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Tactical Panda Jargon Buster
Did you know that you are looking at one of the largest (if not THE largest) Jargon Buster pages on the entire internet?
A
Access Point - Wireless communication hub that allows users to connect to a Wi-Fi Network.
ActiveX - Technology for adding extra features to an application like a web browser. ActiveX components are usually downloaded automatically, or with minimal user interaction.
Add-in - Extra features available in most Microsoft applications, but usually requiring installation from the original CD-ROM. For example, Excel's AutoSave feature is an Add-in module, and is only installed upon request
ADSL - (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). This enables high speed data transfer over traditional copper telephone lines. It is called 'asymmetric' as data is downloaded faster than it is uploaded.
ADSL2+ - This is a form of ADSL that offers even faster top speeds of data transfer.
AGP - AGP means Advanced Graphics Port and it is a slot on the motherboard for a graphics card.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) - the code that computers use to represent characters as numbers which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another. The principle is similar to Morse code, which uses dots and dashes to transmit messages.
Animated GIF - an image that moves like a cartoon on your computer screen.
Applet - a small software program that performs a simple task, like a calculator.
Application - any software program that you use on your computer to perform a task such as writing letters. Applications on your computer are like CDs on your CD player.
Aspect ratio - A measure of the relative width and height of a display. Traditional television screens, for instance, have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (meaning four units wide by three units high), while modern widescreen sets have 16:9 proportions.
ATAPI - Stands for Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface, which is a control technology for devices like CD-ROM and hard disk drives.
ATRAC - Stands for Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding, which is Sony's proprietary audio file-compression system, similar to MP3 but with additional security features designed to prevent piracy of copyright material.
Attachment - A file which is 'attached' and sent with a standard text e-mail message. Often photographs or word documents are attached to e-mails.
Autocorrect - A feature in a word processor that automatically corrects common spelling mistakes as they are typed.
Automatic document feeder (ADF) - A facility of most printers and some scanners, enabling documents to be automatically fed through the print or scanner mechanism without user intervention.
Autoplay - A Windows feature that allows CD-ROM/DVD discs to launch or play as soon they're inserted into a drive.
Avatar - a picture or cartoon of yourself or a favourite character that you use to represent yourself in games or chat forums on the web.
AVI - A video clip format, showing that a file is a video.
B
Backbone - This is a high-speed telecommunications line used to connect local branches of the Internet.
Backup - copy data from your computer at regular intervals onto another medium, for example a CD or DVD, external hard drive etc, so that in the event of a computer crash, you have saved your data and can replace it once the computer is repaired.
Bandwidth - how much data you can send through a connection, usually measured in bits per second. Bandwidth affects the time you wait for a Web site to appear on your screen.
Banner - ubiquitous sign board, usually a strip at the top of a Web page, that is used for advertising.
Baud - commonly used to describe the number of bits of information that a modem transmits: 500 baud means 500 bits per second (bps).
BBC Microcomputer - an early personal computer used in the 1980s for the BBC's educational programmes on computing.
BCC - Blind Carbon Copy. The Bcc box allows you to send an e-mail to more than one person but their e-mail addresses are hidden from other recipients.
Beta Version - a program that hasn't been tested enough to be on general public release. You can volunteer to download them and the companies will use your experience of bugs to iron out the product's problems.
Binaries - Newsgroup postings of encoded files (photographs, sound files, video clips and so on), rather than plain text. These are frowned upon except in certain groups, such as those beginning 'alt. binaries. '.
Binary - A coding system used by computers and other digital devices to store data as a series just two digits - 0 and 1.
Biometrics - The use of measurable physical characteristics for idenitification purposes, such as fingerprinting.
BIOS - Basic Input/Output System. It is a piece of program that is used on every computer for setting up things like what hardware you have.
Bit - the smallest unit of computer data, equivalent to either a 1 or a zero.
Bitmap - any picture you see on the Web. Bitmap refers to the map of bits on the page that make up the picture.
Bits Per Second (BPS) - a measure of how fast data is transmitted by a circuit.
Blend - In image editing, the combining of one or more graphic layers.
Blog (web log) - is an online diary used by an author to share information on a particular subject at regular intervals.
Bluetooth - A technology that allows devices (computers, phones, printers, etc. ) to communicate with each other wirelessly.
Blu-Ray - A new format that will deliver high-definition on DVD-sized discs.Movies and the first compatible players are expected by the end of 2005.
Body Text - Text makes up the bulk of a story, article or chapter, rather than the headings or footnotes.
Bookmarking - adding a Web site address to your online address book. Like dialling a telephone number from your address book, it's easy to look up a Web site you have bookmarked. Bookmarking a Web site means you probably want to visit it again. Bookmarks are Netscape's name Microsoft's browser calls them Favorites.
Boolean Operator - words like AND, OR and NOT that help you pinpoint the information you want to retrieve from the Internet. E.g. searching for information on seat belts would return Web sites on chairs and fashion accessories. Searching for seat AND belts would narrow the search to safety belts in vehicles.
Boot Disk - A disk containing the operating system components essential for getting a PC up and running. Usually, the boot disk is the computer's hard disk but in times of strife, a suitably-prepared floppy disk can be used to kick-start a PC.
Boot Sector - Area of a disk containing instructions enabling a computer to launch an operating system (such as Windows). These instructions are executed every time the computer starts up.
BPS - see Bits Per Second.
Browser - a software program that lets you look at various Internet resources, especially Web sites. A browser lets you move from one Web page to another using hyperlinks. Examples of a browser include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari.
Buddies - some Internet service providers will tell you when friends or family are online at the same time as you. These are your buddies.
Buffer - A small amount of memory used as a reservoir for data that's provided (usually in spurts) from a source.
Burn - to copy data (including documents, photos, films etc) onto a CD or DVD disc. Most often accomplished using third-party software like Nero or Ashampoo Burning Studio.
Burn-proof - Technology used by some CD-RW drives to ensure error-free and foolproof disc creation.
Bus - In computer terminology, a bus is the data path on the motherboard that devices use to communicate with the processor.
Bus mastering PCI - A technology which reduces the burden on the processor when transferring data to and from the hard disk and other devices.
Byte - equals 8 bits. One byte is smaller than a word and generally represents one character.
C
C++ - Programming language popular with professional computer software developers, and used to create many of today's top applications.
Cable - Shorthand for cable television and associated services.
Cache - a place on your computer that stores information that you may need again. It is the reason why it is a lot faster to go back to a Web site than to view it the first time. You only download a site on your first visit when you go back your computer retrieves it from your cache.
CAD - Stands for Computer-Aided Design, which are special software applications that allow designers and architects to draw precise blueprints on screen, then model them in 3D to see how the design will appear in real life.
Caller ID - A system which enables a telephone caller's number to be displayed before the handset is picked up. Supported by most telecommunications companies and systems these days.
Capture cards - A video card that slots into a spare PCI slot in your computer and has the input and output sockets necessary for digitising video.
Capturing - The process of taking an ordinary analogue signal from a camcorder and converting it into digital information to be stored on a computer's hard disk.
CC - or 'Carbon Copy', typing an e-mail address or string of e-mail addresses in the 'CC' box will send your mail to those additional addresses as well as the main recipient.
CD - Compact Disc (usually around 650Mb capacity).
CD Changer - A device that can hold several CDs and switch between them as and when required.
Celeron - Cheaper but slower version of the Intel Pentium processor, used in budget PCs.
Cell - A spreadsheet page uses rows and columns to divide a page into cells. Rows and columns are identified with letters and numbers, so each cell has a unique co-ordinate, such as D15.
CGI - Common Gateway Interface. A script protocol that allows websites to have order forms, searchable databases and chat forums etc.
Channels - In the context of monitors, images are made up of three colour 'channels', one each to represent red, green and blue (RGB).
Charge-coupled device (CCD) - A light-sensitive component used in digital cameras and camcorders.
Chat - a live conversation with any number of other people anywhere in the world. You 'talk' by typing and reading messages. Everyone sees your message and you can read everyone else's messages. Chat happens in virtual chat rooms that generally have a theme, e.g. homework, angling.
Chat Rooms - Online venues for typed chat, rather like the premium-rate chat lines you see advertised on late-night TV. Some even allow you to create cartoon-style characters to represent yourself.
Checksum - Mathematical formula performed on some data to generate a result that will be statistically unique for that data.
Chipset - Broadly speaking, any group of computer chips working together to perform certain functions. For example, a graphics card will have a number of chips - the chipset - designed to handle all graphics output.
Chorus - An audio effect that 'fattens up' the sound of a single instrument, to simulate several playing at once.
Chromakey effects - Sometimes known as blue-screening because subjects are filmed in front of a blue screen before being 'extracted' from the video. The subject can then be placed on top of another scene, giving the appearance of being somewhere they're not. Without Chromakey, Superman would never have flown.
Click - Pressing down once and releasing a mouse button, or other key.
Client (1) - a computer that requests material from the World Wide Web. When you view a Web site, your computer the client has requested it from another computer that is called a server.
Client (2) - A geeky term for an additional piece of software that runs alongside your web browser, allowing you to use services like newsgroups and internet chat.
Clipart - A library of drawings or photographs that you can use in presentations, reports or in desktop-publishing documents. You must check whether there are copyright restrictions if you are intend using the pictures commercially.
Clock speed - Term used to describe the speed of a computer processor, measured in megahertz or, increasingly, gigahertz - 700MHz or 1GHz (1,000MHz) for example.
Clone - In image-editing software, a tool that allows you to copy one part of an image and use it as a brush.
CMOS - Stands for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor, and pronounced cee-moss. This is a special computer chip that looks after system set-up information, like date and time and so forth.
CMY - Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow - the three colours found in a colour inkjet printer cartridge. Sometimes you may see CMYK where K stands for black (if they used B this might be mistaken for Blue).
Coaxial - Cable that has one channel that carries the signal,which is surrounded (after a layer of insulation) by another concentric channel.
Code - In computing terminology, short for program code - meaning instructions that are intended to be executed by a computer.
Colour depth - The range of colours with which an image can be displayed. Usually measured in 'bits', 1-bit colour gives two colours (usually black and white), 2-bit gives four colours, and so on. A 24-bit colour setting will allow up to 16. 7 millions distinct shades to be displayed.
Colour picker - All painting programs have one, it's the electronic equivalent of a paint palette so you can choose which colour you want to use.
COM port - Short for communications port, a PC can have up to four of these - COM1 to COM4. It is through these ports that devices can talk to the rest of your PC. Anything fitted to a serial port will be allocated one of these, as will a modem.
Combination keystroke - Literally where you have to hold down more than one key at once to access a particular function. Holding down the Alt and Tab keys, for example, lets you cycle through any programs you're running.
Command prompt - Also known as DOS prompt. The Windows environment lets you point and click to navigate your way around the computer. However, the predecessor to Windows, DOS (disk operating system) requires typed in commands to control the PC - and these are entered at the command prompt.
CompactFlash - Matchbook-size memory cards with no moving parts. These slot into various devices to store data. Popular with digital cameras and handheld computers.
Composite - A type of video signal in which the red, green and blue signals are mixed together.
Composite video - A type of video signal used by some camcorders, video recorders and TVs in which the red, green and blue signals are mixed together. The aerial connection on a TV set uses composite video.
Compression - To reduce the size of a file by encoding the data. This is useful for storing files which would otherwise take up lots of disk space, such as picture and video files. Compression also reduces transfer times, meaning files can be sent over the net, or to another disk, more quickly.
Configure - To tweak the functions of software or hardware to the particular settings you require. For example, Windows can be configured so that it displays a particular colour background, or so that it uses a larger typeface
Context menus - The context-sensitive menus that pop up when you right-click on something in Windows. What you see on the menu varies according to the task that you're engaged in and the program you're using.
Control Panel - A collection of icons that allow you to configure the basic functions of Windows and your PC. Within the Control Panel there are icons to define display attributes, keyboard settings, passwords - and a host of other options.
Content - information of value or interest on a Web page, as opposed to advertising or graphics that are purely window dressing. A Web page with lots of advertising and gimmicky graphics has low content.
Compression - a method of fitting information into less space so that when you send it from one computer to another it travels faster like packing away a tent before you put it in the car to take it home.
Cookie - information stored on your computer when you visit a Web site that is useful if you return to that site. E.g. when a Web site says 'Welcome Back' it has read a cookie that it stored on your computer last time you visited the site. Think of cookies as stubs on raffle tickets. When you buy a ticket, you keep the stub the cookie but it's only of use if you go back after the draw to see whether or not you've won.
Copy and Paste - to make a copy of something on the screen and then insert (paste) it into another document. When the computer copies something, it stores it on a clipboard.
CPU - Central Processing Unit or the 'brain' of the computer. When people talk about the speed of a computer they are talking about the speed of the CPU. The best processors are made by AMD and Intel.
Crash - what happens when your computer stops working and you have to switch off and start again.
CRT Cathode Ray Tube - The glass tube-based technology used to produce an image in most TV sets and computer monitors.
Cursor - the flashing vertical line on the screen that shows you where you are and where the next character you type will appear.
Cut - Just like it sounds: this function will delete selected information, such as cells in a spreadsheet or a paragraph in a text document.
Cyberspace - a term originating from Neuromoncer, a novel by William Gibson, that refers to the world of networked computers.
D
Data - information.
Data rate - The speed at which digital information is transferred from one device to another, and can range from a few kilobits to many hundreds of megabytes per second. Traditional modems, for example, offer download data rates of up to 56Kbps.
Data table - In the context of a spreadsheet, a table of figures used to create a chart.
Database - Any collection of information, usually (but not always) used to refer to information stored on a computer. Database software applications usually include powerful search and data-filtering facilities.
Daughterboard - A small card containing support circuitry for a larger expansion card, plugged into a socket on the main card or connected via a cable.
DDR (Double Data Rate memory) - A type of memory that's twice as fast as ordinary memory. DDR memory is often used in graphics cards can now be found in PCs too.
Decoder - A home cinema component that converts the surround sound soundtrack on a DVD movie into a signal that's sent to an amplifier. Decoders and amplifiers are often combined into a single unit
Decryption - The process of making encrypted data readable again.
DECT - Stands for Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telephone, a technology used by some cordless telephones to maintain clear call quality over long distances.
Default - A standard software or hardware setting. Most programs, including the Windows operating system itself, ask you to make a series of selections in order to perform a task. Sometimes the computer will already have made some selections - these are called the defaults. You can change the defaults to fit your own preference, or accept them as they are supplied.
Degauss - To remove the magnetism from a device, usually a monitor. Most monitors degauss automatically but some have a button.
Desktop - What you see when you first start up a Windows-based computer. The Desktop will display your Taskbar and a selection of icons such as My Computer and Recycle Bin.
DHTML Dynamic HTML - This is an extended version of the language used to describe web pages, which allows a page to change instantly when certain things happen, for instance the mouse moving over a specified area.
Dialogue box - A small window that pops up to display or request information.
Dialup - a connection to the Internet that your computer dials up using its modem and the telephone line, so you are only connected when you dial up.
Dial-up Networking - A component of Windows that allows PCs to connect to the internet using a modem and a telephone line.
Diamondtron - Tube technology introduced by Mitsubishi in 1993. It uses the same principle as Trinitron aperture grille technology but with three electron guns at the back of the monitor rather than one.
Digital - Unlike the smooth signal of analogue, digital information consists of discrete parts. An analogy would be a car's gearbox. A vehicle can be in first or second gear, but not first-and-a-half. Computers only recognise digital information, so must convert analogue signals. A soundcard, for example, converts the sound of a recording into a series of numbers the PC can process.
Digital camera - A camera that stores images in computer memory rather than on light-sensitive film.
Digital signature - A piece of encrypted data that can be used to verify the identity of someone who sent the message to which it is attached.
Digital stabiliser - A method of removing small video camera shakes, such as the normal shaking of the operator's hand, by adjusting the picture by a compensating amount. Poorly implemented, it can cause a sudden jerk when you start an intended camera move.
Digital zoom - Optical zoom is the normal camera method of magnifying a scene by changing the distance between the different elements of the lens. Digital zoom allows even greater magnification by expanding each of the dots, but at some cost to quality.
Digitising - Changing an analogue signal, such as an audio/video recording, into digital data on a computer.
DIMM - Dual Inline Memory Module. A slot-in card used to expand the memory of a desktop PC.
Directory - An old name for what we now call folders. These provide a way of organising files and documents on disk, by grouping related items together.
DirectX - Windows feature that ensures that all programs work with all the different types of hardware available.
Disk spanning - Copying data from one disk to several smaller ones, automatically. This allows, for example, a large file to be copied from a hard disk to several floppy disks.
Dithering - Process of creating colour shades by adjusting the value of adjacent pixels to give the appearance of more colours than a device, usually a monitor or display panel, is actually capable of displaying.
DivX - A video compression standard that allows high quality video to be stored in small files. Freeview
DLP - A new technology used for projecting images from a monitor onto a large screen for presentations.
DLP projector - Produces a display by reflecting light off microscopic mirrors.
DNS - Domain Name Service is an internet service which converts a domain like www.site.com into its number address which the computers use called the IP address.
Docking cradle/station - A receptacle for a portable device, like a palmtop computer or a digital camera, and connected to a PC. Through this, the linked machines can exchange documents and data.
Dolby digital - A standard for high-quality digital audio used for video stored in digital format, especially on DVDs.
Dolby Pro Logic - A way of encoding audio information, developed by Dolby Labs.
Dolby Surround Sound - A system which literally surrounds the listener with sound, usually employing several speakers positioned around a room and controlled by a special decoder. Surround sound is used in feature films and many TV shows.
Domain Name - the highest level name of a Web site. For example, the BBC's domain name is bbc. A site does not have to have its own domain name. Instead of registering a unique domain name with the Internet Society, you can use another site to host your site by putting its domain name in your Web site address. Think of it as being 'care of'. Personal home pages are often hosted by another site to save the author the expense of registering their own domain name.
DOS - Disk Operating System was an operating system for PCs until Windows 95 came along. You controlled it by typing in text commands.
Dot matrix printer - Prints by hammering small 'needles' through a typewriter-style ribbon. This type of printer is noisy and only really used where continuous-sheet paper or multi-part forms are required.
Dot pitch - The distance between the dots which make up the image on a monitor.
Dots per inch (dpi) - The way the resolution of printed and scanned images is measured. Both types of picture are made up of dots. The more dots there are per inch, the smaller they are and the better the picture looks.
Double-click - To click twice quickly in succession on a mouse button. If you double-click on an application icon, Windows will then attempt to launch the application.
Download - to transfer information to your computer from another computer.
Drag - In Windows, the action of clicking on something with the left mouse button, keeping the button pressed and moving (dragging) the object.
Drag and Drop - to pick up something on a page by clicking on it, drag it by holding the button down on the mouse and moving the cursor across the screen to somewhere else, and then drop it into place by releasing the mouse button.
Drag out - Click and hold down the left mouse button as you move the mouse.
Drive bay - A blanked-off space at the front of a desktop PC originally designed for additional floppy disk drives. Now drive bays accommodate all manner of peripherals.
Driver - software which runs hardware attached to your computer like a modem, printer or scanner. New hardware normally comes with a CD containing the necessary drivers to install on your computer.
Drop-down menu - A list of options displayed beneath a menu bar when you select a menu option, or when you click on a down-pointing arrow in a dialogue box.
Dropper tool - In image-editing, this is a feature used to set the foreground or background colour of the current drawing tool by simply clicking on part of an image.
DSL - Electronics that apply special effects to digital audio to improve its sound or to make it sound like it's in a certain environment,such as a concert hall.
DSP - Digital Signal Processor. Electronics that apply special effects to digital audio to improve its overall sound or to make it sound like it's in a certain environment, such as a church or concert hall.
DSTN - A type of flat-panel display used primarily on budget notebook PCs. They are of lower quality than TFT screens.
DTP (desktop publishing)- The design, layout and printing of documents, books and magazines using special software, such as Microsoft Publisher.
DTS - Digital Theatre Systems. A digital movie soundtrack format used in cinemas and on some DVD movies.
DTS Neo:6 - A digital movie soundtrack format used in cinemas and on some DVD movies.
Dual band - A mobile phone that can work at two radio frequencies. Vodafone and Cellnet use the 900MHz band, as do most networks around the world. Orange and One2One use 1,800MHz. Only a few other countries use 1,800MHz. Dual-band phones can use either frequency, increasing the number of countries they can be used in.
Dual-layer DVD - A DVD that holds twice as much data as an ordinary DVD by adding an extra layer.
DV - Digital video. A DV camera stores images on digital medium.
DVC - Digital Video Cassette, the latest video standard used in digital camcorders only.
DVD - Digial Versatile Disc (usually around 4.7Gb capacity).
DVD RW - A rewritable version of the DVD-R format whose discs are compatible with most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives
DVD+R - One of the emerging recordable DVD standards. It uses DVD+RW disks that are designed to have data recorded on to them time and time again. Movies recorded on to DVD+RW disks are fully compatible with DVD players
DVD+RW - A rewritable version of the DVD+R format.
