A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A list of some commonly used Internet terms relating to the authentication of online information:
Bias: A predisposition or prejudice. Web sites that offer only one perspective on an issue may be demonstrating bias.
Bookmarks: A personal list of interesting Web sites. Bookmarks make it quick and easy to get to favourite places on the World Wide Web - just like putting a marker into a book.
Boolean Command: A search technique that permits users to narrow and fine-tune their search queries through the use of commands such as AND, OR, and AND NOT.
Browser: The software that lets you "surf" the Web and view pages on it. Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two commonly used browsers.
CIRA: The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, a non-profit corporation responsible for overseeing and appointing the ".ca" Internet country code domain for Canada.
Digital Copyright: Laws that protect the use and transmission of online content. For Canadian teachers, the online booklet "Copyright Matters!" outlines Canadian copyright laws, restrictions and exceptions for educators.
Directory: A Web site that organizes a collection of links to other sites. Directories can be general, or on specific topics. An example of a general directory is Yahoo!
Domain: A registered address for a Web site or email address. For example, the Media Awareness Network's domain is media-awareness.ca. Our Web site is www.media-awareness.ca, and our email address ends with "@media-awareness.ca."
Filtering Tools: Software that limits where children can go online, and what they can do. They may block access to certain sites, or to some methods of communication - such as e-mail, chat or instant messaging. They can also monitor what kids do online, and control the amount of time they spend there. Many search engines offer filtering options, to block any search results parents deem inappropriate.
Firewall: An electronic security barrier to prevent outsiders getting into a computer or network. Firewalls can also be set up to prevent people from getting out of a computer or network - to prevent company employees from surfing the Internet, for example.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language is the computer language of the World Wide Web. All the sites you view with your browser were created using HTML. When you look at a Web page, click on View in your browser, then View Source - that will show you what HTML code looks like.
ICANN: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is the international non-profit organization that assigns IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.
Internet: The Internet consists of countless networks of computers connected together across the world, allowing millions of people to share information. Components of the Internet include the World Wide Web, newsgroups, chat rooms, and e-mail.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): Also known as an access provider, an ISP is any company or institution that provides access to the Internet. Examples of Canadian ISPs are Sympatico and ISTAR.
Meta Tag: A hidden HTML code on a Web page, containing keywords that describe the page's contents. Search engines use the information in the meta tags to produce search results. The Media Awareness Network's meta tags, for instance, include words such as "media," "education," "lessons," and "teachers."
Meta-Web Information Search: A method of evaluating Web sites within the context of other Web pages. Meta-Web information search techniques include: conducting a link search to find out what kinds of sites link to or refer to a particular page; searching for the author, to see what other sites have to say about him/her; or conducting a domain registration search to see what companies use a particular domain name.
Misinformation: Online information that is misleading, erroneous or false. On the Web, examples of misinformation include online hoaxes and urban legends, counterfeit sites, parody and spoof sites, fictitious sites, questionable sites, malicious sites and some product sites.
Plagiarism: As in the real world, plagiarism is the act of passing off the thoughts or writings of another person as your own. On the Internet, acts of plagiarism range from cutting and pasting parts of online documents into student assignments, to downloading complete essays from one of the Net's many free essay sites.
Portal: A Web site that serves as a main "point of entry" to the Web. Typically, a portal will provide a directory of links, a search engine, and other services such as free email, or filtering and blocking options for parents. An example of a portal site is canada.com.
Search engine: A software system that allows users to search enormous databases of Web pages by scanning their titles, keywords, text or meta tags.
Server: The specific computer where Web sites and e-mail reside.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator, an Internet address showing the specific path to locate a site or document online. The URL for a Web page usually contains a domain name, a folder name and a file name. An example of a URL might be http://www.domain name/folder name/filename.
WWW (World Wide Web): The Web is the visual component of the Internet. Created with HTML language, Web pages can include text, pictures, sound clips, video, links for downloading software, and much more. The Web is only one component of the Internet, although the terms are often (and mistakenly) interchanged.
