*Hacker: A person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a system, computers, software, and computer networks in particular.
*Hit: A request from a browser for a single item from a web server. An overused term when discussing traffic on a Website, e.g. "We get 500,000 hits per month." Calling one page from a server could result in dozens of "hits" because each graphic is interpreted as a hit. In reality, counting only the "index.htm" page or "default.htm" page would be a more accurate gauge of traffic.
*Hardware
The physical parts of a computer and other related devices are termed as Computer hardware. Hardware can be divided into two parts-Internal hardware also referred to as components and External hardware which is referred to as peripherals. Devices which are included under internal hardware are motherboards, hard drives and RAM. External hardware include monitors, keyboards,mice, scanners and printers.
*Hyperlink
A word,phrase or image that needs to be clicked to enable the user to go to a new document or section within the current document. Nearly all web pages have hyperlinks. The hyperlink stands out when the cursor is moved over it, usually changing the arrow into a small hand pointing to the link. When clicked,a new page or place is opened on the current page. Hyperlinks are also found in other hypertext documents like encyclopedias, glossaries, dictionaries and other material used for reference.
*Hacker
This term is used to refer to someone who can gain access to other computers without permission. A simple task like figuring out someone's password to a difficult task like writing a custom program to break another computer's security code can be done by a hacker with ease. Software manufactures release periodic "security updates" to minimize hacking, especially in large business organizations.
*Hard Disk
A spindle of magnetic disks, called platters,that record and store information are called hard disks. Every time data is saved or a program is installed on the computer, the information is written on the hard disk. The hard disk stores data magnetically, because of which the recorded information recorded on it stays there even when the computer is turned off.
*Hard Drive
The hard disk where all the files and folders are physically located are stored in the hard drive. Only a little bigger than the hand the typical hard drive can hold over 100 GB of data, this is stored on a stack of disks that are mounted inside a solid cover. The speed (5400 or 7200RPM)at which these disks spin makes it possible to access data immediately from anywhere in the drive.
*Home Page
It is a local file that loads when a web browser is started. This also happens when the browser's "home" button is pressed. The front page, webserver directory index or the main web page is what comprises the home page of a group, an individual, a company or even an organization.
*Hyper-Text Markup Language(HTML)
This term refers to the language that web pages are written in. A variety of tags and attributes are used to define the structure and layout of a web document. The rules of HTML must be kept in mind while writing web pages so that it would be displayed correctly in the web browser.
*Hyper Text Transfer Protocol(HTTP)
The protocol which is being used to transfer data over the World wide web is called HTTP. This is the reason that all web addresses have "http://" at the beginning of their website address. As soon as a URL is typed into the browser and the Enter button is pressed,an http request is sent to the appropriate web server. This server then send the page you the HTML page you have asked for.
*Host
A web, an e-mail and a FTP server are examples of a host. Host refers to a computer that acts as a server for other computers which are on a network.
*Handle
The name used while chatting online is referred to as handle. Using a handle, one can chat online using an identity which does not give others' information that you would not be comfortable revealing.
*IP Address: IP is short for Internet Protocol, using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). An address is 4 octets of numbers, each octet ranges for 0 to 255. The address is unique for each connection on the network. The network can be a local (LAN) or the Internet (WAN). The WAN connection can also be a direct phone line to another fiscal location.
*IOS Error: (Initiating the Operating System, the true meaning is Input/Output Supervisor) These errors occur while Windows is first booting up, loading files into memory. There are logged in the bootlog. This error can be devastating, causing you to be locked out of Windows. IOS errors can not generally be repaired by reinstalling Windows. Usually you need to format. RegRepair 2000 can repair most of these errors as long as you are not locked out of Windows. Windows may not report these errors to you while booting. To find these errors use the Find IOS Errors in RegRepair 2000.
*IRQ: (Interrupt Request) There are 15 IRQs available. No two pieces of hardware can share the same IRQ, with the exception of your PCI and IDE controllers. The IDEs are usually 14 and 15. A special card can be installed in your machine to make available more IRQs.
Microsoft Press's: Hardware lines over which devices can send signals to get the attention of the processor when the device is ready to accept or send information. Typically, each device connected to the computer uses a separate IRQ.
*I/O: (Input / Output Range) The memory addressing range a device uses to communicate. No two devices may share an I/O range. If you have 3 or more Com ports then I/O s are shared which means that only one device may be used at a time.
Microsoft Press's: I/O request Packet: data structures that drivers use to communicate with each other.
*Input
Any data that is entered into the computer using input devices like the keyboard, mouse, scanner and other such devices is called Input. The data can include text typed in a word processing document,words entered while searching using a search engine,or even information entered into an excel sheet. Small and simple things like like clicking or moving the mouse button to scanning a document is termed Input.
*IP address
A code which is made up of numbers separated by three dots and used to identify a particular computer located on the Internet is called an IP number. All computers require an IP address to connect to the Internet. Four sets of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by 3 dots comprise an IP address.
*Input/Output (I/O)
As the name suggests this term is used to refer to how different parts of the Information Processing System communicate with each other. The signals received by the unit are called Inputs and the signals sent from it are termed Outputs.
*Internet Connection Firewall(ICF)
The term written above is a Windows XP feature. It is a feature that protects computers which are connected to the Internet from unauthorized viewing. Once ICF is enabled,incoming requests are logged on. If the information that comes in is something that has been requested then the transmission will be passed,if not,the transmission will be dropped.
*Instant Messaging(IM)
Instant message and IMing are two other names by which Instant Messaging is referred to. Instant Messaging means using typed text to communicate with two or more people connected to the IM client software. This conversation differs from an E-mail, as this happens in real-time.
*Infotainment
A term coined to connect two words-Information and Entertainment. It refers to any movie,software,television show,website which has content that is a perfect blend of information and entertainment.
*Internet
Millions of computers all connected by a global network,constitute the Internet.The Internet consists of smaller domestic,academic,business and government networks which together carry information and services.
*Icon
Icons are small pictorial representations used for an object or program. They serve as a useful tool as with the help of the mouse or the keyboard, icons can be minimized and maximized.
*Internet Service Provider(ISP)
A company or organization that provides consumers access to the Internet and other related services for a nominal fee. Dial-up,Broadband,Cable modem ISDN,Gigabit Ethernet,Satellite Internet Access are some of the popular options.
*Information Technology(IT)
Pronounced as two separate letters, IT refers to anything related to networking,hardware,software,the Internet,or even the people who work using these technologies. IT departments whose responsibilities include managing the computer networks,and other technical areas of the business have come into existence.
*Internet Connection Sharing(ICS)
Using ICS,several computers can connect to the Internet using the same connection as well as IP address. For several computers in a household to connect to the same cable or DSL modem,a router has to be used. Apart from a router,software like Windows 98 and later as also Mac OS X, support Internet connection sharing.
*Integrated Circuit(IC)
A small electronic device made out of silicon, that possesses the ability to hold hundreds to millions of transistors, resistors and capacitors. Though small,IC's can perform calculations and store data,using both the digital and analog technologies.
*Java
Originally called OAK,Java is a high-level programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. As OAK was unsuccessful,it was renamed Java. Java is similar to C++, though it has been simplified to get rid of common errors made while programming.
*Java Script
A scripting language developed by Sun Microsystems together with Netscape. As mentioned earlier, being a scripting language,JavaScript cannot be used to create stand-alone programs,so it is instead used to create web pages that are dynamic and interactive.
*Joint Photographic Experts Group(JPEG)
JPEG is a compression method commonly used for photographic images. JPEG itself specifies the program code which defines how an image is compressed into bytes and then decompressed back into images and the file format used during this procedure.
*Java Runtime Environment(JRE)
Also known as J2RE, this is a software bundle created by Sun Microsystems. Using this software allows a computer system to run a Java application,which is necessary to view many Internet pages.
*Java Server Page(JSP)
JSP is a Java technology with the help of which software developers can dynamically generate HTML,XML or other types of documents which are created in response to a request by a Web client. Using this technology, certain pre-defined and Java code are allowed to be embedded into static content.
*Jumper
A metal connector,small in size that acts as an on/off switch and is used to change hardware configurations,is termed a jumper. It is usually made up of two wires and a small piece of metal. The jumper is turned on by connecting the wires to the metal piece,and is disconnected by removing the wires. Jumper blocks,which are made up of multiple jumpers are used to provide information to a computer regarding the configuration of certain devices like a hard drive or a modem.