DVD-R - Standard for Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable format, or blank DVDs onto which information (such as data or music) can be recorded - but only once. Playable on most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. You need a DVD-R drive to record onto DVD-R discs.
DVD-RAM - One of a number of competing standards for recordable DVD.DVD-RAM is really only of use in DVDRAM drives fitted in computers and some set-top DVD recorders.
DVD-ROM drive - These drives will play both CD-ROM and DVD discs. Huge amounts of data can be stored on one DVD disc, which looks just like a CD, including full-length movies, with excellent-quality sound and pictures.
DVD-RW - A rewritable version of the DVD-R format.
DVI (Digital Video Interface) - A video connection used on some TFT monitors and graphics cards that provides a purely digital connection between a PC and monitor. This gives a higher quality image than using a standard VGA connection.
E
E-Mail - a message you send from your computer to another computer, stands for electronic mail..
Emoticon - a way to put emotion into e-mail messages by adding specially arranged punctuation marks, e.g. :-) is a grin or a smile (tilt your head to the left). Emoticons make up for not being able to hear the tone of someone's voice or see their body language as you read their e-mail message. Many people think emoticons are as useful as a freemason's handshake until they see how easily misunderstandings arise when people who don't know each other talk over the Internet.
Encryption - encoding used to stop people opening your private information when it is sent over the internet.
End-User License Agreement (EULA) - the agreement between you (the user) and the software manufacturer, whereby you agree to certain Terms and Conditions before you may install and/or use the software.
Ethernet - a standard for connecting computers into a Local Area Network (LAN), usually requires an Ethernet Cable (Cat11 cable).
EZine - Electronic Magazine. Magazines on the web or sent by e-mail.
F
Fader - A vertical or horizontal sliding control used to alter the level of sound or other setting.
Fades, Wipes and Dissolves - Methods of moving from one scene to another, without a sudden 'jump' cut. Fades let the picture fade in and out from black or white. Wipes are like a curtain moving up, down or across to reveal the picture. And dissolves fade one picture into another.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions(s) - a question that new users ask frequently, so a bank of such questions and answers is provided. FAQs save computer companies and software manufacturers reinventing the wheel for all their new customers and are well worth reading.
FAT File Allocation Table - A system used by Windows to organise files stored on a hard disk. Windows 95 used a system called FAT16, Windows 98 and Me use FAT32 that allows, among other things, long filenames.
Favorites - the name used by Microsoft's browser software program for bookmarks.
Feathering - A term used to describe a print-out of a text or picture which is marred by blurred or irregular edges.
Field - In a database, a field is an individual container that can hold a particular type of information. For example, if you have a contacts list of your customers, each entry is called a record and the various parts of each record are called fields.
File extension - The file extension is the suffix or letters after the dot in a file's name. Examples include .doc (for a word document) and .xls (Excel) and .txt (Notepad). This is how Windows knows which application to use to open a particular file.
File Manager - Part of the Windows 3. 1 operating system, since replaced in later versions of Windows by Explorer. File Manager displays lists of all of the files you have stored on your PC's hard disk.
Fill - The interior area of a vector shape, which may be given a colour, gradient, pattern, texture or a bitmap image.
Filter - In image-editing, applies a transformation to either improve image quality or produce special effect on all or part of an image. There is a filter for every need from sharpening out-of-focus pictures to wrapping them round spheres.
Financial Manager - A program to help you manage your money (i.e. QuickBooks).
Firefox - an internet browser supplied free of charge by Mozilla and is the main 'competitor' to Internet Explorer.
Firewall - software that sets up a security barrier around a company's internal network, protecting it from outside networks such as the Internet.
FireWire - A super-fast data link between your PC and devices such as digital camcorders. Also known as IEEE1394.
Flame - an insulting message, a series of which can escalate into the online equivalent of a brawl. This is called a flame war.
Flash - a Macromedia plug-in you download which allows your browser to show animations. (Comes pre-installed with many browsers ).
Flash Memory - A special type of memory that maintains its contents even when the host machine, like a palmtop computer, is switched off.
Flatbed - A type of image scanner that resembles a small photocopier. Place a document face down on the glass scanning bed and the scan-head is moved across it, building up a digital image as it goes.
Flat-Panel Display - Slim monitors, similar to the liquid-crystal displays (LCD) found in notebook computers, designed for use with desktop PCs.
Floppy Drive - a data storage area comprising a floppy disc (1.4Mb capacity) and a pice of hardware known as the floppy drive where the discs area 'read' and written to. Mostly out of date now.
FM - Stands for frequency modulation, a method of generating sounds from simple wave forms.
FM synthesis - An old form of sound generation by soundcards. Still used by games, but doesn't sound as good as newer wavetable synthesis.
Folder - Files on PC's hard disk are arranged within a system of folders, which group related items together, helping you find the item you need. Folders have names to describe what's in them, for example: My Documents.
Font - A set of letters, numbers and other symbols in a particular style. Popular Windows fonts are Arial and Times New Roman.
Font size - This is the measurement typographers use to describe the size of text. Thus, 72pt text is bigger than 34pt text.
Footer - A special area at the bottom of a word-processor document: type something in here and it will appear at the base of every page.
Footprint - The desk area occupied by a peripheral, like a printer or scanner.
Force feedback - A term used to describe joysticks that can wiggle of their own accord, giving tactile feedback in games.
Form - A document formatted in a certain way for entering data, much like the paper version. Forms are typically used by databases.
Format - The process of preparing a floppy disk for use with a particular computer and operating system.
Formula bar - In spreadsheets, this is located at the top of the screen, above the grid of rows and columns. If a selected cell contains a formula, it will be visible in the formula bar. Otherwise any contents in a cell will be displayed in the formula bar. You can, for example, type text directly into a selected cell, or into the formula bar - the result will be the same.
Formulas - Formulas tell spreadsheets how to act on data stored in cells. For example, '=SUM(B13+B16)' tells the program to add the contents of cells B13 and B16 together.
Fragmentation - When there's not enough contiguous room to save a file in one physical location on your hard disk, the file will be spread over several smaller locations. This fragmentation is an inevitable consequence of constantly saving and deleting files - especially if space is scarce. Eventually your hard disk will need to be tidied up, or defragmented.
Frame rate - The number of images, or frames, shown each second that make up a moving image. The higher the rate, the smoother the moving image. Games and movies in particular benefit from high frame rates.
Frame size - The size or resolution of each individual frame of video, usually set on capture and dependent on whether you require full screen or a small video window on your monitor.
Frames (web animations) - Animated GIFs contain multiple images (otherwise they wouldn't move) which are held in frames, just like those you would see in a movie reel.
Frames (web pages) - In the context of web pages, these are used to segment content. One frame might contain a menu of the website while the other displays the information that you're interested in. The frame borders might be visible but are often hidden.
Freeware - software that you download from the Internet which is free of charge.
Full Duplex - The ability of a device (like a modem or sound card) to send and receive data simultaneously.
G
Gameport - The D-shaped socket found on most sound cards. This is used to connect game controllers and also doubles as a MIDI interface
Gamma correction - Correcting the overall brightness of an image to take into account differences between the way a PC reads an image and the human eye.
