ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act

ATAC - Acadmemic Technology Advisory Committee

ATISS - Academic Technology Instructional Support Subcommittee

browser - a software program that allows for the viewing of web pages. The two most common browsers today are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Byte - a unit of computer memory that contains 8 bits. A bit is the smallest unit of digital information and can have a value of either 1 (on) or 0 (off).

CATS - Center for Academic Technology Support

CD-ROM - Compact Disc - Read Only Memory - A CD-ROM is typically used to store information and computer programs. Originally used to store digital music CD-ROM's are now common accessories on a computer purchased today. DVD's are beginning to replace CD-ROM technology. A CD-ROM can hold 640MB of information.

CPU - Central Processing Unit - The CPU executes machine instructions in order to run computer programs. CPU "speed" is typically measured in MHz or GHz. Common manufacturers of CPU's include: Intel, AMD, and Motorola. The newest computers today have a processing speed measured in GHz.

database - a software program that organizes information by records and fields that can be sorted and queried. Examples of database programs include Microsoft Access, dBase, and Filemaker Pro.

directory - a directory is a storage location on a hard drive, floppy disk, or other storage medium. Directories are used to organize computer files similar to folders in a filing cabinet. The terms folder and directory can be used interchangeably.

domain name - a domain name is a representation of a
computer name that is translated into IP number by a domain name server. Domain names are easier for humans to
remember than IP numbers. An example of a domain name is yahoo.com. Domain names are organized by suffixes.
Common top level domain name suffixes include: com- commercial, edu - education, gov - government, net- service provider, org- non-profit organization, mil - military

download - the process of transferring computer files from a remote computer to a local computer.

DVD - Digital Versatile Disc - this technology is replacing today's CD-ROM technology. DVD's have greater storage capacity than CD-ROM’s and are being used to store digital movies. A DVD disc holds a minimum of 4.7GB of information.

Email - email is the killer application of the Internet. Email allows users to communicate electronically and send messages to each other at light speed. In 1995 the volume of email messages exceeded letters delivered by the US Postal Service.

extensions - file name extensions are used to identify computer files by the type of application. Common extensions include the following: doc- MS Word document file, wpd - WordPerfect document file gif - graphic image file, jpg- graphic image file pdf- adobe acrobat file, xls- MS Excel spreadsheet file, exe - executable program

FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

floppy disk - a floppy disk is used to store information that can be removed from the computer. Floppy disks are used to backup computer data and also used to transport day from one computer to another (sneakernet). Floppy disk hold 1.44 MB of data.

folder - a folder is a storage location on a hard drive, floppy disk, or other storage medium. Folders are used to organize computer files on a hard drive similar to folders in a filing cabinet. The terms folder and directory can be used interchangeably.

font - a font is a typeface with certain characteristics. Common fonts include Times New Roman, Courier, Arial, and Helvetica.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol - this protocol is used to transfer files from a remote computer to a local computer or vice versa. FTP is used to upload or download web pages to or from a web server.

GB - Gigabyte - A gigabyte is one thousand megabytes or one billion bytes. Gigabytes are typically used to describe the capacity of today's hard drives.

GHz - GigaHertz is now used to describe the speed of a CPU. (giga—one billion) A common CPU speed today is 1.8GHz.

GIF - Graphics Interchange Format - this is a file format that is typically used to display drawings and artwork on the web.

hard drive - also known as a hard disk or fixed disk. The hard drive is used for permanent storage of programs and files. Hard drive capacity today is measured in GB.

HTML- HyperText Markup Language- this is the programming language that is used to create web pages. HTML was developed by Tim Berners-Lee and given away for free in the early 90's.

HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol- this protocol delivers web pages to your computers browser. You may have noticed that URL's typically begin with http:// An example is http://www.eiu.edu

Internet - The global network of networks that uses the TCP/IP protocol to communicate from host to host. Today the Internet has over 200 million users worldwide.

ITC - Instructional Technology Center

ITS - Information Technology Services

ISS - Instructional Support Specialists

JPG - Joint Photographic Experts Group - image file format that compresses files to make them smaller and is well-suited for displaying photo images on the web. KB - Kilobyte - a kilobyte is one thousand bytes. In the early days of computing this term was used to describe the capacity of RAM and hard drive capacity.

