Adware: Any software application or program in which advertising banners are displayed or Pop-up windows appear while the program is running. Adware is considered "spyware" and is installed without the user's knowledge. It typically displays targeted ads based on words searched for on the Web or derived from a user's surfing habits that have been periodically sent in the background to a Web server.

Backdoor: Also called a trapdoor, this is an undocumented way of gaining access to a program, online service, or entire computer system. The backdoor is written by the programmer who creates the code for the program and is often known only by the programmer. A backdoor is a potential security risk.

Beta: Mostly working, but still under test; usually used with 'in': 'in beta'. In the Real World, systems (hardware or software) often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha (in-house)and Beta (somebody else's house...okay, your computer).

BBL: Chat or bulletin board abbreviation for "Be back later."

BRB: Chat or bulletin board abbreviation for "Be right back."

BTW: Email and newsgroup abbreviation of "by the way."

CGI script: A program, often written in the PERL programming language, written to run on any computer.

Com: Suffix indicating a commercial domain.

Cookie: A small data file created by a Web server that is stored on your computer either temporarily for that session only or permanently on the hard disk (persistent cookie). Cookies provide a way for the Web site to identify users and keep track of their preferences. It is also commonly used to "maintain the state" of the session as a user browses around on the site.

Cyberjockey: A person who works online, usually as a volunteer, answering users questions and providing assistance to a new user (newbie) in online chat rooms and Internet discussion forums.

Cyberspace: The Internet. The phrase was coined in 1984 by William Gibson in his book, Neuromancer.

DBMS: DataBase Management System.

Dial-up Service Provider: An Internet Service Provider accessible through telephone lines by modem.

Download: The transfer of information from the internet to your computer. The information could be a webpage, email, or a program.

DSL: Digital Subscriber Line. A method of connecting to the internet permanently via a high-bandwidth phone line. They're faster than dial-up service, and you can be on the phone and the internet at the same time.

DSVD: Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data.

E-Commerce: The ability to sell goods and services over the internet.

Encryption: A program that scrambles and unscrambles data on a network, so personal information located there is unintelligible to unauthorized people.

E-mail Harvester: A person or software that searches the Internet looking for valid e-mail addresses. e-mail addresses are compiled into directories that are purchased and maintained by spammers.

Ethernet: The most common method of networking computers in a local area network, since it can be used with any kind of computer. It also provides fast connections and (if the network has a direct connection to the internet), can provide fast and constant connections to the internet.

FAQ: Internet abbreviation of "frequently asked questions."

Firewall: Any software program or hardware device designed to prevent computers on a network from communicating directly with external computer systems by filtering the information coming through the Internet connection into your private network or computer system . A Firewall keeps hackers out and personal data in by acting as a barrier through which all information passing between the network or computer and external systems must pass.

FYI: Internet abbreviation for "for your information."

Gronk: To free as in "gronk a jammed computer."

GUI: Graphical User Interface. A program that uses icons rather than commands and shows graphics. Windows uses GUI and shows graphics; Unix and DOS use command-line interfaces, no graphics.

Hacker: A slang term for a person who writes programs in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer systems Although it may refer to any programmer, it implies very tedious "hacking away" in an attempt to steal, disrupt or corrupt a computer system or network.

Hoax: Usually an e-mail that gets mailed in chain letter fashion describing some devastating, highly unlikely type of virus. Hoaxes are detectable as having no file attachment, no reference to a third party who can validate the claim. Some "hoaxes" instruct you to change or delete a specific system file or setting which can damage your system.

Hypertext: Web pages are hypertext, and so are many CD-ROMs and computerized help systems. With hypertext you have links and control over what you choose to read.

IMHO: Email and newsgroup abbreviation of "in my humble opinion."

Iming: Instant Messaging, or chatting on-line.

IOW: Email and newsgroup abbreviation of "in other words."

ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network. A digital alternative to phone lines for connecting to the internet.

IRL: Chat and newsgroup abbreviation of "in real life."

ISP: Internet Service Provider. These are the companies who supply internet access to people who don't have their own servers.

Java: An object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Will run on any platform - Macintosh, UNIX, Windows, or DOS.

kbps: Kilobits per second - the standard measurement of modem speed.

KWIM: Chat room abbreviation for "Know what I mean?"

LMAO: Chat room abbreviation for "Laughing My Ass Off."

LOL: Chat room code for "Laughing Out Loud."

Lurk: To read messages in a newsgroup or chat area without participating in the discussion.

Mail Bomb: An email message sent with the intent to crash the recipient's mail server or mail reader.

MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. The standard format for sending non-text email attachments, like photos, sound, video, or software.

MPEG: Motion Picture Experts Group. The standard format for digital video and audio compression. (AKA MP3)

Netiquette: Internet etiquette. The rules of behavior for interacting with others over email, newsgroups, discussion lists, discussion boards, and chats.

OMG: Chatroom abbreviation for "Oh my god!"

PITA: Pain in the ass.

Pixels: A unit of picture measurement. One pixel is about the size of a period (.) in 12 point font.

Play: As in "Wanna play?" Chat room code for sex talk.

Platform: The operating system used to access the internet. Windows 98 is the most popular.

ROTFL: Chat and newsgroup abbreviation of "rolling on the floor laughing."

Spamware: Software used by spammers to send large amounts of spam to e-mail address lists. Spamware is also a variety of trojan that can turn your computer into a sender of spam or even viruses.

Spider: A program which follows links through websites to add or update a database.

Spyware: Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Spyware is often installed without the user's knowledge or explicit permission in combination with a free download.

TAFN: Chat and newsgroup abbreviation of "That's all for now." or TTFN, "Ta-ta for now."

THX: Abbreviation for "Thanks."

TPTB: Abbreviation for "The Powers That Be."

Trojan Horse: A program that appears legitimate, but performs some illicit activity when it is run. It may be used to locate password information or make the system more vulnerable to future entry or simply destroy programs or data on the hard disk.

TTYL: Chat abbreviation for "Talk to you later."

URL: Abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located.

Virus: Software used to infect a computer. After the virus code is written, it is buried within an existing program. Once that program is executed, the virus code is activated and attaches copies of itself to other programs in the system. Infected programs copy the virus to other programs.

WFM: Internet abbreviation of "works for me."

Worm: A destructive program that replicates itself throughout disk and memory, using up computer resources until it becomes unusable.

WTG: Internet abbreviation of "way to go!"

WTGP?: Chat abbreviation of "Want to go private?"

WTHYTA: Chat abbreviation for "What the heck you talking about?"

WWW: World Wide Web, often called simply "the web." The World Wide Web is a collection of documents (and people) linked by HTML, (HyerText Markup Language).

Zombie: A computer that has been implanted with a daemon that puts it under the control of a malicious hacker without the knowledge of the computer owner. Zombies are used by malicious hackers to launch DoS attacks. The hacker sends commands to the zombie through an open port. On command, the zombie computer sends an enormous amount of packets of useless information to a targeted Web site in order to clog the site's routers and keep legitimate users from gaining access to the site. The traffic sent to the Web site is confusing and therefore the computer receiving the data spends time and resources trying to understand the influx of data that has been transmitted by the zombies. Compared to programs such as viruses or worms that can eradicate or steal information, zombies are relatively benign as they temporarily cripple Web sites by flooding them with information and do not compromise the site's data. Such prominent sites as Yahoo!, Amazon and CNN.com were brought down in 2000 by zombie DoS attacks.