Computer Acronyms are like a foreign language to many people. However, since they are used throughout the computer and electronic industry for describing various functions, processes, and components, they are important to learn. What was once a language only known by computer scientists is now commonly used in the popular culture. Computer acronyms have become part of the vernacular. Do you really understand what computer acronyms mean? Please study the following list of computer terms with explanations.
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Alias
A name that is substituted for a more
complicated name. For example, a simple alias may be used instead of a more
complicated mailing address or for a mailing list.
Analog
Describes any information that has
been translated into a corresponding physical change, such as electric current -
any information may be converted to analog. Technologically inferior to digital
because of signal degradation (the signal or data strength is weaker at a
distance with analog data).
ANSI
An acronym for American National Standards
Institute. The American body responsible for setting telecommunications
standards in the US. Unfortunately these often differ from those set by the
ISO, the world standards authority.
Applet
A computer program written in Java
for transfer over the web.
Archie
A search utility used on the Internet to locate
files in FTP sites, these files are generally public domain files that anyone
can download.
ARPA
An acronym for Advanced Research Projects Agency.
ARPAnet
Where the Internet began; the Advanced
Research Projects Agency (of the U.S. Department of Defense) computer network
that was the forerunner of the Internet. Has been replaced by NFSNet.
ASCII
The American Standard Code for Information
Interchange, a standard way for computers to use bits and bytes to represent
characters. An ASCII file contains simple text without any special formatting
codes.
ATM
An acronym for Asynchronous Transfer Mode. A
method of transmitting bytes across communications links.
AUP
An acronym for Acceptable Use Policy of the NSF
which prevents the use of the NSFnet backbone for purely commercial use.
Avatar
A graphical representation of a person in a
chat room. The word comes from Hindu mythology in which spirits come down and
inhabit bodies.
Backbone
A network through which other, smaller
networks are connected.
Bandwidth
Describes the capacity at which a
given communications channel, such as ordinary copper telephone line, can
transfer information; increasing bandwidth increases the speed at which data
transfer takes place. The greater the bandwidth, the greater amount of data can
be transferred.
Baud Rate
A measurement of how quickly a modem
transfers data. Although, strictly speaking, this is not the same as bits per
second, the two terms are often used interchangeably.
BBS (Bulletin Board System)
A service
accessible via modem or other connection through which users may exchange
messages privately or post messages to a publicly accessible forum; may or may
not have Internet access.
BIOS
Basic Input Output System. This is the
basic set of instructions that tell the computer how to act. Most computers have
these instructions built into a chip that plugs into the motherboard.
Bit
Short for binary digit; either a 1 or a
0; the smallest unit into which digital information may be broken.
BPS (Bits per Second)
A measure of the speed of data
transmission; the number of bits of data that can be transmitted each second.
Modems are generally measured by their BPS rate (14.4K - 14400 BPS, 28.8K -
28800 BPS)
Boot up
The process of turning on the
computer, which includes a number of functions that are performed automatically
every time the power switch is turned on.
Browser
A client software program used to search
networks, retrieve copies of files and display them in an easy-to-read, often
graphical, format. Browsers such as SPRY Mosaic, Netscape Navigator, and
Microsoft Internet Explorer are used to access information on the World Wide
Web.
BTW or IMHO
Abbreviation for "By the way" or
"in my humble opinion", respectively. Abbreviations such as these are commonly
used in email, newsgroups, or listservs.
Bulletin Board System (BBS)
A computer system to which
other computers can connect so their users can read and leave messages, or
retrieve and leave files.
Byte
A collection of eight BITS.
Chat
A program that connects computers on a network
for instantaneous, multi-way communication. People who use chat can type
messages for delivery to a server, which displays the messages instantly so that
users who are logged on to the chat service can respond immediately. On the
Internet, chat is sometimes referred to as Internet Relay Chat (IRC).
CIX
An acronym for Commercial Information
Exchange.
Client
A software program that provides access to
network resources by working with information stored on a server.
CMOS
Complimentary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor. A CMOS computer circuit consumes very little power and is used in
computers to keep track of the system setup information, data, time, type of
disk and hard drives, etc. that a computer has installed. The CMOS information
is powered by the computer's on-board battery. So if the on-board battery fails,
the information in CMOS is lost.
Compressed File
Computer files that have been reduced
in size by a compression program. Such programs are available for all computer
systems.
