TECHNICAL BULLETIN #132 - Rev 1.10 (9/03/96)

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TITLE   : GLOSSARY OF COMMON INTERNET TERMS
PRODUCT : Procomm Plus 4.x, 3.x
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This document defines some common Internet terminology.  The terms are listed
in alphabetical order for ease of access.

TERMS
ACCOUNT - To use the Internet, you must have access to a server that is
connected physically to the Internet.  The access is called an account.
An account is usually given by an Internet Provider.  An account can
include a variety of services such as file storage, E-Mail, and the
ability to mount a web site.

ADDRESS
The address is an identifier that locates users on the Internet. An
Internet address acts like your home postal address

   * E-Mail Address
     A user's e-mail address is made up of several parts. By convention,
     addresses use lowercase letters with no spaces. The first part of the
     address, the username, identifies a unique user on a server. The "@"
     (pronounced "at") separates the username from the host name.  The
     host name uniquely identifies the server computer and is the last
     part of the Internet e-mail address (for example,
     fredgarvin@datastorm.com).  Large servers, such as those used at
     universities or large companies, sometimes contain multiple parts
     called subdomains.  Subdomains and the host name are separated by a
     "." (pronounced "dot").  The three-letter suffix in the host name
     identifies the kind of organization operating the server (some
     locations use a two-letter geographical suffix).  The most common
     suffixes are: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov
     (government), .mil (military), .net (networking), and .org
     (non-commercial).  Addresses outside of the U.S. sometimes use a
     two-letter suffix that identifies the country in which the server is
     located.  Some examples are: .jp (Japan), .nl (The Netherlands), .uk
     (United Kingdom), .ca (Canada), and .tw (Taiwan).

   * Internet Protocol Address (IP Address)
     The IP Address is a  32- bit address defined by the Internet
     Protocol. Every resource on the Internet has a unique numerical IP
     address, represented in dotted decimal notation. IP addresses are the
     closest thing the Internet has to phone numbers. When you "call" that
     number (using any connection methods such as Telnet, FTP, HTTP,
     etc.) you get connected to the computer that "owns" that IP address.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
A FAQ is a type of document commonly found on the Internet containing
basic information about a given topic.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
The most widely-used method for downloading and uploading (getting and
putting) files over TCP/IP networks such as the Internet.  The File
Transfer Protocol is a standardized way to connect computers so that files
can be shared between them easily. FTP includes commands for making and
changing directories, transferring, copying, moving, and deleting files.
Formerly, all FTP connections were text based, but graphical applications
are now available such as the FTP client in Procomm Plus.

E-MAIL
Electronic Mail. Messages, typically created off-line, sent electronically
over a network to individuals. One type of electronic mail is Internet
Mail. Internet mail is electronic mail that is sent across the Internet
network using SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol).  To create and send
mail, and to access mail messages on your Internet mail server account,
you use an Internet mail client. The Procomm Plus Internet Mail Client
supports the SMTP protocol and POP3 Internet mail servers.

HELPER APPLICATIONS
Any external application that a Web browser can activate when a given MIME
type is encountered.  The ability to add additional helper applications
allows Web browsers to stay current with the multitude of new MIME types
emerging on the Internet.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
This is the behind-the-scenes code that is used to design World Wide Web
page documents.  HTML code includes information about the format and
characteristics of a document, as well as anchors that are hyperlinked to
other resources.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
The protocol used to transfer information across the Internet between a
World Wide Web server and a World Wide Web browser.  This protocol
incorporates the use of URL's, a widely used address format.

INTERNET
A global network of computers joined together by the TCP/IP network
protocol and a common computer address system.  Although the Internet has
traditionally been self-governed, mutual respect and a loose adherence to
the constantly evolving protocols help keep access to information open and
viable in a global environment.  The Internet is commonly referred to as
the Information Superhighway.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
An organization that supplies dial-up Internet connectivity.  The service
may be commercial, governmental, or educational.  An Internet Service
Provider typically offers a SLIP and/or PPP server, Usenet, news, and
Internet Mail server, and varied amounts of technical support.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)
Originally designed to add capabilities to e-mail messages, MIME is used
to attach eight bit binary files to seven bit text e-mail messages.  The
MIME protocol is now also used extensively by the World Wide Web to link
graphics, video, and various other mediums to a Web page.  The different
types of files that can be hyperlinked to a Web page are called MIME
Types.

