Part 2 of an A to Z of information technology terms, jargon and abbreviations
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Mailbox - the place where your email messages are saved by your ISP until you decide to download them.
Mailing list - this can mean two things. 1. A list of email addresses to which you can send the same message without making endless copies of it, all with different addresses inserted. 2. A discussion group similar to newsgroups, but all the messages sent to the group are forwarded to its members by email.
Mail server - a computer (or program) dedicated to transferring email messages around the Internet. This might be referred to as an SMTP server or a POP3 server.
MCA - micro channel architecture. IBM's solution to the ageing ISA expansion bus in 1987. Supports 32 bit and bus mastering., but never caught on thanks to IBM license for use.
MCP - media and communications processor. Nvidia's name for the southbridge component of its Nforce chipset. Has a variety of built-in audio capabilities.
Megabyte - 1) As a measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory, a megabyte (abbreviated MB) is 2 to the 20th power bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes in decimal notation. 2) According to the IBM Dictionary of Computing, when used to describe disk storage capacity and transmission rates, a megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes in decimal notation. 3) According to the Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, a megabyte means either 1,000,000 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes. 4) According to Eric S. Raymond in The New Hackers Dictionary, a megabyte is always 1,048,576 bytes on the argument that bytes should naturally be computed in powers of two.
Megahertz (MHz or sometimes Mhz) - a million cycles of electromagnetic currency alternation per second and is used as a unit of measure for the "clock speed" of computer microprocessors. In designing computer bus architectures, the microprocessor speed is considered together with the potential speed or amount of data that can come into the computer from I/O devices in order to optimise overall computer performance.
MicroATX - smaller version of ATX motherboard, typically with fewer expansion and memory slots. Designed for smaller PCs.
MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) - the industry standard for connecting a musical instrument such as a keyboard to a PC.
Middleware - applications and servers designed to take content from otherwise incompatible back-end data sources (often legacy systems) and pass it to web front-ends.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) - a method of organising different types of file by assigning each its own 'MIME type'. Most of the Internet software you use can recognise these types and determine what to do with a file it receives (or ask you how you want to treat it). MIME is used to handle attachments in email and newsgroup messages, as well as files found on Web pages.
Mirror site - an exact copy of a site located on a different computer. Many popular sites have one or more mirrors around the world so that users can connect to the site nearest to them, thus easing the load on the main computer.
Modem - an acronym formed from the words 'modulator' and 'demodulator'. A modem converts data back and forth between the format recognised by computers and the format needed to send it down telephone lines.
MPEG - along with QuickTime, one of the two most popular formats for movie files on the Internet, requiring an MPEG player and (ideally) special hardware for playback.
MP3 (MPEG third layer) - a madly popular sound format that uses 10:1 compression with little loss in quality (provided your processor is fast enough to decompress the file while paying it).
MUD (multi user dungeon) - a type of text-based adventure game that might be played by a single user, or by multiple users adopting characters and 'chatting' by typing messages.
MySQL - open source development of SQL, most commonly used among SME customers and run on Linux operating systems.
NAS (network attached storage) - remotely connected (using Ethernet) storage, based on servers and RAID arrays, which can be dedicated to customers or shared.
Netiquette - an amalgamation of the words 'Internet' and 'etiquette' that refers to good behaviour on the net. Netiquette essentially boils down to two rules: avoid offensive comments and actions, and don't waste Internet resources (or bandwidth).
Netscape - a proprietary web browser that was popular during the 1990s. Once the flagship product of Netscape Communications Corporation and the dominant browser in terms of usage share, its user base had almost completely evaporated by 2002 partly due to the inclusion of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser with the Windows operating system, but also due to lack of significant innovation after the late 1990s.
Network - two or more computers that are connected to each other (or can be connected via telephone lines and modems) and can pass information back and forth.
Newbie - a colloquial name for someone new to the Internet, or to a particular area of it, and is perhaps prone to a bit of fumbling around. Although a slightly derogatory term, it's not meant to be offensive – you might describe yourself as a newbie when appealing for help.
Newsgroups - a discussion group with a particular topic in which users leave messages for others to read and reply to. There are over 50,000 such groups, and many more mailing lists which follow similar methods. Newsgroups are sometimes referred to as Usenet groups.
Newsreader - the software program you use to access newsgroups, and to read, send, and reply to articles.
News Server - a computer (or program) dedicated to transferring the contents of newsgroups around the Net, and to and from your computer. This might be referred to as an NNTP server.
NIC - network interface card. A PCI or ISA adapter card installed in a PC in order to allow it to connect to a network. Some motherboards have an integrated network chip.
NLX - low-profile motherboard form factor where a small number of expansion slots are fitted onto a separate vertical riser card.
NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) - one of many protocols used on the Net to transfer information around. This particular protocol handles messages from newsgroups.
Node - in a network, a node is a connection point, either a redistribution point or an end point for data transmissions. In general, a node has programmed or engineered capability to recognise and process or forward transmissions to other nodes.
Northbridge - fast half of a chipset which co-ordinates data between the CPU, memory and AGP. Also communicates with the southbridge half of the chipset.
NOS (network operating system) - software designed to run on a server that controls access from client PCs to services such as email or printer sharing. Two common NOSs include Windows NT Server and Novell NetWare.
OCR (optical character recognition) - the recognition of printed or written text characters by a computer. This involves photo-scanning of the text character-by-character, analysis of the scanned-in image, and then translation of the character image into character codes, such as ASCII, commonly used in data processing. In OCR processing, the scanned-in image or bitmap is analysed for light and dark areas in order to identify each alphabetic letter or numeric digit. When a character is recognised, it is converted into an ASCII code.
Offline - a synonym for 'not connected'. In Net terms, being offline is generally a good thing (unless you're trying and failing to get online): the ability to compose messages offline and send them all in a bunch later, or view downloaded files offline, can save you money in connection charges.
OLE (object linking and embedding) - allows files or data created by one application to be linked or embedded in another. Excel spreadsheets can be placed in Word documents, for example, and any further changes to the original will be reflected in the linked version.
Online - a synonym for 'connected'. Anything connected to your computer and ready for action can be said to be online. In Internet terms, it means that you've successfully dialled in to your service provider's computer and are now connected to the Net. The opposite term is offline.
Online service - a members-only service that allows users to join discussion groups (or 'forums'), exchange email messages with other members, download files, and a fair bit more besides. Most popular online services (such as America Online and CompuServe) are now connected to the Internet as well.
Overclocking - resetting your computer so that the microprocessor runs faster than the manufacturer-specified speed (for example, setting an Intel 166 MHz (megahertz) microprocessor to run at 200 MHz). It's more likely to work with an Intel processor than with those of other manufacturers because, according to Tom's Hardware Guide, Intel labels the speed of its processors more conservatively. Factors that favour your ability to successfully "upgrade by resetting" include (in addition to having an Intel processor): having a well-designed motherboard with a fast enough bus and having a fan or other cooling device that will keep your system cool enough.
Packet - the name for a unit of data being sent across the Net. A system called 'packet switching' breaks a file up into packets, marks each with the addresses of the sending and receiving computers, and sends each packet off individually. These packets may arrive at your computer via different routes and in the wrong order, but your computer uses the extra information they contain to piece the file back together.
Parallel port - a 25-pin port on a PC used mainly for connecting printers (LPT1).
Password - an unspaced sequence of characters used to determine that a computer user requesting access to a computer system is really that particular user. Typically, users of a multi-user or securely protected single-user system claim a unique name (often called a user ID) that can be generally known. In order to verify that someone entering that user ID really is that person, a second identification, the password, known only to that person and to the system itself, is entered by the user. A password is typically somewhere between five and 8 characters, depending on how the computer system is set up. When a password is entered, the computer system is careful not to display the characters on the display screen, in case others might see it.
PCB (printed circuit board) - the technology behind motherboards, which are essentially just large PCBs with many ports, slots and sockets.
PCI (peripheral component interconnect) - the most common bus design for motherboards and expansion slots.
PCL (printer control language) - a language developed by Hewlett Packard to control its LaserJet printers. It consists of commands called 'escape sequences' that programs use to tell the printer about the number of copies to print, the resolution and page formatting.
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) - a miniature electronic device that functions as a contacts list, appointment manager and memo taker, and may also be able to send and receive email messages and access WAP services.
