Internet and Personal Computing Fads

by James Van Roekel, Mary Berry, MaryAnn Bell

Overview

An easy-to-understand guide to often-confusing computer/Internet jargon!

Internet and Personal Computing Fads is an A-to-Z reference book written in a straightforward style that’s informative enough for library use but informal enough for general reading. This essential guide takes a practical look at the most often-seen computer and Internet terms and describes them in easy-to-understand language.

From Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to Hypertext to Y2K, more than 100 entries are included, featuring historical backgrounds, popular and practical uses, interesting "fun facts," and bibliographies. Detailed enough for reference use by academics, the book has a natural tone that will appeal to students, casual computer users, and those who are intrigued by the chaotic, fascinating, but often frustrating and daunting morass of information known today as the World Wide Web.

A perfect introduction to the world of computers and the Internet, this book presents brief, jargon-free explanations of terms representing a variety of fields of interest, including general computer use, business, entertainment, multimedia development, and education. You'll learn about:

• artificial intelligence
• the history of computer hardware
• the "Mac vs. PC" debate
• Internet domains such as ".com," ".edu," ".gov," and others
• the meanings of commonly used e-mail abbreviations, including BTW, FYI, LOL, and more
• distance learning
• the origin and meaning of the word "cyberspace"
• and a great deal more!

In clear and concise entries, Internet and Personal Computing Fads will help you understand the meaning of terms including:

• bandwidth
• biometrics
• bookmarks
• CAD (computer-assisted design)
• chat rooms
• clip art
• cookies
• cybercafé
• digital audio, video, imaging, and cameras
• dot com
• e-mail, e-books and e-zines
• electronic publishing
• emoticons
• filtering
• freeware (shareware)
• gaming
• Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
• instant messaging
• Internet advertising
• Linux
• MIDI
• mp3
• Spam (Internet junk mail)
• URL
• usenet
• and many, many more!

An everyday guide for enthusiasts and a perfect place to start for newcomers, Internet and Personal Computing Fads is an easy-to-use handbook with wide-ranging appeal. It combines the comprehensive information you’d expect from a reference book with a casual and colorful look at the histories and backgrounds of popular computer/Internet terms and concepts. As a vital resource or an occasional reference, this book is an exceptional value.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780789017727
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/07/2004
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

James Van Roekel. Mary Berry, Sam Houston University, Huntsville, USA. MaryAnn Bell

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction Acceptable Use Policy Artificial Intelligence Bandwidth Biometrics Blogging Bookmarks Bots CAD Chat and E-Mail Abbreviations Chat Rooms Clip Art Comic Sites Commercialization Compression Computer Dating Computer Simulation Computer Visualization Convergence Cookies Copyright Cybercafes Cyberspace Cybersquatting/Domain Hijacking Cybrarian Deep Web Digital Audio Digital Camera Digital Cinema Digital Imaging Digital Video Distance Learning Domains Dot-Com Early Adopters Easter Eggs E-Books Electronic Publishing E-Mail Emoticons ENIAC E-Zines Filtering Gaming Geek Speak Global Positioning Systems Globalization Gopher Graphical User Interface History of Computer Hardware Hoax Sites HTML Hyperfiction Hypertext Information Society Instant Messaging Internet Acronyms Internet Advertising Internet Providers Internet Radio IRC Linux Luddite Mac versus PC Media Streaming MIDI MP3s MUDs Multimedia..Part Contents

What People are Saying About This

Marshall W. Fishwick

WELL RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN, WITH EXCELLENT BIBLIOGRAPHIES, this book gives an overview of the world of computer technology and the Internet. A VALUABLE NEW WIDE-RANGING BOOK. . . . Helpful for everyone. Included are historical information, many definitions and warning signs (such as deadly viruses) and interesting predictions about where we are going. (Professor of Humanities and Popular Culture, Virginia Tech; Author of "Probing Popular Culture: On and Off the Internet")

Carol Simpson

An encyclopedic look at Internet buzz words. . . . SURE TO ENLIGHTEN EVEN THE MOST SAVVY. . . . Provides one-stop shopping for the hottest terms. Brief bibliographies provide more complete information, if needed. A feature of this work is that not only are there definitions, but coping strategies are also included. How to deal with all these culture-benders may be the most outstanding facet of this book. (Assistant Professor, University of North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences)