Internet Skills: Internet Terminology Internet Terminology World Wide Web | Email | General World Wide Web Terms Banner Advertising The term used for ads that appear usually on the top of the screen of a web page. Usually will show up first when you load a page, and usually is flashy. Sometimes additional window(s) will open up automatically leading you to full web pages for a particular product. Clicking on this ad will usually open up at least one additional window to a web site that wants to sell you something (usually somehow related to your search or web page you have found). In general, for this course, I'd recommend you NOT click on these ads as they sometimes open multiple windows and can eventually crash your computer. They can also waste your time. Blackboard A product name for courseware. Courseware is a software program an instructor uses to deliver a course through the World Wide Web. Other examples of courseware include WebCT, Course Compass, and Etudes. Blog Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly-accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.

Sometimes a blog functions like a discussion board because users are often invited to respond to the author's comments and create an online discussion. Browser The name for software packages that allows us to explore the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two such browsers. Cookie A message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it. Domain Look under General HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) The programming language that is used to create web pages.

It is a coding language where a block of text is surrounded by codes to indicate how should the text appear. It also provides commands as to where items from other files should be placed, such as images. Files that end with .htm or .html are files that contain Hypertext Markup Languages and can be viewed through a Browser. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) The primary protocol for the World Wide Web. With this protocol, you can access any web page on any public World Wide Web Server on the Internet. Hypertext Generally, any text that contains "links" to other documents - words or phrases in the document that can be chosen by the user and which cause another document to be retrieved and displayed. The text is usually underlined or highlighted. Invisible Web The term used to describe those web sites that search engines CANNOT pick up, usually because to get to these sites you need to be at a particular site or domain, first. For example, you can only retrieve certain census documents by first going to the United States census web site. They are filed in a way that each individual page CANNOT be retrieved except from the site's database.

Also, sites that are not HTML files, such as FTP files and PDF files (the latter, those picked up by Adobe Acrobat), will also NOT be picked up by most search engines (Google, at present can pick up SOME PDF files). Special web directories called Invisible Web directories are now being created to simply index the various specialized DATABASES a lot of particular web sites have out there. Paid for Inclusion Advertising A new trend where search engines charge money to companies or organizations or persons who want to make sure their web page is listed in the search results page. Sometimes, there is an automatic guarantee the web site will be listed, but others may require a payment just for consideration. Usually, these sites are placed in a special category and may be so marked that they are "Sponsored" web sites, but not always. Often, they will be placed on top of the list and usually will be in bigger fonts. The following search engines/web directories use this practice: GoTo.com (all its listings), LookSmart (sponsored ads are listed under "Featured Listings"), all search engines that use the Inktomi database, Ask Jeeves, Alta Vista, FAST (AlltheWeb), Google, and others.

(In Google, sponsored sites are in a blue box field). To avoid simply going to sites that are "bought" rather than those that may be of better quality, users are encouraged to get to know the INTERFACE of each search engine and web directory's search results screen. Portal (Sometimes the term "metasite," "megasite," or "webliography" is used for such sites). From having the scope of every subject to just to a particular subject, a Portal is a web site where the creator(s) have taken time to find sites that are considered useful, may be rich in information, and are of fine quality. Some portals actually have a rating system, but most simply list the sites deemed valuable. Portals include such sites as INFOMINE , Academic Info and Librarians' Index to the Internet . Many libraries' web sites have subject guides and online reference directories that would definitely fit this category. Users should judge and evaluate the quality of a portal, just like any other web page. Sometimes a portal will have a search engine as well. Note: a portal is NOT the same as a web directory (one which only indexes the World Wide Web). Search Engine Sites that aid users in finding Web pages relating to chosen topics.

For example: Google, Yahoo, and Infoseek. These sites contain programs that allow users to search through at least one database that searches for words throughout the internet. Web directories are those that actually index the Web (usually only a portion), and those such as Yahoo! lead you to the indexed sites, first, before searching the World Wide Web as a whole. Portals or meta sites are those that select web sites that are of considerable quality, sometimes based on particular subjects. Those containing search engines will lead you to a list of sites that are indexed. A meta-search engine is a search engine that acts as an interface as it searches more than one of the other search engines at once. For example, Dogpile will search the databases of Yahoo!, Altavista, and Hotbot at once. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) A web address. This is an addressing scheme that allows you to locate Internet documents on the World Wide Web and other places on the Internet A URL looks like this: A URL can also be very long.

For example, the URL for this page is: Web Directory Usually a type of search engine, a web directory indexes a portion of the World Wide Web (that portion contains sites that were registered directly to the search engine's company and/or found by people employed by the search engine's company). The indexing is usually done by humans and a controlled vocabulary is given so that web sites on similar subjects can be grouped together. Because the World Wide Web is always growing and URLs are always changing, Web Directories usually can only index a small portion of the Web. Yahoo! , LookSmart , and Open Directory are web directories. A web directory could sometimes also have the elements of a meta-site or a portal as well E-Mail Terms Attachment A file attached to an e-mail message. Many e-mail systems only support sending text files as e-mail. If the attachment is a binary file or formatted text file (such as a MS-Word document), it must be encoded before it is sent and decoded once it is received. Recent versions of Email software such as Hotmail and Eudora most often do the encoding and decoding automatically.

