The Online World resources handbook
The Online World resources handbook
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Anonymous FTPThe procedure of connecting to a remote computer, as an anonymous or guest user, to transfer files back to your computer. Usually, you are asked to logon using the identity "anonymous," and to use your email address as a password. (See FTP below for more information.) Archie
Directory service for locating information throughout the Internet. Used
to locate files on anonymous ftp archive sites, other online directories
and resource listings.
Put the word HELP in the body of your mail for instructions. telnet://archie.funet.fi Finland Archie is also available from the following Archie Web server page: http://www-polisci.tamu.edu/lab/archie.htm ASP (Active Server Pages)Dynamic ASP scripts add user interactivity and convenience to web pages. The result is programmable web pages that mix HTML, ODBC database reading and writing, and other services.Active Server Pages script resource: http://www.vra.net/code/. BackboneInternet's data flows on high-speed lines called backbone lines. A high- speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. BandwidthThe amount of frequencies a device can handle. The amount of bandwidth a channel is capable of carrying tells you what kinds of communications can be carried on it. In computer-mediated communications, bandwidth is often used when talking about conference users' capacity for reading, digesting and responding to conference items. Botis short for "roBot" in popular Internet language. Netters also use terms like IRC roBOTS, Software Agents, InfoBots, Intelligent Agents, World Wide Web Bots, Wanderers, and Spiders. You'll find a Bot FAQ file with many links to more information. There's also interesting information at the UMBC's AgentWeb. Browser
A program that lets you view various Internet resources. Netscape and Microsoft
Internet Explorer are popular browsers. Internet browsers let you follow
World Wide Web hyperlinks. Browser Add-OnsSoftware that gives your browser programs more power. Visit this page for a list of your options. CGICommon Gateway Interface. Used by html writers to let a page communicate with other programs running on the server. For links to information and resources, check The CGI Resource Index, and Scriptsearch. CU-SeeMeVideo Conferencing over the Internet. Cookies
A cookie is few lines of text that is part of an http transaction. It was
originally invented to help you navigate the web. When you are connected
to a particular Internet site, the server doesn't actually remember you from
one instruction to the next, much less one visit to the next. The server
therefore sends you a cookie, and uses the information contained therein
to remember your preferences (without bothering you), keep track of items
in your shopping cart, or simply count you accurately as a single visitor
and track your navigation through the web site.. Domain Name System (DNS)
Email addressing system used in networks such as Internet and BITNET. The
Internet DNS consists of a hierarchical sequence of names, from the most
specific to the most general (left to right), separated by dots, for example
nic.ddn.mil. EudoraPopular email system for Windows, MS-DOS and Macintosh computers. Free versions are available . FAQs
"Frequently Asked Questions" are information files about services on the
Internet, and a wide range of other topics. Useful pointers to resources,
and a fairly reliable source of answers that have been tested by real
users. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/faqsearch.html Reference.COM (see Chapter 11) is an efficient way of keeping track of changes in important Usenet FAQs. For example, try the search term "australia/oz-net-faq" to keep track of the "Network Access in Australia FAQ." Finger
A program that returns information about registered users on a host that
is directly connected to the Internet via TCP/IP. You cannot use finger to
find user addresses on BITNET or UUCP, or any other networks gatewayed to
the TCP/IP Internet. send http://www.mit.edu:8001/finger?<user@site> Replace <user@site> with your desired email address, as in send http://www.mit.edu:8001/finger?presno@eunet.no
Finger is also being used as a general information system. For example, finger
help@dir.su.oz.au for information about how to search some databases using
finger. Databases include Archie, Internet, Newsgroups, and Postcodes (Australian
Postcodes). Firewall
Method used by several organizations to protect users from the "unsecure"
network, and disallow unwanted logins or file transfers from the Internet.
