IT Acronyms & Glossary of Terms

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:-o If you tilt your head to the left to look at this term, you will see that someone is surprised. Used to add feelings to e-mail messages. :-) If you tilt your head to the left to look at this term, you will see that someone is smiling at you. This is used to a feeling to an e-mail message or to let the reader know that you are saying something in a humorous way so that the meaning is not miss interpreted. :-( If you tilt your head to the left to look at this term, you will see that someone is unhappy. Used to add feelings to e-mail messages. AccessIdaho: The state of Idaho’s Web site: www.accessidaho.org Acronyms: Special acronyms are used for chat rooms, and to a lesser extent, e-mail. If you want the full experience of a chat room, you should study up on your web acronyms or at least keep this cheat sheet handy. ActiveX: ActiveX is a model for writing programs. ActiveX technology is used to make interactive web pages that look and behave like computer programs, rather than static pages. With ActiveX, users can ask or answer questions, use push buttons, and interact in other ways with the web page. Address: An individualized name (or number) identifying a computer user or computer. Used in network communications for the transmission of messages for a particular person or machine. ANSI: (American National Standards Institute). The U.S. standards organization that establishes procedures for the development and coordination of voluntary American National Standards. ASP: (Active Server Pages).  By Microsoft. An open, compile-free application environment in which you can combine HTML pages, scripts, and ActiveX server components to create powerful web-based business solutions. (These pages use the extension .asp) ATM: (Asynchronous Transfer Mode).  A high-bandwidth, controlled-delay fixed-size packet switching and transmission system. ATM is also referred to as “cell relay”. Authentication: A means by which assurance of the identity of parties to a transaction is established Backbone: A high-speed connection that links many networks. Bandwidth: The range of transmission frequencies that a network can use. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the amount of information than can travel on the network at one time. Baud Rate: (Same as bps--Bits Per Second). A unit used to measure the number of data bits a modem can transfer in one second. One baud is how many signals a modem can handle in one second. Information is measured in bits, and bits come in the signal. Higher baud modems can send and receive more signals in a second, and the faster speeds also cram more bits into a signal. Bit: An element of a byte than can represent one of two values, on or off. Bookmark:   Most Web browsers give you an option of adding a URL to a "HotList" or by marking it with a "Bookmark". By doing this, you can store the linking information (the URL) to any web pages you plan to revisit. That way, if you decide to go back to a Web site, its URL is already catalogued and at your fingertips for easy reference. (Netscape Navigator uses "Bookmarks" and Microsoft Internet Explorer uses "Favorites"). Bridges: Devices in a LAN (Local Area Network) which will receive, regenerate, and retransmit packets that are addressed to stations other than those attached to the same local network. Broadband: A transmission method that occurs when the network’s range of transmission frequently is divided into separate channels, with each channel used to send a different signal. Browser: Short for Web Browser; it's the tool (program) that allows you to surf the web. You probably used your Web Browser to locate this page. The most popular Web Browsers right now are Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Byte: Each storage location within main memory, identified by a memory address. CD-R drive: A writable CD-ROM drive that allows you to create data CD-ROMs or even music CDs.  Special media CD is needed that is writable. CD-RW drive: A writable CD-ROM drive that allows you to create data CD-ROMs or even music CDs and to rewrite or reuse the CD over and over again.  Special media CD is needed that is writable. CD-ROM:     (Compact Disk Read Only Memory).  A pre-recorded, non-erasable disc that can store over 650 MB of digital data equal to 250,000 pages of text or 20,000 medium resolution images. Chat Room: A place on the Internet where people go to "chat" with other people in the room. Actually there are thousands of these Chat Rooms. The rooms are usually organized by topic. For example in a Idaho Room you would expect that most of the participants in the room are probably from Idaho. When you're in a Chat Room you can view all of the conversations taking place at once on your screen. You can also get into a private chat room where only you and one or two others may talk. This can be an inexpensive way to keep up with friends and relatives who are online. Chocolate: A crucial computer term. Chocolate is what you eat when you get frustrated with web functions such as searching for specific items, writing web pages, or just being a Newbie. Client: A program which requests services of another program. Normally, the