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analog: Continuous wave patterns that travel over telephone lines
AppleTalk LAN: the brand of local area networking employed by Apple/Macintosh computers.
application: Software designed to perform specific tasks and functions
Archie: an automatically accumulated index of the names of the files at FTP sites around the world
archive: a place in which records are stored for safe-keeping or for public access
background: a term employed in a multiprocessing environment to refer to a process which is running off-screen, invisible to the user at the workstation
baud:a measurement of transmission speed over modem-mediated connections; 10 baud is approximately equivalent to 1 character per second
bandwidth: a measure of network carrying ability or an activity's demand upon network carrying ability
BITMAIL: the E-mail system which was created originally for IBM mainframes to run over BITNET. BITMAIL is no longer in use.
BITNET: Because It's Time NETwork: an early world-wide network based originally on IBM mainframes and supported over leased phone lines. BITNET has fallen into disuse in favor of the Internet.
bps: Data transmission speed measured in bits per second
browser: a client on a local machine employed to access and present on the screen any material available on WWW servers around the world
burrow: to search in gopher menu trees for useful information (see also drill [def]
byte: A basic unit of measurement in computer memory that is equal to 8 bits
C++: A procedural programming language which is the object-oriented version of the prgramming language, C
cache: a region of memory or a hardware memory unit dedicated to intermediary storage between the high speed processor and slower peripheral devices like a disk or a network connection
CD-ROM: Compact Disc-Read Only Memory: a high volume, read only, storage technology in increasingly popular use on PCs and Macs for distribution of large bodies of information
client: a machine or process serving as the client in a client-server relationship which typically requests information or services from a server and handles user interface chores itself
client server computing: a model of computing which divides machines into two roles: servers which provide information or processing services and clients which make requests of servers for information or processing
CMS: Conversational Monitor System: IBM's interactive environment running in virtual machines under the management of CP and affording an environment suitable for a majority of academic and individual computing needs
CNS: Computing and Network Services: the service organization charged with maintaining the central computers, their operating systems, the campus backbone network, the public computing laboratories, and their supporting local area networks, and to provide some user support in the form of training and consulting
COBOL: COmmon Business-Oriented Language - A standardized computer programming language developed for performing business-related calculations
command: An instruction for a computer to execute a task
communications: data communications - The collection and distribution of the electronic form of information between systems
control character: Carat-shaped character located on the keyboard
CP: Control Program: the program which runs directly on IBM mainframe hardware which creates and controls the virtual machines which users and applications employ for their work
cursor: the blinking line or rectangle which indicates the position in text on which a word processor or editor is focused. Compare pointer.
CWIS: Campus Wide Information System: CWIS systems, typically gopher- or http-based but sometimes home-grown, are widely implemented to serve as central information sources for university communities.
database: a class of application programs using files of records, each containing a number of diverse fields, as their operational metaphor. Multiple separate files can be related to one another to make a comprehensive application customized to a particular task or mission.
dataswitch: a specialized switching device employed to switch traffic between phone lines and a variety of campus computers
desktop: a term used metaphorically to refer to all the icons and active windows present on the screen during a Windows or a Mac session
directory: A secondary storage location for files and sub-directories
DOS: Disk Operating System: a generic term for operating systems focusing on disks as the primary storage and input/output medium. The term subsumes MS-DOS (Microsoft), PC-DOS (IBM's variation) on the PC, and many other OSs on other platforms.
