( Understanding Words you hear & See )

Computer Terms

Web Counters

You've heard of a Web counter before, right? Maybe so, but do you know exactly what one is? I've found that not many people do, so that's why I wrote everything out for you right here. It explains Web counters like never before, so be sure to check it out!

Keystroke Logging

I'm sure you've heard of the term "keystroke logging" before, but do you know what it means? To be honest, I didn't know much about it either, but now, we can all learn more about it with this tip. Just click here and start reading!

iHome

Have you heard of the term "iHome" before? We've mentioned it a few times in our newsletter, but we've never really explained it in full detail, so that's what I'm here for today! If you want to learn more about iHome, I urge you to click here right now. It's a must read!

Hot Swappable

Have you ever heard of the term "hot swappable?" If you have, do you know what it means exactly? It's a pretty cool thing, so if you'd like to learn all about it, I'd suggest reading right here, right now!

ULCPCs: What Are They?

I mentioned ULCPCs in a recent tip and ever since, you all have been e-mailing and calling me, begging for more information about them. Well, here you go! Everything is explained in detail right here in this tip. All you have to do is click and read!

Message Board Stickies

Have you ever heard of the term "sticky" in reference to an online message board? If not, it's something you really should familiarize yourself with. And you can do just that by reading this tip. Click here for all the details on message board stickies!

Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

Have you often wondered what the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is? I mean, it comes through every month with the Windows Updates, but what does it do for you? Well, to find out, all you have to do is read here. This is one tip every computer user should check out!

Flaming

Have you ever been involved in a flaming match? Not sure how to answer that, because you don't know exactly what it means? Well, allow me to give you a brief description and let's just say, I hope none of you have. This is definitely a new term you want to add to your vocabulary. Check it out!

Web Site Certificates

Have you ever heard of a Web site having a certificate? Well, they do! Want to know what their purpose is and how they help you? Then read here and learn all about them. You won't be sorry!

All About WiFi

Have you been wondering about the basics of WiFi for quite some time now? If so, I've got just the thing you're looking for. Read here to get down to the nitty gritty of WiFi. You're going to love it!

Terabyte

Are you running out of room on your computer with the gigs of space you have? If so, you might want to look into the world of terabytes. The amount of space you'll get with one of those will just blow your mind. Read here to learn all about it!

E-mail Harvesting

Have you ever heard of the term "e-mail harvesting" before? Well, whether you have or you haven't, this is an important term to know. Read here and learn all about it!

API

Have you ever heard of the abbreviation API? If so, have you always wondered what it meant? Then read here and learn all about it. It's very interesting information!

32-Bit vs. 64-Bit

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems? If so, this tip is just for you! Read here and you'll get all the information you need to know about the two of them and more. Check it out!

Fuzz Testing

I bet you haven't heard of this term before! It's all about fuzz testing today. Click here to learn all about it and how it can help you!

Definition: Computer Crash

I'm sure you've heard the term "computer crash" before, but do you know exactly what it means? If so, read here for a formal explanation of what all a computer crash entails!

Cyberspace

I'm sure you've heard this word mentioned before, but do you know exactly what all it entails? If not, read here and find out!

Wireless Receiver

Do you use a wireless keyboard or mouse? If you do, you probably have a wireless receiver that goes along with it, right? Well, if you're not sure what that is, read here to learn all about it!

Firewall Basics

We've talked about firewalls before here at WorldStart, but we've never really gone over the basics of them. Well, that's what we're going to do today. Read here and learn all about them!

System Tray

Do you see the term system tray and always have a hard time figuring out exactly what it is? If that happens to you, don't let it happen any more. Read here for a complete definition of the system tray and more!

All About the Volume

Not sure what all the volume control dialogue box entails? Then read here and find out. Everything is explained in easy to understand terms. Check it out!

Dongle

Have you ever heard of the term dongle before? If not, you'll definitely want to check this tip out. It gives you a basic definition of the term, plus everything else you need to know about it!

Progress Bar

Want to learn a little more about that progress bar that tells you how far along your Web pages have loaded? If so, read here for all the details!

Active Content

Have you heard of the term active content before? If not, it's a good term to add to your "I Know What That Means" list. Read all about it here!

Refresh Rate Basics

Not sure what a refresh rate is? I'm sure you've probably heard the term before, but now it's time to actually learn what it is. Read here for all the details!

Pharming

I know you've heard of the term phishing before, but have you ever heard of pharming? If not, you'll definitely want to read here and find out what it's all about!

Tooltips

Ever wonder what those little pop up messages are whenever you roll your mouse over a program, icon, etc.? Well, they're called tooltips and you can read her for all the details about them!

FireWire

I'm sure you've heard this term before, but do you know what it means? If not, read here for all the details and wonder no more!

