Glossary
of Internet Terms

• Browser
  
  The software on a computer that allows access to the graphical, textual and multimedia information on the World Wide Web.
  
  
• Download
  
  The process of receiving information from an internet computer and saving it on a hard drive.
  
  
• E-mail
  
  A system of world-wide electronic transmission of paperless messages, letters, documents, and other materials. Users need e-mail software or a browser with e-mail capabilities.
  
  
• FAQ
  
  Stands for "Frequently Asked Questions". A document that lists questions and answers frequently asked about a particular topic.
  
  
• Home page
  
  The first page retrieved when accessing a Web site, which often serves as a table of contents to the rest of the pages on the site.
  
  
• Internet
  
  An interconnected system of networks that connects computers around the world, allowing them to talk to each other.
  
  
• Keyword
  
  A descriptive word or phrase used when searching for information with a search engine.
  
  
• Link
  
  Links are shortcuts to other Web sites or to another portion of the same Web page. They are usually underlined and coloured differently from the rest of the Web page's text.
  
  
• On-line
  
  The state of using a computer that is connected to the internet or to a network.
  
  
• Search engine
  
  A service or software that searches for and locates Web sites or data that match search criteria.
  
  
• Server
  
  A server stores and serves information over the internet. It is a computer that processes requests for HTML and other documents that are components of web pages.
  
  
• Surfing
  
  The action of browsing the World Wide Web.
  
  
• URL
  
  Stands for "Universal Resource Locator". It is the technical term for a Web site's address giving the location of something on the internet. An example of this is: http://www.gov.on.ca/lab/pec
  
  
• Web page
  
  Any single page of information on the World Wide Web, consisting of an HTML file and related files for scripts and graphics. Web pages are often linked to other documents on the Web.
  
  
• Web site
  
  A set of web pages, usually including a homepage, generally located on the same server, and prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person, group, or organization.
  
  
• World Wide Web or WWW
  
  The "World Wide Web" is a collection of interconnected documents with images and other information stored on computers around the globe.