What you need to know
This glossary contains some of the terminology
associated with Internet communications and CUworlds videochat
service. Select the first letter of the word you're looking for:
Misc.|A | B
| C | D |
E | F | G | H
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I | J | K | L
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M | N | O | P
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Q | R | S | T
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U | V | W | X
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Y | Z
Misc.
(BEG) = Big Evil Grin
:( = Sad
:(..... = Crying
:) = Smiling
:)~ = Slobber
:/ = Yuck
:P = Stick Out Tongue
;) = Wink
>:( = Angry
2L8 = Too Late
AAFAIK = As Far As I Know
AFK = Away From Keyboard
Application Sharing - A feature of many document-conferencing packages
that lets a number of users on different systems simultaneously use an
application that resides on only one of the computers. ATM
= At The Moment
B
B4N = Bye For Now
Backbone - High-speed lines or connections that link networks
together.
Bandwidth - The amount of information a connection can handle. It is
usually measured in bits per second (bps) or thousands of bits per
second (Kbps). BBI = Big Brother Inside
BBIAB = Be Back In A Bit
BBIABUPB = Be Back In A Bit, Urgent Potty Break
BBIAM = Be Back In A Minute
BBL = Be Back Later
BBL8R = Be Back Later
BBS = Be Back Soon
BG = Big Giggle
Block - CUworld users have the ability to "block" chat from
other users while in a video chat room. When you block another user,
it is only while you are in that room for that session. To permanently
block a CUworld community member, use the CUcreeps feature. BRB
= Be Right Back
BRBIGGP - be right back, I gotta go pee!
BRBUPB = Be Right Back, Urgent Potty Break
Broadband - A term applied to telecommunications systems capable of
simultaneously supporting multiple information formats at relatively
high speeds such as voice, high-speed data services and video services
on demand. Overall transmission speeds are typically hundreds to
thousands of times faster than those of Narrowband systems.
Browser - A program used to access and view information on the World
Wide Web, Gopher or WAIS servers. The two most popular browsers are
Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. BTW
= By The Way
C
Cable Modem - a modem attached to your cable TV service. It is capable
of 500 Kbps transmission speeds, compared to today's standard 56 Kbps
computer modem. However, actual speed depends on how many of your
neighbors are using their cable (for either TV or the Web) at the same
time.
Chat Macro - Shortcut buttons that allow you to automate typing of
words, phrases, or symbols that you use often. Chat macros can be used
in the text chat portion of White Pine CU-SeeMe.
Chat Window - A feature of CUworld that allows users to converse using
text messages. The Chat window is component of the CUworld chat room
window.
CODEC - In Voice over IP, Voice over Frame Relay, and Voice over ATM,
a DSP software algorithm used to compress/decompress speech or audio
signals. CU2marO = See You Tomorrow
CUcreep - A feature in CUworld, allows users to block unwanted
communication between other community members.
CUetiquette - General guidelines of video chat conduct for CUworld
users.
CUhelper - CUhelpers are community members who have volunteered to
answer your questions. CUL8R = See You Later
CUmonitor - CUmonitors are community members that have volunteered to
monitor rooms to ensure.
CUpals - A feature in CUworld that works like a personal directory
where you can list anyone you might want to call. You can use CUpals
to initiate a CUworld videochat call.
CUprofile - A personal profile that identifies you to other people on
the CUworld network. It includes your CUworld user name, contact
information, and more. Information supplied is voluntary.
CUsearch - a feature in CUworld, that allows users to search for other
CUworld users in the public directory. Information provided is on a
volunteer basis.
CUseeMe Software - Desktop videoconferencing software for computers
running Windows 98SE, 2000, NT, ME (version 5.0 & 6.0) and XP
(version 6.0). CUseeMe transmits and receives audio, data, and video
streams up to 30 fps.
CUworld Membership name - Your user name that appears when you
conference with others. Your CUworld name and the CUworld names of
other participants appear in the Participants List in the conference
room window. CUworld offers up to 3 identities!
Cybercast - A one-way conference similar to a television broadcast,
where the same data is sent to a number of destinations. Audience
participants in a cybercast are called observers. ICUII and IVisit and
Dwyco are such programs
DD/L = Download
D'CD = Disconnected
Data Compression - A technique that reduces file size or bandwidth by
eliminating empty fields, gaps, redundancies, and unnecessary data, to
reduce the amount of information being sent.
