AACS World Wide Web PagesAdditional terms, presented in the GREEN font, are from The Internet Dictionary (1996) by .Net magazine.
Separate sections, also from The Internet Dictionary are provided for "Smileys", sometimes called "emot-icons," which are widely used depictions of "a small face made of standard (keyboard) characters" which are intended to "convey feelings." (NOTE: You view them sideways to get the "picture.")
There is also a listing of Acronyms in common usage by computer enthusiasts.
Acrobat - - A multimedia authoring and viewing system from Adobe Systems Corporation for creating "fancy" publishing and presentations across various computer platforms, including the World Wide Web. The Netscape plug-in enables you to view Acrobat documents (usually complex published documents like The Curious Journal or Head Start Speaks) within Web pages.
Acronym - - Acronyms are widely used on the Internet, and are words that are derived from the initial letters of a phrase or saying. For example, IMHO is a commonly used acronym for In My Humble Opinion. Some are phonetic abbreviations such as BCNU for "be seeing you." An Acronym Disctionary is included below.
ADA - Average Daily Attendance - A measurement of student contact hours previously used in the attendance accounting system, replaced in 1991 by the term "Full Time Equivalent Student" (FTES). One of several factors which determines the allocation of state funds to the college.
AI - Artificial Intelligence - The use of computer technology to perform functions that are normally associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, and self-improvement.
ALIAS - - A name or nickname for your electronic mail (e-mail) user name. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and e-mail programs enable the use of aliases so that any mail sent to an address set up to handle aliases would be delivered. Audubon Area's ISP, MindSpring, does allow aliases. So does our "Domain Name," audubon-area.com, so we have the capability for setting up virtually unlimited aliases under our Domain Name. For example, AnyProgram@audubon-area.com or AnyStaffer@audubon-area.com would be valid addresses and e-mail addressed to any AACS program or staff person along that fashion would come to our MindSpring mailbox. It would then be referred to our GroupWise "mail" or forwarded in some other means available.
ALPHA - Alphanumeric, the set of characters representing the letters of the alphabet and the digits 0 through 9.
ANALOG - The representation of a continuous physical variable by another physical variable.
ANALOG COMPUTER- A computer in which continuous physical variables represent data.
ANCHORS- The hypertext links that are embedded within a World Wide Web (HTML) document. Anchors enable the user to jump from one piece of information to a related piece of information no matter where on the Internet the information may be stored.
ANSI - American National Standards Institute.
APPLICATION - The computer programs and systems which allow people to interface with the computer and programs which collect, manipulate, summarize, and report data and information.
ARCHIE - A query system to scan the offerings of the many anonymous FTP sites on the Internet.
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange - A widely used system for encoding characters for processing and transmission between data processing systems, data communication systems, and associated equipment.
ASSEMBLER - A computer program that translates assembly language programs into a machine language that the computer "understands".
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE - A low level programming language that includes symbolic language statements in which there is a one-to-one correspondence with machine language instructions.
ASYNCH - Asynchronous, without regular time relationship; unexpected or unpredictable with respect to the execution of a program's instructions; a physical transfer of data to or from a device that occurs without a regular or predictable time relationship.
ASYNCHRONOUS - A form of data transmission which allows information to be sent at irregular intervals.
ATM - Asynchronous Transfer M ode - A high-speed connection-oriented data transmission method that provides bandwidth on demand through packet-switching techniques using fixed-sized cells. ATM supports both time-sensitive and time-insensitive traffic, and is defined in CCITT standards as the transport method for B-ISDN services. Cell-switching technology that operates at high data rates: up to 622 Mbps currently, but potential data rates could reach Gbps. ATM runs on an optical fiber network that uses Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) protocols for moving data between ATM switches.
ATTACHMENT- Binary files that have been UUencoded, or sent using the MIME Standard, and delivered as part of an e-mail message are said to be attachments.
AVATAR CARD - AVATAR brand 327x emulator (like IRMA) for Macintosh computers.
BACK-END DATABASE - An application running on a server that stores data and responds to requests for those data from front-end applications running on workstations and networked PCs. (See CLIENT/SERVER and FRONT-END DATABASE).
BANDWIDTH - The range of frequencies occupied by an information-bearing signal or that can be accommodated by a transmission medium.
BARCODE - A machine readable graphic representation of alphanumeric characters for rapid data input to a computer system.
BAUD - Change in the amplitude, phase, or frequency of a signal, used to encode the signal with digital information.
BATCH - Form of processing whereby input of a type is kept together and then processed all at one time, generally considered an older style of processing but still necessary for some applications.
BAUD - A unit of measurement denoting the number of transitions in modem signal per second. Each transition may carry more than one bit of information.
BBS - Bulletin Board System - A system for posting news articles to various networks, such as Internet.
BINARY - having two components or possible states; usually represented by a code of zeros and ones.
BISYNC(H) - Binary-Synchronous (Synchronous) - Protocol communications, one method by which a computer converses with remote terminals, the form the data assumes for transfers.
BIT - The smallest unit of information in a computer, equivalent to a single zero or one. The word 'bit' is a contraction of binary digit.
BITNET - "Because It's Time Network" - A national educational network with similar counterpart networks in other countries, based on IBM's Remote Spooling Communications Subsystem (RSCS).
BOOKMARK- A method of marking interesting sites when you visit them, so as to make returning to them as easy as possible at a later date. Commonly used by Gopher software and WWW browsers such as Mosaic from Netscape.
BOUNCE- When e-mail is returned due to a failure to deliver.
BPS - Bits Per Second - Communications speed, the rate at which data travels from one site to another. (Example: the Internet network runs at 56 Kilo BPS.)
BROWSER - A program that is used for exploring the Net. The term is most commonly applied to the software used to browse the World Wide Web. Examples of World Wide Web browsers include Navigator, Internet Explorer, Mosaic, WinWeb, Cello, and Lynx.
BUFFER - A space reserved in a computer's memory for temporarily storing data, often just before it is to be transmitted or after it has been received.
BUS - A set of wires for carrying signals around a computer.
BUS TOPOLOGY - A layout for a local area network in which network stations are linked by means of an open-ended cable or other transmission medium.
BYTE - A sequence of bits, usually eight, treated as a unit for computation, typically an alpha or numeric character.
"C" - A general purpose, small and concise programming language developed at Bell Laboratories in conjunction with the UNIX operating system.
