Discovering the Internet Chapter 1 (Into the Internet) Key Terms

app (8)

(short for application) is a software program. Typically refers to programs that run on mobile devices (mobile apps). Apps are an integral part of internet technology. (8)

Internet (2)

A global network of computers and mobile devices that allows individuals and businesses around the world to share information and other resources and conduct business transactions.

Gopher (16)

A hierarchical directory-based system to deliver information across the Internet. Gopher was invented by two graduates of University of Minnesota. Gopher is named after the mascot of the university. It was a directory-based system and was used directory links to make navigation easier. Gopher is an application-layer protocol that provides the ability to extract and view Web documents stored on remote Web servers.

Hypertext

Hypertext is text that links to other information. Digital text that contains hyperlinks to other texts. Digital text in which the reader may navigate related information through embedded hyperlinks.

E-business (11)

A broad term that includes electronically transmitted financial transactions, such as placing orders, sending invoices, or by paying by credit card online. Electronic Business is conducting business via the Internet.

Internet service provider (ISP) (20)

A business that has permanent Internet connection and provides temporary Internet connections to individuals and companies. A company that provides customers with Internet access.

Line splitter (22)

A coaxial cable that divides the television signals from the data signals, a cable modem, and a network expansion card inside the computer.

Markup language (5)

A coding system that uses tags to provide instructions about the appearance, structure, and formatting of a document. Markup languages are designed for the processing, definition and presentation of text. The language specifies code for formatting, both the layout and style, within a text file.

Host (2)

A computer directly connected to the Internet.

Server (10)

A computer on a network used to store files. A server is a computer that provides data to other computers.

Web Server (6)

A computer that store web pages. A system that delivers content or services to end users over the Internet. A remote computer or a computer program that delivers Web pages to a user's computer, or a client, upon request from a web browser.

Link (7)

A link or hyperlink is a text or a picture on a webpage, that you tap or click to view a different location on the same webpage, another webpage at the same website, a webpage at a different website, or to an email address, or PDF document.

Internet2 (19)

A major cooperative initiative among academia, industry, and government agencies to increase the Internets capabilities and solve some of its challenges. Internet2 is a testing-ground networking environment where universities, companies, and government laboratories work together and develop advanced Internet technologies such as telemedicine, digital libraries and virtual laboratories.

Kilobits per second (KBps) (21)

A measure of data transfer speed. One Kbps is 1,000 bits per second. Transfer rates range from thousands of bits per second.

Cable modem (22)

A particular type of modem used for high-speed cable connections. aAtype of modem that connects a computer or local network to broadband Internet service through the same cable that supplies cable television service.

Responsive web design (RWD) (7)

A web design strategy. The goal of RWD is to create websites that adjust layout and, in some cases, content, to the device and screen displaying the webpages. Web development and design that is geared toward creating sites that provide an efficient and appealing visual experience with text that is easy to navigate without altering the resolution of a display screen.

Bluetooth (22)

A popular short-range wireless connection that uses radio frequency to transmit data between two electronic devices, such as smartphone and earpiece.

Blog (4)

A regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style. A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption.

Internet Protocol (IP) (14)

A set of rules governing the format of data sent over the Internet or other network.

Hotspot (23)

A specific geographic location in which a wireless access point provides public Internet access. Hotspots can be found in hotels, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, convention centers, and other venues.

Protocol (2)

A standard or set of rules that computer network devices follow when transmitting and receiving data. A standard procedure for regulating data transmission between computers.

Dial-up line (22)

A temporary connection that uses analog phone lines. A connection or circuit between two sites through a switched telephone network. Refers to connecting a device to a network via a modem and a public telephone network. Dial-up access is just like a phone connection, except that the parties at the two ends are computer devices rather than people.

Asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) (23)

A type of DSL that supports faster transmissions when receiving data than when sending data.

Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (23)

A type of wireless network technology used for connecting to the Internet. A local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet; uses ethernet protocol

Spam (18)

Advertisements by email. Electronic junk mail.

Email (9

Allows Internet users to send and receive messages and files over a local computer network or the Internet.