Peer-to-peer - a small network of PCs that do not use a central server. Each user can decide what resources on their PC they wish to share.
Peering - interconnections between networks, usually on an ISP level. Good quality peering means better Internet access for the end user.
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) - a popular, but complicated, system of encryption.
PHP - a scripting language used for developing dynamic web pages and sites. It's typically used on Solaris and Linux platforms.
PING (Packet Internet Groper) - the name of a command (or a program that sends a command) that tests a connection between two computers. It does this by sending a tiny amount of data to a specified computer and noting how long it takes to reply. (The reply, incidentally, is called a PONG.)
Plug-in - an add-on program for a browser that can play or display a particular type of file in the browser's own window.
PoP (Point of Presence) - an unnecessarily technical name for a phone number you can dial to connect to your service provider's computer. Many service providers have PoPs all over the country; others cater just for the major cities or a single small area.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol) - one of two protocols (along with SMTP) used to transfer email messages around the Net. POP is used for receiving email, and lets you collect your messages from any computer you happen to be using. The '3' refers to the latest version of the protocol.
Port - a specific place for being physically connected to some other device, usually with a socket and plug of some kind. Typically, a personal computer is provided with one or more serial and USB ports, and a parallel port. The serial port supports sequential, one bit-at-a-time transmission to peripheral devices such as scanners and the parallel port supports multiple-bit-at-a-time transmission to devices such as printers. USB ports support faster data transmission and are used for keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, digital cameras, speakers et cetera.
Portal - a new name for what is essentially a search engine. A portal aims to be your starting point for a spot of surfing, providing links and additional information such as news headlines, weather and TV schedules as well as search facilities.
POST (power-on self test) - the first process a PC runs when it is switched on which checks that memory, processor, graphics and so forth are all functioning. A series of beeps indicate if errors are found - one beep usually means that all is well.
Posting - when you send an email message, the word 'sending' is quite good enough. When you send a message to a newsgroup, it isn't. Instead, for no adequately explained reason, the word 'posting' is used.
Postmaster - the person who deals with emails.
PostScript - a page description language developed by Adobe Systems that describes each element as a vector pair, rather than telling the printer where to place each dot of ink or toner. It is more suited to graphics printing and has wider application than PCL as it can produce better output quality at higher print resolutions.
PPP (Point to Point Protocol) - a protocol used to connect computers to the Internet via a telephone line and a modem. It's similar to SLIP, but more recent and easier to set up.
Protocol - a type of 'language' that two computers agree to speak when they need to communicate and don't speak each other's native language. In other words, a sort of Esperanto for computers, but networking and Internet connections use a great many different protocols to do different things.
Proxy server - a server that sits between your browser and a web server. The proxy server intercepts all requests by your web server and checks that it doesn't have the requested page stored on its hard disk. Proxy servers help to speed up Internet access and can also be used to filter out requests for unsuitable pages.
Public domain - free programs that are open to copy because their authors intended to share them with everyone else in the public domain.
Public key encryption - the most-used method of encryption, where two pieces of text are used as 'keys'. One is a public key which anyone can use to encrypt something for you; the other is your private key, used to decrypt such material when it arrives.
QWERTY (pronounced KWEHR-tee) keyboard - the standard typewriter and computer keyboard in countries that use a Latin-based alphabet. QWERTY refers to the first six letters on the upper row of the keyboard. The key arrangement was devised by Christopher Latham Sholes whose "Type-Writer," as it was then called, was first mass-produced in 1874. Since that time, it has become what may be the most ubiquitous machine-user interface of all time. The QWERTY arrangement was intended to reduce the jamming of type bars as they moved to strike ink on paper. Separating certain letters from each other on the keyboard reduced the amount of jamming. In 1932, August Dvorak developed what was intended to be a faster keyboard, putting the vowels and the five most common consonants in the middle row, with the idea that an alternating rhythm would be established between left and right hands. Although the Dvorak keyboard has many adherents, it has never overcome the culture of learning to type on a QWERTY.
QuickTime - along with MPEG, this is one of the most popular movie file formats on the Net, developed by Apple. To view these files you'll need the QuickTime Viewer. There is also a virtual reality version (QuickTime VR) which is gaining in popularity.
