Commonly Used Computer & Internet Definitions

Address - A series of letters and numbers that identify a location. On the internet, typing in an address lets you send or receive information from specific sources. You can type in the address for an e-mail account, web site, or network.

Blacklisting Software - A form of filtering that blocks only sites specified as harmful. You can add and remove sites from this "no-go" list. This method of filtering allows for more full use of the internet, but is less efficient at preventing access to harmful material that is not on the list.

Blocking Software - Computer programs that block access to web sites or other services available over the internet.

Blog (short for web log) - A web log is usually defined as a personal or noncommercial web site that uses a dated log format (usually with the most recent at the top of the page) and contains links to other web sites along with commentary about those sites. A web log is updated frequently and sometimes groups links by specific subjects, such as politics, news, pop culture, or computers.

Bookmark - A way to quickly access a favorite web site by saving it in your browser.

Browser - A program that allows users to view web pages. Netscape^® Navigator and Microsoft^® Internet Explorer are examples of popular browsers.

Bulletin Board Service (BBS) - A place where people can post messages on a particular topic.

Bulletin Boards/Wikis - An electronic message center. Most bulletin boards serve specific interest groups. They allow you to dial in with a modem, review messages left by others, and post your own messages. Bulletin Boards are a particularly good place to find free or inexpensive software products. In the United States alone, there are tens of thousands of Bulletin Board Systems.

CD-ROM - It stands for "compact-disk, read-only memory." It is a type of disk that has a lot of memory. Many computer games that you buy come on CD-ROM to be put into your CD-ROM drive. You can also save information to a CD-ROM in order to load it onto a different computer.

Chat - Real-time communication over the internet. You type and send messages that appear almost instantly on the computer monitors of the other people who are participating in the chat.

Chatroom - An interactive forum where you can talk in real-time. The chatroom is the place or location online where the chat is taking place. Many chatrooms are established so that people can discuss a common interest like music or movies.

Cookie - A small file that is downloaded by some web sites to store a packet of information on your browser. These packets include information such as login or registration identification, user preferences, and online "shopping-cart" information. Your browser saves the information and sends it back when you return to that web site. Cookies can be used to customize the display you see through the browser or keep track of the different pages within the site that you visited. You can configure your browser to alert you when a cookie is being sent. You can refuse to accept cookies or erase all cookies saved on your browser.

Cyber-bullying - sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the internet or other digital communication devices.

Cyberspace - Refers to all the computer networks on the internet. The term distinguishes the physical world from the virtual or computer-based world.

Cyberstalking/Harassment - Terms that can refer to the online enticement of children; rude or threatening messages; slanderous information; or repeated, unwanted messages.

Discussion Group - A group of people who exchange information about a common topic.

Domain Name - A name given to the numerical or internet Protocol (IP) address of a web site. A Domain Name Service (DNS) assigns domain names and translates the domain name to the IP address of the site.

Download - Putting information on your computer. You can download information from the internet, discs or CDs, and other computers.

E-Mail (electronic mail) - A service that allows people to send messages with pictures and sounds from their computer to any other computer in the world. To send someone an e-mail message you need an e-mail account and to know the other person's e-mail address.

Emoticons - Animated faces that express different emotions you can send in e-mails, chat, and Instant Messaging. Emoticons are a way to show someone online how you are feeling.

File-Sharing Programs - Programs that allow many different users to access the same file at the same time. These programs are usually used to illegally download music and software.

Filtering Software - Different methods to screen unwanted internet content including whitelisting, blacklisting, monitoring activity, keyword recognition, or blocking-specific functions such as e-mail or Instant Messages.

Firewall - This is a system that creates a special "wall" used by network servers to separate their Intranet from the internet. It keeps out unwanted information like spam and viruses and unwanted people like hackers.

Flaming - Sending a deliberately confrontational message to others on the internet.

Flash - Refers to Macromedia Flash™. This is a program that allows you to create animated content for your web page. To be able to see Flash content you must have this program on your computer.

Gamer - Someone who plays online or computer games. 

Hacker - A popular term for someone who accesses computer information either legally or illegally.

