Internet Dictionary
Click on a letter to see the relevant terms: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
Backbone There are three levels in the Internet hierarchy of communication speeds: the backbone, the transit level, and the stub level. The backbone is the highest level (fastest). It refers to fastest communication lines on the Internet.
Bandwidth The number of bits per second that can be transmitted through a communication path. For instance, a T1 line has a bandwidth of 1.54 Mbps. Some parts of the Internet backbone have speeds of 10 Gbps (1 gigabit = 1000 Mbps).
Baseband Any transmission path that transmits only one signal at a time. For example, the connecting cables between networked computers are baseband because they carry only one digital signal at a time. This differs from a broadband cable such as a TV cable that transmits many separate signals or channels at the same time.
Basic A high-level programming level. It's called high-level because the commands are much closer to human language than machine language, which is a low-level language.
Baud The number of symbols per second sent through a communication path. For instance, 300 baud means you can send 300 alphabet letters per second.
BBS Visualize an ordinary bulletin board where people can read and post messages. By programming a server in the right way, you can create an electronic bulletin board that does the same thing. In other words, messages can be posted or stored on the server's hard disk, and later read or downloaded by other people. A BBS is a bulletin board system that allows you to post new messages, read old messages, reply to messages, etc.
Bit An abbreviation for binary digit. A decimal number like 856 has three decimal digits. A binary number like 10110 has five binary digits or bits. The bit is the smallest unit of binary data. If you want to send information to someone, you have to send them a certain number of bits. The smallest amount of information is one bit. For instance, yes-no information can be coded with only one bit as follows: 1 = yes and 0 = no. As another example, always-often-seldom-never can be coded with two bits as follows: 11 = always, 10 = often, 01 = seldom, and 00 = never. Did you get the idea? Strings of binary digits or bits can be used to code all kinds of information. The more complicated the information, the more bits you need.
Bitmap A graphic image on a computer screen created by a mosaic of small squares called pixels. The image may appear almost perfect because the pixels are very small. For instance, on a standard VGA screen there are 640 pixels across by 480 pixels down. The product of 640 by 480 gives a total of 307,200 pixels. In other words, there are 307,200 pixels or small squares that may be independently used to create a picture. A bitmap file is the coded data that tells the computer which pixels to turn on and what color they should be. There are many ways to code a bitmap. For instance, bitmap files used with the Windows operating system have a .bmp extension. On the other hand, most bitmap files used on the Internet have either a .gif or .jpg extension.
Bookmark This has two meanings. First, typical browsers allow you to create a list of your favorite web pages, ones that you want to revisit in later sessions. The web pages on this list of favorites are called bookmarks. Second, a bookmark can also refer to a destination on the same page as its link. For instance, all of this glossary is on one web page. Any link in the glossary list above will take you to a destination on this page. As an example, the next yellow word defined below is a "Bottleneck". This is a bookmark, because it is a destination on the same page as the link that points to it. When you click on a glossary link, you arrive at its bookmark almost instantly because it is on the same web page. Since this web page is already in your computer's RAM, there's little delay getting to the bookmark. On the other hand, when you click a link to another URL, you have to wait for some remote server to download the new page into your RAM.
Boot sector The word "boot" is short for bootstrap, as in pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. When a computer is turned on, a short piece of special code called the boot sector is loaded into the RAM. This special code loads the operating system into the RAM.
Bottleneck When too many users are on line, you may get a bottleneck, a noticeable slowdown in Internet speed. One way to get a bottleneck is when a lot of users are trying to access the same web site. In this case, the server at the web site may not be able to keep up with the traffic, which results in your having to wait until the server gets around to your request. Another way to get a bottleneck is when too many users are routed into a slow communication path. For instance, if you are the only person using a T1 line, your bandwidth is 1.54 Mbps and your communication is very fast. But suppose 100 people are simultaneously using the same T1 line, then the user bandwidth shrinks to 15.4 Kbps, a much slower Internet speed. Milo Medin of @Home believes his company can eliminate both server and line bottlenecks to attain a user bandwidth of 10 Mbps. The plan is to use cable modems and the existing cable TV infrastructure. A user bandwidth of 10 Mbps means you will be able watch live Internet movies on demand with the same quality you currently get with an ordinary TV. Of course, you don't have to watch movies. You will be able to see live opera from La Scala, ballet from the Bolshoi, and tour all those faraway places you ever wanted to visit in real time. The world will be your oyster when user bandwidths equal 10 Mbps.
Bps This stands for bit per second. It indicates the speed at which a device or communication path can transfer data. For instance, a typical data modem has a speed of 28.8 Kbps. This means it can transfer digital data at a rate of 28,800 bits per sec.
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