a. Cyberspace
The digital world constructed by computer networks, and in particular, the Internet. The online world, a place that actually exists, as a communications medium. It is a physical infrastructure made up of wires, cable, and satellite dishes.
b. download
Transferring data (usually a file) from another computer to the computer you are using. From the Internet user's point-of-view, it is requesting from another computer (or from a Web page on another computer) and receiving data(file).
c. upload
Transferring data (usually a file) from the computer you are using to another computer. From an Internet user's point-of-view, uploading is sending a file to a computer that is set up to receive it.
d. GIF: (Graphic Interchange Format)
A common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color. The images (or pictures) you see are usually in GIF because the files are small and can be downloaded quickly. GIFs can be "interlaced" so many Web authors use it to get that "melting onto the screen" effect that happens with interlaced images.
e. JPG/ JPEG: (Joint Photographic [Experts] Group)
Another type of graphics format commonly used online; these files download even faster and contain a better resolution. JPEG format is preferred to the GIF format for photographic images. JPG is designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale images of natural, real-world scenes. It works well on photographs, naturalistic artwork, and similar material; not so well on lettering, simple cartoons, or line drawings. JPG is "lossy," meaning that the decompressed image isn't quite as sharp as the one you started with.
f. PNG: (Portable Network Graphics)
PNG is a graphics format specifically designed for use on the World Wide Web. PNG enable compression of images without any loss of quality, including high-resolution images. Another important feature of PNG is that anyone may create software that works with PNG images without paying any fees - the PNG standard is free of any licensing costs, meaning 'patent-free'. It provides a number of improvements over the GIF format.
g. login
- Noun: The account name used to gain access to a computer system. Not a secret (contrast with Password).
- Verb: The act of connecting to a computer system by giving your credentials (usually your "username" and "password").
h. mailing lists
A list of e-mail addresses that represent people who share a similar interest or who regularly correspond. You can subscribe to some mailing lists to receive regular updates or electronic newsletters, among other messages.
- listserv
The most common kind of mail list. A small program that automatically redistributes e-mail to names on a mailing list. Users can subscribe to a mailing list by sending an e-mail note to a mailing list they learn about; listserv will automatically add the name and distribute future e-mail postings to every subscriber.
- majordomo
A free mailing list server that runs under UNIX. When e-mail is addressed to a Majordomo mailing list, it is automatically broadcast to everyone on the list.
i. newsgroups
An online discussion forum for sharing information. Each one is an area on the Internet that allows users to post messages and reply to other users. You need a newsreader in order to participate. Segmented into many different subjects (approximately 25,000), newsgroups have titles that usually begin with a three- or four-letter prefix followed by a dot (".").
For example, alt., soc., comp., misc., rec., and sci. are some of the most popular ones.
1) What is USENET?
A worldwide bulletin board system (BBS) accessible through the Internet and OSPs, it contains more than 14,000 newsgroups. It is now probably the largest decentralized information utility in existence. Supported mainly by Unix machines, Usenet groups can be unmoderated (where anyone can post) or moderated (where submissions are automatically directed to a moderator, who edits or filters the content before posting the message).
2) How is USENET different from our class Discussion Board?
Our class discussion board is kept on a single server maintained by the owner (that will be you, professor ^-^ ) or originator of the discussion board, while USENET is not maintained on a single server. USENET is decentralized, meaning, the messages are replicated to hundreds of servers around the world.
USENET is more broadly ranged (in an international scope). It is for a continuous public discussion about a particular topic. You communicate with a large group of people interested in the same topic, which makes it easier for you to be provided with extensive high-information about that topic.
Our class discussion board is a space designed for participation among our class community. In a strict sense, it is not supposed to be limited, but in reality its active range is quite narrow.
j. packet switching
The method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet switching, all the data coming out of a machine is broken up into chunks. Each chunk has the address of where it came from and where it is going. This enables chunks of data from many different sources to co-mingle on the same lines, and be sorted and directed along different routes by special machines along the way. This way many people can use the same lines at the same time.
k. router
A special-purpose computer (or software package or electronic device) that handles the connection between 2 or more Packet-Switched networks. Routers spend all their time looking at the source and destination addresses of the packets passing through them and deciding which route to send them on.
In a packet-switching network such as the Internet, it is one of the two most basic devices, with a host. Routers receive packets of data, filter them, and forward them to a final destination using the best route. It decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to.
l. cookie
A small piece of information about you (about your computer, actually). It is a small file that a Web server automatically sends to your PC when you browse certain Web sites. Cookies are stored as text files on your hard drive so servers can access them when you return to Web sites you've visited before. Cookies contain information that identifies each user, for example: login or username, passwords, shopping cart information, preferences, and so on. When a user revisits a Web site, his or her computer automatically "serves up" the cookie, which establishes the user's identity, thus eliminating the need for the customer to reenter the information. Basically, the server needs to know this information in order for the Web site to work correctly, and the information is nothing more than a string of letters and numbers.