Glossary of terms
access.
the ability to read, write or alter data; there can be varying
degrees or levels; one can grant access by permissions;
see your browser's Help for how to grant permissions to
websites to different levels of access to your computer
accounts
relations,, usually formal, established for some service between
parties
address
a location designation; examples, a webpage : http://www.competivittechnology.org;
an email: websitemaster.actonline.org ; an directory:
c:\programs\browsers\aSafeOne\
ads
abbr.. for advertisement
advertiser
entity seeking to sell something through a display; for example,
a single business with a display on a webpage; or, a group of
companies acting with an ad agency to present displays on a
webpage.
anagrams
to re-arrange, esp. to form new words or phrases from
existing ones such as' 'Rome and 'more'
associated
to be a part of; when said of advertisers, it generally means
that they share information; for example, data stored in cookies
bit
a small part of; in computer terms, either character of a two
character language; consider a language that uses just 0 and 1 as
characters, where the 0's and 1's turn off / on switches, the
more bits the more complexity can be expressed; a 128-bit message
would have a chance to be more complex than a 40-bit message;
that's why 128-bit encryption is better than say 40-bit
encryption
broken
has been opened; 1) when said of a secret message (an encryption), the
message has been cracked and any further messaging using the
same encryption is also likely to be broken; 2) when said of
computer programs, the program in some way (usually fatal) does
not work
browser
software used to explore or navigate; when called a web browser
it is used to explore the internet; popular web browser examples:
Netscape Navigator [tm] and Internet Explorer[tm]; others also
exist such as Opera [tm]; they can be stand alone such as the
products named or incorporated into other software; a browser is
sometimes called client-side software as the user is considered a
client of the entity that is serving the client with a server
computer running server-side software; web browsers with a
particular encryption capability call Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
are sometimes called SSL browsers
bugged
to have been deliberately overheard, esp. with a listening device
at a distance
certificate
certification
approval or identification; 1) when dealing security, an
entity grants certificates to those that pass their
criteria for security and identifies the bearer; 2) when
dealing with privacy, the certificate identifies the
bearer; in both cases a granting entity is known as a
Certificate Authority and is usually a private company; also
see digital signature
character
a letter number or symbol
click
action usually performed with the mouse on a screen control such
as an underlined item (a link), a button or checkbox; however,
today a click can be performed in many ways such a by voice
command
client
when speaking of the web, one who visits a site with a
web browser, the browser or the computer where the browser runs
; thus, a "client user" would be one uses say the web browser;
related phrases: "client-side" (the guess side that is served
webpages) as opposed to "server-side" (the host side that serves
up the webpages)
close
to exit a window; under MS Windows 95 and above, one way to exit
a window is to click the X in the upper right hand corner of most
windows
control
to command; screen displays can have controls such as dropdown
list boxes, buttons and other such objects
cookie
cookies
text files that are usually created by websites on a client's
(user's) hard drive enabling the site that created it to
store information; the client user has full access to cookies; the
client can for example block open
rename and delete cookies
decoding
decryption
to make readable; to remove the encryption (cipher); to
decipher; to turn to plaintext
dumb
implying the lack of a programmed in intelligence
e-mail
E-mail
email
electronic mail
encrypt
encrypted
encryption
to write a message in such a way that others cannot read it
without having the proper decryption method; to encypher
free
as used on the web by marketers, often means you have to endure
advertising to get something else that may be of value such as
free internet service; but, can also be used as a ploy to gather
personal information or value from you in some other form
FTC
United States Federal Trade Commission
history
when referring to web browsers, the record of sites visited
homepage
the preferred introductory point to a website
HTML
HyperTextMarkUpLanguage
principle language used to present webpages
in a web browser; however, today HTML is used in other
applications such as email.
