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Jargon Buster
- 3G
- 3rd generation of mobile telephony standards offering advanced features, such as email and video
- Access control/filter
- A bar that is put in place by eg an internet or mobile provider to prevent access to certain content
- Anti-virus software
- Prevents and removes computer viruses, such as worms and Trojan horses
- AOL
- Internet Service Provider (ISP) – www.aol.com
- Apple
- Designer and creator of Mac computers, OS X operating system, iPod, iTunes and iPhone – www.apple.com
- App store
- Online shop where you can download applications for eg mobiles and MP3 players
- Application (app)
- A computer program
- Attachment
- A file sent by email
- Avatar
- A character/animation you can use to represent yourself online (eg in chat rooms) and in computer games
- Back up
- Making a copy of data you’ve stored on your computer or another device
- A form of advertising on the Web that appears in a “banner”
- BBC
- Largest broadcasting organisation in the world – www.bbc.co.uk
- BBC iPlayer
- A service that lets viewers catch up with BBC radio and TV programmes from the previous week – www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
- Bebo
- A social networking website – www.bebo.com
- Blackberry
- A smart phone – www.blackberry.com
- Block
- Prevent access to a certain website or user
- Blog
- An online journal
- Blogger.com
- A free blog publishing tool from Google – www.blogger.com
- Bluebugging
- Where a hacker takes control of a Bluetooth device
- Bluejacking
- The sending of unsolicited messages over Bluetooth
- Bluetooth
- A way of exchanging data over short distances between mobile devices
- Bluesnarfing
- Where someone gets unauthorised access to information on a Bluetooth device
- Botnet
- A collection of software robots (often malicious software) that run automatically
- Broadband
- High-speed internet
- Browser
- Allows access to the Web (eg Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox)
- Burn
- The process of copying files (eg music) from your computer onto a CD
- Byron Review
- A government report by Tanya Byron investigating children’s use of technology, such as the internet and games
- Cbeebies
- The BBC’s children’s channel and website – www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
- CEOP
- The UK’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, which is dedicated to the eradication of the sexual abuse of children – www.ceop.gov.uk
- Chat room
- A place where people meet on the internet
- Childnet
- A non-profit organisation working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children – www.childnet-int.org
- Club Penguin
- A virtual world for young children – www.clubpenguin.com
- Community guidelines
- Guidance from eg internet and mobile providers to help users enjoy their services
- Content control/filter
- A bar that is put in place by eg an internet or mobile provider to prevent access to certain content
- Convergence
- The coming together of different technologies
- A piece of text stored on your computer by a Web browser that remembers information about you, such as websites you’ve visited
- Copyright
- This gives a content producer (eg an author or musician) exclusive rights to their work
- Cyberbullying
- The use of technology, particularly the internet and mobiles, deliberately to upset someone else
- Dailymotion
- A video-sharing website – www.dailymotion.com
- Download
- The process of copying data (eg from the internet or an email attachment)
- DS
- Games console by Nintendo – www.nintendo.com/ds
- eBay
- Auction website – www.ebay.com
- E-commerce
- Buying and selling products and services over the internet
- Exchanging messages over the internet
- Email address
- Address used to exchange messages over the internet
- Encryption
- The process of making electronic data unreadable to anyone without the “key”
- Equifax
- An online credit check company – www.equifax.co.uk
- ESRB
- Entertainment Software Rating Board age rating system – www.esrb.org
- Experian
- An online credit check company – www.experian.co.uk
- A social networking website – www.facebook.com
- File sharing
- The distribution of electronic files, such as documents or music
- Fire Eagle
- A location-based Web service – www.fireagle.yahoo.net
- Firewall
- Part of a computer or internet service, designed to block unauthorised access
- Flag
- Where you report something (eg an inappropriate video) to the company hosting it
- Flaming
- Posting negative or rude comments in an online forum
- Flickr
- A photo-sharing website – www.flickr.com
- Gamcare
- An organisation providing support to people with gambling problems – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Pre-eminent search engine – www.google.co.uk
- Google Talk
- Online chat and free internet calls – www.google.com/talk
- GPS
- Global Positioning System – a global navigation satellite system used for things like in-car navigation