Domain Look under General Emoticon An acronym for emotion icon, a small icon composed of punctuation characters that indicates how an e-mail message should be interpreted (that is, the writer's mood). For example, a :-) emoticon indicates that the message is meant as a joke and shouldn't be taken seriously. An emoticon is also called a smiley. Emoticon Meaning :-< Frowning Listserv An automatic mailing list server developed by Eric Thomas for BITNET in 1986. When e-mail is addressed to a LISTSERV mailing list, it is automatically broadcast to everyone on the list. The result is similar to a newsgroup or forum, except that the messages are transmitted as e-mail and are therefore available only to individuals on the list. Mailbox An area in memory or on a storage device where e-mail is placed. In e-mail systems, each user has a private mailbox. When the user receives e-mail, the mail system automatically puts it in the mailbox. Spam (or spamming) An inappropriate attempt to use a mailing list, or USENET or other networked communications facility as if it was a broadcast medium by sending the same message to a large number of people who didn't ask for it. Mass junk Email.

Urban Legends The term used for emails you will often receive that usually will have some type of warning or some type of story and may encourage you to send this message to many others. Often, stories are made up or taken out of context or are simply not true, or there to serve like spam, where you send multiple messages to other people. These emails can often be seen as "tall tales" or may be simply "pulling your leg." Some virus warnings are really urban legends (and often untrue). Some Email chain letters are also Urban Legends. General Internet Terms Cyberspace A metaphor for describing the non-physical terrain created by computer systems. Online systems, for example, create a cyberspace within which people can communicate with one another (via e-mail), do research, or simply window shop. Like physical space, cyberspace contains objects (files, mail messages, graphics, etc.) and different modes of transportation and delivery. Unlike real space, though, exploring cyberspace does not require any physical movement other than pressing keys on a keyboard or moving a mouse. Discussion Boards Also known as Bulletin Boards or Discussion Groups, Discussion Boards are online forums where users can post messages. Messages are usually grouped by topics and such topic groups are usually called threads.

Domain Typically the last three letters of an Internet address represent the domain or particular section of the Internet. If you notice, both Email and Web addresses end with these suffixes. Domain suffixes include: .uk, etc. Recognized by only two letters, these domains have codes that represent particular countries (such as .il for Italy and .jp for Japan). As of right now, web addresses that have the domains such as .com or .org most often identify United States businesses, organizations, etc (though that is slowly changing). A web site with the address that has a country domain can be ANY of the types of entities listed above. Download To take information from one computer to another computer or to a floppy disk. On the Internet, when you download you are taking information from a remote computer. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) The protocol used on the Internet for sending files. These files can be from any program and the only way they can be viewed is if you have the program that matches the particular file, or what is called a "viewer" to see them. For example, a PowerPoint presentation that is not converted to html can only open up if you're in PowerPoint or your web browser has a type of plugin which can view PowerPoint presentations.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) An institution (usually a private company) that provides access to the Internet in some form, usually for money. LAN (Local Area Network) A computer network limited to the immediate area, sometimes to the same floor or same building. Netiquette Network etiquette, or the etiquette of the Internet. Network Any time you connect two or more computers together so that they can share resources, you have a computer network Newsgroup USENET. A forum or an on-line discussion group, usually covering any conceivable interest. To view and post messages to a newsgroup, you need a news reader, a program that runs on your computer and connects you to a news server on the Internet. Plugin A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service to a larger system. For example, there are a number of plug-ins for the Netscape Navigator browser that enable it to display different types of audio or video messages. Server A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software, as a WWW server, or to the machine on which the software is running.

Telnet The command and program used to login from one internet site to another. The telnet command/program gets you to the "login" prompt of another host computer. A typical telnet screen is one with a plain background (usually black or white) and does not contain any graphics. UNIX A computer operating system (the basic software running on a computer, underneath things like word processors and spreadsheets). It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet. Virus A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Most viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems. Worm (1) A worm is a special type of virus that can replicate itself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs. (2) A term used loosely for more recent viruses that are sent through Email and affect Email software programs such as Microsoft Outlook.

Once the virus is opened, the sender unknowingly sends the virus to anyone they are emailing (usually as a separate message). Or, in some Email software programs, a message can be automatically sent to all addresses in the user's address book without the user ever knowing. The infamous I Love You, Melissa, and Happy99 viruses are called worms, mainly because they fit definition one, and the "layman" began thinking of these type of Email viruses as "worms." Definitions adapted from previous "Internet Skills" courses at Chabot, the PC Webopedia and from the University of Arizona Library's "Internet Jargon and Terms" NB 10/10/03 Internet Safety 101: Glossary of Terms Resource Center Glossary of Terms A Adware: A form of malicious code that displays unsolicited advertising on your computer. Anti-virus Software: Software that attempts to block malicious programs/code/software (called viruses or malware) from harming your computer. B Blog/Blogging (short for weblog): A diary or personal journal kept on a website. Blogs are usually updated frequently and sometimes entries are grouped by specific subjects, such as politics, news, pop culture, or computers.

