Term
|
Definition
| The vast central network of high-speed telephone lines designed to link and carry computer information worldwide |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The original Internet, designed by the U.S. Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Electronic mail messages sent by the Internet; developed by computer engineer Ray Tomlinson in 1971 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Miniature circuits that process and store electronic signals, integrating thousands of electronic components into thin strands of silicon along which binary codes travel |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Thin glass bundles of fiber capable of transmitting thousands of messages converted to shooting pulses of light along cable wires; these bundles of fiber can carry broadcast channels, telephone signals, and all sorts of digital codes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A free and open data-linking system for organizing and standardizing information on the Internet; the WWW enables computer-accessed information to associate with-or link to-other information no matter where it is on the Internet |
|
|
Term
| HTML (HyperText Markup Language) |
|
Definition
| The written code that creates Web pages and links; a language all computers can read |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Information-search services, such as Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer, that offer detailed organizational maps to the Internet |
|
|
Term
| Internet Service Provider (ISP) |
|
Definition
| A company that provides Internet access to homes and businesses for a fee |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Data transmission over a fiber-optic cable - a signaling method that handles a wide range of frequencies |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Review and cataloging services that group Websites under particular categories (e.g., Arts & Humanities, News & Media, Entertainment) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Computer programs that allow users to enter key words or queries to find related sites on the Internet |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Images, texts, and sounds that use pulses of electric current or flashes of laser lights and are converted (or encoded) into electronic signals represented as varied combinations of binary numbers, usually ones and zeroes; these signals are then reassembled (decoded) as a precise reproduction of a TV picture, a magazine article, or a telephone voice |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A Web feature that enables users to chat with buddies in real time via pop-up windows assigned to each conversation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sites that contain articles in chronological journal-like form, often with reader comments and links to other articles on the Web (from the term Web log) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Internet Web sites that are capable of being edited by any user, the most famous of which is Wikipedia |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Internet Web sites that allow users to create personal profiles, upload photos, create lists of favorite things, and post messages to connect with old friends and to meet new ones |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An identity created by an Internet user in order to participate in a form of online entertainment, such as World of Warcraft or Second Life |
|
|
Term
| Telecommunications Act of 1996 |
|
Definition
| The sweeping update of telecommunications law that led to a wave of media consolidation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An entry point to the Internet, such as a search engine |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Noncommercial software shared freely and developed collectively on the Internet |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An Internet scam that begins with phony e-mail messages that pretend to be from an official site and request that customers send their credit card numbers and other personal information to update the account |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Electronic commerce, or commercial activity, on the Web |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Information profiles about a user that are usually automatically accepted by the Web browser and stored on the user's own computer hard drive |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Software with secretive codes that enable commercial firms to "spy" on users and gain access to their computers |
|
|
Term
| Opt-in or Opt-out Policies |
|
Definition
| Controversial Web site policies over personal data gathering: opt in means Web sites must gain explicit permission from online consumers before the site can collect their personal data; opt out means that Web sites can automatically collect personal data unless the consumer goes to the trouble of filling out a specific form to restrict the practice |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The socioeconomic disparity between those who do and those who do not have access to digital technology and media, such as the Internet |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A standard for short-distance wireless networking, enabling users of notebook computers and other devices to connect to the Internet in cafes, hotels, airports, and parks. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process whereby product companies and content providers customize a Web page, print ad, or other media form for an individual consumer |
|
|
