Terms You Should Know

Adware Advertising that is integrated into software. Adware is often combined with a host application that is provided at no charge as long as the user agrees to accept the adware.

A blog (short for weblog) is a personal journal that is frequently updated and intended for the general public.

Cyberbullying is the use of electronic means by a minor to torment, threaten, harass, humiliate, embarrass or otherwise target another minor.

Cyberstalking is the use of electronic means to repeatedly engage in the harassment or threatening of another.

Emoticons are symbols that people sometimes use in e-mails and chat rooms to show what mood a person is in. For example :-) means ‘I am happy' so therefore :-( means ‘I am sad'. There are hundreds of these symbols used online.

Firewall is either the program or the computer it runs on, usually an Internet gateway server, that protects the resources of one network from users from other networks.

Flaming is an insulting, angry or otherwise negative remark to or about someone in public.

Hacker originally, a hacker was a term of respect, used among computer programmers, designers, and engineers. The hacker was one who created original and ingenious programs. Unfortunately, the current popular meaning of the term is used to describe those who break into systems, destroy data, steal copyrighted software, and perform other destructive or illegal acts with computers and networks.

Harassment occurs when one user continually or deliberately offends another user with actions such as posting comments intended to hurt, offend or conflict with another user's beliefs.

A profile is the identity a user creates on a social networking site.

An online predator is someone who uses the anonymous nature of the Internet to find victims and eventually take advantage of them in the real world.

Phishing is the act of tricking someone into giving them confidential information or tricking them into doing something that they normally wouldn’t do or shouldn’t do. For example: sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

Spam indiscriminately send unsolicited, unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages, especially commercial advertising in mass quantities. Noun: electronic "junk mail".

Spyware Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Spyware is often installed without the user's knowledge or explicit permission in combination with a free download.

URL acronym for "Uniform Resource Locator," this is the address of a resource on the Internet. World Wide Web URLs begin with http://

Virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells.