ALT
One of the areas in Usenet News. In the .alt area alone,
there are hundreds of subgroups with discussions ranging
from siberian huskies to safe sex. |
Anti-Virus Scanners
Applications that scan, remove, and innoculate your
system against viruses that harm not only individual files
but also entire systems. A must if you ftp (file transfer
protocol)/download files from the Internet. |
Applet
A small program that only work inside of another program.
It can't start up on its own because it needs another program's
operating system and files. For example, Java applets (e.g.
clickable buttons or moving words) need a Java-aware web
browser. |
Archie
A huge database of files available for ftp (file transfer
protocol). You search for a file, then a list of sites that
have that particular file is generated. To download the
files just ftp at one of the sites. |
Audio Applications
Programs that play, record, manipulate, and convert
music and sounds. The many formats include midi, wav, and
au. With Real Audio sound starts playing immediately in
your browser. No more long waits for the entire file to
download first. |
Browser
Interactive software program for accessing the Internet.
The graphical interface displays pictures, text, and multimedia
elements such as video and sound clips. Interaction is through
mouse point and click actions. |
Browser Add-ons
Applications that make your browser do even more. Examples
range from simple address books to programs that automatically
download web pages for offline reading. Helper-apps and
Plug-ins are both types of Browser Add-ons. |
Bundled Applications
Applications that are packaged together. Some web browsers,
for instance, come packaged with ftp and gopher. Others
have integrated e-mail, telent, and news readers as well.
With an integrated package, there's just 1 installation,
not 3-6. And you access them all from a single place. |
Compression Utilities
Programs that compress and decompress files so they take
up less space. Files not only ftp much faster but they also
take up a lot less space on your computer. |
Control Panels
Tools to manage the organization of your computer from
the way the desktop looks to how the system works. |
Diagnostic Tools
Different programs for different things: From monitoring
and testing your system to monitoring and testing your Internet
connection. |
Dial-Up Adapter
Lets your computer connect to PPP, RAS, and Netware Connect
dial up servers using modem or cable. |
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies a specific Internet
site. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated
by dots. Names are regulated and assigned by the quasi-public
agency, Internic. |
Downloading
The process of receiving a file from another computer.
The file is downloaded by the receiver. |
E-Mail (Electronic mail)
Programs that enable a user on one computer to send messages
to users on other computers. This can be done in the same
office on a network or across the globe through a gateway
to the Internet. |
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
The process of sending/uploading files to-- and receiving/downloading
files from other computers. To do this you must first know
the name of the file and the address of the site where it
is located (use Archie). Then you can go to that site and
ftp it. |
Finger/Who
Programs that search for information on individuals over
the Internet. Names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses,
and the site at which they are located are all available;
but these programs don't work on with all systems. |
Games/Muds/Moo's
Programs for play! These games are played by interacting
with one or more folks over the Internet in a text-based
environment. |
General Utilities
Applications that make your Windowed life an easier one.
From new desktops to different file management systems and
clean up programs, it can get better! |
GIF
Animation (Graphic Interchange Format)
Pictures on the Internet are mostly GIF and JPEJ stills.
But now GIFs move too! Simple animation programs create
two frames of the animation. One is the GIF image in an
"up" postion (the regular, still GIF image); the other is
in a "down" postion. The program ties the 2 images together
into a non-stop mini-movie. |
Helper-App
A type of Broswer Add-on. Your browser displays lots of
things --namely, GIF pictures, text, sound, and video. But
no one browser displays everything the millions of web pages
out there contain. When your browser comes across files
it doesn't recognize, such as an animation, it consults
its list of helper-apps and chooses one of them so it can
use the files. Helper-apps are very similar to Plug-ins.
But unlike Plug-ins they work independently of your browser
and are stand-alone programs. |
Home Page
The main page of a Web Site. |
Host (Hosting Service)
A powerful server linked directly to the Internet that serves
as a host or repository for one or more Web Sites. |
HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language)
The language World Wide Web pages are written in. |
HTML Accessories (Hyper-Text Markup Language Accessories)
World Wide Web page authoring programs that help create
tables, forms, image maps, Java applets, etc.... |
HTML Editors (Hyper-Text Markup Language Editors)
World Wide Web page editing programs that use buttons and
icons to insert coded tags. |
HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol)
The protocol used on the World Wide Web. This protocol moves
Hyper-Text files (i.e. the *.html files used in World Wide
Web Pages) across the Internet. |
HYPER-TEXT
Text containing "links" to other documents. A reader
selects highlighted text which causes another document to
be retrieved and displayed. |
Image Viewers
Image viewers load and save image files, such as GIF
and JPEG. Some programs manipulate and convert graphics
as well. |
Internet
The world-wide network of networks connected to each
other. Resources can be shared with any computer having
access to a dedicated Internet connection. The Internet
enables electronic mail, web pages, file transfer, etc.... |
Internet Phone
Real-time voice communications over the Internet. It's
like IRC; but it's not typing and reading; it's talking
and listening. It's like a telephone; but software, a sound
card, a microphone, and speakers are used instead. See Voice
Chat. |
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
One of services agents who sell access time on the Internet.
The other way to access the Internet is via an Online Service. |
Internet Tools
Programs, such as search engines, that make Internet life
easier. |
IRC
(Internet Relay Chat)
Users on different computer systems in different places
have a group discussion by typing text to one another. |
Java
A programming language used to create mini-programs known
as applets. Applets automatically download when you come
across a Java-enhanced Web site, such as some online games
and animated web pages. Java isn't machine specific. Therefore,
programs and applets created in Java work in a variety of
computer systems. |
Java Applications (a.k.a. Java applets)
Plug-ins. Mini-applications that are written in Java. Java
applets provide web pages with animation, live updating,
two-way interactions, and more. Java applets allow cross-platform
programmability --that is, they can be imported into a variety
of computer systems. Java applets are embedded right into
HTML pages. |
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)
Translates/encodes 8-bit per character binary files (richly
formatted data files and executable program files) into
7-bit format so they can move through SMTP and POP servers,
which were designed to process only simple e-mail text files
stored in 7-bit format. |
Mirrors
Multiples of the same site so the Internet finds the same
site at different addresses. Extraordinarily popular sites,
which are unable to accommodate everyone who wants to access
their files or pages with 1 site alone, use mirrors and
invite you to choose the mirror that's closest to you. Mirrors,
therefore, enable you to not only access their site, but
also to do so quickly. |
Modem Dialers (automatic dialers)
Connect you to your Internet service provider by dialing
the telephone numbers programmed into it. Some dialers allow
more than 1 number to be programmed in, while others permit
automatic login. |
Movie Viewers
Applications for viewing and manipulating movie files --for
example, Quicktime, MPEG, or Microsoft AVI. |
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