Readers often post comments in response to blog entries. Bookmark: A saved link to a website that has been added to a list of saved links or favorite sites (i.e., “Favorites”) that you can click on directly, rather than having to retype the address when revisiting the site. Browser: A program that lets you find, see, and hear material on web pages. Popular browsers include safari, Microsoft inIernet Explorer, Firefox, and Google chrome. Buddies (Buddy list): A list of friends a user interacts with online through various media such as instant messaging (IM) and chat. C CDA: The Communications Decency Act of 1996, a part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, was the first attempt by the U.S. Congress to protect children on the Internet from pornography.

CDA prohibited knowingly sending or displaying “indecent” material to minors through the computer, defined as: “any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms of patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs.” The Act was immediately challenged by a law suit by the ACLU and blocked by a lower court. A year later the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the indecency provisions of the CDA in the historical cyberlaw case of Reno v. ACLU (1997). The Supreme Court held that a law that places a “burden on adult speech is unacceptable if less restrictive alternatives would be at least as effective in achieving” the same goal. However, the court reaffirmed the application of obscenity and child pornography laws in cyberspace—an important victory for the protection of children online. Chatroom: A location online that allows multiple users to communicate electronically with each other in real time, as opposed to delayed time as with e-mail. Circumventor Sites: Parallel websites that allow children to get around filtering software and access sites that have been blocked.

Closed Systems: A limited network of sites that are rated and categorized by maturity level and quality. Within a closed system, children cannot go beyond the network whitelist of approved websites, also referred to as a “walled garden.” Cookie: A piece of information about your visit to a website that some websites record automatically on your computer. By using a cookie, a website operator can determine a lot of information about you and your computer. cookies are not always bad. For example, a cookie remembers that you prefer aisle seats in the front of the plane. COPA: The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) of 1998 was an effort by the U.S. Congress to modify the CDA in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Reno v. ACLU. The law sought to make it a crime for commercial websites to make pornographic material that is “harmful to minors” available to juveniles. The purpose of COPA was to protect children from instant access to pornographic “teaser images” on porn syndicate web pages, by requiring pornographers to take credit card numbers, adult verification numbers, or access codes to restrict children’s access to pornographic material and to allow access to this material for consenting adults only.

Despite the critical need for measures to protect children from accessing harmful materials, the law was immediately challenged and blocked by lower courts, and has become the subject of an epic legal battle, still raging today. The permanent injunction against the enforcement of COPA remains in effect today. The government has not announced whether it will appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time. COPPA: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, which went into effect in April 2000, requires websites that market to children under the age of 13 to get “verifiable parental consent” before allowing children access to their sites. The Federal Trade commission (FTC), which is responsible for enforcing COPPA, adopted a sliding scale approach to obtaining parental consent. The sliding scale approach allows website operators to use a mix of methods to comply with the law, including print-and-fax forms, follow-up phone calls and e-mails, and credit card authorizations. CIPA: The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000 requires public schools and libraries receiving federal e-rate funds to use a portion of those funds to filter their internet access.

They must filter out obscenity on library computer terminals used by adults and both obscenity and harmful-to-minors materials on terminals used by minor children. CIPA was upheld by the u.s. supreme court as constitutional in June 2003. Cyberbullies/cyberbullying: Willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text, typically through e-mails or on websites (e.g., blogs, social networking sites). Cybercrime: Any Internet-related illegal activity. Cybersecurity: Any technique, software, etc., used to protect computers and prevent online crime. Cybersex (computer sex, or “cybering”): Refers to virtual sexual encounters between two or more persons. Cyberstalking: Methods individuals use to track, lure, or harass another person online. D Discussion Boards: Also called Internet forums, message boards, and bulletin boards. These are online sites that allow users to post comments on a particular issue. Domain name: The part of an Internet address to the right of the final dot used to identify the type of organization using the server, such as .gov or .com. Download: To copy a file from one computer system to another via the Internet (usually your computer or mobile device).

E Electronic Footprint: computers maintain a record of all website visits and e-mail messages, leaving a trail of the user’s activity in cyberspace. These data can still exist even after the browser history has been cleared and e-mail messages have been deleted. Electronic mail (e-mail): An electronic mail message sent from one computer or mobile device to another computer or mobile device. F Favorite(s): The name for bookmarks (see above) used by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. File Sharing: This software enables multiple users to access the same computer file simultaneously. File sharing sometimes is used illegally to download music or software. Filter/Filtering: Allows you to block certain types of content from being displayed. Some of the things you can screen for include course language, nudity, sexual content, and violence. Different methods to screen unwanted Internet content include whitelisting, blacklisting, monitoring activity, keyword recognition, or blocking-specific functions such as e-mail or instant messages (IM). Filtering options are available through parental control software. Firewall: A security system usually made up of hardware and software used to block hackers, viruses, and other malicious threats to your computer. Flame: A hostile, strongly worded message that may contain obscene language.

