From: Kelly Pierce 
Subject: computer user network news
and persistence beyond the reach of the average bear. But what
astounding freedom and opportunity can result from the effort!
(Anna Byrne is a senior systems analyst at Commonwealth Edison. 
She and her husband, Pat, have four children and three
grandchildren.)
                            --------
                         Online Glossary
                             Part I
                    submitted by Dave Porter
A
_alt.ch: Source of most of the uproar about public newsgroups.
Designed so that anyone could set up a newsgroup.
_Archie: A search tool for finding files and programs located on
FTP servers. The Archie system is comprised of a number of Archie
servers located across the world. Each indexes the files
available on FTP servers in its area. They share their indexes
with each other; thus, the complete index is accessible from any
of the servers. They can be accessed via Telnet, e-mail or an
Archie program.
_ARPAnet: the predecessor to the Internet. Developed by the U.S.
Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency in the
late 1960's, ARPAnet was an experimental network that initially
linked scientists engaged in defense research. It was intended to
link together different computers in dispersed geographical
locations. The network was designed to survive breakdowns along
any of its connections by sending information as packets. If a
connection broke down, the packets could be automatically re-
routed.
_ASCII (pronounced AS-key): American Standard Code for
Information interchange. Although now widely used to denote plain
text--without formatting and independent of any type font--it is
actually a data code now used universally in communication
applications by minicomputers and personal computers to represent
128 possible character combinations, including upper- and lower-
case letters of the roman alphabet, the space character, the
numerals 0 through 9, punctuation marks and other non-
alphanumeric characters found on a standard keyboard, plus
several "control codes" that denote invisible characters like the
carriage return and tab. It is sometimes known as TTY, denoting
its legacy in the teletype industry.
_ASCII value: the number, variously expressed in decimal,
octal or hexadecimal notation, that defines a combination of
eight bits--seven bits that define a character and an eighth that
can be used for a rudimentary form of error correction known as
"parity checking."
_ASCII table: A table that lists the ASCII value for any
character, in decimal, octal or hexadecimal notation, sometimes
in all three.
_avatar (pronounced AV-uh-tar): A word adopted by computer      9
users to denote the digital manifestation that humans take on
when entering virtual worlds. Sanskrit for the earthly
incarnation a god takes on Earth. Vishnu, the Hindu god
responsible for maintaining the existence of the universe, has 10
important avatars, including Krishna, the philosopher king, and
Varaha, the boar who rescues the planet after it is inundated by
the oceans. The 10th avatar of Vishnu, Kalki, will arrive in the
future to destroy the world with fire and begin a new age of
purity on the planet.
_AVI: A video compression standard developed for use with
Microsoft Windows. Lio clips on the World Wide Web are usually
available in both AVI and QuickTime formats.
B
_bandwidth: The amount of information that can be transmitted
over a network connection--in bits-per-second. A full page of
English text is about 16,000 bits. A fast modem can move about
28,800 bits per second.
_baud: (pronounced BAWD) A unit commonly used to describe the
speed of modems. The baud rate technically is the number of times
a modem signal changes per second. In the days of 300 baud
modems, each signal change represented one bit of information.
Therefore, the baud and transfer rates of a modem--measured in
bits per second, or bps--were the same. Modern modems transfer up
to 12 bits of information for every signal change. A 28.8 modem
is actually working at 2400 baud, but each signal change carries
12 bits of information. Therefore the data transfer rate is
28,800 bits per second. Over the years, baud and bits per second
have been used interchangeably, although that is technically
wrong.
_BBS: Bulletin Board System. A dial-up computer service which
allows users to post messages and files. BBSs often serve
specific interests or geographical areas. Some are connected and
provide access to the Internet.
_bit: An abbreviation for "binary digit." Usually represented as
either a 0 or a 1--connoting off and on, respectively--the basic
language of computers. A group of eight bits forms a byte.
_BITNET: Because It's Time or Because It's There NETwork. An
international computer network devoted to research and education.
Connected to the Internet and e-mail is freely exchanged between
the systems.
_Boolean: A query strategy for searching databases. Searches use
connectors such as "and" or "or" to expand or narrow a search--
e.g., to retrieve information about cats and dogs, searchers type
in the word "and" to insure they receive information about both
groups.
_bot: Short for "robot." Describes programs, usually run on a
server, that automate tasks like forwarding or sorting e-mail.
_browser: Software that looks at various types of Internet
resources. It can search for documents and obtain them from other
sources.
_bps: Bits Per Second. See baud.
_BTW: By The Way. An acronym frequently used in e-mail messages.
_byte: (pronounced BITE) A group of eight bits.
C
_com: A domain name suffix denoting commercial entities such as
corporations.
_conceptual indexer: language (and things or ideas it represents)
fit together in a relationship:
              rat = mammal = animal = living thing.
Computer finds "rat" in passage, knows for indexing purposes to
focus on rat, mammal, animals, living things.
_cookies, a device that allows Web site owners to pinpoint
visitors, many of whom unwittingly leave a trail throughout the
Internet.
_curb cuts: features built into hardware, software and operating
systems to make them more functional or accessible to users;
preferred because they are available on all workstations and can
be used with all applications.
_Cyberspace: The whole universe of information that's available
from computer networks.
D
_Digerati: A digital version of "literati"--the hip,
knowledgeable elite at the vanguard of the digital revolution.
_download: process of retrieving a file from someware on the net.
E
_edu: A domain name suffix denoting educational institutions.
_e-mail: Electronic mail. Messages sent from one person to
another via computer networks.                                 11
_emoticon: (pronounced ee-MOE-ti-con) Shortened form of "emotion
icons." Sideways "smiley-face" symbols created with ASCII
characters to express emotions and physical characteristics--a-k-
a smilies--often used in e-mail messages and newsgroup postings.
The characters : - ) form an emoticon which means "what I've just
said was meant in fun." Other examples of emoticons include: 8-)
(a happy person with glasses), B-)~ (a happy person with horn-
rimmed glasses who is drooling), Bch)~ (a happy drooling person
with horn-rimmed glasses who has just been to a bar), :-@( a
screaming person), (%-@ a screaming person who has been staring
at a computer screen for 15 hours), etc.
_encription: A code or language to be unscrambled before read.
_ethernet: A common way of networking computers in a local area
network or LAN (such as the same building or floor).
F
_finger: A software tool for finding people on the Internet.
_flame: An online insult usually delivered by way of e-mail or a
newsgroup posting. Flame exchanges often develop into long-
running flame wars, which can then degenerate into holy wars.
_FTP: File Transfer Protocol. The standard rules that govern the
transfer of files and programs over the Internet. It allows files
to be moved from one computer to another regardless of the types
of computers or operating systems involved in the exchange--also
used as the general name for the programs which employ File
Transfer Protocol to move files.
_FYI: For Your Information. An acronym frequently used in
e-mail messages.
G
_GIF, (pronounced GIFF -- as in "gift" -- or JIFF):
Graphics Interchange Format. Developed by CompuServe, a widely-
used method of compressing image files such as photographs and
graphics; image files which typically take up large amounts of
computer memory and hard drive space and take long periods of
time to download. Various groups have come up with ways of
alleviating some of these problems by compressing the image data
into smaller files. JPEG is a competing image-compression format
--also refers to an image compressed with Graphics Interchange
Format.
_Gopher: A menu-based system used in organizing and retrieving
files and programs on the Internet--allows access to files found
on FTP servers, as well as to files normally accessed through
Telnet, Archie or WAIS programs. Each Gopher server has its own
unique menu of files and programs which can be accessed through
Gopher programs and some World Wide Web browsers.
_gov (pronounced GUV): A domain name suffix denoting government.
In Internet addresses, gov denotes non-military government sites.
H
_hacker: A person who breaks into a computer network and tampers
with the system.
_hexadecimal (pronounced hex-uh-des-i-mull): Numbers expressed in
base sixteen. Integers larger than 9 are expressed as sequential
letters A through F. In hexadecimal, the number ten is written A.
The number sixteen is expressed as 10--that is, one sixteen and
no ones, just as 10 in the standard decimal system represents one
ten and no ones. Why would anyone want to express numbers in base
sixteen? Because that's how many bits there are in a 16-bit word,
so using hexadecimal allowed programmers to denote a specific bit
in any word as a single digit, 0 through F. Back in the days of
eight-bit machines, programmers used octal, or base eight,
numbers.
_home page: A World Wide Web document. It often refers to a
person or organization's main Web page which provides links to
other pages within the person or organization's Web site.
_hypertext: Text that links one document to another.
_holy war: An endless debate often carried on over newsgroup
message threads. Such debates usually center on fundamental
issues of faith for which there is no chance of resolution.
_html: HyperText Markup Language. The coding language of the
World Wide Web.
_http: HyperText Transfer Protocol. The set of rules that govern
the transfer of most documents traveling over the Web. It is also
the beginning of URL addresses on the World Wide Web--e.g The New
York Times URL is http://www.nytimes.com.
I
_Internet: The international network of networks. The Internet
came into being between the late 1970s and early 1980s with the
development and adoption of TCP/IP. TCP/IP allowed ARPAnet to
join with other networks. Although often thought of as synonymous
with the World Wide Web, the Internet encompasses much more than
just Web servers and hypertext documents. The Internet         13
includes all the computers that are linked to it on its various
networks and all the systems used to exchange information between
those computers, including Gopher, Telnet, FTP and WAIS.
_IP Address: Internet Protocol address. Every machine on the
Internet has a unique IP address which consists of four parts
separated by dots (e.g., 204.146.46.8). If a machine does not
have an IP address, it's not officially on the Internet.
_IRC: (Internet Relay Chat) A multi-user chat program. Around the
world, many IRC servers are linked to each other. Anyone using
these servers can create a "channel," anLPa for text messages
that can be viewed by users with access to that channel.
_ISDN: (Integrated Services Digital Network) A network that moves
more data faster over phone lines. ISDN is quickly becoming
available in most of the U.S. It can move data at speeds of up to
128,000 bits-per-second.
J
_Java: A computer language that allows users to add animation,
moving text and interactive games to a Web site. Designed by Sun
Microsystems, Java works on a variety of computer systems such as
Windows, Macintosh and Unix. Netscape Navigator incorporated Java
into the latest version of its Web browser.
_JPEG: jpeg, jpg: (pronounced JAY-peg): A standardized method of
compressing image files created by the Joint Photographic Experts
Group. JPEG images are widely used on the World Wide Web.
However, some Web browsers do not support the format, and
therefore will not display JPEG images.
_JPEG can also refer to images compressed with the JPEG format.
K
_killfile: a feature which allows an individual to screen out
postings by particular users on particular subjects AKA beys
filter.
L
_LAN: (pronounced LAN -- as in "land"): Local Area Network. A
computer network located in a concentrated area like a building
or floor.
_Login: An ID or name used to access a computer system. also used
to open a file on your computer to copy all files into a
directory.
                            --------
                       Dates to Remember!
Sat., Dec. 7, 1996--Computer Network Open House, 10:00 AM-2:00
PM, ninth floor (See "Two Important Notices" at beginning of this
newsletter.)
Tues., Dec. 10, 1996--Lynx Squad 6:00 PM, ninth floor (for
Internet enthusiasts).
Wed. Dec. 11, 1996--CN board meeting, 5:30-7:30 PM ninth floor
(open to all).
Tues., Dec. 17, 1996--Posse, all-day beginning at 9:30 AM, ninth
floor.
Tues., Dec. 17, 1996--New members orientation6:00-7:30 PM.
Sat., Jan. 4, 1996--All members meeting, 10:00 AM (TBA).
Wed., Jan. 8, 1997--Computer Network board meeting, 5:30-7:30 PM,
ninth floor (open to all).
Tues., Jan. 14, 1997--Lynx Squad, 6:00 PM ninth floor (for
Internet enthusiasts).
Wed., Jan. 15, 1997--deadline at noon for articles for Computer
Users Network News: c/o Cindy Brown, Will-Call drawer, eleventh
floor.
Tues., Jan. 21, 1997--Posse, all-day beginning at 9:30 AM, ninth
floor.
Tues., Jan. 21, 1997--New members oreintation, 6:00-7:30 PM,
ninth floor.
Fri., Jan. 31, 1997--deadline for membership renewal in order to
receive next issue of newsletter (see Two Important Notices at
begining of this newsletter).

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