Top 50 Newbie Terms Everyone Needs to Know

  1. @ - The "at" sign or "@" symbol is now such an integral part of the Internet, it deserves...
  2. access - To log on to the Internet, where you can browse information, view Web sites, retrieve...
  3. acronym - Derived from the first letters of a phrase, acronyms are meant to make the phrase...
  4. any key - Newbies take heed: If a tech support person or a computer manual directs you to "hit...
  5. avatar - A digital "actor" or icon that represents who you are and where you are in the virtual...
  6. B2B - A nickname that describes business-to-business relationships or applications. Many...
  7. back button - One of the buttons at the top of a Web browser. By clicking on it, you "go back" to...
  8. blog - A Web site or social media site where users can post a chronological, up-to-date e-journal...
  9. bookmark - A direct link to an often visited site, saved in your browser for easy access. Bookmarks...
  10. browser - A program used to view, download, upload, surf, or otherwise access documents (for...
  11. cell phone - A mobile telephone that uses wireless technology, it is considered indispensable for...
  12. chat or chatting - A form of interactive online communication that enables users to have real-time conversations...
  13. computer - A device that runs programs for displaying and manipulating text, graphics, symbols,...
  14. connectivity - The state of being connected to the Internet or to another type of computer network,...
  15. debbie - A name for someone who is even newer than a newbie.
  16. download - To transfer a file or files from one computer to another, for example, from a server...
  17. e-commerce - What is e-commerce? It is the online buying and selling of products or services over...
  18. e-mail or email - E-mail (and email) is "mail" that's "electronically" transmitted to you via computer....
  19. encryption - The process of protecting information as it moves from one computer to another. Passing...
  20. FAQ - A list of questions and answers related to a Web site, newsgroup, software, or any...
  21. file extension - The group of letters after a period or "dot" in a file name. The extension indicates...
  22. gaming - Gaming quite literally means "playing a game." Gaming can also refer to the gaming...
  23. handheld device - A computer or communications gadget that you can carry around with you, such as a...
  24. hardware - The electronic components, boards, peripherals, and computer equipment that make up...
  25. instant messaging - A technology that gives users the ability to identify people online and exchange messages...
  26. Internet - The most important technological innovation of our generation, the Internet is actually...
  27. ISP - A company that provides users access to the Internet. Before you can connect to the...
  28. login or log in - The act of connecting to or accessing a remote computer system, network, server, or...
  29. netiquette - The code of conduct and unofficial rules that govern online interaction and behavior,...
  30. newbie - Someone who is new to the Internet or new to computers in general. "Newbie" is sort...
  31. newsgroups - A newsgroup is a forum for sharing information. Each one is an area on the Internet...
  32. noob - There is controversy surrounding this word. Traditionally a noob, unlike a newbie...
  33. OSP - A company that provides customer-only content to it's subscribers. Think old-school...
  34. P2P - In computer terms, a "peer" is an actual computer that exists on a network at the...
  35. password - A combination of letters and other symbols needed to login to a computer system or...
  36. phishing - An online scam in which the perpetrator sends out a legitimate looking e-mail that...
  37. RTM or RTFM - Proper netiquette on newsgroups calls for users not to post newbie questions that...
  38. search - The process of locating information on the Internet, whether it is to be found on...
  39. SHOUTING - If someone tells you to stop shouting, it's another way of saying, "TURN OFF YOUR...
  40. sig file - A short statement at the end of an e-mail message. It identifies the sender and provides...
  41. silver surfer - An adult, generally 50 years of age or older, who frequently surfs the Web and spends...
  42. smiley or smileys - :-) A smiley is a sequence of typed characters that creates a rough picture of something,...
  43. snail mail - Regular postal mail, as in, "through rain, snow, sleet, or hail. . . ." The obvious...
  44. social networking - What is social networking? It is an online community of people who are socializing...
  45. software - A set of instructions that tells a computer how to execute functions and tasks. Software...
  46. tech support - A place you call when you have questions about computer hardware or software. The...
  47. texting - The act of typing and sending a brief, electronic message (less than 160 characters)...
  48. troll - It originally meant the act of posting a message in a newsgroup or blog) that is obviously...
  49. URL - An acronym that describes the location and access method of a resource on the Internet....
  50. Web site - A place on the World Wide Web that's comprised of files organized into a hierarchy....

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