Anonymous FTP--a means for receiving files from a remote computer without having to have an account with the remote system. Many commercial enterprises maintain anonymous ftp sites for the convenience of their customers so that customers can download updated program files directly to their machines without having to request and receive diskettes through the mail.

Archie--a computer system that manages a database of files that are available on over 1500 computer systems. About 40 Archie servers worldwide share and update the database on a monthly basis.

.com--These are commercial sites, which may include corporate homepages or individual users's homepages. Commercial sites provide users with reliable information about business enterprises, product information, online technical support for software and hardware, and, in many cases, online product ordering capabilities. Since commercial sites may also provide Internet access to individuals, be wary of sources that have no obvious connection to a business enterprise.

DNS (domain name system)--a system for assigning addresses to computers and people connected to the Internet. The name can be represented both with words and with numbers. Domain name servers "resolve" internet names and assign numeric addresses so that one computer can find another over the Internet.

.edu--Addresses ending in this extension indicate that you are connecting to a university, college, or other school computer system. These sites can contain both authoritative and frivolous information, depending on the institution's user policies. If a university grants students, faculty, and staff open access to its Internet system, you can expect to find documents containing anything from research to jokes and humor. Examine documents obtained from educational institutions carefully. Look for department affiliations, author credentials, and any other identifying criteria that would support a document's seriousness and reliability.

Email (electronic mail)--a system for sending and receiving messages on a single computer system or on an interconnection of computer systems, such as the Internet.

FTP (file transfer protocol)--an application that allows users to send and receive files between remote computers. FTP allows a user to save a file to disk, disconnect from the remote system, and then to view or execute the file on the local machine without continuing to maintain a telephone line connection to the remote machine.

GIF (graphical interchange format)--one of several formats used to present images (pictures) over the Internet.

Gopher--a text-based internet search engine developed by the University of Minnesota. More than 5,000 gopher servers worldwide provide users with subject access to files available over the Internet.

.gov--This extension identifies the information server as a government entity. These sources can be deemed reliable since government bodies (at least in the United States) are charged with the duty of providing their constituents with accurate information on laws, regulations, finances, almost any aspect of government.

Home Page--the opening information provided by a web site. Typically, a home page provides background on the information provider and links to other information sources, both local to the remote computer system and also on other systems worldwide.

HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language)--a standard for presenting information on the World Wide Web. Documents formatted for html include codes that allow text to be displayed with various fonts, sizes, and attributes as well as instructions to load pictures, sounds, and motion pictures.

HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol)--a set of rules by which information is transmitted across the Internet. HTTP provides a transport system for your local computer to receive data from another computer.

Hyperlink--a link to additional information either within a web document or in other web documents. Hyperlinks are indicated by highlighting and/or underlining within a web page.

Internet--A world wide interconnection of computer systems that are able to communicate with each other using a common set of protocols. The standard for internet communication is called TCP/IP. TCP/IP allows computers, regardless of operating systems (DOS, Windows, UNIX, etc.), to exchange data. The internet had its foundations with ARPANET, an interconnection of computers worldwide that assisted the U.S. Department of Defense to maintain secure contacts worldwide in the event of national emergency.

JPEG (joint photographic experts group)--another standard for presenting images over the Internet.

.mil--This designates a military body, such as the Pentagon.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)--Files available over the Internet may be saved in many formats, including plain text, html, and gif. Web browsers use MIME type definitions to identify file formats.

MPEG (motion picture experts group)--one of several standards for presenting motion pictures over the Internet.

.org--These are associations or other non-commercial organizations that maintain Internet sites. Much research can be obtained from professional and research organizations. These sites typically will be reliable.

Search Engine--Software that facilitates searching keyword indexes of Internet documents. Well-known Internet search engines include AltaVista, Lycos, HotBot, Excite, and InfoSeek. Search engines vary widely in their coverage of the Internet, the largest indexing over 150 million Web pages. So-called metacrawlers can be used to return top listings from numerous search engines at one time. A more structured means of finding information on the Internet is to use a Web directory like Yahoo or LookSmart. Directories of Internet content take an approach similar to traditional catalogs and indexes in that they are based on predefined subjects and provide access to materials that have been reviewed.

TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol)--This set of protocols manages connections between computer systems. Data is sent over TCP/IP in packets, small chunks of data that are keyed to other packets that are needed to complete the transmission of a file. Every document that you view or every file that you receive over the Internet is sent piecemeal via phone using the TCP/IP protocols.

Telnet--an application that allows a user to connect to a remote computer and use it as though the user's computer was a terminal connected directly to it. This includes allowing the user to run programs based on the remote machine. For example, you can connect to LUIS using telnet.

TIFF (tagged image file format)--another picture format used on the Internet.

TN3270--Telnet 3270 is a form of telnet that makes your computer look like a terminal connected to an IBM mainframe computer. You can reach LUIS, for example, through an Internet connection using TN3270.

URL (uniform resource locator)--The URL identifies to a Web browser the address and type of Internet resource to which your computer is connecting. Types of resources include HTML servers, gopher servers, veronica servers, and ftp servers, each of which has its own set of protocols.

Veronica--a comprehensive, keyword searchable menu of approximately 10,000 internet sources worldwide.

 VRML(Virtual Reality Modeling Language)--Still under development, VRML is currently used for three dimensional image representation on the WEB.

Web Browser--a computer program, like Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Mosaic,  that can connect to a web server and retrieve information on demand.

Web Crawler--a computerized "robot" that connects to responding computer systems, follows links to documents, and compiles an index of those links and the information available via the links. Also known as "knowbots," some of the most familiar crawlers include WebCrawler and Lycos.

Web Server--a computer system that offers information over the World Wide Web.

World Wide Web--an interconnection of computer information systems available via the Internet. The Web supports the graphical user interface (GUI) that is so familiar to Macintosh and Windows users. Additionally, the Web can also support sound, pictures, and motion pictures.