CAAAS - Computer Assisted Academic Advisement System - A database containing articulation agreements between Mt. San Antonio College and other colleges.
CARL - Colorado Alliance of R esearch Libraries - A public access catalog of library services available through the Internet.
CARRIER - A signal of continuous frequency capable of being modulated with another information carrying signal.
CASE - Computer Assisted Software Engineering - The application of computer technology to systems development activities, techniques, and methodologies. Sometimes refered to as Computer Aided Systems Engineering.
CAUSE - Formerly the College And U niversity Systems Exchange - Currently, CAUSE, the Professional Association for the Management of Information Technology in Higher Education, helps colleges and universities strengthen and improve their computing, communications, and information services, both academic and administrative.
CCITT - See International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee
CEC - Community Education Center - A special campus facility for adult and non-credit classes, administered by Community Education & Development.
CICS - Customer Information C ontrol System - The IBM teleprocessing monitor. Systems software which provides on-line/real time operation with a mainframe via a teleprocessing network.
CD-I - Compact Disk - Interactive - Mass storage medium with interactive access.
CD-ROM -Compact Disk - Read Only Memory - Read only direct access mass storage medium.
CERN - The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, based in Geneva, and the birthplace of the World Wide Web. And in case you were wondering, the Acronym CERN is derived from Conseil European pour la Recherche Nucleaire (the centre's previous name).
CLIENTS - Users, those receiving services from Information Technology or the resources they provide.
CLIENT/SERVER - A distributed computing system in which the CLIENT is the requesting program, sending requests to servers across a network, and the SERVER provides a service in response to requests from clients.
CMS - Conversational Monitor S ystem - An IBM operating system that simulates many of the functions of Operating System (OS) and Disk Operating System (DOS), and allows OS and DOS programs to run in a conversational environment.
COAXIAL CABLE - A transmission medium composed of an insulated copper wire inside a tubular conductor.
COBOL - Common Business-Oriented computer Language - The primary language used in the college's batch application systems.
CODEC - COder DECoder - This equipment converts voice signals from their analog form to digital signals acceptable to more modern digital PBXs and digital transmission systems. It then converts these digital signals back to analog so that you may hear and understand what the other party is saying.
COM - A top-level domain name that denotes a US business concern. For example, in a e-mail address of bloke@company.com, the .com part of the domain address refers to the fact that a company is a, er, company.
COMSAT - The COMmunications SATellite corporation was created by Congress as the exclusive provider to the U.S. of satellite channels of international communications. COMSAT is also the U.S. representative to Intelsat and Inmarsat, two international groups responsible for satellite maritime communications.
CONFERENCE - A message area, or forum, on a conferencing system like CIX. Each conference covers a defined subject matter, and is further subdivided into topics of more specific subject matter. For example, there may be a Sooty Conference which has topics of Sooty and Sweep and the other characters.
CONTROL UNIT - Circuits that sequence, interpret, and carry out instructions from CPUs.
COOKIE - A random quote, generated by software. Found on many on-line systems.
CPU - Central Processing Unit - The part of a computer that interprets and executes instructions. It is composed of an arithmetic logic unit, a control unit, and a small amount of memory. (see MAINFRAME)
CQI - Continuous Quality Improvement - A methodology intent on meeting or exceeding customer requirements by continuous improvement and inovation in products, processes, and services.
CRASH - A sudden and total system failure.
CSU - California State University - The California State University system of colleges.
CSUNET - California State University Network.
CTI - Computer Telephone Integration - A polite term for connecting a computer to a telephone switch and having the computer issue the switch commands to move calls around.
CURSOR - The movable spot of light that indicates a point of action or attention on a computer screen.
CYBERPUNK - A person who lives in the future culture of cyberspace, virtual reality and so on. As epitomised by the works of Bruce Sterling and William Gibson.
CYBERSPACE - A term coined by William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer used to describe the collective "World" of networked computers. Now commonly used to refer to the world that exists within computer networks, accessed by comms technology. Our favourite definition is simply "the electronic domain".
DASD - Direct Access Storage Devices - Generally disk drives.
DATA BUS - The wires in a computer that carry data to and from various locations (usually memory).
DATABASE - A collection of related information about a subject organized in a useful manner that provides a base or foundation for procedures such as retrieving information, drawing conclusions, and making decisions.
DBMS - Data Base Management System - A system used to store, retrieve, and manipulate data in an organized (modeled) fashion. Usually consists of Dictionary, Manipulation, Security, and Access components.
DDP/OA - Distributed (Local Based) Data Processing and/or Office Automation.
DEDICATED LINES - Telephone lines (exchanges) which are specifically used to provide access to file servers, files, or other systems.
DEVELOPMENT - Building an application system which carries out a process in an automated fashion, particularly employing a new method or replacing a manual effort.
DIAL-UP - To connect to a computer by calling it on the telephone (usually via a modem).
DIGITAL - Pertaining to the representation or transmission of data by discrete signals (as opposed to continuous analog signals).
DIGITAL COMPUTER - A machine that operates on data expressed in discrete, or on-off, form rather than continuous representation.
DIGITIZE - To represent data in digital, or discrete, form, or to convert an analog, or continuous, signal to such a form.
DIP SWITCH - Dual Interface Poll switch which enables the user to set various parameters of a circuit board (commonly found on modems and printers).
DISK - A round magnetized plate, usually made of plastic or metal, organized into concentric tracks and pie-shaped sectors for storing data.
DISK DRIVE - The mechanism that rotates a disk and reads or writes data.
DNS - Domain Name System - A distributed database system for translating computer names (like ibm.mtsac.edu) into numeric Internet addresses (like 140.144.204.50), and vice versa.
DOMAIN - Part of the naming hierachy of the Internet. There are various levels to a domain name, and you are likely to see some of the following top level domains:
There are also a large number of country codes that can be used in domain names, these include such codes as:
DOS/VSE - Disk Operating System/Virtual Storage Extended - An IBM operating system for mid-range processors. Usually called simply "VSE", it is a family of disk operating systems designed primarily for batch and transaction processing. DOS/VSE is one of several operating system currently in use on the district's mainframe computer.
DOWNLOAD - D/L. - The transfer of mainframe information/data/files to mini or microcomputers or the transfer of downloaded information from a central file server to other processors.