Hard Copy - This is the printed/paper copy of a file from your computer.

Hardware - Components that help a computer work such as the keyboard, monitor, and electrical parts.

History - A list of web sites the people using a particular computer have visited. Viewing the history can be used to monitor what sites your children have visited.

Homepage - The web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up, or the main page of any web site.

Hyperlinks - An image or a portion of text that, when clicked, allows electronic connections. These connections access other internet materials such as images, sounds, animations, videos, or other web pages.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) - The coded format language used for creating documents on the world wide web and controlling how web pages appear.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - The standard method computers use to communicate via the world wide web. 

Icons - Small pictures that represent the programs on your computer.

ICQ - A program that allows users to communicate with other users in real time. Users can be alerted when other ICQ users have logged onto the program. ICQ allows users to chat, Instant-Message, send files, and play games.

Inbox - A file that holds and lists the e-mail you receive.

Instant Messaging (IM) - A service that allows people to send and get messages almost instantly. To send messages using Instant Messaging you need to download an Instant-Messaging program and know the Instant-Messaging address of another person who uses the same Instant-Messaging program.

Internet - A network of millions of computers from all over the world. The internet allows computers to trade information using telephone lines, fiber-optic cables, and satellite links. It is also referred to as the "Net."

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - A system that enables people online to join in live discussions, allowing people to engage in real-time chat. IRC is like a CB radio for the internet. Internet Relay Chat is a virtual meeting place where people from all over the world can meet and talk.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - A company that provides internet access to customers.

Intranet - A private network inside a company or an organization.

Java - A computer language allowing you to create programs that can be viewed on the internet.

Java Applet - A program written in Java that allows your browser to display active content.

Javascript - A computer language similar to Java that is easier to learn, but it lacks some of Java's benefits such as speed. It allows you to put interactive features onto your web page.  

Keyboard - A computer attachment with keys that you use to enter information into the computer.

Keyword - The word(s) you use when looking for information within a search engine.

Listservs - A system that allows users to send e-mail to one address where their message is then copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the listserv. 

Modem - A hardware device that allows computers to communicate with each other by transmitting signals over telephone lines enabling what is called "dial-up access." Modems come in different speeds. The higher the speed, the faster the data transmission.

Monitor - Like your television, the monitor allows you to see the information that you are accessing.

Monitoring Software - Software products that allow parents to monitor or track the web sites or e-mail messages that a child visits or reads.

Mouse - A computer attachment that allows you to move the cursor and select links on your computer screen.

Mouse Trapping - A commonly used technique by pornography sites where a user gets "locked" in a web site. While surfing the internet it is possible to click a web site and have multiple undesirable web sites open. When this happens, you often cannot close or back out of the sites and must close your web browser completely.

MP3 - A digital music file. MP3s allow you to play music on your computer.

Multimedia - A combination of different types of programs that allow you to see graphics, animation, and text.

Navigate - The act of moving from page to page and web site to web site online. It is also called browsing or surfing.

Netiquette - Courtesy, honesty, and polite behavior practiced on the internet.

Network - A network is created when computers are connected, allowing people to share information. The internet is an example of a large network.

Newsgroups - Virtual message boards or discussion groups that are subject-specific on the internet. Participants in a newsgroup conduct discussions by posting messages for others to read and respond to the messages posted by others. It's like a community bulletin board where you can post and read messages.

Offline - Refers to not being connected to the internet.

Online - Another way to describe having access to the internet or actively using the internet.

Online Grooming - Using the internet to manipulate and gain trust of a minor as a first step towards the future sexual abuse, production, or exposure of that minor. Sometimes involves developing the child’s sexual awareness and may take days, weeks, months, or some cases years to manipulate the minor.

Outbox - This is where all of the messages that you send are kept. It can also be called a "Sent" folder.  

Password - The secret word you use when signing onto the internet or an online service that helps to confirm your identity.

Pharming - An online scam that attacks the browser's address bar. Users type in what they think is a valid web-site address and are unknowingly redirected to an illegitimate site that steals their personal information.

