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Most frequently used IT terms
Most frequently used IT terms
Given here are some not-so-technical definitions of infotech terms. This collection is meant to provide definitions of common terms that come up in the fields of desktop publishing, multimedia, and the internet. They are all intended to provide enough information to allow you, our reader, to drop any of these words into conversation without fear of embarrassment.
A
Alias: It is the name for the undesirable stairstep effect that is often created when graphics are stored digitally. Aliasing is also referred to as "jaggies" by those who feel the need to make up a cute name for everything.
Applet: This typically refers to a module created as a Java program that is designed to run in an environment that supports the Java architecture (such as a web browser).
Application: A program that runs on a computer to provide the user with specific functionality. Applications are usually used to create, view, and modify electronic documents.
ASP: Active Server Page is a technology for creating web pages that are to contain dynamically-generated elements.
Attachment: When one is communicating via e-mail, it is quite common to include a data file along with the message. This file is called an attachment.
AVI: "Audio Video Interleave" AVI is the file extension and therefore the common nickname for a Video for Windows file.
B
Bandwidth: It is the capacity of a data connection expressed by the amount of data that can be conducted by it per second. The closest analogy is that bandwidth is the thickness of the pipeline through which data travels.
Baud: A measurement of the speed with which a modem is capable of communicating. It refers to the number of times per second that a modem can switch channels.
Bit: A bit is the base unit of data storage. All information that is stored digitally is made up of collections of bits.
Bot: A program that acts as an agent to perform activities that would otherwise require a human. "Bot" is a abbreviation for the word "robot," although the actions carried out by these "bots" are rarely the stufff of science fiction.
Browser: A program whose job it is to allow a user to view and interact with content on the Internet. The most popular browsers in use today are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Bug: An error in programming code that causes undesirable behaviour in an application. Bugs are often very small and insidious errors, but the problems that they cause can be devastating.
Byte: A byte is a unit of data storage equivalent to eight bits. In order to be of use for storing information, bits are organized into bytes, which are in turn grouped into larger chunks.
C
CD-I: Compact Disc - Interactive's purpose was to provide a file structure that would lend itself to use with interactive games and entertainment-based CD titles.
CD-R: Also known as Compact Disc - Recordable. With the proper hardware and software, and specially designed blank recordable discs, one can create a CD-ROM by placing the files of one's choice onto a new volume.
CD-R: Compact Disc - Rewritable is the rewritable type of CD-ROM that employs an encoding process that is designed to be reversible.
CD-ROM: Compact Disc - Read Only Memory is a type which can hold up to 650 megabytes of data in any of several volume formats.
CGI: "Common Gateway Interface" CGI is a means to providing additional functionality on an Internet server by performing program processing on the server side, and then delivering the results to the client side. A CGI solution typically employs a program, such as a PERL script as a "middle man" to process information that the web browser itself is not equipped to handle.
Client: The client, in computer terminology, is the computer that receives information from a server. For example, when one is browsing the web, the computer used to view the pages is acting as an Internet "client," receiving all of the page and graphic information from the server that contains it.
Codec: Coder-Decoder is asoftware or hardware solution that is responsible for translating stored data between compressed and uncompressed formats.
Compression: A means of encoding a digital file so that it occupies a smaller amount of disk space than the data contained within the file. In order to make use of a compressed file, one must employ a codec (coder-decoder).
CPU: "Central Processing Unit" Simply put, the CPU is the part of a computer that does all the computing. It is common to refer to the computer box, excluding the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and peripherals as the CPU.
Crash: A computer's failure to continue functioning after encountering an error. When a computer crashes, it generally needs to be restarted to clear the error and resume ordinary function.
Cyberspace: The popular term for the arena of the Internet and the virtual environment of connection that it has created. Cyberspace does not refer to an actual place, but a concept.
D
Data: In the world of computing, pieces of information are stored and communicated in digital form. Anything that is to be processed or stored by a computer is considered data.
Database: A means of organizing and storing elements of information electronically so that they are readily available for retrieval and analysis.
Debug: The act of eradicating all programming errors within a piece of software before it is ready for use.
Desktop: In a graphic user interface such as the Mac OS or Windows, the desktop is the name given to the area of the screen that appears immediately before the user.
Diskette: This term refers to a number of different shapes and sizes of disk, most diskettes in common use today are 3.5 inches in diameter and have a capacity of 1.4 megabytes.