DQDB - Distributed Queue Dual Bus - The IEEE 802.6 MAN architecture standard for providing both circuit-switched (isochronous) and packet-switched services.
DSCH - Daily Student Contact Hours - Number of class hours each course is regularly scheduled to meet each day, multiplied by the number of students actively enrolled in the course.
DSPS - Disabled Student Programs & Services - A state funded program that provides programs and services for students with disabilities.
DUPLEX - A communications channel capable of carrying a signal in both directions.
EBCDIC - Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code - An IBM system for encoding letters, numerals, punctuation marks, and signs that accommodates twice as many symbols and functions as ASCII by using eight-place binary numbers instead of seven-place numbers.
EDITOR - A program that is used to create, edit, and save documents. Simple editors are usually built in to e-mail and Usenet programs.
EDUCOM - A nonprofit consortium of higher education institutions founded in 1964. Educom is focusing its energies on increasing individual and institutional intellectual productivity through access to and use of information resources and technology and ensuring the creation of an information infrastructure that will meet society's needs into the twenty-first century.
EFFICIENT-UTILITY - Computer hardware that provides immediate functional capability as well as the potential for greater utility without replacement.
ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL) - An application on both local and wide area networks that provides communication among users.
ENCRYPTION - A method of coding data to prevent unauthorized access, most commonly used on the Internet to protect e-mail from prying eyes.
ENHANCEMENT - Upgrading of an existing system, such as the addition of new functions or reports.
EOPS - Extended Opportunity P rograms & Services - A state funded program that provides services and financial aid to educationally and financially disadvantaged students enrolled in California Community Colleges.
ETHERNET - Networking architecture, a bus-structured local area network designed originally at Xerox Corporation.
EUDORA - A popular electronic mail program for Internet use.
EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (EIS) - Decision support software; a wide variety of software intended to be used by an executive (manager) to assist in organizing information for decision making purposes.
EXPERT SYSTEMS - A practical development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which requires creation of a knowledge base of facts and rules furnished by human experts and uses a defined set of rules to access this information in order to suggest solutions to problems.
FEP - Front End Processor - Communication controller for the mainframe teleprocessing network of leased lines and remote non-programmable devices.
FDDI - Fiber Distributed Data Interface - A token ring passing scheme that operates at 100 Mbps over fiber optic lines with a built in geographic limitation of 100 kilometers.
FIBER OPTICS - The technology of encoding data as pulses of light beamed through ultra thin strands of glass or plastic.
FILENAME EXTENSION - When you are browsing the Internet you may well come across files that have a variety of different filename extensions. These refer to the type of file concerned, quite often the file has been compressed using some package or other and the extension will identify this. Here are the most common among them:
FILE SERVER - Computer which is modified to store and transfer large amounts of data to other computers. File servers often receive data from mainframes and store it for transfer to other micros, or from other micros to mainframes.
FINGER - An Internet utility that displays information about another user.
FIREWALL - A firewall is a security device to help protect a private network from Internet crackers and hackers. It is a machine with two network interfaces that is configured to restrict what protocols can be used across the boundaries and to decide what internal IP addresses can be seen to the external Internet.
FLAME - An abusive or personal attack against the poster of a message.
FLAME BAIT - A controversial message that is almost guaranteed to attract flaming.
FLAME WAR - When flames get out of control and threaten to take over a Usenet group.
FLOPPY DISK - A small, flexible disk used to store information or instructions.
FLOPS - Floating Point Operations P er Second - A metric used to compare computing power.
FORUM - A message area on Compuserve or Delphi, equivalent to an echo on Usenet or a conference on CIX.
FRAME RELAY - An ANSI and CCITT defined LAN/WAN networking standard for switching frames in a packet mode similar to X.25, but at higher speeds and with less nodal processing (assuming fiber transmission).
FRONT-END DATABASE - An application running on a workstation or networked PC that requests data from a centralized server, then presents the data in a way useful to the user. (See CLIENT/SERVER and BACK-END DATABASE.)
FTES - Full Time Equivalent Student - The measurement of student contact hours used in the attendance accounting system; replacing the term "Average Daily Attendance" (ADA). One of several factors which determines the allocation of state funds to the college.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol - The primary method of transferring files over the Internet.
FULL DUPLEX - Simultaneous transmission of information by two participants engaged in an exchange of data through telecommunications.
GAIN - Greater Avenues for I ndependence - Students identified by the state as recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) who are eligible for and enrolled in college courses. GAIN students, once identified, participate in a GAIN contract which may stipulate time limits or other conditions of their educational progress.
GANTT CHART - A project planning and reporting chart developed by Henry Gantt. The Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart showing the relative duration of tasks plotted on a time scale
GATEWAY - A computer system that transfers data between normally incompatible applications or networks.
GIF - The Graphics Interchange Format is the most commonly used image format to be found on the Internet. The GIF format was originally developed by CompuServe.
GIGABYTE - Billion bytes of data.
GOAL - A general statement of direction, as in college goals.
GOPHER - A menu driven access to many of the facilities of the Internet.
GROUPWARE - A class of applications that use collaborative data stored on a server. Examples are electronic mail, group scheduling, and project management applications.
GUI - Graphical User Interfaces - A graphics based system that incorporates visual representations of data and processes, using icons, pull down menus, and a mouse. Examples are Windows on the MS DOS platform, the Macintosh's Standard User Interface and OS/2 Presentation Manager.
GUIDE - An international not-for-profit association of information systems professionals providing business solutions through the application of information technology across a wide variety of environments.
GZIP - A file compression program quite commonly found on the Internet.
HACKER - Someone who enjoys exploring computer systems, often applied to people who undertake such explorations illegally.
HALF DUPLEX - Communications system in which the partners in an exchange of data take turns transmitting.
HANDLE - An on-line nickname, the term having been borrowed from the days of CB Radio (not that we know anyone old enough to remember CB Radio, and certainly don't hang out with anyone who was known as "heartbreaker" as that would be terminally sad).
HANDSHAKING - An exchange of signals allowing communication between two devices, designed to start or keep the two in synchronization.
HARDWARE - The physical apparatus of a computer system.
H. 261 - International Video Conferencing Standard
H. 320 - International Video Conferencing Standard
HESC - Higher Education Software Consortium - A group of educational institutions utilizing IBM operating systems and software for educational purposes. A yearly purchase of membership in the consortium entitles the institution to obtain and upgrade selected IBM software at no additional cost.
HIT - The number of times items are downloaded from a Web page is measured in hits. A Web page will receive one hit for each graphic and chunk of text on it.
HOME PAGE - The first place you arrive at when visting a World Wide Web Site. It is possible to establish any WWW address as a default home page within your Web browser so that you will always start your travels from this point.
HOTLIST - A list of user defined World Wide Web sites that are saved in folder to enable a fast return should one want to visit a site again. Called bookmarks in Navigator.
HPO - High Performance Option - Upgrade to certain types of software.
HSPS - Handicapped Student P rograms & Services - See DSPS.
HST - High Speed Technology. A proprietary signalling scheme used as part of the trademark for Miracom HST Modems.
HTML - HyperText Mark-up Language is the language used to write a World Wide Web document.
HZ - Hertz. A measurement of frequency, each unit being one cycle per second.
ICON - A graphical representation of a command or application, as used in Graphical User Interfaces.
INFORMATION - Data which has been processed to a point where it conveys knowledge or represents a usable statement of fact.
INFRASTRUCTURE - System of wire, hardware, software and facilities that enables the connection of voice-data-video devices and the transmission of voice-data-video information from device to device.
INTEGRATED - Interrelated entities which result in a synergistic effect but which may also create extensive interdependencies.
INTELSAT - International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium
International Telegraph and T elephone Consultative Committee - (CCITT) - A telephonic media communications standards committee.
INTERNET - A concatenation of many individual TCP/IP campus, state, regional, and national networks (such as NSFnet, ARPAnet, and Milnet) into one single logical network all sharing a common addressing scheme.
INTRANET - Local network based on the IP protocol, currently in vogue for corporate computer networks.
IP - Internet Protocol - A network protocol which manages the logistics of getting a message from the sending machine to the receiving machine.
IRC - Internet Relay Chat - A "real-time" session on the Internet, where multiple users may "chat" interactively within discussion groups.
IRMA - A circuit card and software combination package from DCA which serves as a microprocessor responding to poll in an interactive 327x network. It emulates a terminal while residing in a PC. This makes PC's dual function devices - they serve as both terminals and micros (see also AVATAR card).
ISDN - Integrated Services D igital Network - CCITT I-series recommendation defined digital network standard for integrated voice and data network access, services, and user network messages.
ISI - Integral Systems Incorporated - A software company; providers of the personnel database system used at the college.
IT- Information Technology - The department responsible for all mainframe, tele-communications, media, television, video, micro computing and technical services at the college.
JAD - Joint Applications Development - An involvement oriented approach used to develop applications.
JAVA - Programming language for the Internet created by Sun microsystems which enables extra interactivity to be built into Web pages. Pundits predict it's the most significant development for the Net since the invention of the Web.
JPEG - The Joint Photographic Experts Group which has produced the JPEG standard for compressing images. JPEG files are commonly found stored on the Internet as they compress to a small size whilst retaining high image quality.
JUMP - The term used to describe the act of moving from one link to another in a World Wide Web session.
KPBS - Kilobits per second, a data transfer rate.
KILOBYTE - Kbyte: 1,024 bytes (1,024 being one K, or two to the 10th power) - Often used as a measure of memory capacity.
KIT - Computer equipment.
LAN - Local Area Network - A system of computer hardware and software that links computers, printers, and other peripherals into a network suitable for transmission of data between offices in a building, for example, or between buildings situated near one another.
LANGUAGE - A set of rules or conventions to describe a process to a computer.
LAPTOP - A portable computer which is sufficiently light and compact to permit easy transport and laptop utilization.
LASER - Technology of reading/writing data on durable media using a laser light source or producing print on dry toner image engines.
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display - A digital display mechanism made up of character-forming segments of a liquid crystal material sandwiched between polarizing and reflecting pieces of glass.
LINE NOISE - Disruption of computer communications caused by interference on the telephone line.
LION NOSE - A highly amusing and clever play on words, used by highly amusing and clever people who are unable to use the proper words "line noise".
LISTSERV - An automated mailing list distribution system originally designed for the Bitnet/EARN network.
LOG OFF - To cleanly disconnect from an on-line system.
LOG ON - To establish a connection with an on-line system.
LOGIN - The process of identifying yourself on an on-line system. Generally a two stage process involving the input of your username followed by your password.
LOGIN NAME - The username or name of your account used for identification purposes.
LSI - Large-Scale Integration - The placement of thousands of electronic gates on a single chip. This makes the manufacture of powerful computers possible.
MAC - Medium Access Control - IEEE 802 defined media specific control protocol.
MACHINE LANGUAGE - A set of binary-code instructions capable of being understood by a computer without translation.
MAIL BOMBING - Electronic terrorism which involves the relentless attack on someone, or some organization's mailbox with large and useless files.
MAILBOX - The location on a host computer where a user's electronic mail is sent and stored.
MAINFRAME COMPUTER(CPU, M/F) - One of the largest types of computer, usually capable of serving many users simultaneously, with exceptional processing speed. An IBM 3090 Model 200 E serves as the college's host or mainframe computer.
MAINTENANCE - Any modification required to keep a system operating at its intended level.
MAN - Metropolitan Area Network - A MAC level data and communications network which operates over metropolitan or campus areas and recently has been expanded to nationwide and even worldwide connectivity of high-speed data networks. A MAN can carry video, data, and has been defined as both the DQDB and FDDI standard sets.
MAPI - Messaging Application P rogramming Interface - Microsoft's Windows Messaging Application Programming Interface which is part of WOSA (Windows Open Services Architecture).
MARC - MAchine Readable Code - Inventory cataloguing and coding system, read/write by computer.
MBPS - Megabits Per Second, a data transfer rate of one million bits per second.
MEGABYTE - M - Million bytes of data. (1,048,576 bytes)
MEMORY - The storage facilities of a computer; the term is applied only to internal storage as opposed to external storage, such as disks or tapes.
MHz - Megahertz - A unit of measurement equal to one million electrical vibrations or cycles per second. Commonly used to compare the clock speeds of computers.
MICROCOMPUTER - A desktop or portable computer, based on a microprocessor and meant for a single user; often called a home or personal computer.
MICROFICHE (FILM) - A file representation of a hard copy report that saves space in storage.
MICROPROCESSOR - A single chip containing all the elements of a computer's central processing unit; also called a computer chip.
MICROSOFT NETWORK - Microsoft's Information service-started as a closed, proprietary network, but has now opened up to encompass the Internet.
MIDDLEWARE - Software that interprets requests between a PC or workstation application and an antiquated database running on a mainframe. Also used to describe software that helps an application communicate with an underlying operating system.
MINICOMPUTER - A midsize computer smaller than a mainframe and usually with much more memory than a microcomputer.
MIPS - Millions of Instructions P er Second - Measured in millions, i.e.: 19 MIPS is nineteen million machine instructions per second, a measure used to compare relative computing power.
MIS - Management Information S ystems (MIS) - The total of all information resources, manual and automated, and their application to the normal functions of running an organization - management, administration, problem solving, etc. (Used specifically in the California Community Colleges to designate the state-wide data collection system currently under development.)
MODEM - Modulator/Demodulator - A device that enables data to be transmitted between computers, generally over telephone lines but sometimes on fiber-optic cable or radio frequencies.
MONITOR - A television-like output device for displaying data, typically based on a cathode ray tube but can also be of an LCD or other variety.
MTBF - Mean Time Between Failures - The statistical average operating time between the start of a component's life and the time of its first electronic or mechanical failure.
MULTIMEDIA - Integration of various computer and audio visual devices and methods to produce visual/graphical information and present it in a variety of formats.
MVS - Multiple Virtual Storage - IBM large systems operating systems software, generally a growth step following VSE optimization.
NANOSECOND (ns) - A billionth of a second, a common unit of measure of computer operating speed.
NEEDS ANALYSIS - A quantitative and qualitative study of the technology needs of the college, including assessment, analysis, and forecasts.
.NET - The Internet Magazine from Future Publishing the only place to get all the latest information about the Internet from some of the UK's leading experts and the best known Internet commentators.
NET POLICE - A derogatory term applied to those people who feel it is their duty to tell others how they should behave in Cyberspace.
NET SURFER - Someone who "surfs" the Internet, wandering around looking for interesting places to visit, useful files to grab, and groovy people to talk to.
NETIQUETTE - The supposed etiquette of the on-line community, examples being avoiding over use of quoting, avoiding cross posting, and so on. Our basic rule of netiquette is to think about what you are doing rather than worry about what everyone else is up to.
NETVIEW ACCESS SERVICES (NVAS) - A program that simplifies the task of accessing applications and enables the user to work with several applications from a single terminal at the same time.
NEURAL NETWORKS - Computer architecture that enables redundancy, self reparation of communications paths, and supports high traffic loads through routing decisions.
NEWBIE - Someone who is a newcomer to a Usenet group, it was often used as a term of ridicule or abuse but is now increasingly becoming an accepted way of describing anyone who is still feeling their way around cyberspace.
NIBBLE - Half a byte, or four bits.
NIC - Network Information Center - Any organization responsible for supplying information about any network.
NO CARRIER - A message that is displayed when the connection between your modem and the remote computer is broken.
NODE - A junction of communications paths in a network.
NOTEBOOK - A very small 'notebook sized' laptop computer.
NOTIS - The library management system used at the college.
NREN - National Research and E ducation Network.
NUMBER CRUNCHING - The processing of large quantities of numbers.
OBJECTIVE - Specific accomplishments necessary to the attainment of goals.
OCR - Optical Character Recognition -The process by which text on paper is scanned and converted into text files by a computer system.
OFF-LINE - Not connected to an on-line system.
OFFICEVISION - An IBM office management software program; currently in use as the college's mainframe based electronic mail and personal calendar system.
OLE - Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) - A method which establishes a way to transfer and share information between applications.
ON-LINE - Network applications, i.e. real time programs or "up and running."
OOPS - Object Oriented Programming Systems - Method of Applications Development based on the assembly of functional modules.
OPAC - On-line Public Access Catalog - Any libraries on-line card catelog.
OPEN COMPUTING - A movement spawned by the Unix community to make computers and software that are standardized along published specifications so that hardware and software can be interchanged.
OPERATING SYSTEM - A complex program used to control, assist, or supervise all other programs that run on a computer system; known as DOS (D isk Operating System) to most microcomputer users.
OSF - Open Systems Foundation - (See OPEN COMPUTING)
OS/2 Operating System/2 - IBM micro-computer based operating system for use on Micro Channel based PCs, includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface).
PACKET - A bundle of data that is small enough to be transmitted across the Internet efficiently and safely.
PARALLEL - Pertaining to data or instructions processed several bits at a time, rather than one bit at a time.
PARITY BIT - A check bit added to a unit of data for error checking purposes.
PASSWORD - A security string that is required to be input before access to a system, or part of a system, may be granted. You should choose your passwords carefully, avoiding obvious family names or words such as security, password, or knob. You would be amazed how many people don't follow this advice.
PCMCIA - Personal Computer M emory Card International Association.
PEGASUS MAIL - The micro based electronic mail system used on Local Area Networks (LANs) at the college.
PERT Chart - Program Evaluation R eview Technique chart - A project management chart illustrating task relationships and dependencies.
PING - A command which allows an Internet user to query host computers on the network to verify that they are active and capable of sending and receiving.
PLUG and PLAY (PnP) - Capability (through infrastructure) for student and staff access to all appropriate resources (voice-data-video) from any campus location and any remote device with access to the campus.
POINTER - A file marker so that an on-line system can remember what messages you have read when you disconnect, so you don't have to read them all again next time.
POTS - Plain Old Telephone Service
POWER SUPPLY - A device for converting external alternating current into the direct-current voltages needed to run a computer's electronic circuits.
PRE-GRIDDING - Filling out variable fields of information on forms using the computer system and available data bases to ensure consistency and reduce manual effort (and potential error).
PRIORITY - Information Technology projects and requirements as determined by the President's Cabinet or State/Federal mandate.
PROFILE - A control file for a program. Most commonly used to set up a user's individual preferences when logging on to an on-line service.
PROGRAM - A sequence of detailed instructions for performing an operation or solving a problem by computer.
PS/2 - IBM Personal System/2 - A series of personal computers introduced in 1987 based on the Intel 8086, 80286, and 80386 microprocessors.
PROTOCOL - The formal rules that govern the internal workings of a communications system.
PUBLIC DOMAIN - Software which is available to anyone without the requirement to pay for it.
QUERY - The ability to interrogate data bases without predetermined designs and/or programming expertise.
QUEUE - A stack of resources waiting to be processed, can include e-mail, printing jobs, database search requests, ftpmail requests and so on.
RAD - Rapid Application Development - Development lifecycle designed to give much faster development and higher quality results than the traditional lifecycle.
RAM - Random Access Memory - A form of temporary internal storage whose contents can be retrieved and altered by the user; also called read-and-write memory.
RDBMS - Data Base Management System of the Relational variety (based on an architecture of relational calculus and/or relational algebra) - Primary components are a Data Dictionary, Data Manipulation Language, Query Facility, Data Security System, and various/interactive systems.
READ ONLY - An on-line forum or conference area where you cannot post messages, only read them.
REAL TIME - Programs which process immediately as information is received rather than accumulating data for long periods and processing all of it at one time (batch).
REGISTER - A special circuit in the central processing unit that can either hold a value or perform some arithmetical or logical operation.
REMOTE LOG-IN - A network service that allows a user on one machine to connect to another machine across a network and interact as if directly connected to the remote machine.
RING TOPOLOGY - A layout for a local area network in which network stations are connected to one another by a closed loop of cable or other transmission medium.
RJE - Remote Job Entry - Programs are caused to run from a site removed from the computing facility.
ROM - Read-Only Memory - Permanent internal memory containing data or operating instructions that cannot be altered.
ROUTER - A system that transfers information between two networks using the same protocols.
RPG II - Report Program Generator - A commercially oriented programming language specifically designed for writing application programs the meet common business data processing requirements.
RS-232 - A mechanical and electrical standard that permits the transfer of information between computers and communications equipment, and is also used to connect terminals, printers, and other peripheral devices.
SAA - Systems Application Architecture - A set of standards for communication among various types of IBM computers, from personal computers to mainframes.
SCSI - Small Computer System Interface (pronounced Scuzzy) - A mechanical, electrical, and functional standard for connecting small computers with intelligent peripherals such as hard disks and CD-ROMS.
SDLC - Synchronous Data Link Control - Data communications method, also known as digital.
SERIAL - Pertaining to data or instructions that are processed in sequence, one bit at a time, rather than in parallel (several bits at a time).
SERIAL PORT - The port that transmits and receives asynchronous data. Peripheral devices such as modems, printers, and mice can all use the serial port.
SERVER - A component of a distributed computing system which provides a service in response to requests from clients. (See CLIENT/SERVER).
SHAREWARE - Software which is generally available as "try before you buy" with the available version needing to be registered before its full power can be unleashed.
SHOUTING - The on-line equivalent of shouting is to post messages that are totally in UPPER CASE LETTERS. This makes for a difficult to read message and so should only be used where a shouting emphasis is absolutely essential.
SIG - Special Interest Group - A subgroup of an organization or a computer networking systems consisting of members who share a common interest.
SITE - Any of the individual networks that as a whole, comprise the Internet.
SMDS - Switched MultiMegabit D ata Service - A high-speed (up to 34Mbps), connectionless, packet switched MAN data service. It is considered a wideband/broadband data service and is designed to be easily integrated into user's existing local data communications and computing environments while having minimal impact on user's existing hardware and software.
SMILEY - A smiling face character made by joining ASCII characters together. Used to express emotions. Sometimes referred to as Emote-icons.
SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. - The Internet standard protocol for transferring electronic mail messages from one computer to another.
SNA - Systems Network Architecture (SNA) - based on the use of microprocessors in each major device in a hardware configuration and the use of SDLC protocol.
SNAIL MAIL - The sending of mail using the traditional land-based postal system as opposed to e-mail. So called because of its slowness compared to electronic mail.
SOFTWARE - Instructions, or programs, that enable a computer to do useful work; contrasted with hardware, or the actual computer apparatus.
SONET - Synchronous Optical Net work - A US high-speed fiber optic transport standard for a fiber optic digital hierarchy. It can operate at speeds ranging from 51.48Mbps to 2.5Gbps.
SPAMMING - The act of saturating Usenet newsgroups, mailboxes, or other online forums with information that is either useless, unwaned, or otherwise obnoxious. A famous example of spammin in action was the Canter and Siegal "Green Card Lottery" spam, where a firm of lawyers drenched the wole of Usenet with advertising postings. This led to angry replies and flames, which further added to the harmful effect of the spam. This particular case took many weeks to die down.
SQL - Structured Query Language - A language set that defines a way of organizing and calling data in a computer database. SQL is becoming the standard for use in CLIENT/SERVER databases, and is the basis of IBM's SQL/DS and DB2 Data Base Management Systems and related products.
START/STOP BITS - Bits attached to a character before transmission during an asynchronous transfer.
SYSGEN - Loading an operating system.
SYSOP - SYStem OPerator, the person who runs a Bulletin Board System.
SYSTEMS - An interrelated set of entities which function in relation to each other, as in software systems, hardware systems, information systems, etc.
TAGS - Formatting codes used within World Wide Web HTML documents.
TASK - A specific step or single item of work to be performed in the process of completing a project.
TCP/IP - Transmission Control P rotocol/Internet Protocol - The combination of a network and transport protocol developed by ARPANET for internetworking IP-based networks.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Systems of hardware and software used to carry voice, video, and/or data between locations. Includes telephone wires, satellite signals, cellular links, coaxial cable, etc., and related devices.
TELECOMMUTING - Use of electronic facilities to allow a worker to "commute" to work through communications networks rather than to physically travel to and from an office or workplace.
TELEPROCESSING - Work completed on the computer via terminals or other remote devices through the use of telecommunications.
TELNET - A terminal emulation protocol for logging on to remote computers through the Internet.
TERMINAL - A device composed of a keyboard for putting data into a computer and a video screen or printer for receiving data from the computer.
TERMINAL EMULATION - Hardware and software that enables a PC or other intelligent device to act as a host terminal.
TEXT FILE - Probably the most common type of file found on the Internet!
THREAD - A series of postings to a message area or conference that are linked together. A thread consists of an initial posting followed by all the comments to it, and forms an on-line conversation or debate.
THROUGHPUT - The amount of data transmitted per second without the overhead of protocol information.
TLC - Technology Learning Center. - A college facility with networked microcomputers, available to faculty or staff.
