Computer & Internet Terminology
Helping teams communicate effectively and understand complex jargon in an easy-to-read way.
A
Address Bar
An address bar is the text box at the top of a web browser displaying the address of the web page that is currently being viewed. You can type in any address and press enter to visit the website of your choice.
Adware
Adware is free software that is supported by advertisements. Common adware programs are toolbars that sit at the top of your Web browser. Adware can also be more advanced programs such as games or utilities. They are free to use, but require you to either watch advertisements or use the toolbar as long as the programs are open.
Most adware is safe to use, but some can serve as spyware, gathering information about you from your hard drive, the Web sites you visit, or your keystrokes. Make sure it is from a reputable site and review the privacy agreement that comes with it.
B
Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to how much data you can send through a network or modem connection. It is typically measured in bits per second, or “bps”. You can think of bandwidth as a highway. The wider the highway, the more cars can travel on it at one time. Therefore more cars can get to their destinations faster. The same principle applies to computer data – the more bandwidth, the more information that can be transferred within a given amount of time.
C
Cache
Cache (pronounced “cash”) stores recently-used information in a place where it can be accessed quickly. For example, a Web browser such as Google Chrome uses a cache to store the pages, images, and URLs of recently visited Web sites on your hard drive. With this strategy, when you visit a page you have recently been to, the information doesn’t have to be downloaded to your computer again. Because accessing your computer’s hard disk is much faster than accessing the Internet, caching Web sites can speed up Web browsing significantly. Most Web browsers allow you to adjust the size of the cache in browser preferences.
Another common type of cache is a disk cache. This stores information you have recently read from your hard disk in the computer’s RAM, or memory. Since accessing RAM is much faster than reading data off the hard disk, this can help you access common files and folders on your hard drive much faster.
Another type of cache is a processor cache which stores small amounts of information right next to the processor. This helps make the processing of common instructions much more efficient, thereby speeding up computation time.
Certificate
An SSL certificate, or secure certificate, is a file installed on a secure Web server that identifies a website. This digital certificate establishes the identity and authenticity of the company or merchant to ensure the website is secure and reliable. This digital certificate is installed on the Web server and will be viewable when a user enters a secure area of the website. You can tell you are visiting a secure page when the URL starts with “https”. SSL certificates typically expire every one to three years. If the certificate is not renewed in time, you may see an alert box pop up that says “This website’s certificate has expired”. This error has nothing to do with you or your computer, but is displayed because the Web server you connected to has not renewed its SSL certificate.
E
Encryption
Encryption is the coding or scrambling of information so that it can only be decoded and read by someone who has the correct decoding key. Encryption is used in secure Web sites as well as other mediums of data transfer. If a third party were to intercept the information you sent via an encrypted connection, they would not be able to read it.
F
Favorites
Favorites (also known as Bookmarks) are a collection of direct links to predefined web pages which are stored in your Web browser. Favorites can be created and managed by the user themselves. Most browsers come packaged with several existing favorites. Favorites can be used in browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
File Extension
Example: Common file extensions include “.doc” or “.docx” for Word files and “.pdf” for PDF files.
A file extension is the last part of a filename, after the dot (e.g. “.pdf”). Most file extensions are three characters long, but they can be shorter or longer as well. File extensions are used to define the file type of each file. The operating system uses this information to select which application will open the file and choose the appropriate icon for the file.
File Format
Example: PNG files store image data in a compressed binary file format.
A file format describes the way data is stored in a file. It defines the data structure (how the data is organized in the file) as well the type of data that the file contains. Some file formats are “open formats”, meaning they are publicly available and can be used by all software developers. Other file formats are proprietary or “closed formats”, meaning they can only be opened by specific applications.
There are two different ways of storing data in a file – as text or binary data. Text-based file formats, such as XML and HTML, store data as plain text, which means the file content can be viewed in a text editor. Binary files, on the other hand, can only be opened with a program that recognizes the specific file format. While some binary files can be opened in a text editor, most of the data will appear garbled and unintelligible.
Filename
A filename is a text string that identifies a file. Every file stored on a computer’s hard disk has a filename that helps identify the file within a given folder. Therefore, each file within a specific folder must have a different filename, while files in different folders can have the same name.
Filenames may contain letters, numbers, and other characters. Depending on the operating system, certain characters cannot be used since they conflict with operators or other syntax used by the operating system. Different operating systems also have different limits for the number of characters a filename can have. While older operating systems limited filenames to only 8 or 16 characters, newer OS’s allow filenames to be as long as 256 characters.
You can name a file by clicking on the file’s icon or filename, waiting for a second, then clicking on the filename again. As long as the file is not locked, the filename will become highlighted, and you can type a new name for the file. You can also name a file the first time you save it from a program or by selecting “Save As…” from the program’s File menu.
Firewall
A computer firewall limits the data that can pass through it and protects a networked server or client machine from damage by unauthorized users. Firewalls can be either hardware or software-based. A network firewall only allows authorized traffic from the Internet to flow in and out of the network.