browser is a client of a data server. Communication Protocol: Rules governing transmitting and receiving data between computers and terminals. Compressed Video: Video and audio signals converted from regular analog signals to digital signals, making it possible for a network to carry more information. Cookie: Small bits of data that a web page asks a browser to store on a user's computer, either in RAM or on the hard drive. Cookies have become a valuable way to keep track of a visitor's movements on a site, as well as a convenient method to customize content based on a visitor's past preferences. A Cookie, for instance, allows a Web site to "recognize" and "remember" individual visitors by storing files on their browsers with a record of the last visit. Cookies cannot be used to "see" any other data on the user's computer, nor can they determine the user's e-mail address or identity. Confidentiality: The assurance that no one is able to eavesdrop on the transaction in progress. Counter: A number on many web pages that will count the number of hits or count the number of times the page has been accessed. Basically, it counts the number of people that have visited that page. Cracker: A person who breaks into a site through a computer's security. Basically the same thing as a "Hacker", a Cracker is sometimes considered to be more malicious and destructive. Cyberspace: Term used to describe the Internet; the term was coined by science-fiction novelist William Gibson in 1984 in Neuromancer. Dark Fiber: Bulk, raw fiber. Dark fiber is optical fiber that spans some geographic area and is sold to carriers and large businesses without any optical or electronic signaling in its path. The customer is responsible for adding the transmission system at both ends. Data Network: A communications system used for data transmission that has the potential to provide multiple access paths among users. Dial-Up: A service feature that allows a computer terminal to use telephone systems to initiate and effect communications with other computers. Digital Divide: The gap in opportunities experienced by those with limited accessibility to technology, especially the Internet. This includes accessibility limitations in Social Issues (need to talk to a person, etc.), Cultural Issues (language barriers, etc.), Disability Issues (ADA, etc.), Economic Issues (access to technology devices), Learning Issues (marketing, overcoming unfamiliarity, changing habits).  Digital Society: A society or community that is well advanced in the adoption and integration of digital technology into daily life at home, work and play. A Digital Society is one that is advanced in the adoption of the New Economy. Distance Learning: An organized system of delivering educational information and materials between two or more geographically separate sites through a variety of transmission modes. DNS: Domain Name Server. A computer on the Internet, which translates between a domain name (www.oxy.edu) and a numeric Internet address (134.69.5.3) Domain Name: The highest-level name of the Web site. For example, the domain name for the State of Idaho is www.accessidaho.org or http://www.state.id.us.  A site does not have to have its own domain name. For example, most Idaho state agencies would use the State of Idaho domain name. ITRMC for example would be http://www.state.id.us/itrmc. It is now common to not use the http or www when giving a domain name so the state of Idaho would be: accessidaho.org Download: The transfer of information from the Internet to your computer. Every time you instruct your computer system to retrieve your mail, you are downloading your mail to your computer. You may also download programs to your computer. However, be careful about downloading files or programs from a site in which you are not familiar. You could download a virus and never know it until it's too late. DVD: Acronym for Digital Versatile Disk; it's a CD-ROM format that can store up to 17 gigabytes of data (enough for a full-length movie). It's expected to replace CD-ROM drives. Dynamic HTML: (or DHTML) Instructions written in HTML that enable web pages to react to user input and produce content that changes each time it is viewed. With dynamic HTML coding, web pages are created "on the fly", as the information is delivered to your desktop. There are many technologies for producing dynamic HTML, including CGI scripts, Server-Side Includes (SSI), cookies, Java, JavaScript, Cold Fusion and ActiveX. E-Business: The Transformation of internal and external business processes toward customer-centricity based upon service delivery opportunities offered by new communications technologies (such as web-based technologies) to better fulfill the purposes of private entities to provide efficiency and effectiveness as well as profitability. E-Commerce: The use of communications technologies (such as web-based technologies) for the conduct of business and service delivery transactions while leaving internal or external business processes substantially unchanged. E-Government: The transformation of internal and external business processes toward customer-centricity based upon service delivery opportunities offered by new communication technologies (such as web-based technologies) to better fulfill the purposes of government to provide efficiency and effectiveness as well as fairness and equitability. E-Government Strategic Plan: A written plan that answers the question, “What could or should we do to transform our organization to be customer-centric in service delivery?” E-Government Implementation Plan: A written plan that answer the question, “ What will we do to transform our organization to be customer-centric in service delivery?” E-mail: (Electronic mail).  