Click on the word or phrase to see the definition
Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. Digital phone line technology that can transfer Internet data up to 80 times faster than traditional phone lines. This type of Internet connection is often referred to as Broadband.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_Internet_access
Bandwidth is the term used to describe the amount of data that can be transfered on an Internet connection. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often limit the bandwidth you can download in a month eg 5GB.
Known as Favorites in Internet Explorer. A way of storing a web address in a list for easy access.
Tiny files that websites save on your computer to store information about your browsing habits on that site. For example, they might store your username, password or shopping cart so that when you go back to the web page at a later date, you are still logged in. Cookies are used by most sites, especially shopping sites, online forums and social networking sites.
Download simply means to transfer a file from the Internet onto your computer so that you can access it whether you are connected to the Internet or not. The file can be a picture, a document, a song, a movie…
Emoticons are keystrokes that can be used in an email message, chat room or web forum to show how you are feeling. They are useful because online communications are often emotion-less and help you convey the intended meaning.
Many email systems now include actual icons of faces (smileys), but this list outlines the many keystrokes that can be used instead:
HAPPY, SMILING, LAUGHING
:-) smiling; agreeing
:-D laughing
|-) hee hee
|-D ho ho
:-> hey hey
;-) so happy, I'm crying
:'-) crying with joy
\~/ full glass; my glass is full
TEASING, MISCHIEVOUS
;-) winking; just kidding
'-) winking; just kidding
;-> devilish wink
:*) clowning
:-T keeping a straight face
AFFIRMING, SUPPORTING
:^D "Great! I like it!"
8-] "Wow, maaan"
:-o "Wow!"
^5 high five
^ thumbs up
:] Gleep, a friendly midget who wants
to befriend you
(::()::) bandaid; offering help or support
UNHAPPY, SAD
:-( frowning; boo hoo
:( sad
:-< really sad
:-c really unhappy
:-C really bummed
&-| tearful
:' crying
:'-( crying and really sad
:-| grim
:[ really down
:-[ pouting
\_/ "my glass is empty"
ANGRY, SARCASTIC
>:-< angry
:-|| angry
:-@ screaming
:-V shouting
:-r sticking tongue out
>:-< absolutely livid!!
:-, smirk
:-P nyahhhh!
:-> bitingly sarcastic
TRYING TO COMMUNICATE
:-& tonguetied
:-S incoherent
:-\ undecided
:- I "hmmm…"
:-, "hmmm "
:-# "My lips are sealed"
:-X "My lips are sealed"
:-Y a quiet aside
:-" pursing lips
:-W speaking with forked tongue
:( ) can't stop talking
FEELING STUPID OR TIRED
:~/ mixed up
%-) braindead
(:I egghead
<:-I dunce
=:-) hosehead
:-] smiling blockhead
:-[ un-smiling blockhead
|-O yawning
|-I asleep
:-6 exhausted; wipeout
SURPRISED, INCREDULOUS, SKEPTICAL
:> What?
:@ What?
:Q What?
:-o "uhh oh!" OR surprise
;-) sardonic incredulity
:O shocked
8-| eyes wide with surprise
:-/ skeptical
8-O "Omigod!!"
:-C just totally unbelieving
|-{ "Good Grief!" (Charlie Brown)
HUGS AND KISSES
: * kisses
:-X a big wet kiss!
:-x kiss kiss
:-{} blowing a kiss
[] hugs
(( )):** hugs and kisses
((((name)))) hug
MISCELLANEOUS
:-* Oops!
:-I indifferent
\-o bored
:-P tongue hanging out in anticipation
O :-) angelic; being an angel (at heart, at least)
NEW EMOTICONS (by Tracy Marks):
][ feeling separate
] [ separating
) ( really separating
{ } face-to-face
[ ] wanting to hug
}xx kisses
() feeling in harmony; connecting
] ? moving away and wondering about you?
[ ? moving toward you and wondering about you?
If something is encrypted it usually means you need a secret code to unencrypt or dicipher the original message. On the Internet, your communication with a website can be encrypted over a secure HTTP connection so that even if people intercept the communication, they cannot understand it. Web browsers make use of 128bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption. SSL uses a key to encrypt data. Only the sender and the receiver have the code to unencrypt the message. If someone intercepts the message the only way to decipher it would be to break the key by guessing it. A 128bit key has 2^128 possible combinations - a number so large that it cannot be written on this line! In other words, even with the most powerful computers, a 128bit code is almost impossible to crack.
