-to-peer (P2P) is a communications model in which each party has the same capabilities and either party can initiate a communication session. In recent usage, peer-to-peer has come to describe applications in which users can use the Internet to exchange files with each other directly or through a mediating server.
Palm: Palm is the trade name for a popular personal digital assistant (PDA), a form of handheld device that is also known as a palmtop computer.
Palm OS: Palm OS is the computer operating system that provides a software platform for the Palm series of handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) made by Palm Inc. According to Palm, Palm OS was designed from the beginning to fit into a palm-size device of a specific size and with a specific display size.
Partition: A partition is a logical division of a hard disk created so that you can have different operating systems on the same hard disk or to create the appearance of having separate hard drives for file management, multiple users, or other purposes. A partition is created when you format the hard disk.
Password: A password is an unspaced sequence of characters used to determine that a computer user requesting access to a computer system is really that particular user.
Path: A path is the route through a file system to a particular file. A pathname is the specification of that path. Each operating system has its own format for specifying a pathname.
Patriot Act: The Patriot Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress on October 26, 2001, at the request of President George Bush in response to the terrorist acts of September 11 (2001). It gives controversial new powers to the Justice Department in terms of domestic and international surveillance of American citizens and others within its jurisdiction. According to its sponsors, the Act was needed to address a situation that had not existed before - the presence of terrorists within national borders - and the need to apprehend and prosecute them, hopefully before rather than after they acted.
Payload: The eventual effect of a software virus that has been delivered to a user's computer.
PayPal: PayPal is a Web-based application for the secure transfer of funds between member accounts.
PCI: PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) is an interconnection system between a microprocessor and attached devices in which expansion slots are spaced closely for high speed operation.
PDA: PDA (personal digital assistant) is a term for any small mobile hand-held device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy.
PDF: PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format that has captured all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print, or forward to someone else. PDF files are created using Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Capture, or similar products. To view and use the files, you need the free Acrobat Reader, which you can easily download. Once you've downloaded the Reader, it will start automatically whenever you want to look at a PDF file.
Peer-to-peer: Peer-to-peer (P2P) is a communications model in which each party has the same capabilities and either party can initiate a communication session. In recent usage, peer-to-peer has come to describe applications in which users can use the Internet to exchange files with each other directly or through a mediating server.
Personal Digital Assistant: PDA (personal digital assistant) is a term for any small mobile hand-held device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy.
Pentium: The Pentium is a widely-used personal computer microprocessor from the Intel Corporation.
Personal Video Recorder: A personal video recorder (PVR) is an interactive TV recording device, in essence a sophisticated set-top box with recording capability.
Phishing: Phishing (prounounced "fishing") is a scam where the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking e-mails appearing to come from some of the Web's biggest sites (including eBay, PayPal, MSN, Yahoo, BestBuy, and America Online) in an effort to phish for personal and financial information from the recipient.
Phreak: A phreak is someone who breaks into the telephone network illegally, typically to make free long-distance phone calls or to tap phone lines. The term is now sometimes used to include anyone who breaks or tries to break the security of any network.
Ping: Ping is a basic Internet program that lets you verify that a particular IP address exists and can accept requests. The verb ping means the act of using the ping utility or command. Ping is used diagnostically to ensure that a host computer you are trying to reach is actually operating.
Pixel: The pixel is the basic unit of programmable color on a computer display or in a computer image.
Plug-in: Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of your Web browser. A plug-in application is recognized automatically by the browser and its function is integrated into the main HTML file that is being presented.
POP3: POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) is the most recent version of a standard protocol for receiving e-mail. POP3 is a client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. Periodically, you (or your client e-mail receiver) check your mail-box on the server and download any mail, probably using POP3. This standard protocol is built into most popular e-mail products.
Pop-Up: A pop-up is a graphical user interface (GUI) display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears ("pops up") in the foreground of the visual interface. Pop-ups can be initiated by a single or double mouse click or rollover (sometimes called a mouseover), and also possibly by voice command or can simply be timed to occur. A pop-up window must be smaller than the background window or interface; otherwise, it's a replacement interface.
