Appendix D: Glossary
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addressing: A method of identifying a resource (such as a program) or piece of information (such as a file) on a network. Methods of addressing vary considerably from network to network.
ADJ: The Boolean ADJACENT operator, used by WAIS to indicate that the two terms on either side of an ADJ tag should sit next to each other in found documents.
Adventure: One of the earliest text adventure games written for computers. It is the forerunner of the popular Zork series from Infocom.
America Online: A popular commercial information service with a graphical interface.
AND: The Boolean AND operator, used by WAIS to indicate that found documents must contain both terms that appear in the question.
AOL: Shorthand for America Online. Each letter is pronounced separately.
.ARC: An older DOS archiving format.
Archie: An invaluable Internet service that maintains, and allows users to search, a large database of materials stored on anonymous FTP sites.
archive site: A site that archives files for users to retrieve, via either FTP or email.
ARPA: Advanced Research Projects Agency. The governmental organization responsible for creating the beginnings of the Internet.
ARPAnet: The proto-Internet network created by ARPA.
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. In the context of a file, an ASCII file is one that contains only "text" characters -- numbers, letters, and standard punctuation. Although ASCII text can contain international characters available in Windows ("upper-ASCII"), these characters are not commonly supported by Internet services such as email, Gopher, and FTP. In FTP, it's a command that tells FTP that you will be transferring text files (which is the default).
atob (pronounced "a to b"): A Unix program that turns ASCII files into binary files. The btoa program does the reverse.
attachments: Files that linked to a specific email message, just as you might paperclip a clipping to a snail mail letter.
bandwidth: Information theory used to express the amount of information that can flow through a given point at any given time. Some points have narrow bandwidth (indicating not much information can flow through at one time), and others have high bandwidth (indicating a great deal of information can flow through at one time). This term is commonly used in reference to "wasted bandwidth," indicating that some (or most) of the information flowing by a point is of no use to a user. "Wasted bandwidth" might include overloading a site's network connection (thus curtailing other users' use of the lines) or including lengthy signature files in Usenet postings or discussion groups. "Wasted bandwidth" is often relative: What one person views as wasteful might be essential to someone else.
bang: The exclamation point! Used to separate machine names in UUCP bang-style addressing, which isn't all that common anymore.
baud: A measure of modem speed equal to one signal per second. 300 baud equals 300 bits per second (bps), but at higher speeds one signal can contain more than one bit, so a 9,600 baud modem is not a 9,600 bps modem. (The terms often are incorrectly used interchangeably). See also bps.
BBS: Bulletin Board System. A computer system that provides its users files for downloading and areas for electronic discussions. Bulletin board systems usually are run by and for local users, although many now provide Internet, UUCP, or FidoNet mail.
Binary: In the context of a file, any file that contains nontextual data. (Images and applications are examples of binary files.) In FTP, a command that tells FTP to transfer information as an arbitrary stream of bits rather than as a series of textual characters.
BinHex: The standard format used by Macintosh computers for converting a binary file into an ASCII file that can pass through email programs. (For those of you wondering how to pronounce it, "Bin" rhymes with "tin," and "hex" rhymes with "sex," and the accent is on the first syllable.) See also uucode.
BITFTP: A program that provides email access to FTP sites for BITNET users. See also mailserver.
BITNET: An academic large-scale computer network, primarily connecting academic institutions. BITNET is often expanded as the "Because It's Time" Network. A friend notes, "Actually, it seems that the definitive answer to what the BIT stands for is 'It has varied, and depends on who you asked and when.'"
BIX: The online commercial information service called the BYTE Information Exchange, although I have never heard anyone use the full name in favor of BIX.
body: The part of an email message where you type your message, as opposed to the header or the signature.
BOOTP: Bootstrap Protocol. A mechanism for a device to acquire its permanent IP address from a server. Originally intended for diskless workstations that had no place to store an IP address, it is now more common for IP address management. IP addresses can be maintained on a BOOTP server.
bounce: What email does when it doesn't go through.
bps: Bits per second. The measurement of modem transmission speed. Not comparable to baud after 300 bps.
Brownian motion: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the best example is indeed a really hot cup of tea. It has something to do with internal movement within a hot liquid.
browser: A client program that enables one to search, often somewhat randomly, through the information provided by a specific type of server. Generally used in relation to the World Wide Web.
btoa (pronounced "b to a")[sp]A Unix program that turns binary files into ASCII files for transmission via email. The atob program decodes such files.
