macro
A macro is a handy way to get your computer
to do automatically a series of tasks that you would
otherwise have to do step by step. For instance,
if you had to type a particular string of text over
and over again, you could create a macro that could
do it for you. Top
mailing
list
Web pages aren't the only place for like-minded
souls to communicate online. Many interest groups
have formed mailing lists to keep in touch with
each other and exchange their thoughts via e-mail.
If you send a message to such a group you can
be subscribed to the list. You'll stumble across
information for many mailing lists in your Web
travels; if you'd like to search for a particular
topic of discussion, try such sites as The
List of Lists. (Mailing lists are different
from newsgroups
you get them through your e-mail, and they tend
to be less rowdy.)
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mail
server
A mail server is the part of your ISP's server
that handles incoming and outgoing mail. Every
piece of mail you get and send is either fielded
or sent on its merry way by the mail server.
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MIME
MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions, and it refers to an extension of traditional
text-based Internet e-mail. MIME allows you to
send non-textual data, such as audio clips, graphic
images, and even faxes, as specially encoded attachments
with e-mail messages.
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mirror
If a site is mirrored, there are "more
of" that site -- instead of the Internet
just finding that info at Point A, it can find
it at either Point A or Point B. This is good
for Web users when a site is so popular that it's
hard to get through the crowds at Point A. Some
extremely popular sites have many mirrors and
invite Net users to choose the one that's closest.
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modem
. A modem is a piece of computer equipment
-- sometimes a small box with flashing lights,
sometimes a card sitting inside your computer
-- hooks into your phone jack and changes the
kinds of electrical signals your computer can
work with (digital signals, for what it's worth)
into the kind of signals that can be passed over
the phone lines (analog signals). The modem is
also in charge of negotiating
connections to other computers. With all that
work to do, modems make for a relatively slow
(though extremely popular) way to connect to the
Net; those of you who have a direct network connection
(at work, perhaps?) have a speed advantage. Modem
is a contraction of MOdulator - DEModulator, which
describes what the modem does to turn computer
into phone signals and vice-versa.
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MPEG
MPEG is a popular standard for compressing
and playing back full-motion video and audio streams
at 30 frames per second on a computer. MPEG-format
files are commonly found on CD-ROM disks, not
to mention Web sites, but whether or not you can
see and hear the recorded info as it was meant
to be seen depends on your PC.
MPEG
stands for Motion Picture Experts Group, the group
that developed the standard. MPEG-2 is a newer
standard which offers improved quality and speed.
We have been experimenting with MPEG-2 video across
our network and hope to implement its use into
classrooms soon.
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Multitasking
Using
more than one program at a time.For exampe, you
could be surfing the Net, while having a spreadsheat
run calculations.
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