Screen

See Monitor.

Search String

Words you type into a SEARCHmate database or a search engine to find information on a topic of interest. Often, if you want more than one word to be considered as a single unit, you must use quotes

EXAMPLE: You want to find Windows 95 information. Typing in the words Windows and 95 in a search engine will look for documents that contain Windows anywhere in the document and 95 anywhere in the document. Typing "Windows 95" will help narrow the search.

SEARCHmate

A computer program that creates, organizes, and searches textual computer data bases. The program was created by Automated Office Systems, Inc.

Search Engine

A Web server, such as Alta Vista or eXcite, that allows you to search for information on the World Wide Web by typing in words for subject areas that interest you. See Search String for more information.

Technet uses a special eXcite search engine that searches only the Technet Web site.

Search session

The period in a SEARCHmate data base between the first search command you enter and the point when you exit to the SEARCHmate Main Menu.

Server

Any computer on the Internet that provides a service to other computers. See Client/Server architecture.

Shareware

Copyrighted software programs that are made available free of charge on a trial basis. If you like a shareware program and decide to use it, you are expected to pay a fee to the program's author (quite often their only source of income). Registration information is usually provided with the software. Typically, a reminder is displayed on your screen advising you of the time you have had the program on your computer and providing an easy method to register your copy. Shareware authors usually belong to the Association of Shareware Professionals. See also Freeware, Public Domain Software.

SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)

An older protocol similar to PPP. Technet does not support SLIP, as PPP is technically superior to SLIP. See PPP for more detail.

SMTP

The standard e-mail protocol used on the Internet that transfers e-mail from one host to another.

Software

Coded instructions that tell a computer what to do.

Space

Cyber

A term borrowed from science fiction, cyberspace refers collectively to the totality of all information networks in the world, including the Internet, various intranets, and even the voice-based telephone system.

Gopher

This refers collectively to all gopher sites.

State Corporation Commission (SCC)

An acronym for the New Mexico State Corporation Commission. New Mexico Technet customers have access to SCC records.

Subscribe

In UseNet terms: When you subscribe to a newsgroup, you are telling the program that retrieves news articles to keep track of which articles you have read, so it will only retrieve the new ones the next time you read news.

In mailing list terms: When you subscribe to a mailing list, you are asking for the messages to be delivered to your mailbox. Be sure to save the message describing how to sign off the list.

- T -

T1 Line

A high speed Internet connection. Many Internet service providers have a T1. A T1 can transfer 1.544 Megabits per sec.

T3 Line

A high-speed Internet connection that typically connects directly to an Internet backbone. A T3 operates at 45 Megabits per second. Technet currently has two T3 connections.

TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

The Internet Protocol is the basic protocol of the Internet. It breaks data into little chunks, called packets, and sends to routers, which "route" them in the right direction. It keeps track of computers by their IP Address. The Transfer Control Protocol handles keeping a connection open between two hosts on the Internet and ensures that the packets IP sends reach their destination: if not, it asks for them to be re-sent. Any computer using TCP/IP is on the Internet.

Telnet

Telnet is one of several Internet protocols that allows you to connect to another computer on the Internet. Once connected via Telnet, your computer acts as a terminal on the remote computer. Generally speaking, the remote computer requires you to login to it before allowing you to use the services provided by that computer. Telnet requires that a Telnet client be installed on your computer.

When a Telnet session begins, a separate window appears on your screen. This window is not a graphical screen like your Netscape or Internet Explorer browsers. It is a character-based (text) interface. Your mouse does not work while in this type of Telnet session. You must use your keyboard. Please refer to the appropriate documentation file for any special keystrokes you must use while using the application. Technet customers use Telnet sessions when accessing SEARCHmate databases and some other Premium Services.

Terminal

A keyboard/display or keyboard/printer device that you use to send data to a computer and receive data from a computer.

Terminal Emulation

Software that makes a computer act like a terminal connected to another computer. Communications software formerly used to connect to Technet uses a VT emulation (the most commonly used) to make your computer "think" that it is a VT terminal instead of a PC. See emulation.

Thread

1). In UseNet newsgroups, a chain of postings on a single subject. Allows you to follow discussions in the order they were posted.

2) Windows 95 name for tasks under multi-tasking environment. See multi-tasking.

Toolbar

A bar across the top of an application window, e.g., Netscape, WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, etc. containing icons for various functions specific to that application. Some toolbars can be customized to suit your preferences. See also Menu Bar.

