Activity: Customizing Web Browser

S tart Internet Explorer (or Opera or Mozilla or whatever browser is available).

Find “Internet Options”.

Proceed with the following:

1. ClearYour Browser's Cache

All those files stored in your cache take up space, so from time to time, you may want to clear out the files stored in your cache to free up some space on your computer. This is called clearing the cache.

The Internet Options box should open to the General tab.

On the General tab, in the Temporary Internet Files section, click the Delete Files button. This will delete all the files that are currently stored in your cache.

2. Customize the Toolbar Buttons

By default, Internet Explorer 6 includes toolbar buttons for many common tasks, such as accessing your home page or your Favorites, printing, and getting e-mail. You can add and remove buttons to customize the toolbar.

1.On the Internet Explorer 6 View menu, click Toolbars, and click Customize.

Tip: You can also right-click anywhere on the Standard Buttons Toolbar to bring up the Toolbars menu. From here, click Customize.

2 .In the Customize Toolbar box, you have lots of options for adding, removing, and rearranging buttons.

3. Set a home page for the browser

Now write an instruction of your own!

Glossary

A

account - Within billing terminology, this represents a customer's product or service location.

address - (1) In a communications network, the identifying designation of an entity that is physically and/or logically distinct. (2) The destination of a message. (3) In software, a location that can be specifically referred to in a program. It can refer to a storage location, a terminal, a peripheral device, a cursor location or any other unit or component in a computer network.

applications software - The instructions that direct the hardware to perform specific functions. Common software applications include payroll, inventory control and electronic spreadsheets.

architecture - The interaction between hardware and software in a computing system to achieve the most economic, efficient, secure, rapid or low-maintenance system.

archive - A procedure for transferring information from an on-line storage diskette or memory area to an off-line storage medium.

artificial intelligence - The capability of a computer to perform functions that are normally associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning or self-improvement.

assembler - (1) A program capable of translating assembly code into digit code. The first major step in the automation of software development. Permitting symbolic (i.e., named) references to storage locations, rather than requiring the use of numbers, and eliminating the necessity to program in binary or other machine language. Synonym: assembly program.

assembly code - Programming language with statements that may be instructions or declarations. The instructions usually have a one-to-one correspondence with machine instructions.

B

backup - The provision, logical or physical, of facilities to speed the process of restart and recovery following failure. Facilities may include duplicated files of transactions, periodic dumping of core or backing storage contents, duplicated processors, storage devices, terminals, telecommunications hardware or the switches to effect a changeover.

band - (1) The range of frequencies between two defined limits. (2) In reference to WATS, one of the six specific geographic service areas as defined by Sprint.

bandwidth - (1) The difference between the top and bottom limiting frequencies of a continuous frequency band. (2) Indicates the information-carrying capacity of a channel. Analog transmission usually expressed in kHz or MHz; digital transmission, bps, Mbps. Fiber-optic bandwidth is usually given as its capacity to transmit information in a specific time period for a specific length. (e.g. 10 Mbps/KM.) (3) Expressed in different measurements depending on transmission type.

BBS (bulletin board system) A network-based system for communicating and sharing information in the form of posted messages, usually on the Web. (The full term is sometimes presented as "bulletin board service.")

BETA test - The stage at which a new product is tested under actual usage conditions. The purpose of beta testing is to locate and correct potential problems before consumer marketing begins. Follows Alpha Testing.

binary - A number system based upon twos rather than tens and that uses only two characters, zero (0) and one (1).

binary digit - Unit of information in two-level digital notation which may be 0 or 1. A member selected from a binary set.

bit - (1) The smallest unit of coded information. (2) A pulse whose presence or absence indicates data. Abbreviation for binary digit.

bit transfer rate - The number of bits transferred per unit time, usually expressed in bits per second (bps).

blog - Slang for "weblog" - a whimsical truncation of the term. This slang term may also be used as a verb (as in "blogging")

bookmark- A shortcut to an Internet address stored in a Web browser.