LAN - Local Area Network - A LAN is a group of two or more computers that are connected together in order to share information, connect to the Internet, or share peripheral devices in a limited geographical area (usually the same building).

Listserv - a type of electronic mailing list that allows users to send to one email address and have it delivered to the email accounts of all users on the listserv. This is an effective way for users with a common interest to communicate.

logoff - the process of disconnecting from a computer resource.

logon - the process of connecting to a computer resource that usually involves a userid and password.

MB - Megabyte - A megabyte is one million bytes. The term is used to describe the capacity of RAM and also the capacity of hard drives (although today's hard drives are measured in GB).

MHz - MegaHertz - this term is used to describe the "speed" of a computer's CPU and translates to one million cycles per second. Today’s CPU’s are now measured in GigaHertz. (mega—one million)

modem - a modem (modulator/demodulator) is a device used to connect your computer to a phone line that allows your computer to talk via phone lines to other computers. You will most likely need a modem to connect your home computer to the Internet.

MP3 - sound storage format that has gained popularity on the Internet as a way to share music files.

multimedia - the combination of voice, sound, music, graphics, and motion video that is capable of being seen and heard via a computer.

network - a network is two or more computers connected together to share information and resources.

operating system - the operating system is machine code that serves as an interface between the software and the hardware of the computer. Typical operating systems today include: Windows 95/ Windows 98 / WinNT / Windows 2000 / and MacIntosh System 9.

Outlook - Microsoft Outlook is an email client that includes email, tasks manager, calendar, and contact management. Outlook is one of the standard email clients supported by ITS.

parallel cable - a parallel cable is typically used to connect a printer to the computer.

PDF - Portable Document Format- a common format used to display electronic documents and was developed by Adobe. PDF documents require the Adobe Acrobat Reader browser plug-in to view.

plug-in - a plug-in is a software program that can be added on to browser software to extend the capabilities of the browser. Common plug-in software for the Internet includes Adobe Acrobat Reader, Flash, Shockwave, Real Player, and Quicktime.

protocol - an agreed upon set of standards that is used to transmit and receive computer data transmissions. A protocol is like a language that is agreed upon so that computers can communicate with each other.

RAM - Random Access Memory- computer memory that is used to temporarily store information. RAM is typically measured in MB and a typical computer today has 128MB of RAM.

scanner - a device that records images into a digital file format such as jpg. Some scanners have the ability to scan in text and uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to convert the scanned image into a text file.

server - a computer or device that manages network resources. Different types of servers include: file servers, print servers, and web servers. Servers can be used as a central storage place and run programs for other computers (clients).

spreadsheet - a computer application that is largely used to manipulate numbers. Examples of spreadsheet programs include Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3.

TCP / IP - Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol - the de facto networking standard that is used by all computers connected to the Internet to communicate. Every computer (host) on the Internet has a unique IP number. Example: 139.89.34.3

upload - the process of transferring computer files from a local computer to a remote computer.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator - is used to describe the location of web pages. An example of a URL is:
http://www.eiu.edu/ceps or http://www.yahoo.com

userid / password - used to identify a computer user. When you logon to a resources such as email your userid and
password provides a level of security so that no other users have access to your computer accounts. Treat your
password like a tooth brush: use it regularly, change it often, and never share it with anyone.

virus - a program that is often destructive and can replicate itself and infect other computers. All computer viruses are created by humans. Some viruses can wipeout entire hard drives. All viruses should be treated as potentially dangerous, even viruses that do little damage can cost companies millions of dollars in lost productivity.

WebCT - Web Course Tools is an online course management system that allows for online delivery of courses completely online or by supplementing existing courses with online content. This is the standard course managment system supported by EIU.

WWW - World Wide Web- term typically used to refer to all of the resources and users on the Internet that use the HTML language to create/view web pages.

zip disk - a portable storage device that typically has the capacity of 100MB, 250MB, or 750MB. Zip disks are used to backup computer data and also to transport data from one computer to another (sneakernet).

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