Computer Terms and Defintions
Term	Definition
"A" Drive and Floppy Disk	The A drive is the letter drive usually assigned to the area of where you insert your floppy disk (a portable disk for transporting small bits of data).  See C and D Drive.
Address (Web)	In the context of the Internet, an address is the information a web browser needs to locate a particular website.  Usually preceded with a www. and ending with a .com, .edu, .org, or .net. An example is www.senior-surf.org.
Address (Email)	An individual's indentity or address on email; the name or code assigned to an individual account that allows for another email user to contact them via email.  This email address can also be your account username for other services on Yahoo.
Address Book	Feature in Yahoo (and other email applications) that allows for organization of all your email addresses and all their relevant contact information.
Attachments	A computer file sent (attached) with an email message.
Blind Copying “Bcc”,	When sending an email, the option of “copying” the email to more than one user so that each person can view the email, however, the primary receiver will not see that the secondary (bcc) user has received the same email.  Literally means “BLIND carbon copy.”
Boot or Re-boot	To start up your computer.  You can do this by shutting down from the Start button or by re-starting.  Re-booting refreshes your computer in the case of installing new software or if your computer crashes.
Broadband Internet Access	Broadband Internet access, often shortened to "broadband Internet" or just "broadband" is a high data-transmission rate internet connection. DSL and cable modem are both popular consumer broadband technologies.  DSL and cable modem are both popular consumer broadband technologies.
Browser	See Internet Browser.
Buttons	An icon used on websites to link to another part of the website to another webpage.  When the button is moved over by the cursor, the mouse will turn into a pointer and the button will usually turn three-dimensional and raised to indicate that is a button.  Clicking on the button  will take you to that next page.
"C" Drive	Synonymous with hard drive.  D drive is usually going to be your CD drive or your DVD drive.  An E drive is for external devices like a palm pilot or MP3 player usually connected through USB or firewire.
Chatting	See instant messaging.
Click	Pressing a mouse button. This usually refers to the left mouse button. "Double click" means to press the left mouse button twice in quick succession. Right-click means to press the right mouse button.
Clip Art	Ready to use artwork provided by Microsoft Word and others that can be inserted into a project.
Close	The term for closing a window when you are done using that file or application.
Compose, Send And Receive	Terms used in email use.  Compose – to create an email.  Send – the act of sending a composed email to another email address.  Receive – the act of receiving an email from another email account to your email mailbox.
Control Panel	Windows segment that allows for maintaning, updating, and customizing your computer's features.  Start at the start menu and click to Control Panel.
Copying “Cc”,	When sending an email, the option of “copying” the email to more than one user so that each person can view the email.  Literally means “carbon copy.”
CPU	Stands for  Central Processing Unit.  The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.
Craigslist	Craigslist is a website that is centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements (with employment, housing, personals, for sale/wanted, services, community, events, gigs and resumes categories) and forums sorted by various topics.
Crash	A crash in computing is a condition where a program (either an application or part of the operating system) stops performing its expected function and also stops responding to other parts of the system. Often the offending program may simply appear to freeze.
Cursor	A flashing shape on the screen showing where the next character you type in will appear. When entering text in a word processor, the cursor is normally a flashing vertical bar. Sometimes, the word cursor is used to describe the on-screen mouse pointer.
"D" Drive or CD ROM Drive	Drive where CD's and sometimes DVD's (can be the E Drive for DVD's)  are inserted.  Used for installing programs from a CD or for playing music from a CD.  The ROM stands for Read Only Memory, which means that you cannot edit the data on the disk.
Desktop	A metaphor for what is happening on the screen. It has icons and windows visible to the screen.  Your desktop can also provide shortcuts icons to other parts of your computer for easy access.  You can add screen savers and change the look of your desktop through the Windows Control Panel.
Dial-up	A term for obtaining internet access through your telephone line.  This type of access is less expensive (sometimes free), but is slower and blocks telephone access.  A faster alternative is DSL or broadband.
Download	The term used to describe the transfer of data FROM the internet TO your computer.
DSL	Stands for Digital Subscriber Line.  A form of high-speed internet access (or broadband) that allows an ordinary phone line to provide digital communication without blocking access to telephone services.  Dial-up is slower and blocks phone services, yet typically less expensive.
Email (Electronic Mail)	Messages sent through a computer network such as the Internet.  One can send photos, videos and letters through email.  Most email applications are free.  Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail are just two of many that exist.
Emoticon	Also known as a smiley. An emoticon is a group of keyboard characters that are put together to create a picture.  Smileys or emoticons often show the feelings or emotions of the sender.  An example is :-) - Look at it with your head tilted to the left.   It's a happy face.
Ergonomics	Ergonomics deals with the human body's responses to physical and physiological loads. Relevant topics include manual materials handling, workstation layout, job demands, and risk factors such as repetition, vibration, force and awkward/static posture as they relate to musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive strain injury.
Favorites	Your personal directory of places on the internet that you visit periodically. Bookmark a site and it will be stored in your Favorites/Bookmarks list for future visits.