RAID (redundant array of independent disks) - a way of using multiple disks within one computer for security, speed or maximum storage space.
Real audio - the most popular format for streaming audio on the Net, requiring the RealAudio Player (included with Internet Explorer) for playback.
Real time - happening at the same speed as they would in real life.
Refresh (or reload) - forcing the browser to download a Web page again by clicking a toolbar button labelled Refresh (in Internet Explorer) or Reload (in Netscape Navigator). You might do this to make sure you're looking at the latest version of a page, or as an attempt to get things moving again if the page began to download and everything ground to a halt.
Registry - in the Microsoft Windows operating systems the Registry is a single place for keeping such information as what hardware is attached, what system options have been selected, how computer memory is set up, and what application programs are to be present when the operating system is started. The Registry is somewhat similar to and a replacement for the simpler INI (initialisation) and configuration files used in earlier Windows systems. INI files are still supported, however, for compatibility with the 16-bit applications written for earlier systems. In general, the user updates the Registry indirectly using Control Panel tools, such as Tweak UI. When you install or uninstall application programs, they also update the Registry. In a network environment, Registry information can be kept on a server so that system policies for individuals and workgroups can be managed centrally.
Rendering - a computer graphics term referring to computer software used to render special 3-D effects given the right programming statements. A computer display system renders an image that is sent to it in the form of a bitmap or streaming image.
Resilience - ensuring that there are no single points of failure. This is typically done by using multiple servers, firewalls, switches and so on, so that there is always backup in case of problems.
RIMM (Rambus inline memory module) - also known as RDRAM, this is the latest type of memory that has the potential to run at speeds up to 800MHz as opposed to SDRAM's maximum 133MHz.
Rot13 (rotated 13) - a simple method used to encrypt email and newsgroup messages so that you won't accidentally read something that might offend you.
Router - a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to. A router is located at any juncture of networks or gateway, including each Internet point-of-presence. A router is often included as part of a network switch.
RTS - request to send.
SAN (storage area network) - a highly resilient storage connected directly to a network.
Scripting language - a series of programmed commands that designate how one computer communicates with another computer.
SCSI (small computer systems interface) - pronounced 'skuzzy', this is an interface for connecting hard disks and other compatible devices to a PC. It is faster and more versatile than EIDE, but is more expensive.
SDRAM (synchronous DRAM) - a type of memory that synchronises itself with the speed of the CPU's bus and can run at up to 133MHz on PCs that support this speed. It's about twice as fast as EDO RAM.
Search engine - a Web site that maintains an index of other Web pages and sites, allowing you to search for pages on a particular subject by entering keywords. Because these engines gather their information in different ways, you can get markedly varying results from using different search sites.
Self extracting archive - an archived compressed file with the filename extension .exe, indicating that when downloaded and run, it will be extracted by the decompressing program around it, without user intervention, or the need to have additional decompression software.
Server - a computer or program that provides a service to a client. For example, your email client (the program that lets you work with email messages) connects to your service provider's mail server when you decide to send or receive your email.
Service provider - a general term for a company that gives you access to the Internet by letting you dial in to their computer. This may be an Internet Service Provider or an online service.
Shareware - a system for selling software that lets you try before you buy. If you like the program, you pay for it. If you don't, you stop using it and delete it from your system.
Signature - a short piece of text you can create that gets appended to your email and newsgroup messages when you send them. This might give contact information (perhaps your name, email address, company name, etc), a neat little phrase or quote, or perhaps an elaborate piece of ASCII art (rather like an emoticon, but bigger).
SIMM (single inline memory module) - a small circuit board that holds a row of memory chips and has a 72-pin connector and uses a 32 bit-wide bus. As Pentium processors have a 64 bit bus simms must be installed in pairs.
SLIP/PPP - serial line interface protocol/point to point protocol. These are both standards for connecting directly to the Internet, as opposed to having to log on via a host computer.
SMART (self monitoring analysis and reporting technology) - a feature of EIDE (on motherboards that support it) where the BIOS can receive data about hard disk performance and warn a user if it predicts a failure is likely to occur.
SME - an abbreviation for Small to Medium-sized Enterprise, the kind of venture that was called a 'small business' until someone realised there was no memorable abbreviation for that.