Home or home page is the first page in a website that is displayed when you type in the web address. The home page usually contains general information about the site and links to other pages within the site. It is like the introduction and contents page in a book combined. You can also set a home page in a web browser which will be the first page that is displayed when you go onto the Internet. If you click on the home icon (a house) at any time, you will be returned to this page.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. A protocol is a method by which computer systems communicate and understand each other. All web addresses start with http:// which tells your web browser that the page it is going to access is coded using hypertext markup language (HTML). HTML is the coding used on all world wide web pages. You don't need to type it in, your web browser will add it for you automatically.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Http
Secure/encrypted HTTP connection used by many e-commerce sites such as banks and online shops. A padlock icon on the address bar or status bar indicates that you are using a secure connection.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Https
Text or an image on a web page that when clicked on, takes you to another page, website or file. Hyperlinks are often just called 'links' or 'hotspots'. When your mouse pointer rests on a hyperlink, it changes to a hand.
A global network of computers, phone lines, cable and satellite links. The 'Information Super Highway' - like a motorway network for data.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet
Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) is a web browser that comes with the Microsoft Windows operating system. The program allows you to view web pages. IE is generally updated each time Microsoft release a new version of Windows and each update brings newer features and better compatibility with newer Internet technologies, especially multimedia. IE 4 and 5 came with Windows 98 and Windows ME and are virtually obsolete now. IE 6 came with Windows XP and IE7 is the most recent release to conincide with the release of Windows Vista. To see which version of IE you are running, click on Help|About Internet Explorer.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Internet_Explorer
Modulator Demodulator. A device that connects to your computer with either a wire or wirelessly allowing you gain access to the Internet. A Modem splits up data you send down the Internet into small chunks called 'packets' and pieces together incoming packets in the right order. All data in a network is sent in packets. The packets can take different routes to get to the same destination increasing network time.
Portable Document Format. A file type for sharing documents with other people whilst protecting the contents. Any document can be converted into a PDF document with the right software. The recipient just needs a PDF viewer to be able to view or print the document. The most common viewer is Adobe Acrobat which can be downloaded for free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
A device that distributes/shares one Internet connection amongst several computers. A wireless router can distribute the data as a radio signal. Many wireless routers double as ADSL modems.
Social Networks are online communities. Social Networking websites like MySpace or Facebook are free to register. Once you register you create a profile where you can add information about yourself, add images and write about what is happening in your life. You can invite other people to become your online 'friends' and they will be kept up to date with changes you make. Your friends can leave you comments and you can request to be other people's friends too. Eventually you become part of a virtual social network of people. MySpace and more recently Facebook have become very popular because they offer everyday people their own website. Increasingly social network sites have been used by celebrities and the media to promote their products and some previously unknown artists have become famous as a result of their MySpace pages eg Lilly Allen. There is some concern by parents because adults can use the sites to pose as children and get in touch with children. You should always supervise children and teenagers when using the Internet.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites
A virus is a malicious computer program. A computer virus can have different effects, some causing mild disruption to your PC, others shutting it down altogether. Computers can become infected with a virus when a program 'carrying' the virus is run on the computer. The most common way this can happen is by opening an infected email attachment. Trojan horses are viruses that pretend to be a 'friendly' program, worms are viruses that infect computers secretly, perhaps by visiting an infected website. Spyware is unwanted software that 'spys' on your computing habits and sends it to the spyware creator. This might be a retailer wanting to know your online shopping habits or a criminal organisation wanting to find out your passwords and banking details. Viruses and spyware can be prevented by installing antivirus and firewall software and keeping it up to date eg Norton or AVG.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus
Wireless Access Protocol. The wireless standard for viewing information on the Internet, used extensively in mobile phones.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol
A program that displays world wide web pages eg Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Opera.
A collection of information stored on the World Wide Web that is organised into web pages linked together and hyperlinks to other sites. Web pages are written in HTML and can contain text, images, video and animations.
Technology that allows computers or other equipment like mobile phones to access the Internet using radio signals instead of wires. Wireless Internet is increasingly popular as more people buy laptop computers. It means that people can access the Internet anywhere they are in range of a wireless network. Home wireless networks need a wireless router to transmit the data from your phone line, to your computer.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi
World Wide Web - information that is stored on the Internet that is made available for viewing on a web browser.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Www
Uniform Resource Locator - the technical term for a website address!
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Resource_Locator
