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O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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Demo (Demonstration Copy)

Demo software is free or nominally priced software that a user can download from the Internet for a test run. This software often automatically expires after a month or two, giving the user time to evaluate the program but not the right to keep it forever. Before downloading any demo, make sure that the source is reputable. Viruses hidden in games or other software may crash your computer.

 

Domain Name

Each server on the Internet has a domain name. The last three letters for all servers located in the United States describe the type of organization using the server (such as "gov" for government or "com" for commercial). Internet addresses outside of the U.S. have two additional letters denoting the country of origin ("is" for Israel, for example). Because so many web sites are coming online, more domain names will be added soon. Current common domains include:

Examples of full domain names are "harvard.edu" and "whitehouse.gov." Most filtering software allows parents to block access to offensive domains. This is a valuable feature because it is much faster and easier to block access to an inappropriate address than to individually block access to all of the web pages found at that address.

 

Download

Transferring information or files off the Internet into your own computer is referred to as downloading. For example, if users want to test Cyber Patrol, they can go to the Cyber Patrol web site and download a copy to their computer. With most new browsers, downloading is a seamless process requiring no technical expertise. While the download is in process, most browsers inform the user how much time remains before the download is finished (for example, "five minutes remaining to completion"). Users also can download e-mail attachments (usually an automatic process when receiving e-mail) and files found on FTP sites.

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E-mail (Electronic Mail)

Any message sent via the Internet to an e-mail address such as fred@pacbell.net is called e-mail. These messages can be sent via a stand-alone e-mail software program like Eudora or by the mail programs built into most browsers. All e-mail addresses have four components: 1) a user name (fred in the above example), 2) the @ symbol (pronounced "at"), 3) the location of the user’s account (Pacbell in this example) and 4) the three last letters (domain) which describe the nature of the e-mail account (.net in this example). The period "." is pronounced "dot."

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Most newsgroups, and some web sites, have FAQs, pronounced as "Faks," that provide newcomers with answers to common questions such as, "What is the purpose of this site?" It is wise to consult the FAQ before posting messages to newsgroups for the first time. Otherwise you may be flamed for misusing the newsgroup.

 

Favorites

While most browsers use the term "bookmark" for web sites that have been marked for easy reference, the Internet Explorer and AOL call them "Favorites."

 

Flame (or Flaming or Flamewar)

Sending someone a strongly worded (sometimes obscene) message is referred to as "flaming." Flame wars often erupt in newsgroups and can spill over into private e-mail. In general, it is best to ignore any flame sent your way, as responding usually serves to turn up the heat.

 

Freeware

Free software is referred to as freeware. Much Internet software is freeware because the authors hope to build market share in rapidly growing markets. Microsoft allows free downloading of its Internet Explorer, for example, to wrest market share from Netscape Navigator.

 

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP is a protocol that enables remote computers to connect and transfer files back and forth. For the average user, this term no longer matters. Although FTP sites once required the use of specialized programs such as Gophers, web browsers now look at FTP sites almost as if they were web sites, thus greatly simplifying access.

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