Reference Section
_____ _ ____ _____ _____ _____ __ __
/ ____| | | / __ \ / ____| / ____| /\ | __ \ \ \ / /
| | __ | | | | | | | (___ | (___ / \ | |__) | \ \_/ /
| | |_ | | | | | | | \___ \ \___ \ / /\ \ | _ / \ /
| |__| | | |____ | |__| | ____) | ____) | / ____ \ | | \ \ | |
\_____| |______| \____/ |_____/ |_____/ /_/ \_\ |_| \_\ |_|
NOTE: For information on various file types & extension, see the chapter
on File Extensions.
Glossary of Terms in BBS, Internet, Modem Communications
========================================================
[A]
API:
Application Program Interface. A set of formalized system calls which
allow applications from different vendors to co-exist and interact.
Applet:
See Java Applet
Anonymous logins/FTP:
A way of accessing FTP servers by providing "anonymous" or "ftp"
as login and your E-mail address as the password.
Archie:
A program which allows you to locate files which are accessible through
anonymous FTP on the Internet.
See FTP.
ARPANET:
A network set up, in the 1970s, for researchers working in the US defence
industry and their counterparts in few other countries. The Internet grew
out of this network and ARPANET itself is now defunct.
ARQ:
Automatic Repeat Request. A general term for error control protocols
requesting the retransmission of erroneous data.
ASCII:
American Standard Code for Information Exchange. A 7-bit binary
code representation of letters, numbers and special characters.
It consists of the first 128 characters (00H to 7FH). Most computers
can handle these characters except the first 32 characters.
See Extended ASCII.
Asynchronous communication:
Data transmission in which the actual data is preceded by a start
bit and followed by a stop bit since the time between transmitted
characters varies.
See Synchronous.
AUP:
Acceptable Use Policy. AUPS are strict, written usage guidelines for use
of the various Internet services like posting to news groups, sending
e-mail, chat, etc.
Authentication:
Verification of the source of a message or transmission as to the truth
of who or what they claim to be. One common method is by using PGP
signatures for emails.
Authoring:
In the Internet sense, used to refer to the writing of documents/pages
for the World Wide Web using HTML.
Auto Answer:
The modem/comm. program feature which enables detection of a ring and
answering without any manual intervention. In contrast you can manually
answer an incoming data call by typing ATA in your comm. program.
See Call Back Verification.
[B]
Backbone:
High speed line(s) which form the major network pathway, the smaller
networks and branches are connectd to the backbone.
Bandwidth:
The amount of data which can pass through a network/Internet connection.
Base Memory:
The first 640Kb memory in a IBM PC-compatible computer. Also known
as the Conventional memory.
Baud Rate:
It is the measurement of the signalling speed of any data device/
channel. This denotes the number of discrete signal changes
(frequency, amplitude, voltage or phase) per second occurring on a
communications channel. At lower speeds (like under 300 BPS) it is
same as BPS. That is why quite often the baud is confused with the
BPS and used interchangeably.
See BPS.
BBS:
Bulletin Board System. A host system, to which callers may dial in with
their modems to exchange electronic mail, upload and download files, and
chat online with other callers. A BBS can also be setup over a LAN.
Some BBSs are also available on the Internet and can be accessed by
Telnet.
Bit:
Binary Digit. A single basic computer signal consisting of a
value of 0 or 1, off or on.
BITNET:
A sister network of the Internet. Full form is "Because It's Time Network"
or "Because It's There Network".
bookmark:
Saving the address/URL of an often visited location in a file, so that
visiting that location again is much simpler and straight forward.
The format of the bookmark file will depend on the application you
are using.
BPS:
Bits Per Second. A unit representing the speed of a serial transmission.
See Baud Rate.
Browser:
A client software used for viewing or "surfing" the World Wide Web. Also
used for viewing local HTML documents. Generally a browser can also be
thought as a super set of several Internet viewing and retrieving tools
as it can view ftp archives, gopher sites, and HTML alogwith several
extensions (which impart it with multimedia capabilty).