DNS: "Domain Name Server" is a computer whose job it is to tell other computers where to look on the internet for a particular website or group of websites, which are assembled into designations called domains.
Domain: A domain is a division of the internet. The last three letters in a domain name are used to designate what type of organization will be using a given domain (for example, ".com" refers to a commercial interest ".gov" is the domain type for government organizations).
DOS: Disk Operating System at one time referred to any disk-based operating system running on a computer, use of this term today is usually directed to the Microsoft DOS (MS-DOS) that was created to run on the Intel-based PCs.
Download: The act of copying a file from a network or large data repository (such a web page or FTP site) to an individual computer's disk drive.
DPI: It's short of dots per inch and refers to the resolution of a given image file, expressed by the number of individual pixels that can be stored within each inch of the picture.
DVD: Digital Video Disc is the standard which was created as the next generation of high-capacity optical discs.
E
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript is a highly popular format for storing digital graphics for use in preparing documents for print.
Ethernet: It is a popular hardware architecture and networking protocol that is used to connect computers together in a LAN. By maintaining a high-bandwidth physical connection between devices, Ethernet affords very high data transfer rates within a LAN.
Extranet: An extranet is really just a collaborative extension of an intranet, an extranet may expand access to individuals outside that company, such as vendors or clients.
F
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions is a term refers to a collection of questions that have been asked or are likely to be asked about a particular topic.
Flash: It is an application made by Macromedia that allows web developers to create animations for websites.
Freeware: Software that is offered to the public at no charge. It is often very specialized in nature, and therefore has little or no market value.
FrontPage: It is the name of the application that is available from Microsoft to provide users with a graphical interface for the creation of web pages. This type of program is commonly referred to as an HTML editor.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is the communication protocol dedicated to uploading and downloading files over the Internet.
G
GIF: Graphic Interchange Format is the most common image file format for displaying pictures on web pages.
Gigabyte: A unit of data storage equal to approximately one thousand megabytes, or one billion bytes.
GUI: With Graphical User Interface, one may operate a computer by interacting with pictures and menus on the screen, as opposed to entering commands directly through the keyboard.
Given here are some not-so-technical definitions of infotech terms. This collection is meant to provide definitions of common terms that come up in the fields of desktop publishing, multimedia, and the internet. They are all intended to provide enough information to allow you, our reader, to drop any of these words into conversation without fear of embarrassment.
A
Alias: It is the name for the undesirable stairstep effect that is often created when graphics are stored digitally. Aliasing is also referred to as "jaggies" by those who feel the need to make up a cute name for everything.
Applet: This typically refers to a module created as a Java program that is designed to run in an environment that supports the Java architecture (such as a web browser).
Application: A program that runs on a computer to provide the user with specific functionality. Applications are usually used to create, view, and modify electronic documents.
ASP: Active Server Page is a technology for creating web pages that are to contain dynamically-generated elements.
Attachment: When one is communicating via e-mail, it is quite common to include a data file along with the message. This file is called an attachment.
AVI: "Audio Video Interleave" AVI is the file extension and therefore the common nickname for a Video for Windows file.
B
Bandwidth: It is the capacity of a data connection expressed by the amount of data that can be conducted by it per second. The closest analogy is that bandwidth is the thickness of the pipeline through which data travels.
Baud: A measurement of the speed with which a modem is capable of communicating. It refers to the number of times per second that a modem can switch channels.
Bit: A bit is the base unit of data storage. All information that is stored digitally is made up of collections of bits.
Bot: A program that acts as an agent to perform activities that would otherwise require a human. "Bot" is a abbreviation for the word "robot," although the actions carried out by these "bots" are rarely the stufff of science fiction.
Browser: A program whose job it is to allow a user to view and interact with content on the Internet. The most popular browsers in use today are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Bug: An error in programming code that causes undesirable behaviour in an application. Bugs are often very small and insidious errors, but the problems that they cause can be devastating.
Byte: A byte is a unit of data storage equivalent to eight bits. In order to be of use for storing information, bits are organized into bytes, which are in turn grouped into larger chunks.
C
CD-I: Compact Disc - Interactive's purpose was to provide a file structure that would lend itself to use with interactive games and entertainment-based CD titles.