Smileys - (see also emoticons) - characters often used in news messages, e-mails and on web Pages to offer some degree of character or emotion. Example :-) or >:( :-) is your basic smiley. This smiley is used to inflect a sarcastic or joking statement since we can't hear voice inflection over e-mail. ;-) winky smiley, user just made a flirtatious and or sarcastic remark. More of a "don't hit me for what I just said" smiley. :-( frowning smiley, user did not like that last statement or is upset or depressed about something. :-I indifferent smiley, better than a :-( but not quite as good as a :-). :-> user just made a really biting sarcastic remark, worse than a ;-). >:-> user just made a really devilish remark. >;-> winky and devil combined, a very lewd remark was just made.
SMS (Short Message Service) - a service for sending messages of up to 160 characters to mobile phones that use Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication. GSM and SMS service is primarily available in Europe. SMS is similar to paging. However, SMS messages do not require the mobile phone to be active and within range and will be held for a number of days until the phone is active and within range. SMS messages are transmitted within the same cell or to anyone with roaming capability. They can also be sent to digital phones from a Web site equipped with PC Link or from one digital phone to another
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - along with POP3, one of the two protocols that are used to transfer email messages around the Net. SMTP can be used to both send and receive messages, but POP3 has more flexibility for receiving. When POP3 is being used, SMTP simply handles the sending of messages.
Snail Mail - a slang term for the regular postal service (for example, the Royal Mail) with the implication that it is a lot slower than e-mail. Its worth noting, perhaps, that in the early days of the Internet, it was proposed that the (then) U. S. Post Office manage e-mail. Electronic messages would come to your local post office and then be delivered to you along with the regular mail. The proposal was not considered for very long.
SOAP (simple object access protocol) - provides a way for applications to communicate with each other using XML.
SoHo - an acronym for Small office, Home office. Not a building as you might expect, but used in the context 'a SoHo user' to refer to a type of computer user.
Source - the name for the HTML document that forms a Web page, containing all the tags that determine what your browser should display, and how. You can look at the source for a Web page in Internet Explorer by clicking the View menu and selecting Source.
Southbridge - slower half of a chipset that co-ordinates data between drives, ports and older expansion buses. Also communicates this data with the northbridge component.
Spam - the electronic equivalent of junk mail.
Spamming - a Net jargon term for sending the same message to multiple newsgroups or email recipients regardless of their interest (or lack of it). Most spamming consists of unsolicited advertisements. Apart from the personal aggravation it causes, spamming is also a massive waste of bandwidth.
Spider - a program that visits Web sites and reads their pages and other information in order to create entries for a search engine index. The major search engines on the Web all have such a program, which is also known as a "crawler" or a "bot." Spiders are typically programmed to visit sites that have been submitted by their owners as new or updated. Entire sites or specific pages can be selectively visited and indexed. Spiders are called spiders because they usually visit many sites in parallel at the same time, their "legs" spanning a large area of the "web." Spiders can crawl through a site's pages in several ways. One way is to follow all the hypertext links in each page until all the pages have been read.
SQL (structured query language) - a standard interactive and programming language for getting information from and updating a database. Although SQL is both an ANSI and an ISO standard, many database products support SQL with proprietary extensions to the standard language. Queries take the form of a command language that lets you select, insert, update, find out the location of data, and so forth. There is also a programming interface.
SSL (secure sockets layer) - a program layer created by Netscape for managing the security of message transmissions in a network. Netscape's idea is that the programming for keeping your messages confidential ought to be contained in a program layer between an application (such as your Web browser or HTTP) and the Internet's TCP/IP layers. The "sockets" part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. Netscape's SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA, which also includes the use of a digital certificate.
Star network - each networked PC is connected to a central controller, or hub, with its own piece of cable. Unlike bus networks, if a cable fails it will only affect the attached PC rather than the entire network.
Static IP - each computer on the Internet has an address, an example of such is 194.69.121.3 The IP address distinguishes between each and every computer on the Internet. This IP address usually changes every time you make an Internet connection, so if you come offline and then connect a little later your IP address will have changed. You would need a Static IP Address if you wish to turn your computer into some sort of server. If you have decided to store downloadable documents or software on your server a Static IP is the solution.
