Basic Navigation & Internet Terms
Navigation Terms
cursor - The pointer, usually arrow or cross shaped, which is controlled by the mouse.
highlight - to select by clicking once on an icon or by highlighting text in a document.
Click - To tap one of the mouse buttons.
Deselect - To remove the highlight from the selection by clicking or hitting esc
Double Click To press the mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse between clicks.
drag - to move the mouse while its button is being depressed.
drag and drop - a feature on the computer which allows one to drag the data from one place to the other on the computer.
Move – To move data using drag and drop
Point - align the pointer/cursor on an object on the screen display.
Right-Click - Clicking the right mouse button while your pointer is resting on an icon or page will almost always give you a menu that affects whatever your pointer is resting on. For instance, you can almost always delete something by right-clicking on it and choosing "Delete" from the menu that appears.
pointer (AKA Cursor) The name of the arrow (or other shape) that tracks across the screen as you move the mouse (or other pointing device) around.
resize box - Allows you to change the size and shape of a window.
scroll - to shift the contents of a window up or down, left or right, using the scroll bars to bring hidden items into view.
scroll bar - a bar at the bottom or right side of a window that contains the scroll box and allows scrolling.
scroll box - the box in a scroll bar that is used to navigate through a window.
Internet Terms
bookmarks - are pointers – primarily to URLs – built-in to the various Internet web browsers. Bookmarks have been incorporated into almost every browser since the Mosaic browser and are normally stored on the software client
browser - A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, and other information typically located on a web page at a website on the World Wide Web.
cookies - information stored on your hard drive containing data about your preferences and prior visits on certain web pages. Whenever you visit a web site and it seems to "remember you", it's because of cookies. information stored on your hard drive containing data about your preferences and prior visits on certain web pages.
download - to transfer data from one computer to another. (If you are on the receiving end, you are downloading. If you are on the sending end, you are uploading ).
firewall - it is a piece of hardware and/or software which functions in a networked environment to prevent some communications forbidden by the security policy, analogous to the function of firewalls in building construction.
hyperlink - Allows you to move from one web page document to another. It can be text which is usually underlined or a graphic. When you move your mouse over a hyperlink, the mouse cursor usually becomes a hand which indicates a hyperlink is present. Once you click on the link, you move to another web page document or to another place on the same web page.
Internet - A network of networks which incorporate a many organizations, physical lines, the ability to route data, and many services including email and web browsing.
ISP - Internet Service Provider is an organization that provides the ability to connect to the Internet for their customers. They also usually provide additional services such as e-mail and the ability to host web sites.
Java - A programming language used on web pages that runs on Unix, Mac, and Windows operating systems. Java is used to create chat rooms, animation, gaming, live news feeds (like stock tickers), and more.
plug-in - a subordinate application to your internet browser that allows for more specialized content to be displayed. Flash, Quick Time, Real Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader are all Plug-ins
server - a central computer dedicated to sending and receiving data from other computers (on a network).
Search Engine - Web application used to find resources on the Internet through the use of keywords.
Spam - unsolicited junk e-mail.
Spyware - Spyware is software that transmits information back to a third party without notifying the user.
upload - to send a file from one computer to another through a network.
URL - Uniform Resource Locator is the term used to describe a link which points to a location of a file on the internet.
virus - A program that runs on a system against the owner's or user's wishes and knowledge and can spread by infecting files or sending itself through e-mail.
worm - A term used to describe an unwanted program that uses system or application vulnerabilities to infect a computer without the user doing anything but connecting to an infected network.
WWW (World Wide Web) - A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a markup language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files.