- Grooming
- The process of befriending a child with the intent of sexually abusing them
- GSM
- Global System for Mobile Communications – the most popular standard for mobile phones
- Hacker
- Someone who breaks into other people’s computers
- Happy slapping
- Where someone films a bullying incident or an assault on a camera phone
- Hate site
- A website that promotes hatred against eg a specific race or sexual orientation
- HMV
- Entertainment retailer – www.hmv.com
- Host
- A company, such as an ISP, that runs internet servers
- Hyperlink
- A reference in a document or on the internet that links through to a different piece of information or website (also Link)
- Identity theft
- Where someone pretends to be someone else for financial or other personal gain
- IMEI
- International Mobile Equipment Identity – a unique number on your mobile, usually printed inside the battery compartment
- IP address
- Internet Protocol address – a unique number that identifies where you’re accessing the internet from
- Instant Messaging
- The process of sending short real-time messages over the internet
- ISP
- Internet Service Provider – a company that offers users access to the internet
- iPhone
- An Apple mobile with built-in music player, video camera, mobile internet and email
- iPod
- A portable media player by Apple
- iPod Touch/iTouch
- A portable media player by Apple incorporating music, films, websites, games and applications
- iTunes
- Apple’s digital music store – www.apple.com/itunes
- IWF
- Internet Watch Foundation, the UK hotline for reporting illegal content on the internet – www.iwf.org.uk
- Jajah
- VoIP service – www.jajah.com
- Last.fm
- Online music catalogue offering streaming, videos, pictures, lyrics, charts and more – www.last.fm
- Link
- A reference in a document or on the internet that links through to a different piece of information or website (also Hyperlink)
- A networking website for business people – www.linkedin.com
- LiveJournal
- A free online journal and blogging service – www.livejournal.com
- Login
- The credentials you use to access a computer or website (eg name and password)
- Log in/Log off
- The process of accessing a computer (log in) and closing off your access (log off)
- Loopt
- Location-based service – www.loopt.com
- Malware
- Malicious software, such as viruses and worms, that infiltrates computers
- Memory stick
- A portable memory device for storing data and transferring it between devices
- Message board
- An online discussion website
- Microsoft
- Software company with products including Windows operating system and the Xbox games system – www.microsoft.com
- Mumsnet
- Leading parenting website – www.mumsnet.com
- MMS
- Multimedia Messaging Service – the process for sending images, audio and video between mobiles
- Moblog
- Mobile blogging (see Blog)
- Moderator
- Someone who monitors chat rooms and other online forums and takes action against disruptive or offensive behaviour
- Moshi Monsters
- An online game for children – www.moshimonsters.com
- MP3
- MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 – a common format for digital music files
- MP3 Player
- A device for playing MP3 files (eg iPod)
- MSN
- Microsoft portal – www.uk.msn.com
- MySpace
- A social networking website – www.myspace.com
- Net Nanny
- Parental Controls software – www.netnanny.com
- Nintendo
- Manufacturer of DS and Wii games consoles – www.nintendo.com
- Nokia
- Mobile phone manufacturer – www.nokia.com
- Ofcom
- Independent regulator of UK communications industry – www.ofcom.org.uk
- Parental controls
- Tools that help parents to protect their children online and on other devices – eg by controlling which websites they can visit or from whom they can receive email
- Password
- A secret combination of letters, symbols and numbers used to prove your identity when you log on to eg your computer or a particular website
- P2P
- Peer-to-peer – a network on which users can share files
- PDA
- Personal Digital Assistant – a handheld computer
- PEGI
- Pan-European Game Information age rating system – www.pegi.info
- Pharming
- A security attack where traffic is redirected from a legitimate website to a bogus website
- Phishing
- Unsolicited emails or texts sent in an attempt to get personal information (eg passwords and credit card details) from you
- PhonepayPlus
- The UK’s regulatory body for premium rate telecoms services – www.phonepayplus.org.uk
- PIN
- Personal Identification Number – a way of locking your mobile and other devices
- PlayStation
- Games system by Sony – www.uk.playstation.com
- Pop-up
- A form of advertising on the Web that appears in a “pop-up” window
- A paid mobile service (eg ringtone downloads or competition entries)
- Privacy settings
- Tools provided by eg internet and social networking providers to help you maintain your privacy online
- Profile
- A description of you (name, hobbies etc) on eg a social networking website
