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Jill's Glossary for Psychology 409


E-Mail
The only thing I could get into on the first day with a minimal of trouble. It is used to send messages to other people who have accounts on the computer. Cheaper than using a telephone or writing a letter. Seems to be instantaneous.
Address
Very important to anything you do on the computer. I was not able to e-mail Dr. James with my address since I didn't know his. I found out that it is always important to learn what a person's address is.
GCVLC
It stands for Generational Cyberspace Virtual Learning Community. It is what this class and the 459 class are becoming. It is the community of computer Internet users all over the world!
Home Page
This is where everything in your files begins. It is your coverletter, your homebase. You have to make this presentable and easy to read so that it will be easier for others to use.
Bookmark
It is a way of remembering important addresses without writing them down. It is when the computer saves the address for you.
Lynx
This is the command you use to navigate on the Internet. It is the command that links you to the address you want to be at. If typed by itself with no address after it, it takes you to the server's homepage. From this point, you can explore the different links hooked up to this server.
Telnet
This is the command that lets you switch over to a different server. It is using this command that you can get from the UHunix server over to the CSS server in Porteus.
EMACS
This is the edit and create a file mode which we use on the Internet. We use this mode when we lynx to a file of ours to edit while still in lynx. It is much easier to do than exiting and getting into emacs again at the prompt.
HTML
This stands for hypertext markup language. This is the language we use to edit and create our files for viewing on the Internet. It is a little time comsuming and tedious, because when you are typing, you can't see what it looks like to other people.
Pico
I was told to use this mode of editing because it is easier than emacs. I noticed that changing from using emacs to pico has messed up my document a little. I don't know how to undo that.
Dumb Terminal
This means a terminal that uses a server as its source of information. This is what happens when you use UHunix and the CSS server. Similar to what Kwock says in his definition of dumb terminal.
Links
This is what you click on to go from one file to another. It simplifies cyberspace travel, as Alison Asahina says in her glossary.
Anchor
An anchor is something that makes it easier for other people to make links to your documents. It also makes it easier for other people to read them as well.
URL or Uniform Resource Locator
It is the address of a document that you are trying to link to. The url is the most important thing in making your links, without it, you can't connect anywhere.
Stress
Something I have become very intimate with in the past few weeks! It is the feeling of not being in total control, kind of frazzled. But I think that Grant Harada's definition of it is a good one also.
Navigation
It is the act of getting around in cyberspace. It is knowing how to look things up on the Internet and the World Wide Web. One thing that Ryan Higa says in his glossary about navigation is that it is using links, but I think it is all the ways you can move around in cyberspace, not just using links.
The Well
It is the largest public server. I don't know if it is in the world or just in the United States. It is a place to go to get information when you are doing research.
Objective
To not take anything personally. Trying to see both sides of things while on the computer though is pretty darn difficult wouldn't you say?
Dead Time
The time spent at the computer while you wait for some other stupid server to pick your signal up! It is time that you can spend effectively doing something else(like reading Kuhlthau or actually exploring the Internet...you know, important things for class)!
Morale
Something most of us don't have while working on the computer. It is something that you have to gain as you go along on your explorations of the Internet. I think that this would get boosted if we got an award for even the dumbest of reasons though!
Webmaster
He or she is "the man". It is the person who controls all your files and can erase it all on a whim. Of course, our webmaster would never do that!=) For another definition, see Diane's glossary.
AWGTHTGTTA
This stands for "Are We Going To Have To Go Through This Again?" I got this one from Beverly's glossary. Neat one huh? I like it because it is how I feel everytime I have to do something over again!
FAQ
No, this doesn't stand for what I originally thought it did. It actually stands for "Frequently Asked Questions". Boy was I way off or what? (When I first read Kyle's glossary, I saw "#$@#%&" so I thought that's what it could mean! hehe) It is really helpful when you are in a jam, it is kind of related to the help files, but it can be a lot more specific.
ARGH
This stands for "ARGH!" It is what I say a lot when I am sitting at the computer. It makes me feel better to be able to release my stress this way. Of course, I think sometimes, I'd feel a whole lot better if I could throw the computer out the window!!
"../"
This stands for "go one up". It is invaluable in helping you link to the many addresses on the WWW. If you don't know how many to go up, boy are you stuck!
