Glossary


 * Internet Terms: **

**Blog (short for web log)** - A web log is usually defined as a personal or noncommercial web site that uses a dated log format (usually with the most recent at the top of the page) and contains links to other web sites along with commentary about those sites. A web log is updated frequently and sometimes groups links by specific subjects, such as politics, news, pop culture, or computers. **Bookmark** - A way to quickly access a favorite web site by saving it in your browser. For example Clicky would bookmark www.NetSmartz.org so he could easily find his favorite internet safety games. **Browser** - A program that allows users to view web pages. Netscape® Navigator and Microsoft® Internet Explorer are examples of popular browsers. **Chat** - Real-time communication over the internet. You type and send messages that appear almost instantly on the computer monitors of the other people who are participating in the chat. **Chatroom** - An interactive forum where you can talk in real-time. The chatroom is the place or location online where the chat is taking place. Many chatrooms are established so that people can discuss a common interest like music or movies. For example Webster likes to go to the "Browser Ball" chatroom so that he can talk about his favorite game. **Cookie** - A small file that is downloaded by some web sites to store a packet of information on your browser. These packets include information such as login or registration identification, user preferences, and online "shopping-cart" information. Your browser saves the information and sends it back when you return to that web site. Cookies can be used to customize the display you see through the browser or keep track of the different pages within the site that you visited. You can configure your browser to alert you when a cookie is being sent. You can refuse to accept cookies or erase all cookies saved on your browser. **Cyberbullying** - sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the internet or other digital communication devices. **Cyberspace** - Refers to all the computer networks on the internet. The term distinguishes the physical world from the virtual or computer-based world. **Cyberstalking/Harassment** - Terms that can refer to the online enticement of children; rude or threatening messages; slanderous information; or repeated, unwanted messages. **Download** - Putting information on your computer. You can download information from the internet, discs or CDs, and other computers. **E-Mail (electronic mail)** - A service that allows people to send messages with pictures and sounds from their computer to any other computer in the world. To send someone an e-mail message you need an e-mail account and to know the other person's e-mail address. **Emoticons** - Animated faces that express different emotions you can send in e-mails, chat, and Instant Messaging. Emoticons are a way to show someone online how you are feeling. **Filtering Software** - Different methods to screen unwanted internet content including whitelisting, blacklisting, monitoring activity, keyword recognition, or blocking-specific functions such as e-mail or Instant Messages. **Firewall** - This is a system that creates a special "wall" used by network servers to separate their Intranet from the internet. It keeps out unwanted information like spam and viruses and unwanted people like hackers. **Gamer** - Someone who plays online or computer games. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Hacker** - A popular term for someone who accesses computer information either legally or illegally. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Internet** - A network of millions of computers from all over the world. The internet allows computers to trade information using telephone lines, fiber-optic cables, and satellite links. It is also referred to as the "Net." <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Intranet** - A private network inside a company or an organization. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Monitoring Software** - Software products that allow parents to monitor or track the web sites or e-mail messages that a child visits or reads. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Navigate** - The act of moving from page to page and web site to web site online. It is also called browsing or surfing. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Netiquette** - Courtesy, honesty, and polite behavior practiced on the internet. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Network** - A network is created when computers are connected, allowing people to share information. The internet is an example of a large network. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Offline** - Refers to not being connected to the internet. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Online** - Another way to describe having access to the internet or actively using the internet. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Pharming** - An online scam that attacks the browser's address bar. Users type in what they think is a valid web-site address and are unknowingly redirected to an illegitimate site that steals their personal information. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Phishing** - An online scam that uses e-mail to "fish" for users' private information by imitating legitimate companies. People are lured into sharing user names, passwords, account information or credit-card numbers. The phishing e-mail usually contains a link to an illegitimate site. Scammers copy the look of a web site to set up a nearly identical page, one that appears to be part of that company's site. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Piracy** - Illegally copying copyrighted software, music, or movies. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Post** - To leave a message on a newsgroup or bulletin board. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Query** - A request for information about a certain topic. A query is what you put in the box when you type something into a search engine. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Search Engine** - A program that searches information on the world wide web by looking for specific keywords and returns a list of information found on that topic. "Ask Jeeves for Kids" at www.ajkids.com is an example of a search engine. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Server** - A special software package that connects to a network and provides data. The computer that this software runs on is also often called the server. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Social Networking Site** - A social networking site is a web site specifically focused on the building and verifying of social networks for whatever purpose. Many social networking services are also blog hosting services. As of 2005, there are over three hundred known social networking web sites <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Spam** - Unwanted e-mail from someone you don't know. It is usually trying to sell you something. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Spimming** - Mass mailings sent as Instant Messages to users. Often these can feature links to explicit porn **sites.** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Trusted Adult** - Someone who will help protect you and make you safer. Trusted adults can be people like family members, caregivers, family friends, teachers, counselors, coaches, clergy members, youth leaders, and law-enforcement officers. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Uniform Resource Locator (URL)** - The specific location or address of material on the internet. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**User** - Refers to anyone who uses a computer. Another way of saying "User" is "Netizen." <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Virus** - A computer program that can destroy files or make your computer "crash." Viruses can be sent via e-mail or through other file-sharing programs. Anti-virus software and not downloading information from people you don't know can help keep viruses from damaging your computer. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Warez** - Pirated or illegally distributed software. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**World Wide Web** - An infinite number of games, web sites, pictures, sounds, stories, and other things all connected to each other through links on the internet. You can "surf" the web through your browser and find information about virtually anything. The web is just one service on the internet. Other services on the internet include internet relay chat, newsgroups, and e-mail. Web sites on the world wide web have "www" in their address.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Definitions obtained from []