General protection fault - A fault that occurs when an application incorrectly accesses computer memory, causing the program to crash.
Generational loss - The loss in quality and detail that occurs every time you copy an analogue signal from source to another. Digital-to-digital copying does not involve any generational loss, unless it's through an analogue medium such as a video-capture card.
Geometry controls - Features to adjust the shape and size of the image displayed on a computer monitor.
GIF - a type of graphics file commonly used on the Internet.
GHz - Gigahertz is often used to measure the speed and power of a PC processer - the bigger the number the better the speed.
Gigabyte - distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. One gigabyte equals 1000 megabytes, or more accurately 1024 megabytes.
GM (General MIDI) - A standard governing the set of sampled sounds used by all MIDI devices. A GM file created on one device will sound at least similar on another (the instrument samples may vary in quality but not in type).
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) - A mobile phone standard that provides an 'always on' connection with speeds up to 150Kbit/s (existing GSM phones manage 9. 6Kbit/s).
GPS (Global Positioning System) - Network of satellites orbiting the earth, and used to pinpoint an exact position on the planet. Used in modern in-car navigation systems and handheld GPS devices.
Gradient - The gradual change from one colour to another, as if created by an airbrush. Also known as a 'fountain fill'.
Graphic Equaliser - A device for correcting undesirable noise output from audio equipment.
Graphics Processor - A dedicated chip on a graphics card designed to controls the images displayed on a monitor.
Graphics Tablet - An alternative to the mouse: you move a stylus over a small board just as you would a pen on a piece of paper. Ideal for applications where fine detail is involved.
GS - An extension to General Midi, offering more control over the way samples are played.
GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) - The digital mobile phone system used in the UK and many other countries.
GUI - Graphical User Interface is the term used when a programme's controls are represented by pictures, buttons, symbols etc and mostly controlled by pointing and clicking with a mouse. Example: Windows.
H
Hacker - a commonly used term for a person with obsessive, meticulous programming skills who can pick their way into any computer linked to the Internet, legally or otherwise. Like the SAS, you don't admit to being a hacker.
Handshake - the name for the noise made by two modems when they first connect.
Halftoning - In laser printing particularly, the simulation of a continuous-tone image (shaded drawing or photograph) with a series of dots.
Handheld computer - A small computer, about the size of a spectacles case. Handhelds usually have both a screen and keyboard in a folding case. The Psion Revo is an example of a modern handheld computer.
Handles - In the context of software, small blocks that appear at the sides and corners of a selected object in certain applications. Dragging a handle with the mouse usually resizes the object.
Hard Copy - a printed copy of a document, as distinct from the digital copy on your computer.
Hard Disk/Drive - the computer's main storage area. It retains information when the computer is switched off.
HDCP - High-bandwidth Digital Content Provider. A method of protecting copyrighted digital entertainment content.
HD-DVD - A new format offering high-definition video on DVD-sized discs. Rival to Blu-Ray.
HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface. A specification that combines audio and video into one digital interfaces for use with DVDs,digital TVs and so on.
HDTV - High Definition Television.High-resolution, widescreen digital TV that requires both an HDTV broadcast and television
Header - A title that can be inserted at the top of the page, usually in a word-processor document.
Heatsink - a block of machined metal, usually aluminium, used to dissipate heat from a hot component, such as a processor.
Heuristic - A technique for assessing the probability of a file containing a computer virus. Useful for discovering previously unknown strains.
Hi8 (also Hi-8) - A good-quality, high-band video standard used by camcorders (a high-band version of Video 8).
High-band - Enhanced videotape formats, such as S-VHS, S-VHS-C and Hi8, which offer improved picture quality.
High-definition - Also known as high-def or HD for short,a high-definition picture has a superior resolution to that of normal TV or video,and therefore shows more detail.
Hit(s) - a visit to a Web site that is recorded by a counter. Hits can be misleading, e.g. a new hit may be recorded for a Web page that has been reloaded.
Home Page - the opening page of a Web site that gives you an overview of the whole Web site. Because Web sites can have hundreds of tangled pages, there is usually a link back to the home page from anywhere in the Web site.
Host - another word for a computer offering services on the internet. When an Internet Service Provider (ISP) gives you space for your website on their computer they are said to be the 'host' of your website.
Host drive - When DriveSpace creates a compressed drive, it keeps part of it uncompressed - the host drive. It's usually a very small part of the disk, but it contains important files that allows your newly compressed drive to work properly.
HSCSD - High Speed Circuit Switched Data. An enhanced version of the GSM digital mobile phone network that can transfer data at speeds up to 28. 8Kbits/s.
Hub - This is a device used in local area networks to make a connection between two computers.
Hyperlink - an easy-to-spot word or phrase on a Web page, usually underlined, that turns your mouse pointer into a hand. Clicking on a hyperlink jumps you to somewhere else, either on that page or on any other page on the Web.
Hypertext - the name given to text with Hyperlinks.
Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML) - the code used to write pages on the World Wide Web. HTML looks a lot like old-fashioned typesetting code, where you surround a block of text with 'tags' that indicate how it should appear on screen. Importantly, HTML lets you specify that a block of text, or a word, is 'linked' to another file on the Internet.
Hypertext Transmission Protocol (HTTP) - the language computers use to transmit and receive files on the World Wide Web. You tell your computer to use this language when you type http at the start of a Web site address.
Hyperthreading - Technology developed by Intel that enables one of its newest Pentium 4 processors to behave as two processors for certain tasks, speeding up performance.
I
Icon - a small symbol, like a picture of a floppy disk or a printer, that you click on to access that function.
IDE - Stands for integrated device electronics, which is a standard interface for connecting devices such as hard disks and CD-ROM drives to a PC.
iMac - Apple Macintosh's budget range of computer. The 'i' stands for internet.
Image-editing application - Software used to manipulate digital images, either created from scratch or obtained via a scanner or digital camera.
Image Map - an image divided into a number of areas called 'hot spots' which are links. You know the hot spots are there because the pointer changes to a hand shape when passing over them.
Import filter - A software feature that allows you read a file created using one application into a different one.
Inbox - the folder in your e-mail program / webmail where you get your incoming e-mails.
Infection - Describes the way a virus transfers itself from one computer to another.
Infrared - An interface that allows you to transmit data via infrared light waves,allowing data to be transferred cordlessly between devices.
Infrared port - An interface that allows you to transmit data via infrared light waves, allowing data to be transferred cordlessly between devices with infrared ports. Most PDAs and notebook computers feature infrared ports, but few desktop PCs are so lucky - limiting the usefulness as a connection method.
Ink cartridge - A plastic container holding ink, inserted into an inkjet printer. Some cartridges may incorporate the nozzles that will put the ink on the page but they are often just refills that slot into a reusable head.
Inkjet printer - Type of printer which squirts tiny dots of ink onto the page to form text and images. Almost all inkjet printers print in colour as well as black and white.
Installing - putting a program onto your hard disk so you can use it. Installation is usually started by clicking on a file called 'setup.exe' on Windows and shown by a diamond/arrow icon on a Mac. The most common ways to install programs is from CD-Rom or via the internet.
