Address
A specific site (www, ftp, gopher) or "mailbox" (e-mail) on the Internet, often the mailbox of a particular user. If referring to e-mail, an address will usually contain the "at" sign: @. An address is often rendered in lower case.
Example: joebloggs@btinternet.com.

Anonymous FTP
See also ftp.

Archie
A database search method which points the Internet user to specific files and FTP sites. Archie can be used to search by subject, title, or keyword. See also ftp.

Archive
An archive is simply a descriptive term for a package of files which appear as one file, often compressed.

Article
An article is a message posted to the subscribers of a Newsgroup. See also Newsgroup.

ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. World-wide standard for the codes used by computers to represent letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.

Attachment
A file included with mail.

.au format
UNIX sound file format.

Backbone
The major pathways used to carry traffic on the Internet.

Bandwidth
Amount of data which can be sent through a connection. Usually measured in bits per second.

Baud
A unit of calculation for a modem that measures data transmission in bits per second. A 2400 bits per second modem actually runs at 300 baud, but it moves 4 bits per baud (4 x 300 = 2400 bits per second). See also Bit.

BBS
Bulletin Board System. A computer system that is accessible by modem. Members can dial in and leave messages, play games, send e-mail, or swap files with other users.

Binary
A numbering system which uses only the numbers "1" and "0" e.g. 11001001.

Binhex
An encoding method, commonly used by Macintosh computers.

Bit
Information represented by the number "1" or the number "0" and transmitted as a discrete (discontinuous) step rather than as a wave. Digital information is transmitted as a series of bits, or "1's" and "0's" strung together in various ways.

Bounced mail
E-mail returned to sender.

Bps
Bits per second. The rate that data is transferred between two modems.

Browser
Software for navigating the World Wide Web. Allows the user to search for information, view pages, download files, etc. See also World Wide Web.

Browsing
The act of navigating the World Wide Web.

Cache
A small fast memory for keeping a local copy of data that has been accessed over the network, and may be needed again.

Case sensitivity
Many Internet addresses are case sensitive.

CGI scripts
Common Gateway Interface. CGI scripts are programs which can generate and send back data, such as HTML documents, pictures, or sound.

Channel
In Internet Relay Chat (IRC) a channel is a virtual arena where users meet to talk on a particular topic. IRC programs such as the BTinternet Chat client will allow you to call up a list of all active channels. See also Internet Relay Chat (IRC). In Internet Explorer 4.0, Channels deliver content to your computer's desktop at intervals which you schedule.

CHAP
Your CHAP password is used to authenticate your entry when connecting to BTinternet. Each BTinternet account is allocated its own unique CHAP password. Go to My Account if you need to know your CHAP password.

Client
A program that requests data from another computer, called a server. See also Server.

Compression
Compression "squeezes" files to save space and transmission time. See also Decompression.

Cookies
A cookie is a small piece of information sent by a Web server and stored on your hard disk so it can be read back later. For example your password, user ID, or preferences for a start page may be stored.

Decompression
Data decompression is used to restore compressed data to its original form. See also Compression.

Direct connection
A connection, such as SLIP or PPP, which makes your computer a live part of the Internet. Also known as full IP access.

DNS
Domain Name System. The system that locates the numerical IP address that corresponds to a host name. See also IP address.

Domain Name
A domain name is another way of referring to the Internet address of a computer or group of computers on the Internet. Whereas an Internet address is made up of numbers (e.g. 144.2.45.6) and therefore difficult to remember, a domain name (e.g. btinternet.com) is made up of meaningful words.

Download
To download a file is to move it from one computer to another, usually from a central host machine to a local machine. See also Upload.

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions. Many newsgroups, mailing lists and some WWW sites have an FAQ list which is posted regularly. FAQs prevent newsgroup members from having to individually answer common questions. See also Newsgroup.

Firewall
A network security system used to restrict external traffic.

Flame
The Internet equivalent of verbal abuse.

Followup
A reply to a USENET newsgroup article (post). See also Newsgroup and Post.

Freeware
Software for which the author makes no charge. Because the author of the software is making no money, freeware is usually unsupported. See also Shareware.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol. A widely accepted protocol which allow computers of different types to exchange files. "Anonymous ftp" sites will allow anyone to download files from them without knowing a password. The BTinternet browser has built-in ftp capability.

GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. A graphics file format created by the CompuServe online information service. GIFs work across platforms (Mac, PC and UNIX). Most Web browsers can display images saved in the GIF format. See also Browser.

Gopher
A Gopher site has a hierarchically organized collection of documents, usually readable text files.

Home page
1. The first page loaded by your browser when you start up. 2. The main WWW document for a person, group, or organisation.

HTML
HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the formatting language in which pages on the World Wide Web are constructed. Browsers interpret HTML and display the pages appropriately. HTML is a subset of SGML (Standard Generalised Markup Language). See also Browser.

http (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
Short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. For example, when you enter a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP command to the Web server, asking it to send a file (usually an HTML file) back to the Web browser on your computer. See also Server and Client.

Hypertext
Documents which contain embedded links (often underlined or otherwise differentiated from the rest of the text) which allow the user to easily move among different parts of the same document, or between documents.
Example: Click here to jump to the top of the page.

Icon
A graphic symbol used in a computer program to represent an object or process.

Internet
A global network of computers and computer systems which communicate using the Internet protocol.

Intranet
An intranet uses Internet protocols and applications over an internal company network.

IP
Internet Protocol. The key protocol on which the Internet is based. It defines how data gets from source to destination.

IP address
Every computer connected to the Internet has a unique IP (Internet Protocol) address which is its Internet address. Example: 147.150.30.32

IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
The live chat area of the Internet in which real time conversations between two or more people take place in virtual "rooms" or channels. See also Channel.

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network. An international standard for transmitting digital data, such as voice, video or computer files, over the telephone lines. ISDN provides relatively high-speed access to the Internet.

ISP
Internet Service Provider. BTinternet is an ISP.

ISPA
Internet Service Provider's Association. BTinternet is a member of ISPA.

IWF
Internet Watch Foundation. BTinternet is a founding member of the IWF, a charitable organisation which seeks to rid the Internet of illegal material such as child pornography. The IWF encourages the Internet community to report the finding of any such material. Details are on the IWF Website.

Java
A computer language invented by Sun Microsystems. Java is used to write programs (applets) that run on a wide range of computers, and are safe and easy to download through the Internet. Using Java, Web pages can feature things like animations, calculations, and games.

JPEG
A graphic file format developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPEG images have better picture quality than GIFs, but at the expense of larger file sizes. JPEG files have the extension .jpg See also GIF.

Kb
A unit of computer measurement. Kb is an abbreviation for kilobyte (1024 bytes). See also Bit.

Kill file
A newsreader file into which you can enter e-mail addresses or key phrases to prevent unwanted posts from being downloaded.

Leased line
A private telecommunications line that permanently connects two points.

Link
An area of a hypertext document which, when selected, will take the user to another document or resource. On the World Wide Web, a link (often underlined) is usually a URL pointing to a file, document, site, image, or another page. See also Hypertext and URL.

List
See Mailing list.

Listserv
Software that automatically manages a mailing list, receiving posts and followups and sending groups of them out to all subscribers of the list. See also E-mail, Mailing List, Newsgroup, Post, Followup.

Mail
Generic term for information transported on the Internet using one of the various mail protocols. Often used to distinguish mail from news. See also E-mail and Newsgroup.

Mailing list
A topic-oriented conference like a USENET newsgroup except that the messages are distributed by private e-mail. Typically, the Internet user would subscribe to a list by sending e-mail to the Listserv. Messages in the group arrive in the users' mailbox, and posts and followups are sent to the Listserv to be forwarded on to other members of the group. See also Listserv, E-mail, Newsgroup.

Megabyte
A measure of computer memory equal to 1,048,576 bytes, each of which in turn is equal to eight bits, which is the smallest unit of data in the digital system and is symbolized by the number 1 or the number 0. See also Bit.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension)
An extension that lets you transmit non-text data (like graphics, audio, video) via e-mail. See also E-mail.

Mirror
A replica Website set up to share the traffic on a busy site.

Modem
MOdulator/DEModulator. A device that allows one computer to communicate with another by translating digital information from the computer into analogue data that can be transmitted by the phone lines.

MPEG
A compressed video file format.

Netiquette
The etiquette of using the Internet. To avoid breaching Netiquette, make sure that you investigate any FAQs or new user sections of newsgroups. See also FAQs.

