If you are having trouble understanding some of the terms used here, or elsewhere on the Internet then take a look at this short list of descriptions of some of the more commonly used terms on the Internet.

Electronic Mail (e-mail)

The computer-based exchange of messages, often through the use of computer networks and/or via modems.

E-mail Address

A way to identify where an e-mail message will go.  E-mail addresses usually use the scheme of  the user id followed by the ampersand character "@" then the domain name. For example the general e-mail address for First Baptist is fbc@fbcgraham.org and the address for the webmaster here is webmaster@fbcgraham.org.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

A common file format for storing image files.  The GIF format uses a compression technique that reduces the size of the file, thus reducing download times.  Therefore this format is popular on the Web.  This format is used mainly for clip-art or images with large portions of the same color.

Hyperlink

Generally, this is underlined text in a HTML document that is displayed in a different color, which when selected will take you to another section of the same document, a different document in the same web site or to another web site all together.  The color of the hyperlink text will change once the link has been "visited".  Also, images can also contain links, which can be accessed by clicking on the image with a button on your mouse.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

A document format used widely on the Web.  This format can be viewed on most computer platforms, therefore making it a popular way to exchange information.  The appearance of HTML documents is applied more when the document is viewed by a web browser than in the authoring stage.  So, sometimes what you see may not be what we intended.

Internet

The worldwide collection of computers and networks linked together using the TCP/IP communications protocol.  The Internet does not have one central "hub" computer, instead it is a collection of networks, online services and individual computers from all around the world.  The Internet began in 1969 by U.S. Government to connect government agencies and was originally called ARPAnet.  The Internet has seen its most growth recently with the addition of companies sharing information about their products and individuals using web browsers to access this  information and exchanging messages.  

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

Another popular graphics file format that is used commonly on the Internet because of its ability to compress the file, making it smaller.  This format is used mainly for photographic images.

Mailing List

A list of users on the Internet or other network that share a common interest.  Once a users "signs up" or "subscribes" to a mailing list, he or she will receive copies of mail messages pertaining to this common interest.

Mailto Tag

A tag or instruction used in HTML documents that allows the user to select an underlined section of text (which resembles a hyperlink) that automatically starts the e-mail program defined on your computer with a message addressed to the individual defined in the mailto text.  Of course, for this feature to work your e-mail program must be installed and working on your system.

Search Engine

A search engine is a program or web site that serves as an index of other sites on the Web.  They allow you to do keyword searches for information on these sites.  Some of the more popular search engines are Altavista, Excite, Google, Hotbot, Infoseek, Lycos and Yahoo.

Server

A server is a computer (from a PC to a Mainframe) that provides information or a service to other computers connected to it via a network.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol)

A collection of protocols that dictate how data is transferred among computers on the Internet.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

Basically it is the address of a Web site or other resource on the Internet.  For example our URL is http://www.fbcgraham.org.

World Wide Web

Also know as The Web, WWW or W3.  It is on of the features of the Internet and it is frequently used, incorrectly to describe the Internet.  It is a collection of hypertext based computers that allow you to navigate between them by selecting hyperlinks.  It is fast becoming the biggest attraction in the Internet.

Web Browser

A software application that lets you view and navigate the World Wide Web.  The most popular examples of browsers are Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.