Computer Jargon

         Language is a major barrier to understanding computers, so I have compiled a list of words for you to preview and activate your prior knowledge.   You are not expected to know all or any of these words, but keep a lookout for them when you are going through this course.  Every discipline has its own jargon, and the computer world is full of its own.  Computer systems are designed by people for people to be able to use, so  the concepts can be familiar even if language is foreign. 

     Listed below are some computer words that you will be introduced to in this course.  Refer back to this page as you go through the course. 

 A Glossary of Terms

• File- A document that is stored in a computer.
• Surfing- looking at the shared resources of the network of computers from around the world.  
• Hypertext- A term used that describes the 3-dimentional characteristics of text that links to other text.  Hypertext technology of the Web allows each site to provide connections or links (like cross-references in a book) to any number of other, related sites
• Browsing-is the same as surfing.
• Browser- A browser is a program that helps you view that information that is on the vast number of computers that share resources- the hosts. Some examples are Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
• Links- the connections between related information.
• Server- Computers that serve as switchboards that direct your calls- they send and receive information
• Hosts - Computers that share access through the vast network, send, receive, and also store information
• Modem- The communication device in your computer, similar to the function of your home phone, is called a modem. A modem is a device in your computer that transfers digital signals over telephone line using sound.
• Protocol - is the term used to describe how computer systems communicate with each other.
• E-mail- Electronic Mail 
• Spam- Unsolicited Bulk E-Mail, commercial sites get you on their list if you are not careful.
• Data- Unorganized information- bits and bytes
• Information- Organized data that you can conveys meaning and draw conclusions from.
• Internet Service Provider -ISP for short, Provides a Service to connect you to the internet. Internet Service Provider has a server that allows you to send and retrieve information with a vast networks of computers. 
• Website- A web site is a collection of related pages or files that are stored on a host computer and are accessible to anyone.  
• Home Page- Every website has a home page- the first page that is a starting point for browsing the web site.
• Search- Find information on the internet.
• Menu- A list of command options each having its own function.
• Toolbar- An icon or visual button command each having its own function.
• Button- Like a button you press on a machine- switching something on. Computer buttons are visual on the computer screen- "virtual button" and have different functions. To press the button, you use the mouse and single click on the left click button on the mouse.
• Icon- Is a visual picture representing something- used as a button to command the computer to do something.
• Refresh- Re-load the last page up in the main viewing area of a browser.
• Favorites- A link to your favorite websites.
• Search Engine- Search engines are the card catalogues of the internet. Search engines work by finding matching key words that you type into them.
• Encryption- Encryption is used to send information over the internet so that nobody but you and who you are sending the information can view it. Encryption is putting information and text into a code that only the encryption programs have a key for
• Keywords- Used in Computer Searches, Words to describe the information you want to find.
• Status Bar- A bar on your browser that tells you when it has finished transferring data
• Address Bar- The place in your browser where you can type in a known internet address
• Address- Each website has an address (also called a domain name or URL).  The address is analogous to your mailing address.  A websites addresses helps the network of servers find the host computers where information is stored.  These addresses look like www.sweetgrasscounty.com.  
• URL- Uniform Resource Locater- another name for address but in computer jargon
• Domain Name- Another name for Address, domain is where you reside
• Offline- Not connected to the internet.
• Online- Connected to the internet.

 

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