Circuit switching (13)

Allows a caller to dial a number to establish and maintain a private circuit across the wires. A type of communications in which a dedicated channel (or circuit) is established for the duration of a transmission.

Multiplexing (22)

Allows for more data to transmit at the same time over the same line. To combine multiple signals (analog or digital) for transmission over a single line or media.

Mailing list (15)

Allows participants to send a single message to the list, which then automatically routes the message to every other participant. Digital list of e-mail addresses used to deliver particular electronic messages over the World Wide Web.

Video Sharing (4)

Also called video blogging allow users to share and comment on personal and professional videos.

Web Conferencing (11)

Also called video calling. Allows remote employees to participate in meetings, training sessions, and more. A broad term that can include using the web to view slide show presentations, use live or streaming video, participate in surveys and polls, communicate using text chat, or view the presenter's screen using screen sharing. To conduct a conference between two or more participants at different sites by using computer networks to transmit audio and video data.

Video Calling (11)

Also called web conferencing. Allows remote employees to participate in meetings, training sessions, and more.

HTML tags (5)

An HTML tag is a code that describes how a Web page is formatted. Defines the format and organization of webpage elements. Defined by the characters < and >.

Business-to-Business (B2B) (12)

B2B transactions account for majority of e-business dollars spent. (PP 20) A business using the Internet to purchase goods and services or complete other transactions with another business.

Gigabits per second (GBps) (21)

Billions of bits per second. Gbps stands for billions of bits per second and is a measure of bandwidth on a digital data transmission medium such as optical fiber. A common measure of data speed for computer modems and transmission carriers.

Browsing the web (8)

Browsing or surfing the web refers to moving from one webpage to another. (PP 14)

T-carrier line (23)

Any of several types of digital lines that carry multiple signals over a single communications line. T-carrier lines use multiplexing so that multiple signals can share the phone line. They provide extremely fast data transfer rates.

Web Authoring Software (6)

Automatically generates the appropriate HTML and CSS tags as the user creates individual webpages that become part of a websites. A Web site development system that allows Web pages to be visually created like a desktop publishing program. It generates the required HTML code for the pages and is able to switch back and forth (in varying degrees) between the page layout and the HTML.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) (5)

Codes to define the layout and structure of a webpage. Set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page. The markup tells the Web browser how to display a Web page's words and images for the user.

Website (5)

Collection of related webpages. A location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.

Satellite Internet Access (24)

Comes in two varieties: one-way and two-way. One-way satellite access uses the satellite for downloading data, and uses a slow, regular phone line and modem for uploading data. A better alternative is two-way satellite access, which uses the faster satellite connection for both uploading and downloading data. Internet access provided through satellites. It is a telecommunications network provided by orbital communication stations. Signals from these satellites allow a user with a dish to have a high speed internet connection.

World Wide Web (5)

Commonly called the web. A subset of the Internet. It includes a vast collection of documents (webpages), which can include text, pictures, sound, animation, or video.

Local area network (LAN) (19)

Connects computers using cables or wireless capabilities within a building or campus so users can share data and resources, such as printers.

Dedicated line (22)

Constant connection between two communication devices that uses the local phone network.

Upload (10)

Copy, post, or transfer files from your computer or device to a server. Transfer (data) from one computer to another, typically to one that is larger or remote from the user or functioning as a server. To send data to a remote system such as a server or another client so that the remote system can store a copy.

Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) (13)

Department of Defense founded Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to prevent computer systems from being vulnerable to a nuclear attack. J.C.R. Licklider headed computer and information processing research efforts. (13) (PP 22)

Web 2.0 (8)

Designed to make users's web experiences interactive by incorporating social media and user driven content into web page. Second generation of the World Wide Web that is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information online. Characterized especially by the change from static web pages to dynamic or user-generated content and the growth of social media.

Digital subscriber line (DSL) (23)

Digital line alternative for the small business or home user. Technology for bringing high- bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines.

Cascading style sheet (CSS) (6)

Documents that specify design aspects of a webpage, such as fonts and colors. A style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language.

