World Wide Webfx Internet Glossary of Computer Terms

Glossary of Computer Terms
from World Wide Webfx

gateway: The term "router" is now used in place of the original definition of "gateway." Currently, a gateway is a communications device/program that passes data between networks having similar functions but dissimilar implementations. This should not be confused with a protocol converter, which allows dissimilar protocols (for example, DEC, net and AppleTalk) to pass data between them. See also mail gateway, router.
GIF: Graphic Interchange Format, a highly compressed format for storing and transferring graphic images. The GIF format was created by CompuServe to speed the time required to download graphics, and has since become most widely used graphic format on the Internet and the Web.
gigabyte: Approximately one billion bytes or 1,000 MB (actual 1,073,741,824 bytes).
Gopher: A simple, menu-based system (named after the mascot of the University of Minnesota, where it was created) for searching and retrieving information from resources across the Internet. Gopher uses a simple protocol that allows a single Gopher client to access information from any accessible Gopher server, providing the user with a single menu of information. Menu topics may lead to hierarchically organized subtopics. Depending on the context, the term "Gopherspace" refers either to the whole collection of documents available from Gopher servers or to what's available based on the menu selections you've already made. Public domain versions of the client and server are available. The system can beaccessed by typing a Gopher URL in the Open URL dialog box.See also Archie, archive site, Wide Area Information Servers.
graphic: A binary file that is displayed as an image as opposed to text.See inline image
Graphical User Interface (GUI): A GUI is a software "front end" which lets the user use pictures and "point-and-click" technology to access the software application. It allows a computer user to interact with the computer by manipulating graphic representations (icons) witha mouse or other pointing device instead of typing text commands. Many modern Internet clients are based on GUI principles and technology. NetCruiser is a GUI. See also browse, World Wide Web, Gopher
GUI: Graphical User Interface.
hacker: Among programmers, a person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a computer system or network. The term is often misused in a pejorative context, where cracker would be the correct term. Hackers take joy in accomplishing difficult tasks ("hacking out" a working program, for example) and learning more and more about networking and computer systems.
handshaking: See negotiation.
hard copy: A printed copy of some data.
hard disk: A disk inside the computer which stores data and code, sometimes used incorrectly to refer to a 3.5" floppy disk, but differs from a floppy in that it can store more information, and is generally not removable.(You can take a floppy disk out of the floppy drive).
hard drive: a piece of computer hardware used to store files or information. They are currently getting cheaper and larger. The size varies by the model of computer.
hardware: Physical components of a computer such as monitor, mouse, printer, system unit, disk drive, modem, and keyboard.
header: The portion of a packet, preceding the actual data, containing source and destination addresses, and error checking and other fields. A header is also the part of an e-mail message that precedes the body of a message and contains, among other things, the message originator, date, and time.
Help Desk: the technical support department of an organization.
High-Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC): The term high-performance computing encompasses advanced computing, communications, and information technologies, including scientific workstations, supercomputer systems, high-speed networks, special purpose and experimental systems, the new generation of large scale parallel systems, and application and systems software with all components well integrated and linked over a high-speed network. The HPCC Acts legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in the early 1990s (also known as the "Dole Bills") established national networking objectives for the United States. See also National Research and Education Network.
home page: In the World Wide Web, a starting point for a set of information about a particular topic. For example, the NetCruiser Homeport page is the home page for NetCruiser users on the Web. In general terms, the home page is the default page which is presented when a user accesses a Web server. See also World Wide Web, browse,:
home Page: The starting point (first screen) in a Web Site.
hop: A term used in routing. A path to a destination on a network is a series of hops, through routers, away from the origin.
host: A computer that provides a physical link to the Internet and allows users to communicate with other host computers on a network. Individual users communicate by using application programs, such as electronic mail, Telnet, and FTP. In some contexts, and in some philosophies of the way the Internet should work, the host itself is less important than the servers which run on it. For example, Web and Gopher servers distribute data to users without the user having to know which host the server is located on. A host computer is identified via its system and domain names. The terms host. site, and server all essentially are the same. See also server.
host name: The domain name given to a computer. The following are all domain names: nic.ddn.mil, eff.org, and terminator.um.cc.umich.eau. The terms "host name" and "Fully Qualified Domain Name" are interchangeable in most contexts; host name is a more informal term. See also Fully Qualified Domain Name.
host number: See host address, IP address.
