A placeholder in your browser, which marks an Internet page so that you can return directly to it at any time. The page's address is stored in your browser in the "bookmark" or "favorites" section.

BPS

[Bit per second] The speed at which data is transferred.

Browser

A programme on your computer that retrieves pages of text and graphics from other computers on the Internet (e.g. Internet Explorer)

The browser software displays the window in which you view your web pages.

Back and Forward Buttons

As you browse the Internet, your computer remembers the path of your browsing. The back and forward buttons on your browser allow you to browse back and forth among pages that you visited during that session. Please note that this will not work in a secure website. If you use the back and forward buttons you will get an error message such as "page has expired". To find out more about secure websites, please view the glossary.

Stop Button

The stop button stops your browser from downloading a page. If a page is taking too long to download, you can stop it if all the content you need is already there, or if you don't want to wait anymore. If the page appears to be "stuck", you can stop it and click the refresh button.

Refresh Button

The refresh button allows the site to reload by forcing your browser to repeat the information retrieval. This is useful if you pushed the stop button too soon, or if you think new content may have been added since you initially downloaded the page.

Home

The first page you see every time you logon to the Internet is the Town2Town homepage this has been set up as your default homepage if you clicked on "make this your home page". Clicking the Home button returns you to the homepage quickly and easily.

Search Button

Clicking the search button will open a window on the left hand side of your screen. This will allow you to do a word search on the Internet. The search function allows you to look for anything on the Internet. A common search would be to look for a web page that contains a particular word. Fill in the word(s) in the text box and click on "search". The results that come up will show links to web pages that contain that word. These searches often need to be "refined" because the search result can realistically have thousands of links or online documents to view. By using the + sign, e.g. shopping+clothes, you can look for only the web pages that include both words. Most search engines on the Internet explain how to further refine your searches. >Btw [by the way] Usually used in the online chatrooms.

Byte

A single item made up of around 8 bits.

C

Caching

When browsing the web, one often returns to the same pages again and again. Obviously, it doesn't make sense for the browser to keep asking the server for the same files, so it retains a copy of the most recently accessed pages and sorts them for easy access. This process is called caching.

CD ROM [Compact Disk Read Only Memory]

A Compact Disk able to store large quantities of data, usually around 650Mb.

Client

This is the software that is able to read information from the server software for another computer, and displays it on your computer (e.g. a browser).

Cookie

This is information sent by a web server that is saved by your web browser. This information is then recalled every time you go back onto that site. It helps tell you which sites your have visited, and can even be used to personalize web pages for you.

Cyberspace

A term used by the novelist William Gibson in his ground breaking novel Necromancer. It describes a place of "consensual hallucination".

Cursor

The mouse driven pointer which lets you move freely around your computer screen. Your cursor turns into a hand or other icon when it moves over "hot" spots to indicate that the link is active.

Desktop

Your desktop is the first screen your computer presents to you when you use Windows. It shows your files and folders in a graphic form, so that they are easily accessible, and can be moved around on the screen, much as you would items on a real desktop.

Domain Name

These are the names that are given to identify sites. They usually consist of at least 2 parts: the name of the site and the type of site, separated by a dot. (E.g. www.oppieweb.com, www.oppiweb.com,

www.absa.co.za, www.amazon.com).

Download

To copy files from a computer, and save them onto yours. The opposite would be to upload.

Drive

A piece of hardware that provides the housing of disks that store data. These disks can have new data saved to them, as well as being read from them (e.g. hard disk in your C: drive; Stiffy disk in your A: drive and CD ROM in your CD drive).

Email

Electronic mail, which is sent over the Internet. You will automatically receive an email address when you sign up for Internet Access. An email address will always contain the @ symbol (e.g. john@town2town.info)

FAQ

[Frequently Asked Questions] These are lists of question and answers most often asked about a certain topic.

File

A unit of information, given a name and stored on your computer.

