Are you a computer novice or a computer professional?
`It doesn’t matter — look inside!
`
`Through crystal—clear definitions of up-to-the-minute
`categories,
`I/Vebster’s New I/Vurld Computer Dictionary, Ninth
`Edition remains the best computer reference you can buy.
`
`With over 4,500 comprehensive entries — from Gnutella,
`Python, and multiple matrix skinning to SOAP, WAP, and
`XHTML — this book covers it all.Whether you’re curious
`about how to pronounce C# or simply wondering what
`Bluetooth means,
`the answers are just inside. This fully
`revised edition includes coverage of the Internet, from
`Advanced Encryption Standard to Napster, as well as compre-
`hensive coverage of intellectual property and timecode editing.
`In addition, extensive cross—references lead you to related
`topics ofinterest.
`
`So get all the information you need — with the fully
`expanded VVebster’s New Verld Computer Dictiunary,
`Ninth Edition — right at your fingertips!
`
`Bryan Pfaffenberger, PhD, author of HTML 4 Bible and more
`than 75 books on personal computing, teaches technical writing
`and the sociology of technology at the University ofVirginia's
`Division ofTechnology, Culture, and Communication.
`
`
`
`NOLLICI'EIHLNIN
`
`Hammoe
`AHVNOILOIG
`
`ISBN 0-7845-5325-4
`
`l
`
`A Webster's New World Book
`www.hIIngryn1inds.con|
`Shelving Category: Computers
`U.St $16.99/CAN $2599
`
`ISBN 0-7645-6325’4
`'
`
`516 9 9
`
`, ____“ -.‘-p‘/i
`
`LG 1025
`
`LG 1025
`
`1
`
`

`

`
`
`Webster’s New World" Computer Dictionary, Ninth Edition
`Copyright © 2001 by Hungry Minds, Inc.
`Hungry Minds, Inc.
`909 Third Ave.
`New York, NY 10022
`wwwhungryminds. coin
`All rights reseived. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
`or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
`information storage and retrieval system, without permission in Writing from the
`Publisher.
`
`For general information on Hungry Minds’ products and services please contact our
`Customer Care department; within the U.S. at SOD—76272974, outside the US. at
`31757273993 or fax 317—572—4002. For sales inquiries and reseller information, includ—
`ing discounts, bulk sales, customized editions, and premium sales, please contact our
`Customer Care department at 800—434—3422.
`A Webster’s New \Worldw Book
`WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY is a registered trademark of
`Hungry Minds, Inc.
`Library of Congress Control Number: 2001091950
`ISBN 03645—632574
`
`Cataloging—inepublication information available upon request.
`Manufactured in the United States ofAInenca
`54321
`
`For Suzanne, always
`i BI)
`
`About the Author
`Bryan Pfafienberger is Associate Professor ofTechnology, Culture, and Communication
`at the University ofVirginia. An expert in explaining complex information technology to
`the public, he is the author of more than 75 books on every aspect of computer and
`Internet technology
`
`Acknowledgments
`No work of this scope could have been undertaken without a great deal ofhelp, and this
`book is no exception. I'd like to express very special thanks to the crew at Hungry Minds,
`including acquisitions editor Sherry Gomoll, production editor Stephanie Lucas, and techr
`nical editoi"lravis Silversflhis is an espCCially mlcritcil and (Lihgcnt crew, and they’vc helped
`me bring to fruition the most comprehensive reVision that this work has ever received.
`Ultimately, though, the responsibility for any errors or omisSioris you might find is mine
`and mine alone, so please address your ire to me (bp@virginia.edu); you may very well find
`your contribution reflected in the next edition of this work!
`
`Trademarks
`All terms in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been approe
`priately capitalized. Hungry Minds, Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information.
`Use ofa term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark
`or service mark.
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`
`
`talk hierarchy
`
`360
`
`361
`
`technocentrism
`
`conversations with other system users
`while they are online.
`talk hierarchy In Usenet, one of the
`seven standard newsgroup hierarchies. The
`talk newsgroups are expressly devoted to
`controversial topics and are often charac—
`terized by acrimonious debate, Topics
`covered include abortion, drugs, and gun
`control. See Usenet.
`
`tape A strip of thin plastic coated with a
`magnetically sensitive recording medium.
`In mainframe computing and minicomput—
`ing,
`tape is widely used as
`a backup
`medium, Thanks to a dramatic price drop
`in cartridge tape backup units,
`tape has
`become increasingly common in personal
`computing for backing up entire hard
`drives. See backup procedure, backup utility,
`quarter-inch tartrirlge (QIC),
`random access,
`sequential access, tape backup ”flit.
`tape backup unit A device that reads
`and writes data on a magnetically sensitive
`tape. Tape backup units are useful for per—
`forming backups on hard disksithus
`protecting data from loss by accidental
`erasure—and for storing important but
`rarely needed data that would otherwise
`take up space on a hard disk. Quarterfinch
`cartridge (QIC) tape drives are the most
`common tape backup units for personal
`computers.
`
`See tape backup unit.
`tape drive
`tar A standard file archive utility in Unix
`and Unixrlikc operating systems (including
`Linux)that does not oEer compression sere
`vices.After they are created, tar archives are
`generally compressed using the Unix com~
`press (.2 extension) or gzip (.gz extension)
`utilities, resulting in compound extensions
`such as tar.Z or targz, See archive, compres-
`sion, gzip,
`Targa A graphics file format developed
`by Truevision for Targa and Vism graphics
`hmrinrf: anri nmxrwiriplv used a: a standan’i
`
`file format for higheend graphics output
`(such as rendering and ray tracing). Targa
`files, with the extension .TGA, can have a
`color depth ofup to 32 bits for certain pur—
`poses, although the most common color
`depth is 24 bits, provrding more than 16
`million colors.