G Gamer tag: The nickname a user has chosen to be identified by when playing Internet games. Gaming: Internet games, which can be played either individually or by multiple online users at the same time. Griefers: Internet gamers who intentionally cause problems and/or cyberbully other gamers (i.e., individuals who play online games). Grooming: Refers to the techniques sexual predators use to get to know and seduce their victims in preparation for sexual abuse. H Hardware: A term for the actual computer equipment and related machines or computer parts. History: A tracking feature of Internet browsers that shows all the recent websites visited. Homepage: The site that is the starting point on the web for a particular group or organization. I Identity Theft: In this crime, someone obtains the vital information (e.g., credit card, social security number, bank account numbers) of another person, usually to steal money. E-mail scams, spyware, and viruses are among the most typical methods for stealing someone’s identity. Instant message/messaging (IM): Private, real-time text conversation between two users. Internet (net): A giant collection of computer networks that connects people and information all over the world. Internet Relay Chat (IRC): A multi-use live chat facility.

IRC is an area of the Internet comprising thousands of chat rooms. IRC is run by IRC servers and requires client software to use. Internet Service Provider (ISP): A generic term for any company that can connect you directly to the Internet. J Jpeg (Joint Partner experts group or Joint Photographic experts group): A popular file format for graphic images on the Internet. M Malware: stands for malicious software or code, which includes any harmful code—trojans, worms, spyware, adware, etc.—that is designed to damage the computer or collect information. Mobile web: The World Wide Web as accessed from mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, notebooks, and other portable gadgets connected to a public network. Access does not require a desktop computer. Modem: A device installed in your computer or an external piece of hardware that connects your computer to the Internet through a phone or cable line and allows communication between computers. Monitoring Software: Software products that allow parents to monitor or track the websites or e-mail messages that a child visits or reads. Mouse: A small hand-controlled device for pointing and clicking to make selections on the screen.

N Netiquette: Rules or manners for interacting courteously with others online (such as not typing a message in all capital letters, which is equivalent to shouting). P Password: A secret word or number that must be used to gain access to an online service or to modify software, such as a parental control. Parental controls: specific features or software that allow parents to manage the online activities of children. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) computing: A method of sharing files directly over the internet from one Internet-enabled device to another (computer, mobile phone, etc.), without being routed through a server. Phishing: A type of online fraud, where someone tries to trick the victim into revealing sensitive details, such as a username, password, or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication.r. Post: To upload information to the Web. R Real-time: “Live” time; the actual time during which something takes place. S Search engine: An Internet service that helps you search for information on the web.

Sexting: Cell phone, computer and other mobile device users—often teens and ‘tweens’—create and exchange provocative messages and nude, sexual images of themselves using their cell phone’s built-in digital camera and text messaging capabilities. Skype™: A popular computer program that enables users to set up profiles, make free phone calls, chat, and video chat through their computer or mobile device from any point around the world. This free service functions through a “peer-to-peer” network, which allows individuals to communicate directly with each other rather than through a central server. Since the conversations and content exchanged through skype are not scrutinized by monitors, children are at risk of exposure to inappropriate material and dangerous people. Smart TV’s: The term has come to denote any television that can be connected to the Internet to access streaming media services and that can run entertainment apps, such as on-demand video-rental services, Internet music stations and Web browsers. Smart TVs use either a direct, wired Ethernet connection or built-in Wi-Fi to connect to a home network for Internet access. SMS: Stands for “short Message service,” a form of text messaging on cell phones, sometimes used between computers and cell phones.

Social Media: Online communities, also known as social networks, where people share information about themselves, music files, photos, etc. There are many social networking websites (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, or Friendster). Software: A program, or set of instructions, that runs on a computer. Spam: Any unsolicited e-mail, or junk mail. Most spam is either a money scam or sexual in nature. Internet service Providers, e-mail software, and other software can help block some, but not all, spam. Spyware: A wide variety of software installed on people’s computers, which collects information about you without your knowledge or consent and sends it back to whoever wrote the spyware program. The programs typically will track computer use and create numerous pop-up ads. in some instances, the spyware can damage the computer and facilitate identity theft. Surfing: Similar to channel surfing on a television, Internet surfing involves users browsing around various websites following whatever interests them. T Texting: A method of sending short messages (also called SMSes, txts, or text messaging) between mobile phones and other computer-enabled devices.

Twitter: Twitter is a social media site that lets its users send short messages (or “tweets”) to a network of connected users online. Twitter is similar in form to features on other social networking and instant messaging sites that allow users to update their “status” or leave an “away message” to let their friends know what they are up to in real-time, all the time. On Twitter, this is also called “micro-blogging”; individuals have 140 characters to let the world know what’s on their mind or to send a tweet about something they care about. U Uniform Resource Locator (url): The address of a site on the internet. For example, the uRL for the White house is: Each URL is unique and there are millions of them. Upload: To send information from your computer to another computer. Username: The name a user selects to be identified on a computer, on a network, or in an online gaming forum. V Videocam (webcam): Video cameras that are either attached or built into a computer so that a video image can be sent to another while communicating online.

