Damm Coyote's

Glossary Of Terms

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions. A text file that provides information to answer common questions that users may have about a particular topic, service, or product. The correct pronunciation is fack.

Fast track
An HTTP server from Netscape Communications. FastTrack is available for Windows NT, and a Windows 95 version is in development.

FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface. A standard for transmitting data on optical fiber cables at a rate of around 100M baud.

FidoNet
A Network of computers started 1984 that exchanges e-mail, files, and discussion groups.FidoNet Region 12.

File
A collection of data or program information stored magnetically on a disk.

File attribute
See attribute.

File compression
Compress the size of files for easier storage or transfer. The UNIX compress utility and WinZip are good examples.

File format
The way information is structured in a file. Applications always store data files in a particular format. A format readable by one application may not be readable by another application.

File name
A name assigned to a file when the file is first written on a disk. Every file on a disk must have a unique name.

File transfer
Moving or transmitting a file from one location to another. see FTP

Filter
A program or feature that lets users sort through data. Filters typically refer to e-mail programs used to send e-mail messages to a particular mail folder.

Finger
An Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. Finger is also sometimes used to give access to non-personal information, but the most common use is to see if a person has an account at a particular Internet site. Many sites dis-allow incoming Finger requests.

Fire Wall
A combination of hardware and software that separates a network into two or more parts for security purposes. A firewall disables some of the packet-sharing network facilities to protect a network connected to the Internet from being accessed by unauthorized users via the Internet. Users inside a Fire Wall must use a Proxy server to access the outside net. Gauntlet Firewalls.A toolkit and method for Internet firewalls.

Flame
An inflammatory remark or message, usually associated with e-mail or with an article posted to a network newsgroup.

Flame War
When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debaters, rather than discussion of their positions.

Folders
Special files used for storing e-mail messages.

Flooded
A page rendered unreadable because of a poorly chosen background image. See also wrackground image.

Floppy disk
A small, removable disk used to store files that can be inserted in and removed from a disk drive. Also referred to as a diskette. See disk drive.

Foo, Bar, and Foobar
These words are used as placeholders in descriptions and instructions. (Such as cd foo, or cd foo than cd bar. Or just cd foobar.)

Font
A set of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols that are a given size and design.

Foreground
Thr area of the screen that the active window occupies. See also background.

Foreground Application
The application you are working with. The foreground application appears in the active window. See also background.

Form
A Web document used for gathering information from the reader. Most forms have at least one text field where you can enter text data. More sophisticated forms also include check boxes, radio buttons and submit buttons.

FORTRAN
Formula Translator. A high level programming language for programs dealing primarily with mathematical formulas and expressions similar to algebra and used primarily in scientific and technical applications.

Forwarding
Directing e-mail from one e-mail box to another.
2)
Sending an e-mail message to a third party.

FQDN
Fully Qualified Domain Name. The official name assigned to a computer. Such as Ibm.com or yahoo.com.

Frames

Rectangular Web page areas that contain separate chunks of text, graphics, and HTML. In other words you can use frames to divide a single Web page into two or more separate pages.

Freenet
A community based server that serves a on a non-profit basis.

Freeware
Software that is free on the Internet.The Freeware Hall of Fame.

Frequently Asked Questions List
A list of questions that, over the history of a newsgroup or Web site, have come up most often.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol. The method for retrieving or sending, a file to or from another Internet computer and coping it to your own. See also anonymous FTP.FTP Network Working Group

ftp
The UNIX command that runs the FTP client.

FTP program
An application software program that works with the File Transfer Protocol to transfer files between computers over the Internet.

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