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

To help you understand the language of the Internet, here's an alphabetical list of some common terms:

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.

Browser: The software that lets you "surf" the Web and view pages on it. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer are two commonly used browsers.

Cache: The temporary storage of Web data on your computer. Web browsers have a cache function that stores information (such as text and graphics) from sites you visit on the Internet. This means that when you return to a site, your browser doesn't have to download all the information to your computer all over again; it can just grab it from the cache on your computer.

Chat: The ability to talk live with other people on the Internet. A chat room is like a party line, except that you type rather than talk. Some chat rooms are monitored, meaning that they moderate the conversations that go on – sometimes using special software, and sometimes with real people supervising the chat.

Convergence: The merging of two or more different technologies. The Internet is currently converging with many other kinds of technology including: telecommunications, television, wireless, video games, even appliances.

Cookies: Electronic text files that Web servers store on the hard drive of a user's computer. These files can be accessed later by the original server or others. "Cookies" can store information such as your password (so that you don't have to re-enter it every time you visit a site) or where you like to go on the site, so that it can customize information for you when you go back there.

Directory: A Web site that organizes a collection of links to other sites. Directories can be general, or cover specific topics. An example of a general directory is the Yahoo! search engine and directory at www.yahoo.com.

Domain: A registered address for a Web site or an 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."

Download: The process of transferring computer files from the Internet to your computer.

Encryption: The translation of electronic information into a secret code. Any time you give your credit card number over the Internet, the site you're giving it to should encrypt it.

File-sharing: Downloadable software that permits users to share music, video, image or book files directly with peers. Examples of this software include Napster, KaZaA, and iMesh.

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 email, 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 outside of a computer or network – to prevent company employees from surfing the Internet, for example.

History files: A list kept by a browser of the sites it has visited recently. If you're not the only user of a computer, you can check these files to find out where the browser has been roaming – and you can also delete the files.

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 code. When you look at a Web page, click on "View" in your browser, then "View Source" – that will show you what the HTML code looks like.

IP Number: Every computer connected to the Internet has a unique Internet Protocol number to identify it. An IP number consists of four sections separated by dots: for instance, 165.113.245.2.

Instant Messaging (IM): A communications tool that combines the live nature of chat rooms with the direct contact of email. Users have to download the IM software, and then agree to be part of an interconnected group.

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 email.

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.

Java: A programming language for making Web pages more interactive. However, Java (and other Web "scripting" tools, such as JavaScript, Visual Basic Script, or ActiveX) have some serious security and privacy concerns. Users can disable these tools in their browsers to avoid potential problems.

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."

Netiquette: A contraction of the words "Net" and "etiquette," this refers to the online code of good manners for Internet users.

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 www.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 computer where Web sites and email reside.

Spam: Unsolicited bulk email, the online version of junk mail.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator, an Internet address showing the specific path to locate a site or document. 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.domainname/foldername/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, downloadable software, and much more. The Web is only one component of the Internet, although the terms are often (and mistakenly) interchanged.