Internet Terms of Endearment

By Scott Dubler

Archie - A program that accesses a database to search for the locations of files.

DNS Server - A Domain Name System Server is a computer with a database that translates computer name addresses into IP addresses and vice versa.

FAQ - A list of Frequently Asked Questions that help new users assimilate into Usenet news groups. Its main purpose is to prevent repetitive postings.

FTP - File transfer protocol is a protocol for moving a file from one computer on the Internet to another.

FTP site - A computer that is dedicated as a software repository.

Gopher - A menu and character based system for retrieving information on the Internet.

E-mail - Electronic mail consists of letters that are sent over a network from one user to another.

Ethernet - A fast dedicated connection that is used as a bridge between a network and a computer.

HTML - The HyperText Markup Language is used to link multimedia objects, such as pictures and sound, into a page on the World Wide Web.

IP Address - A numeric address that identifies the location of a computer on the Internet.

Packet - This is the fundamental unit of information on the Internet. Data is broken into packets that travel independently on the Internet network.

Snail mail -This refers to mail sent through the post office.

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol is the system that holds the Internet together. TCP/IP is the system by which data is broken into packets and sent to different computers.

Telnet - It is a method of logging into another computer and using that computer as if it were on your desktop. For example, when a user logs into CUNIX, he is telnetting to another computer.

Usenet - A collection of news groups where millions of people on the Internet discuss thousands of topics using electronic mail.

UUdecode - A program used to convert text files into binary files.

UUencode - A program used to convert binary files, such as programs, into ASCII files. Files are usually converted into text so that they can be sent by E-mail or posted to the Usenet.

World Wide Web - A collection of pages that contain links to files, pictures, and sound that are accessed with a browser program such as Mosaic or Netscape.


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