Streaming - some of the latest formats for video and audio on the Net allow the file to play while it's being downloaded, rather than forcing you to wait for the entire file to download first.
Subscribe - to become of a member of, for example, a mailing list, a newsgroup, an online service or an Internet Service.
Surfing - to explore the Internet without a predefined agenda. Web users often find themselves surfing after starting out with a specific Web site to visit. The Web is like that because it is a web of interconnections whose relevance and attraction for any given Web user are impossible to predict in advance.
Swap file - also called virtual memory, this is a file on your hard disk used as a main memory supplement to make programs think that there is more memory than is actually installed. Program code and data are written to it in chunks called pages and these are swapped into main memory when required.
Switch - in telecommunications a switch is a network device that selects a path or circuit for sending a unit of data to its next destination. A switch may also include the function of the router, a device or program that can determine the route and specifically what adjacent network point the data should be sent to. In general, a switch is a simpler and faster mechanism than a router, which requires knowledge about the network and how to determine the route.
Tags - the name for the HTML codes added to a plain ASCII document which turn it into a Web page with full formatting and links to other files and pages.
Talk - a talk program lets you speak to someone elsewhere in the world using your modem and Internet connection instead of your telephone. You need a soundcard and microphone, and the other person must be using the same program you are. Also known as Voice Over the Net (VON). The term 'talk' is also used to describe the kind of typed chat that takes place between two people rather than a group in a chat room.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - two vital protocols that work together to handle communications between your computer and the rest of the Internet.
TCP/IP Stack - for a computer to connect to the Internet, it must have a TCP/IP stack, which consists of TCP/IP software, packet driver software, and sockets software. Windows 95 and later Windows operating systems come with their own TCP/IP stack called Dial-Up Networking. In Windows 3x, the TCP/IP stack has to be installed separately: one of the best stacks is Trumpet Winsock. (See also Winsock.)
Telnet - a program that allows Internet users to connect to a distant computer and control it through their own computer. Nowadays the main use of Telnet is in playing games like MUDs.
Terabyte - a measure of computer storage capacity and is 2 to the 40th power or, in decimal, approximately a thousand billion bytes (that is, a thousand gigabytes).
Terminal - a data communications term for any device that terminates one end (sender or receiver) of a communicated signal. In practice, it is usually applied only to the extended end points in a network, not central or intermediate devices. In this usage, if you can send signals to it, its a terminal.
TFT (thin film transistor) - a high-quality liquid crystal display screen that uses between one and four transistors per pixel to control illumination. Each transistor requires little power and has a fast response to changes as it can be switched on or off very quickly.
Thread - an ongoing topic of conversation in a newsgroup or mailing list. When someone posts a message with a new Subject line they're starting a new thread. Any replies to this message (and replies to replies, and so on) will have the same Subject line and continue the thread.
Thumbnail Image - a small version of a larger image displayed on a web page. A thumbnail is often used to let the visitor preview a picture and decide whether to click it to view the full-sized version.
TIA - abbreviation of Thanks In Advance, commonly used in newsgroup postings.
Timeout - the facility whereby after a certain period of inactivity the connection or line is dropped.
TLAs (three letter acronyms) - not necessarily acronyms, and not necessarily three letters either, but TLAs are a type of shorthand for common phrases used in conversation and messages on the Net, such as BTW for 'By the way'.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) (see also TCP/IP).
Trojan - a type of computer virus which comes disguised as a program. People download this program usually from the Internet because they think that the program is of some use, but once they start it up it could perhaps erase your hard drive or just wreak havoc all over your system. The name comes from the Greek legend of a horse that looks benevolent at first but really holds trouble.
Twain - a program that sits between a scanner and graphics software that lets images be scanned and acquired directly into the application. Stands for technology without an interesting name (reputedly). Possibly derived from the saying 'Ne'er the twain shall meet'.
Twisted pair - standard telephone cable.
UDMA (ultra DMA) - the latest EIDE controllers that support transfer rates of 33 megabytes per second (MBps), 33MBps and 100MBps, hence the terms UDMA33, UDMA66 and UDMA100.
UNIX - an operating system that originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system. Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie are considered the inventors of UNIX.
