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• ANSI: It stands for American National Standards Institute. This is the place that sets standards for data communications, like the Internet.

• Analog: Not digital. This is data in the form of a continuous flow. A record or a tape is analog. Digital, on the other hand, is in pieces or samples. More to come on that.

• AppleShare: This is Apple Computer's network system. It allows many different end users (people on computers) to attach to one central location and get files. (Sound familiar?)

• Archie: Search tool used to find resources stored on Internet-based FTP servers.

• ASCII: It stands for American Standard Code Information Exchange. This is text. It's all those things you see on your keyboard. However, it is standardized text so data transfer is allowed between systems. It works by representing letters and characters through a seven-digit code of ones and zeros. An example would be that "Joe" might look like this to the computer:
  0011010,0111100,01010011

• Asynchronous: Transferring data with the help of start and stop bits that indicate the beginning and end of each character being sent.

• ASP: Active Server Pages. A Web development language from Microsoft that runs on their server software.

• AVI: Stands for Audio/Video Interleaved. Microsoft's format for encoding video & audio for digital transmission.

• Backbone: Well, all of these computers have to come together somewhere. There are many "backbones" on the Internet. Think of the backbone as the next larger grouping of computers you connect with to get included in the Web. You're at the end of a rib coming off of the backbone -- get the picture? The main backbone of the Internet here in the U.S. is the NSFNet. It stands for National Science Foundation Net.

• Bandwidth: The carrying capacity of a wire attached from one computer to another. It is usually measured in the amount of bits carried. You know that 28.8 modem you have? It will allow a bandwidth of 28,800 bits per second.

• Baud: This is a measurement of the amount of data that can be transferred in one second. Example: A 14.4 baud modem can transfer 14,400 bits of information in one second.

• BBS: Stands for Bulletin Board Service.

• BIOS: Stands for Basic Input/Output System. This is the little set of programs that lets all the different parts of the computer talk to each other.

• Binary: This is a basic system of numbering using ones and zeros.

• Bit/s: "Bit" is a grouping of the words "binary" and "digits." Think of a bit as a number, a 1 or a 0 to be exact. A grouping of bits helps to make up ASCII code. Data transfer is often in terms of the number of these "bits" that can be moved in a second.

• BMP (pronounced "bimp"): It's a bitmap, an image made up of little dots.

• Buffer: The buffer is a section of the computer where data is stored before being used. This buffering allows time for an application to fix differences in bit rates among other things. It creates a space of time for compensation.

• Browser: User's software program for viewing & browsing information on the Internet.

• Burst: Most people know this from "pipeline burst cache." Burst means to send data in a large package all at one time rather than small bits over a longer time.

• Bus: There are wires between all the parts of your computer. There is a wire from the memory to the brain, and from the brain to the printer, etc., etc. Those wires are called busses. They differ from one another by the amount of data they will transfer at one time.

• Byte: A unit of space. It is also used to represent a series of seven or eight ASCII code digits representing a character.

• C: A programming language developed at AT&T.

• Cache: This is a memory section that holds data while the CPU (central processing unit) or brain, is working on it. Go to your Netscape directory -- you'll see a cache full of files marked ".moz". Those are "mozilla" files. That's what Netscape calls pages after they've been displayed and saved.

• CD-ROM: Compact Disc - Read Only Memory. It's a storage place that disallows recording or manipulating of its data.

• CGA: Stands for Color Graphics Adapter. It's a piece of hardware that plays with colors.

• Client: A computer attached to an Internet server.

• COBOL: Stands for Common Business Oriented Language.

• COM: Stands for Component Object Module.

• Compiler: This is an application that converts a programming language into a machine language program.

• CPU: Stands for Central Processing Unit. This is the brain of your computer. It is made up of two parts: The Arithmetic Logic Unit (this does all the processing) and the Control Unit (this makes sure every part of the computer is working together to present the information).

• CSS: Stands for Cascading Style Sheets.

• Cyberspace: This is a term that gives us a way to sort of "see" what we are surfing while on the Net. It's a generic term for the entire Internet, not just the World Wide Web.

• Data: Anything that is recorded or used for processing. The stuff that transfers between computers needed a name -- data seemed good.

• Database: Anything that accepts data is a database. A pile of newspapers is a database. A computer database has the ability to manipulate that data.

• Data Rate: Speed that information moves from one item to another. This is usually in the form of bits.

• DDS: Stands for Direct Digital Signal.

• Dedicated Line: This is a phone line meant specifically for one thing, like being attached to a computer.

• Demodulation: This is the process of converting analog information (like over phone lines) into digital information (like in a computer). See "Modem" for more.

• DHTML: Stands for Dynamic HTML.

• Dial-Up Line: This is a telephone line that is connected to a server. When it is called, tones are exchanged between the server and the devise calling in order to attach.

• Digital: Your CD player is digital. It is a series of small samples of data playing together very quickly (30,000 times a second). Digital recording of information means representing the bits of data through ones and zeros. Playing the bits back to again create what was recorded is called digital processing.

• DNS: This stands for Domain Name System. The Internet runs by assigning different sites "Names." They are actually 4-part strains of numbers associated with names, but names nonetheless. Getting a DNS error means that the address you are attempting to reach is not recognized by the Internet community.

• Domain: This is a higher level section of the Internet, usually given its own DNS. The domain is the section of an address before the directory slashes start. "dynamicpage.com" is our domain. Click here if you want one of your own!

• DOS: Stands for Disc Operating System. It is a generic term for the many programs that accept commands to trip applications to run. The most popular is MS-DOS (MS stands for Microsoft).

• DPI: Stands for Dots Per Inch.

• Dumb Terminal: This a video screen that is seeing manipulation in another computer. Example: If you log in to AOL, your computer is not doing the work -- AOL's computer is. You are just being offered a window into that world. That window is your screen. It's a terminal, but it's just watching -- thus a dumb terminal.

• EBCDIC: Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. It is also called the Extended ASCII Code, as it adds an eighth digit to the normal seven-digit code.

• E-Mail: Stands for Electronic Mail. E-mail is actually a method of transferring files among computers, rather than the file itself, but that's what the name has come to mean.

• Encryption: This is any one of many methods to transfer a file into a hard-to-crack code. It is often done by scrambling or by letter-to-letter replacement.

• Engine (as in "Search Engine"): This is the working part of a database or application.

• Ethernet This is a method of file transfer that uses dedicated cables rather than dial up phone lines. Ethernets are usually set up attaching end users to a central system like an Intranet. It was invented by Xerox believe it or not.

• FAT Stands for File Allocation Table. Basically this is a table of contents in a directory that tells the computer what al is in there. Look at your Netscape cache, you'll see a FAT. It'll be the first file.

• FAQ Stands for Frequently Asked Questions. An FAQ is a file or document where a moderator or administrator will post commonly asked questions and their answers.

• Fiber-Optic This is a new style of cable being used for very high speed data transmission. It works by pushing (modulating) a light wave across cable. The data is carried along with the light.

• File Sharing This is the most important feature of the Internet. This is a method of allowing one server to give the same file to many different end users.

• FORTRAN Stands for FORmula TRANslation.

• Freeware This a shortened version of Free Software. Programmers offer their work without wanting pay in return.

• FTP Stands for File Transfer Protocol.

• Gateway As in Common Gateway Interface (CGI). It is a piece of software that allows two items to communicate with each other. They are used to make connections between computers and systems inside that computer.

• GIF Pronounced "jif." Stands for Graphical Interchange Format. It is an image format created by Compuserve.

• Gigabyte (GB) It's about a billion bytes. Actually it's 2 to the 30th power or 1,073,741,824.

• GIGO It's an acronym that stands for Garbage In, Garbage Out.

• Gopher One of the first commonly used interfaces for the Internet with a format structure and resource for providing information. It was created at the University of Minnesota who's mascot is the gopher.

• GUI Pronounced "gooey". It stands for Graphical User Interface. It's the graphical representations you see on the screen.

• Hardware These are the physical items including your computer and floppy discs.

• Helper Application This is an application your browser uses to manipulate a downloaded program.

• Hotlist List of URLs saved within the Mosaic Web browser. (Bookmark in Netscape.)

• HTML Stands for HyperText Markup Language. Common language used to write documents on World Wide Web.

• HTTP Stands for HyperText Transport Protocol. Common protocol used to communicate between World Wide Web Servers.

• Hypertext This is a mark-up language that allows for non-linear transfers of data. The method allows your computer to provide the computational power rather than attaching to a mainframe and waiting for it to do the work for you.

• IBM Stands for International Business Machines

• Icon A small video display that acts as an activation link when clicked on.

• Interface This is any type of point where two different things come together. Most often, the term is used to describe the programs between you and your computer like Windows, OS/2 and others. What you see on the screen is the interface between you and what your computer is doing.

• IS Stands for Information System.

• ISO Stands for the International Standards Organization. Someone has to say what is the standard for transferring data. These people are it. You'll find them in Paris.

• ISDN Stands for Integrated Services Digital Network.

• Java Java is an Object Oriented Program