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bookmark A feature of the Netscape Navigator Web browser that lets you save URLs for Web pages you might wish to visit again. See also favorite.
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bot Short for robot; a computer program that automatically looks for information on the Internet.
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browser See Web browser.
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click-stream The sequence of pages you visit at a particular Web site; the digital "bread-crumb trail" you leave as you browse cyberspace.
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.com Internet designation for a commercial domain name
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content The words, images, animations, and other information found on the Web.
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context The setting in which Web content is presented.
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cookie A text file on your computer in which a Web server can store information about your visit to the server. The information can be used to customize or otherwise enhance your subsequent visits to the site. Although they let a remote server store information on your computer, cookies are less insidious than many press reports indicate. If you are concerned about accepting cookies from servers you can change your browser settings so that you are alerted before a cookie is stored on your computer, or you can simply delete the cookie file from your computer periodically.
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cyberspace Metaphorical term used to describe the environment created by the Internet and the information it contains, the people it attracts, and the interactions it permits.
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domain name The way a particular Web server is identified on the Internet. For example, www.tripod.com names the World Wide Web (www) server for Tripod (tripod), which is a commercial (com) entity.
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e-mail Short for electronic mail; electronic messages and file attachments sent via the Internet.
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FAQ frequently asked questions
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favorite A feature of the Internet Explorer Web browser that lets you save URLs for Web pages you might wish to visit again. See also bookmark.
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.gov Internet designation for a U.S. government domain name
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home page The page you specify for display when your Web browser is opened; the first page you see when you visit a Web site. top of glossary
HTML HyperText Mark-up Language
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HTTP hypertext transfer protocol
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hypertext Links in a document that permit you to jump immediately to another document. In most Web browsers links are displayed as colored, underlined text. Among its other capabilities, hypertext permits nonsequential reading and the ability to link directly to online sources.
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HyperText Mark-up Language A set of codes that describe the way type, graphics, and other elements are displayed on a Web page.
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interactivity Interactions in cyberspace with people, information (including hypertext links), and computers; some examples of interactivity include typing and sending an e-mail message, using an online currency converter, visiting a chat room, and filling out an online subscription form for Applied Clinical Trials.
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internaut A voyager in cyberspace -- coined by combining Internet and astronaut.
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Internet A global system of computer networks that provides the infrastructure for e-mail, the World Wide Web, and other online activities.
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Internet service provider A company that provides access to the Internet for individuals and organizations. ISPs range in size from small local services to huge national providers, like Netcom and AT&T, and international full-service providers, like America Online.
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ISP Internet service provider
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modem From modulator/demodulator. A device that converts the digital data that your computer uses into analog data that can travel on telephone lines.
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netiquette From Internet etiquette. As does any social milieu, the Internet has standards that distinguish the boorish from the courteous. It's generally a good idea to get acquainted with the standards of behavior before participating in a chat room, news group, or other online gathering.
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.org Internet designation for an organization domain name
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publisher Any entity -- as an individual, corporation, or college -- disseminates information on the Internet.
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search engine An online service that compares your search criteria with its database of information about the Internet and displays the results as hypertext links to relevant Web sites and pages.
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server See Web server.
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uniform resource locator The address of a Web page; http://www.actmagazine.com/, for example.
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URL uniform resource locator
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virtual storefront The online equivalent of a store. The bookseller Amazon.com is the quintessential virtual storefront.
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Web browser A computer program that interprets HTML and other Internet languages and protocols and displays Web pages on your computer monitor.
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Web page A single page within a Web site, such as a home page.
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Web server A computer program that delivers Web pages. Sometimes the computer that a server program runs in is also referred to as a server.
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Web site A collection of Web pages and other files. A site can consist of a single Web page, thousands of pages, or custom-created pages that draw on a database associated with the site.
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World Wide Web The entire contents of the Internet as they are viewed via a Web browser. Also called the Web and WWW.
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- More internet definitions can be found in these online dictionaries:
- whatis.com
- PC Webopaedia
- CMPnet's Tech Encyclopedia
- Free On-Line Dictionary Of Computing
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