D:

Daimon:

A process that runs in the background, handling commands delivered for remote command execution. Typical daemons are the mailer daemon and the printer daemon.

Desktop publishing (DTP):

To design, create, and print a document by using a personal computer or workstation and professional grade word processing program.

Dial-up connection:

A connection between two machines through a phone line.

Direct Access:

Internet access that makes your computer a separate Internet node. SLIP and PPP effectively simulate direct access.

Directory:

A type of file that can contaain other files and directories.

E:

E-mail:

Electronic mail.

Empty element:

An HTML tag that has only one component. An empty element indicates a display instruction that should occur only at that point in the document.

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format:

A file format for graphics and text supported by several graphics drawing applications. An EPS file can contain two versions of an image: a bitmap useed to display the image on the screen and a PostScript description used to print the image. See also EPSI format.

Encapsulated PostScript Interchange (EPSI) format:

A version of the encapsulated PostScript fiormat that describes an image using a standard text file.

Executable file:

A file that can be processed or executed by the computer without any further translation. When a user types in the filename, the commands in the file are executed.

Extension:

<

In reference to filenames, a set of characters added to a filename that serves to extend or modify the syntax and semantics of the language. The extension is usually the characters that follow the period in a filename. For example, in the file "document.txt," the characters "txt" are the extension. The file-name extension can be assigned by the user or by (and have special meaning to) a program.

F:

FAQ:

Frequently Asked Questions. A list of common questions and answers about some specific topic. They're designed to keep users from asking the same questions constantly.

File:

A sequence of bytes constituting a unit of text, data, or program. A file can be stored in the system memory or on an external medium such as tape or disk.

Filename:

The name of a file as it is stored in a directory on a disk.

File permissions:

A set of permissions assigned to each file and directory that det4ermines which users have access to read, write, and execute its contents.

Finger:

A program that enables you to determine whether a specific user is currently online.

Flame:

To be nasty, vicious, or insulting over the Net, usually in response to an e-mail or newsgroup message that the flamer didn't like.

Folder:

A directory in a graphical user interface.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol:

The Internet protocol (and program) used to transfer files between hosts. Its most popular Internet use is "anonymous FTP," where you log in to a remote system using the login name anonymous and may need to type your full address as the password. With anonymous FTP, you don't need an acdount on the remote machine in order to access certain files. You can perform FTP through Gopher and tthe WWW or directly from a system command line.

G:

Gigabyte or Gbyte or GB:

1,073,741,824 bytes. One billion bytes. In reference to computers, byutes are often expressed in multiples of powers of two. Therefore, a gigabyte can also be 1024 megabytes, where a megabyte is considered to be 2 to the 20th power or 1, 048,576 bytes.

Gopher:

A text based Internet protocol which transfers information from one computer to another. It is being replaced with the more popular GUI based http. It was developed at the University of Minnesotta and was given the name of the school's mascot.

Graphics Interchange Format. Developed in 1987 by CompuServe. This bitmapped format came into being because people wanted to exchange inmages between different platforms. This format is now use on almost every platform that supports graphical applications. GIF format is not only a standard image type for WWW browsers, it is also the only image type that can be used for inline images on all platforms. The one drawback of GIF format is that it is limited to 256 colors.

Graphical User Interface (GUI):

A user interface, or GUI, that provides the user with a method of interacting with the computer and its special applications, usually via a mouse or other selection device. The GUI usually includes such things as windows, an intruitive method of manipulating directrories and files, and icons.

H:

Heterogenous network:

A network composed of systems of more than one architecture. Contrast with homogeneous network.

Hidden character:

One of a group of characters within the standard ASCII character set that are not printable.

Hidden fileP:

A special type of file, such as ".login," that doesn't show up in normal file listings. Special files usually pertain to system configuration.

Home directory:

The directory assigned by the user by the system administrator; usually the same as the login direcrtory. Additional directories the user creates stem from the home directory.

Home Page:

World Wide Web page, usually the first page of an organization's/person's web site.

Homogeneous network:

A network composed of systems of only one architecture. Contrast with heterogenous network.

Horizontal rule:

A horizontal line displayed when the (HR) HTML tag is processed.

Host Computer:

In general terms it is the "server" computer of a network. In terms of the Internet, it is a computer with a specific address which can be accessed from a remote computer.

Hotlist:

A list of URL links ato click on. Hotlists are used to record the address of an interesting place and return quickly. See also "bookmark."

Href or Hypertext reference:

The address of the destination of a hypertext link. ` In WWW, hypertext references are given in URL format.

HSFS:

See High Sierra file specification.