File	A collection of data coming together as a individual product.  Also known as a document.  A Microsoft Word document can be a file once it is saved as such.
File Menu	A list of commands, options, or hyperlinks which can be selected by the user. Use menus to choose a command to tell your computer what to do. An item can be chosen from the menu by highlighting it and then pressing the Enter or Return key, by pointing to the item with a mouse and clicking one of the mouse buttons, or, by using shortcut key combinations. Menus reside in the menu bar which is usually at the top and/or left of the screen.
Firewire	A connecting interface that offers high-speed communications between an external device and your computer.  An faster improvement from its counterpart, USB.  Used for multimedia communication like video and music to your computer.
Flash Drive	A portable storage device that acts as a secondary hard drive and can be used as backup or for file transfers.  Also called USB, Thumb or Jump Drive.
Folders	An object that can hold multiple documents or files. Used to organize information. Folders can also be called directories.
Folders (in Email)	Feature in Yahoo that allows for organization and categorization of your emails.  May be customized or you can use Yahoo’s standard folders.
Font	The kind of type or print you use choose for a word processing document, or any readable material.  You can change the look and format of a letter or other documents by changing the size and stylized qualities of the words in your documents.
Forum	An Internet forum is a web application which provides for open discussion for its users.  Popular discussion topics include technology, computer games, and politics, but forums are available for any number of different topics.  Internet forums are also commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion boards, discussion groups, or simply, forums.
Google	Google is a powerful search engine that allows you to search through their vast database of websites, images, news articles and more. You can also set up free email through them called “gmail.”
Hard Drive	The storage of all your computer's information; a high-capacity storage disk inside the computer that holds the operating system, programs and files. Also: The hardware mechanism that contains the hard disk.
Homepage	The Home Page is the webpage that your browser uses when it starts.  You can customize your own homepage for your computer every time you go on to the internet. The same term also refers to the main or first webpage out of a collection of webpages.
Hyperlinks or Link	A word that you click on when on a webpage to take you to another webpage or website.  Usually known by an underline and colored format.  For example: www.seniorsomething.com.
Icon	A small picture that represents a program, file or command in your computer system. It is activated by moving the cursor onto the icon and pressing a button or key.  An icon can also be a shortcut that indicates a command like Save, Print, Cut, Paste, etc.
Instant Messaging	An online conversation between two people using a online software that allows them to type to each other in "real-time" communicating instantly.  One can send photos, music and even live video images over an instant message.
Internet	A global network (or web) of computers that allows people to communicate with each other and share information.  Also known as the "web" or "net".
Internet Browser (or Browser)	A software program, like Internet Explorer, that lets you access and navigate the Internet.  Short for web browser. Other examples are Mozilla and Netscape.
Internet Explorer	Microsoft's internet browser: a program that allows you to 'browse' webpages, manage your favorite websites, and so on.  This is your medium to view webpages on the internet.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)	Company that one connects to in order to acquire internet access to their computer.  You can choose dial-up or much faster is DSL.
Junk Mail/Spam	This is unwanted email sent to large groups of people, the internet equivalent of junk mail.
Link	See hyperlink.
Log On	General term used to described the action of signing on to an account, your computer, or the internet.
Maximize	The term for making a window the dominant window on your computer's screen.
Menu Bar or Toolbar	A horizontal or vertical band that contains the menu or the commands, options, or hyperlinks that a user can choose. Menu bars usually appear at the top of a window or along the left side of a window but can be placed in other areas as well.
Minimize	The term for  making an open window disappear from your visual desktop, while still keeping it open and available.
Modem	A device that plugs your phone into your computer enabling you to dial into the internet through an internet service provider or ISP).  Short for Modulator Demodulator.
Monitor	The viewing screen of your computer.
Mouse and Cursor	The pointing device for selecting  items on your screen.
My Computer	A folder that is represented by an icon of a computer that is a representation of your entire hard drive.  This will give you quick access to your My Documents folder and any other added drives and folders you may have set up.  Can be found on your Desktop or under your Start Up menu.
My Documents	A folder that acts as a quick access point to all of your favorite and most used files and documents.  Accessible through the start menu or My Computer.  You can find your My Photos, My Music, My Videos folders and all other customized (by you!) folders you have created on this folder.  For ease of organization, Windows will save files and documents to this folder by default.
Navigation Panes	Usually found on the side margins, top or bottom of a webpage.  You will find buttons and links to other parts of the website here, grouped together.  Websites will usually keep the location of the navigation panes consistent for each webpage.
Newsgroup (Yahoo)	A feature of Yahoo that allows for people of similar interests to share ideas, ask questions, exchange information and communicate with each other.  You can create your OWN group, or you can join an already existing group.  This is a free service with a Yahoo account.
Online	A general term for being logged onto the internet.
Operating System	The system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations. Additionally, it provides a foundation upon which to run application software such as word processing programs and web browsers.  [System Software” refers to computer software whose purpose is to help run the computer system, as opposed to application software (see Programs).]