Business-to-Employee (B2E) (12)

Electronic commerce uses an intrabusiness network which allows companies to provide products and/or services to their employees. An approach in which the focus of business is the employee, rather than the consumer or other businesses.

Cable television (CATV) line (22)

Enable home or business users to connect to the Internet over the same coaxial cable that delivers television transmissions.

T-3 line (23)

Equal in speed to 28 T-1 lines. They are the most expensive connection method. Large companies use the T-3 lines.

Surfing the web (8)

Exploring the web from one webpage to another is sometimes called browsing or surfing the web. To move from place to place on the Internet searching for topics of interest

Wireless Access Point (23)

Hardware device with an antenna that is connected to a wired network and is used to send and receive radio waves to and from notebook computers or other wireless devices. A networking hardware device that allows a Wi-Fi compliant device to connect to a wired network.

Broadband (21)

High-speed data transmissions over a communication channel that can transmit multiple signals at one time. ISDN, ADSL, and CATV internet access are all examples of broadband Internet access. A high-capacity transmission technique using a wide range of frequencies, which enables a large number of messages to be communicated simultaneously.

Packet Switching (13)

Involves separating data from a sending computer or device into small units known as packets, sending each packet independently over cables, and then reassembling the packets on the receiving computer or device. Messages are divided into packets before they are sent. Each packet is then transmitted individually.

Fractional T-1 line (23)

Less expensive, slower connection option for home owners and small businesses. Instead of a single owner, multiple users share a fractional T-1. Fractional T1 is a fraction or part of a T1 line.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (2)

Makes it possible for data to be transmitted to any Internet-connected computer or device, regardless of operating system or device type. Set of rules (protocols) governing communications among all computers on the Internet.

Packets (13)

Messages are divided into packets before they are sent. Each packet is then transmitted individually. A piece of a message transmitted over a packet-switching network.

Microblogging (4)

Microblogging is sending brief text messages to subscribers, such as using Twitter or other services to share updates, links to articles, photos, and more. A type of blog that lets users publish short text updates.

Megabits per second (MBps) (21)

Millions of bits per second. A measure of data transfer speed. A megabit is equal to one million bits.

Real Time (25)

Occurring immediately. Relating to a system in which input data is processed within milliseconds so that it is available virtually immediately.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) (12)

Occurs when a consumer uses the Internet to conduct business with another consumer.

.Blogging (4)

Online sharing of ideas and information by hosting and participating in blogs. Add new material to or regularly update a blog.

Mobile wireless (23)

People not physically connected to a network can use their computer or mobile device to access the Internet and web using mobile wireless technologies, which include radio signals, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technologies, cellular phones, and wireless providers' broadband networks. Transmission over the air from a base station to a moving cellphone, tablet or laptop.

Scripting Language (8)

Programming languages used to write short programs, called scripts, that execute in real time at the server or in the web browser when a webpage downloads.

ARPANET (14)

Prototype network connecting ARPA and university research centers. (14) (PP 22)

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) (14)

Provide flow control over the network and error checking for lost packets. The Internet uses Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCI/IP). Set of rules (protocols) governing communications among all computers on the Internet.

Regional ISP (Internet Service Provider) (20)

Provides Internet access for customers(individual or businesses) in a specific geographic area.

National ISP (20)

Provides Internet access in most major cities and towns nationwide. A company that provides subscribers with access to the Internet.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) (11)

Provides a secure, encrypted connection between a remote user and a local area network. Creates a secure network connection over a public network such as the Internet or a private network owned by a service provider.

E-commerce (11)

Refers to the Internet use for the purpose of generating sales of goods or services, or creating and maintaining customer relations.

Cloud computing (10)

Remote data access, storage, software access, and collaboration technologies are all aspects of cloud computing. The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. Type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications. The word cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, so the phrase cloud computing means a type of Internet-based computing.

Script (8)

Scripts are short programs that make webpages dynamic and interactive by adding such features as multimedia, animation, and forms or by connecting webpages to underlying databases.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) (22)

Set of standards for digital transmission of data over standard copper phone lines. An international communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (6)

Sets standards for the web. International community that work together to develop standards for the World Wide Web.

