Computers & Information Technology

Word	Meaning
modem	A device that enables a computer to send and receive information over a telephone line (internet, email,  fax).
netiquette	Network etiquette : a set of informal rules defining proper behaviour on the internet.
portal	A website that acts as a gateway or entry point to the internet (for example, Yahoo). Typically, a portal offers a search engine and links to other sites grouped into categories, as well as news or other services.
program	A sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute in order to do a particular job.  Programs are collectively referred to as 'software'.
provider	Company that provides access to the internet.
scanner	A piece of hardware, or peripheral device, used to scan a document and create a digital copy.
spam	Unwanted, irrelevant or inappropriate e-mail messages, especially commercial advertising.  Also referred to as 'junkmail'.
spyware	Software that collects information, without your knowledge, about your web-surfing habits and uses it for marketing purposes.  Very often contained in free downloads or shareware programs.
trojan	A computer program that is hidden in a useful softwareapplication and actually used to gain access to your computer.  It then performs malicious actions such as displaying messages or erasing files. Trojans may be found in a hacked legitimate program or in free software.
videoconference	Interactive, audiovisual meeting between two or more people in different geographic locations using two-way video technology.
virus	A malicious self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents, and whose sole intent is to cause problems on a computer. It acts in a similar way to a biological virus, and the infected file is called a host.
worm	A self-replicating computer program, similar to a computer virus.  It infects additional computers (typically by making use of network connections), often clogging networks and information systems as it spreads.
wysiwyg	What you see is what you get (pronounced ' wizzy-wig'). A WYSIWYG application enables you to see on the screen exactly what will appear when the document is printed.
www	World Wide Web : a hypertext information system consisting of a network of web pages which runs on the internet and can be accessed with a browser.
zip	To zip a file is to compress it so that it occupies less storage space and can be transferred quickly over the internet.