CPU
Central Processing Unit. This is the
brains of the computer. You'll hear computers described in terms of which CPU is
installed in them. A 486 computer, and Pentium, a 386DX, etc.
Crash
An unexpected shutdown either of a program or
the whole system.; sometimes traumatic, always frustrating ; often fixable by
turning off the computer and turning it back on; results in losing any unsaved
work. Can also be used in instances of a hard disk physically being damaged.
Cruise
Navigating the Internet by following hyperlinks
from one Web site or page to another.
CSCW
This is an acronym for Computer Supported
Co-operative Work, more commonly called groupware. See also Lotus
Notes.
Cyberspace
A term coined by author William Gibson. It
describes the imaginary space in which computer users travel when "surfing" the
Internet.
Daemon
In UNIX, a program running all the time in the
"background" (that is, unseen by users), providing special services when
required. An example of a daemon is biff, which lets you know when mail arrives.
DARPA
US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(now ARPA). One of the bodies which `created' the concept of the Internet
and funded the development of Internet facilities for many years.
Dedicated Line
A telephone line that is leased from
the telephone company and used for one purpose only. In the early days of the
Internet, it was a line dedicated to a server.
Dial-in Direct Connection
An Internet connection that
is accessed by dialing in to a computer through a telephone line. Once
connected, your computer acts as if it were an Internet host. This type of
service is often called SLIP, CSLIP or PPP.
Dial-up Service
A common Internet term for a dial-on
terminal connection.
Digital
Terms used to describe any
information that has been translated into a corresponding series of 1s and 0s;
any information - text, sound, image, color, may be digitized.
Discussion Board
A forum on a Web site for the
discussion of a specific topic or set of related topics.
Domain Names
A name given to a host computer on the
Internet. E-mail names are good examples of domain names (i.e.,
anyname@netcom.com).
Dot
Short for the "period" usually heard in
a reference to a url -- "www.webtrail.com"
Download
The process of transferring information from
one computer to another, usually from a server to a client. You download a file
from another computer to yours.
EDI
An acronym for Electronic Data Interchange. Also
referred to as electronic commerce.
Electronic Commerce
The transacting of business
electronically rather than via paper.
E-mail (Electronic Mail)
A means of sending typed
messages from one computer to another, over a network or the Internet.
Emoticon
Emoticons, or smileys :-) , are used to
convey emotion. The expressions and inflections of voice we use to convey
emotion, irony, sarcasm, etc. when talking are lost when communicating over the
Internet. To make up for that, a system of symbols has developed which uses
common keyboard marks.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Question. This is often a file
which new users can refer to when using a new service or piece of Internet
software. It contains answers to frequently asked questions, hence the name.
File Transport Protocol (FTP)
A service for moving an
electronic file of any type from one computer to another over the Internet.
Flame Mail
An excessively angry or rancorous message,
generally containing personal insults, sent through e-mail.
Flamer
Someone who writes flame mail. Flamee should be
obvious.
Floppy Disk
A removable storage medium that is used in
conjunction with a floppy drive, usually 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch in size.
Forum
The dedicated area where people come together to
discuss issues, hobbies, or news. Also called newsgroups.
Freeware
Software provided free by its originator. See
shareware.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
An area or document
dedicated to answering common questions.
GB (Gigabyte)
1,000 Megabytes. A measure
storage space. Hard Drives now are measured in GB capacity.
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)
One of two
popular systems used to compress the size of image files so they require less
bandwidth to transfer on the Web.
Gopher
An Internet service for locating and delivering
electronic files. The Gopher interface includes a directory tree and a set of
menus which can be used for exploring the Internet and downloading files.
GUI
This is an acronym for Graphical User Interface.
Examples are Windows and Apple's Macintosh operating system. The concept
originated in the early 1970s at Xerox's PARC laboratory.
Hard Disk
The rigid storage medium located
within a hard drive; the relatively large storage area where a computer's
operating system, applications, and data usually reside.
Helper App
A "helper application" or add-on
program particularly for a web browser that increases the functionality and the
type of files that the browser can display. Also see Plug-in.
Home Page
The opening page of a World Wide Web
document, sometimes called the welcome page.
Host
A computer connected directly to the Internet. A
service provider's computer is a host.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
This is an acronym
for HyperText Mark-up Language which is used to format information so that it
can be structured and made accessible to the World Wide Web (WWW). The language
itself is a simplified derivative of SGML, a widely used standard developed in
the mid 1980's. The technique employed is to encase the information in special
markers (called tags) which tell the WWW applications how the text is to be
interpreted.
