Internet Surfing

Browser: A software program that is used to view websites and other Internet resources on the WWW.

Cookie: A piece of information (login names, passwords, online "shopping cart" items, user preferences, etc.) sent by a web server to a web browser and saved to the computer. These "cookies" can then be used at a later date to restore the information when the web server is accessed again. Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time.
Domain Name: A unique name that identifies an Internet site. A domain name is the Internet's way of translating a numeric IP address into an easy-to-remember combination of words and numbers. A given machine may have more than one domain name, but a given domain name points to only one machine. For example, the domain names "example.com", "mail.example.com" and "sales.example.com" can all refer to the same machine, but each domain name can refer to no more than one machine.
Helper Application: A program allowing you to view multimedia files (images, audio, video) that your web browser cannot handle internally. The file must be downloaded before it will be displayed. There are some plug-ins that allow you to view the file over the Internet without downloading it first.
Home Page (or Homepage): Originally, a home page was the web page that your browser is set to use when it starts up. The more common definition refers to the main web page for any business or personal site.
Host: Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network. It is common to have one host machine provide several services, such as WWW and USENET.
internet: The vast collection of inter-connected networks that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early 70's.
Internet Explorer: A web browser developed by Microsoft Corporation to compete with Netscape.
internet: (Lower case I) An internet is created any time 2 or more networks are connected together.
Intranet: A network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software found on the Internet, but is only for internal use. A company web server available only to employees would be an Intranet.
IP Number: (Internet Protocol Number) - A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots. 123.45.678.9 could be an IP number. Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number. Most machines also have one or more domain names that are easier for people to remember.
ISP: (Internet Service Provider) - A business that provides access to the Internet and WWW in some form, usually for pay.
Modem: (MOdulator, DEModulator) - An electronic device that lets computers communicate with one another, much as telephones work with people. The name is derived from "modulator-demodulator" because of their function in processing data over analog phone lines. Terminal Adapters are often (and mistakenly) referred to as modems.
Netscape: A web browser created by Netscape Communications Corporation. The Netscape browser was originally based on the Mosaic program developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). It provided major improvements in speed and interface over other browsers, but also engendered debate by being the first to create browser-specific elements for HTML.
NIC(1): (Networked Information Center) - (Networked Information Center) - Any office that handles information for a network can be referred to as an NIC. The most famous of these is the InterNIC, the original ofice of domain registration . Another definition of NIC is Network Interface Card, which plugs into a computer and adapts the network interface to the appropriate standard.
NIC(2) (Network Information Center) - a unique ID Code issued by Registrars.com to identify contact persons associated with a domain name. There can be up to 3 NIC handles per domain, referred to as 'ADMIN / TECH / BILL', each having its own area of responsibility.
NNTP: (Network News Transfer Protocol) - The protocol used by client and server software to move a USENET posting over a TCP/IP network. Most common web browsers use an NNTP connection to participate in newsgroups.
Node: Any single computer connected to a network.
Online: When someone is connected to the Internet, they are considered "online".
Security Certificate: Information that is used by the SSL protocol to establish a secure connection. Security Certificates contain information about its ownership, issuer, valid dates, and an encrypted "fingerprint" that can be used to verify the contents of the certificate. In order for an SSL connection to be created, both sides must have a valid Security Certificate.
Server / Client: A computer or software package that provides a specific kind of service to client software on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software (such as a WWW server) or to the machine that the software is running on (such as a mail server). A single server machine may have several different server software packages running on it.
Shell Account: A software application that allows use of another machines' Internet connection. Users do not have a direct Internet connection; instead, an Internet connection is made through a host computer's connection.

Site: A single web page or a collection of related Web pages.

Telnet: An Internet protocol allowing a PC to connect to a host computer and use that computer as if you were locally connected. This often provides the ability to use all the software and capabilities of the host computer.