| Have you ever been confused about a technical, computer related abbreviation? Don’t know your WAN from your LAN? Take a look at our A to Z Glossary for a complete list of IT related abbreviations and their definitions. |
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A
Set of Microsoft programming technologies and tools that include ActiveX controls, which can be programmed to run within an application such as a web browser just like a Java applet. Acronym for Audio Video Interleave - the file format used by Microsoft Video for Windows. B
Term that describes how much data can be sent via a connection in a specified time. This measurement is typically described in bps or bits per second. Program that allows you to view and interact with webpage’s on the World Wide Web. Modern e-learning courseware requires features supported by the most recent releases of internet browser. Web browsers allow you to add 'bookmarks' that store the address of your favourite Internet sites. This allows you to visit the site whenever you want to, without having to type in the site's full address each time. C
Program that links up with another resource (a server programme) or the computer that runs it for the purposes of interaction. A browser programme is one example of a client. Reducing the size of a file so that can be transmitted more quickly and takes up less storage space. A cookie is a small piece of software, usually left by a website and stored on your computer's hard drive, which records information about you and your browsing habits on the Internet. For example, if you are a regular user of online stores such as Amazon.co.uk, a cookie will allow the shop to remember your name and details of all your purchases. D
Official name for a computer attached to the Internet. Email addresses normally consist of a user id and a domain name separated by the @ symbol. The process of copying files from one remote host to your computer, usually via FTP. A small piece of software that allows your PC to control another piece of computer equipment, such as a modem, printer or scanner. E
Sending electronic messages over a network or the internet. A type of high-speed network for interconnecting computing devices. Ethernet can be either 10 or 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet). F
A firewall is a computer program that acts like a barrier, protecting a company's internal network from unauthorised external access (most commonly in the form of Internet hackers). A vector graphic animation tool marketed by Macromedia and widely used for developing web delivered e-learning. Acronym for File Transfer Protocol. - Process that allows you to transfer files or programmes to or from computers across the internet. G
1024 megabytes of computer data. H
A skilled programmer who breaks into other computers or networks. Some hackers are harmless and just do it for a challenge, but others are just plain crooked - sometime known as 'crackers'. Physical technology such as computers monitors and keyboards rather than software. Acronym for Hypertext Mark-up Language -the basic language that is used to construct webpage’s. There are several HTML standards in existence, the latest of which is HTML 4. Acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the standard that regulates the way information is transferred around the World Wide Web. The secure version of HTTP. This protocol is used around the world from online banking to online shopping I
An IP address is a bit like a telephone number. Every computer connected to the Internet has an IP address in the form of a four-number code such as 255.124.165.231. However, these codes can be difficult to remember, so each IP address can also be linked to a 'domain name' that is easier to remember with the use of a DNS Server. Acronym for Internet Service Provider, companies that provide users with access to the internet. J
Language developed specifically for creating software that can be simply downloaded from the Internet, but now used for a wide range of applications. K
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A LAN is a 'Local Area Network' - a network that consists of a group of computers in one particular location, such as an office. If you are using the Internet at work you are probably connecting to it via your company's LAN. M
A computer - and the software running on it - that allows the sending, sorting and retrieval of email messages. MP3 files are used to store music or audio information on the Internet. The full name is actually Motion Picture Expert Group: Layer 3, but that has thankfully been compressed down to MP3. And, in the same way, the audio content of an MP3 file is compressed so that it is smaller and easier to download than the original audio file. N
Short for 'net-etiquette'. This is an informal set of guidelines for polite behaviour on the Internet. A network is simply two or more computers that are connected together so that they can share information. O
Term that implies that an item of hardware or software is no longer actively linked with the Internet. Opposite of Offline i.e. an item of hardware or software is actively linked with the Internet. The basic system that underpins computer operations and the foundation upon which all other programs operate. MSDOS, UNIX and Windows are all examples of operating systems. This is the free Microsoft email application that is supplied with Internet Explorer. P
A unit of data sent via a network. Small pieces of software that add to the capability of existing programs. This stands for 'Post Office Protocol'. A POP server is a central computer that stores your email for you and allows you to collect your email whenever you connect to the Internet. A protocol is simply a set of guidelines that allow computers to communicate with each other. Wherever you see an abbreviation of letters ending with 'P' you know there's a protocol in there somewhere. FTP, HTTP, IP, NNTP, POP, PPP, SMTP, and TCP are the most common protocols... Q
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A popular file archive format similar to ZIP. Most often used on Apple/Mac systems Mechanism for transferring data between one or more networks. S
Both the software and hardware that is used to provide access to an internet resource. Service Packs are usually a collection of bug fixes and improved features, released by the manufacturer for free download to all its customers. You've probably heard or seen these initials used quite often on the Internet and within the set-up pages of your email software. SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. This is a system that allows emails to be sent between computers connected to the Internet. The files, data and programs that allow a computer to function but have no physical dimensions. Spam is junk email. The term comes from an old Monty Python sketch where the characters keep nonsensically repeating the word spam, spam, spam, spam, spam… T
Unit for a vast amount of computer data, consisting of 1024 gigabytes. A Trojan is a computer program, or part of a programs code, that disguises itself as a useful software application that is used to gain access, or change settings on your computer. It takes its name after the Trojan horse used to infiltrate Troy. U
Send files to another computer, usually via FTP. Acronym for Universal Resource Locator otherwise known as the address of a website. V
Acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, or using the internet to transmit voice conversations, a technique increasingly used within virtual classroom systems. Self-replicating software that propagates itself from one computer system to another, normally devised with malicious or mischievous motives. W
A Wan is a 'Wide Area Network' - a network of computers that are located a long distance apart. A company that has offices in different countries around the world will use a Wan to link those offices together. An email account where you access, read and write your emails through a regular website, such as Hotmail.com. Wireless Fidelity - Otherwise known as Wireless Networking, commonly using the 802.11b protocol. A local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet; uses Ethernet protocol. X
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