Ping Pong

Ever wonder what the term "ping" means? How about "pong"? Well, come with me as we play a little ping pong!

Dual Boot

Did you know that it's possible to put more than one operating system on one single computer? If you didn't, read here for all the details. This is so cool!

Send To

Have you always been a little confused by the Send To option that comes with all Windows operating systems? Well, if so, read here and I promise it will clear it all up. Check it out!

Windows Explorer

Ever wondered what Windows Explorer is? It's always been a little vague, but that's no more! Click here and read this tip to freshen up your knowledge in the computer world. It's all about Windows Explorer, baby!

Avatar

Do you know what an avatar is? If not, have you often wondered? Well, either way, read here to learn all about them.

BitTorrent

Have you ever heard of this term? What does it mean? What does it do? Well, read here to learn all about it!

Social Bookmarking

You've heard of bookmarking and you've probably heard of social networking, but what about social bookmarking? Learn all about it here!

Know Your Hardware

Afraid you have some hardware that you don't even know about? Or do you know about something, but you're not sure what it does? Learn all about your computer's hardware right here and wonder no more!

E-books

What is an e-book? Have you been asking yourself this very question for awhile now? Well, wonder no more, because the answer is here!

OEM

Have you ever heard of this? You probably have, but I'm guessing you've never been quite sure what it stands for. If not, click here and find out all about it!

Third Party

Heard of the term before, but you're not sure what it means exactly? Then read here and find out!

Pixels

Not sure what an actual pixel is? Learn all about them with this tip!

Dead Pixels

You've learned all about stuck pixels before, so what about dead pixels? Read all about them here.

Applet Defined

Ever wonder what an applet is? If so, learn all about it right here, right now!

AdSense

Ever heard of this term? Ever wonder what it is? Well, if you have, you can find out right now! Just click here.

Zero-Day Defined

Have you heard of the Zero-Day term before? Not sure what it means? Learn all about it here.

ISO Images

Ever wonder what an ISO image is? Learn more about it right here!

WGA

So, what exactly is the Windows Genuine Advantage? If you've ever run into problems with it, you should know what to do about it. Lucky for you, you can learn right here, right now!

Hijack Mania

I'm sure you've heard of this term before, but do you know what it exactly entails when dealing with computers? If not, learn here!

Webisode

Ever heard of this term? Well, if not, you're about to find out all about it. It's a cool little thing. Check it out!

DRM

Ever run into this term? Well, it stands for Digital Rights Management and it has to do with copyright protection. Check it out!

NTLDR

Ever run into this term? Ever wonder what it means? Well, if you have, find out all about it here.

Serial/COM Port

Do you know what a serial port is? How about a COM port? Well, read here and you might learn something you never knew!

Jewel Cases

What are jewel cases? Not sure? Well, I'll bet you use them quite often. Learn all about them here.

Mail To

Are you an avid Web page designer? Do you ever like to add e-mail addresses to your pages? Learn how to link them and make it easier for people to use them.

Programmers

Have you ever wondered who designs and creates the programs you use on your computer? Well, they're called programmers and learn all about them here!

Boot Disk

Ever wonder what a boot disk actually is and what it's used for? Find out here!

HTML vs. Plain Text

Have you ever wondered what the real difference was between these two? Find out here right now!

TCP

We mention this term in our tips a lot, so have you ever wondered what it means exactly? Learn all about it here!

Datagrams

Ever heard of this term? I hadn't either until recently. Learn all about it with this quick tip!

AVI

Ever wonder what AVI stands for and what it means? Find out how it can play a part in your life with this tip!

Vlog

You've probably heard of blogs, but what about vlogs? If you have a lot of videos to your name, you might interested in starting a vlog. Check it out!

Bitmap

What in the world is a bitmap? Well, it has to do with digital photos. Find out all about it here!

Wikis

There are a lot of wikis available on the Internet these days. Still not sure what they are? Find out here!

Define IM

What does IM mean? Well, it's short for instant messaging. Want to learn more about it? Then read here!

AGP

What does AGP mean? Learn all about with this quick tip.

Knowledge Base

Ever heard of this term? Want to know what it means? Check this tip out and find the answer!

DOS File Name Structure

Curious about the DOS file names and how they're structured? Learn all about it here.

Uploading

Not sure what it means to upload something? Get a basic definition here.

GUI

GUI stands for graphical user interface. Want to learn more about it? If so, you've come to the right place!

User Interface

Not sure what a user interface is? Well, it's basically what you look at every time you work with a program or a Web site. Learn more here!

UPS

No, I'm not talking about the package delivery company. I'm talking about the computer related UPS. Learn about it here!