Fire Wall

A computer security wall composed of software and hardware, which stops various files or intruders from entering the system.

Flame War

An online discussion that becomes a series of personal insults, usually in a chat room.

Frame

Some of the pages contain frames. Each frame displays a separate web page. On this site frames are used to create a user friendly Text Link Browser.

FTP [File Transfer Protocol]

An easy way to transfer information to web sites. Usually used to update content to a site.

GIF [Graphic Interchange Format]

A format used to store images that are generally quite simple, with large areas of flat color.

Hit

This is each electronic instruction that is received by the web server from the browser. This includes requests for each graphic element.

Homepage

The main page of a website, usually containing menu options and information on a company, organization, or personal details.

Host

The computer that provides services to other computers on a network like Town2Town.info. We are looking forward to hosting your web site!

Hotspot

Describes a graphic or pieces of text on a web page, which links to other pages when clicked on.

HTML

[Hypertext markup language] The code used by programmers to layout and connects pages and text on the Internet.

HTTP

[Hypertext transfer protocol] When this abbreviation appears at the beginning of a URL, it indicates that the document it names is on the World Wide Web.

Hypertext

The concept of following links to related pages of information.

Help:

The page I'm downloading seems to be stuck. What do I do?

Press the "Stop" button on your browser, and then the "Refresh" button. If this doesn't work, it means that the page probably contains a large amount of graphics, and will take a long time to download, or that you have a slow modem and need to upgrade for quicker download time.

Is it safe for me to give out my credit card details on the Internet?

If you're using an accredited online store, then you can be sure that security measures have been implemented to protect your card. If you are still in doubt, you can check if the site you are using is secure by looking at the status bar at the bottom of your screen. If there is an icon of a lock there, it means the page is secure.

What does it mean if I'm told the page cannot be displayed?

You are trying to enter a secure site which you do not have authorization to access. The site you are trying to access is currently "down" or offline. There is something wrong with your server connection.

How do I find a single word on a web page?

Go to your toolbar; click on edit, and then on "Find on this page". Type in the word you're looking for and press enter. If that word is on the web page, it will be highlighted for you.

There should be a picture. But instead there's a block with a red cross in it. What do I do?

Right click on the cross, and select "show picture" from the menu. If this does not work, it means that you do not have the necessary software to view that particular picture.

How do I use the search engine?

Search engines allow you to either perform a word search or a search by category. If you want to search by category, click on the relevant field and continue to follow the words that relate best to what you are looking for. If you want to perform a word search, fill in the word(s) in the text box and click on "search". If you would like to further refine your search, you can us the + sign, e.g. shopping + clothes. You can also use inverted commas to make sure the search engine looks only for those words appearing in that sequence, e.g. "mountain biking".

Can I search for other things besides words with search engines?

Yes. Many search engines, such as AltaVista and Yahoo allow you to search for images and text files.

What do the letters after the last dot of a web address/domain name stand for?

These are the main extension:

. com = commercial enterprise such as town2town.com

. org = non-profit organization

. net = network

. edu = educational

. tv = television related

. aero = Aviation

. biz = Business Organizations

. coop = Co-operative Organizations

. gov = Government

. info = Information such as Town2town.info

. int = International Organizations

. museum = Museums

. name = personal

Others are country specific, such as:

. za, which is South Africa.

.co.za = South African commercial enterprise

.ac.za = South African Academic

.co.uk = United Kingdom commercial enterprise

I'm a bit confused about web addresses (URL's).

Your web address is filled in at the top of your browser in the open text box. Addresses are usually preceded by http://. Once you have typed in the address you need to press the Enter key, or click on "Go" to go to that site. You will find that once you have been surfing for a while, there will be a list of web addresses that you have previously visited under the box in which you typed them. You can access this list of web addresses either by clicking on the arrow on the extreme right of the address / open text box, or by typing the first few letters of the website address you are looking for. If the history file recognizes the website you are looking for, the address will automatically pop up in the address box. You can also use your cursor to select an address from the dropdown box. Once the address you want to go to is highlighted you can press the Enter key to go there. This will save you a lot of time.