Regular Slash
This is the command you press to do a search while you are in lynx. It saves a lot of time and trouble, and makes life a lot easier!!! I know I can't live without it now!
Back Slash
This is the command you press when you want to see how other people have typed up their reports. It helps you to find the names of their anchors too!
Murphy's Law
This is the stupid illusory correlation that makes it seem like any bad that can happen, will. Of course, I myself, believe that this is a true law and can be proven, because of all the research I have put into it (all the research was taken while I was on this dumb computer by the way). And I know the rest of this class feels the same as I do, right?
WDWHTDTA
This stands for "Why Do We Have To Do This Again?" It is related to the other word above. The key word change is why?
Creative Homepage
This is the type of homepage you have if it follows no pattern or structure that is other known to man(only to yourself!). You create this homepage by putting things wherever you wish, and in whatever order you want.
Indexical Homepage
This is the type of homepage you have if no one knows what the heck the link names mean!!! The titles of the links you put in come from the contents of the files of the links. It is the most confusing use of link names I have ever seen!!!
Standard Homepage
This is the type of homepage you have if you put in little descriptions of what is contained in the links you have on your page. I find this to be the most useful type of homepage, but not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing!!
Boolean Logic
This is the term that Diane Nahl gave us one day in class. It is the language that is used to search on a computer. All computers use Boolean Logic. For another definition, see Joleen Lai's definition!
Technology
This is what allows a generation to express itself, as Dr. James put it. In my opinion, it is any advancement that makes life easier, like microwave ovens, and also it is anything that makes life seem less primitive, like televisions and computers!
Unix
This is the server that we start on when we first get on the computer. It is where our accounts on the computer are. But for a different definition, see Lisa Runyan's glossary!
Navigator
It can also be "Browser". It is the user who goes on the Internet and "surfs". This person can be looking casually, or even searching for something specific. Look at related term navigation. If you want different definitions, see Tina Smith's and Dellia Badua's glossaries!
Kuhlthau
It is the name of the woman who wrote the book that we discussed in class. She talks about the problems and possible solutions in the information searching process.
Unique
This is a term used by Kuhlthau in her book. It means anything that is new or unknown to the information searcher. See what I say about this term in my labreport.
Redundant
This is the term Kuhlthau uses that means anything that is known. It can also mean something that is repeated over and over again. To see me talk about it in my labreport, click here.
Interest
This is a term used by Kuhlthau in her book when she discusses chapter 7. It deals with the level of enthusiasm for a subject generated by the information searcher. Kuhlthau says that the higher the level of interest, the greater the learning received. I use this term in my discussion in my labreport, go see it.
Information Searching
This is a process. It is also the subject of Kuhlthau's book. It is what we do when we try to figure out something new, try to find information, or when we explore something new. See my discussion of it.
Uncertainty Principle
This is the premise that Kuhlthau begins with when she starts to construct her new theory of information searching. It deals with the searcher or user not being able to think the way the search process is set up. For instance, if one is trying to find information on cars, not everyone would know to look up automobiles instead. The current system doesn't take these things into account which is why the system needs to be revised. See my labreport for more details.
Netscape
It is the system Dr. James told us to use from now on. It is a program that allows us to see pictures and images from people's files! It is what I consider to be a pretty easy program to use to get yourself started up on the Internet.
Falling Links
This is a link that doesn't work anymore. It takes you to a screen that says url not found, or something to that effect. It is really irritating when you find a link that looks really interesting and you can't access it! But as you and I know, it is really hard to keep up links to outside addresses! I've already had to get rid of a link because the file wasn't kept up!!=(
Live Links
This is a link that works!! Yippee!!=) This link actually takes you where you are supposed to go!!=)
Icons
It is a picture or a drawing, art, that is on the Internet! Check out Dr. James' four files, icons, icons2, icons3, and icons4! Boy are they cool! You should check out my creative homepage also!
Closeminded
It is what a person is when they do not want to acknowledge possible other truths no matter how plausible. See it discussed in my labreport on the Swedenborg files.
Filename
It can also be called a title, so go there to look at what Joleen Lai says about it. It is a name given to a subheading, anchor, file, etc. that hopefully tells the reader what "it" (the subheading, anchor, or file) is about!=) It helps a lot by saving you time, so you don't have to read eveything, just what you want!