HTML - HyperText Markup Language:

The document formatting language used by WWW browsers.

http - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol:

The Internet protocol used to transfer documents and other MIME data between systems. This is the protocol on which the World Wide Web is based.

Hypertext:

A document that contains links to other documents, indicted by text in a nonstandard format. The linked document can be actively followed or referenced by clicking on the emphasized text.

I:

Icon:

An on-screen symbol that simplifies access to a program, command, or data file.

Image:

A picture or graphic representation of an object.

Inline image:

An image displayed in the browser display area, embedded within the text of the document.

Interactive:

Allowing the application and the user to carry on a dialog.

internet:

A collection of networks interconnected by a set of routers that enable them to function as a single large virtual network.

Internet:

(Note the capital "I") The largest internet in the world consisting of large national backbone nets (such as MILNET, NSFNET, and CREN)and a myriad of regional and local campus networks all over the world. The Internet uses the Internet protocol suite. To be on the Internet, the user must have IP connectivity, that is, be able to access other systems via telnet or ping. Networks with only email connectivity are not actually classified as being on the Internet.

Internet address:

A 32 bit address assigned to hosts using TCP/IP.

IP - Internet Protocol:

A unique protocol which tells computers what type of transmission is being transmitted. Examples include: http, gopher, FTP, telnet, etc.

Internet Service Provider (ISP):

The company which provides Internet access to your school or you as an individual. Think of this as a tree structure: your ISP in turn purchases services from a larger ISP who in turn purchases services from a backbone provider such as MCI.

J:

JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group:

A joint venture of the CCIT and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that developed a standard for compressing gray-scale or color still images.

K:

Kbps:

A unit of measure. 1 Kbps equal to 1024 bits per second. 28.8 Kbps = 28,800 bits per sec (approx.)

Kermit:

Common protocol and program that enables you to transfer files between your personal computer and the host computer.

Kilobyte or Kbyte:

A unit of measure equal to 1024 bytes.<[>

L:

LAN:

Local Area Network. A network of computers connected together in your school building or school campus. Popular LAN software includes Novell, Windows NT, 3Comm.

Link:

A hypertext reference to another document or another point in the same document.

Listserv / Mailing list:

An automated messaage service, often moderated by an "owner," where subscribers receive postings from other subscribers on a given topic.

Login directory:

The diredtory that is current after the user logs in. Usually, the home directory.

A character based WWW browser for Unix systems.

M:

Macro:

A user-defined shortcut that types text or alters something, based on a sequence of commands.

Mailbox:

A disk storage area assigned to a network user for receipt of electronic messages.

Mailing list / Listserv:

An automated message service, often moderated by an "owner," where subscribers receive postings from other subscriber on a given topic.

Map:

1. To assign a new interpretation of a terminal key. For example, you can "map" the @ key to represent the sequence a-Esc-j.

2. A file used by NIS that holds information of a particular type, for example, the password entries of all users on a network or the names of all host machines on a network.

Megabyte - Mbyte or MB:

A megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes or 1024 kilobytes; or roughly 1 million bytes or 1,000 kilobytes.

Menu:

A list of options from which a program user can select to perform a desired action. Manyu application programs use menus to provide the user with an easily understood alternative to memorizing program commands.

Megahertz (MHz):

The relative speed at which the computer processes information.

MIDI:

Pronounced "middy." Acronym for musical instrument digital interface. MIDI is a note-oriented control language for specifying music. MIDI data consists of codes specifying notes and timing. These codes can be generated by or output to MIDI compatible devices, such as keyboards or synthesizers. MIDI applications are generally found in the computer music industry and are used for studio control and audio production.

MIME - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions:

Defines the format of the contents of internet mail messages and provides for multipart textual and nontextual message bodies.

Modem:

Short for modulator/demodulator. A device that enables a machine or terminal to establish a connection and transfer data through telephone lines. Because a computer is digital and a t3lephone line is analog, modems are needed to convert digital into analog, and vice versa. See also baud rate.

Monitor:

The viewing screen. The most common computer monitor is the CRT type. Notebook computers use various forms of LCD screens. The resolution of a screen is expressed in pixels. The greater the number of pixels, the better the resolution. Also, the size of the pixel is important. The smaller the size of the pixel the sharper the picture.

Mouse:

An input device connected to the workstation that determines the location of the pointer. The basic features of a mouse are a casing with a flat bottom, designed to be gripped by one hand; one or more buttons on the top; diredtional detection device on the bottom, such as a ball or optical sensor; and a cable that attaches the mouse to the workstation.

MPEG - Moving Picture Experts Group:

A group that developed standards for compressing moving pictures and audio data and for synchronizing video and audio datastreams.

N:

Network administrator:

The person who maintains a network. Responsible for such things as: adding systems to a network or enabling sharing between systems.

NCSA:

National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Provides U.S. Internet backbone.

Network Operations Center (NOC):

Any center tasked with the operational aspects of a production network. These tasks include monitoring and control, troubleshooting, user assistance, and so on.

Meta list:

Also known as meta index or meta directory, these listings offer links to a wide variety of Web resources, and usually are sorted by topic.

Newsgroups:

Conglomerations of electronic mail messages sorted by topic, usually sent to thousands of users worldwide.

Node:

An addressable point on a network. A node can connect a computing system, a terminal, or various other peripheral devices to the network.

NSFNET

In the mid 80's the

National Science Foundation linked six U.S. supercomputer centers forming a network called NSFNET. Speed was increased from 56,000 bits per second (56 kbps or 56K) to 1.5 mbps (T-1).

O:

On-line:

Connected to the system and in operation.

Operating system:

A collection of programs that monitor the use of the system and supervise the other programs executed by it.

Optional argument:

An argument accepted but not required by a command.

P:

Packet-switching

A networking technology which makes it possible for data from different machines to share common transmission lines. Without it, dedicated lines linking one computer directly to another would be necessary, or at least preferred. With it in place, the network is built with lines linking node to node (one machine or network to another machine or network.) Packet-switching breaks data down into little packets, each with a code showing its destination and instructions for putting the packets back together again. The packets move individually through the network, joining up again when they all reach the destination.

Page Description Language (PDL):

A programming language, such as PostScript, that is used to describe output to t printer or a display devioce, which then uses the instructions from the page-description language to construct text and graphics to create the required page image.

Parse:

To break input into smaller chunks so that a program can act on the information. Compilers have parsers for translating the commands and structures entered by a programmer into machine language. A natural language parser accepts text in a human language such as English, attempts to determine its sequence structure, and trnaslates its terms into a form the program can use.

Partition:

The unit into which the disk space is divided by the software.

Password:

A security measure that restricts access to computer systems and sensitive files. A password is a unique string of characters that a user types in as an identification code. The system compares the code against a stored list of authorized passwords and users. If the code is legitimate, the system allows the user access, at whatever security level has been approved for the owner of the password.

Pixel:

Measure of resolution of a picture. Example: 1024 x 760 pixels is the resolution of a typical SVGA monitor.

Platform:

The foundation technology of a computer system. Because computers use layered devices composed of a chip level hardware layer, a firmware and operating system layer, and an applications program layer, the bottom layer of a machine is often called a platform, as in "a SPARC platform.: However, designers of applications software view both the hardware and systems software as the plato=form, because both provide support for an application.

Point to Point Protocol (PPP):

The successor to SLIP, PPP provides router to router and host to network connections over both synchronous and asynchronous circuits.

Port:

The abstraction used by Internet transport protocols to distinguish among multiple simultaneous connections to a single destination host.

Port numbers:

Numbers used by TCP/IP protocols to identify the end poibnts of communication.

PostScript:

A page description language (PDL) published by Adobe Systems Incorporated. PostScript describes the appearance of text and graphics on printed pages. The best known page description language, PostScript uses English like commands to control page layout and to load and scale outline fonts. Because PostScript uses scalable outline fonts, it can create a font of any size, giving the user flexibility in creating documents. PostScript is used in many printers, either as the only print na=ode or as one alternative among several.

Q:

Query:

The process by which a web client asks a web server to return information, based on a character string passed to the server.

R:

Radio button:

In graphical user interfaces, a means of selecting one of several mutually exclusive options, ususally within an option selection area such as a dialog box. The presence of radio buttons in a list of options means that only one of the options can be sleected at any given time. Visually, a radio button is a small circle that, when selected, has a smaller filled circle inside it.

RAM:

Randum Access Memory. Internal computer memory (not hard drive or disk memory). Programs and data are loaded into RAM for processing. Generally speaking, more RAM will increase processing speed because the computer will not have to pass data back and forth with the hard drive as frequently.

Readme file:

A file containing information that the user either needs or will find informative and that might not have been included in the documentation. Readme files are placed on disk in plain text form such as ASCII, so that they can be read esasily by wordprocessing programs.

Recursive:

A computer program that calls itself.

Redirection:

1. The channeling of output to a file or device instead of to the standard output.

2. The channeling of input from a file or device instead of from the standard output.

Relative address / Relative path:

An address that uses a path relative to a certain point. A series of directory names separated by the slash (/) character that locates a file or directory with respect to the working directory.

RGB:

Short for Red, Green, Blue. RGB color systems obtain their colors via a direct combination of red, green, and blue components. The range of colors that can be displayed depends on the number of bits that have been assigned to each pixel.