Virus: A self-replicating software program that typically arrives through e-mail attachments and which multiplies on the hard drive, quickly exhausting the computer’s memory. A trojan is a variation that allows unauthorized users access to the computer, from which they can send infected e-mails or spam. W Wireless computers: Many networks now allow computers access to the Internet without being connected with wires. These networks are becoming increasingly more popular and powerful, allowing people to access the Internet using cell phones and other devices. World Wide Web (www or web): A hypertext-based navigation system on the Internet that lets you browse through a variety of linked resources, using typed commands or clicking on hot links. Internet Addiction 1-800-522-3784 What is Internet addiction? Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder, which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug and is very similar to pathological gambling. Some Internet users may develop an emotional attachment to on-line friends and activities they create on their computer screens.

Internet users may enjoy aspects of the Internet that allow them to meet, socialize, and exchange ideas through the use of chat rooms, social networking websites, or "virtual communities." Other Internet users spend endless hours researching topics of interest Online or "blogging". Blogging is a contraction of the term "Web log", in which an individual will post commentaries and keep regular chronicle of events. It can be viewed as journaling and the entries are primarily textual. Similar to other addictions, those suffering from Internet addiction use the virtual fantasy world to connect with real people through the Internet, as a substitution for real-life human connection, which they are unable to achieve normally. What are the warning signs of Internet addiction? Preoccupation with the Internet. (Thoughts about previous on-line activity or anticipation of the next on-line session.) Use of the Internet in increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction. Repeated, unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use. Feelings of restlessness, moodiness, depression, or irritability when attempting to cut down use of the Internet. On-line longer than originally intended. Jeopardized or risked loss of significant relationships, job, educational or career opportunities because of Internet use.

Lies to family members, therapists, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet. Use of the Internet is a way to escape from problems or to relieve a dysphoric mood. (e.g. Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, depression.) What are the effects? Internet addiction results in personal, family, academic, financial, and occupational problems that are characteristic of other addictions. Impairments of real life relationships are disrupted as a result of excessive use of the Internet. Individuals suffering from Internet addiction spend more time in solitary seclusion, spend less time with real people in their lives, and are often viewed as socially awkward. Arguments may result due to the volume of time spent on-line. Those suffering from Internet addiction may attempt to conceal the amount of time spent on-line, which results in distrust and the disturbance of quality in once stable relationships. Some suffering from Internet addiction may create on-line personas or profiles where they are able to alter their identities and pretend to be someone other than himself or herself. Those at highest risk for creation of a secret life are those who suffer from low-self esteem feelings of inadequacy, and fear of disapproval. Such negative self-concepts lead to clinical problems of depression and anxiety.

Many persons who attempt to quit their Internet use experience withdrawal including: anger, depression, relief, mood swings, anxiety, fear, irritability, sadness, loneliness, boredom, restlessness, procrastination, and upset stomach. Being addicted to the Internet can also cause physical discomfort or medical problems such as: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, dry eyes, backaches, severe headaches, eating irregularities, (such as skipping meals), failure to attend to personal hygiene, and sleep disturbance. How can someone get help? The first step is to determine if there is a problem. A Certified Addictions Counselor trained in identification and treatment of Internet addiction can effectively perform an assessment to determine what level of care is most appropriate. For a free confidential assessment, call the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at (800) 522-3784. An assessment can be completed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are always welcome. Sources: "Virtual Addiction" David N. Greenfield, Ph.D., "Caught in the Net" Dr. Kimberly Young, Center for Internet Addiction Recovery, American Psychiatric Association.

"The team at the IIAR truly provided me with the tools to discover recovery from my Internet addiction." Jacob A. Commonly Used Library Terms Commonly Used Library Terms Abstract - A brief summary, usually of an article, book, or chapter in a book. Annotated Bibliography - An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles, or other documents, consisting of a citation followed by a brief evaluation of each work listed. Anthology - A collection of stories, plays, or poems, extracts or complete works selected by an editor for publication in a single volume or multivolume set. Appendix - A part of a written work, not essential to the completeness of the text, which contains complementary information such as statistical tables or explanatory material. Archive - An organized collection of the documents and records of an institution, government, organization, or corporate body, or the personal papers of an individual, family, or group, preserved in a repository for their historical, informational, and/or monetary value. Atlas - A book of maps. Autobiography - A person's life story, as told or written by himself or herself. Barcode - A printed label containing machine-readable data in the form of vertical lines or bars.

