11. Download
Downloading is a broad term that describes when you make a personal copy of something you find on the Internet or World Wide Web. Commonly, downloading is associated with songs, music, and software files (e.g. "I want to download a new musical ringtone for my cell phone", "I want to download a trial copy of Microsoft Office 2010"). The larger the file you are copying, the longer the download will take to transfer to your computer. Some downloads will take 12 to 15 hours, depending on your Internet speed.
Be warned: downloading itself is fully legal, as long as you are careful not to download pirated movies and music.
12. Malware
Malware is the broad term to describe any malicious software designed by hackers. Malware includes: viruses, trojans, ratware, keyloggers, zombie programs, and any other software that seeks to do one of four things:
- vandalize your computer in some way
- steal your private information
- take remote control of your computer ('zombie' your computer) for other ends
- manipulate you into purchasing something
Malware programs are the time bombs and wicked minions of dishonest programmers.
13. Router (aka 'Network Router')
A router, or in many cases, a router-modem combination, is the hardware device that acts as the traffic cop for network signals into your home. A router can be wired or wireless or both. Your router provides both a defense against hackers, and the redirection service of deciding which specific computer or printer should get which signals in your home. If your router or router-modem is configured correctly, your Internet speed will be fast, and hackers will be locked out. If your router is poorly configured, you will experience network sluggishness and possible hacker intrusions.
Read more about network routers here...
14. Keywords and Tags/Labels
Keywords are search terms used to locate documents. Keywords are anywhere from one to five words long, separated by spaces or commas: e.g. "horseback riding calgary" e.g. "ipad purchasing advice" e.g. "ebay tips selling". Keywords are the foundation for cataloging the Web, and the primary means by which you and I will find anything on the Web.
Tags (sometimes called 'labels') are recommendation keywords. Tags and labels focus on crosslinking you to related content... they are the modern evolution of 'suggestions for further reading'.
Read more about keywords and tags/labels here...
15. Texting/Chatting
Texting is the short way to say 'text messaging', the sending of short electronic notes usually from a cell phone or handheld electronic device. Texting is popular with people who are mobile and away from their desk computers. Texting is something like the pagers of old, but has the file attachment ability of email.
To send a text message, you will usually need a keyboard-enabled cellphone and a text message service through your cellphone provider. You address your text messages using the recipient's phone number.
In 2010, texting has spawned a controversial habit called 'sexting', which is when young people send sexual photos of themselves to other cell phone users.
16. I.M.
I.M. (usually spelled 'IM' without the periods) is instant messaging, a form of modern online chatting. IM is somewhat like texting, somewhat like email, and very much like sending notes in a classroom. IM uses specialized no-cost software that you install on your computer. That IM software in turn connects you to potentially thousands of other IM users through the Internet. You locate existing friends and make new friends by searching for their IM nicknames.
Once the software and your friends list is in place, you can send instantaneous short messages to each other, with the option of including file attachments and links. While the recipient sees your message instantly, they can choose to reply at their leisure.
17. P2P
P2P file sharing ('peer-to-peer') is the most voluminous Internet activity today. P2P is the cooperative trading of files amongst thousands of individual users. P2P participants install special software on their computers, and then voluntarily share their music, movies, ebooks, and software files with each other.
Through 'uploading' and 'downloading', users trade files that are anywhere from 1 megabyte to 5 gigabytes large. This activity, while in itself a fully legal pasttime, is very controversial because thousands of copyrighted songs and movies trade hands through P2P.
Read more about the controversial world of P2P file sharing...
18. E-commerce
E-commerce is 'electronic commerce': the transacting of business selling and buying online. Every day, billions of dollars exchange hands through the Internet and World Wide Web. Sometimes, the e-commerce is your company buying office products from another company (business-to-business 'B2B' e-commerce). Sometimes, the e-ecommerce is when you make a private purchase as a retail customer from an online vendor (business-to-consumer 'B2C' e-commerce).
E-commerce works because reasonable privacy can be assured through technical means (e.g. https secure web pages), and because modern business values the Internet as a transaction medium.
19. Bookmark
A bookmark (aka "favorite") is a marker that you can place on web pages and files. You would bookmark something because:
- You want to return to the page or file later
- You want to recommend the page or file to someone else
Bookmarks/Favorites can be made using your right mouse click menu, or the menus/toolbars at the top of your web browser. Bookmarks/Favorites can also be made on your Mac or Windows computer files.
20. Social Engineering
Social engineering is the conman art of talking directly to people to trick them into divulging passwords and their private information. All social engineering attacks are some form of a masquerade or phishing attack, designed to convince you that the attacker is trustworthy as a friend or as a legitimate authority figure. The attacker might use an email, phone call, or even face-time interview to deceive you. Common social engineering attacks include greeting cards, bogus lottery winnings, stock investment scams, warnings from an alleged banker that you've been hacked, credit card companies pretending to protect you.
