Vocabulary Quiz 2 MS. P

An additional piece of software that "helps" your browser interpret and display specific file types that it doesn't have the built-in ability to do itself.

A horizontal strip at the top of a window that shows the menus available in a program.

A file sent to a web browser by a web server that is used to record one's activities on a website. For instance, when you buy items from a site and place them in a so-called virtual shopping cart, that information is stored there.

A program file that is Executables in DOS and Windows and usually have an .exe or a .com extension. In UNIX and Macintosh environments, these files can have any name.

A system that your computer uses to organize files on the basis of specific information.

The page on the Internet, which most often gives users access to the rest of the Web site. A site is a collection of pages.

A method of transmitting data over traditional copper telephone lines at speeds higher than were previously possible.

When working with a computer display system that supports 8-bit color (or less), the video card can display only 256 different colors at one time. This is a technique to simulate the display of colors that are not in the current color palette of a particular image.

A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network.

The unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.

An image that has instructions embedded in it so that clicking on it initiates some kind of action or result.

A measurement of how fast data is transmitted. It is usually used to describe modem speeds or the speed of a digital connection.

A way of coding the information in a file or e-mail message so that if it is intercepted by a third party as it travels over a network it cannot be read. Only the person or persons that have the right type of decoding software can unscramble the message.

A system that lets people read each other's messages and post new ones. The term is used to describe private systems run by individuals that often require membership.

A software program that performs repetitive functions, such as indexing information on the Internet.

A computer's main circuit board, containing the CPU (Central Processing Unit), microprocessor support chips, RAM (Random Access Memory), and expansion (bus) slots. Also known as the logic board.

The process of securing private information that is passed through public networks by mathematically scrambling (encrypting) it in a way that makes it unreadable to anyone except the person or persons holding the mathematical "key" that can unscramble (decrypt) it.

This is a measurement of print image resolution and quality. A larger number of dots allows for more detail, and therefore a higher resolution image.

Online documents that list and answer the most common questions on a particular subject. There are hundreds of these on the Internet on subjects as diverse as gardening and virtual reality.

A system that allows people to send e-mail to one address, which is then copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the mail list. In this way, people who may be using different kinds of e-mail access can participate in discussions together.

Is a sequence of keyboard characters used to punctuate a message or posting by expressing the writer's emotional state.

Is a way of reducing the size of one or more files, so that they don't take up a lot of space on a server or hard drive and can travel faster over a network. This is accomplished with software that uses mathematical equations (algrithms) to condense repeated data into smaller codes. You need another separate software program to decompress (expand) the data, and restore it to its original form.

The name given to any computer directly connected to the Internet. Host computers are usually associated with running computer networks, online services, or bulletin board systems. A host computer on the Internet could be anything from a mainframe to a personal computer.

Is a network that allows a company to share information with other businesses and customers. These transmit information over the Internet and require a user to have a password to access data on internal company servers.

Used in various online communications, such as e-mail messages or postings to newsgroups or BBSs.

A TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) application that sends a message to another computer, waits for a reply, and displays the time the transmission took. This serves to identify what computers are available on the Internet and how long wait-times are.

An electronic space, typically a website or a section of an online service, where people can go to communicate on line in real time.

When you download a web page, the data is temporarily stored on your computer. The next time you want that page, instead of requesting the file from the web server, your web browser just accesses it from this area so the page loads quickly.