Used to identify books and other materials in the library for circulation and inventory purposes and to link the borrower's library card to the appropriate patron record. It is read by a scanner when an item is checked out. Bibliography - A list of books, magazine articles, and other materials, usually on a particular topic or by a particular author. Biography - A story of a person's life. Blog/Weblog - An online publication of personal thoughts /information that is updated frequently. Boolean Operators - Words that are used in electronic databases or catalogs to expand or limit the results of a search, including such words as "and," "or," and "not." Bound Periodicals - Issues of our non-current magazines and journals that are bound together into hardcover books in order to save space and to preserve them. Browser - A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with documents hosted by web servers. Popular browsers available include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Netscape Navigator and Safari. Call Number - The combination of letters and numbers used to label each book and give it a unique "address" on a library shelf. Books are arranged on the shelf by call numbers, so that books on the same subject are shelved together.

Catalog - A file of records arranged systematically, listing all the books, periodical titles, and other materials owned by a library. For each book and periodical title in the library, there is a record in the catalog under the book author's name, the book or periodical title, and any subject terms that describe the contents of the book or periodical. See "OPAC" (below). CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) - A compact disc on which an enormous amount of digitized, read-only data can be stored and searched. Chat Reference - A service provided by librarians over the Internet that allows you to ask reference questions from anywhere. You and the librarian will communicate with one another in "real time." The California State University, Los Angeles Library offers the chat reference service: "Ask Now". It is available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Citation - The complete information needed to find a particular item. For books, it includes the author's name, title, publisher, and date of publication. For periodical articles, it includes the author and title of the article, plus the name of the magazine or journal, the volume, date, and page numbers of the issue in which the article appears.

Citation Index - A special type of index which lists works cited in later works, with a list of the sources from which the citations were gathered. Used by researchers to locate sources related by subject to a previously published work. Classification - A systematic way of arranging books and other materials according to subject. Compact Shelving - A type of library shelving that uses movable shelves to maximize the storage capacity of a given space. Course Reserves - A service in which, upon request by faculty, certain materials are temporarily assigned to a specific course for a much shorter loan period. The purpose of reserves is to ensure that all students taking a course will be able to share materials. There are print reserves and electronic reserves or e-reserves. Cross-Reference - A term used in catalogs, indexes, and thesauruses that leads you from one indexing term to another. Also known as "See", "See also", or "Used for" references. Database - A collection of articles, or records, stored in electronic form that can be searched by users with Internet access. Depository Library - A library which is legally designated to receive free of charge all or a portion of the government publications provided by the U.S.

Government Printing Office (GPO) and other federal and state agencies. Descriptor - Another term for "subject heading," usually used in the context of electronic databases. Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) - Melvil Dewey's system of classifying library material. The classification system uses a numeric system to designate ten basic subject categories. The DDC system is usually used in public libraries or smaller academic libraries. Dictionary - Provides information about words: their meanings, derivations, spellings, pronunciations, syllabification, and usage. Digital Reference - A service provided by librarians over the Internet that allows you to ask reference questions from anywhere. Digital reference includes online chat reference and e-mail reference. Dissertation - A formal and lengthy written discourse or treatise, required by universities in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Ph.D. Download - To copy information to a floppy computer disk, or to a computer's hard disk. E-Books - An abbreviated term for electronic book. A book that can be accessed electronically via the internet. Edition - Some books are revised or updated and republished. The new version may be called a "revised" or "second", "third" edition. Later editions are numbered sequentially.

Editor - A person who selects, prepares, compiles, and / or edits the works of other writers for publication. E-Journal - An abbreviated term for electronic journal. A periodical that is available in an electronic format. E-Mail (Electronic mail) - A computerized communication service. Encyclopedia - Gives an overview of a topic, including definition, description, background, and bibliographical references. Remember that almost every encyclopedia has an "Index" (see below). Endnotes - A statement printed at the end of a chapter or book to explain a point in the text, indicate the basis of an assertion, or cite the source of a concept, idea, quotation, or piece of factual information. Endnotes are numbered, usually in superscript, and, and listed in the sequence in which they appear in the text. E-Reserves - An abbreviated term for electronic reserves. Electronic reserves allows authorized CSLA users to access supplementary course reading materials online. Facebook - A social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. Field - In an electronic database, a part of a record that contains a particular type of data, such as a title, or descriptors, or an abstract.

Each record in a database is made up of "fields," and you may limit your search of a database to a particular field or fields, to get more precise search results, or because you want only the information that is in the field(s) you specify. Findit! (360 Findit!) - A tool which provides direct links from a database citation to the full text of an article (if available) and to other resources and services such as the ILL link or a link to the call number for paper copy of magazines or journals. Footnotes - A brief note at the bottom of a page that explains or expands upon a point in the text or indicating the source of a quotation or idea attributed by the author to another person. Footnotes are indicated in the text by an Arabic Numeral in superscript, or a reference mark, and are usually printed in a smaller size of the font used for the text. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - A universal set of commands used to move files from one computer to another. Full-Text - An entire article from a periodical or reference book available on-line. Government Documents - Publication created by a government, including hearings, reports, treaties, periodicals, and statistics.

