GLOSSARY

A drive -         this normally refers to the part of the computer that holds the 3 1/2 inch floppy disk

BBS  -            refers to bulletin board service, a place to store and exchange information. Many of  these bbs have moved into newsgroups that are easier to use.BBS are still used for restricted access information that require a member to "dial in" and in some cases use password protection.

Browser -        A program used to roam the internet. The most common are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, and proprietary browsers such as AOL

C drive -         this normally refers to the main hard drive of the computer where most information is accessed and stored.

Chat rooms -   refers to any area of the internet where people can talk with each other using their keyboards. There are literally thousands if not millions of chat rooms on the internet.

E-Mail -          refers to the use of the internet to send mail back and forth. Almost anything can be  sent to include text, pictures and even programs

Floppy disk -   this refers to the 3 1/2 inch disk that can be removed from the computer to store information

FTP -               file transfer protocol, a method to transfer files over the internet

HTTP -           refers to hypertext transfer protocol, this is the protocol or language that controls  hypertext documents on the web

Internet Service Provider (ISP) -  refers to the business that provides you access to the internet. This  can be by cable, by phone or satellite

IP -                 Internet protocol, is the standard used by computers to transmit information and to assign addresses.

IRC -              Internet relay chat. This was the forerunner of chat rooms.Although still in use it has lost popularity to the modern chat rooms that are easier to access and do not require an irc program to enter..

IRQ -              refers to a program that uses "real time messaging". People are able to launch these programs while on the internet and talk to a close group of friends while actively  doing something else on the internet. Some services also refer to this as an instant  messaging service.

Modem -         the device within or hooked up to the computer that allows it to communicate over a  phone line or cable

News groups(Usenet) - refers to an area on the internet that can be used to store and exchange  information. There are over 72,000 newsgroups and that number is growing  everyday.They are sometimes referred to as discussion  groups. 

Viruses -         refers to a program that changes you computer without your authorization. It can  come in many forms such as  executable virus, worm virus,etc.. Some viruses will  destroy all the information on your computer while others may be less harmful. There are many good virus protection programs on the market today.

WWW -           refers to the world wide web, the part of the internet that utilizes web pages and addresses

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