*Kilobits Per Second(Kbps)
The term written above is used to describe data transfer rates,33.6 Kbps and 56 Kbps are two modem speeds which are common.
*Kernel
The kernel is used to refer to the central component of most computer Operating Systems. Managing the system's resources is one of it's responsibilities. Different kernels perform different tasks which depend on their design and implementation.
*Kerning
This term is used to refer to space which exists between the characters of a font. If Kerning were not available then each character would take up a block of space after which the next character would be printed. Using Kerning,characters vertically overlap,meaning part of two characters take up the same vertical space. This is useful because it allows more text to be placed within confined space.
*Keyboard
Computer hardware which has been made like the typewriter keyboard. There are three types of keys on a computer keyboard-Alphanumeric, which comprises of letters and numbers. Punctuation, which is made of the comma, punctuation and so on and the Special keys which include function keys,control keys,arrow keys and the Caps lock. The keyboard is used to enter data into a computer.
*Keyboard Shortcut
A set of keys that perform a function when used with some special key combinations. Most of what is termed as keyboard shortcuts are shortcuts for commands located in a program's Menu bar. For instance the shortcut for copying data in Windows is "Control -C" and "Command-C" in Mac.
*Keystroke
This term is used to refer to a character on the keyboard. A keystroke is performed when a key is pressed. At times,keystrokes per minute is used to measure the typing speed of an individual,instead of words per minute.
*Kibibyte(KiB)
Established by the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2000, Kibibyte is a unit of computer storage or information. The term has been coined to refer exclusively to 1,024 bytes.
*KVM Switch
The Keyboard, Video and Mouse together constitute the KVM Switch. This is a hardware device using which a user can control multiple computers. Though multiple computers are connected to the KVM, a smaller number can also be controlled at any time given.
*Key: An index in the Registry's database. If you view the Registry using RegEdit you will see folder in the Left window and subfolders. These are Keys in the Registry. The Registry is a database. Entries in the database are found in the right window.
*Low Level Format:Writing zeros to the entire hard drive which removes all partitions, clusters, boot sectors, all data is removed.
*Local Area Network(LAN)
A computer network that covers a small geographic area like a home, office or group of buildings together make up the LAN. Most large and mid sized business establishments today use the LAN. This makes it easy and convenient for employees to share information.
*Laptop
Portable computers that can be carried while on the move, Laptop's include a screen, keyboard and a trackpad also referred to as a trackball. Since Laptop's were created for people who are on the move, they contain a battery that allows them to operate without being connected to a terminal. The battery can be charged using an adapter. Most modern laptops also include a wireless networking adapter, which makes it possible to access the Internet without wires.
*Laser Printer
Laser Printers use a laser beam to produce an image on a drum. The electrical charge on the drum is altered whenever the light of the laser hits it. After this the drum is rolled through a reservoir or toner,this is picked up by the charged portions of the drum. At the end of all this,the toner is transferred to the paper using a combination of heat and pressure.
*Latency
When there is a transfer of data taking place,there is latent time,which is the time it takes after the packet has been sent,to the time the packed is received. This amount of inactive time is called Latency.
*Liquid Crystal Display(LCD)
A thin,flat display device which is made up of a number of colors or monochrome pixels laid out in front of a source of light or reflector. LCD's are used in laptop computer screens and flat panel monitors. Smaller LCD's screens are used in PDA's and portable video games.
*Leaderboard
The Leaderboard is and online advertisement which was introduced in 2003 to change the size of conventional advertisements. The standard size of the Leaderboard advertisement is 728 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall. Leaderboards contain images, text or even animation. Once clicked,the user is directed to the advertiser's website.
*Leaf
Here leaf refers to files which are placed at the very bottom of the hierarchical file systems ,very much like the leaves on a tree. Directories, in the same system can be compared to the nodes.
*Last In, First Out(LIFO)
This term is used to refer to a method of processing in which the last items entered are the first to be removed. This method is used while extracting data from a range of available data. In cases when the most recent information has to be accessed, the LIFO method is used.