Portable Document Format: PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format that has captured all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print, or forward to someone else. PDF files are created using Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Capture, or similar products. To view and use the files, you need the free Acrobat Reader, which you can easily download. Once you've downloaded the Reader, it will start automatically whenever you want to look at a PDF file.
Process: A process is an instance of a program running in a computer. It is close in meaning to task, a term used in some operating systems.
Processor: A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a computer. The term processor has generally replaced the term central processing unit (CPU).Program: A program is a specific set of ordered operations for a computer to perform.
Protocol: A protocol is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate.
PS/2 Connector: A PS/2 connector is a round connector with six PINs that some makes of personal computer use for the keyboard or mouse connection. There are two sizes, one with a diameter of about 1/4 inch and the other with a diameter of about 3/8 inch. The smaller size is more common, but adapters are available to convert one size to the other.
PVR: A personal video recorder (PVR) is an interactive TV recording device, in essence a sophisticated set-top box with recording capability.
Query: A query is a question, often required to be expressed in a formal way. In computers, what a user of a search engine or database enters is sometimes called the query.
Queue: A queue is a sequence of work objects that are waiting to be processed.
RAID: RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places (thus, redundantly) on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks, I/O operations can overlap in a balanced way, improving performance. Since multiple disks increases the mean time between failure (MTBF), storing data redundantly also increases fault-tolerance.
RAM: (Random Access Memory) A group of memory chips which function as the computer's primary workspace. The "random" in RAM means that the contents of each byte of storage in the chip can be directly accessed without regard to the bytes before or after it. However, RAM chips require power to maintain their content, which is why you must save your data onto disk before you turn the computer off.
Reboot: To reboot is to restart a computer and reload the operating system.
Refresh: To refresh is to redraw the image information from memory.
Registry: The registry is a single place for keeping such information as what hardware is attached, what system options have been selected, how computer memory is set up, and what application programs are to be present when the operating system is started.
Reload: To reload is to start a program over again, usually because it has crashed or because it has begun to display aberrant behavior.
Remote Procedure Call: Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a protocol that one program can use to request a service from a program located in another computer in a network without having to understand network details.
Remote Access: Remote access is the ability to get access to a computer or a network from a remote distance.
Restore: Restore is a process that involves copying backup files from secondary storage (tape, Zip disk or other backup media) to hard disk. A restore is performed in order to return data to its original condition if files have become damaged, or to copy or move data to a new location.
Restore Point: A restore point is a saved "snapshot" of your computer's data at a specific time. By creating a restore point, you can save the state of the operating system and your own data so that if future changes cause a problem, you can restore the system and your data to the way it was before the changes were made. When a restore point is established, your computer creates a backup copy of all data at that particular time.
Root Directory: The root directory is the directory that includes all other directories.
Router: A router is a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to.
Routine: Routine and subroutine are general and nearly synonymous terms for any sequence of code that is intended to be called and used repeatedly during the executable of a program. This makes the program shorter and easier to write (and also to read when necessary). The main sequence of logic in a program can branch off to a common routine when necessary. When finished, the routine branches back to the next sequential instruction following the instruction that branched to it. A routine may also be useful in more than one program and save other programmers from having to write code than can be shared.
RPC: Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a protocol that one program can use to request a service from a program located in another computer in a network without having to understand network details.
Safe Mode: Safe mode is an alternate boot method for Windows 95/98 that makes it easier to diagnose problems. The only startup programs loaded are the operating system and drivers for the mouse, keyboard, and display modes display.
ScanDisk: ScanDisk is a Windows utility used to check your hard disk for errors and to correct problems that are found. These errors often occur when Windows locks up and must be restarted.
Scanner: A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer editing and display.
Screen: The screen is the physical surface on which visual information is presented. This surface is usually made of glass. The screen size is measured from one corner to the opposite corner diagonally.