An Internet site will be denied a connection if an attempt is made to login
to the firewall server. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
A program for sending and receiving files to and from a remote computer to
your local host. Lets you connect to many remote computers, as an anonymous
or guest user, to transfer files back to your computer. Lets you list file
directories on foreign systems, get or retrieve files. You cannot browse
menus, send email, or search databases using FTP. FYI"For Your Information." A subseries of RFCs that are not technical standards or descriptions of protocols that are available from http://www.rfc-editor.org and many other sources on the Internet. Gopher
Gopher is a tool for exploring the Internet and to find a resource if you
know what you want, but not where to find it. Gopher systems are menu- based
in a top-level subject-oriented way, and provide a user-friendly front end
to Internet resources, searches and information retrieval. Type=1 Name= United States GOVERNMENT Gophers Path=1/welcome/peg/GOPHERS/gov Host=peg.cwis.uci.edu Port=7000 URL: gopher://peg.uci.edu:7000/11/welcome/peg/GOPHERS/gov
If your browser cannot use this information directly, try to deduct the
information from the URL line. In this example, it translates into 'gopher
peg.uci.edu 7000' , select peg / gophers/ gov. URL: gopher://liberty.uc.wlu.edu/11/gophers/other Also, see Veronica below. Gophermail
To use Gopher by electronic mail. Messages containing menus and gopher link
information are mailed you in response to your requests. You reply to these
messages and show which menu items you want. Lets you use the Gopher without
having a direct "live" Internet network connection. gophermail@cr-df.rnp.br (Brazil)
If you send a blank message, a help screen will be returned to you.
Binary and Sound Files are sent as uuencoded files. computers and (macintosh or ms-dos) Home pageAn Internet document created with HTML (the HyperText Markup Language) often containing graphics, text, and hypertext links to other "pages." HotJavaA modular, applet-aware, extensible World-Wide Web browser written in the Java programming language. HTMLThe HyperText Markup Language is used to compose WWW pages. Sources for information (also, see "WWW" below):
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Hypertext is text with pointers to other text.
Thus, hypertext is a term used of linking related information. IMAP
The Internet Mail Access Protocol (originally Interactive
Mail Access Protocol) offers easier administration and more power
than the old POP (Post Office Protocol). It let you remotely
manipulate your mailbox on the mail host without having to retrieve it to
your local PC first. You can access email stored on multiple hosts and in
multiple folders on one host. International Standard Top-level Country codes
Top-level country codes derived from the International Standards Organization's
international standard ISO 3166. For a current list, retrieve
the International
E-mail FAQ. It is regularly being posted to the
comp.mail.misc,
comp.mail.uucp,
news.newusers.questions,
alt.internet.services,
alt.answers,
comp.answers, and
news.answers newsgroups. Internet numberSee IP Address IP (Internet Protocol)
The Internet standard protocol that provides a common layer over dissimilar
networks, used to move packets between host computers and through gateways
if necessary. IP Address
Every machine on the Internet has a unique address, called its Internet number
or IP address. Usually, this address is represented by four numbers joined
by periods ('.'), like 129.133.10.10. Internet providerAn organization that gives customers access to the Internet via the provider's computers and connections. (See Appendix 7.) IRC
Internet Relay Chat is a multi-user, multi-channel chatting network. It allows
people all over the world to talk to one another in real-time. Java
Java is two things: a programming language and a platform. See the Java Tutorial
at
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/. ITR
Internet Talk Radio. For general information (a FAQ) about the Internet
Multicasting Service radio programs, send email to
info@radio.com. LinuxA free operating system based heavily on the POSIX and UNIX API's. It supports both 32 and 64 bit hardware. Visit http://www.linux.org.uk/ for information and downloads. LISTPROCAn automated mailing list distribution system similar to the LISTSERV program (see below). To subscribe to a LISTPROC list, send an email containing the following type of command in the body of your mail SUBSCRIBE <list name> Your name LISTSERV
An automated mailing list distribution system enabling online discussions
of technical and nontechnical issues conducted by electronic mail throughout
the Internet. The LISTSERV program was originally designed for the BITNET/EARN
networks. SUBSCRIBE <list name> <your name> Example: If your name is Oleg Moskwa, and the list name is KIDLINK, send an email to the LISTSERV address above with the following command in the body of your text: SUBSCRIBE KIDLINK Oleg Moskwa
Note: Some LISTSERVs will reply by sending you a request to confirm the
subscription by replying with an OK and a unique number. After 48 hours (this
can vary) the request is dropped, and the user will have to start over. While
this may seem like a hassle, it is really in your interest. The confirmation
system prevents others from subscribing you onto lists pretending to be you.