Buffer:
A memory area used for temporary storage during input/output
operations.
Byte:
A group of 7 or 8 bits representing an ASCII value or some other code
meaningful to the computer.
[C]
Cache:
A copy of original data (which was retrieved over a network) stored
locally so that it does not have to be retrieved from a remote server
again when requested. Normally this kind of data gets deleted at
pre-defined intervals or conditions, to ensure the "freshness" of the
data.
Call Back Verifier:
Also Call Back Verification. Some sysops like to confirm your
actual identity (at least your phone number) by using CBV.
Essentially it is a software which calls any number indicated
by you. You have to accept the call and answer a few questions
like your declared age, password, etc.
How do you answer an incoming data call:
Depending your modem setup -
1) Your communication program picks up the call automatically
2) Your comm. prog. displays "RING" or "2" with each
incoming ring. You have to type ATA to pick up the call.
Carrier:
A continuous frequency capable of being either modulated or
impressed with another information-carrying signal.
CERN:
Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire
- The European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, where HTML and
the World Wide Web was concieved and created by Tim Berner Lee.
CERT:
Computer Emergency Response Team. A group that coordinates and
distributes information regarding security threats to the Internet, such
as viruses, worms, and security holes. Based out of Carnegie Mellon
University.
Certificate:
A file used to authenticate the server to the client. This certificate is
issued by a well known certifying authority to the server. Used in secure
transactions between the client and the server.
CGI
Common Gateway Interface. A standard for interfacing external applications
with information servers, such as Web servers.
Ciphertext
The encrytped output of an encryption program like PGP.
Command Mode:
This is one of the two operating modes of the modem. In command
mode the modem interprets any information from the computer as
modem commands.
See Data Mode.
Communication Ports:
Also known as COM(1-4) ports in an IBM-PC compatible computer.
These are the serial ports which are connected to the modem.
Conference:
A area or logical grouping of public messages on a BBS, with a
particular topic and, often, a conference host or
moderator to guide the discussion. Also called an Echo when the
conference is shared among more than one BBS.
Conventional Dialup:
Dialling up your internet service provider's computer through your modem
and once the connection is made, your computer acts as a terminal to
the provider's computer. The shell account holders use this type of
connection.
Conventional Memory:
See [Base Memory].
CCITT:
A French acronym for the International Telephone and Telegraph
Consultative Committee based in Geneva. This international
organisation defines the standards for international communications.
CPS:
Characters Per Second. A measure of the rate of data transfer like
during a file upload or download.
Cracking:
Mostly involving breaking/decrypting passwords, encodings, etc.
This activity is a subset of hacking.
A person doing so is known as a cracker.
See [hacking]
Crash Mail:
A fidonet term. It pertains to any fidonet node which can receive
Net/Echomail any time. Contrast it with ZMH.
See [ZMH]
CRC:
Cyclical Redundancy Check. A method in which a block of information
is added to a data block which is used by the receiver to determine
the correctness of the received "block". In case of an uncorrectable
error the sender is requested to re-send the block again.
CSLIP:
Compressed Serial Line Internet Protocol.
See PPP, SLIP.
CTS
Clear To Send. An RS-232-C control signal used in conjunction with
RTS to perform Hardware handshaking or data flow control.
See RTS, Hardware handshaking.
CUI
Character User Interface.
Cyberspace
A popular term often used to refer to the Internet. It was taken from
the science fiction novel Neuromancer by William Gibson.
[D]
Daemon
An independent, automated background program that performs specific
functions in UNIX systems like network daemon, etc.
Data Mode
This is the second mode of operation for the modem. In this mode
the modem sends out any information received from the computer
except for ESCAPE characters.
See [Escape Characters]
Dial-up
To connect to another computer (BBS, etc) using modems or similar
connectivity devices over a telephone line.
Dial Modifiers
Special characters entered in the same line as the telephone number
to control the way how your modem dials out like pulse/tone Dialling,
pause, etc.
