Glossary Q-Z

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RAM
Random Access Memory. A computer's working memory, where programs store information when they are running. The bigger it is, the less time your computer will have to wait to get data from the hard disk drive.

Really simple syndication. RSS
An online tool used to send out instantaneous news and updates from a website to subscribers on computers, mobile phones, or personal digital assistants. PDFA such as Blackberry

Registry
A large, constantly changing file in Windows 95, containing details of how your computer is set up, and all the programs stored on the hard disk.

RFC
Request for Comments. Online documents that have to do with technical standards for the Internet.

Scandisk
A Windows utility that checks the integrity of data stored on a hard disk drive, identifies problems, and where possible puts them right.

Scanner
A machine that scans a printed image, such as a photograph or a page of text, and turns it into a file that can be displayed and manipulated on a computer.

SCSI
Small Computer System Interface [pronounced 'Scuzzy']. A high speed data interface that uses a card, which plugs into an ISA [integrated system architecture] socket on the computer motherboard. SCSI cards that use PCI slots are also available.

Search Engine
An online service which can trawl through the contents of the Web (Websites, newsgroups, email addresses) looking for specific phrases or words. The engine asks you for keywords and then provides a list of web sites that contain your chosen words. Clicking on the listed web sites will take you to the relevant web page. A good example is Google.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Making sure that web users can easily find a particular website when they type in a specific words or phrases into a search engine.

SOAP
Simple Object Access Protocol - which provides a way for applications to communicate with each other using XML.

Spam
Slang for posting the same message to multiple newsgroups - frowned on by most people on the Internet.

SQL
Structured Query Language - a standard language for talking to databases.

SSL
Secure Socket Layer - secures Web sites with encrypted traffic to and from the site user (see HTTPS).

Streaming
A technology for delivering audio or video files so that they can be heard or seen whilst downloading, without having to wait for the complete file.

Style sheet
A template or a file which defines the layout of a document or a series of documents.

3G
Third generation mobile telephony related to improving the transmission of data from the internet to mobile phones

Telnet
Allows users remote access to computers, most often at libraries, universities, and government agencies. The remote computer thinks you are using its own keyboard.

Templates
A ready-prepared document layout. Many word-processors have simple pre-formed letterheads, fax headers, memos, and invoices. To customise them for your own needs, you simply change the sample text.

Unix
A computer operating system which allows multiple clients to access one host at the same time.

URL
Uniform Resource Locater. This is the (rather clumsy) name for the address of any resource on the Internet. You type the URL into your browser, and are taken to that address.
Usenet newsgroups
More than 17,000 topic-oriented message bases that can be read and posted to. Also called newsgroups.

Viral marketing
A web strategy that encourages people to pass it on, with little effort, a marketing messages to others, often offering free products or services or sharing cool pics

Virus
A special type of program which is designed for malicious purposes. It spreads by attaching itself to other programs and then carrying out unwanted and often damaging operations.

Virtual
A computer-generated environment.

VRML
Virtual Reality Modelling Language. This is a file format which allows you to create 3D graphics for the Internet.

WAP
Wireless application protocol

A protocol or format that allows the internet to be viewed over a wireless device such as mobile phone.

Wizard
A self-activating program that guides you through a simple set-up routine for a particular feature or application.

World Wide Web
A revolutionary browsing system that allows point-and-click navigation of the Internet. The Web is a spider web-like interconnection of millions of pieces of information located on computers around the world. Web documents use hypertext, which incorporates text and graphical links to other documents and files on Internet-connected computers.

XML
Extensible Markup Language - a new standard for marking up documents and data. It is based on SGML, but with a reduced feature set that is more appropriate for distribution via the Web. XML allows authors to create customised tags not available in HTML.

Zipping
The process of compressing a file so it takes up less space. There are two types of Zip files, normal (which require a program to extract them) and self-executing that open up automatically. PKZip and WinZip are popular zipping and unzipping programs.

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