Explorer.exe Error

Have you ever run across an explorer.exe error while using your computer? Find out some causes of it and how you can fix it here.

Mail Transfer Agent

What is the Mail Transfer Agent and what does it do? Find out here!

PS/2 Port

What is a PS/2 port, you may ask? Find out all about it with this tip!

Runtime Error

Ever come across a runtime error? Find out what could be causing this and some things you can do to fix it.

USB Cables

Learn about USB cable limitations with this quick tip.

USB Connectors

Learn about the different types of USB connectors and find out which ones you use.

DSL

Ever heard of DSL Internet? I'm sure you probably have, but do you know what all it entails?

Laser Printer

Ever wonder how a laser printer operates? Read all about it here.

NIC Cards

You may have heard of the term, but what exactly is a NIC card?

Troubleshooting

What does it mean to troubleshoot? Learn all about it here.

Hits

What is a hit exactly? Find out here!

Encryption

Learn all about why it's a good idea to make use of encryption, especially if you're going wireless.

Virtual Private Network

What is a virtual private network? Find out here!

VoIP Defined

Learn all about the specifics of VoIP and find out if it's right for you.

End User

Ever wonder what an end user is? Read all about it here!

Cable Modem

Find out what a cable modem is exactly and how it's used.

JavaScript Basics

A little confused about what javascript is? Read here to learn the basics.

Social Network

Ever wonder what a social network is? Are you in one? Find out here.

URL

What is a URL?

Hardware vs. Software Modems

Learn about the difference between hardware and software modems

What is a Server?

Learn all about servers

Webcams

Learn all about the wide world of Webcams!

More About Easter Eggs

Learn even more about Easter eggs and then go on a hunt for them!

Alert! Alert!

Find out all about alert boxes

More on BIOS

Understand BIOS just a little bit more

Streaming

What does streaming mean?

Computer Acronyms

Learn this list of computer acronyms

Bots

Need help understanding what a bot is? Read here then!

Import/Export

What's the difference between importing and exporting and what do they even mean?

What is RAM?

Understand RAM a little better

Understanding Virtual Memory and RAM

Confused by virtual memory and how it differs from RAM? Read on!

What is System32

A general overview of System32

What does DNS mean?

DNS stands for Domain Name System (or Service or Server)

More Details in Your Columns

Make info available as columns in detail view

SaaS acronym for Software as a Service

Web-based applications get catchy new title

Codec or codecs defined

Coder-Decoder or Compressor-Decompressor

VoIP defined phone internet service

method to send voice over internet

CVV or CVV2 defined

Online credit card security feature

Beta Release Programs

Real world testing versions of any programs

Web Design Workshop: Recycle for Speed (cache)

Cache use keeps the site consistent, saves time

Forward Slash Backslash

back slash, and what they mean to your PC

Alt-Tab to switch Open Windows

Navigate between open windows with Alt-tab

Web Design: the Basics (acronyms)

Basic definitions for web design

Podcast 101, part 1

Internet Radio takes the next step

ActiveX Controls

active content on websites comes with risk

Passport Services for password storage

new service for the forgetful, but be wary!

IP addresses

What does IP stand for?

Abbreviation Z

Search from A to Z of Acronyms & Abbreviations on the net.

WIKI

Collaborative repositories of knowledge

Basic Web Design Terms

Know FTP from .gov

Who's a Hacker?

Where did the term "Hacker" come from?

Tour the Registry Editor

Don't be afraid, I'll hold your hand

Cross Site Scripting

Another way that hackers are using websites to steal info

What is a Blog?

Just click on link above

What's that pointer?

All about the cursor

Processes and Services

What is the difference?

Bluetooth

What is this new wireless technology?

The Start Menu

Details on the Start Menu

RSS Feeds

What is RSS and how to use it

What is an HTML Document?

TML is short for Hyper Text Markup Language

What is CGI?

CGI is short for Common Gateway Interface

What are Wave (WAV) files?

Wave files (they have a .WAV extension) are sound files

What is "Safe mode"?

Safe mode is a Windows maintenance mode where only the bare minimum of drivers are loaded.

What are "window panes"?

"Panes" are generally referenced when you have a split window, like what you would have in Windows Explorer.

What's an ISP?

ISP stands for Internet Service Provider

What are "Newsgroups"?

Newsgroups (also known as Usenet) make up a world wide message system for discussion and instant libraries of information

What does it mean to "boot" your computer?

When you start (or re-start) your computer, that's called "booting"

Virus, Trojan, Worm

What is the difference between a Virus, Trojan, and Worm?

What is TWAIN

TWAIN is an industry wide standard that allows a computer to communicate with a graphic device, such as a scanner or digital camera

What is "UPS"?

