Computer Internet training: a short glossary for beginners
Computer Internet training should cover a wide area of basic network knowledge, thats for sure. In the beginning of such training you should find answers to some simple but important questions, like what exactly Internet is and how to use it effectively and securely.
Glossary
Internet: An international computer network, derived from military ARPAnet. It is really not a single network, but a network of networks, including military, science, commercial and individual computers. Currently Internet connects billions of individual computers, with at least a few thousand more being connected every day.
Browser: An application designed to view resources of World Wide Web. Internet browser interprets a HTML language to render text and graphics into a viewable hypertext content. Many browsers allow to use active extensions like JavaScript or ActiveX, so it is important to learn how to use your browser securely – which should be an important part of any computer Internet training.
Website: A service based on HTML language. Each website contains a homepage, which is the first document that users see when they enter the site, and other documents (text, graphic, video) connected to each other via hyperlinks. Advanced computer Internet training may include the basics of websites design.
E-mail: A message (usually text, but it can also contain graphics or other binary files) which can be sent electronically from one computer to another using the electronic network. It is one of the basic and most important services available in the Internet. Nowadays it is commonly used to spread unwanted commercial ads (SPAM), which is illegal in most countries.
SPAM: Unwanted e-mails on the Internet, used to spread ads, viruses, and so on. Spamming (sending junk e-mails) is a serious violation of net etiquette, and in many countries is illegal, but due to the international character of the Internet, little can be done about it, except filtering email using some type of filters, often based on statistical bayesian methods.
Virus: A self-replicating program that spreads itself by inserting its code into executable files and or documents. Viruses can be very harmful, capable of destroying or stealing important data. Some viruses are also able to damage computer hardware. Computer Internet training should include methods of protecting before virus infections and at least basic knowledge about dealing with the problem (antivirus software).
Spyware: An application that installs itself on the computer to collect and send secure information without user's knowledge. Used often for advertising purposes, but can be very dangerous. Computer Internet training should include methods of fighting spyware. Note: currently the spyware is not a serious threat to operating systems other than MS Windows.
