The internet terms you should know
Sometimes it seems the internet speaks its own language but don’t worry if you’re feeling a tad confused, we’ve found the meanings of the most common internet terms for you.
Bandwidth – This describes the rate at which data travels from the internet to your computer in a fixed amount of time. The greater the bandwidth, the faster the data will travel and the faster your internet will be.
Bookmark – A bookmark (or favourite) is a record of a web address that enables you quick access in the future.
Browser – This is the software program that enables you to access the internet and view web pages. The most commonly used browsers are Internet Explorer (often called IE), Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, and Chrome.
Buffering – Buffering is when your computer preloads data into a reserved area of memory (the buffer). So when you click play on a video or song on the internet (like on YouTube), you’ll have an advanced supply of data which prevents video disruption. However depending on your internet connection your video may not play smoothly and will need to “buffer” for a while before the clip can play.
Cookies – These are small pieces of data and information sent to your computer by a website you’ve visited. For example, cookies remember your login details and other preferences on websites you frequent often. They cannot store viruses but can be used to track your activity across different websites so that you receive more personalised or targeted advertising.
Downloading – When you make a personal copy of something you find on the internet, you have downloaded it. Music, movies and software files are the most commonly downloaded items from the internet.
Malware – A broad term used to describe any type of malicious software that seeks to steal information on your computer or to vandalise your computer in some way.
Streaming – When you watch videos or listen to music online straight from the website, this is called streaming. It is different to downloading a file to the computer.
URL – The Uniform Resource Locator is the unique address of any webpage, usually beginning with https://www. and ending with .com. No two web address are the same.
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