Basic+Terms+and+Concepts

__**Attachment**__ - A file that is added to and sent along with an e-mail message.

__**Blog**__ - Short for "web log," blogs are websites that can be used to provide information or commentary, typically in reverse-chronological order. These can be used as diaries, journals, or as a vehicle for communication. Based on the permissions set by the author, visitors to the blog can be allowed to read posts, comment on posts, or create their own posts. In addition, identification can be required or optional. The author can choose to moderate any or all posts and comments on the site.

__**Browser**__ **-** This is the particular piece of software you are using to access the internet. Two of the most common browsers are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. (For you Apple-philes - Safari is your browser.)

__**Download vs. Upload**__ - The difference between uploading and downloading is a matter of direction. Downloading is saving a file from a remote system to your local device (i.e. saving an image from a website to your computer). Uploading is the transfer from a local device to a remote system (i.e. posting a document from your computer to a website).

__**Embed**__ **-** Files, widgets, images, and other media can be embedded or added to a website, not as a file for download, but as a part of the page itself.

__**Firewall**__ - This software is essentially a filter that regulates both the incoming and outgoing information between your computer and the internet.

__**Hyperlink**__ - Also known simply as a "link," hyperlinks are a way to navigate to another location on the same page, or a page on a different website. Hyperlinks can appear as text or images.

__**Podcast**__ - This is a form of syndication that allows an individual to subscribe to a series of audio and/or video recordings, that are automatically downloaded through software (like iTunes) to a computer or a portable device.

__**RSS**__ - Really Simple Syndication - This is, in essence, a "favorite" or "bookmark" that is automatically updated with the newest posts or articles. You can add RSS feeds to your Internet Explorer or Firefox toolbar, add them to your favorites list, or you can embed the feeds into your blog, wiki, or other website. This can save you a great deal of time looking for articles relevant to your subject area. You can generally set the number of entries listed; as a new article appears, the oldest one drops off the list. You can see an RSS feed for T.H.E. Journal below.
 * rss url="http://www.thejournal.com/the/rss/" link="true" number="5"

__**Social Networking Sites**__ - these sites (i.e. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter) allow the creation of online communities by providing a means of communicating and sharing information.

__**Streaming**__ - Streaming is like a download, but the information is accessible only as it downloads, in sequential order. Generally media that is "streamed" is not permanently stored on your computer (i.e. YouTube).

__**Web 2.0**__ - This term does not actually refer to a change in technology. It is, instead, an evolution in the philosophy of web design. Web 2.0 makes the so-called "information superhighway" a two-way road that allows users to create, share, and publish their own content on the web. In addition, it provides greater mechanisms for collaboration and communication.

__**Widget**__ - These are any number of small, self-contained programs that can be embedded into any web page. The RSS feed above was added to this page via a widget.

__**Wiki**__ - These websites are designed to allow quick and easy creation and editing of content, and are typically used as reference sites. The most popular wiki is the ever-controversial [|Wikipedia]. "Wiki" is a backronym for "What I Know Is."

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