Glossary of Technical Terms

Cache

When you visit a web page, your web browser will store the page on your computer in something called a cache. If you visit the same page more than once, your browser will go to the version saved in the cache to save time. That's a good thing, but it might also mean that you're seeing an older version of the web page. You need to clear out your cache to get rid of the older version.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

The company that provides access from your home computer to the Internet. An ISP usually charges you a fee every month.

Firewall

A set of programs that is designed to keep unwanted or unsafe information from getting to your computer through an Internet connection. It's like a locked door that blocks intruders.

Flash Player

A flash player is a computer program that lets you listen to music and sound and watch video and animation on your computer. When you connect to an Internet site that uses music or graphics, your flash player will help you interact with that site.

Modem

A device that takes the signal from your computer and transforms it so it can be sent over a telephone line.

Pixel

Every picture on you see on a computer screen is actually made up of tiny little squares. Each of these squares is called a pixel.

Port

Your computer has many ports. When information arrives at your computer from the Internet, one of the ports will receive that information.

Router

A router is kind of like a traffic officer. When information from a computer reaches a router, the router decides which path on the Internet that information will travel.

Screen Resolution

A measurement that tells you how detailed an image on a computer is displayed. The measurement shows how many pixels are in an image. The more pixels you have, the more detailed your image will be.

Server

A server is a system of computers that delivers information and programs to other computers that are connected to it over the Internet. To play Club Penguin, you have to connect to one of Club Penguin's servers.

Spyware

A company can download a spyware program without you even knowing about it. The program monitors your activity on the Internet. It can interfere when you are trying to make an Internet connection or log on to a website.

Virus

A dangerous computer program that can harm the software running on your computer. You can download a virus off of the Internet without knowing it.

Web Browser

When you log on to the Internet, you use a web browser to help you visit different sites. The name of your browser should be on the icon that you click on when you connect to the Internet. It will also appear at the top of your screen when you are connected.