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Jump to Webopedia Search Engine Attachment: A file attached to an email message. Browser:
Short for Web browser, a software application used to locate and display
Web pages on the Internet.
If you can read this, you're using a browser right now! The two most popular
browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, although
Netscape Navigator is the preferred browser for viewing courses online
at Sinclair. CD-ROM: A compact disc which stores digital computer information and can only be read or played. Database: A collection
of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly
select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic
filing system. Often used as shorthand for database management system.
To access information from a database, you need a database management
system (DBMS). This is a collection of programs that enables you to
enter, organize, and select data in a database. Dialog box: A box that
appears on a display screen to present information or request input. Typically,
dialog boxes are temporary -- they disappear once you have entered the
requested information. Download:
To copy data (usually an entire file) from a main source to a peripheral
device. The term is often used to describe the process of copying
a file or software from an online service or bulletin board service (BBS)
to one's own computer. E-Lesson:
(Electronic Lesson) The part of an online distance learning course that
contains the substantive part of the course content; the e-lesson is equivalent
to an in-class lesson. Email:
Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over computer
communications networks. Extension: One or several
letters at the end of a filename. Filename extensions usually follow a
period (dot) and indicate the type of information stored in the file.
For example, in the filename EDIT.COM, the extension is COM, which indicates
that the file is a command file. Other extensions include .doc (Word document),
.ppt (PowerPoint file), .xls (Excel spreadsheet), .pdf, .rtf, .wav, .mov,
.midi, .avi. File: A collection of
data or information that has a name, called the filename. Almost
all information stored in a computer must be in a file. http:// : Short for
HyperText Transfer Protocol, the underlying protocol used by the World
Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted,
and what actions Web servers and browsers
should take in response to various commands. For example, when you enter
a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP
command to the Web server directing it to fetch and transmit the requested
Web page. Internet:
A global network connecting millions of computers. There are a variety
of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America
Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to
gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP:
Short for Internet Service Provider, a company that provides access to
the Internet. For a monthly fee, the service provider gives you a software
package, username, password
and access phone number; some cable television companies now offer cable
internet service, which provides direct access to the internet without
a phone line. Equipped with a modem, you can then
log on to the Internet and browse the World Wide
Web and USENET, and send and receive email. Keyboard: The set of
typewriter-like keys that enables you to enter data into a computer. Computer
keyboards are similar to electric-typewriter keyboards but contain additional
keys. Learning
Activity: An assignment
in an online distance learning course . The Learning Activities pages
in an online course outline all the assignments relevant to each lesson. Link: A link is a reference
to another document on the Internet. Such links are sometimes called hot
links because they take you to another document when you click on
them. Login:
To make a computer system or network recognize you so that you can begin
a computer session. Most personal computers have no log-on procedure --
you just turn the machine on and begin working. For larger systems and
networks, however, you usually need to enter a username
and password before the computer system will allow
you to execute programs. Mac: Short for Macintosh, the generic name for all computers manufactured by the Apple Corporation. Although most computers are PC's, Macs are often recommended for tasks requiring the use of graphic arts software programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and publishing programs such as Pagemaker and Quark. Menu: A list of commands
or options from which you can choose an item by highlighting it and then
pressing the Enter or Return key, or by simply pointing to the item with
a mouse and clicking one of the mouse buttons. Modem: A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms. Module:
A unit of study. Sinclair online distance learning courses are typically
organized into modules; and each module typically contains an E-Lesson,
Learning Activities page, and Overview. A module is comparable to a chapter,
topic, or other unit. Mouse:
A device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display
screen. A mouse is a small object you can roll along a hard, flat surface.