Host Presenter: an implementation of telnet for LAN Workplace (LWP).
hotlink: An word, phrase, graphic, or address that, when clicked on, loads other information about the linked phrase or loads a related Web page.
Hotlist: A list of frequently accessed Web sites, which you can create using the Mosaic Add to Current Hotlist function.(See bookmark; favorite)
hotspots: The places in a Web document that are the entry points linking a page to another page via URLs. Hotspots look different than other words or pictures on a Web page. They may be a different color, be followed by a bracketed number, or be underlined. Their appearance differs based on the client being used. You click on the hotspot or enter the number of the hotspot to invoke the link.
HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language, a subset of SGML which is a standardized method for defining formatting, links, and other special handling of text, images, and objects. The World Wide Web can be thought of as a single VERY large HTML document.
HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol: the protocol used to transfer World Wide Web pages throughout the Internet and is a bona fide resource type used to locate a Web server.
Hypercard: a hypertext Multimedia package popular on Macintosh computers in the late 80's.
hypermedia and hypertext: Hypertext is text which points to other text and allows you to jump around in the text without necessarily reading it in a specific order. Hypermedia is a superset of hypertext. It allows graphical and audio representations of links as well. If you select a link, hypertext and/or hypermedia will transfer you to the page represented by the link.
hypertext: See HTML.
Hyper Text Markup language: See HTML
IATH: Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, an institute established in 1992 with a major grant from IBM and a multi-year commitment of support from the University to provide national leadership in the application of information technology to th e arts, humanities and social sciences.
IBM (International Business Machines): a big company that makes computer hardware and software and was the developer of one of the first sucessful Personal Computers
icon: Graphic or symbol on the computer monitor that represents a computer task or file.
IEEE: See Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers.
IETF: See Internet Engineering Task Force.
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion. Seen a lot in newsgroups, usually to soften the blow of a critical opinion in order to avoid flames.
implementation: the realization of a technical specification.
inkjet printer: Printer that prints hard copies by spraying ink from a matrix of tiny jets.
inline image: A graphic that is part of a webpage.
input: Any data or instructions entered into a computer with any of a variety of devices including keyboard, light pen, graphics tablet, or mouse.
installation: Process of permanently storing and configuring application software on a hard drive. Alternately, adding hardware to a system.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics: The IEEE is one of the bodies that creates and distributes standards for network protocols, interoperability, and hardware compliance, which allows for smooth operation of networks. In addition, many computer professionals belong to the IEEE and subscribe to their standards of professional behavior and ethics.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN): An emerging technology that is beginning to be offered by the telephone carriers of the world.ISDN combines voice and digital network services in a single medium, making it possible to offer customers digital data services as well as voice connections through a single "wire." The standards that define ISDN are specified by CCITT If you are interested in finding out whether ISDN is available in your area, you may need to contact a local university or other large Internet site, or ask for the data marketing division at your local phone company. Many residential marketing customer agents at local phone companies are not fully briefed on ISDN. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) A voluntary, nontreaty organization founded in 1946, which is responsible for creating international standards in many areas, including computers and communications. Its members are the national standards organizations of the 89 member countries, including ANSI for the U.S. See also Open Systems Interconnection.
interface: a means by which the two systems interact (see user interface ).
interconnect: Networks which can exchange information and services and which are physically or logically connected by phone lines or other wires can be said to interconnect. See also interoperability.
