Glossary

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

 ICQ

An easy-to-use online instant messaging program developed by Mirabilis LTD, which is now owned by AOL. Prounounced as separate letters, so that it sounds like "I-Seek-You," ICQ is similar to Yahoo Messenger and other Instant Messenger programs. It is used as a conferencing tool by individuals on the Net to chat, e-mail, perform file transfers, play computer games, and more.

 IMHO

An abbreviation for "in my humble opinion," this term is used in various online communications such as e-mail and instant messages.

 IP Address

An IP address is a numeric code that uniquely identifies a particular computer on the Internet. Just as a street address identifies the location of your home or office, every computer or network on the Internet has a unique address.

 IRC

An acronym for Internet Relay Chat, IRC is a program that allows you to carry on "live" conversations with people all over the world by typing messages back and forth across the Internet. You can talk in groups or in private with only one person. IRC consists of "channels," that are usually devoted to specific topics. Anyone can create a "channel" and any message typed in a given channel is seen by all others in the channel.

 Image Map

An image map is a graphic divided into regions or "hotspots.", that when clicked, accesses a web page that is linked to a particular region. A typical example of an image map is a website that offers national information organized by state. Clicking on a state on a map of the United States calls up the appropriate page.

 Inline Content

Inline content are graphics (including photos) and video that are embedded in a web page. Inline graphics are displayed in a web browser as part of the document, and do not require a separate external viewer application to be seen. Likewise, inline video refers to a video clip embedded in a web page that runs in real time without requiring a separate player.

 Instant Messaging

A type of communications service that enables you to create a private chat room with another individual. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. There are several competing instant messaging systems. Unfortunately, there's no standard, so anyone you want to send instant messages to must use the same instant messaging system that you use.

 Internet Explorer

Microsoft's Web browser. Like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer enables you to view Web pages. Both browsers support Java and JavaScript. Internet Explorer also supports ActiveX.

 Internet Service Provider

Also called an ISP or access provider; Internet service provider refers to the remote computer system to which you connect your personal computer and through which you connect to the Internet. Internet Service Providers that you access by modem and telephone line are often called dial-up services. InfoWest, AOL, and NetZero are all examples of an Internet Service Provider