Unzip - the act of extracting the files from a zip file or similar file archive. If the files in the package were also compressed (as they usually are), unzipping also uncompresses them. When you download programs from shareware or freeware companies on the Web, they almost always send you a zipped file (the file name has a suffix of ".zip"). You can usually extract the files from a zipped file just by double-clicking on it since many archives include a "self-extracting" program. Several popular tools exist for zipping and unzipping: PKZIP in the DOS operating system, WinZip in Windows, and MacZip in Macintosh.
Uploading - the term for copying files from your own computer to a distant computer, usually by using FTP. The opposite term is downloading.
UPS (uninterruptible power supply) - a device that allows your computer to keep running for at least a short time when the primary power source is lost. It also provides protection from power surges. A UPS contains a battery that "kicks in" when the device senses a loss of power from the primary source. If you are using the computer when the UPS notifies you of the power loss, you have time to save any data you are working on and exit gracefully before the secondary power source (the battery) runs out. When all power runs out, any data in your computer's random access memory (RAM) is erased. When power surges occur, a UPS intercepts the surge so that it doesn't damage your computer.
URL (uniform resource locator) (Pronounced 'earl') - the unique 'address' of a file on the Internet such as http://www.computer.co.uk.
USB (universal serial bus) - a plug and play interface on a PC allowing devices to be connected and used without any need for configuration by the user. USB supports up to 127 devices and allows devices to be removed or added without switching off the PC first.
Usenet - a large network that distributes many of the Net's newsgroups.
Username - a unique name you're assigned by a service that enables you to log on to it and identify yourself, demonstrating that you're entitled to access it. When you set up your Internet access account, your username will usually form part of your email address too.
Uuencode/Uudecode - to send computer files in email or newsgroup messages, they have to be converted to plain ASCII text first. Uuencoding is a system for converting files this way; uudecoding converts the text back into a file at the other end. Special software may be needed to do this, but many email and newsgroup programs have built-in automatic uuencode/uudecode facilities.
V.90 - a standard, approved by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), for transmitting data downstream to modems at 56 Kbps (thousand bits per second). The V.90 standard was arrived at by combining the x2 technology from US Robotics and the K56flex technology from Rockwell. Transmission upstream from a computer modem is slower than downstream (about 33 Kbps) since it requires digital-to-analog conversion.
Vapourware - name given to software that is announced far in advance of any release and either never materialises or appears much later than originally intended.
VBScript - a scripting language developed by Microsoft, similar to JavaScript.
Veronica - an acronym for 'Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerised Archives'. Veronica is a facility built into Gopher that allows searching for files on gopher sites.
Viewer - a program used to view, play or display files that you find on the Net. Unlike a plug-in, a viewer will open the file in its own separate window. Because it's a stand-alone program, you can also use it offline to view files already on your own system.
Virus - a small program created by a warped mind that can use various methods to attach itself to programs. When the program is run, so is the virus. A virus might do no more harm to your system than making it go beep occasionally, or it might trash all your data and even make your computer unusable. The main risk of 'catching' a virus comes from using programs on a floppy-disk of unknown origin or downloaded from the Internet without first running them through virus-checker software.
Voice Over the Net (VON) - see Talk.
VLAN (virtual local area network) - used to create a LAN using paths through a shared network infrastructure, for example, firewalls and switches.
VLB - vesa local bus. 1992 standard developed by the Video Electronics Standard Association for a fast local bus with high-performance graphics in mind.
V-Link - bus used by Via to transfer data between its recent northbridge and southbridge components. Runs twice as fast as PCI bus which was previously used for chipset connections.
VPN (virtual private network) - two or more remote sites can be linked securely by creating virtual encrypted tunnels between customer physical sites, using firewalls.
VRAM (video random access memory) - special type of memory used on video adapters to speed up image display rates.
VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) - a language used to build 3-dimensional models and 'worlds' that you can view using special software.
VxD - virtual device driver. A special type of device driver that has access to the core of the operating system for supervising hardware operations directly. A mouse, serial port and parallel port use VxDs.
WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) - a little-used service for searching databases of information on the Net.