drag:a verb indicating, in a GUI (q.v.) environment, an action which moves some object (e.g. a slider or an icon) or a pointer (to effect text selection) on the screen
drill: an informal verb referencing the process of descent through a hierarchical series of screens, e.g. "drill down to the new employee data entry screen"
digital video disk: DVD - A high-capacity plastic disk used for storing digital video data
editor: one of a class of programs whose function is to prepare and modify simple textual material like program and data files
elm: one of the Unix-based e-mail systems; the name comes from eletronic mail
emacs: one of the editors available on the Unix system
e-mail: a generic term to encompass all digital electronic mail transmitted over network connections and sent/received by the machine you are using
e-mail address: the character string required by the components of an e-mail system to identify both the individual and the location of an e-mail adressee, usually constituted as userID@hostname, where hostname is now most often an internet address having the form xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, where the xxx are either alphabetic or numeric but now usually alphabetic
encryption: a process by which plain text is converted to coded text for the purpose of obscuring its meaning
Ethernet: a specific networking protocol (CSMA/CD: Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detect) formerly associated with specialized coaxial cable (Ethernet cable) but now merely one of several protocols carried on optical fiber or copper wire as well
execution time - E-time - The time it takes to execute a computer instruction and store the results
external: Located outside of the CPU
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions: collections of questions (with answers) gleaned from participants in various news groups; resource materials about a multitude of topics
file: A collection of related records or an electronic document
file manager: a class of application programs very like database managers, but usually lacking sophisticated mechanisms for relating the contents of individual files to one another
floppy disk: A portable (removable) magnetic secondary storage medium that is also called a diskette
folder: A storage location for files and sub-folders on a disk the same as a directory
foreground: a term used in a multiprocessing environment to refer to the process which is visible on the screen and obviously active
FTP: acronym for File Transfer Protocol, a client-server system designed to allow high speed file transfer between computers on the network
gigabyte: GB - One billion bytes
gopher: a text-based client-server information distribution system largely responsible for the first major growth of Internet traffic. Punfully named after the school mascot of U. of Minn., where the system was developed.
graphics: Images such as pictures, clipart, or graphs created as or converted to electronic files
groupware: a class of application programs for use on PCs on LANs (or WANs) designed to facilitate the effective collaborative effort of a group of colleagues or coworkers. Historically, WWW was intended as groupware, but it outgrew its motivating concept.
GUI: (Graphical User Interface): a general term referencing the "look and feel" of point and click environments in which activities are represented by icons, so that no (or very few) commands or even key combinations need be typed
hard disk: A high speed large capacity secondary storage unit also called a fixed disk
hard return: A line ending created by pressing Enter
hardware: The physical components of a computer system
highlight: To select any number of characters for further action
home page: An Internet display created by an individual or organization
host, host site, host system: the machine, location, or operating system on which some server resides
html: HyperText Markup Language: the collection of tags which define and delimit the various elements of hypertext documents employed to create pages on the World Wide Web
http: HyperText Transfer Protocol: the protocol employed for transmission of hypertext on the World Wide Web
hypermedia: an extension of the concept of hypertext to include non-textual media like pictures, video clips, and sound accessed via pointers embedded in textual material
hypertext: a textual presentation scheme in which users may access passages of text by using links or pointers imbedded in the text to select other, related, passages
icon: a small picture or symbol on the desktop in a GUI environment representing a process or destination. It may be employed to access the represented activity by clicking it.
instruction time - I-time - The time it takes a computer to retrieve and decode a computer instruction
Internet: an informal global network of networks through which e-mail, listservs, news groups, gopher, FTP, and WWW services are provided
Internet Protocol: Refers to the actual computer and network address that connects you to the Internet
keyboard: A computer input device similar to the keyboard of a typewriter
kilobyte - KB: A thousand bytes
LAN: Local Area Network: a network of PCs or MACs within an office or a building connected by a physical network and sharing a common network management system
link: a term referencing the pointers or connections which enable traversal from one hypertext element to another
LISTSERV: a server program which manages discussion groups based on mailing lists. Thousands of such subject oriented groups exist.
logged on: Connected to your e-mail system
LYNX: (1) a text-based client for Internet access developed at the University of Kansas, useful from machines or connections which are inadequate to support Mosaic and Windows
Mac: a convenient nickname for Macintosh computers made by Apple
machine language: The programming language that is interpreted and executed directly by the computer
mainframe: a large multi-purpose computer system, often said to be no longer cost-effective in comparison to newer distributed systems
megabyte - MB: A million bytes
megahertz: Speed of the computer processor measured in millions of cycles per second
microprocessor - Integrated circuit etched on a silicon chip
minicomputer: Business -oriented machines used for slightly smaller operations.
minidisk: a reserved segment of a physical disk dedicated by CP for the use of an individual user or project
mnemonic: a character string selected for its utility in assisting the memory in recalling its function
modem: modulator-demodulator: a device which converts digital information to/from a series of tones suitable for transmission across voice grade telephone lines
monitor: A visual display unit that resembles a television screen
Mosaic: NCSA's (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) full service World Wide Web client for the Microsoft Windows environment, affording access from the desk top to WWW servers
mouse: the most common of the pointing and selection devices employed in GUI (Graphic User Interface) environments
MS-DOS: MicroSoft Disk Operating System: in terms of computers in use, the world's most popular operating system. Excuse the irony. See DOS, above.
