Chapter 5 IT Fundamentals

Proxy Server

A device that stands as an intermediary between an application such as a web browser and the Internet. A proxy server intercepts all requests and can use filter rules to allow or deny internet traffic.

Certificate

A digital document that contains encryption keys and is used for encryption and identification.

Pop-up Blocker

A feature of most web browsers that prevents pop-up windows such as advertisements from being displayed.

Messaging

A form of written communication similar to texting but is typically done with the use of an app like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, usually on a mobile device.

Social Media Marketing

A marketing tool used on social media to present a business and its message quickly and in the best light possible with the intent to interact with and influence potential customers and expand their business potential.

Cloud Hosting

A method of delivering applications by hosting them in the cloud.

Streaming

A method of transmitting and receiving data (especially video and audio information) over a network as a steady, continuous flow, allowing playback while the data is being transferred.

IP Address

A numerical label that is assigned to devices so they can connect and communicate on a network.

Intranet

A private network, usually hidden from the internet and protected by a security device, that uses the same technologies that are used on the internet and may or may not be connected to the internet.

Social Media Marketer

A professional who uses creative and technical skills to create content for social media platforms in order to reach and influence current and potential customers.

Internet Service Technician

A professional who works with telecommunications equipment and hardware to build infrastructures for networking, telephones, radio, and other communications channels.

Web Application

A program or app that uses the internet and a web browser to complete a task. The user's computer interacts with a remote server to access the app.

Web Search

A search of the World Wide Web using a web browser, often done by visiting a web search engine site such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Cloud Computing

A service or software application that relies on shared resources over the internet

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP-IP)

A set of rules that facilitates internet communication.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

A set of rules that govern the transfer of files between computers.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

A set of rules that govern the transfer of web content between computers.

Cookie

A small piece of data sent from a website and stored on a user's computer by the web browser while the user is browsing. Cookies are designed to help websites remember information such as items in an online shopping cart and entries in a web form so that the website can customize a web page for the user.

On-Demand Streaming

A streaming method that allows users to select and watch or listen to video or audio when they choose, rather than at a scheduled broadcast time.

Domain Name System (DNS)

A system and set of rules that associates domain names (such as web servers) with unique IP addresses so users can find and use network resources by an easily readable name instead of by IP address.

RSS

A system based on simple text files that are read by a program to provide a stream of updates or feed about a particular topic. RSS originally stood for RDF Site Summary but is also known as "really simple syndication" or "rich-site summary."

Wi-Fi

A technology that allows computers, smartphones, and other devices to communicate on a wireless network.

Asynchronous Technology

A technology that allows groups to communicate by taking turns, such as in emailing and text messaging.

Synchronous Technology

A technology that allows two or more groups to communicate in real time such as video conferencing, VoIP, or live streaming.

Voice over IP (VoIP)

A technology that sends voice phone calls using the TCP/IP protocol over digital data lines.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A term associated with cloud hosting. This provides users with the applications they need to do their day-to-day work through the cloud.

Crowdsourcing

A way of reaching out to a large group for help solving a problem. It can involve collecting ideas from users or professionals, or pooling money or resources from a variety of people.

Social Media Platform

A web-based technology to distribute information and encourage people to connect with others who share a common interest. Examples of social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Use Advanced Search Options

All of the popular search engines have some kind of advanced search option. Advanced searches provide several ways to refine and narrow your search, including fields for "exact words" and fields for words you do not want to be found in the source. You can also narrow the search by language, region, domain, and file type. One important thing to note about advanced searches is that the search filters are cumulative. This means you can apply as many of the filters as you want and they will all be applied at the same time. If your search ends up being too narrow, you can go back and remove some of the filters or try alternative phrases.

Web Designer

An IT professional who employs skills in color, font, layout, and images to create appealing and useful websites.

Web Browser

An application for accessing information on the World Wide Web.

Podcast

An audio program split up into episodes that can be enjoyed on demand. Podcast topics can range from cooking, fashion, music, and about any other topic you can think of.

Wiki

An online encyclopedia that uses hyperlinks to connect each entry to other relevant entries.

Online Chat

An online written form of communication that is typically web based and used by businesses as customer service tools to assist online users who visit their websites.

Narrow Your Search

At the top of the list of search results, most search engines include a few options for narrowing your search to specific result categories. For example, you can click "News" and see news articles related to your search terms. Or you can click "Images or Videos" to view media results. Another option for narrowing your search is to return to the Search box and add or clarify search terms. You can also put some or all of the terms in quotations, which tells the search engine to display results containing that exact phrase instead of results that include each of the individual words.

Academic Source

Books or articles written by experts who have credentials in a particular field of study.

Disadvantage of web applications

Can carry monthly or yearly fee

Hyperlinks

Clickable text or images that take you to different sites on the World Wide Web

Downloading

Creating a copy of a file from a web or network server and saving it to your local computer. This allows a user to open the file at any time even if they don't have a network connection.

Investigate Author Biases

If you have any reason to doubt the reliability of an author's claim, find out more about his or her affiliations and investigate possible biases. What is the author's purpose? Is it simply to inform as objectively as possible, or is it to persuade you or sell you something? Does the author seem to be overly emotional or making outlandish claims?

Use Scholarly Sources for Academic Research

If you're working on academic or professional research, limit your searching to scholarly authors who have credentials in their field. Online academic databases such as Google Scholar are configured to limit search results to scholarly sources.