Domain
A part of the Internet address naming hierarchy such as .com .
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies an Internet site, separated by periods,
and generally composed of two or more parts, such as vsnl.net.in or
netscape.com.
Some common top-level domains:
.edu - education .gov - government
.com - commercial .net - network
.org - non-profit organisations
.mil - military
Geographical domains: Two character country code
.in - India .uk (United Kingdom)
Download
Receiving a file from a remote system, using a communication
program (like Terminate) and a file transfer protocol (like Zmodem).
DCE
Data Communication Equipment. Your modem.
DCD
Data Carrier Detect. An RS232C signal used to indicate the presence
of a carrier signal from the remote modem.
See Carrier.
Data Compression Protocols
Compression of data by the modem allows more information to be
transferred in a shorter time frame. Protocols for data
compression include CCITT V.42bis and MNP 5.
DNS:
Domain Name System. Sometimes also expanded as Domain Name Service or
Servers though the first form is the correct form. This system
translates or maps the FQDNs into the actual IP or Internet Address.
See FQDN, Internet Address.
DRAM:
Dynamic RAM. This kind of RAM needs refreshing of its data content
periodically. If not refreshed then the data is lost typically within
4 ms. Mostly used in the main RAM of a computer like SIMMs.
DSR:
Data Set Ready. An RS232C control signal used to indicate the
establishment of a connection to the telephone line.
DTE:
Data Terminal Equipment. Your terminal or computer which is connected
to your modem.
DTR:
Data Terminal Ready. An RS232C control signal used to indicate to a
modem that the DTE (local computer) is ready for data communication.
Duplex:
Full Duplex - simultaneous two-way communication possible.
Half Duplex - only one side can transmit at a time.
[E]
E-Mail
Electronic Mail. It is a "store-and-forward" mechanism using SMTP
to send and receive mail among users.
Echomail
Public Message Conferences on a Bulletin Board System which are
shared and distributed among other Bulletin Boards via an Echomail
Network or fidonet.
Emoticons
Emotion-Icons. Characters sequences in e-mail or news postings like, :-),
which convey emotional signals to the reader. These symbols have to be
viewed sideways by tilting your head.
[See the abbreviation and shorthand chapter]
EMS
See [Expanded Memory].
Error Control Protocols
These are various protocols used by the modem hardware to check the
reliability of received data and if needed, and if possible, then
correct it.
Escape Characters (for Modems)
These are a special sequence of characters (usually +++) which puts
the modem in COMMAND mode without breaking the telephone connection
with the remote modem/computer)
Expanded Memory
Extra memory made available by mapping additional RAM within the 1 MB
limit of an IBM-PC or compatible. Special hardware and/or software
following LIM specifications is needed to achieve this. Also known
as EMS memory.
Extended ASCII
Is a 8-bit binary representation having a total of 256 characters.
The last 128 characters (80h to FFh). Each computer manufacture
uses these characters as they wish hence they are not standard.
So never use them if you have to maintain universality.
See ASCII.
Extended Memory
Also known as XMS memory.
Any memory (above 1Mb) on your PC-compatible (80286 and above)
computer. This memory cannot be directly used by DOS applications,
but can be accessed using any memory manager like HIMEM.SYS or
EMM386.EXE.
See [Base Memory].
[F]
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions. It is a document prepared on any
subject/topic containing a series of frequently asked questions and
their answers.
FDN
File Distribution Network. A method of quickly distributing newly
released public domain/shareware softwares to the users via the
fidonet backbone.
Fidonet
An amateur network started by Tom Jennings which connects various
BBSes across the world. These connected BBSes are known as Nodes.
Fidonet was primarily started to aid communication between sysops.
Now they also carry Echomail & Netmail.
The fidonet has the following hierarchy:
ZONE -------> Roughly continents wise like
Asia, Africa, etc. Total 6 zones.
NET -------> Network number. Roughly equivalent
to country.
