A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

B

Bookmark
A way for Web browser users to mark a Web page they want to return to later, in the same way you would put a bookmark in a book. Choose Bookmarks from the Communicator menu in your browser to add or go to bookmarked pages.

C

Cache
To store on a computer user's hard disk a local copy of a Web page accessed via the Internet. The Web browser compares the cached copy of the page to the original, and if there have been no changes, the browser and server programs will use the cached copy rather than reloading the page onto the client, saving processing and download time. Also refers to a Web site's database generating static copies of frequently requested dynamic pages, reducing processing time.

Channel
A section of the Netscape site. Each channel focuses on a particular topic, such as travel, entertainment, or shopping.

Chat
A feature of Netscape Conference that lets you converse with other computer users by typing messages in real-time online sessions.

Classifieds
A service of the Netscape site that lists ads for new and used goods as well as personal ads for those seeking relationships.

Client
Computer hardware or software used by an end user on a computer network or the Internet to query a remote server. A Web browser is an example of client software. Also refers to a local computer.

Client-Server
A computing network in which the functions are divided between clients (or personal computers or terminals), and servers that store, process, and transmit the information. A standard language is used to define client-server interaction.

Cookie
A unique string of letters and numbers that a Web server stores in a file on a user's hard drive. Web developers use cookies to store information on a visitor's personal computer. For example, cookies can keep track of purchases a visitor wants to make while shopping through a Web catalog. Cookies may work through a single visit to a Web site or may be set to work through multiple sessions when a visitor returns to a site that includes customized information, such as My Netscape.

D

Digital Certificates
The digital equivalent of positive identification, such as a driver's license. Issued by various certificate authorities, digital certificates are used to prove that a Web site, or a visitor to a Web site, is the entity or person they claim to be.

Digital Signatures
Digital signatures work just like paper-and-ink signatures, allowing document recipients to confirm the source of a document. Digital signatures are generated by digital certificates.

Discussion Groups
A place to meet online and discuss topics with people who share common interests. Discussion Groups is Netscape's discussion group, where members can read interviews with top business leaders and discuss today's hot topics.

Download
To retrieve a copy of a file from another computer using a modem or computer network.

E

Email
Electronic mail that is sent either over a company's computer network or over the Internet. See also WebMail.

Encryption
A method of encoding messages to provide privacy for e-mail, discussion group postings, and other communications as they move over intranets or the Internet. Some methods of encrypting, such as 128-bit encryption, are so difficult to break that U.S. export laws permit them to be used only within the United States. Netscape Communicator provides the option of securing U.S. documents using 128-bit encryption.

Extranet
A specialized virtual community created by linking business groups via the World Wide Web. Similar to an intranet, an extranet includes outside vendors and uses Web technology to facilitate interbusiness transactions, such as placing and checking orders, tracking merchandise, and making payments.

F

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A standard that allows users to transfer files from one computer to another using a modem and telephone lines or a computer network. Netscape Navigator and Communicator can both be used to access FTP sites.

Firewall
Computer hardware and/or software that limits access to a computer over a network or from an outside source. Used to prevent computer hackers from getting into a company's computer systems.

H

Home Page
The page a Web browser is set to display every time the browser is opened.

HTML Editor
A software program that makes creating a Web page nearly as easy as typing a memo using a word processor. Instead of learning HTML commands, users can format Web pages using menus and buttons. The HTML editing tools in Netscape Composer support bullets, tables, paragraph alignment, font size, font color, indenting, and other common formatting features. Many HTML editor packages, including Netscape Composer, display the page being edited in the same way it will be displayed on the Web - a feature called WYSIWIG, or what you see is what you get.

HTTP Publishing
The standard for publishing documents on Web servers, whether on an intranet or the Internet. Netscape Composer's One-Button Publish feature supports HTTP publishing and allows users to publish their documents to any Web server with a single mouse click.

Hyperlink
A connection found in Web pages and other electronic documents that, when clicked with a mouse, automatically opens a file or Web page in your Web browser. A hyperlink may be a word, icon, or graphic. When a hyperlink is text, it typically displays in a different color and may also be underlined. A text hyperlink that the user has already visited is usually displayed in a third color.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
A language used to create Web pages and other documents that can contain text, graphics, and connections called hyperlinks.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
The set of standards that allows computer users to access the World Wide Web. HTTP:// is the command that tells the browser that the document found at this address is HTTP-compatible, and to display it in HTTP format.

I

Instant Messenger
A service from Netscape and America Online that lets users exchange messages over the Internet in a flash.

Internet
The "information superhighway" that is made possible by standard transmission control protocols/Internet protocols (TCP/IP). Originally developed for the U.S. military in 1969, it grew to include educational and research institutions. With the advent of browsers like Netscape Navigator, the arcane commands formerly used to access the Internet became unnecessary. The Internet includes access to e-mail, the World Wide Web, and Usenet newsgroups.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company or organization that lets users connect to the Internet by dialing into its computers using a modem. ISPs typically charge a fee and in return provide the dial-up telephone number, an e-mail address, and some technical assistance (usually via e-mail), but no online content. See also online service.