TOKEN RING - A local area network architecture in which a token, or continuously repeating frame, is passed sequentially from station to station. Only that station possessing the token can communicate on the network.
TQM - Total Quality Management. - A system of ongoing, organization wide improvements which achieve full customer satisfaction through participation of trained team members using quality measures and techniques.
TWISTED-PAIR WIRE - A transmission medium consisting of two insulated copper wires twisted around each other, traditionally used in the telephone system.
UC - University of California. - The University of California system of colleges.
UNIX - A multi-tasking, multi-user operating system developed by AT&T Bell Laboratories in the 1960's; used primarily on minicomputers.
UPLOAD - The transferring of files, which reside on minis or micros, (U/L) to a mainframe via electronic communications - (also the transfer of files to be uploaded to a mainframe from micros to a file server).
UPS - Uninteruptable Power S upply - A battery capable of supplying continuous power to a computer system in the event of a power failure.
URBAN FOLKLORE - Myths and legends that have spread across the Internet and are now largely accepted as the truth, even though they are generally false. An example being the commonly held belief that there were characters in the children's TV series Captain Pugwash by the names of Seaman Staines and Master Bates. Totally untrue, yet this has become Internet urban folklore and accepted as the truth.
USENET - An informal group of systems that exchange "news". News is essentially similar to "bulletin boards" on other networks. USENET actually predates the Internet, but the Internet is now used to transfer much of USENET's traffic.
USERNAME - The name chosen by a user or an on-line system, the same as an account name, or user id.
USRS - Unified State Reporting System - The system used by California Community Colleges to collect and report staff and student data to the Chancellor's Office.
UTD - Up To Date - Current.
UTP - Unshielded Twisted Pair wire.
UUCP - An International, cooperative wide-area network that links thousands of UNIX computers in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
UUencode - A method of encoding binary data so that it can be sent as an ASCII file across networks by mail. A decoder is required to convert the file back into an executable binary file again.
VAN - Value-Added Network - A data network that supplements basic communications services acquired from a common carrier with additional features that correct transmission errors and ensure compatibility between dissimilar computers and terminals.
VAP - Value Added Process - Optional products that enhance the performance capabilities of various systems.
VATEA - Vocational and Applied T echnical Education Act.
VEDS - Vocational Education D ata System - A type of student data reported through the Unified State Reporting System (USRS); specific to students enrolled in Vocational Education Act (VEA) qualifying courses.
VERBOSE - Aa mode that displays commands and prompts in full.
VERONICA - A group of databases which provide an index to information available through the Gopher tool on the Internet.
VIDEO DISPLAY - A monitor to those not talking techno-babble.
VIM - Vender Independent Messaging - The Vendor-Independent Messaging (VIM) Group. VIM includes Apple, Borland, IBM, Lotus, MCI Mail, Novell and Word Perfect. Together, the Group is intent will collaborate on developing an open, industry-standard interface that will allow e-mail features to be built into a variety of software products.
VIRTUAL CIRCUIT - A logical transmission path.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES - A term that describes the communities that are very real, but exist only in computer networks. Another name for Cyberspace, and the subject of an authoritative book by American author Howard Rheingold.
VIRTUAL REALITY - A computer technology that creates a very real illusion of being in an artificial world. Virtual Reality has already found its way into many real-life applications, from chemistry to architecture to games.
VIRUS - A program designed to infect and sometimes destroy other programs and computer equipment.
VM - Virtual Machine - A super operating system which allows expanded and varied configuration and utilization of the IBM and compatible mainframe computers.
VRML - Virtual reality modeling language - platform-independent file format for 3D graphics on the Internet. It enables you to create 3D hyperlinked worlds in a similar way that HTML enables you to create 2D hyperlinked Web pages. See also Moving Worlds.
VSAM - Virtual Storage Access Method - A data storage and retrieval mechanism designed to maintain large quantities of data on external disks or drums on computers designed for virtual storage systems.
VSAT - Very Small Aperture Terminal - A relatively small satellite antenna, typically 1.5 to 3.0 meters in diameter, used for transmitting and recieving one channel of data communications.
VSE - Virtual Storage Extended - IBM medium to large systems operating systems software (see DOS/VSE).
VT100 - Probably the most commonly used terminal emulation on the Internet.
VTAM - Virtual Telecommunications A ccess Method (VTAM) - A systems software product which allows Bisynch and SDLC protocols to run simultaneously. SNA compatible, it allows more than one teleprocessing monitor to run at a time.
WAIS - Wide Area Information Server - A system for looking up information in databases or libraries across the Internet.
WAN - Wide Area Network - A network connecting devices over long distances, typically using a common carrier.
WEBMASTER - The person in charge of the administration at a World Wide Web site.
WESTI - Westinghouse Teleprocessing I nterface - A multi-tasking time sharing terminal support environment.
WHITE PAGES - A list of Internet users, accessible through the Internet itself.
WHOIS - An Internet tool which allows the user to search a database of every registered domain and of registered users.
WINDOWS - GUI (Graphical User Interface) - Developed by Microsoft Corporation for IBM compatible PCs.
WINSOCK - A dll file that Microsoft Windows uses to communicate with TCP/IP and the Internet.
WIREHEAD - A somewhat derogatory term for an Internet techie or expert.
WORLD WIDE WEB - A hypertext-based information and resource system for the Internet. The fastest growing part of the Internet, and most likely responsible for the amazing interest in the Internet itself during the course of 1994.
WORKSTATION - Powerful personal computer used in a CLIENT/SERVER environment.
WSCH - Weekly Student Contact Hours - Number of class hours each course is regularly scheduled to meet during a week, inclusive of holidays, multiplied by the number of students actively enrolled in the course.
WWW - World Wide Web - A hypertext-based system for finding and accessing Internet Resources. See also World Wide Web.
WYSIWYG - Pronounced WIZZIWIG, means What You See Is What You Get. For example, the image on the CRT screen and that produced on the printer is identical.
X-AXIS - In a business graph, it is the categories axis, which is usually the horizontal axis.
X.25 - An international standard for connecting computers or terminals to a network that operates by means of packet switching.
X.75 - An international standard which provides for interconnections between data networks of different nations.
X.400 - An electronic mail addressing and address directory control system established by the IEEE, designed to facilitate electronic mailing between otherwise independent data networks.