DC - Direct Connect or Point-to-Point Conference; a direct connection
between two videochat users. Also called a Private 1 on 1
conference DOA = Dead On Arrival
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing
high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary
copper telephone lines. xDSL refers to different variations of DSL,
such as ADSL and SDSL. Typically, individual connections will provide
from 1.544 Mbps to 512 Kbps downstream and about 128 Kbps upstream. A
DSL line can carry both data and voice signals and the data part of
the line is continuously connected.
ADSL - (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is the form of DSL that
will become most familiar to home and small business users. ADSL is
called "asymmetric" because most of its two-way or duplex
bandwidth is devoted to the downstream direction, sending data to the
user. Only a small portion of bandwidth is available for upstream or
user-interaction messages. A small portion of the downstream bandwidth
can be devoted to voice rather data, and you can hold phone
conversations without requiring a separate line.
SDSL - (Symmetric DSL) is can carrying 1.544 Mbps (U.S. and Canada) or
2.048 Mbps (Europe) each direction on a duplex line. It's symmetric
because the data rate is the same in both directions. SDSL is ideal
for small businesses using VoIP applications and services.
DSP - (Digital Signal Processor) A DSP segments the voice signal into
frames and stores them in voice packets.
E
E1- The European counterpart to T1, which transmits at 2.048 Mbps. EG
= Evil Giggle
F
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions; A collection of common questions
about a particular subject.
frame rate. The number of images per second displayed in a video
stream.
Firewall - Networking software that controls the type of protocol
messages that pass back and forth across a software "wall".
It is typically used to protect an organization's internal network
from access by unauthorized users.
Flame - To send a nasty, unnecessary e-mail message to another user.
Forum - The name used for a discussion group on an online service.
CUworld has forums on topics related to videochat.
Fps - Frames per second; a measure of how much information is used to
store and display motion video. The term applies equally to film video
and digital video. Each frame is a still image; displaying frames in
quick succession creates the illusion of motion. The more frames per
second (fps), the smoother the motion appears. In general, the minimum
fps needed to avoid jerky motion is about 30.
Fractional T1 - A digital phone service that provides a portion of a
T1 line's full 1.544-Mbps bandwidth. Fractional T1 lines are usually
partitioned in 56-Kbps increments and are sometimes used to provide
384-Kbps service for high-quality videoconferencing applications.
Frame Relay - Frame relay is a telecommunication service designed for
cost-efficient data transmission for intermittent traffic between
local area networks (LANs) and between end-points in a wide area
network (WAN). Frame relay puts data in a variable-size unit called a
frame and leaves any necessary error correction (retransmission of
data) up to the end-points, which speeds up overall data transmission.
Frame relay is provided on fractional T-1 or full T-carrier system
carriers. Frame relay complements and provides a mid-range service
between ISDN, which offers bandwidth at 128 Kbps, and Asynchronous
Transfer Mode (ATM), which operates in somewhat similar fashion to
frame relay but at speeds from 155.520 Mbps or 622.080 Mbps.
Full duplex - Refers to the transmission of data in two directions
simultaneously. For example, a telephone is a full-duplex device
because both parties can talk at once. In contrast, a walkie-talkie is
a half-duplex device because only one party can transmit at a time.
Full Screen with picture in picture - a CUworld feature that allows
you to select a video window from the video chat room you are in,
enlarge it to full screen - the picture in picture is your local video
(you).
G
G = Giggle
G/W = Guess What
G2G = Got To Go
G.711 - Describes the 64-kbps PCM voice coding technique. In G.711,
encoded voice is already in the correct format for digital voice
delivery in the PSTN or through PBXs.
G.723.1 - Describes a compression technique that can be used for
compressing speech or audio signal components at a very low bit rate
as part of the H.324 family of standards. This CODEC has two bit rates
associated with it: 5.3 and 6.3 kbps. The higher bit rate is based on
ML-MLQ technology and provides a somewhat higher quality of sound. The
lower bit rate is based on CELP and provides system designers with
additional flexibility.