Its name is derived from its shape, which looks a bit like a mouse, its
connecting wire that one can imagine to be the mouse's tail, and the fact
that one must make it scurry along a surface. As you move the mouse, the
pointer on the display screen moves in the same direction. Mice contain
at least one button and sometimes as many as three, which have different
functions depending on what program is running. Some newer mice also include
a scroll wheel for scrolling through long documents. Online: Turned on and
connected. Users are considered on-line when they are connected to an
internet service provider (ISP) computer service through a modem. That
is, they are actually on the phone or cable line. Overview: Each module in an online course has an overview, summarizing the module's contents and its learning objectives (the skills or abilities the student will gain from studying the module). Password:
A secret series of characters that enables a user to access a file, computer,
or program. The password helps ensure that unauthorized users do not access
the computer. PC: Short for personal computer or IBM PC. The first personal computer produced by IBM was called the PC, and increasingly the term PC came to mean IBM or IBM-compatible personal computers, to the exclusion of other types of personal computers, such as Macintoshes. Peripheral device: Also known as a peripheral, a computer device, such as a CD-ROM drive or printer, that is not part of the essential computer, i.e., the memory and microprocessor. Peripheral devices can be external -- such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor, external Zip drive or scanner -- or internal, such as a CD-ROM drive, CD-R drive or internal modem. Platform:
Refers to the underlying combination of hardware and software for a system;
usually used as a shorthand to refer to a computer's operating system.
(Examples would be Macintosh OS9, Windows 98, Windows ME, etc. For more
about Macintosh and PC's and operating systems as they relate to your
online learning, read Module 3, Navigating
the Technology.) Plugin:
A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service
to a larger system. For example, there are number of plug-ins for the
Netscape Navigator browser that enable it to display different types of
audio or video messages. Flash and Shockwave Player are examples of plugins. Proctoring: Administration of an exam by an official selected by the student and approved by the Division of Distance Learning. Exams for Distance Learning students outside a 60-mile range of Sinclair's campus may be proctored; a local librarian, teacher, or other suitable person meets with the student at an assigned time to oversee the exam at a more convenient location. RAM: Pronounced ramm,
acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be
accessed randomly; that is, any byte (the smallest unit) of memory can
be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common
type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.
Right/left click: Take a look at your mouse. Besides having a rolling part (usually a rubber ball inside a socket on the underside of the mouse), a mouse typically has two buttons, right and left, at the top of the mouse's top side. The buttons have different functions, depending on where they are clicked (on a program icon, on the desktop, on a webpage, on a link, etc) and whether they are clicked once or twice (i.e., double-clicked); for example, left double-clicking on a program or document icon opens the program, while right-clicking the icon does nothing. On the other hand, left-clicking on an image on a webpage may send you to another webpage (if the image is linked), while right-clicking on the image will open a menu allowing you to choose to save the image, open a new browser window, or perform some other action. Search engine:
A program that searches documents for specified keywords and returns a
list of the documents where the keywords were found. www.Google.com and
www.yahoo.com are popular search engines for finding internet (online)
documents. Server: A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. Software: Computer instructions or data. The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. When you purchase a program, you are buying software. But to buy the software, you need to buy thedisk (hardware) on which the software is recorded. Software is often divided into two categories:
Sound card: Sound cards
are necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on modern
personal computers. Sound cards enable the computer to output sound through
speakers connected to the board, to record sound input from a microphone
connected to the computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk. Upload: To copy data
from your computer to another computer, usually an online service or bulletin
board service. USB port: (Universal
Serial Bus) A plug on the computer's exterior that connects peripheral
devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. URL:
Abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, the global address of documents
and other resources on the World Wide Web. Username:
A name used to gain access to a computer system or online service. WebCT: An online course
management system (short for Web Course Tools). Many Sinclair instructors
use WebCT to organize their course materials and make use of the study
and communication tools offered by WebCT, including course mail, an online
calendar, chat rooms, discussion forums, gradebook, quizzes, etc. Read
more about WebCT here. Web
page: A document on the World Wide Web. Every Web page is identified
by a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Web site: A site (location)
on the World Wide Web. Each Web site contains a home page, which is the
first document users see when they enter the site. The site might also
contain additional documents and files. Each site is owned and managed
by an individual, company or organization. Window:
An enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen. Most modern operating
systems and applications have graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that let
you divide your display into several windows. Within each window, you
can run a different program or display different data. Windows:
When spelled with a capital W, Windows is short for Microsoft Windows,
which is a family of operating systems for personal computers. Windows
dominates the personal computer world, running, by some estimates, on
90% of all personal computers. The remaining 10% are mostly Macintosh
computers. Word:
When capitalized, short for Microsoft Word, a word processing program
that allows the user of a computer to create, edit, and print documents. www.: A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a script called HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files. This means you can jump from one document to another simply by clicking on hot spots. Not all Internet servers are part of the World Wide Web. Need more info about computer- and web-related terminology? (The Webopedia will open in a new window.)
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