Boolean- A term that originated in the in the realm of mathematics, and that is now commonly known for its application to search engine logic. A Boolean search allows for the inclusion or exclusion of documents containing certain keywords, using Boolean operators such as "and," "not" and "or."

booting - Technique for loading a program into a computer's memory in which the program's initial instructions direct the loading of the rest of the program. Usually, a few manual instructions must be entered on a keyboard, or a switch implemented to initiate the process.

broadband - (1) A transmission facility having a bandwidth of greater than 20 kHz and, therefore, capable of higher-speed data transmission. (2) Analog transmission technique used with data and video transmissions that provides multiple channels for users through frequency division multiplexing.

browser - A software program (also known as a "Web browser") used to locate and display information on the Internet or an intranet.

bug - (1) A mistake or malfunction. (2) A program defect or error. [In 1946 Grace Hopper detected a problem with an Eniac computer at the University of Pennsylvania. Investigation uncovered an insect lodged within the computer causing the malfunction. Hopper's exclamation, "There's a bug in the computer," coined a new word for computer error.]

byte - (1) The representation of a character. (2) A group of eight bits makes a byte. Typically a 16-bit "word" is itself divided into two bytes for handling. (3) Unit of measurement used to rate storage capacity of disks; usually the smallest addressable unit of information in a data store or memory. One thousand bytes is a kilobyte; one million bytes is a megabyte.

C

cache memory - A high-speed, buffer-type memory filled at medium speed from the main memory. [Programs and instructions found in the cache memory can be operated at higher speeds without the necessity of loading another segment.]

cathode ray tube (CRT) - A vacuum tube display in which a beam of electrons can be controlled to form alphanumeric characters or symbols on a luminescent screen, for example, by use of a dot matrix.

Card - A removable board that carries the necessary circuits for a particular computer function. Cards are designed to fit expansion slots provided by computer manufacturers.

character - (1) Any alphabetical letter, digit or special symbol. (2) In data transmission, the representation of a letter number or symbol by a specific code made up of binary digits.

coaxial cable - Cable consisting of an outer conductor surrounding an inner conductor, separated from each other by insulating material. It can carry a much higher bandwidth than a wire pair.

CODEC - Equipment containing a coder plus a decoder. Used to convert analog signals to digital form for transmission over a digital medium and back again to the original analog form.

column - Vertical arrangement of characters.

communication - Transmission of intelligence between two points (origin and reception) without alteration of sequence or structure of the information content.

computer - A device capable of solving problems or manipulating data by accepting data, performing prescribed operations on the data and supplying the results of these operations. Various types of computers are: analog computer, digital computer, calculator.

computer-aided design (CAD) - Automation of the performance of various operations according to graphic design specifications through the use of a special computer and peripherals.

computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) - Automation of the performance of various operations according to manufacturing specifications through the use of a special computer and peripherals.

computer-assisted instruction (CAI) - An application in which a stand-alone personal computer or system is used to teach. Applications usually involve a dialog between students and software programs which inform students of their mistakes in a real-time manner.

computer science - The study of computer hardware and software.

conference call - A connection established among three or more stations in such a manner that each of the stations is able to communicate with all the others.

configuration - The interconnection and programming of independent machines or equipment to operate as a system.

Content - In commercial publishing, content refers to graphic or textual information contained in documents. On the Internet, the term refers to the content of Web sites.

control unit (CU) - Central processor of a telephone switching device.

Cookie - A file placed on a computer's hard drive by a Web site that the computer user has visited. A code in this file uniquely identifies, or "registers," that user and can be accessed for a number of marketing and site-tracking purposes.