Root directory:

The base directory from which all other directories stem, directly or indirectly.

S:

Screen editor:

An editing program in which text is operated on relative to the position of the cursor on the screen. Commands for entering, changing, and removing text involve moving the cursor to the area to be altered and performing the necessary operation. Changes are viewed on the screen as they are made.

Script:

A type of program that consists of a set of instructions to an application or utility program. A script usually consists of instructions expressed using the application's or utility's rules and syntax, combinned with simple control structures such as loops and if/than expressions.

Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP):

An Internet protocol that runs IP over serial lines such as telephone circuits or RS232 cables interconnecting two systems. SLIP is now being replaced by point to point protocol (PPP).

Server:

1. In the client server model for file systems, the server is a machine with compute resources and is sometimes called the compute server, and large memory capacity. Client machines can remotely access and make use of these redsources. In the client server model for window systems, the server is a process that provides windowing services to an application or "client process." In this model, the client and the server can run on the same machine or on separate machines.

2. A daemon that actually handles the providing of files.

Session:

The time during which a program is running. With interactive programs typical of microcomputers, a session represents the time during which the program accepts input, processes information, and responds to user commands.

Shell:

A programmable command interpreter. The shell provides direct communication between the user and the operating system.

Shell program:

An executable file that is not a compiled program. A shell program calls the shell to read and execute commands contained in a file. This enables the user to store a sequence of commands in a file for repeated use.

Source code:

The uncompiled version of a program written in a language such as C or Pascal. The source code must be translated to machine language by a program known as the compiler before the computer can execute the program.

Structural Query Language (SQL):

The international standard language for defining and accessing relational databases.

Standard error:

An open file normally connected directly to a primary output device such as a terminal, printer, or screen. Error messages and other diagnostic output normally goes to this file and then to the output device. The user can redirect the standard error output into another file insetead of the printer or screen.

String:

A connected sequence of characters, words, or other elements.

String variable:

A sequence of characters that can be the value of a shell variable.

Subdirectory:

A directory that resides within another directory.

Syntax error:

An error in the use of language syntax; a statement that violates one or more of the grammatical rules of a language and is thur "not legal."

T:

T-1:

A transmission speed of

1.5 mbps (1.5 million bits per second).

T-3:

A transmission speed of 45 mbps (45 million bits per second).

Tag:

A sequence of characters starting with a < and ending with a > used to mark up text with display instructions.

Tag Image File Format (TIFF):

A standard file format commonly used for scanning, storage, and interchange of gray-scale graphic images.

Transport (Transmission) Control Protocol; (TCP):

The major transport protocol in the Internet suite of protocols providing reliable, connection-oriented, full-duplex streams.

Telnet:

An Internet protocol where a user remotely "signs onto" another computer. Usually requires a user-id and password for the computer being accessed.

Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

The protocol suite originally developed for the Internet. It is also called the Internet protocol suite. Any computer that connects to the Internet must use TCP/IP. It permits computers to talk to each other.

Tree structure:

A hierarchical calling sequemnce consisting of a root segment and one or more levels of segments called via the root segment.

U:

URL/URI/URN:

Uniform Resource Locator, Uniform Resource Identifier, or Univorm Resource Name. They all mean the same thing. An Internet http address made up of three fields:

1. Protocol -
2. Domain name -
3. Requested file - parts: that includes the protocol to reference the data, the system, path and data filename.

   Usenet (news, newsgroups):

   A worldwide network of systems with decentralized administration, used for electronic mail and transmission by special interest discussion groups.

   User ID:

   A number that identifies a user to the system.

   User Name:

   A combination of letters, and possibly numbers, that identifies a user to the system.

   Utility:

   A standard program, usually furnished at no charge with the purchase of a computer, that performs housekeeping functions.

V:

Variable:

A symbol with a value that may change. In the shell, the variable is a symbol representing some string of characters. Variables may be used in an interactive shell as well as within a shell procedure. Within a shell procedure, positional parameters and keyword parameters are two forms of variables.

W:

WAIS:

Wide Area Information Servers. An Internet protocol which facilitates the transmission of large information data bases.

Whitespace:

Characters that control the spacing, but do not show up in regular text. Whitespace includes tabs, spaces, carriage returns, and line feeds.

Wildcard:

A metacharacter used to represent a range of ordinary characters. Examples include the shell's use of * and ?.

Wordwrap:

The automatic continuation of text from the end of one line to the beginning of the next.

World Wide Web (WWW):

A network document publishing system that uses Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as the authoring language and Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) as the transport protocol. A variety of client and server products that support HTML and HTTP.

X:

Y: