When you're online, there can be a few terms thrown about that we here all of the time, but you don't quite understand or grasp them. Often we have the terms confused with something completely different. I'm aware that I have done it in the past. So below you will find an inventory of terms that you may have come across online, and what they really mean, with no need to resort to going to the Computer department and asking the IT support guy.
Address Bar
Now this one most folks know as the bar towards the top of your internet browser where you enter the website of where you want to go to. It is occasionally confused with the Google search bar. When you enter a web address here, your internet browser converts the link (often referred to as the Uniform Resource Locator or URL) into a series of numbers that locates where the server of that website is. It is a slight simplification of what happens but at the least you get the picture of what occurs.
Captcha
This is a tool used on certain websites having a high amount of folk visiting and don't want to be bogged down by automatic bots or PC programs that pretend to be human in order to bring their server down. You will have seen a text box with funny blotches and squiggly letters that you then have to type out what you see. Certain security gurus claim that this only makes it tougher for real, genuine humans to log in and less complicated for smart computer programs to bypass, but something is better than nothing.
Upload/Download
This is when you send a file, whether that be a document, a film or some music for example, to or from your PC. When you're uploading something, you are sending something from your computer, such as attaching a file to an email. When you are downloading something, that's when you're putting a file onto your computer, eg a picture from a website. Technically any info broadcasted from your PC is an upload, and likewise any data sent to your computer is a download, but if you see those terms on a website that generally implies you are doing something with a file.
I hope you find this article handy and reduces the bafflement when you see these terms next time.
Address Bar
Now this one most folks know as the bar towards the top of your internet browser where you enter the website of where you want to go to. It is occasionally confused with the Google search bar. When you enter a web address here, your internet browser converts the link (often referred to as the Uniform Resource Locator or URL) into a series of numbers that locates where the server of that website is. It is a slight simplification of what happens but at the least you get the picture of what occurs.
Captcha
This is a tool used on certain websites having a high amount of folk visiting and don't want to be bogged down by automatic bots or PC programs that pretend to be human in order to bring their server down. You will have seen a text box with funny blotches and squiggly letters that you then have to type out what you see. Certain security gurus claim that this only makes it tougher for real, genuine humans to log in and less complicated for smart computer programs to bypass, but something is better than nothing.
Upload/Download
This is when you send a file, whether that be a document, a film or some music for example, to or from your PC. When you're uploading something, you are sending something from your computer, such as attaching a file to an email. When you are downloading something, that's when you're putting a file onto your computer, eg a picture from a website. Technically any info broadcasted from your PC is an upload, and likewise any data sent to your computer is a download, but if you see those terms on a website that generally implies you are doing something with a file.
I hope you find this article handy and reduces the bafflement when you see these terms next time.
About the Author:
Michael Kiruba-Raja has been handling IT systems for almost 20 years. He now is with Prosyn, a business IT support specialist. Prosyn bring enterprise level IT support in London and surrounding counties, for clients within various industries.
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