Monday, March 12, 2001		Bits & Bytes

Platform: A general term referring to the type of computer, the type of operating system and the type of software being used.

POP3: Post-office Protocol. Used for downloading mail from your server to your computer.

Post: To compose a message for a Usenet newsgroup and then send it out for others to see.

Postmaster: The person to contact at a particular site to ask for information about the site or complain about one of his/her user’s behaviour

Protocol: The method used to transfer a file between a host system and your computer. There are several types, such as Kermit, Ymodem and Zmodem

Prompt: When the host system asks you to do something and waits for you to respond. For example, if you see ‘login’ it means type your user name.

Screen capture: A part of your communications software that opens a file on your computer and saves to it whatever scrolls past on the screen while connected to a host system.

Shell Account: One of the two types of access services provided by VSNL. Has all the standard Internet functionality except for graphical WWW access.

SLIP: Serial Line Internet Protocol. Used to turn home computers into Internet sites over a phone line.