Glossary
Use our glossary to get your head around the technical terminology.
This is a wiki-style glossary edited by our Brokers and associated members.
This is a wiki-style glossary edited by our Brokers and associated members.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Application | Any software program that you use on your computer to perform a task such as writing letters, using the internet, playing CDs etc. |
| Attachment | A file that you attach to an e–mail message, e.g. a document, a photo, music or video clip |
| BPS (bits per second) | Measurement of how fast your internet connection is. Dial–up usually 56 kbps ie 56,000 bits per second. Broadband is usually 512 kbps (512,000) or 1mbps (1 megabits per sec – 1 million bits per sec) |
| 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. |
| Base unit | The ‘computer’ part of your pc – holds the inner workings, CPU and memory |
| Blog | Short for weblog, a personal journal published on the Web, updated frequently. Readers can post their own comments. |
| Bookmarking | Adding a Web site address to your online address book. Bookmarking a Web site means you probably want to visit it again. Bookmarks are also known as Favourites. |
| Boot up | To start or re–start your computer |
| Browser | 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. |
| Byte | Equals 8 bits. One byte is smaller than a word and generally represents one character. |
| CD Writer (CD burner) | Can save data or music to a special type of recordable CD – this is an excellent way of backing up your data or creating music CDs. |
| CD–ROM (Compact Disc Read - Only Memory) | Like music CDs, but may contain information in the form of text, graphics, sound and moving video that can be accessed through a computer. A CD–ROM can store as much information as around 450 floppy discs. |
| CDR (Compact Disc–Recordable) | A recordable CD – normal CDRs can be used to create music CDs, there are special audio CDRs which offer a higher quality of reproduction |
| CDRW (Compact Disc Re Writable) | A re–recordable CD which allows the data to be overwritten many times (handy for daily back-ups) |
| CPU (central processing unit) | The main processor of the computer that makes everything work |
| CRT (cathode ray tube) | Conventional computer monitor – the one that looks like a tv. Heavy, takes up space, but is cheapest |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Computer Aided Design (Cad) | The use of computers to design on screen. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Crash | What happens when your computer stops working and you have to switch off and start again. |
| Cyberspace | term originating from Neuromoncer, a novel by William Gibson, that refers to the world of networked computers. |
| DTP (Desktop Publishing) | The combining of text, graphics and layout to produce a finished document. |
| Data | Information |
| Desktop | A computer that sits on (or under or beside) your desk, usually with separate monitor, keyboard and mouse |
| 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. |
| Digital Camera | Records photographs in an electronic form that enables the user to transfer them to a computer to store, change or incorporate them into other files. |
| Digital Sound Or Images | Computers store information in a digital form which allows accurate repeated reproduction, unlike audio or tape photocopies which become copied several times. Sounds and images stored in this way can be easily edited and manipulated. These files can sometimes be "compressed ", using specialist software, to reduce the amount of storage space they require. |
| Download | To transfer information to your computer from another computer. |
| 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. |
| Drive | Device for storing/retrieving data |
| E–Mail (Electronic Mail) | Allows the user to send and receive messages from one computer to another over any distance. |
| Emoticon | A way to put emotion into e–mail messages by adding specially arranged punctuation marks, e.g. -) is a grin (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 |
| FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) | A bank of questions and answers to help with problems |
| Firewall | Software that sets up a security barrier around a company's internal network, protecting it from outside networks such as the Internet. |
| Flame | An insulting message, a series of which can escalate into the online equivalent of a brawl. This is called a flame war. |
| Folder | Like your filing cabinet, the storage space on your computer is divided into folders. Using folders helps you keep information on your computer tidy. |
| Freeware | Software that you download from the Internet which is free of charge. |
| Generic Software | The most common forms of computer software such as word processors and spreadsheets |
| Gigabyte (Gb) | Distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. One gigabyte equals 1000 megabytes, or more accurately 1024 megabytes. Used for hard drives. |
| Graphics Tablet | A device connected to a computer that enables the user to create pictures on screen by hand using a stylus. |
| 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. |
| Hard Copy | A printed copy of a document, as distinct from the digital copy on your computer. |
| Hard Disk/Hard drive | The computer's main storage area. It retains information when the computer is switched off. the main drive, usually called c: |
| Hardware | The physical bits of your computer, including printers, scanners and anything else you plug into it. |
| 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. |
| Html (Hypertext Mark–Up Language) | 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. |
| Http (Hypertext Transmission Protocol) | 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. |
| Hypertext/Hot Spot/Hyperlink | Text and images which, when clicked on, display other related information. These are widely used on the Internet and CD–ROMs to simplify the selection of further information. |
| ISP (Internet Service Provider) | The company you pay for your internet access – some add extras like spam filtering, parental controls, extra email addresses and web space |
| Icon | A small picture used on computers to represent commands. A small picture of a printer may be used to represent the "print" command. Selecting the icon with a mouse and clicking on it will command the computer to print. |
| Instant messaging (e.g. MSN, Yahoo Messenger) | Messages exchanged in real time over the Internet. To send and receive instant messages, you need a connection to the Internet and instant messaging software (most popular ones are free). You to set up a list of contacts, so unlike chat rooms, there is some control over who can contact you. |
| Internet | A global telecommunications network enabling computers around the world to share information. |
| Intranet | Similar to the Internet, but restricted within an organisation, e.g. a school or local authority. Most Intranets contain gateways to the wider Internet. |
| Joystick | A device connected to a computer to control actions on screen, e.g. in computer games. Can have a similar function to a mouse. |