How do I add people to my address book?

You can use your address book to store names and email address as well as other details. Once you have opened Outlook Express, click on the Address Book icon. Then select "New". At this point you can decide if you would like to put in a single person contact, or a group contact, by either clicking "New contact" or "New Group". Fill in the details of the person or group you wish to add to your address book and click "OK" when you are finished to save the information.

How do I attach a file to my e-mail?

To attach another document (text or pictures) to your email click on the Paperclip icon. This will then open a window from which you can find and select the file you want to attach. Once you have found the file, double click it, and it will automatically be attached to your mail.

Does my email software accept HTML email?

When you ask to receive email from a website, they may ask whether you can receive HTML emails, or just text emails. An HTML email is not made up only of simple text, but includes graphics. You should be able to receive HTML emails with Outlook Express.

How do I send email to more than one person?

There are two ways of sending email to more than one person. If you were going to be sending email to a list of people often, then it would be a good idea to create a group mail. Creating a group mailing list in your address book can do this. Follow the instructions above for creating an individual entry, but select "New Group" instead of "New Contact". If you would like to send emails to a list of people that you normally do not contact as a group, simply type in their email addresses, separating them with semicolons.

What is a newsgroup?

Newsgroups are discussion groups where people from all around the world discuss related topics. You can subscribe to a newsgroup and receive daily information from them, as well as post your own ideas.

How do I join a newsgroup?

Your Internet browser should have an option to access newsgroups. A catalogue of the more common newsgroups will be downloaded to your computer and you can subscribe to the groups of your choice.

Internet

A global communications network, which enables computers to exchange information with each other.

Internet Explorer

A popular web browser, developed by Microsoft.

Intranet

A network over the Internet that is used, usually by an organization, and can only be accessed by its members.

IP Address

[Internet Protocol Address] The unique number that belongs to each machine connected to the Internet.

IP Number

[Internet Protocol Number] A number that consists of 4 parts, separated by dots, that gives the location of a particular web page or URL.

IRC [Internet Relay Chat]

A live chat room that accommodates many users.

ISDN [Integrated Services Digital Network]

This uses regular telephone lines to send information in digital format, rather than a modem, which converts it to analogue. This means that you are able to transfer much larger amounts of data in a faster time.

ISP [Internet Service Provider]

A company that links your personal computer to the Internet. You will connect to your ISP via a modem or leased line, and the ISP links you to the Internet. Although your computer is connected to the Internet, other computers cannot access the information on your computer unless you send it out in the form of an email message.

JPEG [Joint Photographic Experts Group]

The usual format for storing images, especially photographic images.

Lease Line

A rented line that is permanently used to link your computer to other terminals. These lines are necessary for high-speed data connections.

L

Links

These tell your web browser where to find other pages on the Internet - Hyperlinks clicking on a link takes you to the page it points to.

Login

Either a name or number, which you choose to use on certain sites, or the act of entering a secure site. You will usually use a login name or number to login to a site.

Mail List

An automated system that allows users to send an email to a single address. It then forwards the email to all the subscribers it has listed.

Mb [Megabyte] 1,048,576 bytes

Modem

A device, which allows you to send and retrieve digital information to and from the Internet via an ordinary telephone line. Modem speed is measured in KBPS - thousands of bits per second, otherwise known as "k".

Netiquette

Internet Etiquette

Bedizen

An Internet citizen, or a person who frequently uses the Internet.

Netscape Navigator

A popular web browser, developed by Netscape.

Network

More than one computer connected to another

Newsgroup

A discussion group on USENET.

Node

One computer terminal on a network.

Online

A term to denote the state of being actively connected to the Internet, i.e. your line to your ISP is open and in use. Online time is the time you spend actually surfing the web, or sending / receiving email.

