Glossary

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Address

The numerical location of a web site. Example: 206.103.179.190. The first six digits are a country location, the next three are a server computer location, and the last three are a location on the server computer. The numbers can range from 0 to 255.

Alias

The process of typing a shortcut to play a line to channel or chat window. A macro designed to do something that is triggered by a /shortcut.

ASCII

(pronounced "Ask-ee") An acronym for American Standard Code for Information Exchange, ASCII is an international standard in which numbers, letters, punctuation marks, symbols and control codes are assigned numbers from 0 to 127. Easily transferred over networks, ASCII is a plain, unadorned text without style or font specifications.

Bot

Short for infobot, robot, or knowbot; a program used to search the Internet for data.

A program commonly found on IRC that keeps channels open and regulates control of the channel. On the Undernet we have the bots, W and X. Other bots such as Trivbot perform different types of duties, such as the game of Trivia.

Channels

A 'Chat Room' on IRC, or Internet Relay Chat. AOL calls them 'rooms', but on IRC, we refer to them as channels.

Chat

A means of communicating with people on the Internet by typing statements into your computer, and having the other person do so as well.

Client

Software that allows you to retrieve information from the Internet and the Web. For the purposes of this website, we refer to mIRC and PIRCH as the two most commonly used chat clients.

Clones

A clone is usually a user connected multiple times to an IRC network under the same host. Generally speaking, they are not allowed.

DCC:

DCC = Direct Client to Client connection. This can be used to chat securely from computer to computer, or it is also used to transfer files from one computer to another.

Domain

An organizational address that has been registered. Example: www.altavista.com, or www.ircbeginner.com. Domain names are used to make finding a site easier. Without domain names, one would have to keep a list of numerical internet addresses like 123.243.321.135.

Download

To transfer to your computer a copy of a file that resides on another computer. On IRC, we transfer text files, document files, picture files, and music files. It's an excellent way of getting to know each other better -- but use your DCC function wisely and ONLY download files from people you know and trust.

DNS

An acronym for Domain Name Server, DNS refers to a database of Internet names and addresses which translates the names to the official Internet Protocol numbers and vice versa.

Emoticon

Emoticons are the putting together of symbols to create something. For example, this is a sideways smiley :), this is a wink ;), and this is a frown :(.

FAQ

This is the acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. A common feature on the Internet, FAQs are files of answers to commonly asked questions. Most sites will suggest that you read the FAQ's offered before writing into the support department with your question.

Firewall

This term refers to security measures designed to protect a networked system from unauthorized or unwelcome access. A highly recommended firewall many of us use is Zone Alarm.

Flooding

Flooding is simply the transmission of large amounts of data to either a channel or user. There are basicically three types of flooding

1. Text Floods: Usually sent to a channel window and meant to gain attention.
   
   
2. DCC Floods: Not as common as they used to be, but they were popular several years ago, and labeled DCC Bombs. When a person would open up their DCC chat request window, the sending party would flood the window with garbage, usually causing your system to hang, or crash (been there, done that...ouch!).
   
   
3. CTCP Floods: This is the most common form that flooders choose to use. They will send multiple CTCP (Client to Client Protocol) requests to our clients (i.e. mIRC). The requests can come in the form of pings, versions, time, etc..any of the CTCP commands available. This in turn causes us to send too many replies back, which is what causes us to be disconnected. Servers are pretty strict on the amount of information a single person can send at once. Flooders get by with it because they run clones on the IRC networks. A clone is a multiple connection from the same host. mIRC has some built-in flood protection, but it is not always adequate. Ops generally find themselves a good flood-protection script, since CTCP floods are a regular and annoying occurance.

Freeware

Software that has been developed and is provided free of charge. The developer still retains rights to the software.

FTP

(File Transfer Protocol) Methods of transferring files to and from remote computers. For instance, I use FTP to upload all the pages to this website. When you download a file off this site, you are using FTP to facilitate that download.

GIF:

(Graphics Interchange Format ) A visual image file.

G-Line

A G-Line is a global ban set by an IRCop against individual user(s) who are detected running clone bots or doing other types of flooding or activities that waste IRC resources. A g-line is normally set for one hour and bans the person from ALL Undernet servers.

GPL

GPL - Gnu Public License. This basically means you have permission to run the program, copy the program, modify the program, distribute the modified program, but you cannot add restrictions of your own. This is statement is part of the "Copyleft" twist on the standard copyright law. More info is available from http://www.gnu.org.

Host

A computer on a network that provides services to other computers on the network.

