Online Learning at CSU
Glossary of Terms
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L
Links
These are the hypertext connections between Web pages. This is a synonym for hotlinks or hyperlinks.
Live
When used in reference to a World Wide Web file, this term designates an object linked to another layer of information.
M
Metaverse
From the novel "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson, this term describes a virtual online representation of reality.
MIME
An acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, MIME is a messaging standard that allows Internet users to exchange e-mail messages enhanced with graphics, video and voice. MIME file types are also used in Mosaic.
Mosaic
This is the common name of a World Wide Web multimedia browser program developed at the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. The official, copyrighted name of the program is NCSA Mosaic(tm).
MPEG
The acronym for Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG is an international standard for video compression and desktop movie presentation. A special viewing application is needed to run MPEG files on your computer.
N
NCSA
This is the abbreviation for National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
NFS
The abbreviation for Network File System, NFS is a protocol suite developed and licensed by Sun Microsystems that allows different makes of computers running different operating systems to share files and disk storage.
NIC
The abbreviation for Network Information Center, NIC is an organization responsible for supplying information for component networks that comprise the Internet.
NOC
The abbreviation for Network Operations Center, NOC is the organization responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Internet's component networks.
Node
A device attached to a network. A node uses the network as a means of communication and has an address on the network.
NREN
The abbreviation for National Research and Education Network, NREN is an effort to combine the networks operated by the U.S. government into a single high-speed network.
O
OSI Model
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model for describing network protocols was devised by the Internet Standards Organization. It divides protocols in to seven layers to standardize and simplify definitions.
P
POP
An acronym for Point of Presence, POP is a service provider's location for connecting to users. Generally, POPs refer to the location where people can dial into the provider's host computer. Most providers have several POPs to allow low-cost access through telephone lines.
POTS
This is an acronym for Plain Old Telephone Service.
PPP
The abbreviation for Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP is an Internet connection where phone lines and a modem can be used to connect a computer to the Internet.
Protocol
A set of standards that define how traffic and communications are handled by a computer or network routers.
Q
QuickTime
This is a digital video standard developed for Apple Macintosh computers. Special viewing applications are needed to run QuickTime movies.