| WORD | MEANING |
| Adware | A software application which displays unwanted pop-up advertisements on your computer while in use. Adware is often installed at the same time as free software or shareware. |
| Avatar | An icon or figure that represents a person in video games, chat rooms and on Internet forums. |
| Application | Any program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user. Microsoft Word, Outlook or Adobe Photoshop are examples of application programs. |
| Bloatware/fatware | Pre-installed software that occupies a lot of space, leaving little memory for storing personal data. |
| Browser | A program or tool such as Google, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox that enables you to browse or surf the World Wide Web and view internet sites. |
| Bug | A defect or fault in a program that prevents it from working correctly. Bugs are caused by mistakes or errors made by those who write the program. |
| Cache | A sort of fast memory used for temporary storage of recently accessed web pages, which enables the browser to display them more quickly on the next visit. |
| Captcha | A system used to make sure that a human being, not a machine, is using a computer. |
| Catfish | Someone (on the Internet and social media) who pretends to be someone else by using a fake identity in order to deceive others. |
| Cookies | Small piece of information on the times and dates you have visited web sites. A web server can temporarily store this information within your browser. The main purpose is to identify users and possibly prepare customised web pages for them. |
| Crash | What happens when a program or the entire operating system, unexpectedly stops working. |
| Cursor | A blinking symbol on the screen that shows where any new text will next be entered. |
| Driver | A special program which enables a computer to work with a particular piece of hardware such as a printer. |
| E-business | Business done over the internet or any internet-based network. |
| Electronic mail : messages sent from one computer to another over the internet. | |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions. |
| Firewall | Specialised hardware or software designed to prevent unauthorised access into or out of a computer or network. |
| Font | A particular kind of lettering (e.g. Arial, Verdana, etc.) |
| Hardware | The physical equipment of a computer system (the CPU (central processing unit), monitor, keyboard, mouse, external speakers, scanner, printer, etc.) |
| Hit | A visit to a website. |
| Home page | The main page or opening page of a website. The home page usually contains links to the other pages on the website. |
| Modem | A device that enables a computer to send and receive information over a telephone line (internet, email, fax). |
| Netiquette | Network etiquette : a set of informal rules defining proper behaviour on the internet. |
| Portal | A website that acts as a gateway or entry point to the internet (for example, Yahoo). Typically, a portal offers a search engine and links to other sites grouped into categories, as well as news or other services. |
| Program | A sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute in order to do a particular job. Programs are collectively referred to as ‘software’. |
| Provider | Company that provides access to the internet. |
| Scannar | A piece of hardware, or peripheral device, used to scan a document and create a digital copy. |
| Screenshot | An image of what is displayed on the screen of a computer or mobile device. |
| Software | A collection of programs and other operating information used by a computer. |
| Spam | Unwanted, irrelevant or inappropriate e-mail messages, especially commercial advertising. Also referred to as ‘junkmail’. |
| Spyware | Software that collects information, without your knowledge, about your web-surfing habits, and uses it for marketing purposes. Very often contained in free downloads or shareware programs. |
| Trojan | A computer program that is hidden in a useful software application and actually used to gain access to your computer. It then performs malicious actions such as displaying messages or erasing files.Trojans may be found in a hacked legitimate program or in free software. |
| Video conference | Interactive, audiovisual meeting between two or more people in different geographic locations using two-way video technology. |
| Virus | A malicious self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents, and whose sole intent is to cause problems on a computer. It acts in a similar way to a biological virus, and the infected file is called a ‘host’. |
| Worm | A self-replicating computer program, similar to a computer virus. It infects additional computers (typically by making use of network connections), often clogging networks and information systems as it spreads. |
| wysiwyg | What you see is what you get (pronounced ‘ wizzy-wig’). A WYSIWYG application enables you to see on the screen exactly what will appear when the document is printed. |
| www | World Wide Web : a hypertext information system consisting of a network of web pages which runs on the internet and can be accessed with a browser. |
| Zip | To zip a file is to compress it so that it occupies less storage space and can be transferred quickly over the internet. |
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