POP (Post Office Protocol)
A protocol used by Internet mail clients to access e-mail from the
Internet mail server.  Servers that support this protocol are called POP
servers. Procomm Plus supports the POP3 protocol, the predominant version
of POP used on the Internet. The other part of the e-mail system is the
SMTP protocol, used to send mail across the Internet.

PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
A dial-up type of TCP/IP network stack. PPP is used for connecting to a
TCP/IP network by modem through a PPP server. The PPP server is a computer
connected to the Internet which can also accept modem calls using the PPP
protocol. Similar to SLIP, PPP is more advanced, with error correction
capabilities not included in SLIP.

SEARCH ENGINE
Used to find information on a network. There are different types of search
engines.  Some list menus, documents, and sites for selected topics;
others search for key words within documents.  Web search engines make it
easy to follow your interests and find Web resources by doing simple
keyword searches.

SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)
A simple dial-up TCP/IP network stack that mimics that interactions of a
network stack with an actual network card. SLIP is used for making a
connection to a TCP/IP network using a modem or direct connect to contact
a SLIP server.  The SLIP server is a computer connected to the Internet
that can also accept modem connections using the SLIP protocol.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
The protocol used to send e-mail across TCP/IP networks such as the
Internet.  The SMTP protocol is used to send e-mail from a client to a
local server, and from the local server to the destination server.  To
access mail from your server requires a protocol such as POP3 to logon and
download mail messages.

STACK
A network software layer that accepts data from an application, breaks
the data into packets, attaches destination and error correction
information, sends the packets out the network card or modem, receives
packets, strips off the address and error correction information, and
delivers the data to the correct application. PROCOMM PLUS 3.0 provides a SLIP
and PPP stack.

TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
A network protocol used to transport information between computers on the
Internet.  The TCP/IP protocol is also used on smaller networks,
particularly those working with the UNIX operating system.

TELNET CLIENT
A terminal emulation that communicates over TCP/IP.  A Telnet client logs
on to a Telnet host and can then access information on that host.  If
supported on both host and client, file transfer protocols such as ZMODEM
and Kermit may be used to download files.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Most commonly a Web address, but can be any formatted string (containing
no blanks) which identify a network resource via name, location, or any
other characteristics.  On the Web, a URL might look like
http://www.datastorm.com/english/search/query.html.

WEB BROWSER
An application that allows a user to access Internet information, download
files, and connect to Internet sites around the globe simply by clicking
on menu items and hyperlinked text or graphics.  Browsers use the World
Wide Web protocol (HTTP) allowing them to access Web servers and display
interactive, hyperlinked Web pages.  A Web browser is a graphical
interface that, in addition to displaying Web pages, also incorporates
other client protocols such as WAIS, Gopher and FTP.

WINDOWS SOCKET COMPLIANT
A Microsoft standard for the interface between Windows applications and
TCP/IP stacks.  Both the stack and the application must be Windows Socket
Compliant in order for the communication to take place.  Procomm Plus
Internet Tools are all Windows Socket (Winsock 1.1) Compliant, as is the
provided dial-up TCP/IP stack.

WINSOCK
The portion of a Windows TCP/IP stack that interfaces with a Windows
application.  The winsock.dll is the Windows Socket API that comes with a
16 bit TCP/IP stack.  The Term "Winsock" often refers to the Windows
Socket Compliant TCP/IP interface.

WORLD WIDE WEB
A "page" or "document" based information presentation system on the
Internet featuring formatted text and graphics, and hypertext, also known
as hotlinks, locations on pages which give fast access to related pages,
graphics, animation, video, audio, etc.

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           Copyright (c) 1996 Quarterdeck  All rights reserved.
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