Glossary

Here are some definitions of terms that appear in this tutorial, as well as terms you might come across when you're browsing the World Wide Web.

• Attachment: a file that someone sends you in an email document. It's a good rule to only open attachments from people you know and trust.
• Back button: a button on the navigation bar, usually in the shape of a backward pointing arrow, which takes you back to the last page you viewed.
• Download: to save files from the internet to your computer.
• Forward button: a button on the navigation bar, usually in the shape of a forward pointing arrow, which advances you to the next page in the list of pages you've recently viewed.
• Interface: the point of interaction or communication between a computer and a human user.
• Internet: a communications network that connects computers from all over the world.
• Link / Hyperlink: a word, phrase, or image that will lead you to a different page or area on the web. When you slide your mouse over a link, your cursor changes from an arrow to a hand with the pointer finger extended. Links are also called hyperlinks.
• Malware: "malicious software," including viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojan horses.
• Menu bar: the bar located right beneath the navigation bar on your web browser. This bar contains a number of important menus that will help you as you navigate the World Wide Web.
• Minimize: to replace a window on a computer display with a small icon which will restore the window when selected. A window can be minimized by clicking on the minimize button (which looks like a minus sign) in the top right-hand corner of the window.
• Navigation bar: also called the toolbar. This bar includes the buttons that will help you navigate the web, such as the Back button, the Forward button, the Refresh button, the Stop button, and the Home button.
• Refresh button: this button brings the web page you're viewing up again so that you can see if any information has changed.
• Stop button: this button stops the current web page from loading.
• Title bar: the blue bar in your web browser that shows the title of the page you're viewing.
• Toolbar: also called the navigation bar. This bar includes the buttons that will help you navigate the web, such as the Back button, the Forward button, the Refresh button, the Stop button, and the Home button.
• URL: URL stands for uniform resource locator. This is the address of a page or site on the World Wide Web.
• Web browser: a program that allows you to access information available on the World Wide Web. It reads the information on a web page and displays that information on your computer screen.
• Web page: also written often as one word, webpage. This is a single document, or page of information, on the World Wide Web. Each web page has a specific web address (URL).
• Web site: also written often as one word, website. This is a collection of web pages.
• World Wide Web: one part of the internet. It is often referred to as simply "the web." It was developed to make the internet easier for the average person to use.