Descriptionary

LINuX an open source operating system, derived from the Unix system by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and further developed and refined by many collaborators.

listserv an e-mail subscription service that relays all messages posted by the individuals in a common- interest group to each of its members. Also, the soft­ware that manages the member mailing list.

log a record of activity at a Web site.

log on to connect or sign on to a Web site.

lurk to read the posts or messages of a newsgroup discussion without participating in the dialogue oneself.

mail bomb an intentional mass e-mailing sent to a single recipient to wreak havoc on a server.

mailbox memory repository for storing e-mail or other transmissions.

mailing list all of the members of a common-inter­est group who subscribe to a listserv.

mashup a Web page composed of a combination of content shared by two or more Web sites, for example, that of Google Maps and Microsoft's Vir­tual Earth.

.mil at the end of an e-mail or Internet address, the domain designation for a military facility.

mirror site a Web site that is an exact copy of another, employed to broaden user access.

modem the electronic device that converts computer data into sound signals, which can be transmitted over telephone lines to other modems and computers.

.mov designation for a movie clip or still image, contained in a file.

MPEG Moving Pictures Expert Group; a com­pressed format for movies and sound files, which can be accessed or downloaded from the Internet.

MP3 a file used for storing high-fidelity, digitally transmitted, compressed audio.

nag screen a bulletin similar to a pop-up ad that urges users to upgrade outdated software.

Napster an application used for downloading and trading music files.

navigate to find one's way around the Internet. Net short for Internet.

.net at the end of an e-mail or Internet address, the domain designation for a network.

netiquette online etiquette, manners, accepted pro­cedures and behavior, etc.

network the interconnection of two or more com­puters.

newbie an online neophyte who does not know his or her way around yet and asks lots of questions.

newsgroup an online discussion group. A news­group usually focuses on any one of hundreds of specific subject areas.

node any individual computer connected to a net­work.

offline disconnected from a server or the Internet.

online logged on to an Internet or e-mail service.

open content any information in the public domain, allowing free use to those other than the original copyright holders.

open source software any software that is not pro­tected under copyright or is in the public domain and that can be altered or improved by any member of the public and freely distributed to others.

.org at the end of an e-mail or Internet address, a domain designation for an organization.

Orphan Annie see ghost site.

overpayment scam an online scam in which a prod­uct is purchased with a phony cashier's check that is written with a higher amount than the sale calls for, with the difference refunded to the buyer by the seller. By the time the seller learns the check is bad, the sale item is gone, along with the refunded money.

packet one portion of any data transmitted or received.

pagejacking the theft and unauthorized use of another's Web page.

password a word, name, or grouping of letters and numbers, often kept secret, and used to gain access to Web sites, account information, or other confidential data.

PDF Portable Document Format, a file format cre­ated by Adobe Systems.

permalink a permanent link, usually referring to one connected to a Web archive.

pharming a fraudulent practice in which scam- mers redirect Internet surfers to phony Web sites that mimic legitimate ones, in order to mine account and credit card information.

phishing a fraudulent practice in which scammers send phony e-mails that appear to come from banks or other businesses and request credit card numbers, passwords, etc., often under the pretense of updating an account.

ping to send a packet of data to a site and wait for an echo to verify accessibility to that site.

piracy the illegal copying of software, music, or movies, especially for resale or redistribution.

pirating the stealing of copyrighted content on the Internet, especially for redistribution or sale.

podcast an audio broadcast of music, interviews, news, etc., transmitted over the Internet.

pop-up an advertisement that pops up suddenly on a Web site, often an annoyance.

post a message posted on a bulletin board for an online discussion group. Also, to place a message in any online forum.

P2P peer-to-peer; a community of computers con­nected together through database software that facilitates the sharing of files. Also, the software itself.