BTW Abbreviation for the expression "By the way."
Call For Votes: What you do after discussing whether a new newsgroup should be created.
CEO: Chief Executive Officer. The head honcho of a company, who has little time to learn computer systems. CEOs generally earn a lot more money than you or I.
CERN: The birthplace of the World Wide Web, although in real life the people at CERN do high-energy physics research. Located in Geneva, Switzerland. CERN doesn't stand for anything any more, although it once was an acronym for a French name.
channel: In IRC, an area that theoretically has a specific discussion topic. See IRC.
charter: The document that lays out what topics a newsgroup will cover, what its name will be, and other relevant details.
chat script: A simple conversation (you hope) between your computer and your host machine that allows you to log in automatically. Chat scripts usually involve a series of send and expect strings. Your host sends a login prompt; your computer responds with your username. Your host sends a password prompt; your computer responds with your password.
chiasmus: A term from classical rhetoric that describes a situation in which you introduce subjects in the order A, B, C, and then talk about them in the order C, B, A.
CIS: Stands for CompuServe Information Service, or simply CompuServe. Wags often replace the S with a $. See CompuServe.
ClariNet: An alternate hierarchy of newsgroups that uses the same transmission routes as Usenet, but carries commercial information from UPI and others. You, or your provider, must pay to read ClariNet news.
client: The program or computer that requests information from a server computer or program. Used in terms of client/server computing. See also server.
CMS: Short for Conversational Monitor System. The part of the operating system on certain IBM mainframes with which you interact. Not at all conversational.
command line: Where you type commands to an operating system such as DOS or Unix. Command-line operating systems can be powerful but are often a pain to work with, especially for those used to a window interface.
Compress: Generically, to make a file smaller by removing redundant information. Specifically, the Unix compress program that does just that. Files compressed with the Unix compress command end with a .Z suffix (always a capital Z). Compressed files may be expanded with the Unix command uncompress.
CompuServe: One of the oldest and largest commercial online services. Sometimes abbreviated as CIS.
connect time: The amount of time you are actually connected to and using a computer. Because connect or telephone charges are based on this amount of time, you want to keep it as low as possible.
CREN: Corporation for Research and Educational Networking.
cross-posted: What happens to a Usenet posting when you put several newsgroup names in the Newsgroups line. More efficient than posting multiple individual copies.
CSLIP: Compressed SLIP. A type of SLIP account that uses compression to increase performance.
daemons: Small programs in Unix that run frequently to see whether something has happened -- if so, they act as they were programmed; if not, they go back to sleep.
DARPA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Replaced ARPA and had a more military bent. Has since been renamed ARPA again. See also ARPA.
DEC: Digital Equipment Corporation. Also known as Digital, this company produces the popular VAX line of computers and the VMS operating system.
DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A mechanism for a device to acquire an IP address from a server. Like BOOTP, it allows for central management of IP addresses. However, it is far more flexible in that IP addresses are leased rather than owned. A device may get one IP address in one session but a different IP address in another session.
dial up: To call another computer via modem. The term is often lumped together as one word except when used as a verb.
dialup: A connection or line reached by modem, as in "a dialup line."
digest: A single message that contains multiple individual postings to a mailing list or newsgroup.
domain: A level of hierarchy in a machine's full nodename. For instance, tidbits.com is in the com domain, as are many other machines.
domain name server: A computer that keeps track of names of other machines and their numeric IP addresses. When you refer to a machine by name, your domain name server translates that information appropriately into the numeric IP address necessary to make the connection.
domain name system: The system that makes it possible for you to think in terms of names such as penguin.tidbits.com, whereas computers think in terms of 204.57.157.10.
DOS: The ubiquitous operating system that is frequently enhanced by Microsoft Windows. Currently at release 6.22.
download: To retrieve a file from another machine, usually a host machine, to your machine.
downstream: Usenet neighbors that are downstream from you get most of their news from your machine, in contrast to machines that are upstream from you.
80x86: The class of processors brought to you by Intel Corporation. These chips are the heart and soul of DOS and Windows. Frequently, the initial 80 is dropped in casual conversation: "My 486 sports more megahertz than yours."
electronic mail or email: Messages that travel through the networks rather than being committed to paper and making the arduous journey through the U.S. Postal Service.
emoticons: A rather silly name for smileys.
Ethernet: A network specification developed by DEC, Intel, and Xerox which provides 10 megabits per second transmission speeds (theoretically). Think of this as 1,000 times faster than a 9,600 baud modem. Most PCs can use Ethernet by adding an Ethernet expansion card.
expire: After a certain amount of time, Usenet postings can be set to expire, which means that they will be deleted even if they haven't been read, so that they don't waste space.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Question. Lists of commonly asked questions and their answers, often posted in newsgroups to reduce the number of novice questions. Read a FAQ list before asking a question, to make sure yours isn't a frequently asked one.
Fax: Slang for facsimile. A technology that takes paper from the sender and produces more paper that looks just like it at the recipient's end. You can use fax modems to eliminate the paper step at one end or both, but they may be less reliable than stand-alone fax machines. Email is cleaner, often cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, and the results are more useful in other programs. However, you can't easily send signatures or existing paper documents via email.
Federal Express: A company that can transport paper mail overnight for a hefty sum of money. Email is far faster and cheaper.
feed: Shorthand for a connection to another machine that sends you mail and news. I might say, "I have a mail feed from Ed's machine."
Fidonet: A network of cooperating bulletin board systems that has some links to the Internet.
filename extension: A three-letter (usually) code at the end of a filename that indicates file type. Common extensions include .txt for text files, .exe for application files, and .ini for initialization files.
fileserver or file server: A machine that provides files via a network. Perhaps because of time spent working on BITNET, I tend to use it as a synonym for mailserver, or a machine that returns files that are requested via email.
file site: Another name for archive site or FTP site. A computer on which files are stored for anyone on the Internet to retrieve.
Finger: A Unix program that helps you find out information about someone else on the Internet.
firewall: A term for any device that would prevent undesirables on the global Internet from getting at your or your company's network. It also often prevents or controls users from getting out to the Internet from your local network.
flame war: A conflagration in which lots of people jump in on different sides of an argument and start insulting each other. Fun to watch briefly, but a major waste of bandwidth.
flaming: The act of calling into question someone's thoughts, beliefs, and parentage simply because you don't agree with them. Don't do it.
followup: An article on Usenet posted in reply to another article. The subject should stay the same so that readers can tell the two articles are related.
forms: In the World Wide Web, online electronic forms that you can fill in if you have a forms-capable Web browser such as Netscape Navigator 1.0 or NCSA Mosaic 2.0.
Freenet: An organization whose goal it is to provide free Internet access in a specific area, often by working with local schools and libraries. Ask around to see if a Freenet has sprung up in your area. The first and preeminent example is the Cleveland Freenet. Freenet also refers to the specific Freenet software, and the information services that use it.
freeware: Software that you can distribute freely and use for free, but for which the author often retains the copyright, which means that you can't modify it.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol. One of the main ways in which you retrieve, umm, well, files from other machines on the Internet.
FTPmail: A method of retrieving files stored on FTP sites via email.
FYI: Abbreviation for the expression "For your information."
gateway: A machine that exists on two networks, such as the Internet and BITNET, and that can transfer mail between them.
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format. A platform-independent file format developed by CompuServe, the GIF format is commonly used to distribute graphics on the Internet. Mighty battles have been waged over the pronunciation of this term, and although Robin Williams notes that it's pronounced "jiff" in her book Jargon, both of my glossary proofreaders flagged it as being pronounced with a hard g, as in "graphics." I surrender; pronounce it as you like.
.gif: The filename extension generally given to GIF files.
GNU: With apologies for the circular reference, GNU stands for GNU's Not Unix. Developed by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation, GNU is (or will be, when finished) a high-quality version of the Unix operating system that is free of charge and freely modifiable by its users. GNU software is distributed at no cost with source code. Many GNU applications and utilities are mainstays of the Unix community.
Gopher: An information retrieval system created by the University of Minnesota. In wide acceptance on the Internet, Gopher is one of the most useful resources available.
Gopherspace: The collection of all available Gopher servers.
.gz: An extension used by GNU's version of ZIP, called gzip.
header: The part of an email message or Usenet posting that contains information about the message, such as who it's from, when it was sent, and so on. Headers are mainly interesting when something doesn't work.
home page: In the World Wide Web, the document that you access first after launching a Web browser.
host: The computer you connect to for your Internet access.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language. The language used to mark up text files with styles and links for use with World Wide Web browsers.