Flash Drive
Flash drives have several names: jump drives, thumb drives and USB drives. They are small data storage devices that uses flash memory and have a built-in USB connection.
Flash drives are typically no more than two to three inches in length and less than an inch in width. They are also thin and highly portable.
Early flash drives could store only a few megabytes of data, but modern flash drives can store several gigabytes of information. Since they are small in size but have large storage capacities, flash drives have replaced most previous portable data storage mediums such as floppy disks and removable hard disks like Zip disks. Because they have a built-in USB connection, flash drives do not require a special disk drive to be used. Instead, they can be used on any computer with a USB port.
G
Gigabyte
A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes and precedes the terabyte unit of measurement. Hard drive sizes are typically measured in gigabytes, and can range from 1GB to 950GB. Gigabyte is also used to express the amount of disk space your computer has. If you have a hard drive of 250GB, you have 250 gigabytes of disk space.
H
HDMI
HDMI stands for “High-Definition Multimedia Interface”. HDMI is a digital interface for transmitting audio and video data in a single cable. It is supported by most HDTVs and related components, such as DVD and Blu-ray players, cable boxes, and video game systems.
While other types of A/V connections require separate cables for audio and video data, HDMI carries the audio and video streams together, greatly eliminating cable clutter. For example, a component cable connection requires three cables for video and two for audio, totaling five cables in all. The same information can be transmitted using one HDMI cable.
J
JavaScript
JavaScript is a programming language that can be integrated into standard HTML pages. While JavaScript is based on the Java syntax, it is a scripting language, and therefore cannot be used to create stand-alone programs. Instead, it is used mainly to create dynamic, interactive Web pages. For example, Web developers can use JavaScript to validate form input, create image rollovers, and to open pop-up windows.
K
Keyboard Shortcut
A keyboard shortcut is a key combination that performs a certain command, such as closing a window or saving a file. For example, pressing “Control-S” in a Windows program or “Command-S” on the Mac is the standard shortcut for saving an open document. You can also usually close a window on the Mac by pressing “Command-W” or by pressing “Alt-F4” in Windows. The shortcut for copying text or an image is “Control-C” (Windows) or “Command-C” (Mac) and for pasting, it is “Control-V” (Windows) or “Command-V” (Mac).
Most keyboard shortcuts are shortcuts for commands located in a program’s menu bar. For example, most of the commands within the File and Edit menus have standard shortcuts. Each command that has a keyboard shortcut usually has the shortcut listed next to the command in the menu. For example, the Save option in a Windows program will usually have the text “Ctrl+S” next to it, indicating that pressing Control and S together will save the document.
Keywords
Keywords are words or phrases that describe content. They can be used to describe images, text documents, database records, and Web pages.
Whenever you search for something using a search engine, you type keywords that tell the search engine what to search for. For example, if you are searching for Microsoft Word help, you may enter “Word 2010 help” as your keywords. The search engine will then return Web pages with content relevant to your search terms. The more specific keywords you use, the more specific and useful the results will be.
L
LCD
LCD stands for “Liquid Crystal Display”. LCDs are super-thin displays that are used in laptop computer screens and flat panel monitors. Smaller LCDs are used in handheld TVs, PDAs, and portable video game devices. The image on an LCD screen is created by sandwiching an electrically reactive substance between two electrodes. This color of this substance can be changed by increasing or reducing the electrical current. Since LCD screens are based on the principle of blocking light (rather than emitting it), they use up much less power than standard CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) monitors.
LED
Example: Many modern cars use LEDs for their brake lights.
LED is short for “Light-Emitting Diode”. It is a type of electronic light source that is activated by an electrical current. LEDs are highly energy-efficient and last much longer than traditional light bulbs. They can be used for indicator lights, clock displays, street lights, and many other applications. LEDs have also begun to replace traditional bulbs as the backlight source in LCD monitors and TVs.
M
Malware
Short for “malicious software”, malware refers to software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system. Common examples of malware include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. Viruses, for example, can wreak havoc on a computer’s hard drive by deleting files or directory information. Spyware can gather data from a user’s system without the user knowing it. This can include anything from the Web pages a user visits to personal information, such as credit card numbers. However, you can install anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities on your computer that will seek and destroy the malicious programs they find on your computer.
Megabyte
A megabyte is 1,024 kilobytes and precedes the gigabyte unit of measurement. Large computer files are typically measured in megabytes. For example, a high-quality JPG photo from a 6.3 megapixel digital camera takes up about 3MB of space. A four minute CD-quality audio clip takes up about 40MB of space and CDs can hold up to 700MB of space.
R
Refresh
Refresh is a command that reloads the contents of a window or Web page with the most current data. For example, a window may list files stored within a folder, but may not track their location in real-time. If the files have been moved or deleted since the window was first opened, the folder contents displayed will be inaccurate. By refreshing the window, a current list of files is displayed.
Web browsers include a Refresh command, which reloads the contents of a Web page. This is especially useful for dynamic Web pages, which contain content that changes often. For example, a page may include a stock quote, which is updated every few seconds. By refreshing the page, a user can see the latest quote and track how much the stock continues to drop since he bought it.