D

data - (1) Units of information. (2) Any representation, such as characters or analog quantities, to which meaning is or may be assigned.

database - An organized compilation of computerized bits. [Formalized rules exist for the establishment, control and access of a database.]

debug - Checking the logic of a program to isolate and eliminate the mistakes from a computer program or other software. Synonym: troubleshoot.

dedicated line - A permanently assigned path to specific data terminals which is not part of a switched network. Synonym: private line.

dial access - (1) Connection through the public switched telephone network. (2) Means of providing a terminal switched access to a service, network or computer.

dial-up - Use of a rotary or dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) telephone to initiate a station-to-station telephone call over the public switched network.

dial-up line - (1) A communications circuit that is established by a switched circuit connection. (2) Any circuit available over the public switched network.

diode - A two-electrode electron tube or its semiconductor equivalent. [Usually employed as liquid crystal diodes (LCD) or light emitting diodes (LED) and are especially applicable to portable computers.]

demodulation - Conversion of a signal from either digital or analog to its original form. Antonym: modulation.

disk - (1) A magnetic recording medium. (2) A magnetically coated platter that stores programs and data files. [The two main types of disks are hard disks and floppy disks.]

disk operating system (DOS) - The software that provides instructions for system hardware operation and data processing.

DNS - Stands for "Domain Name System". This service maps an internet domain name to an IP address and visa versa.

download - (1) Transferring files from one computer to another. (2) Loading fonts from a computer to a printer.

E

edit - (1) To prepare data for a later operation. (2) Functions such as the rearrangement or the addition of data, the deletion of unwanted data, format control, code conversion and the application of standard processes such as zero suppression.

electronic mail - (1) The electronic transmission of letters, messages and memos from one computer to another. (2) A computer-aided method of communication where an individual sends an on-line message to another individual via dial-up or dedicated access. See Bulletin Board.

emulate - (1) To imitate another system. (2) A method by which an imitating system can accept the same data, execute the same computer programs and achieve the same results as the original system.

enable - (1) To prepare a circuit for operation. (2) To allow an item to function.

encoding - (1) Inscribing or imprinting Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) characters on checks, deposits and other documents to be processed by a MICR reader. (2) The introduction of data on a medium such as a magnetic strip on plastic cards.

encryption - Conversion of data into code form for security purposes during transmission and decoding at the receiving end.

error - (1) A difference between a computer value and the theoretically correct value. (2) A malfunction that is not reproducible. (3) In data communications, any unwanted change in the original contents of a transmission.

error rate - Ratio of the number of signal elements (or data) incorrectly received to the total number transmitted. (2) The probability of an error occurring during the transmission of a message.

extract - A data synopsis from a given system which is passed to another system to complete processing.

F

Failure - A serious system problem that results in the termination or serious degradation of a software or hardware session.

file - (1) An organized, named collection of records treated as a unit. (2) The storage media on which these records are kept

firewall - An application or an entire computer (e.g., an Internet gateway server) that controls access to a network and monitors the flow of network traffic. A firewall can screen and keep out unwanted network traffic and ward off outside intrusion into a private network.

firmware - Computer programs that are embodied in a physical device that can form part of a machine. [Contrasted with software, which refers to the entire set of programs, procedures and documentation associated with a system, specifically computer programs, which are portable from one machine to another.]

flame - An electronically communicated insult or inflammatory comment that sets off a flood of outraged responses in e-mail messages, message board postings or any similar online forum.

G

gateway - Conceptual or logical network station that interconnects two otherwise incompatible networks, network nodes, subnetworks or devices.

gigabyte - One billion or one thousand million (109) bytes.

glitch - A hardware malfunction. [As opposed to a software error, called a bug.]

graphics - (1) Use of the computer for drawing lines under complete program control. (2) The on-line attachment of a vector scope and light pen to the computer, enabling the user and the computer to interact and jointly draw pictures on the face of the scope.

H

hertz (Hz) - International standard unit of frequency. [Replaces, and is identical to, the older unit cycles-per-second.]

hierarchy - The relationship of various accounts or entities within a multi-level structure.