Your ISP usually provides this tool. It allows you to send and receive mail (messages) over the Internet. Through e-mail you can write your friends, ask your ISP a technical question about your service, or even receive an Internet birthday card. Enterprise-Wide: Crossing the boundaries of several or all state agencies. Ethernet: A standard for using various transmission media, such as coaxial cables, unshielded twisted pairs, and optical fibers. Ethernet card: A hardware component that provides communications between a PC and a network connection. Extranet: An extranet is a private network that is used to share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company FAQ: An acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. FAQ is exactly what it sounds like: Frequently Asked Questions, with the answers of course. FAQ usually serves as a mini-help file. FDDI: Fiber Distributed Data Interface. A standard developed by the NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology, formerly the National Bureau of Standards), which support 100 million bits per second data transmission over fiber optic local area networks. Floppy disk: Also known as a "floppy" “floppy diskette”; it's the disk that is used to store and transport data, usually 3.5 inches. Frame Relay Cloud: A form of packet switching technology that allows for the transfer of information at T1- or 56K speed. FTP: An acronym for File Transfer Protocol. It's the tool you would use to transfer files through the Internet from one computer to another. For example, you would use an FTP to upload your web page from where you built it (like your computer at home) to a Web site so that all of your friends and neighbors can look at it. Full Motion Video: A standard video signal for 30 frames per second and 525 horizontal lines per frame, which is capable of complete action. Gateway: A computer that links two networks, routing IP datagrams and often converting protocols or messages from one network to the other. The term can also refer to a system capability that provides direct access to other remote networks or services. GIGABYTE: (GB) A measurement of memory space equal to a billion bytes. Gopher: Invented at the University of Minnesota and named after its mascot, this is the direct precursor, in both concept and function, to the World Wide Web. Hacker: Also known as a "Cracker", a Hacker is a person who breaks into a site through a computer's security. Hard drive: Also known as the "hard disk" or "hard disk drive"; it's a large storage area with capacity for storing gigabytes of data; usually known as the C-drive on a PC (C:\) Homepage: The entry point or main page of a Web site. Host: The computer on which a Web site is physically located. Html: (Hyper Text Markup Language).  The language/code used to create web pages. HTML is not really a programming language, but a way to format text by placing marks around the text. For example HTML allows you to make a word bold or underline it. HTML is the foundation for most web pages. Http: (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).  The means (the protocol) by which web pages are transferred on the net. A protocol that tells computers how to communicate with each other. You will notice most web page locations begin with "http://" Hypermedia: Media (such as pictures, videos, and audio), on a web page that links the user to another web page by clicking on the media. Hypertext: Text on a web page that links the user to another web page. The hypertext, or links will usually be a different color than the other text on the page and is usually underlined. For example accessidaho.org is a hypertext link the state of Idaho home page Idanet: Statewide digital network, which would serve state agencies, higher education and K-12. IEEE: (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).  An international engineering society, with more than three hundred thousand members in over 130 countries. Members are technical and scientific professionals with specific interests in the areas of electrical and electronic engineering. IGC: (Idaho Geospatial Committee) Group that is to provide policy-level direction and promote efficient and effective use of resources for matters related to geographic information.  