*Link
A link is a navigation element in a document,which leads to another section. The section referred to above may be in the same document, another document or a specified part of another document. These links may be in the form of an underlined, highlighted or colored word/phrase or image.
*Linux
Linux is a Unix-based operating system which was created by Linus Torvalds, as he was not happy with the currently available options in Unix. Linux is easily customizable and new codes can be added to the operating system,thus making it a hit with users.
*Listserv
A small program which automatically sends messages to multiple e-mail addresses which are present on a mailing list make up the listserv or list server. The address of a subscriber is automatically added to the list when the person subscribes to it. This enable future e-mails to be sent to the new subscriber along with the other people on the list. The listserv automatically removes the address when the person unsubscribes from the facility.
*Load Balancing
Evenly spreading out the processing and communication activities across a computer network to ensure that no single device is overloaded is called Load Balancing. This is particularly useful for networks where the number of requests that will be sent to a particular server cannot be predicted. Networks become more efficient using the load balancing technique.
*Localhost
The local computer on which a program is running is called the localhost. Let us take for instance that a web browser is being run on your computer, in this case,your computer is considered to be the localhost.
*Logic Gate
This is a type of circuit that regulates the flow of electricity that determines the computers use to make complex logical decisions. Microprocessors, have millions of Logic gates while other circuits may only have a few. Highly complex operations can be made successful by combining thousands or millions of logic gates.
*Login
To supply the computer with information which is necessary to obtain access to it, is the login procedure. This information could be a username and a password or an ID number and a security code. Once this information is entered and verified, the session will begin.
*Lines Per Inch(LPI)
The resolution of images printed in halftones is measured in LPI. Halftone images are printed as a series of dots,the higher the number of LPI's,the more dense the dots can be,this helps in providing images with finer resolution.
*LAPP
LAPP is a combination of Linux, Apache,PostGreSQL and Perl and is an open source Web development platform. Linux is used as the operating system, Apache, the web server,PostGreSQL as the relational database management system and PHP as the object-oriented scripting language.
*Microprocessor
A digital electrical component that is programmable and contains the functions of the CPU on a single semi conducting integrated circuit is called a Microprocessor. Functions like adding,subtracting,multiplying and dividing are done by the microprocessor. Megahertz or cycles per second,is used to measure the speed of a microprocessor.
*Menu Bar
A horizontal strip that contains lists of available menus related to a certain program. Functions such as opening files,interacting with an application or help are housed in the menu bar.
*Motherboard
The main circuit board of a computer is called the motherboard. It is the basic unit on which the whole computer works. The motherboard is what houses the CPU,the ROM,memory expansion slots,PCI slots,serial ports. Even the hard drive,DVD drive,keyboard and mouse are found there.
*Multiplatform
A software program that has been developed for multiple operating systems is called multiplatform. Microsoft Word is a multiplatform application as it runs on both Windows and Macintosh platforms.
*Media Access Control Address(MAC address)
A hardware identification number that identifies each device on a network in a unique way. Every network card whether Ethernet or Wi-Fi have MAC addresses manufactured into them,because of this,the MAC addresses cannot be changed. Six two digit hexadecimal numbers make up MAC addresses.
*Mainframe
A very big and expensive computer,which is capable of supporting a large number of users simultaneously is called a mainframe. Mainframe computers are mostly used in large businesses and for scientific purposes.
*Malicious Software(Malware)
This term is used to refer to software programs which have been created to harm or process unwanted actions on a computer system. Viruses, worms,trojan horses and spyware are some examples of malware.
*Modulator/Demodulator(Modem)
A communication device which allows one computer to connect with another and transfer data over telephone lines is called a modem. A modem can be either external or internal to the computer.
*MySQL
This term is used to refer to open sources relational database management system,which is based on the structure query language. This language is used for adding,removing and modifying information in the database. Commonly found on web servers, MySQL can be used for a variety of other applications too.
*Malware: Malicious software that is intentionally installed to an operation system for harmful purposes, Trojans, viruses, worms. Adware that the computer user did not agree to or have knowledge that it was being installed.
*MFT: Master File Table, use for NTFS file location and security information. There are two MFT files, one is the current file and the second is a mirror file located in the middle of the hard drive. The MFT is not like a FAT(File Allocagtion Table), it is used in place of a FAT.