WAN (wide area network) - a geographically dispersed telecommunications network and the term distinguishes a broader telecommunication structure from a local area network (LAN). A wide area network may be privately owned or rented, but the term usually connotes the inclusion of public (shared user) networks. An intermediate form of network in terms of geography is a metropolitan area network (MAN).
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) - special web-like pages written in a language called WML (similar to the Web's own HTML) can be downloaded into the new breed of WAP-enabled mobile phones, pagers and PDAs and read while on the move. These devices have 4- or 8-line displays for text and simple graphics. [??]
Warez (pronounced as though spelled "wares" or possibly by some pronounced like the city of "Juarez") - a term used by software "pirates" to describe software that has been stripped of its copy-protection and made available on the Internet for downloading. People who create warez sites sometimes call them "warez sitez" and use "z" in other pluralizations.
Web - see World Wide Web.
Webcam (or cam) - a video camera, usually attached directly to a computer, whose current or latest image is requestable from a Web site. A live cam is one that is continually providing new images that are transmitted in rapid succession or, in some cases, in streaming video. Sites with live cams sometimes imbed them as Java applets in Web pages. Cams have caught on; there are now (we estimate) several thousand sites with cams. The first cams were positioned mainly on fish tanks and coffee machines. Many of today's live cams are on sex-oriented sites. For travel promotion, traffic information, and the remote visualisation of any ongoing event that's interesting, webcams seem like an exciting possibility that will become more common as users get access to more bandwidth.
Webmaster - a person who either creates and manages the information content (words and pictures) and organisation of a Web site, or who manages the computer server and technical programming aspects of a Web site, or does both.
Web page - a single document (usually having the extension .htm or .html) forming a tiny part of the World Wide Web, often containing text, images, and links to other pages and files on the Web. To view Web pages you need a browser.
Web server - a computer or program dedicated to storing Web pages and transmitting them to your computer to be viewed in your browser.
Web services - business applications that use web protocols or open interfaces between systems. These are generally made using XML and middleware or application servers.
Web site - a collection of related Web pages and files, usually created by or belonging to a single individual or company, and located on the same Web server.
Web space - usually refers to space on a Web server provided to Internet users so that they can create and publish their own Web sites. This space may be provided free, or for a monthly charge.
Websphere - an e-commerce server product from IBM. It creates e-commerce sites and applications based on Java.
Whois - a command (or a program which can send the command) that can find someone's email address and other information about them based on the name you enter.
Winsock - an abbreviation of Windows Sockets, the sockets software program for Windows operating systems called WINSOCK.DLL that forms the basic of a TCP/IP stack.
Wizard - a utility within a software program that guides you through a particular task.
WinZip - a Windows program that lets you archive and compress files so that you can store or distribute them more efficiently.
WML (Wireless Markup Language) - a text-based language used to write pages of (mainly textual) information that can be viewed on WAPenabled devices. WML is based on XML and could be thought of as a very cut-down version of the Web's own HTML.
World Wide Web - a vast collection of documents and files stored on Web servers. The documents are known as Web pages and are created using a language called HTML. All these pages and files are linked together using a system of hypertext.
WTX - recent motherboard form factor designed with workstations in mind.
WYSIWYG - an acronym which stands for 'what you see is what you get'. WYSIWYG refers to an application that shows on the screen exactly what will appear on the document when it is printed. This includes colours, fonts, and graphics as well as text.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) - a language very similar to HTML (used to write web pages) but with the benefit that users can extend the language with their own custom additions. Future versions of HTML are likely to be more XML-oriented.
Xmodem - an error-correcting protocol for modems that was created in 1978 by Ward Christensen and became a de facto standard. Modems that agree on using the Xmodem protocol send data in 128-byte blocks. If a block is received successfully, a positive (ACK) acknowledgement is returned. If an error is detected, a negative (NAK) acknowledgement is returned and the block is resent. Xmodem uses the checksum method of error checking.
ZIF - zero insertion force. Type of processor socket with a lever on the side. Lifting the lever allows chips to be easily inserted, while closing it grips the pins tightly.
Zmodem is an error-correcting protocol for modems. Modems that agree on using the Zmodem protocol send data in 512-byte blocks. If a block arrives and an error is detected, a NAK (negative acknowledgement) is returned and the block is re-sent.
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