UPS stands for Uninterruptable Power Supply

Business versus Home

What are pros and cons of getting a "business workstation" vs. the "home systems"?

What are folders

"Folders," also known as "directories," on your computer work in much the same way that file folders in the real world work

What is a Network?

A network is simply a group of computers that are hooked together

What's "IDE"?

IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics, describes a drive that has its controller components built in

What's the Windows "Registry?"

Basically, the registry is used to store system and program settings.

What does SSL mean?

SSL, or Secure Socket Layers, is what makes secure sites secure

What does "DPI" mean?

Digital images are essentially made up of little "dots". We use DPI (Dots Per Inch) as a measure of resolution

What are Interrupts?

Normally called Interrupt Requests (IRQ), they are basically calls made from a hardware device to get the "attention"

What is spam ?

The act of sending unsolicited commercial email (UCE), "spamming", or in reference to the UCE itself, "spam".

What is a browser?

A browser is what you use to surf the web.

What are DLL files?

DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files are basically "support" files for certain types of software

What does it mean when software is a "beta" version?

A beta version is basically a test version of a software program.

What is Java?

Java is a programming and scripting language that is primarily used for the web (although it could be used for other stuff too).

What (and where) is the Desktop on my computer?

The Desktop, basically, is where all your icons live

What does ASCII mean?

ASCII is short for American Standard Code for Information Interchange

What is BIOS?

BIOS (basic input / output system) is basically the "software" the computer uses for it's most basic operations (accessing memory, disks, processors, etc.).

What is the Windows Clipboard?

The Windows clipboard is used to temporarily store stuff.

What is a Buffer?

A buffer is basically an area of memory a hardware device or software program uses when it needs a constant, uninterrupted flow of information

The difference between DVD-R and DVD+R

I wanted to add a recordable DVD drive to my computer. What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R?

What is a cache?

Cache files are used to store information on a temporary basis for quick access

What does it mean to configure?

It can be your combination of software: operating system, utilities, and applications. It can also mean the adjustment of your software: options or preferences.

What is an OS

OS is short for "Operating System

What are plug-ins?

A plug-in is a small application that works with your browser to display certain types of web media

What Drivers Do

Drivers are mini-programs (instructions) that tell your computer how to use its hardware

Virus vs Worm

I know what a virus is, but what's a worm. Are they the same thing?

What are attachments?

An e-mail attachment is a file you include with an e-mail. For example, let's say you have a text document or picture you want to share with someone.

Open Source

The term is used to describe a program where the author gives the public access to the source code

The difference between Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer

The Internet Explorer side of the program is for surfing the web. The Windows Explorer side is used for exploring the files, folders, drives, and directories on your computer.

POP3 Email

POP3 means "post office protocol, version 3

Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons

What are those three little buttons on the upper right-hand corner of an open window for?

What are "zipped" files?

A zip file is basically a "package" of one or more compressed files. If you download a lot of software, you'll run across these all the time.

Downloading, Uploading and Installing

The difference between Downloading, Uploading and Installing

Image File Guide

I get questions about image formats all the time, so if you don't know your JPEG's from your GIF's, this is for you. First, a little background on file compression.

What are all those cards?

Most basic PC's will include a Sound Card, Video Card, and maybe a Network Card. Graphic Accelerators and Video Capture Cards are usually add-on accessories.

The difference between a Taskbar and a Toolbar

Your taskbar is the long gray bar that sits at the bottom of your screen. Toolbars are the little strips at the top of a program that holds icons.

What a Briefcase is for.

You can use Briefcase to synchronize the files with their counterparts on your main computer when you finish working on them.

What are .pdf files?

People use PDF files for everything. The most common use seems to be documents (both interactive and regular), but I've also seen PDF files used for maps, catalogs, presentations, and even e-books

Internet Error Codes

What all those error codes (like 404) mean

Emoticons

Emoticons are little text representations of emotions that you find in email, chat rooms, and IM's.

What is NTFS

This filing system was first used in Windows NT (thus the name). It boasts better reliability, security, and file management than the older FAT file systems.

Save and Save As

the difference between Save and Save As

Let's go for a Drive

An explanation of what the different drives are for.

Executable File

The executable is basically the part of the program that "runs" when you click it (or its shortcut). In fact, the executable basically is the program, less any support files.

What is LCD?

LCD stands for Liquid-Crystal display

What is a template?

template is a document pattern or part of a document that you keep stored to make new documents

Virtual Memory

Windows uses virtual memory when it doesn't have enough "regular" physical memory to perform a task

Understanding Kilobytes, megabytes, etc

File sizes tend to be one of the more perplexing issues for both the fledgling and intermediate computer user. So, we've put together a breakdown of the various file size "units" you may encounter