Instant Messaging - sending messages and chatting with friends or colleagues when you are both online via a special application called an Instant Messenger (IMs). IMs have a buddy list which tell you when people you know are online. Examples of an IM Service is Windows Live Messenger.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - a faster way of moving information over standard telephone lines (a.k.a. 'Broadband').
Internet - the vast, global collection of interconnected computer networks that all use the same language to talk to each other. The Internet is not a single entity but a collection of networks.
Internet Explorer - a web browser supplied free of charge by Microsoft.
Internet Service Provider (lSP) - a provider that sells you a connection to the Internet without additional services like its own guide to education, news or sport. Examples in the UK are BT Broadband, Tiscali, TalkTalk, Eclipse, AOL etc.
Intranet - a network of computers for a group of people, usually employees of a company, that uses Internet technology such as e-mail and browser software but which is not part of the Internet.
Internet Protocol (IP) Number - the unique number assigned to any computer on the Internet. IP numbers have four parts, separated by dots. Only computers use IP Numbers to identify each other. We use a name, called a domain name, as a substitute for P numbers because we find names easier to remember.
IRC - Internet Relay Chat. A real time chat system using a dedicated program where you talk to other people on topic related channels by typing your comments in a chat window.
IRQ - Stands for interrupt request, which are settings that determine the memory addresses and processor usage for PC add-in cards and devices. You shouldn't change these unless you really know what you're doing.
ISA - Stands for Industry Standard Architecture, which is an old type of expansion slot inside a PC.
ISDN - see Integrated Services Digital Network.
J
Java - a computer language that is used for writing programs for networks and the Internet.
Java Applet - a small Java program that works within a Web page to add interactive features like forms, ticker-tape text or a calculator.
JavaScript - a scripting language developed by Netscape and Sun Microsystems which is used to do things like make new browser windows 'pop up'.
JPEG / JPG - a common type of image file that is good for saving photos and other images with many different colours. JPEG means Joint Photographic Experts Group.
Junk e-mail - direct marketing sent by e-mail rather than by the post.
K
Keyword - a word you use to search the Internet. Keywords can be combined to refine your search.
Kilobyte - distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. One kilobyte equals 1000 bytes, or to be precise, 1024 bytes.
L
Landline - your hard-wired telephone connection (usually provided by British Telecom).
Laser Printer - a printer that uses a heat source to 'burn' an image onto the printer. Generally considered to be of a higher quality than inkjet printing.
Linux - an open source operating system, similar to the UNIX operating system.
Local Area Network (LAN) - a computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the same building or floor in a building.
Login - as a noun, login refers to the name, often your own, that you type in to access the Internet or a Web site on it. Your login is not a secret like the PASSWORD you may have to enter as well. The verb login means to enter a computer system.
Lurker - someone who prefers to read other people's messages rather than posting their own views. Discussion groups often have thousands of members but only a handful will regularly post messages -the rest are the silent majority, lurking on the sideline. Lurking and reading FAQs beforehand is good 'netiquette' when you join a discussion group.
M
Macintosh / Mac - a family of computers developed by Apple. The Mac operating system (Mac OS) was one of the first to use a 'drag and drop' interface for organising files and is still the major rival to PCs.
Macro - a way to record and save a series of commands so you can reapply them later with a single command or keyboard stroke.
Mailbox - the folder which contains a person's individual items such as an inbox, outbox, sent items, notes and calendar.
Mailist - similar to a Newsgroup, except that to see messages you subscribe to the list and messages then arrive by e-mail, rather than you going to a newsgroup to see what messages have been posted. When you send an e-mail to the list, everyone on the list receives it. A central computer, usually set up by the owner of the list, handles all the processing. Like newsgroups, mailists are very good for keeping in touch with people who share your interests.
Megabyte - distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. One megabyte equals 1 million characters of text, or about as much as you need for a fat paperback book. A megabyte takes about 4 seconds to transmit at 56,000 bits per second.
Metadata - information about a web page hidden inside it to help search engines find it. It often includes a description of the page which will be picked up by search engines.
Meta Search Engine - search engines which automatically submits your search to several search engines at the same time and then comes back with the results after only a few seconds. Well known examples include MetaCrawler and Ask Jeeves.
Menu Bar - a bar on a Web page, usually across the top of the screen, that remains visible and gives you a set of controls. Some buttons on the menu bar may open sub-menus, called pull-down menus, that give you more Options.
MHz - Megahertz. A measurement of a computer's speed. The more MHz the faster the computer. One GHz (Gigahertz) is 1000 MHz.
MIME - a standard for encoding information other than text so that it can be attached to an e-mail message and sent across the internet.
Mirror Site - an exact copy of a Web site, usually on a computer in a different location, that allows a server to meet heavy demand by answering requests from clients from the server site that is nearest to them.
Modem - MODulator/DEModulator, the device that turns the computer's digital signals into sound so it can be transferred over the telephone line. In other words, just as we pick up the telephone to talk to each other, a computer picks up a modem to talk to another computer over the telephone line.
Mouse Droppings - the practice of recording what someone clicks on when they visit your Web site.
MPEG - a standard used for compressing video and audio files. The popular MPEG3 format is popular for distributing music on the internet.
MP3 - a digital audio format which allows CD tracks to be reduced to around a tenth of their normal size without a significant loss of quality i.e. on average from a massive 35 megabytes down to three.
Multimedia - the combination of different types of media such as audio, video and text.
Multiplayer - games played against other players, rather than against a computer, either via an internet connection or on a local network (in a cyber cafe or an office).
N
Napster - file-sharing application which could be downloaded so that music could be shared over the internet by people who are online at the same time. Napster was closed by the US courts but has been launched again as a pay for service.
Narrowband - the opposite of broadband. Normally used to refer to a modem running at a speed of 56Kbps or less.
Navigate - to move within or between websites using navigation bars and links.
Navigation Bar - a set of links to the main sections of a website which appears on each web page within that website. The Nav Bar often appears at the top or left of a web page.
Netbook - a small, compact and lightweight laptop computer, usually without a CD/DVD drive installed, useful for internet browsing.
Netiquette - the unofficial etiquette about online behaviour. For example, no CAPITALS because they indicate shouting and no advertising except in designated areas.
Network - a group of computers communicating together via a server along cables or wirelessly.
Network Adaptor (Network card or NIC) - This is a piece of hardware that allows a PC to connect to a network.
New Media - digital media including television, radio, and the telephone as well as the newer forms such as the internet, interactive television, CD-Rom and streaming audio.
Newbie - someone who is new to the internet or a part of the internet, for example, a 'chat newbie'.
Newsgroup - the name for discussion groups on Usenet. Newsgroups are for discussion among people with similar interests, not for news.
Newsreader - the facility in a browser program that lets you read the bulletin boards that NEWSGROUPS use for discussion.
Notebook - another name for a laptop computer.
O
OCR - An abbreviation of Optical Character Recognition, the process by which printed text is scanned and converted into a computer-editable electronic document.
OEM - Short for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which refers to components sold to manufacturers purely for incorporation in complete systems. Often, OEM parts are similar to those sold retail, but may be cheaper or sold with different software.
