Important Internet-Related Terms

Bandwidth

A measure of the amount of data that can be sent over a particular medium at a particular time, whether a telephone line, a dedicated data line, a satellite link, etc. The amount of bandwidth available determines the total capacity of the Internet to move data anywhere in the world, as well as the speed that data can be moved to an individual Internet user. Text takes a relatively small amount of bandwidth. Graphics, video, and sound require much larger amounts of bandwidth.

Browser

The software used to access and view sites on the World Wide Web.

E-Mail (Electronic Mail)

Messages sent from one person to another via a computer network. The same e-mail can be sent easily to one address or to many addresses. E-mail is still the most commonly used Internet tool.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is the most common method for transferring files—without viewing them as they're transferring—used on the Internet. It's fairly simple to set up and run an FTP server, and there are many FTP servers available for public use. Thus, it's a very easy way to "publish" information on on the Internet. Many institutions maintain publicly accessible archives of information that they want to share with others.

Gopher

A method of making text-only material available over the Internet so it can be viewed online. Gopher servers were used widely before the advent of the World Wide Web, and there are still many in operation. They can be accessed through a Web browser, so many people think of them as a part of the Web.

Home Page

Originally this referred to the Web page that your Web browser is set to view when it starts up. It now also refers to the main Web page of a business, organization, or person or the main page of a collection of Web pages.

Hypertext

Text of a document that has been linked to other sections of the document or to other documents that give more information about the subject. Usually you follow these links by clicking on them with a computer mouse. Links can also be made to graphic images, to music, or to any digitized document. For example, in a hypertext document on health, you could follow links to definitions of specific terms, to audio files to hear the pronunciation of a word, and to the Web page of an organization that does work in a specific area.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

This is the language that is used to create hypertext. It consists of various types of "tags" that indicate to a Web browser how specific text is to be displayed on the computer screen, as well as where in the document or where on the Internet to find a link.

Internet Conference

This can refer to several different techniques used to allow people to discuss topics of mutual interest. A conference can be as simple as sending the same e-mail to many different people or as complex as arranging to have people in 25 different cities see images of each other and hear each other talk in real time. All of these are possible, but the technology becomes more complex and the speed of the connection becomes more important as you go from text only to transmitting sound and video in real time.

Internet Connectivity

Several different levels of Internet connectivity are possible. The type of connectivity that you have will determine which features of the Internet you can use most easily. A direct connection to the Internet means that you have full, complete, real-time access to all Internet services. An indirect connection to the Internet means that you are really getting a remote view of all your Internet services through the hardware and software of another computer. Some indirect connections are good for e-mail only, while others, known as shell accounts, make available a full range of Internet services. With an indirect connection, you will probably not be able to use graphics or customize the way you interact with the Internet as much as you can with a direct connection. Your local Internet Service Providers will be able to tell you what kind of connections they offer.

Internet Fax

A service that takes a special type of e-mail message and sends it to a fax machine specified in the message. With Internet fax service, you are not charged for a long distance toll call.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A company or organization that provides an access point to the Internet, usually for a fee. In order to connect to the Internet, an individual, a business, or an organization must go through an ISP.

Internet Telephony

A service where you can use the Internet as a voice telephone line. With some types, both you and the person you are calling must have an Internet connection and be online at the time you wish to talk. Some of these are free or inexpensive, though they have varying degrees of reliability. Some companies also offer Internet-to-phone services, where from your computer you can call any telephone in the world. If your organization spends a lot of money on long distance telephone calls, this might be a good option for you. There are a growing number of companies providing Internet telephony services.

Listserv

An Internet application that allows subscribers to send one e-mail message that will be received by all people who subscribe to the listserv. Subscribing to the list and all other transactions are handled through e-mail. Listservs are a powerful and inexpensive way for people with shared interests to communicate quickly and cheaply with an entire group of people. Sending an announcement to a listserv is like immediately publishing or broadcasting your remarks. Many universities or non-profit organizations with computer facilities are happy to host listservs that conform to their interests. Because of the different types of software, you'll often hear listservs called by other names, such as listproc or majordomo.

Log In and Log Out

Every computer network must have some way to identify who is online at any given moment and to make sure that they are all legitimate users. For that reason, you must log in to a computer system before you use it. This is usually simply a matter of giving the computer your assigned name and a password that you have chosen. You must also log out of the system when you are finished.

Modem (MOdulator/DEModulator)

A device that converts the digital signals of a computer into analog signals (sound) that can be transmitted over an ordinary telephone line.

Newsgroups

Newsgroups are one of the original ways that people with common interests share information or seek advice over the Internet. Newsgroups do not operate as e-mail, sent directly to an e-mail address, but as a feed that is sent to specific servers around the world. These feeds happen at specific times of the day, not when there is a new message posted to the newsgroup. The institution operating the computer system that provides you with access to the Internet, whether a university or an ISP, selects the newsgroups it wishes to subscribe to, and these are the only newsgroups you will be able to get.

Packet

The basic unit of data that is transmitted over the Internet. Every file, whether an e-mail message or a musical recording, is broken down into numerous packets of a specific size that follow a protocol appropriate to the application being used. Each packet contains information about where its point of origin, its destination, its size and type, and data needed to verify correct receipt. The Internet is a packet switched network, and it uses all this information to ensure that each packet arrives at its destination as it was intended.

Router

A special-purpose computer that handles the connection between two or more networks. Routers examine the destination address of all packets going through them and determine where to send them next to get them to their destination.

Real Time

Simultaneous transmission and reception by the intended parties. In contrast to e-mail, where the receiver may actually read the e-mail many hours or days after it was written, a telephone conversation or a face-to-face meeting takes place in real time.

Server

A special-purpose computer that distributes data to other computers, either when requested to, or when it has been programmed to. Examples include World Wide Web and FTP servers.

Telnet

An Internet service that allows you to connect to a remote computer to use specific databases or other applications available on that computer. Telnet is one of the first applications widely used on the Internet. Many telnet applications are now available on the World Wide Web, where they are easier to use.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

The suite of protocols that defines how the Internet works. Much as diplomats follow certain protocols in communicating with ambassadors and other foreign officials, a network protocol lays the groundwork for how different devices on the network communicate with each other. The Internet uses many different protocols.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet. This is the address you enter into the "go to" line of a Web browser in order to visit that site. The URL "http://www.info.usaid.gov/leland/resource.htm " represents the following:

http:// indicates the type of protocol for the computer and network to use in requesting and receiving data from the server. In this case it is hypertext transfer protocol.

www.info.usaid.gov is the name of the actual server (computer) that you are contacting.

/leland is the name of the directory (or folder -the place on the computer) where the file you are requesting can be found. There may be several subdirectories, each separated by a slash (/).

/resource.htm is the name of the actual file, or page, that you are requesting.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

If the electricity goes out while you are using a computer, many bad things can happen, including damage to your software or equipment. At the very least, you can lose data that has not been saved. A UPS provides you with some degree of protection from this. A UPS will usually both smooth the flow of power to your computer or system, preventing damage from power surges, and store a limited amount of electricity. When the power goes down, most UPSs give a warning sound, and you know that you have a few minutes to shut down your equipment properly, thus avoiding any damage or loss of data. It's also a good idea to have a device that protects your computer from power surges and lightning strikes.

World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (WWW or the Web) is by far the most popular application on the Internet, and with good reason. The WWW integrates text in any format, sound, video. and virtually any kind of information that can be sent in a digital format. The basic language of the Web is hypertext markup language, which is used to determine what the information will look like and point to where you can find the links. The Web makes it easy to use the resources of the Internet without using a lot of computer commands and knowing a lot about computers. Modern Web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer, can request and display the information from a Web server in exactly the way that the originator intended. As information on the Web gets easier to find, it is becoming more useful as a tool for conducting everyday business, as well as bringing the world of information to your desktop.

Appendix 1: The Internet--A Tool for Empowering People in the Information Age | Table of Contents | Appendix 3: Organization's Statement of Purpose