NODE -------> BSS or node number
POINT -------> Below node
So a fidonet address has the following form:
Zone:Net/Node.Point
See [Echomail, Netmail]
File Attachments
A method for sending any type file(s) with an E-Mail message.
Finger
It is an Internet/Unix utility which displays information about other
computers and their users.
Flame
A nasty or derogatory or insulting mail/message.
A nasty dispute/argument/fight between people using flame is known
as flame-war.
Flow Control
A mechanism to synchronise the flow of data between a modem and
a computer. This can be either implemented in the hardware (RTS/CTS)
or be software based (Xon/Xoff).
FQDN
Fully Qualified Domain Name. A more human(e)ly usable form of
representing the location of any computer on the Internet.
Example: info.anu.edu.au
See DNS, Internet Address.
Freeware
Computer software which may be distributed freely through any medium like
BBS, floppies, Internet, etc and for which the author requests no license
or registration fee.
FREQ
File Request. A fidonet terminology for requesting files and getting
them with the mail packet.
FTP
File Transfers Protocol. One of the protocols in the TCP/IP suite.
Also used to refer to any program using this protocol to connect and
transfer files between different computers in the Internet.
Ftpmail
A way of accessing FTP services using E-Mail.
Full Duplex
Signal flow in both directions at the same time.
FYI
For Your Information bulletins on the Internet.
[G]
Gigabyte
1 Gigabyte or Gb = 1024 Mb = 1024 X 1024 Kb = 1024 X 1024 X 1024 bytes.
GIF
A format for pictorial data.
Gopher
A program which provides a menu driven access various facilities on
the Internet. The virtual space in which you travel using gopher is
known as "gopher space".
GUI
Graphical User Interface. Like MS-Windows, Macintosh, X-windows, etc.
[H]
Hacking
Any method (usually original) used to get a certain job done. Hacking
can be applied to any field besides computers. The end result of a
hack-job might not look elegant or it might be a work of art, but you
have to admire the ingenuity behind it. As applied to computers, it
means an exploration of the computer system and the network in a playful
non-malicious way.
Half Duplex:
Signal flow in both directions, but only one way at a time. It
is sometimes used to refer to activation of LOCAL ECHO which
causes a copy of sent data to be displayed on the sending
display.
Hardware handshaking:
A protocol for data flow between the computer and the modem utilising
RTS and CTS.
See CTS, RTS, RS232C.
Hayes AT command set:
The basic modem command set (consisting of AT commands) which most
of the modems recognise.
High Memory Area:
The first 64Kb of memory after 1 Mb i.e. the first 64Kb of the Extended
Memory. Normally the DOS can run in this memory area thus freeing up
Base memory.
See [Extended Memory].
Host System:
The system to which a user logs onto like a Bulletin Board System (BBS),
your Internet service provider's computer, etc.
In Internet terms any computer which is physically connected to the
network.
HTML:
HyperText Markup Language. The language used to produce and link WWW
documents.
HTTP:
HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol used by the WWW.
[I]
IEEE:
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
IND$FILE:
An older specialised file transfer protocol used exclusively for IBM
mini- & mainframe computers.
Internet:
The world's largest computer network consisting of other computers &
computer networks.
Internet Address:
The unique 32-bit number allocated to each computer on the Internet.
For human readability this number is normally represented as four numbers
separated by periods - like 206.104.53.102. Also known as IP address.
InterNIC:
Internet Network Information Center. Also known as just NIC. Offers
services like Internet address/domain registration, etc.
ITU:
International Telephone Union. It approves/regulates standards relating
to international telephone communications. CCITT is a part of this union.
[J]
JPEG:
An image compression standard.
Jughead:
Is a tortured acronym for "Jonzy's Universal Gopher Hierarchy Excavation
And Display". Very similar to Veronica except that you can use logical
operators like AND, OR & NOT in your gopher search queries.
See [Veronica]
[K]
Kermit:
A file transfer protocol. Mostly used in mini and mainframe computers.
