Media Services
Media Services
Media Center - Technology Glossary
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A much more extensive independent technology glossary called the "Webopedia" is online at http://www.webopedia.com/.
A
ACS Academic Computer Services
ACT Administrative Computing and Telecomunications
Active Directory Campus Active Directory is a project to integrate all campus units to be able to use various functions of Microsoft Windows 2000.
Authentication This security measure is the process of determining whether someone is who they say they are.  On campus, a common method of authentication is the login ID and Kerberos password.
B
Bandwidth The capacity of a network or data connection to transmit data.
Bits per second (or bps) Measure of data transmission for a modem or network. As the name implies, bits per second is the number of bits that pass a certain point in one second.
browser (or Web browser) An application (such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer) that locates and displays a Web page, allowing the user to jump from place to place by selecting highlighted text or graphics.
C
CD-R Compact Disc-Read. A CD on which data can be written only once. Most can store 650 megabytes of data.
CD-ROM Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. A compact disc formatted for data storage. Most CD-ROMs can store 650 megabytes of data or more.
CD-RW Compact Disc-Rewritable. A CD on which data can be written and changed multiple times, with the same storage capacity as a CD-ROM.
Computer security Refers to the measures taken to protect computers from threats posed by hackers, viruses, thieves and other destructive forces.  A secure computer has the ability to protect itself and the information it houses from these forces.  See also Network Security.
D
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A protocol for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network. In some systems, the device's IP address can even change while it is still connected.
Digital Using a limited, predetermined numbering system to measure or represent the flow of data. Modern computers are digital because they use the fixed binary digits 0 and 1 to represent all data.
Distance Learning The integration of technology in educational courses whereby students may view and participate in lectures from various locations, or on an individual basis (using CD-ROMs, for instance). Various forms of computer-based communication (email, newsgroups, videoconferencing, electronic forums) may be used to facilitate class discussions, faculty "office hours," and communication among students and between faculty and students. (See the Distance Learning link on the Media Center Web site.)
DVD Digital Video Disc. A special type of disc with greater data storage capacity and access rate. Commonly used as a medium for movies and other video data, but can hold any kind of data.
DVD-R Digital Video Read. A DVD that can only be written on once but read many times. Compatible with all DVD systems.
DVD-RAM Digital Video Random Access Meory. A DVD format that can be written on and erased repeatedly, but distinct from DVD-RW in that only devices compatible with DVD-RAM can read DVD-RAM, and they are frequently stored in a cartridge.
DVD-RW Digital Video Rewriteable. A DVD that can be written on and erased repeatedly. Compatible with most DVD systems.
DV Tape Digital Video Tape. Tape used to store digital video; instead of actually storing images and sound, it stores the movie as a file, like on a computer.
E
Electronic mail (Email) An electronic document (usually a message) sent to a person or group on the Internet. When used as a verb, "email" refers to the act of sending such a document over the Internet.
Email virus filtering Security measure that the campus has implemented to help prevent the spread of viruses that might enter the campus network by way of an infected email message.  This measure detects viruses and removes them from email messages before sending the message to the recipient.
Ethernet A local area network architecture that supports a data transfer rate of 10 Mbps. Ethernet is probably the most common way in which LANs are constructed. One particular implementation of Ethernet is 10baseT. A newer implementation, 100baseT, permits a 100 Mbps data transfer rate.
F
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. A list of questions and answers that is a common information resource on Web sites.
Firewall In its most basic terms, a firewall is a system designed to control access between two networks. There are many different kinds of firewalls—packet filters, application gateways, or proxy servers. These firewalls can be software programs or dedicated hardware devices that were designed solely as firewalls.
Firewire The trademarked Apple name for an interface used to connect devices with computers, in compliance with the IEEE 1394. Available in both 400Mbps (IEEE 1394a) and 800 Mbps (IEEE 1394b) speed (usually called Firewire and Firewire 800, respectively). A single port on a computer can be used to connect up to 63 devices by plugging them into eachother.
Flash drive A small, portable memory card that plugs into a computer’s USB port and can store a large quantity of data. Also called a USB Key.
Flat panel display A display that uses LCD technology, which allows both the screen to be flat and the body of the monitor to remain very slim, due to the absence of the CRT tube in most monitors.
G
Gigabit (Gb) Amount of computer storage equivalent to approximately 1 billion bits or 1,000 megabits. This measurement is often used when measuring the capacity of a wireless or wired network.
Gigabyte (GB) Amount of computer storage equivalent to approximately 1 billion bytes or 1,000 megabytes. This measurement is often used when measuring the capacity of hard drives or other storage devices.
H
Hard drive The main device a computer uses to permanently store and retrieve information. These drives are typically sealed boxes found inside the computer. Also called a "hard disk."
Home page The main page of a Web site that provides links to other pages on the site or related sites, or the page one’s browser opens up to by default.
I
Internet A global network linking millions of computers for communications purposes. The Internet was developed in 1969 for the U.S. military and gradually grew to include educational and research institutions. In the last two decades, connections to and use of the Internet have mushroomed, primarily due to the popularity of the Web – the graphical form of the Internet that most people use – and email.
