alias - short name to represent a more complex name;often used in mailing addresses alt. - alternative newsgroups on unusual topics anonymous FTP - system allowing public access to certain FTP files without a login name Archie - system to locate files at FTP sites archive file - storage file containing several compressed files ASCII -text file format with no special features (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) baud rate - rate measuring modem transmission speed BBS - bulletin board system for posting and reading messages binary file - file format that contains more than text BITNET - large network of educational institutions bookmark - file containing locations of places to which you want instant access bps - rate measuring the speed of data transmission (bits per second) browser - program that lets you explore the hypertexted World Wide Web topics BTW - communication term for by the way cache - area for temporary storage of data chat - on-screen conversation between two users compressed files - files that have been reduced in size by compression programs like compress, tar, pkzip and WinZip CSLIP - a faster version of SLIP (Compressed Serial Line Internet Protocol) DNS - a system that allows Internet hosts to locate and communicate with each other (Domain Name System) domain - an Internet computer system download - copy a file from a remote computer to your computer ELM - an electronic mail system e-mail - electronic mail encryption - a file encoding convention FAQ - frequently asked questions finger - command to find information about another user firewall - electronic barrier blocking certain types of communications flame - an abusive message fred - command to search for a user's organization Freenet - community computer bulletin board system FTP - means to copy files between computers (File Transfer Protocol) FYI - communication term meaning "for your information" GIF - Graphics Interchange Format used to display color images gopher - menu system to locate information gopherspace - the world of gopher menus helper applications - applications that increase Netscape's functionality, such as in decompressing files, playing audio and video files, and improving image display host - computer with a direct Internet connection HTML - HyperText Markup Language used to create documents on the World Wide Web HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol used to transfer World Wide Web pages hypermedia - system of text, graphics, video and audio links providing easy navigation with a variety of paths hypertext - system of text links providing easy navigation with a variety of paths IMO - communication term for in my opinion IP - program that sorts and delivers Internet communications (Internet Protocol) IRC - on-line discussion service (Internet Relay Chat) JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group format used for image compression Jughead - index system to search specific gopher sites logging on - procedure to establish an authorized connection to a computer Lynx - text-based program for browsing the World Wide Web mailing list - a means to send a message to a group of addresses at the same time Netscape - software application that helps you navigate the Internet Netsite - URL indicator newsgroup - a bulletin board system on a specific topic NEWSRC file - file containing your subscription newsgroups, all available newsgroups and articles that have been viewed newsreader - program to access newsgroup information NNTP - Net News Transfer Protocol used to transmit USENET news ping - program to detect whether a remote computer is operating and gauge transmission time postmaster - administrator of an Internet mail system PPP - technology that enables sorting and delivery of Internet communications via serial or ISDN connections (Point to Point Protocol) proxy server - server that grants access to the Internet from within a firewall remote login - program that enables you to connect to a remote computer and act as if you are part of its system search engine - tool that performs keyword searches of Internet titles, file contents, indexes and/or directories server - computer that provides services to another computer on a network shareware - public domain software that can be exchanged without restrictions SLIP - technology that enables sorting and delivery of Internet communications via serial or telephone connections by modem SMTP - program that handles mail communications on the Internet (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) SOCKS - server software that lets computers access the Internet from within a firewall SSL - Secure Sockets Layer protocol used for security tar file - compressed tape archive file TCP/IP - program that sorts and delivers Internet communications (Transmission Control Protocol - Internet Protocol) telnet -remote log in to other Internet computers TIA - communication term for thanks in advance trn - newsreader program UNIX - computer operating system used by most Internet computers Unzip - a program used to uncompress files URL - Uniform Resource Locator, the address of a World Wide Web page USENET - global bulletin board system UUdecode - conversion program to restore a converted file to its original format UUencode - conversion program to change a file into ASCII format for sending Veronica - index system to search gopherspace VT100 - standard terminal type W3 - hypertexted information system (World Wide Web) WAIS - system of databases (Wide Area Information Server) whois - command to locate another user's name WinSock - Windows Sockets standard for the interaction between Windows and a TCP/IP Internet connection WinZip - Windows shareware program to compress and uncompress files World Wide Web - hypertexted information system WWW - hypertexted information system (World Wide Web) Yahoo - tool to search the Web by category Zip - a program to compress files