To have it clear in the world of computing and not look like a toto when they talk to you about it, you have to first know its glossary, the meaning of each word, its terms and what it really means.
The language of computing is characterized by using numerous anglicisms, since the English language has become the lingua franca of computing. The use of some words differs in Spain and Latin America.
- abandonware: Software that is no longer marketed or distributed because commercial interest in doing so has ceased is then impossible to obtain legally.
- ActiveX: Component technology created for the Microsoft company used to create controls that can be used either in applications or to create websites with greater interactivity.
- Direct access: In Microsoft operating systems, it is an icon that makes it easier to open a certain program or file. It has a similar role to symbolic links on Unix systems, but with the difference that it is only recognized by the visual interface (the "shell").
- Adobe Reader: Adobe program that allows you to view documents PDF.
- Attached: This is the name of a data file (for example a calculation template or a word processor letter) sent together with an e-mail message.
- Agent (agent): Small "intelligent" program created to carry out certain tasks, facilitating the user's operation. A well-known example of an agent is the Wizards that exist in most modern software.
- Add-ons: Set of utilities to add to a software and thus give it better functionality or expand its capabilities to perform its task.
- Address: It is translated by direction. It can refer to a memory address, a device address, an IP address or an email address among others.
- DSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Technology to transmit digital information at high bandwidths. Unlike dial up service, ADSL provides a high speed and permanent connection. This technology uses most of the channel to send information to the user, and only a small part to receive information from the user.
- AGP: Graphics accelerator port. It allows images to be sent faster from the computer's memory to the graphics card's memory, which is what generates the video signal that is output to the monitor.
- Algorithm: Set of well-defined rules for solving a problem. A software program is the transcription, into programming language, of one or more algorithms.
- Web hosting (hosting): Service offered by some providers, who provide their clients (individuals or companies) with space on their server to host a website.
- Abandwidth: Technical term that determines the volume of information that can circulate through a physical means of data communication, that is, the capacity of a connection. The higher the bandwidth, the better access speed and higher traffic.
- ANSI (American National Standards Institute): Organization that develops and approves United States standards. He participated in the creation of much of the standards in use today on the Internet.
- Anti-virus: program that searches for and eventually removes computer viruses that may have "infected" a hard drive or floppy disk.
- Application: Term that describes a software that is usually applied to programs intended for end users.
- Apple: Company in charge of the creation of the Macintosh, iPod, among others.
- Applet (program): Mini-program, generally written in the Java programming language, although it does not have to be that way, which can be integrated into a web page so that the user who visits it can interact with it.
- Archie: Tool that allows you to locate files on the Internet network created in Montreal by McGill University. An Archie server (there are several distributed throughout the Internet) maintains a database that records the location of several thousand files.
- ARP (Address Resolution Protocol): A protocol for resolving electronic addresses into IP numbers that runs on local networks. Part of the TCP / IP protocol suite.
- ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency NETwork, Advanced Research Projects Agency Network): A pioneering network of computers, founded by DARPA, a US government investigative agency. It was the fundamental basis in the sixties for the development of what would later become the Internet network.
- At sign (@): In the directions of e-mail, is the symbol that separates the user's name from the name of their email provider.
- Tree (tree): Data structure made up of nodes in which all of them are connected to each other and in which there are no "loops".
- ARC format: Compression format created by Systems Enhancement Associates.
- ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): A set of 128 characters, letters and symbols used primarily in Anglo-Saxon and formerly Western computer systems in general. It only defines the letters used in the English language and allows a common base of communication. Nowadays it was replaced by other codes that, although they include it, also include accented and special letters typical of each language.
- ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): ATM is a high-speed multiplexing and switching technology used to transmit different types of traffic simultaneously, including voice, video, and data.
- Certificate Authority: Agent (companies or internal addresses in companies) who fulfill the role of «virtual clerk». They are in charge of guaranteeing the identity of individuals and companies that participate in the Network, through the issuance of certificates.
- Avatar (human figure of a god in Hindu mythology): Fictitious identity, a physical representation (face and body) of a person connected in the virtual world of the Internet. Many people build their digital personality that they then use on certain servers (for example Forums) to play or chat.
- AVI: Simple video and audio container to which you can feed videos in most existing codecs. Also used for unzipped video.