SIGNOFF KIDLINK
Important: All subscription commands must be sent to the LISTSERV address,
and not to the mailing list itself. If you send it to the mailing list's
address, the LISTSERV will forward your mail to all subscribers, and nothing
may happen. SET <listname> NOMAIL
Other mailing list programs exist. Some are using the Unix readnews or rn
facility. Others are called MajorDomo and LISTPROC. Commands differ. On some
lists, you must use "UNSUBSCRIBE <LISTNAME>" rather than SIGNOFF. Lynx
If you don't have a TCP/IP connection to an Internet provider, the easiest
way to access the World Wide Web is through Lynx. This text-only based browser
works on any VT100 (ASCII) emulating terminal program using full screen,
arrow keys, highlighting, and can be found on almost any Internet host. MAILBASEA program functioning like a LISTSERV. For more information about the Mailbase at Newcastle University (England), send email to MAILBASE@MAILBASE.AC.UK containing the following commands:
Mailing list
A possibly moderated discussion group on the Internet, distributed via email
from a central computer maintaining the list of people involved in the
discussion.
Majordomo
is another program that organizes mailing lists. Commands for subscribing
and unsubscribing are similar to those used with a LISTSERV except that the
name is not given at the end of the subscription line. Further, rather than
sending e-mail to LISTSERV at the site that houses the list, send to
majordomo@csn.org. MIME
The Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions is a specification that offers
a way to interchange text in languages with different character sets, and
multi-media email among many different computer systems that use Internet
mail standards.
MIME supports several pre-defined types of non-textual message contents,
such as 8-bit 8000Hz-sampled mu-LAW audio, GIF image files, and PostScript
programs. It also permits you to define your own types of message parts.
MirrorTerm used about one or several hosts on the Internet that maintain a complete copy ("mirror") of selected contents from another host on the net. NetnewsSee: Usenet. NewsgroupTerm used for online conferences on Usenet. See Appendix 1 for more. NNTP serverUsenet netnews are being distributed globally through local servers, called NNTP servers. You should use a local server. if available, for higher speed. Reading programs, like WinVN and Netscape, require that you put the address of a NNTP server in the configuration file. Netscape example: NNTP_Server=nntp-oslo.uninett.no NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol) is an extension of the TCP/IP protocol that describes how newsgroup messages are transported between compatible servers. Lists of free NNTP servers: http://home.eunet.no/~kjetilm/news.htm and http://www.krusty.net/usenet.shtml. Ping (Packet Internet Groper)
A program to test a network connection on the Internet. Used to check if
a connection to another host is available, when your email seems not to reach
a receiver. PostmasterOn the Internet, the person responsible for handling electronic mail problems, answering queries about users, and other related work at a site. POP3
Internet's Post Office Protocol version 3.0. An off-line mail client (like
Eudora or Outlook Express) connects to a mail server, as requested by the
user, and downloads all the mailbox data to the client's computer. In the
setup of your Internet mail client application, the IP address of the POP3
server is pointing at the host receiving our email. PPP
Point-to-Point Protocol. A serial communications protocol for connecting
to the Internet by direct or dial-up lines. PPP systems can receive and transfer
files without having to use the intermediate host as a transfer and rest
stop. It is generally considered to be superior to SLIP, because it features
error detection, data compression, and other elements of communications protocols
not included in SLIP. A proxy server is a machine which retrieves documents on command. The advantage with a proxy server is that it normally caches documents, and makes it considerably faster to retrieve documents from the proxy rather than directly from a machine eg., overseas. Resource Description Framework (RDF) RDF is a basis for encoding and using data about documents or Web pages which purports to facilitate the automation of their processing. See: http://www.w3.org/RDF/ RealAudio
Software tool that supports transmissions of real-time, live or prerecorded
audio. You can get satisfactory performance using a 14.400 bits/s modem.