Phishing - An online scam that uses e-mail to "fish" for users' private information by imitating legitimate companies. People are lured into sharing user names, passwords, account information or credit-card numbers. The phishing e-mail usually contains a link to an illegitimate site. Scammers copy the look of a web site to set up a nearly identical page, one that appears to be part of that company's site.

Piracy - Illegally copying copyrighted software, music, or movies.

Plug-in - A program that extends the capabilities of your browser. It is software that you download in order to listen to sounds or view visual effects on your browser.

Podcast - an audio show that is broadcast over the web. Users can listen to these shows on a digital music player or a computer. Podcasts can include talk shows, music, or other types of audio.

Post - To leave a message on a newsgroup or bulletin board.

Privacy Policy - The policy that a company or organization operating a web site uses for handling the personal information collected about visitors to the site.

Query - A request for information about a certain topic. A query is what you put in the box when you type something into a search engine. 

Real Time - Refers to being in the present time on the internet. It is similar to being live on television.

RealOne - A software that allows you to "stream" media.

Screen - The part of the monitor where the images appear.

Scroll - The act of moving up and down on a specific page.

Search Engine - A program that searches information on the world wide web by looking for specific keywords and returns a list of information found on that topic.

Server - A special software package that connects to a network and provides data. The computer that this software runs on is also often called the server.

Social Networking Site - A social networking site is a web site specifically focused on the building and verifying of social networks for whatever purpose. Many social networking services are also blog hosting services. As of 2005, there are over three hundred known social networking web sites

Soft Copy - This is the electronic version of a file on your computer.

Software - Programs that help your computer work. For example a filter is a type of software that can keep unwanted internet content off of your computer.

Spam - Unwanted e-mail from someone you don't know. It is usually trying to sell you something.

Spamming - Mass mailings sent as Instant Messages to users. Often these can feature links to explicit porn sites.

Streaming (Media) - The exchange of video clips, sound, or other types of media over the internet. It is a way for the user to quickly download these files.

Surf - To search for information on the web in a random, non-linear way. 

Temporary internet Files - A folder on your computer that will tell you every site that your child has visited, unless they have learned to delete these files. Every time you open a web page, your computer saves a copy of that site's files and graphics in your "temporary internet files" folder. The amount of files can build up and make your computer run slow. You may want to periodically review this folder and delete the files.

Transmission Control Protocol/internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - The protocols or conventions that computers use to communicate over the internet.

Trusted Adult - Someone who will help protect you and make you safer. Trusted adults can be people like family members, caregivers, family friends, teachers, counselors, coaches, clergy members, youth leaders, and law-enforcement officers. 

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) - The specific location or address of material on the internet.

USENET - A world-wide system of discussion groups where users' postings are shared, like a worldwide bulletin board. These sites may contain material and language that is inappropriate for children, since anyone can post on these sites.

User - Refers to anyone who uses a computer. Another way of saying "User" is "Netizen."  

Virus - A computer program that can destroy files or make your computer "crash." Viruses can be sent via e-mail or through other file-sharing programs. Anti-virus software and not downloading information from people you don't know can help keep viruses from damaging your computer.  

Warez - Pirated or illegally distributed software.

Web-Based Chat - A form of communication where users can have real-time conversations with other users conducted through an ISP. Chat can take place in a chatroom, Instant-Messaging program, or on IRC channels.

Web Site - A collection of "pages" or files linked together and available on the world wide web.

Webmaster - The person responsible for administering a web site.

Whitelisting - A form of filtering that only allows connections to a preapproved list of sites that are considered useful and appropriate for children.

World Wide Web (WWW)- An infinite number of games, web sites, pictures, sounds, stories, and other things all connected to each other through links on the internet. You can "surf" the web through your browser and find information about virtually anything. The web is just one service on the internet. Other services on the internet include internet relay chat, newsgroups, and e-mail. Web sites on the world wide web have "www" in their address.

Zip File - Large files that have been compressed to make them easier to send over the internet. The receiver must download the file with a program that will unzip it, breaking it up into the individual files that were compressed together in order to view the files. For example, if you want to send a member of your family some photographs, you can zip them all together into one file to make it easier to send.