Office suite - A bundle of useful programs sold in one package. Lotus SmartSuite and Microsoft Office are prime examples.
Offline - you are not connected to the internet.
On Demand - A virus checker in the form of a program which you run whenever you want to check something.
On Access - A virus checker that runs continuously in the background and checks files each time you access them.
Onboard - Already fitted to your PC as part of the main circuitry on the motherboard. So 'onboard AGP graphics', would mean the PC with built-in AGP graphics facilities. The alternative is a separate expansions card which is attached to the motherboard via a special port.
Online - you are connected to the internet.
OpenGL - A programming standard used for work such as 3D modelling. Setting a game to use OpenGL can greatly improve the quality of the graphics.
Operating System - The main piece of software on your computer that makes it work. For example, Microsoft Windows and Linux are both Operating Systems.
Optical Resolution - The true resolution a scanner can 'see' as it passes across a document. Resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi), so a 300dpi scan will pick up 300 lines of information for each inch of the scanned page.
Overclocked Processor - A processor that has had its operating speed improperly increased.
P
Packet - the name given to a piece of data that travels over a network. Like homing pigeons, packets know where they are going, as well as where they have come from.
Paint Shop Pro - a graphics package that allows you to create, edit, and save images.
Palmtop - a tiny computer that can be easily held in one hand.
Password - a secret code that you need to access a secure system. Passwords usually have seven or more characters. Combining your name and age-Stephanie 37 -makes a bad password. A better choice would be a combination of letters and non-letters, e.g. Stphn!3-7!
PC (Personal Computer) - a Computer that sits on your desk and is designed to be operated by one person at a time.
PDA - stands for personal digital assistant and refers to small pocket sized computers.
PDF - stands for Portable Document Format. These files will print exactly as they appear on the screen. You need the free Acrobat Reader program to open a PDF file.
Perl - a script programming language which provides interactivity and more complex features on websites. It is often used on websites which have discussion forums or chat rooms.
Photoshop - a software package written by Adobe used to design, produce and alter images which can be used on websites or in print.
Pins - In thermal printers, these heat up and press against heat-sensitive paper to form images and text. In dot-matrix printers, they strike an inked ribbon against the paper to make their mark.
Pitch wheel - A small rotating control found on most Midi keyboards that generates pitch-bend information.
PivotTable - A built-in Excel macro, or mini program, which summarises large amounts of data.
Pixel - Short for Picture Elements, the tiny little dots which make up the images on computer screens and printouts.
Pixelation - Many digital images are made up of tiny dots. So tiny that to the naked eye they cannot be seen. However, if an image is enlarged or 'blown up' the individual become visible. This process is known as pixellation.
Plasma - A display where each pixel is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas.
Platform - the type of machine and operating system you have. Common platforms include the Intel PC with Microsoft Windows as an operating system or the Apple Macintosh with Mac OS.
Platform games - These involve jumping and running across 'platforms', fighting foes and collecting sundry objects.
Playlist - A list of audio tracks (usually MP3s) queued for playback, not unlike a stack of records on an old record player.
Plug and play - A standard for Windows PCs that allows peripherals to be connected and used in a matter of moments. In theory, Windows will automatically detect the new device and install any needed drivers from its own database.
Plug-In - a small piece of software that adds features to a larger piece of software. Plug-ins are usually free and can be downloaded off the Internet. Popular plug-ins are RealAudio and Shockwave.
Pocket PC - A generic term for any handheld computer that uses the Microsoft Pocket PC operating system.
Point size (or pt size) - The measurement that typographers use to describe the size of text. One point is approximately 1/72nd of an inch. Accordingly, 72pt text is twice as big as 36pt text.
POP3 - short for Post Office Protocol 3. The current technical standard for retrieving your e-mails from your ISP.
Pop-up menu - A menu that can be displayed on the screen at any time by pressing the appropriate key, usually displayed over material already on the screen. Once you have made a choice from the menu, it disappears and the original screen is restored.
Port - A socket, which is located at the back of the computer's base, where you plug in items like the printer and keyboard.
Portal - a website which acts as a gate to the internet by directing you to information elsewhere. Search engines are one example.
Portable Data Storage - a small keyring type piece of hardware, replacing the floppy drive as a method of temporarily storing data on a portable drive from 128Mb to 4Mb
Port scanning - using a computer to search for weak spots in other computers connected to the internet, usually for unlawful purposes.
Post - to send a message, either to a Newsgroup or by E-Mail.
Programming Code - a set of instructions written in a programming language such as Java, C+ or Perl.
Protocol - a set of rules that all computers linked to a network must follow. Protocols act like the rules you follow for posting a letter. You put a recipient's address, a stamp and your address on a letter so that anyone in the system knows where to find what they need. Regardless of the underlying language, the basic 'protocols' remain the same.
Proxy Server - a computer owned by your ISP which stores copies of popular web pages. This means that when you try to load up certain pages, rather than going to the original web server of the web page your computer retrieves it from the proxy. This loads pages more quickly.
Q
Quantising - A way found in MIDI sequencers, including those on your PC, to force badly timed notes to the nearest 'correct' value, and so keep your recording in perfect time
QuickTime - A media player for your computer made by Apple Inc.
QWERTY keyboard - The standard English keyboard layout, so called because the first six letters on the top row of the keyboard are QWERTY. Similarly, French keyboards can be referred to as AZERTY while some other languages, including German, use a QWERTZ keyboard layout.
R
RAM - RAM stands for Random Access Memory, It's the memory that determines the speed that information is sent around your computer.
Real Player - A Media Player created by Real Inc.
Refresh/Reload - the button that you use to download a web page again (the f5 key on your keyboard). In internet Explorer it's called 'Refresh' and in Netscape Navigator 'Reload'. You should press this button if for some reason a web page appears not to have loaded correctly.
Register - some websites ask you to give your name, e-mail address and other personal information in order to view pages. This is called registering.
RGB - RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue. A combination of these colours in various proportions will make any colour.
Rip - This is the term used to describe the copying of data from a CD or DVD onto a computer hard drive.
Robot - a software tool for performing automated tasks, often on the internet. For example, search bots are used by search engines to scour the internet automatically and populate their database.
ROM (read only memory) - This a type of memory containing data that normally can only be read, not altered.
Router - a computer or software program that decides how to route information between two or more networks based on where the information is going.
S
Search Directory - a free service that helps you find the information you want. Directories divide the Internet up into subject areas, in the same way that libraries do. To find a book on how to play cricket you would first go to non-fiction, then to sport and then to cricket. Search directories do the same for Web sites. A popular search directory is Yahoo.
Search Engine - a free service that lets you look for information by typing in a word, called a keyword, or combination of words. The search engine then looks for Web sites that match your word and prepares a list of what it has found. Some search engines look for Web site addresses that match your word, others might look at headers or titles on the page or even search the full text. Search engines tend to cover more of the Internet than search directories but can retrieve thousands of Web sites with lots of irrelevant material.
Secure - a method of sending or storing information that is encrypted or security protected to prevent unauthorised users accessing it.
