Glossary of Internet Service Related Terms

LAN

An acronym for Local Area Network, LAN refers to a local network that connects computers located on the same floor or in the same building or nearby buildings

LCD Monitor

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. This monitor contains the screen and displays images sent from the graphics board. These monitors have a “crystal” clear picture and are used in most monitors today. LCD monitors range in size from 15in.-21in. The 17 inch screen is the most commonly used.

Leased Line

Fiber optic cable or telephone line that is rented for 24/7 use from your location to another location, the highest speed data connections require a leased line.

Link

A link generally refers to any highlighted words or phrases in a hypertext document that allow you to jump to another section of the same document or to another document on the World Wide Web.

Link Farm

A set of web pages that have been built for the sole purpose of increasing the number of incoming links to a web site. This is done in order to increase link popularity and search engine rankings. Link farms usually require a reciprocal link from sites seeking listings. Link farms are a known spam tactic and sites that participate in them are likely to be penalized or banned from the major search engines.

Link Popularity

The number of other related Web sites that link to your site. In terms of search engine positioning, quality links are more important than the number of links. Search engines are now nullifying or penalizing sites using some link farms and link exchanges such as FFA (Free For All) sites popular with mass search engine submission programs.

Link Rot

A colloquial expression referring to the tendency of hyperlinks to "decay" as their destination sites are purged from their host servers. Users experience "link rot" as hyperlinks that lead nowhere, or that prompt "Error 404: file not found" messages.

Linkage

Instructions that connect one program to another, providing continuity of executions between the programs

Linux

A version of the Unix operating system designed to run on PCs. Controversial because it has been developed as part of the Open Sources movement and given away free of charge. Very popular for Web servers and appliances.

Linux

Similar to UNIX operating system, Linux is the open source version of the popular system. Linux is available for anyone to use or change as long is it remains public.

List Administrator

A list administrator is a person who manages a mailing list, adds and deletes members, and tends to the general administrative details of maintaining the list. The list administrator sometimes moderates the discussion and intervenes when there are disputes or flame wars.

Listserv

The heart of an electronic mailing list, Listserv software automatically subscribes and unsubscribes list members and sends copies of every e-mail message to every list subscriber.

Logger

A hard copy device used primarily to record events which occur during a process.

Login

The act of entering in your credentials, usually username and password, to connect to a computer system or web site. Also the non-secret account name used to gain access to a computer system.

Login Name

A login name is the account name used to access a computer system. Also called user ID or user name, it is a way people identify themselves to their online service or Internet access provider.

Logon

To sign on to a computer system.

LOL

An abbreviation for laughing out loud, LOL is used in various online communications such as e-mail messages or postings to newsgroups or BBSs. LOL usually appears in brackets like this and denotes a humorous reaction to something

LookSmart

A Web site directory that provides commercial search listings. Probably the least important (time:results) of the medium-sized directories for webmasters to get listed in.

Lotus Notes

A Lotus Development Corporation software package that provides electronic mail, database design, storage, and processing capabilities.

Lurker

A lurker is a slang term for someone who regularly reads newsgroup, BBS, or mailing list discussions, but rarely participates in them.

Lycos

Lycos is another popular search engine available on the World Wide Web, once a leader, it has now taken a backseat to larger engines like Yahoo and Google.

Lynx

Lynx is a type of browser designed to work with text-only Internet connections like dial-up UNIX shell accounts. Lynx requires VT100 terminal emulation, which most terminal programs support, and enables you to select and navigate links within Web documents