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Internet Tips for Parents - Internet Tips for Kids - Key Internet Terms

List of Key Internet Terms

Archie- No, not the comic book one, but a network service that searches FTP
sites for files.

Bookmark- A way to mark interesting or frequently used spots on the Internet
so you can revisit these pages without having to type in the web address.

Browser- Software such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft's Internet
Explorer that allows you to surf the web.

Client- The user of a network service; also used to describe a computer that
relies upon another for some or all of its resources.

Cookie- Refers to a piece of information sent to a browser that the browser
software is expected to save and send back when you re-visit that site. Cookies
contain information such as log-in or registration information, online "shopping
cart" information, user preferences, etc.

Directories- Similar to search engines, directories are indexes of web pages
organized by subject.

Domain or Domain Name- The address of a company or organization. Most are followed by either .com, .org or .edu. Many websites can be found by simply typing in the name of a firm and adding .com or .org, such as www.Familymanagement.com

Download- Copying data from another computer to your computer. Some large
documents or files will ask you to download to your home computer before
viewing.

E-Mail- Electronic mail that can be transmitted through the Internet and read by
other computers. You can send pictures and other files as well.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)- Documents containing answers to
frequently asked questions.

Filters- Software that allows the user to block certain areas of the Internet.

Firewall- Firewalls serve as a protective gateway between an organization's
internal network and the Internet.

Flame- a nasty piece of e-mail or comment in a newsgroup, usually in response
to a newsgroup posting that offended someone.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol- A common method of transferring files across
networks.

Gopher- A versatile menu-driven information service.

Homepage- The first document World Wide Web users see when connecting
to a Web server. It often is the home page of the users Internet Service Provider,
but can be changed.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)- The standard language used for
creating documents on the World Wide Web.

HTTP (Hypertext Transmission Protocol)- The standard language that
World Wide Web clients and servers use to communicate.

Hypermedia- Hypertext that includes or links to other forms of media.

Hypertext- Text that, when selected, has the ability to present connected
documents.

Internet- A collection of thousands of connected computer networks. It is the
end result of millions of computers that all use the same protocol to communicate
over both high and low-speed data lines.

Intranet- A private Internet network; restricted to only certain users who can
access the information and servers in the network. Many large corporations have
Intranets for their employees.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat)- An element of the Internet that allows participants
to "chat" online in a live forum that usually centers around a common interest.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)- - An extension of the public
telephone network designed to carry digitized voice calls, or data from one
subscriber to another.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)- - A company that sells access to the
Internet; most often through a local phone number.

JAVA- A language developed by Sun Microsystems that allows World Wide
Web pages to contain code that is executed on the browser. Using small Java
programs called applets, Web pages can include functions such as animation,
calculators, and other fancy tricks

Menu bar- A common element in graphic computer interfaces that allows users
to select options from menus

Newsgroups- Discussion groups broken down and categorized by subjects-not
news.

On-Line Services- Proprietary networks such as America On Line,
CompuServe, and Prodigy that offer online features and Internet access.

Plug-Ins- One of the reasons Netscape and Internet Explorer are such popular
browsers is that they allow third party vendors to create programs (plug-ins) that
run in conjunction with theirs. Plug-ins allow computers to play audio and video.

Search Engines- A search engine is a tool to help people locate information
available via the World Wide Web. By typing in key words, users can find
numerous websites that contain the information sought.

Server- A program that provides a service to other client programs.

Spamming-Unsolicited e-mail containing advertising or promotional messages
sent to large numbers of people.

Upload- Copying data from your computer to another computer such as the
server that hosts your home page.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)- A standardized way of representing
different documents, media and network services on the World Wide Web. The
website address is often referred to as the URL.

Webmaster- The administrator responsible for the management and often
design of a World Wide Web site.

World Wide Web-a collection of graphical documents made available on
computers around the world called servers. These servers can be viewed online
with a browser.

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