Screen Saver: A screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a personal computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in on a monitor. In fact, today's CRT display technology makes burn-in unlikely except under extreme conditions.
SCSI: SCSI (pronounced "scuzzy"), the Small Computer System Interface, is a set of ANSI standard electronic interfaces that allow personal computers to communicate with peripheral hardware such as disk drives, tape drives, CD-ROM drives, printers, and scanners faster and more flexibly than previous interfaces. Developed at Apple Computer and still used in the Macintosh, the present set of SCSIs are parallel interfaces. SCSI ports continue to be built into many personal computers today and are supported by all major operating systems.
Search Engine: A search engine is a coordinated set of programs that includes:
- A spider (also called a "crawler" or a "bot") that goes to every page or representative pages on every Web site that wants to be searchable and reads it, using hypertext links on each page to discover and read a site's other pages
- A program that creates a huge index (sometimes called a "catalog") from the pages that have been read
- A program that receives your search request, compares it to the entries in the index, and returns results to you
Sector: A sector is one of the "pie slices" the diskette or disk is divided into. Dividing the circular medium into pie slices is a way to organize it so that data can be located by the read/write heads of the drive.
Serial: Serial means one event at a time. It is usually contrasted with parallel, meaning more than one event happening at a time.
Server: A server is a computer program that provides services to other computer programs (and their users) in the same or other computers. The computer that a server program runs in is also frequently referred to as a server (though it may be used for other purposes as well).
Server Farm: A server farm is a group of computers acting as servers and housed together in a single location. A server farm is sometimes called a server cluster.
Service Pack: A service pack is an orderable or downloadable update to a customer's software that fixes existing problems and, in some cases, delivers product enhancements.
Service Set Identifier: A service set identifier (SSID) is a sequence of characters that uniquely names a wireless local area network (WLAN). This name allows stations to connect to the desired network when multiple independent networks operate in the same physical area.
Shareware: Shareware is software that is distributed free on a trial basis with the understanding that the user may need or want to pay for it later. Some software developers offer a shareware version of their program with a built-in expiration date (after 30 days, the user can no longer get access to the program). Other shareware (sometimes called liteware) is offered with certain capabilities disabled as an enticement to buy the complete version of the program.
Sheepdip: In computers, a sheepdip is the checking of media, usually diskettes or CD-ROMs, for viruses before they are used in a computer or network. A sheepdip computer is used only for virus-checking. The computer makes use of one or two antivirus programs that are kept current on a daily basis.
Smiley: A smiley is a sequence of typed characters that graphically produces the sideways image of someone smiling, like this :-)
SMTP: SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving e-mail. However, since it is limited in its ability to queue messages at the receiving end, it is usually used with one of two other protocols, POP3 or IMAP, that let the user save messages in a server mailbox and download them periodically from the server.
Snail MAil: Snail mail is a slang term for the regular postal service (for example, the U.S. Postal Service) with the implication that it is a lot slower than e-mail.
Software: Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. (The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.)
Sound Card: A sound card (also referred to as an audio card) is a peripheral device that attaches to the ISA or PCI slot on a motherboard to enable the computer to input, process, and deliver sound.
Source Code: Source code and object code refer to the "before" and "after" versions of a computer program that is compiled before it is ready to run in a computer.
Spam: Unsolicited bulk email. Some unsolicited messages contain viruses as attachments whereas others may prompt you to perform actions that might reveal confidential information about your company or fall victim to fraud.
Spam Filter: A spam filter is a program that is used to detect unsolicited and unwanted e-mail and prevent those messages from getting to a user's inbox.
Spider: A spider is a program that visits Web sites and reads their pages and other information in order to create entries for a search engine index.
Spoof: To spoof is to deceive for the purpose of gaining access to someone else's resources (for example, to fake an Internet address so that one looks like a certain kind of Internet user).
Spreadsheet: A spreadsheet is also a computer application program that simulates a physical spreadsheet by capturing, displaying, and manipulating data arranged in rows and columns.
Spyware: Any software that covertly gathers information about a user while he/she navigates the Internet and transmits the information to an individual or company that uses it for marketing or other purposes.
SSID: A service set identifier (SSID) is a sequence of characters that uniquely names a wireless local area network (WLAN). This name allows stations to connect to the desired network when multiple independent networks operate in the same physical area.
Static IP: A static IP address is a number that is assigned to a computer by an Internet service provider (ISP) to be its permanent address on the Internet. Computers use IP addresses to locate and talk to each other on the Internet, much the same way people use phone numbers to locate and talk to one another on the telephone.
Swap File: A swap file is a space on a hard disk used as the virtual memory extension of a computer's real memory (RAM). Having a swap file allows your computer's operating system to pretend that you have more RAM than you actually do. The least recently used files in RAM can be "swapped out" to your hard disk until they are needed later so that new files can be "swapped in" to RAM.
System: A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose. The word sometimes describes the organization or plan itself and sometimes describes the parts in the system (as in "computer system"). A computer system consists of hardware components that have been carefully chosen so that they work well together and software components or programs that run in the computer.
Taskbar: A taskbar is a visual device
on the desktop that typically shows the user which applications (tasks) are
currently active and running. Some taskbars, such as those in Windows operating
systems, also include icons for commonly-used utilities such as the
TCP/IP: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network . When you are set up with direct access to the Internet, your computer is provided with a copy of the TCP/IP program just as every other computer that you may send messages to or get information from also has a copy of TCP/IP.
Three-Finger-Salute: Ctrl-Alt-Delete is the combination of keyboard keys that the computer user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system (have it shut down and restart itself). In Windows 95 or any later systems, Ctrl-Alt-Delete brings up a window that allows a user to see the status of all currently running programs and to terminate any of them, and also offers the options of shutting down, restarting, and so on (the specific options vary slightly with the particular version of windows). In Windows 95 or 98, if Ctrl-Alt-Delete is pressed a second time or twice in a row quickly, the operating system closes all programs that are running and then restarts.
TIFF: TIFF (Tag Image File Format) is a common format for exchanging raster graphics (bitmap) images between application programs, including those used for scanner images. A TIFF file can be identified as a file with a ".tiff" or ".tif" file name suffix.
Toolbar: A toolbar is a horizontal row or vertical column of selectable image "buttons" that give the user a constantly visible reminder of and an easy way to select certain desktop or other application functions, such as saving or printing a document or moving pages forwards or backwards within a Web browser.
Trojan Horse: A Trojan horse is a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless programming or data in such a way that it can get control and do its chosen form of damage, such as ruining the file allocation table on your hard disk.
TrueType: TrueType was designed to fill the need for an optimized, scalable font format. The format uses hinting, a technique that preserves a font's design, even at a small scale or on a display with low resolution.
TWAIN: TWAIN is a widely-used program that lets you scan an image (using a scanner) directly into the application (such as PhotoShop) where you want to work with the image. Without TWAIN, you would have to close an application that was open, open a special application to receive the image, and then move the image to the application where you wanted to work with it. The TWAIN driver runs between an application and the scanner hardware.
TweakUI: TweakUI is a software utility that lets Windows users modify the desktop user interface and other system characteristics to their liking.
Trojan horses: Borrow their name from history and act in a manner similar to the original Trojan horse. They disguise themselves as standard computer programs that you might want to download (a solitaire game, for example) and work exactly as advertised. The only catch is that as you're happily playing solitaire (or whatever), a Trojan horse is doing something malicious in the background (such as deleting your My Documents folder).
UDF: Universal Disk Format (UDF) is a
CD-ROM and DVD file system standard developed as a means of ensuring consistency
among data written to various optical media, by facilitating both data
interchange and the implementation of the
Universal Disk Format: Universal Disk
Format (UDF) is a CD-ROM and DVD file system standard developed as a means of
ensuring consistency among data written to various optical media, by
facilitating both data interchange and the implementation of the
Universal Plug and Play: Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a standard that uses Internet and Web protocols to enable devices such as PCs, peripherals, intelligent appliances, and wireless devices to be plugged into a network and automatically know about each other.
Universal Serial Bus: USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices (such as audio players, joysticks, keyboards, telephones, scanners, and printers). With USB, a new device can be added to your computer without having to add an adapter card or even having to turn the computer off.
Uniform Resource Locator: A URL (Uniform Resource Locator, previously Universal Resource Locator) - usually pronounced by sounding out each letter but, in some quarters, pronounced "Earl" - is the unique address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. A common way to get to a Web site is to enter the URL of its home page file in your Web browser's address line.
Upgrade: An upgrade is a new version of or addition to a hardware or, more often, software product that is already installed or in use. Upgrades may be sold as specially labeled, less expensive "upgrade" packages to existing users alongside versions of the product that are made for sale to first-time users.
UPnP: Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a standard that uses Internet and Web protocols to enable devices such as PCs, peripherals, intelligent appliances, and wireless devices to be plugged into a network and automatically know about each other.
Upload: Uploading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another, usually larger computer system. From a network user's point-of-view, to upload a file is to send it to another computer that is set up to receive it.
URL: A URL (Uniform Resource Locator, previously Universal Resource Locator) - usually pronounced by sounding out each letter but, in some quarters, pronounced "Earl" - is the unique address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. A common way to get to a Web site is to enter the URL of its home page file in your Web browser's address line.
USB: USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices (such as audio players, joysticks, keyboards, telephones, scanners, and printers). With USB, a new device can be added to your computer without having to add an adapter card or even having to turn the computer off.
Utility: A utility is a small program that provides an addition to the capabilities provided by the operating system. In some usages, a utility is a special and nonessential part of the operating system.
Van Eck Phreaking: Van Eck phreaking is a form of eavesdropping in which special equipment is used to pick up telecommunication signals or data within a computer device by monitoring and picking up the electromagnetic fields (EM fields) that are produced by the signals or movement of the data. This electromagnetic radiation is present in, and with the proper equipment, can be captured from computer displays that use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), from printers, and from other devices.
Virus: Independent pieces of software that attach themselves to programs, disks, or documents. They then deliver a payload that determines the malicious nature of the virus. The payload of some viruses is as simple as displaying an annoying message on the screen, whereas other, more destructive viruses can destroy data. Viruses spread from system to system when users share the infected program, disk, or document.
Wallpaper: Wallpaper is the background pattern or picture against which desktop menus, icons, and other elements are displayed and moved around.
War Driving: War driving, also called access point mapping, is the act of locating and possibly exploiting connections to wireless local area networks while driving around a city or elsewhere.
Weblog: A weblog (or blog) is a personal journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. Topics sometimes include brief philosophical musings, commentary on Internet and other social issues, and links to other sites the author favors. The essential characteristics of the blog are its journal form, typically a new entry each day, and its informal style.
Website: A Website is a collection of Web files on a particular subject that includes a beginning file called a home page.
Whack-A-Mole: Whack-a-mole is the pursuit of a particular person known to have sent spam. The name refers to an arcade game where the player gains points by using a mallet to whack mechanical moles as they pop out of their holes. It is the job of the individual engaged in whack-a-mole to stop the spammer by notifying the Internet service provider (ISP) that provides the spammer's e-mail service. Like the moles in the arcade game, it is expected that an enthusiastic spammer who has been whacked (kicked off one ISP for spamming) will most likely pop up again by getting another account from which to spam.
What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get: A WYSIWYG editor or program is one that allows a developer to see what the end result will look like while the interface or document is being created. WYSIWYG is an acronym for "what you see is what you get". A WYSIWYG editor can be contrasted with more traditional editors that require the developer to enter descriptive codes (or markup) and do not permit an immediate way to see the results of the markup.
Whitelist: A whitelist is a list of e-mail addresses or domain names from which an e-mail blocking program will allow messages to be received. E-mail blocking programs, also called a spam filters, are intended to prevent most unsolicited e-mail messages (spam) from appearing in subscriber inboxes. But these programs are not perfect. Cleverly crafted spam gets through, and a few desired messages are blocked. Most Internet users can tolerate the occasional unsolicited e-mail advertisement that a spam filter misses, but are concerned by the thought that an important message might not be received. The whitelist option is a solution to the latter problem. The list can be gradually compiled over a period of time, and can be edited whenever the user wants.
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi (short for "wireless fidelity") is a term for certain types of wireless local area network (WLAN) that use specifications in the 802.11 family.
Wildcard: A wildcard character is a special character that represents one or more other characters. The most commonly used wildcard characters are the asterisk (*), which typically represents zero or more characters in a string of characters, and the questionmark (?), which typically represents any one character.
Windows: Windows is a personal computer operating system from Microsoft that, together with some commonly used business applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, has become a de facto "standard" for individual users in most corporations as well as in most homes.
Wireless: Wireless is a term used to describe telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves (rather than some form of wire) carry the signal over part or all of the communication path.
Word Processor: A word processor is a computer program that provides special capabilities beyond that of a text editor such as the WordPad program that comes as part of Microsoft's Windows operating systems. The term originated to distinguish text building programs that were "easy to use" from conventional text editors, and to suggest that the program was more than just an "editor."
Workstation: A workstation is a computer intended for individual use that is faster and more capable than a personal computer. It's intended for business or professional use (rather than home or recreational use).
World Wide Web: A technical definition of the World Wide Web is: all the resources and users on the Internet that are using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
Worm: a worm is a self-replicating virus that does not alter files but resides in active memory and duplicates itself. Worms use parts of an operating system that are automatic and usually invisible to the user. It is common for worms to be noticed only when their uncontrolled replication consumes system resources, slowing or halting other tasks.
WYSIWYG: A WYSIWYG editor or program is one that allows a developer to see what the end result will look like while the interface or document is being created. WYSIWYG is an acronym for "what you see is what you get". A WYSIWYG editor can be contrasted with more traditional editors that require the developer to enter descriptive codes (or markup) and do not permit an immediate way to see the results of the markup.
Worms: Very similar to viruses in that they spread from system to system and deliver a payload. The key difference between a worm and a virus is that worms spread under their own power. They don't require any action from the end user to infect additional systems.
Xeon: Xeon is a 400
XML: XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a flexible way to create common information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, intranets, and elsewhere.
Y2K: The year 2000 (also known as "Y2K") raised questions for anyone who depended on a program in which the year was represented by a two-digit number, such as "97" for 1997. Many programs written years ago (when storage limitations encouraged such information economies) are still being used. The problem was that when the two-digit space allocated for "99" rolled over to 2000, the next number was "00." Frequently, program logic assumes that the year number gets larger, not smaller - so "00" was anticipated to wreak havoc in a program that hadn't been modified to account for the millennium.
So pervasive was the problem in the world's legacy application payroll, billing, and other programs that a new industry sprang up dedicated to helping companies solve the problem. IBM and other major computer manufacturers, software houses, and consultants offered tools and services to address this problem.
Zip Drive: A Zip drive is a small, portable disk drive used primarily for backing up and archiving personal computer files. The trademarked Zip drive was developed and is sold by Iomega Corporation. Zip drives and disks come in two sizes. The 100 megabyte size actually holds 100,431,872 bytes of data or the equivalent of 70 floppy diskettes. There is also a 250 megabyte drive and disk
802.11: 802.11 is an evolving family of specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs) developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). There are several specifications in the family and new ones are occasionally added.
* * * This list of definitions is in no
way all inclusive. * * *
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