- PSP
- PlayStation Portable games console from Sony – www.uk.playstation.com/psp
- Rummble
- A location-based Web service – www.rummble.com
- RuneScape
- Online adventure game – www.runescape.com
- SAR
- Specific Absorption Rate – the measurement of how much electromagnetic radiation is absorbed by body tissue whilst using a mobile phone
- Scam
- An unsolicited email or text sent by a fraudster (eg asking you for financial help or claiming that you’ve won a prize)
- Search engine
- A tool that searches for information on the Web (eg Google)
- Set-top box
- A device that connects your TV to the source of the signal
- Sexting
- The act of sending sexually explicit messages by text, email or Bluetooth
- SIM
- Subscriber Identity Module used to identify a mobile user
- Sky
- Multi-channel TV operator – www.sky.com
- Skype
- A service that enables you to make free calls over the internet – www.skype.com
- Smart phone
- A mobile with advanced features like email and internet access
- SMS
- Short Message Service – a way of sending text messages between mobiles
- An online community such as Bebo, Facebook or MySpace
- Sony
- Manufacturer of PlayStation and PSP – www.uk.playstation.com
- Spam
- Unsolicited email or text messages
- Spotify
- A digital music service – www.spotify.com
- Spyware
- A type of malicious software that collects information about you without your knowledge
- Stardoll
- Online community aimed at girls – www.stardoll.com
- Streaming
- A way of delivering data (eg music or video) over the internet
- Tag
- A way of assigning a piece of information or an image to a particular person
- Teachtoday
- A website to help teachers understand their students digital world – www.teachtoday.eu
- Terms of Service/Terms of Use
- Terms and Conditions put in place by eg internet and mobile providers
- Text messaging
- The process of sending a written message to someone’s mobile (see SMS and MMS)
- Torrent tracker
- Torrent sites let you download content via BitTorrent, the fastest P2P protocol
- Trojan horse
- A type of malicious software that can give unauthorised access to your computer
- Truphone
- A VoIP service – www.truphone.com
- Tweet
- A post/status update on Twitter – www.twitter.com
- A micro-blogging service – www.twitter.com
- Upload
- The process of loading and sending a file on your computer or over the internet
- URL
- Universal Resource Locator – commonly referred to as a Web address
- User-generated content (UGC)
- Online content (eg blogs and videos) created by users
- User name
- The name you use to log on to your computer, the internet and other devices
- Virus
- A malicious programme that can corrupt files on your computer
- Vlog
- Video blogging (see Blog)
- Vodafone
- World’s leading international mobile communications group – www.vodafone.com
- Vodafone 360
- Set of internet services for mobile, PC and Mac – www.vodafone360.com
- VoIP
- Voice over Internet Protocol, a way of delivering voice communications
- Vonage
- A VoIP service – www.vonage.com
- WAP
- Wireless Application Protocol – enables access to the internet from mobiles and PDAs (see PDA)
- Webcam
- A small video camera built in to or attached to a computer or laptop
- Wii
- Games console by Nintendo – www.uk.wii.com
- Wi-Fi
- Broadband without wires
- Wiki
- A website based on user-generate content
- Wikipedia
- A free online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit
- Windows Live Messenger
- An instant messaging / IM service by Microsoft (formerly called MSN Messenger) – www.home.live.com
- Wireless network
- A computer network that doesn’t require cables
- World of Warcraft
- online adventure game – www.worldofwarcraft.com
- Worm
- A malicious programme that can infect your computer
- Xanga
- A blogging community – www.xanga.com
- Xbox
- Games console by Microsoft – www.xbox.com
- Yahoo!
- Global online network of community services including email and chat – www.yahoo.com
- YouTube
- A video-sharing website – www.youtube.com
- Zombie
- A computer attached to the internet that has been compromised by a hacker
Various sources including www.wikipedia.org.uk
How old are your kids?
What you need to know to get started
- 5-7 years old
Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.
- 8-11 years old
If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.
This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.
- 12-14 years old
They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.
You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.
- 15+ years old
Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.
It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.
How much do you know?
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Take our test to give you an idea about how well you understand new technologies. It’s quick and easy and will help you decide which parts of the website to visit.
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