Glossary
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE Protects your computer by checking files that are added to your computer against a database of known viruses that is updated periodically via the web.
ASSISTIVE/ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY Computer hardware and software that is designed to make computers easier to use, especially by people with special needs. Could include screen readers and magnifiers or a trackball to replace a mouse.
ATTACHMENT A picture, video, word processing document, spreadsheet or any other form of computer file sent with an email. Caution is needed when receiving attachments as they can be a way of spreading a virus.
BACK-UP The routine process of making a copy of all your current files on to another computer disk, ideally one which is not in the same room as your current computer, in case your building burns down or everything is stolen in one go. Single most important security measure to protect against theft, fire and accidental loss.
BANDWIDTH How much data you can send through an Internet connection, usually measured in kilobits or megabits per second.
BLOG A website, usually maintained by an individual in the form of a personal journal. Blogs are a way of sharing ideas and opinions and using the Internet to network with people with similar interests. Can be used to create a website for an organisation.
BLUETOOTH Wireless way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras, video game console, headsets, keyboards and mice. Uses low-power radio so only works over short distances.
BOOKMARK A link to a web page that you save in your browser to be able to quickly get back to it later.Also known as a Favourite (or Favorite)
BROADBAND Generic term for fast Internet connections. Most offices and homes in the UK can get a broadband connection and over 50 per cent of the population have regular access to broadband.
BROWSER Program for looking at websites, pictures, videos, PDF documents and other content on the Internet. Common browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.
BUG Something wrong with a piece of software that means it doesn’t work properly.
BULLETIN BOARD Online forum.You leave messages on a website and come back later to read responses from other people visiting, or browse previous questions and answers.
CONNECTIVITY Usually refers to the availability and quality of an Internet connection.Also used to indicate the barriers some people face in connecting to social networks, such as the ‘digital divide’ and social and economic exclusion.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) A way of creating a website that makes it easy for someone without web design skills to update, including changing text, and adding or removing pages, images and documents.They range from small simple sites with a few pages to large sites with many sections, where people are given permission to access and alter only certain parts of the site, depending on their role.
COOKIE Piece of information stored on your computer when you visit a website. Used when you return to that site to recognise you and remember your preferences. Generally safe but some people worry about what they may be recording without permission. Most browsers let you block cookies if you are worried.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) The database used to store details about the people you work with. This may be a relatively simple system for sharing names and addresses of contacts within a team, or a more sophisticated tool, designed specifically for your needs, which can track every interaction with a person or organisation by everyone in your organisation.
DIAL-UP How most people connect to the Internet if they’re not using broadband, using a modem and a standard telephone line. Provides slower access than broadband but usually cheaper. Still used by lots of people.
DIGITAL DIVIDE The gap between regular users of the Internet (and other technologies) and those without the money, skills, motivation or access to technology to become regular users. Not just a question of access to computers, but connected to many facets of social and economic exclusion and community development.
DIRECTORY The way your computer organises your files like a filing cabinet where you store folders containing your files.
DOMAIN NAME A unique name that identifies a website; it usually starts with ‘www.’ and ends with ‘.co.uk’, ‘.com’, ‘.org.uk’ or ‘.net’ and so on.
DOWNLOAD When you copy a computer file from somewhere on the Internet on to your
computer.
E-COMMERCE Commercial transactions carried out over the Internet especially buying and selling goods and services through a website. Important part of fundraising activities for a growing number of large and small voluntary and community organisations.
EMAIL LISTS A way of joining in discussions and sharing information with people who share an interest.You subscribe your email address to a list, usually through a web page, and then receive all messages sent to that list, as will everyone subscribed. Replying to the list sends your reply to everyone on the list. For many it is a valuable way of connecting with networks outside their local community. Others find that it builds and strengthens bonds within their geographic area and gives them somewhere to ask for help.
EXTRANET Provides access via the Internet to certain parts of an organisation's office internal network. Often used to enable clients or partners to access and share information resources.
FIREWALL Software in the box that sits between you and Internet, protecting you from unauthorised access to your computer by hackers and viruses.
FREEWARE A software program given away free of charge by the person who made it and usually available to download from the Internet. Includes lots of handy pieces of software and generally reflects the fluffy co-operative side of the Internet.
FTP File transfer protocol is the way computer files are sent between a computer and a server on the Internet, especially when creating web pages.
HACKER A person who tries get into a computer system without permission, usually for the purpose of stealing or corrupting data.
HOTSPOTS Places where you can access the Internet using a wireless connection. Cafes, pubs and growing numbers of community buildings now offer hotspots, some free, some paid for.
HYPERLINK A hyperlink is the text or a picture on a web page that moves you around the web.When you click the link it takes you to another place within the same web page, or to a page on another website.
HYPERTEXT Pages of text with hyperlinks in it, i.e. a web page.
ICT Information and communication technology refers to the tools we use to enhance access to information and the way we communicate. Includes computers, the Internet, telephones, faxes, mobile phones, web sites and other forms of telecommunications.
INSTANT MESSAGE Useful way of sending text messages in ‘real time’ to another person over the Internet. Increasingly popular within office-based teams and among remote workers.
INTERNET World-wide network of computers that is used to post and read web pages, send and receive emails, make telephone calls and numerous other applications.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER Your ISP is the company that sells you an account so that you can access the Internet.
INTRANET An internal network that uses web pages to let people share information that can’t be seen by people outside the organisation.
LAPTOP A portable computer. Laptops have become increasingly powerful and more affordable.
LINUX Rival operating system to Microsoft Windows orApple Macintosh. More details in the Open Source section of this guide.
LURKER Many email lists will have only a handful of people posting messages, with a silent majority lurking on the sideline, preferring to read messages rather than post their own. Not considered antisocial.
MALWARE Generic term short for malicious software, covering viruses, worms,Trojans and other forms of unpleasant programs designed to cause havoc and/or rip you off. See Chapter 3 for how to deal with malware.
MEGABYTE How you measure a quantity of computer. One megabyte equals 1 million characters of text, or about as much as you need for a fat paperback book.
MODEM A device that enables computers to talk to one another, used to connect your computer to the Internet, whether through dial-up or broadband.
NETWORK Two or more computers connected to each other so they can share resources.
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Software that is free to use. Usually licensed in a way that anyone can modify it to make it work better for them. Opposite of proprietary software. See Chapter 2 for information on Open Source software.
OPERATING SYSTEM Every computer has an operating system that runs from when you switch the computer on until you switch off and defines how you use the computer. Widely used operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX and Linux.
PDF Using portable document format to save a document retains the way it looks when other people open it on their computer, Popular way of making documents for download on the Internet.
PHISHING An email scam. Criminals send out official-looking emails, often pretending to be from banks, designed to trick consumers into divulging their account numbers, passwords and other sensitive data. Use anti-virus software and common sense to tackle it.
PLUG-IN Small piece of software that adds features to another computer application. Often free and downloaded from the Internet, e.g. Real Player Plug In adds sound and video capabilities to your web browser.
PODCASTS Term used to describe sound and/or video files saved on the Internet so that people can download them, to put them on their iPods or listen/watch when they decide. Used to package up information for a variety of purposes, including news, opinion pieces, or training materials.They are generally not produced to a high quality so are very accessible as a medium for sharing information with others.
POP-UP A window that will pop up in the middle of your screen to display a message when viewing a web page. Can be annoying, confusing or a very helpful part of the site’s design – use anti-virus software to stop them.
PORTAL Website that provides a starting point for accessing a range of information from different sources, such as a home page for a town or other geographic area or covering a particular topic.
SEARCH ENGINE A special tool that lets you find information on the Internet.The most popular ones are Google,Yahoo! and MSN. Search engines are now where the vast majority of people start when surfing the Internet.
SERVER Computer linked to all the other computers in a network. Can store files and provide access to shared services such as a printer or Internet access. Usually more powerful than other computers on the network because it has more work to do.
SHAREWARE Software that is available free of charge but the author requests a small fee if you like the program and use it regularly.
SPAM Unsolicited or junk email which you receive. Can be controlled by a spam filter.
SPYWARE An application that covertly gathers user information about your use of your computer. Runs in the background and reports back using your Internet connection, usually for advertising or criminal purposes. Can be detected and removed by anti-virus software.
UPS /Uninterruptible Power Supply Highly recommended back-up system for dealing with a power failure. Won’t last long but will give enough time for data to be saved to disk and computers to shut down properly.
URL/Uniform Resource Locator The address of a web page.Typically starts with www.
USB/Universal Serial Bus Type of plug on a computer used for attaching a mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.All modern computers will now use it as standard.
VIDEO CONFERENCING Uses the Internet to enable people to talk one another on live video, including group discussions. Some specialist hardware and software may be needed but it can also be done with a cheap webcam, a modern computer and a standard broadband connection.
VIRUS A computer program designed to infect your computer and cause some kind of trouble. Mainly distributed via the Internet, attached to emails or hidden inside other apparently innocent programs, viruses are a continual and growing threat. Install and maintain anti-virus software to protect yourself.
VOIP/Voice Over IP Software that lets you use a broadband internet connection to make free or low cost telephone calls anywhere in the world. Made popular by Skype although many other services are available.
WEBSITE A collection of web pages made available on the Internet.
WEBSERVER a computer that holds material from the world-wide web and can transfer it to another computer when requested.When you view a website, it has come from a webserver.
WI-FI Uses wireless radio signals as a flexible, costeffective way of linking computers into a network. Especially popular in mobile devices to avoid using wires.
WIKI Website that can be edited through the web browser. May be open to anyone to edit or protected for certain users. Great for collaboration on projects and shared documents.
WORM A type of computer virus.
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