Page Access

A single page requested by a user and then retrieved by the server.

Plug-in

An additional piece of software that adds properties to a larger software package. Plug-ins are usually easily downloaded from the Internet.

POP [Point of Presence]

A geographical location point to which a connection to the Internet can be established.

Privacy Tips:

Follow the step-by-step instructions

Microsoft VM (Virtual Machine)

1.     Open "Advance Tab"

2.     Scroll down to "Microsoft VM"

3.     Apply a tick in "Java" console enabled (requires restart)

4.     JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled.

Security settings:

1.     Scroll down to "Security"

2.     Make sure "SSL 2.0" is selected

3.     Make sure "SSL 3.0" is selected

4.     Make sure "TLS 1.0" is selected.

5.     Select "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"

6.     Deselect "Warn if changing between secure and non secure pages/mode"

7.     Select "Check for server certificate revocation"

8.     Click on "Apply" and "OK"

9.     Restart PC now

R

Robots

A robot is a software program that travels through the web's hypertext structure, retrieving documents and document links.

Search

The term used for search forms that search through databases of HTML documents gathered by a robot. Search engines usually direct robots' activities, decide what new documents to explore and what types of documents to retrieve (e.g. text or graphics), initiate the retrieval of a document (by agents) and find documents that match search queries. Searching Techniques

There are several different search techniques that you can use, including searching by keyword or phrase, concept based searching, plus and minus query modification.

Secure Websites

A secure website ensures that your details (pin numbers, passwords, etc) remain safe and inaccessible to anyone else. If you are in a secure website, you won't be able to go forward or back to your account and registration pages because they will have expired in order to keep confidential information safe. You will be able to tell that you are in secure mode when your browser displays an icon of a closed padlock or solid key on the lower bar of the browser window.

Server

A computer on the Internet that sorts information as a series of web pages. Session

A series of one or more pages served to a particular user where the time interval taken going from one page to the next is not more than 15 minutes.

Spam

Sending out large amounts of email (usually advertising) to people who do not want it, or have not requested it. If you try to Spam people, expect some very unpleasant replies!

Surfing

Also know as browsing, this term describes the activity of "jumping" from one Internet site to another via hyperlinks.

Stop Button

Search (Browser)

Clicking the search button will open a window on the left hand side of your screen. This will allow you to do a word search on the Internet.

The search function allows you to look for anything on the Internet. A common search would be to look for a web page that contains a particular word. Fill in the word(s) in the text box and click on "search". The results that come up will show links to web pages that contain that word. These searches often need to be "refined" because the search result can realistically have thousands of links or online documents to view. By using the + sign, e.g. shopping+clothes, you can look for only the web pages that include both words. Most search engines on the Internet explain how to further refine your searches.

Using Search Engines

Search engines use software robots to survey the Web and build their databases. Web documents are retrieved and indexed. When you enter a query at a search engine website, your input is checked against the search engine's keyword indices. The best matches are then returned to you as hits.

Tips On How To Use Search Engines

Using a search engine is like doing a simple math's equation.

Be specific. If you want to search for information on Windows 98 bugs, search for: Windows 98 bugs, not just Windows.

Use the + symbol to add. Sometimes, you want to make sure that a search engine finds pages that have all the words you enter, not just some of them. The + symbol lets you do this. For example, if you want pages with references to both Madonna and Prince Charles, you'll type: Madonna + Prince Charles

. Use the - symbol to subtract. Sometimes, you want a search engine to find pages that have one word on them but not another word. The - symbol lets you do this. For example, if you want information on Zimbabwe without reference to Robert Mugabe, you'll type: Zimbabwe - Robert Mugabe.

Use quotation marks to multiply. This is where you tell a search engine to give you pages where the terms appear in exactly the order you specify. For example, if you want to know about reservations at Barra Reef campsite in Mozambique, you'll type: "Barra Reef camping reservations". Only pages that have all the words and in the exact order shown above will be listed.

Combine symbols.

Once you've mastered adding, subtracting and multiplying, you can combine these symbols to easily create targeted searches.

Security Matters:

It is always in your best interest to update your browser to the latest released version. >Please note: We do not advise the use of Beta versions of browsers for access to Internet Banking - only the commercially released browser.

What is a "certificate"?

The certificate is a digital ID book that authenticates a website. A certificate itself is a small-encrypted file that contains certain information that has been verified to be true. This certificate can be verified by the built in capability of any Microsoft or Netscape browser to be a real certificate. The digital certificate is thus a tamper proof repository of information that will verify the identity of the holder, be that a person or a web server.

Who or what is "VeriSign"?

VeriSign was founded in 1995 and is the world's foremost Certificate Authority providing public and enterprise trust services in order to secure electronic transactions of any kind. The role of a certificate authority is very similar to the role of the Dept of Home Affairs in issuing National ID books. The Certificate Authority ensures that the information in the certificate is verified and accurate before the certificate is issued. To deliver on this promise VeriSign has built up a massive secure infrastructure that is impenetrable to hacking or internal fraud. VeriSign has a footprint in over 35 countries worldwide and is represented in Africa by the South African Certification Agency.

Why "VeriSign"?

VeriSign has led in the Internet security space since its inception and has a world market share of more than 80%. This is because VeriSign implements rigorous authentication procedures matched with state of the art technology that has become the defacto standard in electronic identity and security.

Beat the Virus

When you download a file from the Internet it may contain a virus. Essentially, viruses are extremely undesirable, and can cause major problems with computer systems, as does a human virus with the body. The main function of a virus is to alter or erase the existing information on your computer, to cause loss or to alter the behavior of your machine, which causes frustration. The most malicious of viruses simply erases all the infected computer's information. There are also many hoaxes and false viruses, which waste time, as people try to get rid of them. Naturally most people would rather be safe, and watch out for viruses, than sorry.

To check if a virus is a hoax, click on Virus Map or have a look at:

www.symantec.com/avcenter/

Always run a virus protection program on your machine to ensure that your computer remains clear. Speak to your local software or computer dealer for the best anti-virus software and further advice.

Staying Safe on the Internet

The advent of the Internet has opened an entirely new world that has the potential to bring knowledge and enjoyment into your home. However it is important to realize that the Internet also has the potential to introduce less desirable elements into your environment. As an Internet user, you are free to view whatever content you desire, subject to the law of your country.

However, it is very easy for children who are familiar with computers to access information on websites or stored on computers. It is recommended that Internet access by minors is controlled and/or supervised. If this is not possible, there are software programs that can assist in preventing your children from accessing adult content while you are away. Many of these supervisory software packages are readily downloadable off the Internet. Have a look at:

www.cybersitter.com

TCP/IP [Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol]

This is the software that allows the Internet to operate. Created originally for the UNIX system, it is now found on every computer that has Internet access.

Terminal

Usually, your keyboard, monitor, and computer is a unit which allows you to communicate with other computers.

UNIX

System software that can be used by many people at the same time and has TCP / IP built into it. It is the most common system used for the Internet today.

URL [Uniform Resource Locator]

The address of a page on a website. This page contains text and / or graphics and links to other pages within the same website.

USENET

A system of linked discussion groups, partially represented on the Internet, that passes comments between its more than 10,000 discussion areas or newsgroups.

Virus: For information about Computer Viruses got to : Virus Map or to: www.symantec.com/avcenter/

Web Browser

A programme on your computer that retrieves pages of text and graphics from other computers on the Internet (e.g. Internet Explorer)

The browser software displays the window in which you view your web pages.

Website or Web Site

A collection of web pages stored on a web server.

WWW [World Wide Web] or the web

A section of the Internet which uses HTTP to transfer pages containing text and graphics from web servers to web browsers.

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