CD-R: Also known as Compact Disc - Recordable. With the proper hardware and software, and specially designed blank recordable discs, one can create a CD-ROM by placing the files of one's choice onto a new volume.
CD-R: Compact Disc - Rewritable is the rewritable type of CD-ROM that employs an encoding process that is designed to be reversible.
CD-ROM: Compact Disc - Read Only Memory is a type which can hold up to 650 megabytes of data in any of several volume formats.
CGI: "Common Gateway Interface" CGI is a means to providing additional functionality on an Internet server by performing program processing on the server side, and then delivering the results to the client side. A CGI solution typically employs a program, such as a PERL script as a "middle man" to process information that the web browser itself is not equipped to handle.
Client: The client, in computer terminology, is the computer that receives information from a server. For example, when one is browsing the web, the computer used to view the pages is acting as an Internet "client," receiving all of the page and graphic information from the server that contains it.
Codec: Coder-Decoder is asoftware or hardware solution that is responsible for translating stored data between compressed and uncompressed formats.
Compression: A means of encoding a digital file so that it occupies a smaller amount of disk space than the data contained within the file. In order to make use of a compressed file, one must employ a codec (coder-decoder).
CPU: "Central Processing Unit" Simply put, the CPU is the part of a computer that does all the computing. It is common to refer to the computer box, excluding the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and peripherals as the CPU.
Crash: A computer's failure to continue functioning after encountering an error. When a computer crashes, it generally needs to be restarted to clear the error and resume ordinary function.
Cyberspace: The popular term for the arena of the Internet and the virtual environment of connection that it has created. Cyberspace does not refer to an actual place, but a concept.
D
Data: In the world of computing, pieces of information are stored and communicated in digital form. Anything that is to be processed or stored by a computer is considered data.
Database: A means of organizing and storing elements of information electronically so that they are readily available for retrieval and analysis.
Debug: The act of eradicating all programming errors within a piece of software before it is ready for use.
Desktop: In a graphic user interface such as the Mac OS or Windows, the desktop is the name given to the area of the screen that appears immediately before the user.
Diskette: This term refers to a number of different shapes and sizes of disk, most diskettes in common use today are 3.5 inches in diameter and have a capacity of 1.4 megabytes.
DNS: "Domain Name Server" is a computer whose job it is to tell other computers where to look on the internet for a particular website or group of websites, which are assembled into designations called domains.
Domain: A domain is a division of the internet. The last three letters in a domain name are used to designate what type of organization will be using a given domain (for example, ".com" refers to a commercial interest ".gov" is the domain type for government organizations).
DOS: Disk Operating System at one time referred to any disk-based operating system running on a computer, use of this term today is usually directed to the Microsoft DOS (MS-DOS) that was created to run on the Intel-based PCs.
Download: The act of copying a file from a network or large data repository (such a web page or FTP site) to an individual computer's disk drive.
DPI: It's short of dots per inch and refers to the resolution of a given image file, expressed by the number of individual pixels that can be stored within each inch of the picture.
DVD: Digital Video Disc is the standard which was created as the next generation of high-capacity optical discs.
E
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript is a highly popular format for storing digital graphics for use in preparing documents for print.
Ethernet: It is a popular hardware architecture and networking protocol that is used to connect computers together in a LAN. By maintaining a high-bandwidth physical connection between devices, Ethernet affords very high data transfer rates within a LAN.
Extranet: An extranet is really just a collaborative extension of an intranet, an extranet may expand access to individuals outside that company, such as vendors or clients.
F
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions is a term refers to a collection of questions that have been asked or are likely to be asked about a particular topic.
Flash: It is an application made by Macromedia that allows web developers to create animations for websites.
Freeware: Software that is offered to the public at no charge. It is often very specialized in nature, and therefore has little or no market value.
FrontPage: It is the name of the application that is available from Microsoft to provide users with a graphical interface for the creation of web pages. This type of program is commonly referred to as an HTML editor.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is the communication protocol dedicated to uploading and downloading files over the Internet.
G
GIF: Graphic Interchange Format is the most common image file format for displaying pictures on web pages.
Gigabyte: A unit of data storage equal to approximately one thousand megabytes, or one billion bytes.
GUI: With Graphical User Interface, one may operate a computer by interacting with pictures and menus on the screen, as opposed to entering commands directly through the keyboard.
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