Password	A code used to gain access to a website, an account, a program, or computer system.  Usually coupled with a username.  Write down your password in a secret place that you can find for the later use.
P.C.	Stands for Personal Computer.  Usually refers to a Windows-based computer, opposed to a Macintosh computer that is usually referred to as a Mac.
Point	The act of moving the mouse cursor over something on your computer.  The mouse pointer can take the shape of an arrow (for clicking on buttons or moving across “neutral” parts of the page), other times a cursor (for typing or highlighting text), and other times a hand (for clicking on hyperlinks).
Portal	A website that offers a variety of services, such as news, weather reports, stock information, email and more. The information on offer may be personalized for your interests if you have registered with the portal.
Programs	Software designed for a specific use or task, such as word processing. Also called an “application”.  Examples are Word, Excel, Photoshop, Internet Explorer.
RAM	Stands for Random Access Memory.  RAM is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor.  RAM can be compared to a person's short-term memory and the hard disk to the long-term memory or storage. The short-term memory focuses on work at hand, but can only keep so many facts in view at one time.
Reply All	Used when replying to more than one person in an email chain.  E.g., if you receive an email along with five others and you wanted to respond to ALL of them, you would select “Reply All” when  you replied instead of just Reply.
Right Click	Most actions in Windows are performed by clicking the left mouse button. However, since the arrival of Windows 95, many programs - and Windows itself - you can make use of the right mouse button click to display a pop-up menu with special functions.  Use this as a shortcut to many of the Windows functions found in the menu bar.
Search Engines	A site on the internet that indexes the names and addresses of other sites. It enables you to search for sites containing certain keywords, or sometimes even to ask a question in normal language.  Examples are Google, Ask Jeeves, and About.
Server	A computer program that serves the requested files (which form webpages) to the client's browser.  A web server can also refer to the computer that runs the server software and holds the files for one or more websites.
Shortcut	General term for a Windows-based (faster) way of carrying out an action.  Examples are keyboard shortcuts like CONTROL + P to Print; or shortcut icons in a program that are pictures of the action that allow you to quickly execute the command - i.e., a picture of a printer.  Right-click also provides a shortcut approach to carrying out basic functions such as cutting and pasting.
Shut Down	The act of turning off the computer.  Shutting down, as opposed to swithing the off button, allows the computer's setting to reset.  This can be found under the Start Menu.
Software and Hardware	Programs that instruct the hardware to carry out the tasks fo the computer.  Not the physical part of the computer - this is called "hardware."  Examples of software are Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer.  Hardware is a printer or keyboard or a memory chip.
Start Menu	The button on the far left of the Taskbar in Windows. Click on it to access all the programs installed on your computer, as well as printers, and the Control Panel. You should also click it to shut down your computer.
Surfing	A slang terms of browsing or navigating the internet.
Taskbar	The bar usually found at the bottom of a Windows screen. The taskbar shows which software programs are open. It also contains the Start button, time of day and any shortcut icons you may have created.
Toolbar (Windows)	Options at the top of the program screen which let you select the "Menu" items.  Examples or File, Edit, View, etc., but can also be shortcut icons like a print icon indicating the Print function.
Toolbar (Yahoo)	The toolbar used in formatting Yahoo emails that allows for formatting emails and adding things such as emoticons and attachments.
Upload	The term used to describe the transfer of data FROM your computer TO the internet.
URL	Stands for Uniform Resource Locator.  Synonymous terms as web address.
User Groups or Newsgroups	A collection of public groups of messages - newsgroups - which is accessible to a wide variety of computer systems worldwide, both on and off the Internet. The act of writing a message that appears on Usenet is called posting.  Stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues, discuss sports, health, news and more and to connect with others who share your interests.
USB	Stands for Universal Serial Bus.  A connecting interface that offers high-speed communications between an external device and your computer.  Printers, digital cameras, MP3 players, video cameras use USB connectivity, while many more modern multimedia use Firewire.
Username	Unique word or phrase chosen by account holder or computer user to access account.  Usually chosen with a secret password or code.
Webpage	Online documents stored on Internet servers. They link text and images, and often video or audio clips into a coherent whole. Each one can be accessed by typing in its unique address.
Websites	A linked group of one or more webpages, normally dealing with a particular subject or by a single author. Each page or website has its own distinctive URL or 'address'.
Window	A rectangular area on the screen that displays its own images and data independently of the other areas of the screen.  The viewable part of what a computer user is working.  Windows Operating System allows you to have many windows open at once (hence, the name "Windows.")
Windows Operating System	Microsoft's operating system that allows you to control your computer and to run programs that let you perform particular tasks.  The counterpart to Windows would be a Macintosh or Apple operating system.
Word (Microsoft)	A word processing software program created by Microsoft that allows the user to write letters, draw, create tables, webpages, and other desktop publishing products.
Yahoo	The most popular portal on the Internet.  A one-stop shop for all the popular activities on the internet.  These include: Yahoo Mail, a web-based email service, instant messaging, newsgroup service (Yahoo Groups), online games, various news and information portals, online shopping and auction facilities and much more.