Intranet
A computer network that functions like the Internet, using Web browser software to access and process the information that employees need, but the information and Web pages are located on computers within a company.

J

Java
A computer language developed by Sun Microsystems that can be read by many different computer platforms without the need for programmers to laboriously create a version of the program for each platform. Java programs, also called applets, are automatically downloaded and executed on the client side by the Web browser.

M

Member Directory
A Netscape service that lets members connect with other professionals in their industry and make business contacts.

Modem
A modulator demodulator, or device that allows a computer to receive and transmit data over standard telephone lines. A modem takes digital data and converts it to analog data, and the modem at the other end takes the analog data and converts it back to digital. Most computers use modems to connect to the Internet and the World Wide Web.

My Netscape
A Netscape service that lets users customize a Web page to display the news, stock prices, and local weather of their choice.

O

Online Service
A company that allows computer users to connect to the Internet by dialing into its computers using a modem. Similar to ISPs, these services also offer features and online content available only to members.

P

Page Footer
At the bottom of every Netscape page, a list of links that let you jump instantly to our Help page and site map or any of our content channels.

Platform
A computer operating system such as Unix, Windows, or Macintosh.

Plug-ins
Small applications that add new functionality, multimedia, or audio-video capability to a program. For example, an audio plug-in lets Netscape Navigator users listen to audio files on a Web page or in an e-mail message.

Push
A software program that retrieves information from Web sites and deposits a copy on the user's computer to view offline. This is in contrast to traditional pull technology, where the user must manually seek and find information on the World Wide Web.

R

Real Time
At the same time, simultaneously. An event where two or more people communicate simultaneously, similar to the way people speak on a telephone at the same time. This is in contrast to time-shifting, where one person leaves a message and the other person responds later. Examples of real-time Internet communication include chat, Internet phone calls, and live broadcasts of concerts or news events.

S

Search
A button on the Netscape Navigator toolbar that provides single-click access to the Web's leading search engines.

Search Engine
A Web-based program that allows users to search and retrieve specific information from the World Wide Web. The search engine may search the full text of Web documents or a list of keywords, or use librarians who review Web documents and index them manually for retrieval. Typically, the user types a word or phrase, also called a query, into a search box.

Server
A computer that is attached to the Internet, which automatically stores, processes, and transmits data and delivers it to a client. A standard language is used to define this client-server interaction.

Shareware
Copyrighted software that is distributed over the Internet or from one satisfied user to another user. No fee is charged for trying the program, but the user is expected to pay a donation to the owner and tell others about the program if he or she continues to use it. Software that is distributed for free, such as Netscape Communicator, is called freeware.

SmartUpdate
A program that automatically downloads and installs Netscape Communicator and its plug-ins. SmartUpdate eliminates the need for configuration, making it simple to add new features to Communicator.

Spell Checking
Spell checking is integrated throughout Netscape Communicator components. Users can check spelling in e-mail messages, Web documents, and discussion group postings.

U

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
Pronounced as either "U-R-L" or "Earl." The standardized addressing or naming system used for locating Web sites and other resources over the Internet. Also known as an Internet address or Web address.

User Interface
The part of a computer program that the user sees displayed on the screen. Also used to describe how people interact with what they see on the computer screen. A good user interface makes it easy for users to do what they want to do. See also graphical user interface.

Utility Bar
Links at the top of each Netscape page that make it easy to search the Internet, check e-mail, go to your personalized home page, or look up an e-mail address.

W

Web Browser
A software application used to make navigating the Internet easy for the user by providing a graphical user interface (or GUI) so the user can click menus, icons, or buttons rather than learning difficult computer commands. Also called a Web client because the browser application resides on the client, or the computer of the individual using it, rather than residing on a Web server.

Web Directory
A Netscape service that helps users find what they are looking for on the Web by their topic of interest, then scanning the subtopics for a list of recommended Web sites and brief site reviews.

Web Page
A single document on the World Wide Web that is specified by a unique address or URL and that may contain text, hyperlinks, and graphics.

Web Server
Computer hardware where Web pages are stored and accessed by others using Web client software, or the computer software that allows the user to access the Web pages. See also server.

Web Site
A group of similar Web pages linked by hyperlinks and managed by a single company, organization, or individual. A Web site may include text, graphics, audio and video files, and hyperlinks to other Web pages.

WebMail
Netscape's free, permanent e-mail account that you can access from home, work, the local library, or your college computer lab. Your mail is stored on a server, rather than on your personal computer, so you can access it from any computer with an Internet connection.

What's New & Cool
Netscape's daily list of the most topical and the most interesting Web sites.

White Pages
Online directories that work much the same way as a telephone book to track down friends or locate business associates.

World Wide Web
Also known as the Web. A portion of the Internet that has a graphical user interface composed of Web servers that provide access to Web sites and Web documents. The "www" in the URL is often pronounced "dub-dub-dub" or "3-dub."

Y

Yellow Pages
Online directories where users can find phone numbers, mailing addresses, e-mail contacts, and Web pages for companies around the world.

You Are Here
Netscape's navigation system that lets you see where you are on the Netscape site. Check the top of every Netscape page and use the links as shortcuts to find your way to related parts of the site.