*Memory Address: Windows uses a demand-paged virtual memory system, a linear address space accessed using 32-bit addresses. Each process is allocated its own address space. No two processes can occupy the same address. When you get a Windows message that a program has performed an illegal operation and you click on details, you will see the memory addresses (014f:301678df) of the process that perform the illegal operation.
*Memory Allocation: Windows uses the random access memory (RAM) and a virtual memory address (Swap File). Windows places information into RAM and then moves it to the Swap File when it need to make room in RAM. Or moves the information into the Swap File that is not needed immediately.
*Menu Bar Item: The word that are printed across the top of this window about the tool bar (if any) Files Edit View Help. Menu Items are the items in the menu that pops up when you click on a Menu Bar Item.
*Nanosecond: One billionth of a Second .
From techtarget.com: In education, a Grace Hopper nanosecond is a prop used by a teacher to help students understand an abstract concept. The teaching tool got its name from the foot-long lengths of telephone wire that Admiral Grace Hopper used to give out at lectures. Admiral Hopper used the wires to illustrate how in one billionth of second (a nanosecond) an electronic signal can travel almost twelve inches.
*NTFS: New Technology File System. Available on Windows NT, 2000, 2003, and XP, it allows for a greater file security than FAT or FAT32. Similar to a file allocation table used by Windows 9x, but it is not FAT. Each file or folder can be set to allow specific users.
*Netiquette
Etiquette on the net,is referred to as netiquette. Displaying good netiquette means respecting another person's privacy and not doing anything that will frustrate another person. Some areas where good netiquette must be displayed are,while sending an e-mail, chatting online and in newsgroups.
*Network
Two or more computers which are connected to each other form a network, this facilitates the sharing of files and information which can take place between a number of systems.
*Network Interface Card(NIC)
This term refers to a card which needs to be inserted into the computer to connect it to a network. Some of these NIC's are designed for particular types of networks,while there are those which can serve multiple networks too.
*Network News Transfer Protocol(NNTP)
An Internet application used mainly for reading and posting articles,as also transferring news among news servers. A message that has been sent will go through this protocol before being sent to the newsgroup.
*Network Operations Center(NOC)
NOC,is the location where the company's servers and networking equipment are kept,managed and monitored. This maybe at an external location or within the company premises itself.
*Newbie
A term which originated in the 1990's and is used to refer to a new user of a computer or the Internet.
*Nybble
Half of one byte,which equals to a set of four bits,make up a nybble. Sometimes the nybble is also known as a hexadecimal digit or "hex digit."
*Offline
The time when a computer or any other device is not connected to another devices or turned on,we would say that it is offline. Not being connected to the Internet is another instance when one would use the term offline!
*Operating System(OS)
This is the term used to refer to the software that communicates with the computer hardware. The OS is important because without it,it would not be possible to run software programs. The allocation of memory,processing of tasks,assessing of disks and peripherals are all tasks which are performed by the Operating Systems(OS)
*Outbox
The place where an outgoing e-mail message is stored until it is successfully sent to the recipient.
*Open Shortest Path First(OSPF)
The method of finding the shortest path from one router to another in a LAN(Local Area Network) is called OSPF. When several routers are on a network,a table is created of the router connections,thus,when data is sent from one location to another,the best and the most efficient option available is selected for the data to be sent. This is done by the OSPF algorithm.
*Optical Character Recognition(OCR)
The branch of computer science that involves reading text from paper and translating the images into a form that the computer can manipulate is called OCR. Using this system it is possible to take a magazine or book article and feed it directly into an electronic computer file. This information is then read using a word processing program.
*Object Linking and Embedding(OLE)
OLE is used to refer to a compound document standard developed by Microsoft Corporation which enables the user to create objects using one application and linking or embedding them using the next. The objects that are embedded retain their original format.
*Optical Media
Discs that are read by a laser are called Optical media. CD-ROM's,DVD-ROM's and their variations along with Blu-ray is included under this term. Optical discs have a longer shelf life and are cheaper to produce.
*Open source
A program in which the source code is known to the general public. This information is divulged for use and/ or modification from its original design which is done free of charge. The open source code is created as an effort in which programmers work on the code and improve it and then share the changes with the community.