multitasking: The ability of a computer to have several programs open and running at the same time
MVS: Multiple Virtual Systems: an IBM batch operating system running under CP capable of managing several batch processes in a single virtual machine
netnews: a nickname for Usenet news or network news, the Internet's set of discussion groups
Netscape: a full service Web browser in competition with Mosaic
network: Two or more computers connected together with communications links and equipment
operating system: The software instructions that run the computer and allow application software to work with hardware to produce a meaningful product.
password: a string of letters and digits selected for its obscurity and designed to protect user IDs, software or files from unauthorized access
PC: a convenient nickname for IBM-compatible personal computers
pico: PIne COmposer: a small user-friendly editor created to support the e-mail handler, pine
pine: user-friendly e-mail handler in the Unix environment
platform: the machine and operating system on which a given computer application (e.g. an e-mail client) resides
pointer:the arrow (or hand or hour glass or ...) whose position on the screen is controlled by the mouse in a GUI environment. Compare cursor.
POP: (Post Office Protocol): a protocol which enables accumulation of email in a post office machine for subsequent access and response by a user working at a remote PC with a local mailer. The current version is called POP3; it is not compatible with earlier versions.
PPP: (Point to Point Protocol): a newer protocol than SLIP, similarly permitting communication over phone lines with relatively high speed modems
printer: A peripheral that enables the transfer to paper of computer-produced information and images
programming language: A language used by computer programmers to communicate instructions to the computer
radio button: an element in a GUI (q.v.) interface permitting choice of a single selection out of a set of alternatives
read-only memory: ROM - A permanent type of computer memory that is meant only to be read and not written to
read/write heads:Parts of a disk drive that is used to read data and write data to the disk
search engine: Software that is designed to search for topics contained in databases or on the Internet
secondary storage: A medium (magnetic or optical) that permanently stores computer information for eventual reuse
server: a machine or process acting as the server in a client-server relationship such as a database, gopher, WWW server or any other which typically supplies information or services to a client
SLIP: (Serial Line Internet Protocol): a method by which machines attached via modem over phone lines become nodes on the Internet
snail mail: a derisive term used by e-mail afficianados to indicate old-fashioned postal service
spool: disk space dedicated to handling a dynamic set of files which are in transit between one location and another, e.g. a print spool, a reader spool
spread sheet: a class of application programs using a ledger page as their operational metaphor. Individual cells at a (row, column) location may contain alphabetic or numeric data, and numeric operations may be entirely automated.
Syquest drive: Semi-portable drives that allow storage of up to 1 gigabyte on a pocket size disk
telecommunications: The process of communicating electronically over distances
TELNET, TN3270: clients or servers which support logon to remote hosts
terabyte: TB - A trillion bytes
TSR: Terminate and Stay Resident: software which serves as an extension to an operating system. Unlike most applications programs, which release the memory they reside in upon termination, TSRs represent a continuing commitment of the memory resource.
Unix: a flexible, interactive, extensible, and permissive operating system and the machines which it typically runs on
URL: Universal Resource Locator: the address which WWW clients, like Netscape, use to access information on the web
Usenet: an historic world-wide network which was supported by dial-up telephone links and in which netnews originated
User ID: the 4 to 7 character string employed in conjuction with a password to identify and validate a user on KSUVM or the Unix system
user interface: Where a user interacts with a computer system
Veronica: an automatically accumulated index of the entries in gopher menus around the world and the search mechanism within the resulting index
vi: visual editor: a popular full screen editor on Unix systems
virtual machine: a computing environment which provides services comparable to those of a real computer. Usually a mainframe will be capable of managing dozens or hundreds of virtual machines.
WAIS: Wide Area Information Service, an index of over 500 indexed databases on the Internet
whois: a specific command (analogous to finger in some environments) which returns a name, user ID, and brief identification for a sought person; generalized to denote all commands with a similar function
Windows: an operating system for PCs which provides a GUI (point and click) environment both for operating system activities and for 'Windows-compatible' application systems
word processing: Creating, editing, formatting, storing, retrieving, and printing documents using a computer and word processing software
WWW: a hypermedia client-server system widely available on the internet intended for world-wide distribution of information in text, pictures, video, or sound
xedit: the predominant editor under CMS on IBM mainframes
Xwindows: an environment popular on Unix workstations and terminals which provides a point, click, select, and drag environment for operating system activities