Also most BBSes support this protocol.
Kilobyte:
1 kilobyte or kb = 1,024 bytes.
[L]
LAN:
Local Area Network. A group of computers joined with cables and software,
allowing expensive peripherals and other devices to be shared among
multiple users.
LAPM:
Line Access Procedure for Modems. The primary error detection method
utilised by the V.42 protocol suite as prescribed by CCITT.
LISTSERV:
A mailing list Server.
Loopback:
The return of a transmitted signal back to the sending device. Normally
used for diagnostic purposes.
Lurker:
Any person who only reads from a conference without contributing
anything. He is aware of the others on the echo but the others don't
know about him. And he is a regular. First few time loggers/readers are
not necessarily lurkers though they may lurk to get the feel of the
conference/echo/BBS before writing anything.
[M]
Mail Box:
An area/directory/file provided by your service provider where your
incoming mail is stored.
Mailing Lists:
Grouping of people's mail addresses depending on some criteria like
common interest, topics, etc. You can join/quit a Mailing List of your
choice by sending a message to a LISTSERV.
Mail Door:
The Mail program on a Bulletin Board System which creates mail
packets in QWK or BlueWave format.
Mail Only:
A fidonet node which only caters to other mailer programs. It does not
allow any human user login.
Matrix Mail:
See [Netmail]
Megabyte:
1 Megabyte or Mb = 1024 kb = 1024 X 1024 bytes.
MIME:
Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions. A standard for encoding
and decoding various types of binary data which is to be sent or
received via E-Mail. A MIME compliant mailer/reader (like EUDORA)
will automatically encode/decode binary information as required.
MIME also allows for file attachments.
MNP:
Microcom Networking Protocol. A set of hardware error detection/
correction and data compression protocols for modems.
Modem:
Mo(dulater)Dem(odulater). A device which modulates (converts) digital
computer data on to the carrier and transmits it over the telephone
line which is demodulated back into digital data by the receiving
modem.
Moderator:
A person, or group of persons, who control the messages flowing in a
given conference. Normally a moderator acts as a censor and applies
a moderating influence on the discussions going on in the conference.
Mother Gopher:
The root gopher server at the University of Minnesota. This is the
server to which any gopher client connects by default.
[N]
NC:
Net Co-ordinator for the net level in the fidonet hierarchy.
See [NEC, ZC, RC]
NEC:
Net Echomail Co-ordinator. Co-ordinates the various echoes at net
level in the fidonet hierarchy.
Netmail:
Private electronic mail which is transmitted by a user calling
one Bulletin Board System to another user calling a different
Bulletin Board System via fidonet. Also known as Matrix Mail.
Nibble:
A group of 4 bits.
NNTP:
Network News Transfer Protocol. The protocol used to distribute
USENET news or Net news.
Nodelist:
A fidonet term. Listing of all the nodes participating in the Fidonet.
NVRAM:
Nonvolatile random access memory. A programmable memory whose data
is retained even when the power is turned off. NVRAM is used to store
configuration information in many modems, computers, etc.
[O]
ON/OFF Hook:
A descriptive term referring to manually lifting a telephone
receiver (taking it OFF Hook) and replacing it (going ON Hook).
In modem terminology these terms refer to the electronic equivalents
of the above actions. The ON/OFF hook is done by the modem.
Offline Reader:
A software which is used to read mail offline i.e. without having to
remain connected to the host. A popular offline reader is Bluewave.
[P]
Packer:
A program to compress and combine multiple files into a single file,
such as PKZIP, ARC, PAK, LHARC, RAR, etc.
Packet:
A mail packet (containing messages/files in a compressed form).
Usually any packet downloaded from a host system has a .QWK extension
and hence is known as a QWK packet. In contrast a reply packet
created by your offline mail reader usually has a .REP extension
which you upload to the host system.
Parity:
An error detection method used in both communications and
computer memory. Parity can be even, odd or none.