Network
A system of hardware and software that is connected so as to be accessed by individual users who share the same information and resources, and who may be geographically distant from each other.

News
Generic term for information transported on the Internet using the nntp (Network News Transport Protocol). Often used to distinguish news from mail. See also E-mail and Newsgroup.

Newsgroup
A USENET newsgroup is a discussion forum where participants read and post comments on an agreed topic.

Newsreader
Software for reading and posting articles (posts) and followups to a USENET newsgroup. See also Newsgroup and Post.

Node
Any device connected to a computer network as well as the point at which the devices are connected. See also Network.

Page
See Web page.

Ping
A short network message sent by one computer to test if another computer is available.

Plug-in
Add-ons for Web browsers. Plug-ins add features such as the ability to display video, or play sound.

POP
A POP (Point of Presence) is the modem which the Internet user dials from their computer to gain access to the Internet.

Post
The term for an original USENET or mailing list article. Used as a verb, to "post" means to submit an article for publication on USENET in one or more newsgroups or to one or more mailing list. If sent to more than one newsgroup or list the post is said to be"cross-posted". If the newsgroup is moderated, the moderator decides if the post will appear; otherwise the post appears automatically. See also Mailing list, Newsgroup.

PPP
Point to Point protocol. A protocol that allows your computer to join the Internet via a modem. Each time you log in you are assigned a temporary IP address. See also IP address.

Protocol
A set of rules that specify how two network devices talk to each other.

QuickTime
Apple Computer's standard for including full-motion video and digitised sound into application programs.

Router
Devices that forward packets of data across networks to the correct destination.

Search engine
Software which scans the World Wide Web, collecting titles and words from Web pages which are stored in a database. The user enters key words to search for; these are compared against the contents of the database with the results of the search (e.g relevant Web pages containing the key words) returned to the user. Alta Vista and Lycos are examples of search engines. See also World Wide Web.

Server
A computer that provides files as shared resources to a computer network. See also Client.

Shareware
Copyrighted software that is sold on a trust basis. Users are expected to pay the author if they like or use the software.

Site
A particular "spot" on the Internet or World Wide Web. Sometimes a single computer, but may be a network of computers. Examples include: Gopher site, WWW site, FTP site. See also Gopher, WWW, ftp.

SLIP/PPP
Two protocols for allowing a computer to connect to the Internet through a dial-up connection, using a modem.

SPAM
Posting the same message (often advertising) to multiple newsgroups. Spamming is a breach of netiquette. See also Netiquette.

SSL
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is an open protocol for securing data communications across networks. Secure Websites (where you can confidently enter credit card details, personal details, etc.) are indicated by the key at the bottom of your browser (normally broken) being joined together.

Surfing
"Jumping" or navigating from site to site on the Internet. See also Browsing.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
A set of protocols which make Internet services possible among computers that do not belong to the same network.

TELNET
TELNET lets Internet users log in to computers around the world that are connected to the Internet, and to use them as if they were their own.

Thread
A thread is a collection of articles within a Newsgroup that follow the same subject. See also Newsgroup.

UNIX
An operating system used by most service providers.

Upload
To move a file from one computer to another, usually from a local machine to a host. See also Download.

URL
Uniform Resource Locator. URLs are links to network resources like files, programs, Websites, web pages, etc. URLs are usually found as links on web pages, but are turning up more often in posts on USENET and in e-mail messages. Upper and lower case are often important in URLs. The URL is usually made up of four parts which specifies the type of the resource (e.g. gopher, http, ftp), the hostname, followed by the path at the host site and the name of the document or other resource.
Example: http://www.btinternet.com/index.html

USENET
See Newsgroup.

Veronica
A search engine for searching Gopher sites using keyword searching.

Virus
A computer virus is a computer program that infects other computer programs and reproduces itself without the knowledge of the PC user. A virus may be destructive, and should never be ignored.

.wav format
Windows sound files.

Web
See World Wide Web.

Web Page
A WWW document designed to be displayed by a browser. Written in a tagging language called HTML, a web page often contains text, pictures, as well as links to other web pages or Internet resources.

W3
See World Wide Web

World Wide Web
A subset of the Internet which supports hypertext-based documents. See Web page.

WWW
See World Wide Web