Common Internet Terms and Protocols

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol, used for Web pages.

HTML Hypertext Markup Language, the code Web pages are written in.

FTP File Transfer Protocol, a method of file transfer over the Net.

IRC Internet Relay Chat, a collection of live chat rooms.

IP Internet Protocol, the unique address of every online computer.

SMTP Simple mail transfer protocol

POP Post Office Protocol, tells your mail program how to send and retrieve messages. Also means point of presence, another term for node or network access point.

NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol, how Usenet messages are relayed.

PPP Point to Point Protocol, the way your computer connects to another by modem.

Good sources for definitions of all kinds of computer terms are

http: and

http://www.credible.com/comptermlist.html.