DNS Domain Name System.
domain at the end of an e-mail or Internet address, an abbreviation designating the nature of the addressee, such as .com for "commercial enterprise," .edu for "educational institution," .mil for "military installation," and so on.
Domain Name System collective term for any one or all of several e-mail routing and Internet connection servers.
down inaccessible or inoperable due to technical difficulty.
download to transfer information or graphics of files from a Web location onto a computer.
DSL digital subscriber line. A transmission circuit that is superior to a regular phone circuit.
e-business commerce over the Internet; a company that sells goods or services via the Internet.
.edu at the end of an Internet or e-mail address, the domain designation for an educational institution.
e-mail electronic mail typed into a computer and sent through a modem over the Internet or online server to a receiver.
emoticon any fanciful "facial expression," such as a smiley face :), created on a keyboard, to help convey emotion in one's e-mail or post online.
encryption the coding of data into an unreadable form, to increase security.
ethernet a networking system used in a small or confined area.
evil twins a fraudulent technique through which an illegitimate, wireless network mimics a legitimate one and, by offering a public wi-fi connection to the Internet, such as those in coffeehouses and hotels, captures passwords, credit card numbers, etc.
extranet a partially closed network providing access to company employees and a select group of outsiders, such as vendors and contractors.
e-zine an online magazine.
FAQ frequently asked question.
favorite see bookmark.
filter a sorting system used to block unwanted email or spam.
finger a program or utility that can identify a person online from an e-mail address.
firewall a security system employed to protect access to a closed network by means of special software, passwords, and authentication checks.
flame war angry and insulting communications between two or more people via e-mail, chat forums, newsgroups, etc.
flaming angry and insulting communications or posts via e-mail, chat forums, newsgroups, etc.
flog a fake blog, used to promote a product or service.
flooding clogging one's mail server and blocking a recipient's mailbox by sending him or her a mass of spam.
frames separate windows on a Web page that can be scrolled down and accessed while keeping the main page and its menu in view.
fraudulent link a link that appears to be legitimate but in fact directs users to a phony site for criminal purposes.
freeware free software available for downloading from various Internet sites.
FTP file transfer protocol; a program used to send and receive files over the Internet.
geek slang for an Internet know-it-all.
ghost site an abandoned Web site that is no longer maintained. Also known as an Orphan Annie.
Google one of the Internet's most popular search engines.
Google bomb a method of increasing a search engine's ranking of a Web page by having several sites link to it with the same anchor text.
Gopher an information retrieval system or database searcher.
.gov at the end of an Internet or e-mail address, the domain designation for a government institution.
handle in a chat or other online forum, a participant's moniker or name.
hijacker any spyware designed to unethically monitor another's browsing, infect one's computer with pop-up ads, or change search or homepages.
history a list or log of Web sites recently visited.
hits the recorded number of times a Web site has been visited, useful for measuring popularity.
home page the opening Web page of an individual, organization, company, etc.
honeymonkey a computer set up to surf the Web on its own and survey for sites that may load malicious code.
honeypot a computer or operating system set up specifically to lure hackers and log all attempts at access in order to catch scammers or identity thieves.
host a network computer providing multiple services, such as e-mail, for other computers.
host name the first portion of an e-mail or Internet address, identifying a specific computer user.
hotlink see hyperlink.
hot spot any place, such as a coffee shop, with a wireless Internet connection.
HTML hypertext markup language; the language coding used to create Web pages.
http hypertext transfer protocol; the protocol that enables the linking of Web sites.
hyperlink a link made up of glowing text or graphics that when clicked leads directly to another related Web page or site. Also known as a hotlink.
hypermedia an integration of text, graphics, video, and sound.
hypertext a text system used to create links to related documents.
instant message an online medium through which one may communicate instantly a message on another's computer screen. Also, the message itself.
internaut see cybernaut.
Internet a network of computer networks linking computer users worldwide.
Internet2 created by scientists in 1996, an independent, fee-based Internet employing faster, more advanced technology, used by universities, government agencies, and some organizations.
interactive of any communications medium, allowing direct, two-way contact.
intranet a communication network of computers restricted to a single company, organization, or building.
IP address an identification number assigned to every computer on the Internet.
IRC Internet relay chat. The protocol that enables computers users who are online to chat or "talk" to one another in real time.
ISP Internet Service Provider, which provides users with access to the Internet.
IT information technology.
JAVA a virus-safe programming language for use on the Internet.
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group; a common graphics format used to convey photographs, three-dimensional images, etc.
keylogger a form of spyware from which someone can remotely monitor keystrokes on another user's PC in order to read e-mails or determine which Web sites are visited.
kiosk mode a screen presentation without toolbars, menus, or borders. Also, presentation mode.
LAN a computer network used only on a single floor or in a single building.
leeching the downloading of game and movie files and subsequent refusal to share them with other online users.
link a connection to another Web page or site.
link rot the process over time by which a link may become irrelevant or unneeded, especially when connected to a Web site that is closed or outdated.
LINuX an open source operating system, derived from the Unix system by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and further developed and refined by many collaborators.