Internet: A collection of networks interconnected with routers. When lowercased, "internet" often refers to collections of LANs, metropolitan or campus networks, or other regional networks. The uppercase "Internet" is the conglomeration of all the "small-i" internets connected together in the world. It is a three-level hierarchy composed of backbone networks (for example,NETCOM, MILNET), mid-level networks (CICNet, NYSERNet), and stub networks. The Internet uses either the TCP/IP or OSI protocol suite (gateways exist to translate between the two protocols)to ensure that all of its parts work together. See also transit network, internet Protocol, National Science Foundation.
Internet address: An IP address that uniquely identifies a node on an internet. An Internet address (capital "I") uniquely identifies a node on the Internet. See also Internet, IP address.
Internet Architecture Board (IAB): The technical body that oversees the development of the Internet suite of protocols. It has two task forces: the IETF and the IRTF. "IAB" previously stood for Internet Activities Board. See also internet Engineering Thsk Force.
Internet-Draft (I-D): Internet-Drafts are working documents of the IETF, its areas, and its working groups. As the name implies, Internet-Drafts are draft documents. They are valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or made obsolete by other documents at any time. Very often, I-Ds are precursors to RFCs. See also Internet Engineering Thsk Force, Request for Comments.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): The IETF is a large, open community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers whose purpose is to coordinate the operation, management and evolution of the Internet, and to resolve short-range and mid-range protocol and architectural issues. It is a major source of proposals for protocol standards that are submitted to the lAB for final approval. The IETF meets three times a year and extensive minutes are included in the IETF Proceedings. See also Internet; Internet Architecture Board. To subscribe to the mailing list that carries IETF announcements, send e-mail to ietf-announce-request@cnri.reston.va.us.
Internet number: See Internet address.
Internet Protocol (IP): The network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite. It is a connectionless, best-effort packet- switching protocol. ("Best-effort" means each packet is separately evaluated to find the best route available at that moment for sending the packet. Routes have formulas assigned to determine which is the most efficient for any given packet.)
Internet Relay Chat (IRC): A world-wide "party line" protocol that allows users to converse with each other in real time. IRC is structured as a network of servers, each of which accepts connections from client programs, one per user. Some schools and organizations have disabled IRC on their computers and networks because of congestion problems or organizational policies about appropriate use. IRC garnered world-wide attention during the Gulf War, when citizens on their computers in Tel Aviv during the bombing raids were describing the events as they happened over IRC to listeners around the world. See also Talk.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): An internet service provider charges startup and monthly fees to users and provides them with the initial host connection to the rest of the Internet usually via a dialup connection.
Internet Society (ISOC): The Internet Society is a nonprofit, professional membership organization that facilitates and supports the technical evolution of the Internet. It stimulates interest in and educates the scientific and academic communities, industry, and the public about the technology, uses, and applications of the Internet, and promotes the development of new applications for the system. The Society provides a forum for discussion and collaboration in the operation and use of the global Internet infrastructure. The Internet Society publishes a quarterly newsletter, the lnternet Society News, and holds an annual conference, INET. The development of Internet technical standards takes place under the auspices of the Internet Society with substantial support from the Corporation for National Research Initiatives under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Federal Government. (Source: V. Cerf)
internic.net: This is the domain name of the Internet Services NIC, the grandaddy of all NICs. See also Network Information Center.
interoperability: The ability of software and hardware from different vendors, and using different operating systems, to communicate meaningfully. Interoperability is a desirable feature when researching hardware and software to build or add on to an existing network. The goal of most Internet standards and protocols is the smooth interaction and transmission of data between heterogeneous networks, which we also call interoperability.
interpreter: a program that interactively reads and processes commands.
IP: See Internet Protocol.
IP address: The 32-bit address defined by the Internet Protocol that is usually represented in decimal notation. For example, an IP address looks like this:127.0.0.1, while a domain name looks like this: nic.cicnet.net. See also domain address, host address, lnternet address, Internet Protocol, network address, subnet address.
IP datagram: See datagram.
IRC: See Internet Relay Chat.
ISDN: See Integrated Services Digital Network.
ISO: See International Organization for Standardization.
ISOC: See Internet Society.
ISP: See Internet Service Provider.

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