EVEN : the count of all the "1" bits in a byte is even
ODD : the count is odd
Phreaking:
Hacking activity related to telephones and telephone networks.
PPP:
Point-to-Point Protocol. This protocol is the most commonly used
protocol for "Protocol Dialups". This is more complex than SLIP
and supports error detection and optional compression.
See SLIP.
Private Node:
A fidonet node setup for the use of the sysop only. It has no
user base. This type of node is very rarely allocated.
Protocol:
A predefined set of rules and procedures governing communications
between two devices. It can define file formats, transfer formats,
error handling, etc.
Protocol Dialup:
The users of TCP/IP accounts use this kind of connection to connect to
the service provider's computer. Once the connection is made the user's
computer is allocated an IP or Internet address and becomes a node on
the Internet.
See PPP, SLIP
Public Domain:
Computer software without any copyright (usually specified by the
by the author(s)). This kind of software can be freely distributed and
used.
[R]
RC:
Regional Co-ordinator for the regional level in the fidonet hierarchy.
See [REC, ZC, NC]
REC:
Regional Echo Co-ordinator. Co-ordinates the echomail at regional level.
Remote Echo:
Sent data is returned back by the receiver to the sending computer
and is displayed on the sender's screen.
RFC:
Request For Comment. Documents released for the information, and for
inviting commentary from, the Internet community of proposed standards.
RIP:
Remote Image Protocol. A protocol for implementing GUI for BBS
communications.
rot13 encoding:
A method of encoding any plain ASCII text which might be offensive to
some readers. In this scheme each letter in the text is replaced by
the 13th letter farther along the alphabet (with the alphabets arranged
in a loop).
RS232C:
An EIA defined communication protocol used for serial communication
like between a computer and a modem.
RTS:
Request To Send. The counterpart of CTS.
See CTS.
[S]
Shareware:
Computer software which is distributed on the principle of "Try first
and if satisfied then pay". This type of software can be freely copied
and distributed. Normally you can try it for a specified period and if
you are satisfied then you have to pay a registration fee for continued
use. If your are not satisfied then you are required to delete the
software from your system/floppies, etc.
Shell Account:
A cheaper account provided by most of the service providers with a
text based interface. Typically the user gets a unix shell prompt like
"$" or a menu to use.
See TCP/IP account.
SIMM:
Single In-line Memory Modules. The most commonly used type of RAM
packaging.
SLIP:
Serial Line Internet Protocol. Another protocol for "Protocol Dialups".
This is an older protocol than PPP and very fast becoming obsolete.
SMTP:
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. One of the protocols in the TCP/IP
suite, primarily used for E-Mail.
Spam:
Posting multiple copies of a single message or similar messages in
different areas/conferences/forums/newsgroups. Each message is posted
separately in each areas thus by looking at the message header it is
difficult to make out whether its a multiple post or not.
Also the message content is usually not in accordance with the newsgroup
topic. Usually this term is associated with the Usenet.
See Velveeta.
SRAM:
Static RAM. This kind of RAM does not need refreshing to maintain
the data in it. Mostly used for cache memories.
Start/stop bits:
Signals that mark the beginning and the end of a data character or
packet.
Synchronous Communications:
The data is sent at a fixed rate with the transmitter and the receiver
synchronised.
SysOp:
The SYStem OPerator of a Bulletin Board System. The person
responsible for setting up and maintaining the BBS.
[T]
T1:
High capacity data line supporting 1.5 million bits per second (Mbps)
T3:
High capacity data line supporting 45 million bits per second (Mbps)
Telnet:
This program allows remote login to any computer on the Internet.
TCP/IP:
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The communication
protocol suite used in Internet.
TCP/IP Account:
This is to the direct connectivity account provided by any service
provider (in contrast to a Shell Account). Users of a TCP/IP account
become a node in the Internet, during their connection period, having
a unique Internet address. Normally a full GUI interface is available
for all Internet tasks/client.
Thread:
BBS/Usenet/News messages and replies linked and sorted and grouped by
topic.