Since refreshing a window reloads it with new information, the terms “refresh” and “reload” are often used synonymously. In fact, some Web browsers, such as Firefox and Safari use the term “Reload” instead of “Refresh”. In Windows, the shortcut key for the Refresh command is typically “F5”, while on the Mac, the shortcut is often “Command-R”.
S
Safe Mode
Safe Mode is a way for the Windows operating system to run with the minimum system files necessary. It uses a generic VGA display driver instead of the vendor-specific driver, which means you will likely be working with only 16 colors in a resolution of 640×480. Safe Mode also turns off all third-party drivers for other peripherals such as mice, keyboards, printers, and scanners. In basic Safe Mode, networking files and settings are not loaded, meaning you won’t be able to connect to the Internet or other computers on a network.
Sometimes, Windows may not fully load after an unexpected crash and the only way to get the computer to boot is to use Safe Mode. Once you have successfully booted the computer in Safe Mode, you can run a disk utility program to repair corrupted files or directories on the hard drive. You can also reboot into Safe Mode to see your display when you get a “Sync Out of Range” message on your screen.
To boot your Windows computer into Safe Mode, hold down the F8 key while the computer is starting up. Then select Safe Mode from the list of boot options.
Screenshot
A screenshot, or screen capture, is a picture taken of your computer’s desktop. This may include the desktop background, icons of files and folders, and open windows. It may also include whatever is being displayed by currently running programs. Screenshots are an easy way to save something you see on the screen, such as an open window, image, or text article.
Both the Mac OS and Windows operating systems make it easy to take screenshots. Just use the following keyboard shortcuts to capture the current screen displayed on your computer:
Mac OS X:
Command-Shift-3: Saves a screenshot of the entire desktop to an image file on the desktop.
Command-Shift-4: Saves a screenshot of a selection selected with the cursor to an image file on the desktop.
Command-Control-Shift-3: Saves a screenshot of the entire desktop to the clipboard.
Command-Control-Shift-4: Saves a screenshot or a selection selected with the cursor to the clipboard.
Windows 7:
Print Screen: Saves a screenshot of the entire desktop to the clipboard.
Alt+Print Screen: Saves a screenshot of the active window to the clipboard.
Snipping Tool: You can choose specifically what area of your screen you wish to clip.
Shortcut
A shortcut is a special type of file in an operating system that points to another file or device. You can place shortcuts on the desktop to conveniently access files that may be stored deep in the directory. Double-clicking a shortcut icon is the same as double-clicking the actual file. You can control how a shortcut appears by naming it anything you want and associating a particular icon with it.
T
Task Bar
The task bar spans the bottom of your computer screen and contains the Start button on the left side and the systray on the right. The task bar also includes the current time on the far right side and can hold shortcuts to programs directly to the right of the Start button.
Most of the task bar, however, contains shortcuts to open windows. Whenever you open a program or window, it shows up in the task bar. So if you have Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word open, there will be at least two items in the middle area of the task bar. When you click on a window title in the task bar, that window will become active and show up in front of other open windows. You can also cycle through the task bar items by holding the Alt key and pressing Tab a few times.
V
VGA
VGA stands for “Video Graphics Array”. It is the standard monitor or display interface used in most PCs. Therefore, if a monitor is VGA-compatible, it should work with most new computers. The VGA standard was originally developed by IBM in 1987 and allowed for a display resolution of 640×480 pixels. Since then, many revisions of the standard have been introduced. The most common is Super VGA (SVGA), which allows for resolutions greater than 640×480, such as 800×600 or 1024×768. A standard VGA connection has 15 pins and is shaped like a trapezoid.
VoIP
VoIP stands for “Voice Over Internet Protocol”, and is often pronounced “voip”. VoIP is basically a telephone connection over the Internet. The data is sent digitally, using the Internet Protocol (IP) instead of analog telephone lines. This allows people to talk to one another long-distance and around the world without having to pay long distance or international phone charges.
In order to use VoIP, you need a computer, an Internet connection, and VoIP software. You also need a microphone, analog telephone adapter, or VoIP telephone. Many VoIP programs allow you to use a basic microphone and speaker setup. Others require VoIP phones, which are like regular telephone handsets, but typically connect to your computer via USB. Analog telephone adapters allow you to use regular phones with your computer. IP phones are another option that connect directly to a router via Ethernet or wirelessly. These phones have all the necessary software for VoIP built in and therefore do not require a computer.
Z
Zip
Windows users will see this term a lot when looking for files on the Internet. A zip file (.zip) is a “zipped” or compressed file. For example, when you download a file, if the filename looks like this: “filename.zip,” you are downloading a zipped file. “Zipping” a file involves compressing one or more items into a smaller archive. A zipped file takes up less hard drive space and takes less time to transfer to another computer. This is why most Windows files that you find on the Internet are compressed.
To use a zipped file, you’ll need to unzip it first. Macintosh files are most often “stuffed” into Stuffit files (.sit), which can be “unstuffed”.
File extension: .ZIP