Anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

An Internet utility that allows users to connect to remote computers as anonymous "guests" to retrieve documents, files, programs, etc., without having to establish a user id or password on the host system.

Archie

An Archie site is an index for locating software and documents stored on ftp sites. Users can scan the contents of countless FTP sites.

ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange

A standard cross-platform coding system for characters in computer systems.

Autoresponder

Autoresponders are set up to e-mail documents to Net users in response to them inputting their e-mail address into a form on a webpage, or sending a blank e-mail to a special "autoresponding" e-mail address. Autoresponders are usually CGI programmes.

Back

The handy button on your browser that enables you to go back where you came from after arriving somewhere that hasn't got a hyperlink that will take you back, or when you've arrived somewhere you really don't like.

Backbone

The main channel in a network, to which all smaller, or lower speed networks are connected.

Bandwidth

A measure of the information carrying capability of a line or channel, and the number of simultaneous "conversations" that can take place on the line. In Internet terms, the higher the bandwidth the better, ie 128k bandwidth is better than 64k bandwidth, while 1Mb is even better.

Bulletin Board Services

Computers that store messages, files, and programs, etc on a given topic. Users can upload information to the bulletin board, and view and download information put on the bulletin board by other users. Can be accessed via the Internet, or through direct dial phone lines. Content and protocol are usually established by the system operator (sysop) or moderator.

BCC - blind carbon copy

An e-mail feature used to send the same message to a number of e-mail addresses, without the address of any recipient appearing on the message.

BITNET - Because It's Time Network

A co-operative global computer network connecting academic and research institutions to each other.

bps - bits per second

A measure of the rate of data transmission. When measured by the thousand, kbps (kilo bits per second) is often used; when measured by the million, mbps (mega bits per second) is used; and when measured by the billion, gbps (giga bits per second) is used.

Browser

A software programme that takes pages (hypertext files) from web servers and displays them on screen on a computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) like the Windows or Mac system. Examples are Mosaic and Netscape.

CC - carbon copy

An e-mail feature used to send the same message to a number of addresses. A list of all recipients appears on the message.

CGI - Common Gateway Interface

A programming interface enabling web servers to perform a variety of special and complex functions such as: secure web access control, web page construction on the fly, complex database searches, automatic form mailing, and so on. CGI programmes are usually written in Perl, stored in a server's CGI-Bin, and called from HTML code in a webpage.

Client

A programme used when an Internet connection is established to perform a particular task - ie E-Mail, FTP, Web browsing etc. Also used to refer to a computer that is requesting services from a network - the user end of a connection between computers - as in a client/server relationship.

Cool

Neither hot nor warm, but not cold either.

Cyberspace

Where you are now! Ideas and people meet using wonderful modern technology.

Dialup connection

A connection between computers established over a normal telephone line.

Domain Name

Text equivalent of an IP number, ie a name uniquely representing a host, or Internet site. Suffixes give some indication as to the type of site, ie: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (government), .mil (military), and .net (network). Countries also have a domain, such as .uk (United Kingdom).

Downloading

Transferring a file from a remote computer to your own computer.

E-mail - electronic mail

The exchange of messages, and other files on computer networks like the Internet.

Encryption

The encoding of data in a particular way prior to transmission to ensure data security.

FAQ - frequently asked questions

A file containing questions commonly asked by new users along with the answers - often to be found on newsgroups. Internet users should always read FAQ files before asking questions. It's good netiquette!

FIDOnet

A topic-based worldwide bulletin board and electronic mail network, offering 3 main types of service: Netmail - a person to person electronic mail system; Echomail - a broadcast medium whereby every message that anyone enters, anywhere in Fidonet, gets distributed automatically to every other person who has subscribed to a particular conference (or echo); and File Distribution.

Finger

A software program that gets information about a particular user on the local or remote system. It can find information like full name, last login time, terminal location etc.

Firewall

Security device preventing unauthorised outside access to a network.

Flame

Ouch! An electronic mail message telling the recipient they have breached Internet etiquette (netiquette). Often delivered in capital letters.

Forward

A feature of e-mail that enables a received message to be re-addressed and sent to a third party.

Freenet

A network of bulletin board systems - usually community-based.

Freeware

Software publicly available for downloading by FTP. There are no charges for downloading, and the software may be used, copied and distributed freely. See also 'shareware'.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol

Used for the transfer of programmes or files from one host on Internet to another computer. The transfer is effected using an FTP application, or client.

Gateway

A device or computer that connects separate networks by passing data between them.

GIF - Graphic Interchange Format

Image file format used for displaying graphics on web pages. Developed by Compuserve to store images composed of up to 256 colours. Designed to produce small file size images which download (and display) quickly on Web browsers.

Gopher

An interactive file server system that offers menu-based access to information collections, libraries etc., over the Internet, and connects the user to items selected from the menu.

GUI - Graphical User Interface

Enables a user to operate their computer using graphical or menu-style commands.

Header

Contains identifying information. E-mail headers contain the sender's name and address, receiver, subject, date, etc.

Homepage

Your own, or someone else's own first, top-level or contents webpage, coded in HTML.

Host

A remote computer that provides information or services for users.

HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language

The coding language used in hypertext documents which define text style, links to other documents, pictures and forms etc. HTML documents are accessed through browser programmes.

Hypertext

A feature of HTML which allows users to jump from one document to another, or one site or another. Hyperlinks can be in the form of highlighted clickable text, images, or graphical clickable maps.