The IGC was formed by Executive Order of the Governor. Integrity: The assurance that the information received is identical to the information that was sent. Internet Service Provider: (ISP) a company that provides network connection to the Internet, usually for a fee Internet: Originally called ARPANET after the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense. This electronic network connects the hosts together so that you may go from one web page to another efficiently. The electronic connection began as a government experiment in 1969 with four computers connected together over phone lines. By 1972, universities also had access to what was by then called the Internet. Intranet: (compare Internet and extranet)  Internal systems, based on Internet technology, designed to connect the members of a specific group or single company (a closed-user group). An Intranet is nothing more than a private Internet. In other words, it is a private network, usually a LAN or WAN, that enables the use of Internet based applications in a secure and private environment. As on the public Internet, Intranets can host web servers, ftp servers, and any other IP-based services. The state of Idaho’s Intranet is: http://idaweb.state.id.us/ IRC: An acronym for Internet Relay Chat. Worldwide real-time conferencing on the Internet, There are hundreds, maybe thousands of IRC channels, also called chat rooms. These chat rooms typically focus on specific topics, issue or commonality. ISDN: Integrated Service Digital Network ISP: Internet Service Provider. This is your connection to the Internet. You use an ISP to connect onto the Internet every time you log on. IT: Information Technology. This is the name of the group of computer professionals in your company that manage the software, hardware, Internet, and e-mail systems. In previous years known as Computer Systems, Computer Support, etc. IT Governance: Cross-jurisdictional organizational structure that provides a decision making process for the determination of the services, architecture, standards and policies for the organizations information technology. (Determination of who does what and how it gets decided as to who does what). IT Infrastructure: The systems and network hardware and software that supports applications. IT infrastructure includes servers, hubs, routers, switches, cabling, desktop, lap and handheld devices, ITU: (International Telecommunication Union).  A civil international organization established to promote standardized telecommunications on a worldwide basis. The ITU-R and ITU-T are committees under the ITU. The ITU headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. While older than the United Nations, it is recognized by the U.N. as the specialized agency for telecommunications. Java: A programming language that developers use to create applets, small programs that are embedded in web pages and that run when a user accesses the page or clicks on a certain area. If you have visited sites that play sounds, have animated figures trotting across the screen, or display scrolling text, you have already seen Java. JavaScript: A scripting language that is only marginally related to the Java programming language. JavaScript is embedded as a small program in a web page, and is interpreted and executed by the web browser. It can perform many common features just as displaying today's date, scrolling some text across a page, or fancy features like making a button change color when your cursor moves across it. Keyboard:  An input device with alphabetic, numeric, and function keys, plus others. Keyword: A word you might use to search for a Web site. For example, searching the web for the keyword "Idaho" might help you find AccessIdaho.org the state of Idaho Web site. LAN: Local Area Network. The linkage of computers and/or peripherals in a limited area, usually less than two miles, that allows users to communicate and share information. Laptop: A computer small enough to sit on your lap. The laptop computer's small size allows you to take it almost anywhere and access the Internet. Great if you travel a lot and don't want to go too long without your e-mail. LATA: Local Access Transport Area Link: A link will transport you from one Internet site to another with just a click of your mouse. Links can be text or graphic and are recognizable once you know what to look for. Text links usually will be underlined and often a different color than the rest of the text on your screen. A graphic link usually has a frame around it. Load: Short for download and upload. If someone asks how long did the page take to load? They are referring to the time it takes a page to appear on your screen. If a web page is loading slow it means that it's taking a long time to fully appear on your screen. You can often scroll through a page and look at the parts that have loaded while the rest of the page continues to load. Also, you can usually click a link on the page you are loading and link to another page without waiting for the current page to fully load. Location: An Internet address. While you are in your browser you will see a section at the top of the page that is titled "location". If you type in the address of someone's web page and hit enter, your browser will take you to that page. However the address you type in the location bar must be an exact match. MAN: Metropolitan Area Network. A data communications network that covers an area larger than a campus area network and smaller than a wide area network (WAN), interconnects two or more LANs, and usually covers an entire metropolitan area, such as a large city and its suburbs. Megabyte: (MB) A measure of memory equal to one million bytes. Megahertz: (MHz) One million cycles per second. Memory: A computer's primary storage area (Random Access Memory) Metatag: Metatags are hidden codes that can be embedded in the HTML source code of a web page and are searchable by search engines.  