I

infrared - Pertaining to the frequency range in the electromagnetic spectrum that is higher than radio frequencies but below the range of visible light.

initialize - To set counters, switches, addresses or contents of storage to zero or another starting value at the beginning of or at prescribed points in the operation of a computer routine.

input/output (I/O channel) - 1) A general term for equipment used to communicate with a computer. (2) The process of transmitting information from an external source to the computer, or from the computer to an external source. (3) Buffer area for the temporary storage of data.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - A switched network providing end-to-end digital connectivity for the simultaneous transmission of voice, data, video, imaging and fax over several multiplexed communications channels.

interactive - (1) A conversational mode between a user and computer system. (2) Action in more than one direction, either simultaneously or sequentially.

interface - (1) A hardware and software link between two devices. (2) The junction or point of interconnection between two systems of equipment having different characteristics. For example, a computer card that allows users to transmit data using a variety of telecommunications modes.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - An organization that promotes the development of standards to facilitate the international exchange of goods and services as well as develops mutual cooperation in areas of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.

International Record Carrier (IRC) - Exchange companies that offer telex and teletypewriter interconnect services.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - An entity that provides attachment to the Internet.

IT Communications Engineer - ITD Staff who work with the department through the Network Analyst to design the services required by the customer. May be involved directly with the department on particularly complex installations.

IT Communications Installer - ITD Staff who install services at the department's site.

IT Communications Services - The ITD Staff who provide voice, video and data services to campus.

J

jack - A connecting device having springs which make electrical contact with mating contacts of a plug

jitter - (1) A distortion caused by the variation of a signal from its references which can cause data transmission errors, particularly at high speeds. (2) Variations in amplitude, time, frequency or phase.

K

kilo - (1) Greek word meaning 1000. (2) Prefix in the international system of measurements. (Example: kilohertz, kilowatts, etc.)

K - (1) In the metric system, K means 1000. (Example: Km is 1000 meters). (2) In the computer industry, K means 210 or 1024 in decimal figures.

L

laptop computer - A portable personal computer (PC) that can be easily used in multiple environments.

line - Any communications path between two or more points, including satellite or microwave channels.

link - A communications path between two nodes in a network.

local area network (LAN) - An interconnecting multiple terminals, workstations, programs, storage and graphic devices within a relatively small geographic area.

loop - (1) A closed circuit. (2) The single connection from a switching center to an individual telecommunications instrument.

M

medium - [plural; media] (1) Material on which computer data is recorded, for example, magnetic tape, floppy diskette, winchester disk. (2) Any material substance that can be used for the propagation of signals from one point to another. (3) The communications forum chosen on marketing promotions and/or customer information.

megabyte - Literally 1,000,000 bytes; usually 1024 x 1024 bytes.

mega - (1) A Greek word meaning one million. (2) A prefix in the international system of measurements; for example: megabytes, that is one million bytes (106).

megahertz (Mhz) - 1,000,000 (106) cycles per second.

message - Complete transmission of data or text. Sometimes used interchangeably with block.

modem - [Contraction of Modulator-Demodulator.] A device which modulates and demodulates signals on a carrier frequency and allows the interface of digital terminals with analog carrier systems. [A modem is also known as a dataset.]

modulation - Alterations in the characteristics of carrier waves, usually impressed on the amplitude and/or the frequency, for the purpose of transferring information.

module - (1) A unit of something. (2) A unit of code performing a distinct function.

mouse - Hand-held device which is moved around on a flat surface in order to position the cursor on a video display.

multitasking - System that can run two or more programs at the same time. [Apple's Multifinder, AT&T's UNIX and IBM's OS/2 are multitasking operating systems. By contrast, MS-DOS is a single-tasking operating system.]

