Worm- a self-replicating program, similar to a virus

WYSIWYG- Acronym for What You See Is What You Get, describes a system in which content during editing appears very similar to the final product

Yahoo!­- internet portal and web directory

Zip- a file format now also used as a verb to mean compress

Tool Bars- The bars across the top of the screen that have icons you click on to do different things.

Spreadsheet- Organizes information into rows and columns and often uses math and numbers.

USB Port- special receptacles that allows you to connect a string of up to 127 devices to a single receptacle.  

Operating System- The master software program of a computer that controls the hardware of that computer, runs programs, manages files and documents.

Memory Card- small, thin storage devices used with digital cameras, handheld and laptop computers, telephones, music players, video game consoles, and other electronics. Flash memory is used for this type of storage device.

Flash Memory- non-volatile computer memory that can be electronically erased and reprogrammed. Used primarily in Memory cards.

Crash- A serious computer failure in which the computer stops working or a program quits unexpectedly. A crash may result from a hardware malfunction, a serious software defect, or a virus.

CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) - A portable memory device.  It is used in the computer's CD-ROM drive and typically holds 640 megabytes of information.

Hard Disk- The large spinning plate that is usually sealed inside the computer and holds a large amount of information, typically in the gigabyte range, for quick access.

Operating System- The master software program of a computer that controls the hardware of that computer, runs programs, manages files and documents.

ASCII (pronounced as-kee) - An acronym derived from American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The use of this standard code permits computers  made by different manufacturers to communicate with one another.

Antivirus software- A program designed to look for and destroy a virus that may have infected a computer's memory or files. 

Backup- Storage of duplicate files on disks, diskettes, or some other form of magnetic medium (such as tapes) as a safety measures in case the original medium is damaged or lost.  

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) - A set of programs stored in read-only memory.    These programs control the disk drives, the keyboard, and the display screen, and they handle start-up operations. 

Compatibility- The ability of one type of computer to share information or to communicate with another type of computer. 

Control menu- An on-screen Windows element that appears in a box in the upper left corner of a window. The control menu allows the user the option of adjusting the size of the window, closing or reopening the window, or switching to another window.

Cookie- A device that permits a Web site to identify and collect information about every user who visits that site.  

Cracker- The preferred term to refer to a computer criminal who penetrates a  computer program to steal  information or damage the program in some way.  

Debugging- Locating and eliminating defects in a program

Default settings- The pre-established settings that a program will follow unless the user changes them.  

Domain- Typically, a three letter element in a Web address or an e-mail address. The domain, commonly referred to as the zone, indicates the type of organization that owns the computer being identified in the address. For example,. Com signifies a commercial organization; .edu signifies an educational institution.   

Domain Name- The second part of an e-mail address what follows the @symbol. The name of the computer intended to receive an e-mail message. In Web addresses (URLs) this element is referred to as the host name.  

DOS- An acronym derived from disk operating system.  A program that allows the computer to manage the storage of information on disks and control as other aspects of a computer's operation. 

Dot- The period symbol used in e-mail addresses. Always referred to as a dot (never a period). Thus the domain nameaol.com would be pronounced ay-oh-ell dot-com.  Internet surfers who spend a lot of time in the. Com domain are sometimes referred to as dot communists

Drag-and drop editing- A software feature that allows the user to (1) highlight text to be moved and (2) use a mouse to drag the text to a new location.

Easter egg- An unexpected image or message that pops up on the display screen when the user innocently enters a secret combination of keystrokes. Programmers playfully code Easter eggs into software and operating systems as a way of surprising and amusing users engaged in more serious tasks.  

E-mail- The term e-mail (short for electronic mail) refers to the transfer of messages or documents between users connected by an electronic network.    

Fax modem- A device built into or attached to a computer that serves as a facsimile machine and a modem. 

File transfer protocol (FTP)- A set of guidelines or standards that establish the format in which files can be transmitted from one computer to another.  

Firewall- Software that prevents unauthorized persons from accessing certain parts of a program, database, or network.

Format- The physical specifications that affect the appearance and arrangement of a document, for example, margins, spacing, and font.  

GIGO- Garbage in, garbage out.  In other words, your computer output is only as good as your computer input.  

Glitch- A hardware problem that causes a computer to malfunction or crash.

Host computer- A computer that provides information or a service to other computers on the Internet.  Every host computer has its own unique host name

Hypermedia- An extension of hypertext that integrates audio, video, and graphics with text.   

Hypertext- A technology that links text in one part of a document with related text in another part of the document or in other documents.  A user can quickly find the related text by clicking on the appropriate keyword, key phrase, icon, or button.   

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) - The formatting language used to establish the appearance of a Web page.

Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) - The protocol used on the World Wide Web that permits Web clients (Web browsers to communicate with Web servers. This protocol allows programmers to embed hyperlinks in Web documents using hypertext markup language.  

Internet (or Net) - A system that links existing computer networks into a worldwide network. The internet may be accessed by means of commercial online services (such as America Online) and Internet service providers.

Internet community- A group of individuals with common interests, who frequently exchange ideas on the Internet. 

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - An organization that provides access to the Internet for a fee. Companies like America Online are more properly referred to as commercial online services because they offer many other services in addition to Internet access.

Intranet- A private network established by an organization for the exclusive use of its employees. Firewalls prevent outsiders from gaining access to an organization's intranet.

I/O- An abbreviation for input/output.

Mailbomb- A deluge of e-mail messages from one or more sources, deliberately intended to overload the recipient's computer and make it crash. A mailbomb is typically sent to punish someone guilty of spamming or some other serious breach of netiquette.

Random-access memory (RAM) - The temporary memory that allows information to be stored randomly and accessed quickly and directly (without the need to go through intervening data.)

Multimedia- The use of several types of media in a document or an application. 

Offline- Referring to the state in which a computer is temporarily or permanently unable to communicate with another computer. The term offline is also used humorously to refer to "real life."

Off-screen- Referring to any computer function that does not produce a display on the screen. 

Online- Referring to the state in which a computer is turned on and ready to communicate with other computers.  

Page Numbering- The ability of a program to automatically print page numbers on the pages that make up an entire document. If the document is revised and the total number of pages changes, the page numbering is automatically adjusted.

Surfing the Net- Browsing through various Web sites on the Internet in search of interesting things.

Virus- A piece of computer code designed as a prank or malicious act to spread from one computer to another by attacking itself to other programs. Some viruses simply cause a humorous message to appear on the screen, some cause minor glitches, and some cause serious damage to a computer's memory or disks.  

World Wide Web- The component of the Internet that combines audio, video, and graphics with text. 

Word Wrap- When text automatically flows from one line to the beginning of the next line without the user having to press the Enter/Return key. The computer decides where the best place to begin the next new line is.