| Kilobyte (Kb) | Distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. One kilobyte equals 1000 bytes, or to be precise, 1024 bytes. Used for files and folders. |
| LCD (liquid crystal display) | Technology used in most flat screen monitors, laptop screens and other portable devices, eg cameras |
| Malware | Malicious software – like a virus |
| Megabyte (Mb) | Distance is measured in metres, data is measured in bytes. 1Mb equals 1 million bytes. Used for files and folder, and RAM computer memory. |
| Memory | Storage on the computer (see RAM and ROM) |
| 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, which give you more Options. |
| Modem | 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. |
| Moderated | Supervised chat rooms |
| Monitor | The screen part of your pc |
| Multi–Media | Information consisting of text, graphics, sound and moving video. |
| Network | Computers that are connected together and can communicate with each other or share resources such as computer programmes or printers. |
| Newsgroups | A global Internet bulletin board – a collection of messages and articles organised into topics. |
| P2P (peer–to-peer) | File sharing – sharing music or video over the internet. This could breach copyright laws, so be careful. |
| PDF (portable document format) | Universal file format, can be read no matter what sort of computer you use. You need Adobe Acrobat to read PDFs, which you can download free. |
| Palm Top Or Personal Organiser | Like a very small laptop, small enough to fit into a pocket. Some are referred to as personal organisers. |
| 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! |
| Phishing | Illegally obtaining bank details, credit card numbers, passwords, etc, via email or the internet |
| Plug–and-play | A plug–and-play device (eg mouse, scanner) will work straight away when connected to a computer without need for installation, reconfiguration or re-starting |
| Pop up | Annoying adverts that ‘pop up’ when you are using the internet that can often have unsavoury content. These can be blocked. |
| Port | Where data can be sent and received eg where your printer plugs in, as in USB port or printer port |
| Portable/Laptop Computer | A computer that is as powerful as a desktop but has a smaller, slimmer liquid crystal display screen. Most are around A4 size. |
| Presentation Software | The use of computer software to create slides similar to those used on an overhead projector, except that the display can include text, sound, still and moving images. Slides are prepared in advance, can be edited and are stored in the correct sequence. |
| RAM (Random access memory) | Short term computer memory used for processing, lost when computer is switched off |
| ROM (Read Only Memory) | Can be read by the computer’s processor, but not changed. Holds the vital information for the computer to work |
| RSS Feeds | A quick way to get new website content without having to visit the site and search yourself. It stands for ‘really simple syndication’. Before you use anyone else’s content on your site, check their terms and conditions. |
| Scanner | Works like a small photocopier, but the image can be displayed on a computer screen, saved to disk or printed out. Most scanners will take up to A4 size. |
| Screen resolution | The clarity of the display on the screen – higher resolution means a better picture. |
| Search Engine | A free service that lets you look for information by typing in a word, 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 Facility | Most CD–ROMS and many web pages have search facilities. These allow the user to search for information without having to look through a whole index or catalogue. |
| Server | A powerful computer which is central to many networks. The server will control access to the network, and will store most files centrally. Internet web pages are held on the service provider's web server. |
| Shareware | Software that you download from the Internet that has a free trial period, after which you send a payment, usually a very small amount, if you want to continue using it. |
| Social Networking | Websites that allow you to meet other people with similar interests online. Personal profiles can be set up and used to share photos and information. |
| Software | The applications and programs that run on your computer – everything from controlling the computer itself to writing, browsing, games, etc |
| Spam | Junk mail on the Internet. |
| Spell/Grammar Checker | Most word processors contain automatic facility to check texts for unknown words. These are spell–checkers. Some word processors also contain the automatic facility to check the grammar of the text against pre-programmed criteria. Both facilities are generally able to offer alternative suggestions where they detect a possible mistake. |
| Spreadsheet | An application in which textual and numerical data can be entered, stored and displayed. It can perform sophisticated calculations and be used to draw graphs of the data |
| TFT (thin film transistor) | Flat screen monitor – best resolution, but most expensive |
| Talking (Books, Word Processors, Dictionaries) | Multi–media computers can be used, with suitable software, to "read" aloud the words that appear on the screen. With some word processors this facility can be set to "read" each word as it is written or to "read" only when prompted by the user. |
| Touchpad | Pressure–sensitive area on a laptop used instead of a mouse |
| Trackball | Alternative to a mouse. It has the advantage of remaining in one place and requires less table space. |
| Trojan | Malicious or harmful program hidden inside seemingly harmless data. |
| URL (Universal Resource Locator) | The address of a Web site. Because it is universal, anyone can type it into their Computer and find your Web site. |
| USB (universal serial bus) | Socket for plugging in add on devices eg printers, cameras, mouse, keyboard |
| Upload | To transfer information from your computer to another computer. When you send an e–mail you upload it. |
| Web | Short for WORLD WIDE WEB. |
| Web 2.0 | Where the internet really comes to life! Users can contribute content instead of media gatekeepers controlling communication. You can participate in forums, share photos, review products, upload your own video or write a blog – for people all around the world to see and comment on. |
| Web Site – Web Pages | A collection of related pages (web pages) of information, owned and maintained by the same organisation or individual, and published on the Internet. It is relatively straightforward for groups and individuals to create a web site. |
| Web–Cam | A camera linked to the Web showing current or frequently updated pictures. |
| Wiki | Web page content that can be edited or added to by any visitor, using any browser. The biggest wiki is wikipedia, and online encyclopaedia |
| Word Processing | The ability to enter, edit, manipulate, store and print pages of text using a computer. Modern word processors have desktop publishing capacity. |
| World Wide Web | The vast collection of information which has been published on the Internet in the form of web pages, all connected by links. |
| Worm | A virus that copies itself automatically, using up system resources, causing your pc to run slowly or crash |
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