N

Network Administrator - Departmental Staff member responsible for administering and maintaining a network.

network architecture - The philosophy and organizational concept for enabling communications between equipment at multiple locations; detailed specifications outlining the processors, terminals and transmission media, protocols and software to be used to accomplish accurate communications.

node - (1) In network topology, a terminal of any branch of a network or a terminal common to two or more branches of a network. (2) In a switched network, the switching points, including patch and control facilities. (3) In a data network, the location of a data station which interconnects data transmission lines. (4) A point in a standing wave at which the amplitude is at a minimum. Synonyms: junction point, nodal point, vertex, null.

O

operating system - Software that controls the management and execution of programs.

offline - 1. Not connected to the Internet or another network— or not handled through such a connection. 2. Not under the direct control of a computer's central processing unit.

“open source” - Describes software that comes with permission to use, copy and distribute it, either as is or with modifications, and that may be offered either free or with a charge. The source code must be made available.

P

patch - (1) To make an improvised modification (2) To change a software routine in a rough or expedient way. (3) A temporary electrical connection.

peripheral - Any input/output device such as a printer or modem that is not a part of the main computer.

picture element (pixel) - (1) A single dot on a computer display. (2) The smallest discrete part of a video image, the size of which is controlled by an analog-to-digital conversion sampling process. [The more picture elements per line, the higher the resolution of the image.]

pixel - Single dot on a computer display, short for picture element.

port - (1) Entrance or access point to a computer, multiplexer network or device where signals may be supplied, extracted or observed. (2) The place where a peripheral device is connected to a computer.

program - A series of instructions or statements assembled in a form acceptable to a computer and prepared to achieve a certain result.

protocol - A set of formalized conventions governing the format and relative timing of message exchange in a communications network.

R

random access memory (RAM) - Portion of a computer storage which can be accessed non-sequentially and is considered the working memory.

read only memory (ROM) - Portion of computer memory which is programmed electrically by the manufacturer, is unchangeable and is unaffected by a power loss.

record - A single, logically associated information group.

remote access - Ability of transmission points to gain access to a computer which is at a different location.

Resolution - The measure of the capability of a visual system (such as a video, fax or printing system) to reproduce image detail.

Router - A class of network controller that determines the best routing for data transmission between a transmitter (sender) and a receiver.

S

scrolling - The vertical movement (up or down) of lines of data displayed on a CRT screen. Also see smooth scrolling and jump scrolling.

snapshot - (1) Extract or summary of data taken from a given system. (2) Extract passed to another system to complete processing.

software - (1) Any of the routines, programs and instructions required to use computers. (2) A written statement of the procedures to be used and the format of the data at every step.

speakerphone - Telephone equiped with a speaker and a microphone that allows hands-free conversation.

split screen - Capability of a CRT screen to be divided into two or more independent workspaces.

switch - An electronic device which opens or closes circuits, changes operating parameters or selects paths either on a space or time division basis.

syntax error - System response to a mistake in its instructions, such as a transposition of characters or an omission of a character or word.

system design - Specifications of the working relations between all the parts of a system in terms of their characteristic actions.

T

task - A unit of work for the central processing unit.

telecommunications - The transmission of voice, video and/or data through a medium by means of electrical impulses; all aspects of information transmittal.

teleconference - Three or more people connected by telephone and capable of maintaining a continuous connection.

terminal - (1) A point at which information can enter or leave a communications network. (2) A device for the input or output of data.

TFT Thin-Film Transistor - A type of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. See LCD.

traffic - (1) All calls sent and received over a communications network. (2) The total information flow of a communications system at any given time.

transmission - The electrical transfer of a signal, message or other form of data from one location to another without unacceptable loss of information content due to attenuation, distortion or noise.

Trojan horse - A form of malicious code that may be deliberately planted to perform a destructive act on a computer. It is effective because it is not what it appears to be. The execution of a Trojan horse may have an undesirable and unexpected effect on the user's work environment, but it is the user who initiates the execution of the code (for example, by clicking on a button in a graphical user interface that appears harmless). Unlike a computer virus, a Trojan horse is unable to replicate and is not parasitic.

tuning - The process of adjusting system control variables to make the system divide its resources most efficiently for the workload.