Hardcopy - Printed material, as opposed to information in microform or electronic or digital format. Hold - When a book you need is checked out to someone else, you can place a "hold" on the book for yourself to guarantee that when the book is returned you will be the next person who can check it out. Holdings - What a library owns. Hypermedia - Electronic documents containing a variety of data types, such as pictures and sound, in addition to text. ILIAD Interlibrary Loan - An automated interlibrary system in use at CSLA. The system allows patrons to track their requests 24 hours a day. Index - As distinct from a "Periodical Index" (see below), this is an alphabetical listing of the detailed contents of a book. Nearly every encyclopedia has an index. Interlibrary Loan (I.L.L.) - Interlibrary lending and borrowing services that give you access to materials that are not owned by the library. At CSULA, the service is free to CSULA students, faculty, and staff. Internet - The international network of computers around the world which provides access to e-mail, web, online access to research materials, remote logon, and FTP.

In-text Citation - A reference to an outside source made by the writer within the text of a article, or book publication, usually by enclosing the name of the author and the page number(s) in parentheses immediately following the portion of text to which the citation refers, as opposed to indicating the source in a footnote or endnote. Proper form can be found in a suitable style manual. ISBN - The ISBN (International Standard Book) number is a unique 10 digit number assigned to every book or edition of a book before publication to identify the publisher, the title and the volume number. ISSN - The ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) is a unique 8 digit number that identifies magazines, journals or newspapers. Journal - A periodical which contains scholarly articles, such as reports of original research, published by a professional group or non-commercial publisher. Many journals contain many of the same features as "magazines" (see below), such as book reviews and letters to the editor, but they do not contain advertising for consumer products. Keyword - An important, memorable, or unique word or term in the title, abstract, or text of an item that indicates its subject.

Library of Congress Classification - A classification system, developed by the Library of Congress, which uses a combination of letters and numbers to designate the various classes of subjects. Most college and university libraries use this system of arrangement. Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) - A "controlled vocabulary" of subject terms, such as those used in The OPAC (the CSULA Library's online catalog). These terms are used by nearly all academic libraries, and many large public libraries. LCSH is published in five large red volumes; in the JFK Memorial Library, these are kept by the Reference Desk in the Reference Center (see below), 1st Floor, Library North. Listservs - Electronic discussion lists, which you can subscribe to, read, and respond to using E-mail. There are thousands of Internet listservs, covering close to all scholarly and popular topics. Loan Period - The amount of time library materials may be borrowed; varies depending on: (1) the type of material to be borrowed; (2) the borrower's status (undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty, staff).

Circulation Desk - Public service counter in the Library where you check out or renew books and other materials, ask about missing items, have holds placed, request that books be recalled, or inquire about fines. Sometimes referred to as "Circulation." Magazine - A periodical for general reading, quick information, or entertainment, frequently containing advertising for consumer products. Compare with "Journal" (above). Media - Nonprint materials such as films, filmstrips, videocassettes, DVDs, CDs, audio compact disks, audiocasettes, and vinyl LPs. The Media Center of CSULA University Library is located on the third floor of the Library North building. Menu - Many electronic databases have lists of choices and commands - like a "menu" - that are displayed on the screen to help guide you through a search. A "menu-driven" database, such as the Library's OPAC (when you access it through a terminal), shows you on the screen which choices of commands and operations you have. Microforms - Greatly-reduced photographic reproductions of printed material on film ("microfilm") or film cards ("microfiche"), that can be viewed and photocopied using a microform reader/printer.

Mouse - A small, hand-operated device attached to a computer that permits you to perform computer functions by moving around and clicking on the cursor on your computer screen. Used with Macintosh computers, and personal computers equipped with (Microsoft) Windows-based operating systems. Multi-Search - A discover service that allows searching quickly and seamlessly across a vast range of local and remote content including articles and books, and providing relevancy-ranked results. Newspaper - A serial publication printed and distributed daily or weekly containing news, opinions, advertising, and other items of general interest. CSULA University Library subscribes to newspapers, including the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. Some of the newspapers are in both print and online formats. Network - An electronic communication system made up of computers which are connected to each other. These connections allow one computer to "communicate" with another. NIS Account - Network Information Services (NIS) accounts are free and are available to enrolled students and faculty/staff of CSULA. The NIS account, consisting of a logon name and password, is unique to each individual. It is required for access to the campus network and resources, including the Library Web.

Online - A term referring to locations on or use of the Internet. The term can be used to refer to a specific location or web page (“Our catalog can be found online at—”) or to a personal activity (“I went online to find the information you wanted.”). OPAC - An acronym for the term "Online Public Access Catalog". The Library's online catalog is officially known as The OPAC. PDF - (Portable Document Format) A file format that preserves all of the fonts, formatting, pagination and graphics of the source document. Peer Reviewed Journal - A Journal that contains scholarly articles which have been reviewed by a panel of scholars/experts in a particular discipline before being accepted for publication. Periodical Index - An alphabetical listing of magazine or journal articles, usually arranged in print form, or searchable electronically, by subject, author, or title. Best-known print example: Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Periodicals or Serials - Publications which are issued at regular intervals and generally intended to be continued indefinitely. Examples: newspapers, magazines, journals. Plagiarize - To copy and take credit for someone else's work, instead of acknowledging in writing that someone else produced it. Plagiarism can be grounds for your dismissal from most colleges and universities.

