Anchor The name used to denote a
clickable path to another part of a
webpage ot to another webpage at another URL address. More
specifically, an anchor is a tag in HTML of the
type < A HREF= " * " > A hyperlink < /a >
where the " * " represents a wildcard URL address,
which can include ftp, http,
gopher, file,
mailto, news, telnet,
et cetera.
ARPAnet- Advanced Research Project Agency Network - A
defense related computer network system which used
Transport Control Protocol(TCP) and
later the variation Internet Protocol to make
information transfer.
ASCII The
mapping relation between the first 256 numbers and the keyboard
symbols used in computer science. Most text files can be stored in
ASCII format. This is the format assumed in both
http and ftp protocols.
au An audio file
format.
Attribute refers to
designators inside HTML tags which can be
modified to change the style in an element of a webpage.
\vfill \eject
Bookmark The name for a simple procedure
on most browsers that lets you store an
URL address on your hard disk which can be used later to
return to that location. Bookmarks are useful for setting
anchors on your homepage at a later
date.
Binary The
alphabet of computer systems. Simply put, the numbers zero and one.
There are some variations in the way that these two numbers are
used, for example; bytes, bits and hexadecimal representations.
Bit and Byte A bit is a single binary
value in a list of binary values ( i.e 1001 includes four bits)
while a byte is a set of eight bits or 256 pieces of information
(i.e. 1001 1101 is a byte).
Browser refers to a
computer program which allows the user to
access the information over the internet in a
simple and easy way. By browser we will typically mean an
http type browser which allows for the transfer of
graphics and convenient viewing of text.
Cache refers to the system of storing
HTML and IMG files on your
computer.
Clickable refers to an
icon, a picture map, an underlined
anchor or any other object in an
webpage which allows the user to interact with the
browser by using the button on the mouse.
Delimiter Delimiters are used
in HTML to denote special words and phrases. The
browser uses delimiters to differentiate computer commands from
text and data that should appear on the webpage.
ftp -File Transfer Protocol- Allows for
the transfer of binary and ASCII files between computers. The
binary switch must be set to " I " to transfer binary
files. There is currently computer software which will do ftp for
you, including some browsers.
gif
- Graphics Interchange Format - A rigid graphical file
description system.
Graphical User
Interface refers specifically to point and click view
screen technology.
Help-page A webpage
specifically designed to help a user use the website effectively.
Homepage usually refers explicitly to
the introductory page on an website, or a users
own personal introductory page. The browser can
be set to start at the user homepage by changing the startup
preferences, usually on the preferences menu on the browser window.
HTML - HyperText Markup Language- The
computer language used to format an webpage. This
language is a subset of the language CGML.
http
- HyperText Transfer Protocol- The coding scheme used to
transfer HTML information reliably. This prefix
must be used to ensure that the browser will be
able to transfer the information accurately. Each http address
typically begins with http://www.* where the *
represents a wildcard or variable address
representation.
hyperlink is a
synonym for anchor.
hypermedia refers specifically to the full
range of media distributed over the Web.
Icon An icon is a computer image placed
on the screen as a clue or reminder of the properties of a computer
file, program or anchor.
IMG is an HTML tag which instructs the
browser to load into the document a graphical file such as
*.gif or *.jpeg or a
similar bitmap style graphics
file.
Indexpage A
webpage containing a clickable map or
outline of the website.
Infopage refers to an HTML document on
the Web which is designed explicitly to give information about the
website
to the user. This
name is used to set aside the name Homepage for
pages which are explicitly introductory pages. The most general
designation is webpage.
In-line Image refers to a graphics image placed within an
HTML document by using the < IMG > tag.
Internet The internet developed as the
various network systems ( ARPAnet in the United
States and CERNET in Europe) combined and began to connect with
universities and other interested parties. The electronic mail
capabilities of these systems made them especially attractive to a
wide audience of users.
jpeg - Joint
Photographic Expert Group - a rigid graphical file
description system and file compression scheme
which can use millions of colors.
Link refers specifically to an
attribute in the $<$BODY$>$ tag of an
HTML document, but it is often used as a synonym for
anchor or hyperlink in web
terminology. Anchor is perhaps a preferred term since the term
link has a more specialized meaning in computer
science. Remember, several links connect the anchor to the ship.
Open Look - A graphical user
interface system developed by AT$\&$T and Sun Microsystems
using the X-Window system.
Orb or Orbit The set of strands
emanating from an indexpage or
homepage. Each orbit is very much like a web. A
closed orbit refers specifically to those infopages that
are under the control of a single designer and which link only to
the designers pages.
Platform
refers to the computer hardware system together with its operating
system. More specifically, it is often used to denote the type of
screen output. Examples are :
* X-Windows on Unix
* Windows or Windows 95 or OS/2 on IBM compatibles.
* Macintosh OS
* NeXT Step on Unix
Portable A portable program or file
system is one that can be used on several different computers
without using a converter. The standard system for portable text
files is ASCII. Java is an example of a portable programming
language.
Protocol - a step by step
security procedure for information transfer between computers.
pic - a UNIX troff utility which
formats output to print simple drawings of lines, circles et
cetera.
Postscript - A flexible graphical
file description system developed by Adobe Systems.
Server
- the computer version of a waiter or waitress. The server waits
for your requests and then attempts to serve the requested
information to you.
Strand A
chain of webpages emanatinig from an
indexpage or homepage
Tag refers to a basic word in the language
HTML.
TCP/IP Transport Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol A set of computer packages used
initially by ARPAnet and later by the
internet to route and to ensure secure information
transfers between computers within local networks and between local
networks.
tiff - {Tag Image File Format}
- a file image scheme used for storing pictures.
UNIX The UNIX operating system
originally grew out of the the MULTICS operating system developed
for a General Electric computer system. This was the product of a
consortium of computer related industries. When the consortium
failed to produce a satisfactory product, a computer operating
system was developed on a PDP-7
at Bell Labs by Ken Thompson,
one of the participants in the original MULTICS project.
Ironically, it was dubbed UNIX because it actually could handle
multitasking effectively. UNIX created the open system environments
along with security measures that made the internet possible. Many
of the file transfer protocols grew out of the UNIX concept.
URL Uniform Resource Locator. An address
system implemented on various servers to provide accurate location
and route information to browsers.
Utility - an operating system program which
manages input and output features such as file manipulation, screen
processes, print processes, communication processes et cetera.
Web - Nickname fo the World-Wide Web.
Weblian
- someone at home on the World-Wide Web.
Webling - a newcomer to the World-Wide
Web.
Webpage - Any accessible HTML
document on the Web.
Website - A system of webpages organized
around a homepage or indexpage.
Webspert - an expert on the World-Wide Web.
Wildcard - *- refers to
the a variable filename or http address. It is
commonly used when the reader needs to add the address or filename.
It is less confusing than using
http://www.address.gov since there may be an address which
is exactly the one given.
WWW
World Wide Web. An special feature of the internet which allows
accurate transfer of data in the form of documents and graphics,
which are easily accessible and window view ready.
XBM - X Bit Maps - black and
white graphics file storage scheme.
X-Windows - a UNIX compatible windowing
system developed at MIT.