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An alphabetical listing of General terms and items. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

FAQ   (Frequently Asked Questions). A document on a website or in a newsgroup which gives answers to common problems and questions. Look for an FAQ if you have a problem with something, before you email or phone support. FAT   (File Allocation Table; pr. "fat") A sort of index of where data is stored on a hard disk, used by the operating system. FDD   (Fixed Disk Drive, Floppy Disk Drive). The slot on the PC which accepts floppy disks, almost always referred to as "Drive A:" by the computer. File   All information on a computer is stored in files, whether it is part of a program, a document created by a user, a picture, or anything else. Most software is made up of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of different files. File Server   A type of computer used on networks to provide files and other services to other computers. Often just called a server. Filter   A device which allows you to use an ordinary phone over a telephone line set up for an ADSL internet connection. Also called a micro-filter. Firefox   A popular alternative browser, available free from Mozilla, which you can use instead of Internet Explorer. It has a number of useful extra features, but perhaps the best is that it doesn't support Windows' ActiveX, thus preventing rogue websites from using ActiveX to hijack your computer. Firewall   Originally a dedicated computer between you and the internet, preventing hackers, spammers and similar undesirables from taking over your PC. Now often just a program running on your PC, performing the same task. Absolutely essential if you have an always-on internet connection such as ADSL or cable. Firewire   A standard for very fast data transfer, popular for applications that use very large files, particularly video editing. Requires special hardware, generally added to a computer as an expansion card. Flame   Internet slang for an email or newsgroup post insulting or telling someone off. They range from elegant rapier wit to obscene profanity. Flamewar   A public trading of insults in a newsgroup or forum. Sometimes flamewars get so out of hand that there are hundreds of flames in the newsgroup and almost nothing else. Flash   A technology for displaying animations (mostly) on webpages, created by the Macromedia Corporation. The Flash Player is a plugin which enables internet browsers to display the animations. Flash Drive   A removable data storage device, usually thumb sized and plugged into a PC's USB port. Floppy Disk   Also known as a diskette. Originally called floppy disks because they were round and non-rigid, but modern floppies might as well be called rigid squares, as the actual floppy disk is enclosed inside a rigid, almost square protective casing. Most programs used to be released on floppy disks, but modern programs are so large that they are now released on CD ROM instead. Despite a capacity of only 1.44 Meg per diskette, until recently all new computers were fitted with them as standard, and many still are. FOAD   (<bleep> Off And Die) Internet slang. Pretty self-explanatory really. Folder   An area on a disk for storing files in. Folders can also contain other folders, which in turn can contain more folders, and so on almost to infinity. Also called a directory, especially by people used to DOS. Forum   A public or semi-public area on a website or bulletin board where you can read and post messages on a particular topic, allowing public debate. See also Usenet, newsgroups. FPS   1 (Frames Per Second) A measure of the smoothness and quality of animations, particularly in computer games. The more frames per second, the better the quality. 2 (First Person Shooter) A computer game where you shoot things, played from a first person perspective, ie with you standing behind the gun(s). Also known as a shoot-'em-up. Frag   Shoot someone in a computer game. FTP   (File Transfer Protocol). A way of transferring files to or from an internet server. Often how you upload webpages to the internet. Back to top Back to top