`
`In MicrosoftWindows, an appli—
`taskbar
`cation launcher and task switcher that (by
`default) remains visible at the bottom of
`the screen.After launching a program with
`the Start menu, the program's task button
`appears on the taskbar, allowing the user to
`switch to it by clicking the button.
`task button In Microsoft Windows, a
`button that appears on the taskbar after an
`application program is launched. The user
`can switch to the application by clicking
`the task button.
`
`To] An interpreted scripting language
`that
`is
`now maintained
`by
`Sun
`Microsystems. Used primarily on Unix and
`Linux systems,Tcl includes a graphical user
`interface toolkit that enables developers to
`create simple GUI applications in short
`order. See Perl, Python, scripting language.
`TCM See trellis-code modulation.
`
`TCO Acronym for Tjanstemannens
`Centralorganisation, the Swedish Confed—
`eration
`of
`Professional
`Employees
`(Sweden’s largest whiteecollar labor union),
`In monitors, TCO is known for its very
`
`stringent regulations regarding electromag—
`netic radiation
`even stricter than MFR II
`rules. Not many TCOecertified monitors
`are awilable in the United States, but the
`TCO standards are the toughest
`in the
`world,
`
`TCP Acronym for Transmission Control
`Protocol. On the Internet,
`the protocol
`(standard)
`that permits
`two Internetr
`connected computers to establish a reliable
`connection. TCP ensures
`reliable data
`:ir-liverv with a method known as positive
`
`retransmission
`acknowledgment with
`(PAR), The computer that sends the data
`continues to do so until it receives a con~
`firmation from the receiving computer that
`the data has been received intact. See
`Inlernet Protocol (1P), TCP/Tl?
`TCP/IP Abbreviation for Transmission
`Control
`Protocol/Internet
`Protocol
`(TCP/IP), and a commonly used phrase to
`refer to the entire Internet protocol suite.
`By far the most widely used suite of net?
`working protocols,TCP/IP is the leading
`packet switching technology. It provides
`the technical foundation for the public
`Internet as well as for large numbers ofpri~
`vate networks (called intei'nets with a small
`“i" to distinguish them from the public
`Internet) that are not linked to the public
`Internet. The key achievement ofTCP/IP
`is its flexibility with respect to lowerrlevel
`protocols, WlliCl‘lAlfl contrast to the design
`philosophy expressed in the 081 Reference
`Model‘are not defined. As
`a
`result,
`TCP/IP can work with a wide variety of
`physical media, including local area net—
`works (LANs) such as Ethernets, frame
`relay, digital TI and T3 backbones, fiber
`optic, packet
`radio, and many more.
`Although more than 100 protocols make
`up the entire TCP/IP protocol suite, the
`two most important of these (TCP and IP)
`sum up the network's character;
`the
`Internet Protocol (IP) is a highly eflScient
`connectionless protocol that is used unless
`the
`Transmission
`Control
`Protocol
`(TCP)—a connectioneoriented protocol——
`is needed so that data reception can be
`actively verified. See connectionleis protocol,
`mnnectianeoriented protocol, Ethernet, internet,
`Internet, Internet Protocol (IP), 081 Reference
`Model, TCP.
`TCP/IP network A network that uses
`Internet technology and the TCP/IP prof
`tocols, whether or not it is connected to
`the external Internet.Thc public Internet is
`indicated by spelling K‘Internet”with a cap
`ital I; private, TCP/IP—based networks may
`
`also be called internets, but With a small
`initial “i," See Internet,TCP/IP,
`TDMA Acronym for Time DiVision
`Multiple Access. One of two major proto—
`cols
`(the other
`is CDMA)
`for digital
`cellular telephony. TDMA enables multiple
`callers to share the same channel by giving
`each phone a specified time slot in which it
`may transmit or receive.TDMA operates at
`800 MHz or 1900 MHz; when operating at
`the higher frequency, it enables Personal
`Communication Services (PCS)
`such as
`paging, text—based Internet access by means
`of the Wireless Applications Protocol
`(\X/AP), and voice mailTDMA enables data
`communications at a transfer rate of 14.4
`ths. US, TDMA service providers
`include AT&T Wireless and Nextcl.A nar-
`rowband version of the TDMA standard
`callcd Global
`System for Mobile
`Communications (GSM) is the dcjrtcto cele
`lular
`telephony standard in Europe and
`Asia, but it
`is not widely available in the
`US. GSM enables data communications at
`a transfer rate of 9.6 ths. See CDIVIA, dig-
`ital cellularphone, GSM,
`techie An often derogatory term for a
`programmer or other computer expert.
`Like “bit twiddler,” “computer jock,” and
`“computer nerd,” the term sometimes cone
`notes a lack ofinterpersonal skills.
`technical support Providing technical
`advice and problem»solving expertise to
`registered users of a hardware device or
`program.
`
`espe—
`jargon,
`technobahble Technical
`cially when it is used excessively or vaguely
`for marketing purposes (“The new applica—
`tion
`supports
`enterpriserwide
`object
`integration") or used metaphorically in
`noncomputer contexts (“The President is
`getting input fioin his advisors"),
`technocentrism An overidentification
`mm,
`,
`.
`r
`(-
`i
`v-
`.-
`with computer technology, often associated
`
`3
`
`