HTTP: HyperText Transport Protocol. The protocol used by the World Wide Web.
hypertext: A term created by visionary Ted Nelson to describe nonlinear writing in which you follow associative paths through a world of textual documents.
HYTELNET: Stands for HyperTelnet. Essentially a database of Telnet sites and other Internet resources that can link to other programs when you want to connect to a site you've found. Interesting, but not as useful as Gopher.
IAB: See Internet Architecture Board.
IBM: International Business Machines. IBM remains one of the most powerful companies in the computer industry despite numerous problems in recent years. Developer of numerous mainframes and operating systems, many of which are still in use today. Codeveloped OS/2 with Microsoft (which has since bowed out to concentrate on Windows NT).
IETF: See Internet Engineering Task Force.
IMAP: Interactive Mail Access Protocol. A new protocol for the storage and retrieval of email (much like POP, the Post Office Protocol). It's not in wide use yet.
IMHO: Abbreviation for the expression "In my humble opinion."
information agent: A software program (currently only an interface to frequently updated databases) that can search numerous databases for information that interests you without your having to know what it is searching. Archie and Veronica are current examples of information agents.
internet: With a lowercase i, it's a group of connected networks.
Internet: The collection of all the connected networks in the world, although it is sometimes better called WorldNet or just the net. More specifically, the Internet is the set of networks that communicate via TCP/IP. If you're still confused, go back and read chapters 1 through 8.
Internet Architecture Board: A group of invited volunteers that manages certain aspects of the Internet, such as standards and address allocation.
Internet Engineering Task Force: A volunteer organization that meets regularly to discuss problems facing the Internet.
IP: Internet Protocol. The main protocol used on the Internet.
IP number: A four-part number that uniquely identifies a machine on the Internet. For instance, my IP number for penguin.tidbits.com is 204.57.157.10. People generally use the name instead.
IRC: Internet Relay Chat. A worldwide network of people talking to each other in real time over the Internet rather than in person.
IRS: Internal Revenue Service. If you live in the United States and are not aware of them, you might want to watch out.
ISOC: The Internet Society. A membership organization that supports the Internet and is the governing body to which the IAB reports.
JANET: Joint Academic Network. Great Britain's national network. In true British fashion, JANET addresses work backwards from normal Internet addresses. They work from largest domain to the smallest, as in joe@uk.ac.canterbury.cc.trumble. Luckily, most gateways to JANET perform the necessary translations automatically.
jargon: The sometimes incomprehensible language used to talk about specialized topics. If you need help with computer jargon, check out Jargon, by Robin Williams, a lighthearted and detailed trip through this industry.
Jolt cola: All the sugar and twice the caffeine of normal colas. First suggested as a joke by comedian George Carlin, later developed and marketed by Carlin and a food industry entrepreneur.
jordanism: An attempt at sounding intelligent, but ending up wasting peoples' time and coming off like an idiot.
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group. A group that has defined a compression scheme that reduces the size of image files by up to 20 times at the cost of slightly reduced image quality.
.jpg: A filename extension used to mark JPEG-compressed images. On many sites, the file extension may be .jpeg.
Jughead: A searching agent for Gopher, much like Veronica, but more focused.
Kermit: A file transfer protocol actually named after the popular Kermit the Frog. Kermit is generally slower than XMODEM, YMODEM, and the top-of-the-line ZMODEM.
Knowledge Navigator: A video of John Sculley's anthropomorphic vision of an information agent. Information agents probably will be more successful if they don't look like people, because computers cannot currently meet the high expectations we have of people.
leaf site: A machine on Usenet that talks to only one other machine instead of passing news onto other machines.
line noise: Static on a telephone line that causes trouble for modems and sometimes leased-line connections.
LISTSERV: A powerful program for automating mailing lists. It currently requires an IBM mainframe, but that requirement may change in the near future.
local area network: Often abbreviated LAN. Two or more computers connected together via network cables. A Windows for Workgroups setup is a typical local area network.
login: The process by which you identify yourself to a host computer, usually involving a userid and a password.
lurkers: Not a derogatory term. People who merely read discussions online without contributing to them.
mail bombing: The act of sending hundreds or thousands of messages to someone you think deserves the punishment for transgressions against the Internet. Highly discouraged as it chews up bandwidth unnecessarily.
mailing list: A list of people who all receive postings sent to the group. Mailing lists exist on all sorts of topics.
mailserver: A program that provides access to files via email. See also fileserver.
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