IP address Internet Protocol address. The address of a computer on a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) network. IP addresses are written as four groups of up to three digits (e.g., 171.245.234.17).
J
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group. Together with GIF, JPEG (or JPG) is one of the two commonly used image formats on the Web. JPEG format is best suited to photographic images.
K
Kbps Kilobits per second. A measure of data transmission speed.
kilobyte (KB) An amount of storage equivalent to 1,024 bytes, or about 1,000 characters of information
L
LAN Local area network. Two or more computers, usually within a single room or building, that are connected so they can interact with each other.
LCD Liquid Crystal Display. A type of display used especially in small portable electronic devices (digital watches & clocks, cell phones, PDAs, etc.) as well as laptop computers and some flat-panel monitors and TVs.
Link On the Web, a connection that, when clicked on, will take users to another Web page. A link can be in the form of text (usually appearing as underlined blue text) or images which are coded to act as links. Links are also referred to as "hyperlinks."
Login The process by which a user enters an account name and password to access a computer.
M
MAC address Media Access Control address. A unique number coded into a piece of networking equipment to identify it; used when connecting a computer to a network.
Mbps Megabits (i.e., one million bits) per second. A measure of data transmission speed.
Megabyte (MB) A measurement of computer storage that equals 1,048,576 bytes (1,024 Kilobytes). Bytes are typically represented in computer terminology by an upper case "B." Colloquially referred to as a "meg."
MHz Megahertz, or one million cycles per second. A measure of the speed of a microprocessor (sometimes referred to as the computer's "clock speed").
MP3 MPEG-3. A digital audio format providing near-CD quality sound with relatively small file sizes. See a May 1999 IT Times article about the MP3 format and some of the issues associated with it.
Multimedia The combination of audio, video, animation, text, and graphics
N
Network A set of conjoined computers that can share storage devices, peripherals, and applications. Networks may be connected directly by cable connection, or indirectly by telephone lines or satellites, and can be part of a small-office system or global web of numerous other networks.
Network access ports On-campus outlets (wall plates) designated for connecting laptops to the Internet via the UCSD campus network.
Network Security Refers to the measures taken to protect a set of computers from threats posed by hackers, viruses, thieves and other destructive forces.  A secure network has the ability to protect the system of computers from these forces.  See also Computer Security.
NIC Network Interface Card. An expansion card that allows a computer to connect to a network.
O
OS Operating System. The software on your computer that controls the basic operation of the machine. The operating system performs such tasks as recognizing keyboard input, sending output to the monitor, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling other connected devices such as disk drives and printers.
OS X The Macintosh operating system introduced in 2002, OS X was significantly different from the previous operating system (OS 9). OS 9 applications can only run under a special mode of OS X. Several updated versions of OS X are available, usually referred to as decimals of 10 (10.1, 10.35).
P
Password A password is a common security measure and is generally a string of letters, numbers and symbols used by individuals to access protected computers or computing systems.
PDA Personal Digital Assistant. Generic term for handheld devices such as Palm Pilots that are commonly used to store address and calendar information. Newer models may include networking features as well as cell phones and cameras.
PDF Portable Document Format. Refers to a file format in which formatted documents can be transferred over the Internet. PDF files are readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader, an application which can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site at no charge.
Protocol A set of formal rules and procedures which your computer must support in order to communicate with other computers on a network or through the Internet.
Q
QuickTime QuickTime 6.5, features 3GPP and 3GPP2, worldwide standards for the creation, delivery, and playback of multimedia over new, high-speed wireless networks. Built on MPEG-4 and powered by QuickTime, 3GPP and 3GPP2 extend the reach of rich multimedia to a new generation of handheld wireless devices. As the first widely distributed, freely available multimedia technology to deliver both 3GPP and 3GPP2 capabilities, QuickTime enables users all over the world to share 3G content with others via both computers and mobile devices.
"Quick Setup" "Quick Setup Ability" indicates that the user has easy access to cables required for laptop connections to the campus network and the "Media Station" which controls the projector and sound system.
R
RAM Random Access Memory. RAM is commonly considered synonymous with main memory (i.e., the memory available to programs in use on a computer). Physically, RAM consists of memory chips or chip modules (e.g., SIMMs or DIMMs) which attach to the computer's logic board, the main circuit board inside the computer. Memory modules can continue to be added as long as open slots are available on the logic board.
ROM Read-only Memory. Refers to computer memory or a storage device in which data or programs have been permanently encoded and which can be accessed but not altered. For example, a CD-ROM is a compact disc onto which digital information has been "burned," and the contents of most CD-ROM discs cannot be altered without special equipment.
RTF Rich Text Format. A document format which allows documents to retain their formatting when transferred between platforms and over the Internet
S
Scanner A device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the information into a form the computer can use. A scanner works by "digitizing" an image and placing it on the computer as a file.
SCSI Small Computer System Interface (pronounced "scuzzy"). An interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to computers. Hardware components for implementing a SCSI interface include connector ports on computers and cables for connecting peripheral devices to the computer. SCSI is being supplanted by the newer USB standard.
Security see computer security.
