Internet Communication:

Account: You are said to have an account on a host computer, or with an online information system, when you have registered with its administrators to use the system. There are usually restrictions on who can register, and registration may involve a fee. When you get an accout, you are issued a user name (userid) and a password that you use to log into the system. Some guest or anonymous accounts, set up for public access to some Internet computers, do not require prior registration, but limit access to a few file directories and allowed commands.
Bookmark: A pointer to a Web site of interest. Within browsers, pages can be "bookmarked" for quick reference, rather than remembering and typing the complete URL in the address bar.
Chat - real-time, synchronous, text-based communication via computer.
Custom Search Engine (CSE) - a Google service in which individuals can create a Google account (free) and create a search engine directed to search within up to 5,000 URLs or websites they select.
Email: (Electronic Mail) - Messages sent from one person to another via the Internet. Email can also be sent to a large number of addresses at once through a Mailing List.
Discussion Group: A section within USENET dedicated to a particular topic or interest. Discussion groups are also known as newsgroups.
Favorites - Another term for bookmarks used by the Internet Explorer web browser. A saved link to a favourite web page.
Field Searching is an ability to limit a search by requiring word or phrase to appear in a specific field of documents (e.g., title, url, link).
Hit: A "hit" is a single request from a web browser for a single item from a web server. For example, a page displaying 3 graphics would require 4 hits: one for the HTML document, and one for each of the 3 graphics. "Hits" are often used as a rough measure of load on a server; however, because each hit can represent a request for anything from a tiny document to a complex search request, the actual load on a machine from a single hit is impossible to define.
Instant Messaging (IM) - a text-based computer conference over the Internet between two or more people who must be online at the same time. When you send an IM the receiver is instantly notified that she/he has a message.
Masking: To conceal a web site's URL in some manner, normally by using a domain name. For example, if a URL shows up as "http://www.example.com/" but the web site is actually located at "http://www.somewhere-else.com/example/", that URL is said to be "masked".
Mailbox: The file or directory where your incoming email messages are stored on the host computer.
Mail Gateway: A network host that transfers email messages between dissimilar email systems, reformatting the addresses and headers to match the destination host network as necessary.
Mailing List: A list of email addresses for a group of people all interested in a particular topic. Mailing lists are used by a mail exploder to forward one message to all people on the list. Lists may be moderated. The moderator maintains the list and decides which messages to explode. In many cases, you can subscribe to or leave a mailing list by sending a message to the list's "request" address.
Mail Server: Software that distributes files or information in response to email requests. Mail servers are used on the BITNET network to provide ftp-like services.
MIME - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A set of Internet functions that extends normal e-mail capabilities and enables computer files to be attached to e-mail. Files sent by MIME arrive at their destination as exact copies of the original so that you can send fully-formatted word processing files, spreadsheets, graphics images and software applications to other users via simple e-mail. Computer viruses are often transmitted via email attachments so if you receive an email with an attachment make sure you trust the source. Also make sure you have adequate Virus protection software and that the virus definitions are up to date.
Listserv - An e-mail list of e-mail addresses of people with common interests. Software enables people who belong to a list to send messages to the group without typing a series of addresses into the message header. Usually members of the group in the listserv have to subscribe to the mailing list.
Login: The user- or account-name used to gain access to a computer system. Also, the act of entering or "signing on" to a computer system.
Netiquette: The desired mode of manners and conduct for the Internet.
Newsgroup - An Internet "site" centered around a specific topic or course. Some newsreader software can "thread" discussion so there can be various topics centered around a central theme. An advantage over e-mail is that the messages are archived and don't reside in your e-mail account, taking up your memory, unless you set up a "sent mail" or "carbon copy" option. The messages can often be threaded according to a particular discussion.
Password: A code used to gain access to a locked system. Effective passwords should contain both letters and non-letters and not be common or easily guessed words.
Popularity Ranking - A Search Engine results ranking system chiefly used by Google. Google incorporates a popularity ranking or PageRank in with its results ranking. At a basic level this is how many other web pages link to a certain page. So page A linking to page B is a vote for page B. If page A is also ranked highly (more popular) then the vote has more weight. The actual algorithm is complex and its full nature a guarded secret to avoid unscrupulous webmasters cheating the system. To see what a pages PageRank is you can download the Google Toolbar.
Posting: A single message entered into a newsgroup, mailing list, or other communications system.
Redirection - A way for a web site to automatically redirect you to a different URL or web page. For example if a web page was renamed or moved you would normally get a 404 Page Not Found error. Instead of this a small piece of code can be used to redirect the user to the pages new location or different page completely.
Results Ranking - The order in which search engine results appear. When you search on a term (keyword) the search engine tries to decide which results are more relevant and display them in an appropriate order. Each search engine uses its own unique algorithm to determine this order. Most are based on the location and frequency of the keywords on a web page with more prominence or weight given to certain areas such as the page title. Whilst others, like Google, combine this with a popularity ranking system.
Register: To pay a software company for a product to receive the full working copy. Registration is most often required for shareware programs, which may be partially disabled or contain "nags" until registered.
Search Engine: A tool for locating information on the Internet by topic. Popular search engines include Yahoo, AltaVista, and HotBot.
Steamming. In keyword searching, word endings are automatically removed (lines becomes line); searches are performed on the stem + common endings (line or lines retrieves line, lines, line's, lines', lining, lined). Not very common as a practice, and not always disclosed. Can usually be avoided by placing a term in " ".
Stop Words. In database searching, "stop words" are small and frequently occurring words like and, or, in, of that are often ignored when keyed as search terms. Sometimes putting them in quotes " " will allow you to search them.
Sub-Searching is an ability to search only within the results of a previous search. Enables you to refine search results, in effect making the computer "read" the search results for you selecting documents with terms you sub-search on.
Subscribe: To become a member of a mailing list, newsgroup, or other online service.
Thread: An ongoing message-based conversation on a single subject.
Blog (weB LOG) A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently. It is common for blogs to be available as RSS feeds.
Podcasting or Pod-casting - a form of audio broadcasting using the Internet, podcasting takes its name from a combination of "iPod" and broadcasting. iPod is the immensely popular digital audio player made by Apple computer, but podcasting does not actually require the use of an iPod. Podcasting involves making one or more audio files available as "enclosures" in an RSS feed. A pod-caster creates a list of music, and/or other sound files (such as recorded poetry, or "talk radio" material) and makes that list available in the RSS 2.0 format. The list can then be obtained by other people using various podcast "retriever" software which read the feed and makes the audio files available to digital audio devices (including, but not limited to iPods) where users may then listen to them at their convenience.
Web Bot - A term that applies to programs/applets (macros and intelligent agents) used on the Internet. Such bots perform a repetitive function, such as posting messages to multiple newsgroups or doing searches for information.
Web page - a document designed for viewing in a web browser. Typically written in HTML. A web site is made of one or more web pages.