G.729 - Describes CELP compression where voice is coded into 8-kbps
streams. There are two variations of this standard (G.729 and G.729
Annex A) that differ mainly in computational complexity; both provide
speech quality similar to 32-kbps ADPCM. GAL = Get
A Life
Geeking - Is chatting privately to others while in a video chat
room. GAL = Get A Life
GGP = Gotta Go Pee
GGS = Go Get Stuffed
GMAB = Give Me A Break
GMTA = Great Minds Think Alike
GTG = Got To Go
GWS = Get Well Soon
H
H.323 - Is an ITU standard for the usage of multimedia communication
via packet-oriented networks that guarantees the interoperability
between different equipment vendors. The largest packet-oriented
network is the Internet but also WAN, ISDN or dialup connections on
which data is transported in packets (e.g. PPP) belong into this
group. H.323 describes the general infrastructure and the utilization
of different speech coders and protocol signalling stacks. The speech
coders are defined in their respective sub standards, e.g. G.711 (Alaw
and ulaw used in ISDN), G.722, G.723.1 and G.729.A for speech
encoding. H.323 is definitely the most widely deployed and mature
standard, but it is also criticized for being complicated to implement
by vendors and uses a lot of resources which are not abundant
(especially in terminals).
Half duplex - Allows only one person to talk at a time.
I
IKWUM = I Know What You Mean
IMO = In My Opinion
IP Address - The unique numeric address for every computer that is
connected to the Internet. It has four sections, each separated by a
dot. For example, 127.0.0.1.
IP Name - The unique name for every computer that is connected to the
Internet. IRL = In Real Life
IRQ - (interrupt request line, and pronounced I-R-Q) IRQs are hardware
lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor. When you add a new device to a PC, you sometimes need
to set its IRQ number by setting a DIP switch. This specifies which
interrupt line the device may use. IRQ conflicts used to be a common
problem when adding expansion boards, but the Plug-and-Play
specification has removed this headache in most cases.
ISDN - (Integrated Services Digital Network) An international
communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over
digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires. ISDN supports data
transfer rates of 64 Kbps (64,000 bits per second). Most ISDN lines
offered by telephone companies give you two lines at once, called B
channels. You can use one line for voice and the other for data, or
you can use both lines for data to give you data rates of 128 Kbps,
three times the data rate provided by today's fastest modems.
ISP - (Internet Service Provider) A company that provides access to
the Internet.
J
JIC = Just In Case
Jitter - Jitter is the variance of latency (or delay) in a connection.
The problem is that audio devices or connection-oriented systems (e.g.
ISDN or PSTN) need a continuous stream of data. In order to compensate
it, VoIP terminals and gateways implement a jitter buffer that collect
the packets before relaying them onto their audio devices or
connection-oriented lines, respectively. An increase in the jitter
buffer size decreases the likelihood of data being missed but also has
the drawback that it increases latency of a connection.
K
Kbps - An abbreviation meaning kilobits per second, used for measuring
bandwidth.
KWIM = Know What I Mean
L
L8R = Later
Latency - The delay or time span between the voice being digitalized
at the senders Location and then output at the receivers end is the
latency of a connection. Latency is influenced by the distance the
data has to travel, the packet size, the number and delay time of
network elements between the terminals and of course the latency
generated by the terminals themselves when sending, receiving,
encoding, decoding and compensating jitter.
Listener - A CUseeMe feature that alerts you to an incoming call
(direct connect)
Local video - The window containing your video image on your computer
screen. This video image can be sent to other people using CU-SeeMe or
other client software. LOL = Laughing Out
Loud LTNS = Long Time No See
LTNT = Long Time, No Type
Lurker - A videochat participant who is not sending a video image.
M
Modem - A device that allows a computer to connect with other
computers using standard telephone lines by dialing phone numbers.
N
NE1 = Anyone
NM = Never Mind
NMIAOM = Not Ment In An Obscene Manner
NP = No Problem
NTP - (Network Time Protocol) Protocol built on top of TCP that
assures accurate local time-keeping with reference to radio and atomic
clocks located on the Internet. This protocol is capable of
synchronizing distributed clocks within milliseconds over long time
periods.
O
Observer - A CUworld participant who cannot interact with other
observers in the conference.
