AOL

America Online, an Internet Service Provider

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Exchange. ASCII files are often referred to as "text" files or "plain text" files. They contain no formatting information.

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Model.

AV

Audio-Visual.

bandwidth

The capacity of a network or data connection to transmit data

BBS

Bulletin Board Service.

BIOS

Basic Input/Output System.

bits per second (or bps)

Measure of data transmission for a modem or network. As the name implies, bits per second is the number of bits that pass a certain point in one second.

browser (or Web browser)

An application (such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) that locates and displays a Web page, allowing the user to interactively jump from place to place by selecting highlighted text or graphics.

CAD

Computer-aided Design

CD-ROM

Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. A compact disc formatted for data storage. Most CD-ROMs can store 650 megabytes of data.

CGI

Common Gateway Interface. CGI is a part of a Web server that allows the functionality of a Web page to be extended by calling other programs on the server that perform actions beyond the scope of regular HTML. CGI programs can help make Web pages more interactive.

Client/server

A network arrangement with a server and one or more clients. Both the server and the clients are stand-alone computers. The server provides resources (such as data management) and allows clients to share information with each other.

COBOL

Common Business Oriented Language. A programming language developed in the 1960s and still used in business applications.

CPU

Central Processing Unit. Think of the CPU, or microprocessor, as the brain of a computer system. The CPU is a chip that deciphers and initiates your commands.

DB

Database.

DBA

Database Administrator.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A protocol for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network. In some systems, the device's IP address can even change while it is still connected.

dial-up service

Internet access provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The user connects with the ISP using a modem connected to a telephone line. UC Davis provides dial-up service for students, faculty, and staff.

digital

Using a limited, predetermined numbering system to measure or represent the flow of data. Modern computers are digital because they use the fixed binary digits 0 and 1 to represent all data.

DIMM

Dual Inline Memory Module. A circuit board on which RAM memory chips are mounted.

DNS

Domain Name Service. In a Web address (URL), the domain name is the portion just after "http://". For example, in "http://www.mysouthwest.com.au", the domain name is "www.mysouthwest.com.au". But having these addresses in text format is just a convenience for us humans. Computers see everything as numbers, including addressing information (see IP address). The Domain Name Service is simply a two-way translation so computers can understand the text-based addresses that are convenient for us to use, and so that we don't have to memorize long strings of numbers.

DOS

Disk Operating System. A very old operating system for PCs, DOS is still the basis for Microsoft Windows.

dot matrix printer

A type of printer that produces characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon to print closely spaced dots in the appropriate shape. Dot-matrix printers are relatively expensive and do not produce high-quality output; however, they can print to multi-page forms (that is, carbon copies), something laser and ink-jet printers cannot do.

download

To transfer a file from a remote computer — through a network connection or modem — to the hard drive of the user's computer.

dpi

Dots per inch. A resolution measure for printers and computer monitors.

DVD

Digital Video Disc. A special type of CD-ROM with greater data storage capacity and access rate. Most commonly used as a medium for movies and other video data.

electronic mail (Email)

An electronic document (usually a message) sent to a person or group on the Internet. When used as a verb, "email" refers to the act of sending such a document over the Internet.

Ethernet

A local area network architecture that supports a data transfer rate of 10 Mbps. Ethernet is probably the most common way in which LANs are constructed. One particular implementation of Ethernet is 10baseT. A newer implementation, 100baseT, permits a 100 Mbps data transfer rate.

expansion card

A special purpose circuit board that can be inserted into your computer to give it additional capabilities. See for example network interface card.

FAQ

Frequently-Asked Questions. A common information resource on Web sites.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol. A standard protocol for transferring files between computers over a network.

gigabyte (GB)

Amount of computer storage equivalent to approximately 1 billion bytes or 1,000 megabytes. This measurement is often used when measuring the capacity of hard drives or other storage devices.

GIF

Graphics Interchange Format. One of the two most commonly used formats for Web graphics. Best suited for illustrations and graphic art. See also JPEG.

GIS

Geographic Information System. Specialized database for storing and manipulating geographic information.

GUI

Graphical User Interface. The most commonly used computer interface, exemplified by Microsoft Windows and MacOS. Typical elements of a GUI are a mouse interface and a system of visual directories that look like file folders.

hard drive

The main device a computer uses to permanently store and retrieve information. These drives are sealed boxes typically found inside the computer. Also called a "hard disk."

home page

The main page of a Web site that provides links to other pages on the site or related sites.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language. A standardized programming language used to create electronic documents, especially Web pages, that contain connections (links) to other related documents.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The protocol that enables the World Wide Web.

hypertext

A system that links text, pictures, and programs in a file so that, when selected, it automatically displays a related file. Web pages are filled with hypertext.

information technology (field of)

General term used to describe technologies that help produce, manipulate, store, communicate, or disseminate information.

infrastructure

A network of interconnected computers and communications systems. Essential elements include wiring, fiber optics, radio, video and/or cellular broadcast signals

Internet

A global network linking millions of computers for communications purposes. The Internet was developed in 1969 for the U.S. military and gradually grew to include educational and research institutions. In the last five years, connections to, and use of, the Internet have mushroomed, primarily due to the popularity of the Web and email.

Internet 2

Internet 2 is a nationwide project to develop the next generation of computer network applications to facilitate the research and education missions of universities. UC Davis has joined over 180 leading universities, in partnership with industry and government, to develop and deploy the advanced network applications and technologies that will comprise Internet 2.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An organisation that provides access to the Internet, usually for a fee.

IP

Internet Protocol. See TCP for more information.

IP address

Internet Protocol address. The address of a computer on a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) network. IP addresses are written as four groups of up to three digits (e.g., 169.237.104.18).

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network. A high-speed networking infrastructure.

IT

Information Technology. Former name of Information and Educational Technology.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group. Together with GIF, JPEG (or JPG) is one of the two commonly used image formats on the Web. JPEG format is best suited to photographic images.

Kbps

Kilobits per second. A measure of data transmission speed.

Kerberos password

A highly encrypted code that protects confidential or secure information from being accessed by unauthorized users.

kilobyte (KB)

An amount of storage equivalent to 1,024 bytes, or about 1,000 characters of information.

LAN

Local area network. Two or more computers, usually within a single room or building, that are connected so they can communicate and interact with each other.

laser printer

A type of printer that utilizes a laser beam to produce an image on a drum. Laser printers produce very high-quality print and are very adept at printing graphics. Because laser printers are nonimpact printers, they are much quieter than dot-matrix printers. They are also relatively fast, printing from about 4 to 20 pages of text per minute (ppm).

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display. A type of display used especially in small portable electronic devices (digital watches & clocks, cell phones, PDAs, etc.)

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A set of protocols for accessing information directories.

link

On the Web, a connection that, when selected (or clicked on), will take users to another Web page. A link can be in the form of text (usually appearing as underlined blue text) or images which are coded to act as links. Links are also referred to as "hyperlinks."

Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system derived from the Unix operating system. It is used most commonly to run servers.

listserv

An email list server. A computer program that maintains lists of email addresses.

login

The process by which a user enters an account name and password to access a time-sharing computer.

LoginID

A two- to eight-character name that a user gives to his/her computing account. The LoginID is also known as login name, account name, usercode, or username.

machine language

The language that computers can "understand," machine language is entirely numerical. Programs written by human beings must be translated by a computer into machine language before they can be used.

Magneto-Optical (MO) Drive

A type of disk drive that combines magnetic disk technologies with CD-ROM technologies. Like floppy disks, they are removable; however, they are faster than floppies and can store more than 200 megabytes.

mainframe

A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. In the hierarchy that starts with a simple microprocessor (in watches, for example) at the bottom and moves to supercomputers at the top, mainframes are just below supercomputers.

Mbps

Megabits (i.e., one million bits) per second. A measure of data transmission speed.

megabyte (MB)

A measurement of computer storage that equals 1,048,576 bytes. Bytes are typically represented in computer terminology by an upper case "B." Colloquially referred to as a "meg."

MHz

Megahertz, or one million cycles per second. A measure of the speed of a microprocessor (sometimes referred to as the computer's "clock speed").

MIME type

MIME stands for "Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions" and is a data specification which allows non-ASCII files to be sent over the Internet. Email programs (such as Eudora) and Web browsers are configured to interpret a variety of standard MIME types so they can transmit and receive graphics, audio, video, and formatted text files.

modem

A communications device that enables a computer to transmit information over a standard telephone line, and the most common way for people to connect to the Internet. There are two modems involved in making a connection: one that connects the user's computer to the phone jack and, at the other end of the line, the modem that communicates with a networked computer.

MP3

A digital audio format providing near-CD quality sound with relatively small file sizes.

MPEG

Motion Picture Experts Group. Refers to a multimedia graphics format.

multimedia

The combination of audio, video, animation, and graphics. Multimedia software presents information in all these contexts. Multimedia computers are required to run these types of programs.