Primary Source - Original and first-hand documentation of a particular event or era. Examples include advertisements, artifacts, artwork, government records, interviews, letters, memoirs, photographs, poetry and speeches. Proximity Operators - Like "Boolean Operators" (see above), these are terms available to use in certain electronic databases that serve to give you better, more precise results when you search a database. Examples include "near" and "with," and take the general form "w/[number of words]", meaning that the search terms must occur within a certain number of words of each other in the database fields you are searching. Ready Reference - A small, separate Reference Book collection within the Reference Center, located on a shelf range directly behind the Reference Desk. Kept here are high-demand reference books that Reference Librarians tend to use daily much more frequently than they use most other books, often to help library users find "quick" answers to "quick" (or "long") questions. Typical "Ready Reference" books include the most up-to-date editions of almanacs and directories, and current encyclopedia sets.

In the OPAC, "Ready Reference" books are identified by the location "Reference Desk." Recall - A request to return library materials before the date they are due. When someone else has checked out a book that you need, ask a staff member at the Loan Desk to "recall" it for you. Reference Books - Special books that do not circulate in order that they will always be available inside the Library for use in answering specific questions. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are two of the most well-known types of reference books. Reference Center, or Reference Desk - CSULA Library location (1st Floor, Library North) where you ask questions about locating information, or request assistance in using the reference books and other resources, such as the OPAC and online databases. Reference Librarian - A person with a Master's Degree in Library Science who assists library users in locating information and materials, and provides instruction in their use. Remote Access - This term describes the connection of one computer to another computer, which is located in a different, "remote" place. Remote access to Library electronic resources on the Library Web is available anytime, anywhere to NIS account holders (see above).

Renewal - The process by which you can extend the loan period for a book. In the CSULA Library, you may come to the Circulation Desk in person to make renewal requests for books that are checked out to you, or you may easily renew them (under most circumstances) electronically through the Library catalog. Reserves - Books, articles, or other materials that an instructor has assigned for a class to read and therefore placed on reserve in the Library. Reserve materials are available on request for a limited loan period (2 hours, 1 day, etc.). Search Statement or Strategy - Terms or phrases, which may contain "Boolean" and "Proximity" operators (see above), that you type onto a screen in order to search the contents of an electronic catalog or online database. Secondary Source - Resources that interpret or analyze primary sources. A source that is one step removed from the original. Examples include books, dissertations, encyclopedias, essays, film reviews, .literary criticism, periodical articles and textbooks. Stacks - Areas of the library where its materials are located. In the stacks you will find rows of floor to ceiling shelves on which books, periodicals, and other materials are arranged systematically, for open access by all.

Student Assistant - A student employee of the Library who is trained to perform a number of specific Library functions. Student Assistants in the Reference Center greet library users in person and on the telephone at the Information Desk, refer them to Reference Librarians, help them to get started using the OPAC and other electronic databases, and answer a wide range of basic, general questions about the Library and its services. Style Manual - A guide that provides rules and formats for arranging footnotes, citations, and bibliographies (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.). The choice of style manual depends on the discipline or subject matter. Professors will provide guidance to students as to which style manual to use. Subtitle - The portion of a work's title following the semicolon or colon. SuDocs Number - A classification number assigned to U.S. Federal government documents, used to arrange materials on library shelves. Telnet - A way to connect directly to another computer or computer network connected to the Internet. This rather specialized means of access has largely been replaced by Web-based access using a browser (see above). Thesaurus - An official list of all the subject headings or descriptors used to "control" the indexing terms used in a particular database, catalog, or index.

The thesaurus for the CSULA OPAC is the Library of Congress Subject Headings, available in print (in five big red volumes) located at the Reference Desk (1st Floor, Library North). Truncation - In database searching, the act of entering and searching for a root word, a word stem, or a string of letters by adding a symbol. Twitter - A social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - This is what you call an address on the World Wide Web. This is the complete URL for the JFK Memorial Library's WWW Home Page: User-friendly - A term used to describe a computer system which provides clear, onscreen instructions for the user, such as the Library's OPAC. Web (World Wide Web) - A vast network of scholarly and popular information, located on the Internet, that includes text, pictures, sound, and moving images.

Also known as "the Web," or "WWW," or "W3." Rather than using a system of "layered" menus, as Gopher does, the Web uses "links." Use a mouse to point to a "link" to a URL (see above) on screen, click on the link, and a few seconds (or less) later you will be at a new source of information. Web "browsers" such as Netscape (see above) are what you use to search for information on the Web. For more information on library terms, go to Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science at AUTHORS - This web page was authored by Michael Oppenheim and Carolyn Mcintosh , and updated by Holly Yu. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the CONTENT of this page, please send them to hyu3@calstatela.edu . Thank You.

Question: In computing, what is the common term used to mean a person's internet diary or journal?
Answer: Blog