IoT Cars

Owners of Internet-enabled cars can use their phones to monitor their gas usage and engine status. Online navigation software can be used instead of GPS, and music apps can replace the need for a traditional radio.In coming years, cars and trucks will use the Internet to drive themselves, without needing a person behind the wheel. Driverless cars will create a massive impact on the transportation industry and change the way we think about getting around.

Texting

Phone communication in written form sent through SMS (Short Message Service) that can be sent over a cellular network or the internet. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is an extension of SMS that supports picture, audio, and video messaging.

Citation Style

Prescribes the format you should use for citing academic sources, including author, date of publication, and journal title. Like any other academic assignment, you should check with your instructor to confirm the preferred citation style, such as MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), or the Chicago Manual of Style.

Secondary Source

Resources such as articles or books that review, analyze, or describe primary sources.

Primary Source

Resources such as original speeches, letters, poems, laws, scientific fieldwork, and artwork.

Consumer-level Source

Resources such as personal websites, online forums, news websites, and online magazines whose audience is consumers of information -- people looking for practical information to solve a problem, make a purchasing decision, or just become better informed on current events and issues.

Tertiary Source

Resources that compile or summarize material from other sources including bibliographies, abstracts, and online article indexes and databases.

Netiquette

Rules of etiquette that should be observed while using computer networks, such as the internet.

Sift Through Search Results

Search engines use complex algorithms that rank websites according to their popularity, responsiveness, and overall "relevance." These rankings influence which sites are displayed near the top of your search results. Most search engines also highlight links to related content sponsored by advertisers. As you sift through search results, if you're looking for products or services related to your search terms, you might want to consider clicking on an advertised link. Otherwise, you'll want to ignore them and scan the list for more reliable, objective information. It's often a good idea to click through a few pages of results, since the most relevant pages might not be at the top of the list.

The web

Short for World Wide Web. Digital content that is delivered over the Internet, usually through a web browser.

Verify Facts

Since information on the Internet is not regulated by a fact-checking body, it's important to verify claims by looking at multiple sources. Don't trust one or two sources of unverified pieces of information.

Digital Assistant

Software found on almost every computer or smart device that makes a variety of tasks easier, especially by allowing you to control your device with just your voice. Examples of digital assistants are Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, Amazon's Alexa, and Google's Google Assistant.

Browser Extension

Software that adds functionality to a web browser.

Software Subscription

Sometimes called SaaS or on-demand software, software that requires a monthly or annual fee to use the software and receive regular updates.

Smart Homes

TRfers to a home with devices that can be controlled remotely over the Internet with a smartphone or computer. Many smart homes have Internet-enabled security systems. Indoor and outdoor security cameras record live video footage that the resident can view from their phone or tablet, and alarms inform the police in the event of a break-in. Thermostats can learn the residents' daily routines and adjust the temperature of the home accordingly. Even home appliances, like refrigerators and coffee makers, can be controlled over the Internet by phone.

Plagiarism

The act of taking someone else's work and passing it off as one's own.

Citation Style

The format used for citing academic sources, including author, date of publication, and journal title.

Buffering

The pre-loading of data from a stream into memory to help avoid interruptions while waiting for data that is received in bursts.

Client-Side Scripting

The process of transferring source code from a web server to a web browser and running that code directly in the browser.

Universal Resource Locator (URL)

The reference or address to a resource on the Internet. Example: http://www.testout.com/home/about/privacy

Caching

The storing of images, sounds, web pages, and other information associated with particular websites that allows a browser to redisplay data without having to reload it from the website.

The Internet

The worldwide system of interconnected computers and public networks.

Use the Browser Address Bar

To perform an online search, you can visit the website for your preferred search engine, such as google.com or bing.com, and then begin entering search terms. However, for a quick online search, you can enter search terms directly into the address bar of your web browser, which will forward them to the default search engine. If you enter the URL for a website, such as testout.com, the browser will display the website. But if you enter one or more search terms separated by a space, the terms will be processed by the default search engine.

Emergency and Medical Applications

To save human lives, emergency vehicles can use IoT systems for better response times. A Smart Ambulance System (SAS) is integrated with an Intelligent Traffic Control System (ITCS), which controls the timing of traffic lights in the path of the emergency vehicle. In other words, smart ambulances can communicate with traffic lights, changing them to green as they approach. This "green corridor" lets emergency vehicles arrive at their destination faster and more safely.Patients with heart or breathing problems can wear Internet-enabled sensors that automatically contact emergency services if they sense a problem.

Radio Waves

Used by WiFi to send data between networks and devices

Internet of Things (IoT)

A computing concept that describes the network of physical devices and everyday devices (including refrigerators, thermostats, streetlights, and environmental tracking systems) that communicate with the internet.

Blog

A blog is a website that produces content in forms of blog posts that can contain text, images, video, or other media. Blogs usually have a more casual, conversational style than more mainstream websites.

Cloud Computing

A cloud computing service that remotely maintains, manages, and backs up data and makes that data available to users over a network.

Microsoft OneDrive

A cloud storage service that is offered by Microsoft.

Internet Service Providers (ISP)

A company that provides individuals and businesses access to the internet and other related services.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

A computer language that web pages use to display content through web browsers.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A computing concept that describes the network of everyday physical devices (including refrigerators, thermostats, streetlights, and environmental tracking systems) that communicate with the internet.