NAM

Network Access Module. A special jack into which a printer or computer is plugged to connect to a network.

netiquette

Short for "Internet etiquette," netiquette refers to standards of courtesy in electronic communications

network

A set of conjoined computers that can share storage devices, peripherals, and applications. Networks may be connected directly by cable connection, or indirectly by telephone lines or satellites, and can be part of a small-office system or global web of numerous other networks.

network access ports

On-campus stations (desks or booths) designated for laptop hookup to the Internet via the UCD campus network. All are equipped with special jacks called "NAMs" and electrical outlets.

network interface card

An expansion card that allows the computer to connect with a network.

newsgroup

A virtual forum focusing on a specific subject. The collected email entries (known as news articles) can be perused by all Internet users. On this campus, many newsgroups allow people to discuss academic and recreational interests.

OCR

Optical Character Recognition. Refers to both the process of scanning text from a printed page into a digital text file and to the type of software which carries this process out.

open source

Computer programs or operating systems for which the source code is publicly available are referred to as open-source software. Inherent in the open source philosophy is the freedom of a distributed community of programmers to modify and improve the code. The most widely known example of open-source software is the Linux operating system.

OS

Operating System. The software on your computer that controls the basic operation of the machine. The opeating system performs such tasks as recognizing keyboard input, sending output to the monitor, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling other connected devices such as disk drives and printers.

PCS

Personal Communications Services. Term describing a series of second-generation wireless technologies. PCS technologies all share the characteristics of being completely digital and operating at the 1900 MHz frequency range.

PDA

Personal Digital Assistant. Generic term for handheld devices such as Palm Pilots that are commonly used to store address and calendar information. Newer models include networking features.

PDF

Portable Document Format. Refers to a file format in which formatted documents can be transferred over the Internet. PDF files are readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader, an application which can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site at no charge.

platform

A combination of hardware and system software forming the basis for a computer system. Examples include Macintosh, PC, NT, and UNIX. The term "cross-platform" refers to programs and formats that can be used on more than one platform.

POP

Post Office Protocol. POP is a way of retrieving email from an email server (called a POP server) where your email messages are stored before you pick them up.

PPP

Point-to-Point Protocol. A method of connecting a computer to the Internet.

PPS

Payroll Personnel System. PPS gives departments inquiry and update access to the payroll system, which is maintained by UC Office of the President. This system includes employees' payroll, personal, benefits, time reporting (OPTRS) and pay check information.

protocol

A set of formal rules and procedures which your computer must support in order to communicate with other computers on a network or through the Internet.

RAM

Random Access Memory. RAM is commonly considered synonymous with main memory (i.e., the memory available to programs in use on a computer), but this is a simplification of the actual meaning. Physically, RAM consists of memory chips or chip modules (e.g., SIMMs or DIMMs) which attach to the computer's logic board. Memory modules can continue to be added as long as open slots are available on the logic board.

remote access

A service which makes it possible to connect to a network or the Internet from a distant location

ROM

Read-only Memory. Refers to computer memory in which data or programs have been permanently encoded and which can be accessed but not altered. For example, a CD-ROM is a compact disc onto which digital information has been "burned", and the contents of most CD-ROM disc cannot be altered without special equipment.

RTF

Rich Text Format. A document format which allows documents to retain their formatting when transferred between platforms and over the Internet.

scanner

A device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a form the computer can use. A scanner works by "digitizing" an image and placing it on the computer as a file.

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface (pronounced "scuzzy"). An interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to computers. Hardware components for implementing a SCSI interface include connector ports on computers and cables for connecting peripheral devices to the computer. SCSI is gradually being supplanted by the newer USB standard.

server

The control computer on a local-area network (LAN). The server controls software, access to printers, and other parts or functions of the network. The server is usually connected to workstations that share the main system's resources.

SGI

Silicon Graphics Incorporated. A manufacturer of high-end computer workstations.

SGML

Standard Generalized Markup Language. A set of standards for document markup tags. SGML rules formed the basis for HTML.

SIMM

Single Inline Memory Module. A circuit board on which RAM memory chips are mounted.

site license

A license that gives permission to use a software package on more than one system. Site licenses are a means of providing a bulk rate to companies and schools that want to use software on many computers. UC Davis has been able to negotiate special pricing for many applications that are used widely on campus.

SLA

Service Level Agreement.

SLIP

Serial Line Internet Protocol. As with PPP, SLIP is a method to connect computers to the Internet, but it is older and less reliable than PPP.

SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol for transferring email messages from one server to another.

software

Sets of instructions or data that tell a computer what to do. Software is often divided into two categories: system software, which includes the operating system (e.g., Windows 95, MacOS) and all utilities that enable the computer to function; and applications software, which includes programs that perform specific tasks (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, and databases).

source code

Computer programs or operating systems are originally written by a human being in a programming language. This is called the source code of the software. To be actually used by a computer, the program has to be translated by the computer from the source code into the machine language that the computer understands and can execute. This translation process is referred to as compiling.

spam

Unsolicited bulk email, usually advertising, on the Internet or Usenet newsgroup postings sent to large numbers of people. It is considered inappropriate to send such mail.

SPARC

Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol allowing secure transmission of confidential material via the Internet.

T1 line

A dedicated digital communications connection supporting data rates of 1.544Mbits per second. A T1 line actually consists of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each channel can carry voice or data traffic

TCO

Total Cost of Ownership. A measure of the value of a product which factors in maintenance expenses as well as purchase price.

TCP

Transmission Control Protocol. Together with Internet Protocol (IP), TCP is one of the core protocols underlying the Internet. The two protocols are usually referred to as a group, by the term "TCP/IP." TCP enables two computers to establish a connection and exchange information. TCP guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that information packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.

telecommute

To work at home or some other location remote from one's place of employment, making use of a computer, telephone, fax, and/or modem to receive job assignments and send in completed work.

TIFF

Tagged Image File Format. A widely-supported bitmap image format most often used in print publications.

Unix

A computer operating system developed in the early 1970s. Unix (pronounced "YOU-nicks") is widely used in high-end workstations and servers. Many variants of Unix have been developed, including Sun Solaris, Free BSD, and Linux.

UPS

Uninterruptable Power Supply. A power supply device that you can plug your computer into. Includes a battery to keep your computer running in the event of a power outage. A UPS can usually keep your computer up for several minutes after a power outage, enabling you to save files and shut the computer down safely.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. Technical term for a Web address.

USB

Universal Serial Bus. An interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to computers. Hardware components for implementing a USB interface include connector ports on computers and cables for connecting peripheral devices to the computer. The USB standard supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices. USB is gradually replacing SCSI as the dominant peripheral interface standard.

videoconference

A discussion made possible by electronic communications between two or more people in different locations. Participants view each other on screens; real-time sound and video is transmitted between locations via the network.

virus

A program designed to replicate itself and spread to other computers. Some viruses additionally are designed to damage data or halt operations on a system. Viruses can spread through diskettes, CD-ROMs, email attachments, and the Internet.

VLAN

Virtual LAN. VLANs allow departments that are dispersed at two or more locations to connect all their users to one departmental network. This overcomes the constraint that is associated with Local Area Networks (LANs), which can only group together users who are located in the same geographical vicinity, such as a small building or one section of a building.

VR

Virtual Reality.

VRAM

Video RAM. A specialized RAM for use in digital video equipment.

VRML

Virtual Reality Markup Language. Allows display of 3-dimensional imagery on the Web.

WAN

Wide Area Network. A computer network covering a large geographical area, usually consisting of two or more LANs.

Web Information Retrieval With Enhanced Security (WIRES)

A method created and used at UC Davis to deliver secure or confidential information on the Web. The data is encrypted (to protect it as it traverses the network) and authenticated (to ensure that users are who they say they are). Currently, WIRES allows access to information such as student grades, account balances, and financial aid.

Web page (or Web document)

A document, usually written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), that can be accessed on the Internet. Web pages can contain information, graphics, and hyperlinks to other Web pages and files.

Web server

A combination of computer hardware and special software used to store Web pages.

Web site

A collection of Web pages. Provides information such as text, graphics, and audio files to users as well as connections ("hypertext links," "hyperlinks," or just "links") to other Web sites on the Internet. This online guide, for instance, is a Web site.

WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network.

World Wide Web (WWW or The Web)

A graphical interface for the Internet, composed of Internet servers that provide access to documents that in turn provide hyperlinks to other documents, multimedia files, and sites.

WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get (pronounced "whizzywig"). Characteristic of a program or application which displays formatted material on the screen so that it looks the same as it will appear when printed out.

XML

Extensible Markup Language. Like HTML, XML is a markup language, but unlike HTML, it is not limited to Web documents. Another difference is the markup tags in HTML define how the elements thus tagged are displayed, whereas the tags in XML define the data contained in the tagged elements. XML is expected to eventually bring about great changes in the delivery of information on the Web.

Y2K

Abbreviation commonly used to refer to the Year 2000 computer problem.

Zip disk

A high-capacity floppy disk developed by Iomega Corporation. Zip disks are slightly larger than conventional floppies and can hold either 100 MB or 250 MB of data.