Troll:
A deliberate & incorrect post posted in a Usenet newsgroup to generate
a flurry of responses from other users who try to correct the post.
[U]
UART:
Universal Asynchronous receiver Transmitter. Located on an internal
modem or a serial port card, and is responsible for RS-232 serial
communication.
UMB:
Upper Memory Blocks. Any unused memory blocks between 640Kb and 1 Mb
on an IBM PC or compatible made accessible by a memory manager.
Usually the device drivers are shifted from the Base memory to the
UMBs so that more Base memory is available to your applications.
See [Upper Memory],[Base Memory].
Unpacker:
A program to uncompress a file from a Packer. Like PKZIP/PKUNZIP,
RAR,etc.
Upload:
To transfer a file from your computer to another computer, using
your terminal program (for example Qmodem) and a transfer
protocol (for example Zmodem)
Upper Memory
The memory between 640Kb and 1 Mb. The size is 384Kb. This memory
area is normally used by various expansion cards. Any unused Upper
Memory can be converted to UMBs.
See [UMB].
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. A form of addressing to locate any resource
on the Internet.
USENET
A network to distribute news very much like a floating bulletin board
service. Originally implemented using UUCP by the students of Duke
University and the University of North Carolina but after connecting to
Internet NNTP has become the de-facto distribution protocol.
Also known as Net News.
UUCP:
Unix-to-Unix Cp (copy). A protocol of transferring files between
two unix system through either serial lines or TCP/IP.
[V]
V.21:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 300bps.
Equivalent to the Bell 103 standard.
V.22:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 1200bps.
V.22 bis:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 2400bps. It includes
V.22 and is compatible with Bell 212A.
V.23:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 1200bps with a 75bps
back channel. It is used in the United Kingdom.
V.32:
CCITT standard for 4800bps and 9600bps. It includes V.22, V.22 bis.
V.32 bis:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 14400bps and includes
V.32, V.22 bis, V.22.
V.34:
CCITT standard for modem communications at 28,800bps
V.42:
CCITT standard for modem error control with LAPM as the primary
error control protocol and MNP as the secondary error control.
V.42 bis:
CCITT extension of V.42 that adds data compression. The data compression
can be used only with LAPM error control.
Velveeta:
A message which is cross-posted to several newsgroups. The message
header contains the list of the newsgroups in which the message has
been cross-posted. The message content is usually relevant to the
newsgroups it has been posted in. Example: FAQs which are regularly
posted on several newsgroups.
Also the crosspostings should be in more than 10 newsgroups for the post
to be classified as a "velveeta" though some purists put the figure at
five.
Veronica:
Very Easy Rodent Oriented Net-wide Index to Computer Archives. It is
a searchable index of the titles of menu items on gopher servers. It
provides the same kind of service which Archie provides for FTP archives.
See [Archie], [Jughead].
[W]
WAIS:
Wide Area Information Server. An indexing and retrieval tool for
Internet.
Worm:
A small program that replicates itself over and over till it fills up
all available disk space. Usually enters a target system via the Internet.
WWW:
World Wide Web. Also known as W3 or simply as the Web. This provides
hypertext interface to the various resources on the Internet.
[X]
Xmodem:
1K, 1K G
XMS:
See [Extended Memory].
XON/XOFF:
Transmitter ON/Transmitter OFF. A software based flow control method.
See Flow control.
[Y]
YModem:
batch, -G
[Z]
ZC:
Zonal Co-ordinator for the zonal level in the fidonet hierarchy.
See [ZEC, NC, RC]
ZEC:
Zonal Echomail Co-ordinator. Co-ordinates echomail at the zonal level
of the fidonet hierarchy. Normally it is written as :
nZEC --- where n = zone number
ZMH:
Zone Mail Hour. A fidonet term. It is a pre-decided one hour period
during which all the fidonet nodes in a zone are up and capable of
sending and receiving net/echomail.
ZModem:
A file transfer protocol with error checking and transfer resume
features.
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