Web Glossary E-G

E
EDI-Electronic Data Interchange
EDI system allows linked computers to conduct business transactions such as ordering and invoicing over telecommunications networks.
Encoded
A term used to described a file that's been translated from binary format to ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and therefore a more standard format. This is done so the file can be sent using email.
Email - electronic mail
Message, usually text, transmitted over the Internet and sent from one person to another (although you can also send email to a large number of email addresses (mailing list)).
Email address
An electronic mail address. Email addresses are in the form of: user@domainname. Most local ISPs offer you an email address - this is called a POP account.
A POP account requires a username and password to access your email. You have to configure your email software to retrieve the email from your POP account. (See also email alias.)
Email alias
Additional email address that points to another email address (normally your current email address with your local ISP). All messages sent to an email alias, are automatically and immediately redirected (forwarded) to the specified "real" email address, so you don't have to configure your email software to retrieve email sent to your email alias. See also email address.
Emoticon
Name for those little sideways smiling (and not-smiling!) faces in email messages and other postings. Also known as "smiley". For example: "just kidding" represented by ;-)
"I'm sad" represented by :-( If you don't get it, turn your head sideways and look again ;-)
Encryption
Procedure that scrambles the contents of a file before sending it over the Internet. The recipient must have software to "decrypt" this file. If you want to transmit sensitive information like credit card numbers or a password, you have to use some form of encryption.
External Viewer
A program used for presenting graphics, audio and video files. Programs that allow the viewing of GIF and JPEG files and the hearing of AU files fall into this category.

F
FAQ -Frequently Asked Questions
A common feature on the Internet, FAQs are files of answers to commonly asked questions. Read FAQs before wasting electrons asking obvious questions. Saves you from receiving flames.
Field
A field is a part of a Web page that is designated for a particular kind of data or text such as on a E-commerce Bookstore site, fields would be: Authors, Subject, Used, Out of Print, Textbooks, Audio Books, etc.
Field Searching
The ability to limit your search to a particular field. In a search engine, an example would be to search only the URL field. Field searching helps to eliminate the chance of retrieving irrelevant information by narrowing the scope of searchable items.
File Compression
An algorithm or scheme used to compress or shrink a file. A file in compressed form must first be uncompressed or transformed before it can be read, displayed, or used. File compression is used so that files will transfer through the Internet faster.
Firewall
This term refers to security measures designed to protect a networked system from unauthorized or unwelcome access.
Flame
A vitriolic response to a naive, arrogant, inane or equally caustic posting on a Newsgroup or Bulletin Board.
Frames
Some pages are divided into rectangular regions called frames. Each frame can have its own scroll bars, and in fact, each frame represents an individual Web page. Search Engines have a hard time crawling frames, so many designers use them judiciously.
Forms
Used on the Internet to collect information and send it back to the host computer. Typically fields are filled out by the user and sent back to the requester by clicking on a SUBMIT button. (See CGI-Gateway.)
Freeware
A software program that’s available for use without any charge attached to it. This doesn’t mean the program isn’t copyrighted. Usually, the originator retains the copyright. Anyone can use it, but the program can’t be legally sold or distributed without permission. See Shareware.
FTP-File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol is a method that allows the transfer of files from one computer to another. FTP is also the verb used to describe the act of transferring files from one computer to another.
FTP Client
A program that's used to send or retrieve files from an FTP server such as Fetch for Mac's and WS_FTP for PC's.
Full-Text Indexing
Every word, significant and insignificant, is indexed and retrievable through a search engine.

G
GIF-Graphic Interchange Format
A commonly used file compression format developed by CompuServe for transferring graphics files to and from online services. Images on the Internet are typically either GIF's or JPG's. Pronounced gif as in give, not jif.
Gigabyte - Gb
About 1 billion bytes.
1 Kb = 1,024 bytes
1 Mb = 1,024 Kb (= 1,048,576 bytes)
1 Gb = 1,024 Mb (= 1,073,741,824 bytes)
Google
Search engine at http://www.google.com
Gopher
A menu-oriented tool used to locate online resources developed at the University of Minnesota.
Gopherspace
A term used to describe the entire gopher network.
Groupware
This term refers to software applications that facilitate shared work on documents and information.
GUI-Graphical User Interface
This term refers to a software front-end meant to provide an attractive and easy to use interface between a computer user and application. The Macintosh operating system has a GUI, DOS does not