P
Participants - Anyone taking part in a CUworld videochat.
Participants list - A component of the CUworld videochat room window
that lists the people currently connected to a conference. PM = Personal Message
Port - A specific location within a computer's TCP/IP stack. PPL
= People
Protocol - Standards that allow programs on different computers to
communicate.
Q
QoS - (Quality of Service) QoS pertains to the quality of a connection
and this is especially important for connections relaying voice since
the user feels the impact immediately and a retransmission cannot make
up for the loss of data. The internet protocol (such as H323) was
devised as a "best effort" data network and thus it does
consider jitter, latency or even data loss a problem. In order to make
the transmission of voice possible it must be given the necessary
priority and bandwidth. There are mechanisms for reserving bandwidth
but they add network equipment with an additional burden of handling
this functionality and slow down establishing connections. By
prioritizing the packets and ensuring that the access point is not
overloaded good QoS can be achieved.
R
R'CD = Reconnected
Reflector - A UNIX, Windows NT, or Windows 95 program that allows
multiple users to send and receive video, audio, and auxiliary data
streams. Reflector was the precursor to the MeetingPoint Conference
Server.
Remote video - The window that contains the video sent by anther
participant in a CUworld video chat. ROFL = Rolling
On Floor Laughing
ROFLMAO = Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off
ROFLMHO = Rolling On Floor Laughing My Head Off
Router - A computer system or software package that connects two or
more networks. Routers look at the destination addresses of the IP
packets and forward them to the correct address.
RTP - (realtime transport protocol) RTP labels all information
transferred by a sender with a timestamp. By examining the timestamps
the receiver is able to sort the packets in the original order and
synchronize real time streams and/or compensate jitter in audio data.
S
Stream - The audio, video, and/or text information that participants
generate when taking part in a conference. Also called data stream.
T
T1 - A dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of 1.544Mbits
per second. A T-1 line actually consists of 24 individual channels,
each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each 64Kbit/second channel
can be configured to carry voice or data traffic. Most telephone
companies allow you to buy just some of these individual channels,
known as fractional T-1 access.
T3 - A dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of about 43
Mbps. A T3 (or T-3) line actually consists of 672 individual channels,
each of which supports 64 Kbps. T-3 lines are used mainly by Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone and for
the backbone itself.
TCP/IP - (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) A collective
name for the set of protocols on which the Internet is based. TCP and IP
are the best known of this set, but they are by no means the only ones.
TCP guarantees that every byte sent from one port arrives at the other
in the same order and without duplication or loss. IP assigns local IP
addresses to physical network addresses providing a structure which can
be recognized by Routers. Other members of the TCP/IP family include the
Telnet protocol which allows a remote terminal to log in to another
host, the Domain Name System (DNS) which allows users to refer to hosts
by name rather than having to know their numeric IP addresses, the File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) which defines a mechanism for storing and
retrieving files, and HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which allows
information to be transferred from host computers to computers equipped
with web browsers. TTFN = Ta Ta For Now
TTYL = Talk To You Later
TY = Thank You
TYVM = Thank You Very Much
U
UBB = Urgent Brownie Break
UR = You Are
USB - (Universal Serial Bus) is a plug-and-play interface between a
computer and add-on devices (such as telephones, scanners, and
printers). With USB, a new device can be added to your computer
without having to add an adapter card or even having to turn the
computer off. UTB = Urgent Toilet Break
UY = Up Yours
V
Videochat Room - An online area on CUworld where several users can
interact simultaneously using video and text chat. Videochat rooms
also allow users to send and receive audio.
Videoconferencing - Software and/or hardware that allows users to see
and hear each other using their computer systems.
W
WB = Welcome Back
Whiteboard - A document-conferencing function that lets multiple users
simultaneously view and annotate a document with pens, highlighters,
and drawing tools. More advanced whiteboard programs handle multipage
documents and provide tools for delivering them as presentations. Also
known as Broadcasts
X There are no terms starting with X
Y
YW = You're Welcome
YWVM = You're Welcome Very Much
Z
ZAP! - a CUworld feature that allows users to ZAP! Out unwanted video
from a video conference.
Zoom Window - a CUworld feature that allows users to take a video
window and move it around the video chat room.
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