Unless you have your own server, you need a hosting company who provides a server or computer that is connected to the Internet and makes your Web pages available on the Internet.

Generally speaking, the 'host' is the computer you log into to access your internet connection.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language -- HTML is a universal language that allows computers of all types and operating systems to communicate to one another./dd>

HTML is used to tag various parts of a Web document so browsing software will know how to display that document's links, text, graphics and attached media.

ICMP Dos Attacks

ICMP - Internet Control Message Protocol. Many times people will try to disconnect someone from IRC by using ICMP packets. This means your computer connection is overwhelmed by someone else sending it information, and since the computer can't disseminate all the information, you are disconnected.

Internet

A network of computers that is inter-connected around the world.

Internic

The primary registration services and directory for the American part of the Internet.

IP

Internet Protocol - IP refers to the set of communication standards that control communications activity on the Internet. An IP address is the number assigned to any Internet-connected computer.

IRC

Internet Relay Chat - A computerized way for people to congregate and chat together. IRC is the reason this website came into being :)

ISP

ISP = Internet Service Provider. It's the service that you connect through to access either the Internet or IRC.

Ircle

Ircle is an IRC client for the MacOS. Visit the official Ircle Homepage.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group - JPEG is an image compression format used to transfer color photographs and images over computer networks. Along with GIF, it's one of the most common ways photos are moved over the Web. All of the pictures you see on this site are either .gif or .jpg formats.

K-Line

A K-line is a domain ban set by an IRCop, and set specifically on the server the IRCop happens to administer. An entire ISP is generally affected by these bans, and the ban can be for an indefinite period of time. If you find your ISP is banned from a server, try a different server. If you'd like to speak with the server administrator, type /admin servername, for example, /admin dallas.tx.us.undernet.org.

Lag

Lag is the time it takes for an entered message to be read by others. This time is usually measured in seconds, with less than 10 seconds acceptable. However, when the net is unstable, it is not uncommon to find several minutes of 'lag' between one person and another. During these times, if you want to talk with someone in particular, it can be helpful to join up onto the same server they are on, or use DCC to carry on a more secure, and definitely less-lagged conversation.

mIRC

A chat client written by Khaled Mardam-Bey, allowing users to chat with people from all over the world, all using IRC services.

Netsplit

When a server is unable to keep the communication going with the next server in line, it will disconnect, or split away. It will usually rejoin very soon.

Netstat

Netstat displays the status of network connections on either TCP, UDP, RAW, or UNIX sockets to the system.

Nuke

A Nuke is a faked ICMP packet sent to your client connection which makes it think it lost it's connection, thus you are disconnected.

!PING !PONG

PING = Packet InterNet Groper. In real words, !PING is your server saying "Are you here?" !PONG is your chat software saying "Here I am!". Packet InterNet Groper.

Popup

The process of clicking your mouse to play a line to channel or chat window. A macro designed to do something that is triggered by a 'mouse click'.

RFC

RFC stands for Request for Comments and are a framework for Internet procesures, and are always a work in progress. Every Internet procedure such as WWW, FTP, Archie, etc, has an RFC.

Server

A computer system that manages and delivers information for client computers. Right now, we are hosted on a web server. IRC is hosted on volunteered server space located on various machines around the world. The hosting companies do not receive any monies for this, but consider the donation of server space an act of 'good-will'.

Shareware

Software which can be used for free for a trial period, after which a small payment is expected. Generally downloaded from the Net.

Sounds

The process of playing and listening to music and/or sound files through our computers while on IRC.

Spam

Unsolicited ads trying to sell something we usually don't need ;)

TCP/IP

(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) The communications protocol that connects your computer to the Internet.

Trojan

A program that comes in secretly and quietly, but it carries a destructive payload. Once you become infected by the worm or virus that that Trojan carries into your computer, it can be very difficult to repair the damage. Trojans often carry programs that allow someone else to have total and complete access to your computer. Trojans usually come attached to another file, such as a .avi, or .exe, or even a .jpg.
Many people do not see full file extensions, so what may appear as games.zip in reality could be games.zip.exe. Once the person opens up this file, the Trojan goes to work, many times destroying the computer's funcionability.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator - the addressing system used in the World Wide Web and other Internet resources. The URL contains information about the method of access, the server to be accessed and the path of any file to be accessed.

Virus

A program that is very damaging to your computer should it infect your system. Running an antivirus program such as Inoculate, is very beneficial in stopping the threat of computer meltdown.

Worm

A worm is a program designed as a file that multiplies itself by sending itself to everyone listed in either your Outlook directory, OR...autosends files to others on IRC and ICQ.