Glossary Terms - W
WAIS
Wide Area Information Servers. A set of full-text databases containing
information on hundreds of topics. You can search WAIS using natural-language queries and
use relevance feedback to refine your search.
WAN
See wide area network.
wide area network
A group of geographically separated computers connected via dedicated lines or
satellite links. The Internet enables small organizations to simulate a wide area network
without the cost of one.
wildcards
Special characters such as * and ? that can stand in for other characters during
text searches in some programs. The * wildcard generally means "match any number of
characters in this spot," whereas the ? wildcard generally means "match any
character in this spot."
Windows
Extremely popular operating system for PCs. Released in 1986 with poor reception.
It redeemed itself in 1989 with the release of Windows 3.0 by providing such revolutionary
features as overlapping window panes and better memory management (yes, we can get over
that 640K limit).
Windows for Workgroups
Version of Windows that supports local area networks. Resources such as disks and
printers can be shared among users within a workgroup. Windows for Workgroups also
includes workgroup software such as electronic mail and scheduling. Currently at release
3.11.
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Windows NT
Windows New Technology. The 32-bit, multitasking version of Windows. Code was generalized
to run on a plethora of microprocessors, including Intel 80x86, Pentium, Digital Equipment
Corporation's Alpha, and PowerPC. Currently at release 3.5.
WinSock
Windows Sockets (WinSock) is a TCP/IP extension to the Windows Applications
Interface (API). It essentially allows Windows applications to run independently of the
hardware underneath. It is just like the device independence you gain with a Windows
graphics programit can run independently of your video board. Currently at release
1.1.
World Wide Web
The newest and most ambitious of the special Internet services. World Wide Web
browsers can display styled text and graphics. Often abbreviated WWW.
worm
A program that infiltrates a computer system and copies itself many times,
filling up memory and disk space and crashing the computer. The most famous worm of all
time was released accidentally by Robert Morris over the Internet and brought down whole
sections of the net.
WWW
See World Wide Web.
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