CIS 1200 - Terms & Definitions
crisis mapping tool - a tool that collects information from emails, text messages, blog posts, and
Twitter tweets and maps them, making the information publicly available instantly
web 2.0 - tools and web-based services that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users
cognitive surplus - the combination of leisure time and the tools to be creative
crowdsourcing - obtaining information or input for a project by obtaining the opinions of many
different people
turing test - a computer and person respond to the same question; if the viewer cannot decipher
which is the computer, the computer is deemed intelligent
expert systems - a system that tries to replicate the decision-making processes of human experts in
order to solve specific problems
rules-based systems - software that asks questions and respond based on pre-programmed
algorithms
artificial neural networks (ANNs) - computer systems constructed based on the structure of the
human brain using loosely connected artificial neurons
hacktivism - using computers and computer networks in a subversive way to promote an agenda
binary digit (bit) - a digit that corresponds to the on and off states of a computer's switches. A bit
contains a value of either 0 or 1.
integrated circuits (chips) - tiny regions of semiconductor material that support a huge number of
transistors
digital convergence - the use of single unifying device to handle media, entertainment, internet, and
telephony needs
aspect ratio - the width-to-height proportion of a monitor
resolution - the clarity or sharpness of an image, reflects the number of pixels on the screen
machine cycle - the process of the CPU getting the data or information from RAM and decoding the
instructions into something the computer can understand. After decoding, the CPU executes and
stores the results back into system memory as the last step of the machine cycle.
,random access memory (RAM) - the computer's temporary storage space or short-term memory. It's
located in a set of chips on the system unit's motherboard, and its capacity is measured in megabytes
or gigabytes.
volatile storage - temporary storage, such as RAM. When the power is turned off, the data in volatile
storage is cleared out.
read-only memory (ROM) - a set of memory chips, located on the motherboard, that stores data and
instructions that cannot be changed or erased; it holds all the instructions the computer needs to
start up
non-volatile storage - permanent storage, as in ROM
solid-state drive (SSD) - a storage device that uses the same kind of memory that flash drives us but
that can reach data in only a tenth of the time a flash drive requires
universal serial bus (USB) - a port that can connect a wide variety of peripheral devices to the
computer, including keyboards, printers, mice, smartphones, external hard drives, flash drives, and
digital cameras
client - a computer that requests information from a server in a client/server network
server - a computer that provides resources to other computers on a network
client/server network - a type of network that uses servers to deliver services to computers that are
requesting them (clients)
internal protocol (IP) address - the means by which all computers connected to the internet identify
each other. It consists of a unique set of four numbers separated by dots.
really simple syndicator (RSS) - an XML-based format that allows frequent updates of content on the
web
aggregator - a software program that finds and retrieved the latest update of web material according
to your specifications
secure sockets layer - a network security protocol that provides for the encryption of data transmitted
using the Internet
domain name - a part of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Domain name consists of 2 parts: the
site's host and a suffix that indicates the type of organization.
, file transfer protocol (FTP) - a protocol used to upload and download files from one computer to
another over the internet
host - the portion of a domain name that identifies who maintains a given website
top-level domain - the suffix, often of three letters, in the domain name that indicates the kind of
organization the host is
path - the information after the slash that indicates a particular file or path within the website
search engine optimization (SEO) - designing a website to ensure ranking near the top of search
engine results
boolean operators - words used to refine logical searches. For internet searches, the words AND, NOT,
and OR describe the relationships between keywords in the search.
proprietary software - custom software application that's owned and controlled by the company that
created it
open source software - program code made publicly available for free; it can be copied, distributed, or
changed without the stringent copyright protections of proprietary software products
locally installed software - software that is installed on your device's internal storage
software as a service (SaaS) - software that's delivered on demand over the internet
subscription software - a model whereby the user pays a fee to use the software. The software is
downloaded and installed locally but is routinely updated by connection to the manufacturer's server.
beta version - a version of the software that's still under development. Many beta versions are
available for a limited trial period and are used to help the developers correct any errors before they
launch the software on the market.
system requirements - the set of minimum storage, memory capacity, and processing standards
recommended by the software manufacturer to ensure proper operation of a software application
restore point - a type of backup that doesn't affect your personal data files but saves all the apps,
updates, drivers, and information needed to restore your computer system to the exact way it's
configured at that time
full installation - the process of installing all the files and programs from the distribution media to the
computer's hard drive
crisis mapping tool - a tool that collects information from emails, text messages, blog posts, and
Twitter tweets and maps them, making the information publicly available instantly
web 2.0 - tools and web-based services that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users
cognitive surplus - the combination of leisure time and the tools to be creative
crowdsourcing - obtaining information or input for a project by obtaining the opinions of many
different people
turing test - a computer and person respond to the same question; if the viewer cannot decipher
which is the computer, the computer is deemed intelligent
expert systems - a system that tries to replicate the decision-making processes of human experts in
order to solve specific problems
rules-based systems - software that asks questions and respond based on pre-programmed
algorithms
artificial neural networks (ANNs) - computer systems constructed based on the structure of the
human brain using loosely connected artificial neurons
hacktivism - using computers and computer networks in a subversive way to promote an agenda
binary digit (bit) - a digit that corresponds to the on and off states of a computer's switches. A bit
contains a value of either 0 or 1.
integrated circuits (chips) - tiny regions of semiconductor material that support a huge number of
transistors
digital convergence - the use of single unifying device to handle media, entertainment, internet, and
telephony needs
aspect ratio - the width-to-height proportion of a monitor
resolution - the clarity or sharpness of an image, reflects the number of pixels on the screen
machine cycle - the process of the CPU getting the data or information from RAM and decoding the
instructions into something the computer can understand. After decoding, the CPU executes and
stores the results back into system memory as the last step of the machine cycle.
,random access memory (RAM) - the computer's temporary storage space or short-term memory. It's
located in a set of chips on the system unit's motherboard, and its capacity is measured in megabytes
or gigabytes.
volatile storage - temporary storage, such as RAM. When the power is turned off, the data in volatile
storage is cleared out.
read-only memory (ROM) - a set of memory chips, located on the motherboard, that stores data and
instructions that cannot be changed or erased; it holds all the instructions the computer needs to
start up
non-volatile storage - permanent storage, as in ROM
solid-state drive (SSD) - a storage device that uses the same kind of memory that flash drives us but
that can reach data in only a tenth of the time a flash drive requires
universal serial bus (USB) - a port that can connect a wide variety of peripheral devices to the
computer, including keyboards, printers, mice, smartphones, external hard drives, flash drives, and
digital cameras
client - a computer that requests information from a server in a client/server network
server - a computer that provides resources to other computers on a network
client/server network - a type of network that uses servers to deliver services to computers that are
requesting them (clients)
internal protocol (IP) address - the means by which all computers connected to the internet identify
each other. It consists of a unique set of four numbers separated by dots.
really simple syndicator (RSS) - an XML-based format that allows frequent updates of content on the
web
aggregator - a software program that finds and retrieved the latest update of web material according
to your specifications
secure sockets layer - a network security protocol that provides for the encryption of data transmitted
using the Internet
domain name - a part of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Domain name consists of 2 parts: the
site's host and a suffix that indicates the type of organization.
, file transfer protocol (FTP) - a protocol used to upload and download files from one computer to
another over the internet
host - the portion of a domain name that identifies who maintains a given website
top-level domain - the suffix, often of three letters, in the domain name that indicates the kind of
organization the host is
path - the information after the slash that indicates a particular file or path within the website
search engine optimization (SEO) - designing a website to ensure ranking near the top of search
engine results
boolean operators - words used to refine logical searches. For internet searches, the words AND, NOT,
and OR describe the relationships between keywords in the search.
proprietary software - custom software application that's owned and controlled by the company that
created it
open source software - program code made publicly available for free; it can be copied, distributed, or
changed without the stringent copyright protections of proprietary software products
locally installed software - software that is installed on your device's internal storage
software as a service (SaaS) - software that's delivered on demand over the internet
subscription software - a model whereby the user pays a fee to use the software. The software is
downloaded and installed locally but is routinely updated by connection to the manufacturer's server.
beta version - a version of the software that's still under development. Many beta versions are
available for a limited trial period and are used to help the developers correct any errors before they
launch the software on the market.
system requirements - the set of minimum storage, memory capacity, and processing standards
recommended by the software manufacturer to ensure proper operation of a software application
restore point - a type of backup that doesn't affect your personal data files but saves all the apps,
updates, drivers, and information needed to restore your computer system to the exact way it's
configured at that time
full installation - the process of installing all the files and programs from the distribution media to the
computer's hard drive