Bit (21)

Short for binary digit. It is the smallest unit of electronic data in a computer. A bit has a single binary value, either 0 or 1.

Modem (22)

Short for modulator-demodulator. A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example, telephone or cable lines. A device that transmits and receives data using a modulated carrier wave. Modems are used to establish network and Internet connections.

Web Browser (6)

Software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. Also called browser. An application used to access and view websites. Common examples include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

Mobile service provider (20)

Sometimes called a wireless data provider, offers wireless Internet access to computers and mobile devices that have wireless capabilities. Company that offers transmission services to users of wireless devices through radio frequency signals rather than through end-to-end wire communication.

4G (21)

Systems improve on 3G standards by supporting services such as gaming and streamed multi-media. (21) A mobile communications standard intended to replace 3G, allowing wireless Internet access at a much higher speed.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) (10)

The Internet standard or protocol that you use to upload or download music, software,, word processing, picture, and other files to a server. The commonly used protocol for exchanging files over the Internet

Bandwidth (21)

The capacity of the communications channel. Also defined as the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. The speed (of the connection). (PP 32)

Backbone (15)

The main long-distance lines and the hardware that connects computers to the Internet. Set of paths that local or regional networks connect to for long-distance interconnection.

T-1 line (23)

The most popular T-1 carrier line. Businesses often use T-1 lines to connect to the Internet.

Transfer rate (21)

The speed with which data can be transmitted or travels from one device to another. Transfer rates measure the number of bits the line can transmit in one second (bits per second or Bps).

3G (21)

The third generation that provides mobile broadband access to devices such as laptop computers and smartphones. A mobile communications standard that allows cell phones, computers, and other portable electronic devices to access the Internet wirelessly.

Bits per second (Bps) (21)

The unit in which data rate is measured. The rate at which data is transferred (as by a modem).

Cyberstalking (12)

Threatening or harassing people over the Internet.

Download (10)

To copy or transfer files from a server to your computer or device. To Copy data from one computer system to another, typically over the Internet.

Publish (6)

To share a webpage or website with others, you must upload, or publish, it to a web server so that other users may access it. Web publishing is the process of publishing original content on the Internet. The process includes building and uploading websites, updating the associated webpages, and posting content to these webpages online.

Published Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (13)

Used to be the main way all users connected to the Internet.. No longer a popular connectivity method because of its low bandwidth. International telephone system based on copper wires carrying analog voice data. Although initially built to handle voice cummunications, the phone network also is an integral part of computer communications.

Hyperlink (7)

Used to connect to other webpages. A link or hyperlink is a text or a picture on a webpage, that you tap or click to view a different location on the same webpage, another webpage at the same website, a webpage at a different website, or to an email address, or PDF document.

Email program (9)

Used to create, send, receive, and manage email. A program providing the necessary tools to read, prepare, and send and retrieve emails to and from the mail servers of a network. Also called email software or mail program.

Webpages (5)

Vast collection of documents which can include text, pictures, sound, animation, or video

Streaming Media (22)

Video or sound that downloads to a computer continuously to be watched or listened to in real time, such as watching TV programs, web conferencing, and gaming. Technique for transferring data so that it can be processed as a steady and continuous stream.

Video blogging (4)

Video sharing websites. Users share and comment on personal and professional videos. Regularly updated website that uses embedded videos instead of text to communicate with visitors.

Browser (6)

Web browser or browser - software used to access and view webpages.

Search Tool (8)

Web-based resource that helps you find specific information on the web. One type of search tool is a search engine, such as Google or Bing.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) (11)

When a consumer uses the internet to interact with an on-line business. Type of commerce transaction in which businesses sell products or services to consumers. Business or transactions conducted directly between a company and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services.

Online (2)

When a user connects to the Internet to access or share information and services.

Web (5)

World Wide Web is a subset of the Internet. It includes a vast collection of documents (webpages), which can include text, pictures, sound, animation, or video.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) (17)

http:// A protocol that defines how HTML documents transmit to a browser. Protocol used by the World Wide Web that defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.