X.500 - An electronic mail addressing and address directory control system established by the IEEE, designed to facilitate electronic mailing between otherwise independent data networks.
XMODEM - A file transfer protocol for use with modems that has now been largely replaced with Zmodem.
X-trieve - A product subset of B-trieve Data Base used to query information stored in the Data Base.
Y-AXIS - In a business graph, it is the values axis, which is usually the vertical axis.
Y/C - Equipment used to keep the luminance and chrominance portrays of a video signal separated.
YAHOO! - Searchable subject-based catalogue of the Net. http://www.yahoo.com/
YOURDON - A method for applying structure to the development environment popularized in the early 1980's.
Z-AXIS - Third dimensional axis of a coordinate system where the X-axis and Y-axis represent a two dimensional graph.
ZIP - To archive a file or group of files using the Winzip or PKzip archiver.
ZMODEM - The modem user's file transfer protocol of choice.
Expressing emotional content in a plain text message can be difficult, and it's very easy to interpret a message the wrong way. A system of smileys, or emote-icons, has been developed and is now in widespread use. A smiley is a small face made of standard characters, and can help convey feelings ranging from sad to mad to glad. There are also smileys to cover much more than just standard emotions, and as you can see from this list they are not all to be taken too seriously.
| Smiley Meaning | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angry | Bald | Basic Happy | |||
| Basic Sad | Bearded | Beaten Up | |||
| Bow Tie | Broken Glasses | Broken Nose | |||
| Bushy Eyebrows | Cheshire Cat | Chinese | |||
| Cow | Cross | Cross Eyed | |||
| Crying | Disappointed | Drooling | |||
| Duck | Elvis | Evil Grin | |||
| Floods of Tears | French | Frog | |||
| Glasses Wearer | Gorilla | Has a cold (1) | |||
| Has a cold (2) | Hmmph! | Jaw hits floor | |||
| Keeping an eye out | Kiss (1) | Kiss (2) | |||
| Kiss (3) | Large Nose | Laughing Out Loud | |||
| Leering | Left Handed | Licking Lips | |||
| Lipstick Wearer | Monkey | Moustache | |||
| Needs Haircut | Nose Out-of-joint | Pig | |||
| Punk | Pursed Lips | Robocop | |||
| Saint | Screaming | Shocked | |||
| Shouting | Sleeping | Smoker | |||
| Sour Taste in mouth | Speaking | Stoned | |||
| Tight Lipped | Tongue-in-cheek | Tongue-tied | |||
| Undecided | Vampire | Very happy | |||
| Very sad | Very unhappy | Wears teeth braces | |||
| Winking | Wry smile | Yawning |
Time equals money, and never more so than in the world of on-line communications, so people have devised ways of saving typing time by reducing common phrases into acroynms. These are known as TLAs, or Three Letter Acronyms, although many are not truly acronyms at all and few actually have three letters. Oh well, such is life. There is a whole lorry-load of these TLAs around, and I dare say that we have missed some. This dictionary (.net's The Internet Dictionary) covers the ones that are in most common usage and it should go a long way to help you make sense of some seemingly senseless terms.
| AFAICT | As Far As I Can Tell | AFAIK | As Far As I Know |
| AFK | Away From Keyboard | AIUI | As I Understand It |
| B4 | Before | BAK | Back At Keyboard |
| BBL | Be Back Later | BCNU | Be Seeing You |
| BRB | Be Right Back | BSF | But Seriously Folks |
| BTDT | Been There Done That | BTW | By The Way |
| BWQ | Buzz Word Quotient | CLM | Career Limiting Move |
| CUL | See You Later | DWISNWID | Do What I Say Not What I do |
| DYJHIW | Don't You Just Hate It When... | ETLA | Extended Three Letter Acronym |
| EOF | End Of File | F2F | Face To Face |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions | FOAF | Friend Of A Friend |
| FOC | Free Of Charge | FWIW | For What It's Worth |
| FYE | For Your Entertainment | FYI | For Your Information |
| <G> | Grin | GA | Go Ahead |
| GAL | Get A Life | GIGO | Garbage In Garbage Out |
| GR&D | Grinning, Running & Ducking | HHOJ | Ha Ha, Only Joking |
| HHOS | Ha Ha, Only Serious | IIRC | If I Recall Correctly |
| IMBO | In My Bloody Opinion | IME | In My Experience |
| IMHO | In My Humble Opinion | IMNSHO | In My Not So Humble Opinion |
| IMO | In My Opinion | IOW | In Other Words |
| IRL | In Real Life | ISTM | It Seems To Me |
| ISTR | I Seem To Recall | ITRO | In The Region Of |
| ITRW | In The Real World | IWBNI | It Would Be Nice If |
| IYSWIM | If You See What I Mean | JAM | Just A Minute |
| KISS | Keep It Simple, Stupid | L8R | Later |
| LOL | Laughs Out Loud | MFTL | My Favourite Toy Language |
| MORF | Male or Female ? | MOTOS | Members Of The Opposite Sex |
| MUD | Multi User Dungeon | MUG | Multi User Game |
| NRN | No Reply Necessary | OAO | Over And Out |
| OBTW | Oh, By The Way | OEM | Original Equipment Manufacturer |
| OIC | Oh, I See | OMG | Oh My God |
| OTOH | On The Other Hand | OTT | Over The Top |
| PD | Public Domain | PITA | Pain In the Arse |
| POD | Piece Of Data | RFD | Request for Discussion |
| ROFL | Rolling On Floor Laughing | RSN | Real Soon Now |
| RTFAQ | Read the FAQ | RUOK | Are you OK ? |
| SITD | Still In The Dark | SMOP | Small Matter Of Programming |
| SNR | Signal To Noise Ratio | SO | Significant Other |
| TCB | Trouble Came Back | TNT | 'Till Next Time |
| TIA | Thanks In Advance | TIC | Tongue In Cheek |
| TLA | Three Letter Acronym | TNX | Thanks |
| TPTB | The Powers That Be | TTFN | Ta Ta For Now |
| TTYL | Talk To You Later | TVM | Thanks Very Much |
| VC | Virtual Community | WRT | With Regard To |
| WYSIWYG | What You See Is What You Get | YABA | Yet Another Bloody Acronym |
AACS World Wide Web PagesLast updated on June 30, 2005 ||