HTML+
A proposed new standard which will supersede
html. It is a superset of html which is designed to extend the capabilities of
the language to incorporate better support for multimedia objects in
documents.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
The protocol that
forms the basis of World Wide Web technology. HTTP is the set of rules governing
the software that transports hyperlinked files along the Internet.
Hypergraphic
In a World Wide Web document, a graphic
image coded to form a link to another file. As with hypertext, if you click on a
hypergraphic, you will jump to the linked file.
Hyperlink
A code which contains an "address," which
when clicked, will take you to that address.
Hypermedia
Like hypertext except that the concept is
extended to multimedia objects such as graphics, video and audio.
Hypertext
Electronic text coded to provide instant
access, via links, to other hypertext (or hypergraphics) elsewhere within a
document or in a separate document.
IAB
An acronym for Internet Architecture Board
IANA
An acronym for Internet Assigned Numbers
Authority
IDE
Integrated Drive Electronics. An
interface used mainly by hard drives and CD-ROM drives to connect to the
computer.
IETF
An acronym for Internet Engineering Task
Force
Internet
A collection of networks linked together
using a common protocol. The global computer network achieved through the
interconnection of smaller computer networks around the world.
IP (Internet Protocol)
The standard protocol used by
systems communicating across the Internet.
IP Address
A digital code that precisely locates a
computer connected to the Internet.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
A software tool that makes
it possible to hold real-time keyboard conversations online.
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
Large
bandwidth telephone line. Allows you to transfer information quickly.
ISO
An acronym for International Organization for
Standardization
ISOC
An acronym for The Internet Society
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that
provides a connection to the Internet. Service providers sell access to the
network. Services offered differ between ISPs.
ITU
An acronym for International Telecommunication
Union
JAVA
A relatively new programming language
developed by Sun Microsystems mainly to enhance the "online experience" of the
World Wide Web.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) Graphic
Format
A commonly used compression technique for graphics images on the
Internet.
K (Kilobyte)
1024 bytes
Kill
An action that can be taken in Usenet to exclude
certain words, phrases, subjects, or even specific individual posters, from the
list of messages displayed on your screen.
LAN (Local Area Network)
The regional server or
servers your computer is connected to. These in turn are connected to other
servers creating a network in your office, home, etc.
Listserv
Mailing list that acts as a newsgroup.
Messages sent to a listserv address are sent to everyone who has subscribed to
the list. Responses are sent back to the listserv address.
Local File
A file stored on the hard disk of your
computer, as opposed to a file stored on an Internet server or some other remote
computer
Lotus
Lotus
Development Corporation the software company responsible for the Notes line of
products.
Lurking
Reading chat, forum, newsgroup or listserv
messages without responding to them.
MAC
Short for "Macintosh"; the other type of personal
computer, manufactured by Apple Computer,
not a PC
MAN
An acronym for Metropolitan Area Network.
Megabyte (MB)
1 million bytes. A measure of the
quantity of data. A megabyte is a lot when you are talking about files
containing simple text messages, but it's not much when you are talking about
files containing color photographs.
MBONE
An acronym for Multicast BackbONE, an Internet
service which gives public access desktop video communications. The quality is
poor with only 3-5 frames per second instead of the 30 frames per second of
commercial television. Its advantage is that it avoids all telecommunications
costs normally associated with teleconferencing. An interesting innovation is
the use of MBONE for audio communications and an electronic "whiteboard" where
the computer screen becomes a shared workspace where two physically remote
parties can draw on and edit shared documents in real-time.
Microsoft
The computer
industry giant responsible for DOS, Windows, Windows 95 and assorted business
and personal software. Now challenging Netscape is the web browser market with
Internet Explorer.
MIME
An acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions
Modem (Modulator-Demodulator)
A
device that converts digital signals from your computer into analog signals for
transmission through a phone line, and vice versa (called demodulation).
Mouse
A small, handheld device attached to a
computer; when moved across any flat surface (such as a desk), it results in the
movement of something on the computer screen called a cursor; includes one or
more buttons that allow the user to select graphics or text onscreen.
MOSAIC
A software application which runs on UNIX, PC
and Macintosh computers. It is an interface to the WWW.
MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group)
A video
file compression system used on the web.
MUD (Multi User Domain)
A game or simulation in which
multiple participants can engage simultaneously through their connections to the
same Internet server.
