The Internet
A worldwide network of computers originally developed for the sharing of information between government, defense and educational institutions. Today the 'Net includes nonprofit organizations, businesses and personal sites.

The World Wide Web
One of the largest subsets of the Internet, the World Wide Web allows access to multimedia files known as "Web pages." A Web page contains mostly text and graphics, but can also include sound, video and animation. This is accomplished through a browser, a special program which translates the Web page from its programming language, usually Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The most popular browsers by far are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Both of these can be downloaded at no cost.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
An Internet Service Provider is the average user's "gateway" to the Internet. The ISP maintains connectivity to the Net, charging subscribers for use. Prices and features vary widely between ISPs and potential users are encouraged to shop around. At the very least, an ISP should provide basic Internet access, e-mail and Usenet. Before signing up for an ISP, make sure they have a local access number.

Uniform Resource Link (URL)
You are sure to hear Net people use this acronym. It's simply the address of a Web page or document. This may look like another language; for example, Mt. SAC's URL is: http://www.mtsac.edu This isn't as arcane as it might look. "Http://" stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It tells the browser program how to translate the page. "WWW" of course is "World Wide Web." Most Web addresses still begin with "www," though this is no longer necessary. It's a holdover from the days when the Web was a very small part of the Internet. "Mtsac" is the Internet name of the computer storing the page. "edu" is "educational," the domain. Other domains include gov (government), org (organization, usually non-profit), net (community or other network), mil (military), and of course com (commercial site).

Electronic Mail (E-mail)
One of the most popular features of the Internet, e-mail allows you to send messages to any other Internet user anywhere in the world, usually within a few seconds. Not only can users send text messages: graphics, sounds and even software can be sent through e-mail. Although some online services do charge for e-mail, there is usually no additional cost. Most browsers (such as Netscape and Internet Explorer) feature some sort of email handling capability. In addition, there are highly sophisticated e-mail programs available, the most widely used being Eudora.

Usenet (Newsgroups)
Newsgroups on the Internet function like a cross between a bulletin board and e-mail.Thousands of groups exist for practically any topic. Users read the messages on the newsgroup and e-mail their own, which are then posted to the group for other readers. However, Web-based discussion groups are becoming more important as the newsgroups are taken over by "spam" (see below).

Listserv
Among the oldest features on the Internet, a Listserv functions like a newsgroup, but messages are sent directly to subscribers via private e-mail. By sending e-mail to the list's address, subscribers may respond to messages or post new ones. There are thousands of Listservs, most of which cost nothing.

Search Engines The primary way to find what you're looking for on the Net. There are literally millions of documents available on the World Wide Web alone, and finding something useful would be impossible if search engines didn't exist. Basically, a search engine works much like a library catalog: you type in keywords pertaining to what you want and the search engine retrieves URLs of Web documents matching those criteria. Though many search sites exist, the most widely used are Yahoo, Alta Vista and Lycos. Most search engines are accessed through their Web sites at no cost.

Chat
Another very popular Internet feature, this allows Net users to converse in real time via text, audio or even video. The most widely-used is Internet Relay Chat (IRC), a text-only worldwide chat area containing literally thousands of channels for any interest. Users with Telnet capability can connect to IRC via their ISP. For more features, chat programs such as MIRC are available. Audio and video chat requires additional hardware and software. Many other chat areas (such as HotWired's talk.com) exist on the World Wide Web; these do not normally require any additional software.

Spam
On the Internet, spam (lower case) bears no resemblance to the processed food product, a registered trademark of Hormel Inc. It is a slang term of uncertain origin, meaning unwanted (usually mass-mailed) e-mail or newsgroup items. These are most often some form of advertising. Sending or posting spam is illegal in some countries and Nevada and is against the policies of most ISPs. This activity will at the very least result in the cancellation of the offending user's account.

What is "FAQ"?
FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. Many Websites are organized this way; it tells users much of what they need to know while cutting down on the amount of unnecessary e-mail

What is TCP/IP?
TCP/IP is an abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP is a lossless protocol, requiring a handshake to insure that data is not lost during transmission. Internet Protocol (IP) uses addresses which are a series of four "octet" (byte) numbers in a dotted decimal notation. For example:

205.152.184.32
IP addresses are of three classes:

Class A

Class B

Class C
Application protocols such as HTTP, and FTP are based on and use TCP/IP.

What is a Host?
A host is a computer that is enabled to function on a network. To be a host on the Internet, a computer must Have a domain name; e. g., nasa.gov Use the Internet Protocol (IP) Be assigned a unique IP address; e. g., 206.96.248.226 Have a network connection that provides a route to the Internet

interNIC
Only orginization in the world that actually registers domain names for the Internet. Internic is located in Herndon, Virginia.

IP address Also known as Internet Protocol address, the IP address is a numeric address such as 123.231.32.2 that the domain name server translates into a domain name.