U

URL (uniform resource locator) - The character string that identifies an Internet document's exact name and location.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) - A standard desktop input/output (I/O) bus that provides a single peripheral connection and vastly increases bus speed.

user-friendly - Any system, software or device that is easy to learn and use. Graphical user interfaces, for example, are designed to be user-friendly.

V

videoconferencing - ywo-way telecommunications service with live transmission of pictures and speech of conference participants transmitted between two or more locations.

voice recognition - system of sound sensors that translate the tones of the human voice into computer commands to access or accomplish some service.

voice syntheses - Computer generated sounds that simulate the human voice.

W

Web - a hypertext-based global information system that was originally developed at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva. The name is short for "World Wide Web," the community on the Internet where all documents and resources are formatted using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Web crawler - a piece of software (also called a spider) designed to follow hyperlinks to their completion and to return to previously visited Internet addresses.

Web page – a Web document — usually based on Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) — that may contain text, graphics, online audio, video, Java or ActiveX objects.

Web site - a collection of files accessed through a Web address, covering a particular theme or subject, and managed by a particular person or organization. Its opening page is called a home page. A Web site resides on servers connected to the Internet and is able to format and send information requested by worldwide users 24 hours a day

WLAN (wireless LAN) - a LAN communication technology in which radio, microwave or infrared links take the place of physical cables.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance's (WECA's) name for the IEEE's 802.11b standard for wireless LANs

word processing - a category of office and personal-productivity applications that offer advanced features for composing text, and for editing and formatting documents.

Worm - a malicious software program able to distribute multiple copies of itself within monolithic or distributed systems. Unlike a computer virus, it does not have a separate executable payload. Therefore, the primary impact of this type of threat is to system availability.

WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) - a user interface that presents a screen image that closely matches the appearance of the printed document.

Acronyms

3D Three-dimensional

ASCII American (National) Standard Code for Information Interexchange

BBS (bulletin board system)

bps Bits Per Second

CAD Computer Aided Design

CAI Computer Assisted Instruction

CAM Computer Aided Manufacturing

CD-ROM Compact Disc Read-Only Memory

CD-RW Compact Disc Rewritable

CGA Color Graphics Adaptor

CIF Common Intermediate Format

CODEC Coder-Decoder

CPU Central Processing Unit

CRT Cathode Ray Tube

CUI Common User Interface

DAL Dedicated Access Line

DBMS Database Management System

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DPI Dots Per Inch

DOS Disk Operating System

EPS Encapsulated PostScript

FTP File Transfer Protocol

GUI Graphic User Interface

HDD Hard Disk Drive

HP Hewlett Paccard

HTTP Hyper Text Transfer Protocol

IBM International Business Machines

IIS Internet Information Services

IPL Initial Program Load

IRC International Record Carrier

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ISP Internet Service Provider

kbps Kilobit Per Second

kb Kilobit

kHz Kilohertz

LAN Local Area Network

LCD Liquid Crystal Diode

m Milli (one thousand or thousandth part)

M Mega (one million)

Mbps Megabits Per Second (or Million of Bits Per Second)

MHz Megahertz

MS Microsoft

NFS Need for Speed (game)

NTSC National Television Standards Committee

OCR Optical Character Recognition

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

PDA Personal Digital Assistant

PIN Personal Identification Number

Pixel Picture Element

POP Point-of-Presence

RAM Random Access Memory

RC1 Release Candidate #one

ROM Read only Memory

RPG Role-playing game

RSS Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary

SCSI Small Computer System Interface

SGI Silicon Graphics International/Image

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

TFT Thin-Film Transistor

TIFF Tagged Image File Format

URL (uniform resource locator)

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply

WAN Wide Area Network

XP “experience”

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