NCSA
An acronym for the U.S. National Center for
Supercomputing Applications, creator of the first Mosaic (browser) application
for the WWW.NCSA -
home of Mosaic.
Network
Two or more computers connected to
one another for the transfer and sharing of information.
Netiquette
Internet etiquette, the correct form of
behavior to be used while working on the Internet and Usenet. It can be summed
up as, "Don't waste computer resources and don't be rude."
Netscape
A computer
company in California famous for their Netscape Navigator Internet web browsing
software.
Newbie
An individual new to the Internet. Used with
both affection and malice--depending on whether you're being welcomed or being
flamed.
Newsgroup
Open forums or electronic bulletin boards on
the Internet, where readers can share information, ideas, tips, and opinions
with each other.
Notes
A group of applications from the Lotus
Development Corporation which allows organizations to share documents and
exchange email messages.
NSF
An acronym for National Science Foundation
Online
Connected. You are online if you are working on
your computer while it is connected to another computer. Your printer is online
if it is connected to your computer and ready to accept data.
OS (Operating System)
The primary program
running on a computer; started automatically when the computer is turned on; all
other programs run within the operating system. Examples: DOS, Windows 95, UNIX,
OS/2 Warp, and System 7 (Mac). Windows itself is not an operating system.
PC (Personal Computer)
Usually refers to
what 's commonly known as an IBM-compatible computer, made by any one of dozens
of manufacturers or backyard entrepreneurs.
PDF
Portable Document Format. A document
format read by Adobe System's Acrobat viewer. This format is excellent for
displaying instruction manuals and other large documents in a "web-ready" state.
PEM
An acronym for Privacy Enhanced Mail
Plug-in
A
helper application that works within a browser. It adds more functionality to a
browser commonly associated with the Netscape Navigator browser software.
Port
Generally, port refers to the hardware through
which computer data is transmitted; the plugs on the back of your computer are
ports. On the Internet, port often refers to a particular application. For
instance, you might telnet to a particular port on a particular host. The port
is actually an application.
Posting
A message sent to a newsgroup or the act of
sending such a message.
Postmaster
The person at a host who is responsible for
managing the mail system. If you need information about a user at a particular
host, you can usually send e-mail to the postmaster at
postmaster@hostname.
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)
A
protocol that allows a computer to use the TCP/IP (Internet) protocols (and
become a full-fledged Internet member) with a standard telephone line and a
high-speed modem. PPP is a new standard for this which replaces SLIP.
Protocol
A set of rules computer programmers apply
when writing code for a specific software. Computers and networks interact
according to standard protocols, which determine the behavior that each side of
a network connection expects from the other side.
PTT
An acronym for Postal, Telegraph and
Telephone
Query
A search question that has been asked in a
manner the computer's database system can understand and use.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
The working space
within a computer that may be used at one time; increasing the amount of RAM
increases the speed at which a computer works because more of a program may be
loaded into the working space at one time, so less time is spent accessing parts
of the program from the hard drive. Information stored in RAM is lost when the
computer's power is turned off.
Replication
A capability of Lotus Notes to
automatically distributes document databases across physical telecommunications
networks. Notes supports a wide range of network protocols including X25 and
Internet TCP/IP.
Remote Computer
A computer located somewhere else
along a network as, for example, the computer containing the online catalog of
your local public library. Remote is a relative term, relative, that is, to the
computer immediately at hand (the local computer). A remote computer can
actually be located within the same room, or it can be halfway around the world.
ROM (Read Only Memory)
This memory is the
core instructions for the computer, it generally cannot be altered (read only)
and is burned into the chips making up the specific motherboard.
Router
A system used to transmit data between two
computer systems or networks using the same protocol.
SCSI
Small Computer Systems Interface. An
set of standards used by an input device to interface with the computer. SCSI
systems can "daisy-chain" up to 7 seven devices to a single connection. In other
words, one device can connect to other device, and to another until it connects
to the computer. Because several devices can connect to one single input
connection, each device must be properly terminated for the entire chain of
devices to work.
Search Engine
A tool used which matches key words you
enter with titles and descriptions on the Internet. It then displays the matches
allowing you to easily locate a subject. Similar to a card catalog, but not as
efficient. Common search engines are Webcrawler, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Infoseek,
and Lycos.
Server
A computer or its software that "serves" other
computers by administering network files and network operations. Three types of
Internet servers are Web servers, e-mail servers, and Gopher servers.
Shareware
Software that is freely distributed, but the
author expects payment from people who decide to keep and use it.
SIG
An acronym for Special Interest Group
Signature
A short piece of text transmitted with an
e-mail or newsgroup message. Some systems can attach text from a file to the end
of a message automatically. Signature files contain detailed information on how
to contact someone.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)
A protocol that
allows a computer to use the Internet protocols (and become a full-fledged
Internet member) with a standard telephone line and a high-speed modem. SLIP is
being superseded by PPP, but is still in common use.
Smiley
A symbol in e-mail and newsgroup messages used
to convey emotion, or simply amusement. Create smileys by typing various
keyboard characters. For example, :-) means happiness. See also, Emoticon.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol)
One method a computer uses to send e-mail from one
computer to another. Other methods include Multi-purpose Internet Mail
Extensions (MIME) and Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM).
Stream
Audio or video transfer of signals in digital
form. It is then downloaded on your computer and played back using various
tools.
STT (Secure Transaction
Technology)
Technology developed by software companies and credit
companies to protect financial dealings over the Internet and prevent fraud.
Surfing
Same as "cruise." The random, aimless
exploration of web pages achieved through following links that look interesting
within a document.
T1 Line
A line connecting a computer to a high-speed,
high-bandwidth, digital electronic communication carrier.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol)
A set of protocols (communications rules) that control how data
is transferred between computers on the Internet.
Telnet
An Internet protocol used for logging on to a
remote computer, as well as the software that implements it. Telnet makes all
Internet hosts appear to the user as if they use the same techniques for
presenting information on screen and the same commands for performing tasks
(such as typing and editing commands).
Threaded
Organized according to thread, or line of
discussion, in a newsgroup or on a discussion board. A thread is a more or less
continuous chain of postings on a single topic.
TWAIN
(submitted by a reader) "Technology
without an interesting name"
Actually its the interface used by a input
device such as a scanner to import images (generally graphics) into the
computer.
UNIX
A computer operating system, popular with
high-end computer users, academics and the research community. Most hosts
connected to the Internet run UNIX.
Upload
The process of transferring information from
one computer to another, generally from a client to a server. For example, you
upload a file from your computer to another.
URL (Universal Resource Locator)
The specific path to
a World Wide Web file, including filename and extension.
Usenet
The "user's network." A large network connected
to the Internet. It contains Newsgroups or discussion areas on almost any topic
available. Messages are posted publicly for all to see.
Veronica
The Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index
to Computerized Archives is a service that's built into Gopher. Veronica allows
you to search all Gopher sites for files, directories and other resources.
Virus
A program that uses various techniques for
duplicating itself and traveling between computers. Viruses vary from harmless
nuisances to serious problems that can cause millions of dollars' worth of
damage.
VR (Virtual Reality)
A simulated three-dimensional
environment, displayed in real time with interactive capabilities. VR
applications have been developed for the World Wide Web, although the technology
is still at an early stage.
VRML (Virtual Reality Mark-up Language)
Protocol
language which allows 3-D representation of graphics. Chat rooms are
increasingly using VRML to represent chatters graphically with avatars.
W3
An acronym for the World Wide Web.
WAIS (Wide Area Information
Search)
Software that is used to index large text files in servers.
On the client side, it finds and retrieves documents in databases, based on user
defined words.
WAN
An acronym for Wide Area Network. A larger
computer network that is geographically dispersed, such as one that stretches
across a university campus.
Web
see World Wide Web (WWW).
Web Page
A single screen (document) on a Web site.
Web Site
The location of published hypertext content.
Physically, a Web site can occupy an entire Web server or a part of a server; or
it can be spread out among different servers as long as its sections are all
linked, directly or indirectly, to the same home page.
WWW (World Wide Web)
An acronym for
the World Wide Web. The WWW is a hypermedia retrieval system for information.
The newest medium of the Internet. Based on hypertext, the Web provides a quick
and easy method of delivering and receiving information files which are read by
a browser. The Webs ability to transfer files containing not just text but also
graphics, sound, and video makes it the most versatile of all the Internet
services.
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)
Pronounced
"wizziwig," it is a generic term meaning what you see on your screen is what is
going to print out on your printer.
X Windows Protocol
A network terminal standard
developed at MIT that enables a user to run and display multiple network
applications at the same time.
Yahoo
A
popular search engine used to index the web.
'Zine
Electronic magazines, published on the Internet.