ITRMC has a Metatag Work Group formed to develop criteria for how and when Metatags should be used; to establish and recommend a Metatag standard for Idaho government; and to recommend an implementation process. Microwave: Sending high frequency radio waves from a tower at one point through the air to a receiving dish at another site. Modem: Short for Modulator-demodulator devices. Modems allow computers to transmit information to one another via an ordinary telephone line. Monitor: The hardware component that provides the visual display. Net: Short for Internet. Newbie: New Internet user. Newsgroups: Also called Usenet, they are groups that often have nothing to do with news. Newsgroups are ongoing discussion groups among people on the Internet who share a mutual interest. Non-Repudiation: The assurance that the contract, or other business conducted via electronic means cannot be considered invalid because there are no “pen and ink” original signatures. Online: Having access to the Internet. Often people will say they are online meaning they have access to the Internet and have an e-mail address, but may not necessarily be connected to the Internet at that moment. Operating system: (OS).  The master program that controls the computer. PKI: Public Key Infrastructure. The policies and procedures for establishing a secure method for exchanging information within an organization, an industry, a nation or worldwide. It includes the use of certification authorities (CAs) and digital signatures as well as all the hardware and software used to manage the process. Pointing device: A mouse, touchpad, trackball, or other device used for positioning the cursor on a computer screen. POP: (Point of Presence) Used in the context of telecommunications between companies and ISPs. POP: (Post Office Protocol) Makes available client-server e-mail messaging. Portal: A single point of entry to electronically stored information via a web browser.  accessidaho.org is the state of Idaho Portal PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol. A means of connecting a computer to the Internet using a phone line. Privacy: The assurance that information provided for a specific transaction will not be used by the recipient for purposes not authorized by the provider. Processor (CPU): The central processing unit of a computer. Protocol: Rules governing transmitting and receiving data between computers and terminals. Readiness: Readiness is the degree of preparedness to accomplish an endeavor.  E-government readiness is the degree to which a government is prepared to provide its information and services through multiple channels including the Internet toward customer centricity. Digital Society Readiness is the degree to which a community is prepared to participate in the e-conomy. Router: A device (sometimes a specialized computer) that stores addresses of network hosts and forwards packets of data between networks. For maximum access to the Internet’s resources, a local area network needs its own router. Script: Also known as calling script. A record of keystrokes and commands that can be played back in order to automate routing tasks, such as logging on to an online service. Scroll: To look at the parts of the page that fall below (or above) what you see on your screen. The long bar at the far right of this screen is a scroll bar. The small square in it will allow you to scroll through the rest of this page. Just place your mouse pointer over the square, hold down the left click button on the mouse and slide the square up or down. You will see this page move. You are now scrolling. Search Engine: A WWW site that serves as an index to other sites on the web. Some of the more popular search engines are "Yahoo", and "Lycos". Search engines are relatively easy to use. Normally, they contain references to common subject areas that you can point-and-click to connect to other links that connect to other links, and so on. Security: Security is protection from intended and unintended breaches that would result in the loss or dissemination of data.  Server: A program which provides a service to another, known as the client . In a hypertext system, a server will provide hypertext information to a browser. Service Provider: (or Internet Service Provider, ISP) A business that provides connections to a part of the Internet. Shareware: Software that is sold by individuals or companies for a nominal fee. Typically the software is downloaded and tried out before buying and registering it. Site: A place on the Internet. Every web page has a location where it resides which is called it's site. And, every site has an address usually beginning with "http://." The state of Idaho Site is accessidaho.org. SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) standard protocol that facilitates transfer of electronic-mail messages, specifies how two systems are to interact, and specifies the format of messages used to control the transfer of electronic mail. Sound system: A system usually included in a PC to provide digital-sound capability; it includes a hardware sound card (sound board), speakers, and a software program that runs the system. Spam: The Internet version of junk mail. Spamming is sending the same message to a large number of users, usually to advertise something. SSL: (Secure Socket Layer).  