IE4
IE5
Internet Explore major release versions 4 and 5 of the Microsoft
Corporation; IE5.1 would be indicate a minor release (1) of major
release (5)
imposter
entity, a website or email sender attempting to pose as some
other entity; using secure browsers and email programs,
authenticate entities by certificates or digital ID
infected
infections
indicates a computer virus present
Internet Service
Provider
ISP
service that provides access to the internet (the word
wide web, the web, the net)
junk email
junk mail
spam or unwanted email; usually from an advertiser; but, can
be more harmful with attachments files that
are really viruses; replying to such mail in anyway confirms
your email address; displayed in html email programs, some
spam may have images (perhaps invisible) that report back to
the sender the id of cookies sent earlier; this in turn allows
the sender to match email address with the otherwise anonymous
cookies; to combat this, users can 1) switch to non-html mode
before viewing suspected spam, 2) delete suspected spam, 3) disable
their modem before viewing suspected spam; new email programs
might warn users of this spam trick
key
keys
a means of opening; for example, a password is a key to an
account; a public-key and a private-key are used in asymetric cryptograhic systems (encryption systems)
latest
the most recent as in the most recent version of some software:
the latest release
liability
the amount you are responsible for when speaking about credit
cards
loading
to take on or in; just as one might load a laundry
machine, a program might load in data; just as one might
put things on a truck (up-load) or take things off the
truck (down-load), one might upload files to a server
computer or download files from a server computer
media
portable information storage such as disks, CD's, tapes
mother's maiden name
mother's name before first marriage
mouse
computer pointing device
MS
Microsoft Corporation
net
often internet; sometimes any network in general
norm-referenced
referenced against a known, norm or standard; to normalize
off-line
not on a computer network; rarely, not on any computer; in
seminars with computer geeks, it means at a time when the speaker
is not speaking to everyone
online
on-line
see off-line
opt-out
optionally get out of such as a banner advertiser's program where
cookies are placed on the user's computer when the user visits
one of the banner adverting agency's associates
password
passwords
used to log-in to a system, a key to an account such as an email
account or an internet account; a password is different than a
'user name'; passwords are typically blanked out while typing,
but user names are not
policy
privacy, security or information affirmations
policy wizard
software for generating privacy, security or information
policies for websites; ones based on the
W3C Platform for Policy Preferences provide a
industry standard base for priacy policy --- good for
consumers and business
postal
often refers to a 'real world' street address
preference
as pertains to cookies, user's likes such as screen properties
(such as size, color), browser, items on the screen, places to
go, etc.
privacy
out of the view of others; implies some form of security to keep
it private, but security must be expressly used to insure
privacy; privacy policies make claims to insure privacy of
information
program
programs
often refers to computer programs, but can refer to such things
as advertising campaigns as in 'a banner ad program
protocol
a set of communication rules
real
often used in opposition to the virtual world of on-line or
internet experiences
remailers
sometimes referred to as cyberpunk utilities or anonymous
mailers, these are services (often free) that promise to hide the
sender's email address from the receiver; remailers are often
just individuals that come and go; programs automate the process,
but there is no guarantee
S/MIME
Secure
Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange
protocol for secure email exchange
safe
definitely a relative term for secure; nothing is perfectly safe;
things are relatively safer than other things where safety can be
defined in terms of numbers; for example, credit cards
transactions on the internet are safer than non-internet credit
card transaction where the percentage of fraudulent credit card
transactions on the internet is less than elsewhere
scripts
a set of instructions; there are script languages such
as JavaScript and VBScript that are used to go beyond the
capabilities of the
HyperText MarkUp Language (HTML)
seal, privacy
a sign, emblem or marking indicating a website's membership to an
organization that professes to impose privacy standards on its
members
secure
secured
security
the establishment, enforcement or uses of some kind of
protection, chiefly against an outside force attempting entry
SET
Secure Electronic
Transfer
protocol for exchange credit card information over networks
shut-down
to completely turn off as of a computer; rarely it means
to unplug; when it does mean to unplug a distinction should be
drawn along the lines of power-down vs. shut-down;
shut-down mean an entire procedure such as
first turn off computer than turn off monitor, etc.
indicated by a phrase such as "shut-down system"
signature, digital
used with email to identify sender; see certificates
smart
implies some form of self contained programmed intelligence
spam
see junk email
SSL
Secure Socket Layer
a means for securely surfing the web; websites that
support the protocol have an address that starts with "https://" instead of just "http://"; browsers that support the
protocol are here referred to as SSL browsers and they generally
also support SET
SSN
Social Security Number
a number assigned by the U. S. government to individuals and
considered valuable personal information; a key to identity theft
surfing
to explore the internet with a web browser
Verisign
a certificate authority
visit
visits
to go to a website with a web browser
Win9x/2000
Microsoft Windows 95 / 98 or 2000 operating system
write-up
an article in a magazine or newspaper
| 