Trumpet Winsock

The standard program used by computers running Windows 3.1 to implement TCP/IP so that the computer can communicate with the Internet. Windows 95 and PowerPC computers have Internet built into the operating system and do not need Winsock.

- U -

Unique host

UNIX

A widely used operating system that was designed to manage multiple users performing multiple tasks at the same time. UNIX can be installed on main frame computers, mini computers and PCs. Many of the computer systems that Technet users can connect to on the Internet use the UNIX operating system.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

An address for a Web Browser so it knows which page to show. A URL consists of a prefix, a separator, a domain name, and possibly more information. The most common prefix is http, which retrieves normal web pages (written in HTML). Others include FTP, which is used to download files, and telnet. Telnet links generally start your telnet client for you. The URL for New Mexico Technet's home page is: http://www.technet.nm.net/.

UseNet

A group of over 3, 000 newsgroups, or discussion groups, distributed on the Internet. Typically, a user subscribes to the newsgroups that interests them. UseNet uses the NNTP protocol to distribute articles.

Technet customers may access UseNet by using Netscape. See also: Anonymous post.

User addresses

A term sometimes used in e-mail for usernames.

User-Friendly

The theoretical goal of all people involved in end-user (you, the customer) products to create computer or computer-related products that are easy (intuitive) to use. The point-and-click environment of Windows is considered to be more user-friendly than the cryptic DOS prompt.

User Utilities

Programs that let the user change how his or her computer operates.

Username

A set of characters used to identify different users' computer accounts on a shared computer system.

- V -

VAX

Designation for a minicomputer manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation. Some of Technet's computer are VAXes.

VGA

See Resolution.

Video Monitor

See Monitor.

Virus

A program designed as a prank or sabotage to run on your computer without your permission. The best way to protect yourself is to install an anti-virus program, which will search for viruses. Update that program frequently, because of the high rate at which new viruses are produced. (Although Technet recommends use of anti-virus programs, it cannot support them.)

Virus Checker

See Antivirus program.

VT

See Terminal Emulation.

- W -

WAIS

An kind of online database that many Web Browsers can access.

Web

See World-Wide-Web (WWW).

Web Browser

A program capable of displaying documents written in the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) that are retrieved off the World-Wide-Web (WWW).

Web Browsers can be either graphical or text only browsers. Graphical browsers are capable of displaying graphic images. Newer graphical browsers can display animation, play back audio sound clips, brief video programs, and more (additional hardware and/or software may be required for these features). Text only browsers cannot display graphics. They display only text. When using a text only browser graphic images are identified by [Image], [Inline] or may have a brief description of the graphic.

Some graphical web browsers are: Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Quarterdeck QMosaic. The most widely used text web browser is Lynx.

Web Page

Each page that a Web Browser displays is considered a Web page, even if it's long enough that scrolling is required. Web pages may change the appearances of links. Web pages are written in HTML.

Some Technet web pages, including documentation sections, are broken up into several Web pages to decrease the time required to load them. If you wish to print out a section, be sure to print out all the web pages for that section.

Web Server

A server that offers Web pages and other files to your Web browser program, which is a client.

Windows 3.1

A Graphical User Interface, not an Operating System, because it relies on DOS to perform many functions. Its successor, Windows 95, is an operating system.

Windows 3.1 is the minimum operating system Technet currently supports.

Windows 95

The most recent version of Windows, Windows 95 is its own operating system. The operating system can do multitasking using threads, as well as offering an improved interface over 3.1

Win32s

A freeware utility, developed by Microsoft, that upgrades Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 so they can run 32-bit applications.

Winsock

An agreed-upon way for PCs and Macintoshes to connect to the Internet. Windows 3.1 users may wish to use Trumpet Winsock. Windows 95 and PowerPCs do not use Winsock: they have built-in Internet.

World-Wide-Web (WWW)

All of the Web Servers that offers web pages or other content to Web Browsers make up the WWW. The WWW is not the Internet: it uses the Internet to get the documents

Technet uses the WWW interface for its customers. See also client/server architecture.

Occasionally, a link to a Web page may prove inaccessible: trying later is always a good idea.

- X -

XMODEM

See Modem.

XON/XOFF

See Handshaking.

- Y -

YMODEM

See Modem.

- Z -

Zip

Que's Computer & Internet Dictionary, 6th Edition
Copyright © 1995 by Que^® Corporation.

Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms, Third Edition
Copyright © 1988 Simon and Schuster, Inc.