The client software is free. RFC
The Internet's Request for Comments document series. Working notes of the
Internet research and development community. A document in this series may
be on essentially any topic related to computer communication, and may be
anything from a meeting report to the specification of a standard. Macromedia Shockwave: viewing of interactive multimedia content inside a Web browser. SLIP
Serial Line Internet Protocol. A method for connecting to the Internet. SLIP
systems can receive and transfer IP packets over a serial link, such as a
dial-up or private telephone line. SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The Internet standard protocol for transferring
electronic mail messages from one computer to another. SMTP specifies how
two mail systems interact and the format of control messages they exchange
to transfer mail. TalkA command on the Internet, which may remind of IRC, but is a single link between two parties only. TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Communications protocols
that internetwork dissimilar systems connected to the Internet. TCP/IP supports
services such as remote login (telnet), file transfer (FTP), mail (SMTP and
POP). http://www-iso8859-5.stack.net/pages/faqs/tcpip/tcpipfaq.html You should also take a look at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet/tcp-ip Telnet
A program on the Internet that allows you to execute commands on remote computers
as though you were logged in locally. You can browse menus, read text files,
use gopher services, and search online databases. Sometimes, you can join
live, interactive games and chat with other callers. Usually, you cannot
download files or list file directories. URL (Universal Resource Locator)
A Universal Resource Locator is the address of any multimedia resource on
the Internet. A sort of standardized description of the location of a given
network resource, and the protocol used to access the resource. http://home.eunet.no/~presno/index.html This tells us: the tool: http (see above)
The first part of the URL, before the colon, specifies the access method.
The part of the URL after the colon is interpreted specific to the access
method. In general, two slashes after the colon show a machine name (machine:port
is also valid). gopher://nutmeg.ac.uk/archive/uunet/archive/Health.Care/report/forward.txt The URL tells us: the tool: gopher A ftp example, showing site, directory, and file name: ftp://ftp.rpi.edu/pub/communications/internet-cmc.html A telnet example: telnet://database.carl.org/ A newsgroup example: news:alt.bbs A file example, showing site, directory, and file name: file://localhost/mysub/mypage.html UsenetA global bulletin board, of sorts, in which millions of people exchange public information on every conceivable topic. For more information, see Appendix 1. UUCPSee Appendix 1. VMSVirtual Memory System. A multiuser, multitasking, virtual memory operating system for the VAX series from Digital Equipment. RoutersRouters are the pathfinders of the Internet. Your stream of packets may pass through large numbers of routers before they reach their destination. Web Forumsare also called Browser Message Boards. They are conference systems using Web technology. Users must visit a particular website for each web forum to read messages from others and post their own. See http://bbs.augsburg.edu/~schwartz/ebbs.html for a list of BBS Sites on the Internet, including Web browser message boards. Several Web forums are indexed at Reference.COM. Winsock
The Windows Socket standard. An application programming interface (API) designed
to let Windows applications (such as a Web browser) run over a TCP/IP network.
WWW (World Wide Web)
A global information service that provides top level access down to documents,
lists, databases, and services. It includes resources such as FTP, and
Gopher. If at all interested in the web's history, you must visit Deja Vu!
The Scout Toolkit
page will help you identify the network tools most appropriate for
your needs. Netscape and Microsoft Explorer are not the only browser programs
that will let you use the web. For example, Lynx may be good for some dial-up
users with slow access to the Internet, or for users with old computers.
In January 2000, Inktomi and the
NEC Research Institute claimed there were more than one billion unique
documents on the Internet on 6,409,521 servers (around 64% of the number
reported by Netcraft). For more
You may want to start with the "Internet Services FAQ" (see FAQ above). |
The Online World resources handbook's text on paper, disk and in any
other electronic form is © copyrighted 2001 by Odd
de Presno. |
Offers access to the "whatis"
database of descriptions that include the name and a brief synopsis of the
large number of public domain software, datasets and informational documents
located on the Internet.