Server The control computer on a local-area network (LAN). The server controls software, access to printers, and other parts or functions of the network. The server is usually connected to workstations that share the main system's resources.
Site license A license that gives permission to use a software package on more than one system. Site licenses are a means of providing a bulk rate to schools that want to use software on many computers. ACS has been able to negotiate special pricing for many applications that are used widely on campus; you can find out more information on the ACS website.
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol for transferring email messages from one server to another.
Software Sets of instructions or data that tell a computer what to do. Software is often divided into two categories: system software, which includes the operating system (e.g., Windows XP, MacOSX) and all utilities that enable the computer to function; and application software, which includes programs that perform specific tasks (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, and databases).
Software patches Software patches are updates that “fix” an inherent flaw in programs that your have on your computer.
Spam Unsolicited bulk email, usually advertising, on the Internet or Usenet newsgroup postings sent to large numbers of people. It is considered inappropriate to send such mail.
Spam filtering This is a security measure that the campus has implemented to help reduce the amount spam that enters the email inboxes of those using the campus email system.  Spam filtering is often available through ISPs (AOL, SBC) and individual email programs (Outlook, Eudora, Mail).
Spyware Spyware is software that gathers information about your Web-surfing habits for marketing purposes. Spyware “piggybacks” on programs you choose to download. Tucked away in the fine print of user agreements for many “free” downloads and services is a stipulation that the company will use spyware to monitor your web habits for business research purposes.
SSL Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol allowing secure transmission of confidential material via the Internet.
T
T1 line A dedicated digital communications connection supporting data rates of 1.544Mbits per second. A T1 line actually consists of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each channel can carry voice or data traffic.
TCP Transmission Control Protocol. Together with Internet Protocol (IP), TCP is one of the core protocols underlying the Internet. The two protocols are usually referred to as a group, by the term "TCP/IP." TCP enables two computers to establish a connection and exchange information. It guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that information packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.
Terabyte A unit of computer memory equal to approximately 1 trillion bytes, or 1 million megabytes.
TIFF Tagged Image File Format. A widely-supported bitmap image format most often used in print publications.
Trojan A program that masks itself as another in order to gain access to your computer and give another user control over it.
U
UCSD Campus Network The University's set of conjoined computers that share peripherals, storage devices and applications. When you connect to this network, most of its services are accessible, allowing you to perform various tasks, such as sending email or getting onto the Web.
UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply. A power supply device that you can plug your computer into. Includes a battery to keep your computer running in the event of a power outage. A UPS can usually keep your computer up for several minutes after a power outage, enabling you to save files and shut the computer down safely.
USB Drive A CD-ROM or hard disk that uses a USB interface to connect to your computer.
USB Universal Serial Bus. An interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to computers. Hardware components for implementing a USB interface include connector ports on computers and cables for connecting peripheral devices to the computer. There are two USB standards; USB 1.1 (commonly referred to as just USB) supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps, while USB 2.0 supports up to 480 Mbps. USB 2.0 is fully compatible with USB 1.1.
V
Videoconference A discussion made possible by electronic communications between two or more people in different locations. Participants view each other on screens; real-time sound and video is transmitted between locations via the network.
Virus A program designed to replicate itself and spread to other computers. Some viruses additionally are designed to damage data or halt operations on a system. Viruses can spread through diskettes, CD-ROMs, email attachments, and the Internet.
VLAN Virtual LAN. VLANs allow departments at two or more separate locations to connect all their users to one departmental network. This overcomes the constraint that is associated with Local Area Networks (LANs), which can only group together users who are located in the same geographical vicinity, such as a small building or one section of a building.
VRAM Video RAM. A specialized RAM for use in digital video equipment.
W
WAN Wide Area Network. A computer network covering a large geographical area, usually consisting of two or more LANs.
WAP Wireless Application Protocol. A secure method for connecting handheld wireless devices on any operating system.
Web browser See Browser.
Web page A document, usually written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), that can be accessed on the Internet. Web pages can contain information, graphics, and hyperlinks to other Web pages and files.
Web server A combination of computer hardware and special software used to store Web pages.
Web site A collection of Web pages. Provides information such as text, graphics, and audio files to users as well as connections ("hypertext links," "hyperlinks," or just "links") to other Web sites on the Internet. This online guide, for instance, is a page on a Web site.
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity. Used generically to refer to any kind of wireless computer network.
Wireless Network A service that allows a computer to access the internet without a cable. Wireless networks are most of the UCSD campus.
WLAN Wireless Local Area Network.
Worm A program that replicates itself over networked computers. Different from a virus in that a virus may only be programmed to infect multiple files on one computer, and is spread by copying those files.
World Wide Web
(WWW or The Web) 		A graphical interface for the Internet, composed of Internet servers that provide access to documents that in turn provide links to other documents, multimedia files, and sites.
WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get (pronounced "whizzywig"). Characteristic of a program or application which displays formatted material on the screen so that it looks the same as it will appear when printed out.
Z
Zip disk A high-capacity floppy disk developed by Iomega Corporation. Zip disks are slightly larger than conventional floppies and can hold either 100 MB or 250 MB of data.
  Part of this information came from the UCD web site. ©UC Regents