An open protocol for securing data communications across computer networks. The broad support for this protocol will promote interoperability between products from many organizations and will speed the growth of electronic commerce on the Internet and private TCP/IP networks. Surfing: The process of "looking around" the Internet. T1: A digital transmission line that carries data at a rate of 1.544 megabits per second. T3: A digital transmission line and carrier of 45 mbps bandwidth; one T3 channel can deliver 28 T1 channels or 672 voice circuits used for digital video transmission or for major PBX-PBX telephone interconnection. TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The system networks use to communicate with each other over the Internet. Token Ring: A standard network architecture in which a ring topology is passed sequentially from station to station to prevent collision. Only that station processing the token can communicate on the network. Topologies: The ways in which local area networks are designed, wired and arranged, and how the devices connected to the network are able to communicate and to share and exchange information and resources. Trojan Horse: Like the Trojan horse of mythology, Trojan horse viruses pretend to be one thing when in fact they are something else. Typically, Trojan horses take the form of a innocent program that deletes files. Trunk: In a communications network, a single transmission channel between two points that are switching centers or nodes, or both. A circuit between switchboards or other switching equipment, as distinguished from circuits which extend between central office switching equipment and information origination/termination equipment. Note: Trunks may be used to interconnect switches, such as major, minor, public and private switches, to form networks. Upload: The process of transferring information from your computer to another computer through the Internet. Every time you send e-mail to someone you are uploading it. URL: An acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. It's the address of each Web site. It usually begins with http:// A system designed to standardize the means of naming or addressing network resources. The state of Idaho URL is http://www.accessidaho.org Usenet: A collection of so-called news groups that have nothing to do with news. Usenets are ongoing discussion groups among people on the Internet who share a mutual interest. User ID: This is the unique identifier (like your logon name) that you use to identify yourself on a computer. You probably typed your User ID (and password) when you last logged onto your computer. Also called “User Name”. User Name: This is the unique identifier (like your logon name) that you use to identify yourself on a computer. You probably typed your User Name (and password) when you last logged onto your computer. Also called “User ID”. Video card: An interchangeable hardware component which handles the graphics processing and display of images to be sent to your monitor. Virus: Your computer can get a virus just like your body can be invaded with a virus making you (or your computer) sick. A virus is a specially written program that does things to your computer such as deleting files. A virus can wipe out information on your computer and create major havoc. Viruses usually originate from malicious people. You can unintentionally download virus from a Web site or get it from a disk that someone has lent you. There are virus-checking programs, but there are new viruses popping up every day. So the best defense against a virus is to be very careful not to download programs or data from a site you're not familiar with. WAN: Wide Area Network. A computer network in which widely dispersed computers, such as those among several buildings or across a city or state, are interconnected. WANs make use of a variety of transmission media, which can be provided on a leased or dial-up basis.  Web: Short for the World Wide Web. Web Browser: The tool (program) that allows you to surf the web. It is the program you use to access information on the Internet. The most popular Web Browsers right now are Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Web page: Any document using HTML.  Every time you are on the Internet, you are looking at a web page. Web server: A program that serves up web pages upon request. Web site: A collection of related web pages. World Wide Web: A full-color, multimedia database of information on the Internet. Like the name implies the World Wide Web is a universal mass of web pages connected together through links. Theoretically, if you clicked on every link on every web page you would eventually visit every corner of the world without ever leaving your computer chair. Of course you would also have to live until you were about a million years old and computers were antiquated technology. WWW: An acronym for the World Wide Web.