Server - a computer that holds material from the World Wide Web and can transfer it to another computer when requested. When you view a Web site, it has come from a server.
Shareware - software which is free or almost free to try out. Shareware often has a 'free trial' period during which time you can test and use the program. After this, payment is required, but it is usually quite cheap.
Shockwave - a plug-in which gives you access to interactive multimedia on the world wide web. Often used to make CD-Roms it can be used to combine animation, video and audio into games or presentations.
Shopping Cart - the internet equivalent of a shopping trolley. On an online shopping site you choose what items you want and add them to your on-screen shopping cart by indicating what items you want. These stay in your cart until you check out.
Signature file - a small file of text which can be automatically added to every e-mail message you send. It usually contains details such as your name and e-mail address, but may also be your job title or a favourite quote. It is sometimes called a '.sig'.
SMTP - the internet protocol for the sending and receiving of e-mail over the internet.
Snail Mail - a term used for the conventional postal service because it is slow compared to e-mail.
Source - the code a web page is written in. This is usually HTML but may also involves CGI, Java or Java Script as well. You can view the HTML source code of a web page by clicking on the "View Source" menu option in your browser.
SPAM - junk mail on the Internet.
Splash Page - a web page which the visitor sees while the rest of a website is loading. It is usually an animated design and often offers the visitor the choice of 'skipping' this intro or watching the rest of the movie.
Spider - a program that collects Web site addresses and catalogues them for use with a search directory or search engine.
Streaming - when a sound or video file is played at almost the same time it is being sent from a website. In this way you don't have to wait for a clip to download, you just watch it as it downloads.
StuffIt - Macintosh software used for compressing files (making them take up less memory) so making them quicker to send over the internet. StuffIt files usually have the file extension .sit.
Surf - to look around the Internet.
T
Tab - A feature in Internet Explorer and Firefox (for example) that allows you to have many web pages open in one window.
Terabyte - This is commonly used to describe the capacity of a digital system. A Terabyte is 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (2 to the 40th power).
Thread - a group of messages, often e-mail messages or message board posts, linked by a common subject. A thread is the online equivalent of a conversation. Many message boards present messages on the same subject together - as a thread.
Tool Bar - A bar on your computer containing lots of different tools you can use on different pieces of software, For example: Microsoft Windows Start Bar is a tool bar.
Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - the set of rules that a computer must use in order to connect to the Internet.
Trojan - a program which appears harmless but is carrying inside viruses, worms or even another program that will damage your computer. A trojan is usually an attachment and is often carrying a program which allows someone to hack into your computer.
TV Card - A piece of hardware inside your computer that allows you to watch Television on your computer and record it onto your HDD.
U
Universal Resource Locator (URL) - the address of a Web site. Because it is universal, anyone can type it into their Computer and find your Web site.
UNIX - a computer operating system (OS) used by most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) on their 'host' computers as it allows many people to connect to the same resources at any given time.
Unmetered Access - internet accounts which offer access free of phone charges after you pay a monthly fixed amount.
Upload - to transfer information from your computer to another computer. When you send an e-mail you upload it.
URL - stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The correct term for the address of a website or document on the web (e.g. www.tacticalpanda.co.uk).
USB - USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, It's a type of plug that connects different types of hardware including your printer.
Usenet - a worldwide system of noticeboards that you can read via the Internet, using your browser software. Anyone can post an article, called 'news', to a noticeboard. With millions of users Usenet is an enormous decentralised information resource, divided into forums called NEWSGROUPS, each with its own area of interest. Most newsgroups receive several thousand articles a day. News is generally held only for a day or so after which it may be archived.
V
Vbscript -a language similar to JavaScript but designed by Microsoft. It allows greater interactivity on web pages.
Vector Graphics - files which contain instructions for drawing lines or curves and also say how these shapes should be filled. This approach means vector graphics are smaller and faster than bitmap images like GIFs and JPGs. They also maintain their quality when displayed or printed at differing sizes.
Video Conference - using video to talk over the Internet and see who you are talking to.
Virus - pieces of code that are designed to reproduce and damage data or system performance. There are thousands of viruses and the numbers keep growing!
VRML - a language used to build a three dimensional space in which the user can move around in a virtual reality world.
W
Web - short for World Wide Web (WWW).
WAP - short for Wireless Application Protocol. WAP is a technology which allows you to access basic information on the internet from your mobile phone. This includes e-mail and information such as sport, traffic and news.
Webcam - an inexpensive, simple video camera that can sit on top of your computer monitor or be placed somewhere else such as the top of a building. It's designed to send live and recorded video as well as still pictures over the net to one or more users.
Web Editor - a piece of software that allows you to design a web page without knowing HTML, the code which makes up web pages. Web editors are as easy to use as word processors but rather than making documents, you use them to make web pages.
Webmail - e-mail you access through a web page using your browser rather than using an e-mail program. This means you can send, view and organise e-mails on any computer with an internet connection. Hotmail is a well known example of a webmail service.
Webmaster - the person in charge of a website.
Web Page - a page written in Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML) that you can view with your browser software.
Web Server - a powerful computer permanently connected to the internet which 'serves' web pages and other internet files to users.
Web Site - a collection of Web pages.
Web Space - the space on a server that you get given by your ISP to put a website on. Most Internet Service Providers now allocate free webspace for their customers.
Web Traffic - a general term used to describe data travelling around the internet. The internet can sometimes be very slow because of the amount of traffic.
Wide Area Network (WAN) - a network of computers dispersed over a large area and usually connected either by wires or Wireless.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - This term is used to describe a set of standards for devices that connect to a local area network using wireless technology.
World Wide Web (WWW) - or Web for short, the colourful part of the Internet that is easy to get around because, as its name suggests, all the pages on the Web are connected by links. The Web is not the same as the Internet, it's a part of it. If the Internet is the road system that everything uses, the Web is the bus lane with the colourful bits that are easy to jump on and off-but just because buses are easier to see it doesn't mean there isn't any other traffic on the road, such as e-mail.
Worm - is a program that can reproduce itself over a computer network. It usually attaches itself to another program and then proceeds to cause malicious damage to your computer such as shutting it down.
WYSIWYG - stands for 'What You See Is What You Get' and refers to one of two types of programs called web editors, which help you build web pages. With WYSIWYG you can place images and type text straight onto the page rather than having to insert HTML code.
X, Y & Z
XML - stands for Extensible Markup language. A way of publishing web pages that allows web designers to change the formatting of the page very easily. It also makes it much easier to make different versions of web pages for iTV, mobile phones and PDAs.
Zip - refers to compressing files (making them take up less memory) so making them quicker to send over the internet. There are various software tools available for 'zipping and 'unzipping' files including PKZip and Winzip (for PC) and ZipIt (for Mac). Zipped files usually have the file extension .zip.
Zipping - Compressing a file using a program such as PKZip or WinZip to reduce the space it takes up. Unzipping is the process of decompressing the file to its original form.
Zone - In OCR software, a scanned area which is designated as containing a particular type of information, either image or text. Examples include a picture caption or a column of text.
Zoom - In image-editing, the tool, normally shown as a magnifying glass, which lets you enlarge an area of the picture so you can see finer detail and work on it more easily.