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An Internet glossary from A to Z

Here is a list of Internet terms that will be useful regardless of whether you're computer-savvy. They include several buzzwords you'll be hearing in the next 12 months.

By Tyler Chin, amednews staff. Jan. 15, 2001.

Appliances: Specialized devices used only for Internet access and e-mail. They are supposed to be easier to use and less complex than conventional computers.

ASP: Short for application service provider. This entity allows users to remotely access or "rent" software applications over the Internet for a monthly subscription fee.

Bandwidth: A number applied to the amount of information that can be sent or received through a network. This transmission capacity is measured in kilobits, megabits and gigabits sent per second.

Bluetooth: A much-hyped standard for short-range wireless communications inside a house or office. It's designed to enable different personal electronic devices to communicate with each other, but few of these products will be available anytime soon. The technology has a range of up to 10 meters; researchers are working to expand the distance.

Broadband: Short for broad bandwidth. The term refers to high-speed Internet access delivered via souped-up telephone lines, cable modems and satellites.

Browser: A software application that locates and displays Web pages.

Burn rate: The amount of cash an Internet start-up spends monthly before (hopefully) becoming profitable.

Cable modem: A device that plugs into a cable television system to provide an always-on high-bandwidth Internet service. The problem is that subscribers share network bandwidth, meaning that the more users who are logged on at the same time, the slower the service.

Central office: One of the telephone companies' switching stations. A DSL line runs from a subscriber's home and connects to that station.

Convergence: Refers to video, data and voice moving over the same IP network.

Cookies: Small text files that are placed on your hard drive that enable Internet companies and marketing firms to track you online. Cookies also may be required to gain access to certain Web sites.

Dial-up: Any service in which a computer connects to the Internet by using a modem to dial via a telephone line.

Digital cash: A system that will allow someone to pay for goods or services by transmitting a number from one computer to another. The numbers are issued by a bank and represent a specified sum of real money.

Digital certificate: An "electronic identity card" that authenticates the identity of a party involved in an electronic transaction.

Digital signature: Consists of a document tightly bound to a "hash" mark, which is a unique number or fingerprint.

DSL (digital subscriber line): An always-on high-speed Internet connection delivered over standard telephone lines. The closer you are to a telephone company's central office, the faster your connection.

Digital wallet: Acts like a physical wallet, which can include the encryption software, digital certificate, digital signature and other information enabling someone to securely conduct transactions online.

E-commerce: Conducting business, and buying and selling products online.

Electronic signature: An electronic sound, symbol or process associated with a document and executed by a person with the intent of signing the record.

Encryption: Software that scrambles data to keep them safe from prying eyes.

Firewall: Specialized software and hardware that separates a private network from the public Internet. Because DSL or cable modem subscribers' computers have fixed Internet protocol addresses, they should install firewall software on their computer to keep hackers at bay.

GBPS (gigabits per second): One gigabit per second equals 1 billion bits of data per second.

Internet protocol: Identifies each sender or receiver of information that is transmitted across the Internet.

Killer app (killer application): A software application that is so useful that everyone starts using it.

KBPS (kilobits per second): One kilobit per second equals a thousand bits of data per second.

Last mile: The wired line that connects a subscriber's home with the nearest telephone company's central station or nearest cable company's head-end.

M-commerce: Short for mobile commerce. The vision here is that personal digital assistants, cellular phone and other wireless devices will be used for e-commerce applications.

MBPS (megabits per second): One megabit per second equals 1 million bits of data per second.

Narrowband: See Dial-up.

Open access: Operators of large communication networks, including cable systems and Internet service providers, are under pressure from regulators, consumers and others to open up their networks to competitors.

Optical networking: Technology that uses beams of light to rapidly transmit data across fiber optic networks.

Opt-in: A process in which a Web site must seek online users' permission before it can profile their surfing habits and send them advertisements or other services. Privacy advocates favor this mechanism because it gives users control over online privacy.

Opt-out: A process that automatically allows Web sites to profile users' data and electronically send them targeted advertisements and services unless users take action to withdraw their permission. Privacy advocates hate this mechanism because users are forced to opt out. It assumes users are even aware that the option is available to them.

Peer-to-peer computing: A technology that allows users to share and access files stored in individual PCs' hard drives for free. Some view the technology as a way to tap unused disk space and processing power of the millions of computers connected to the Internet and other networks. It would allow users to share or spread massive computing tasks over those computers rather than through a central server.

PDA (personal digital assistant): Handheld computers that are used to track addresses, telephone numbers, appointments, expenses and tasks. They also can be used to access the Internet and for e-mail.

Privacy policy: A statement spelling out what personal information the Web site will collect from online users, how it will use those data and for what purpose.

SSL (secure socket layer): Software that creates a channel enabling information to be securely transmitted between a computer and a Web server.

Server: A powerful computer that manages information over a network.

Spamming: Occurs when advertisers and others send unsolicited e-mail to Web site users.

Streaming: A technology that broadcasts audio and video over the Internet.

3G (third-generation networks): Technically the term refers to next-generation wireless networks using the GSM wireless standard widely used in Europe. But the term is most often used to refer to any wireless technology that substantially increases capacity and capability and decreases costs.

Viral marketing: A marketing message that is spread online between friends who are motivated to let others in on great deals or other incentives offered by marketers.

Virtual computing: A technology that uses software allowing a computer to simulate several computers. It is thought that this technology can help address Internet bottlenecks that occur at the server level.

VPN (virtual private network): Enables companies to send data securely through the public Internet through encryption software.

Voice browser: Voice-recognition technology that enables users to access Internet voice portals simply by talking into a telephone instead of typing on a computer keyboard.

WAP (wireless application protocol): A much-hyped technology standard that formats Web pages so they can be viewed on the smaller screens of mobile telephones.

XML: Short for extensible markup language, which allows different software applications to talk to each other and share information.