Newsgroup Definition A newsgroup is an online discussion forum accessible through Usenet. Each newsgroup contains discussions about a specific topic, indicated in the newsgroup name. You can browse newsgroups and post or reply to topics using a newsreader program. Access to newsgroups also requires a Usenet subscription. Most Usenet providers offer monthly access for around $10 USD per month. Newsgroups may be either moderated or unmoderated. In a moderated newsgroup, a moderator must approve p...

IRC Definition Stands for "Internet Relay Chat." IRC is a service that allows people to chat with each other online. It operates on a client/server model where individuals use a client program to connect to an IRC server. Popular IRC clients include mIRC for Windows and Textual for OS X. Several web-based clients are also available, including KiwiIRC and Mibbit. In order to join an IRC conversation, you must choose a username and a channel. Your username, also called a handle, can be whateve...

Reciprocal Link Definition A reciprocal link is a mutual link between two websites. For example, if website A links to website B, then website B can add a reciprocal link back to website A. The result of a reciprocal link is two websites that link to each each other. Reciprocal links are typically created for one of two purposes: 1) to establish a partnership between two websites, or 2) to boost search engine ranking. If two websites provide related information, the webmasters may decide it mak...

Web 2.0 Definition Web 2.0 is a term that was introduced in 2004 and refers to the second generation of the World Wide Web. The term "2.0" comes from the software industry, where new versions of software programs are labeled with an incremental version number. Like software, the new generation of the Web includes new features and functionality that was not available in the past. However, Web 2.0 does not refer to a specific version of the Web, but rather a series of technological improvements. ...

Usenet Definition Usenet is collection of online discussions that are organized into newsgroups. Users may create their own discussion topics or contribute to existing threads within a topic. Some newsgroups provide forums for questions and answers, while others are designed primarily for file sharing. Usenet started in 1980 as a medium for discussing topics online, similar to a bulletin board system (BBS). However, instead of being hosted on a single server, Usenet newsgroups were hosted on hu...

IPv6 Definition Every computer system and device connected to the Internet is located by an IP address. The current system of distributing IP addresses is called IPv4. This system assigns each computer a 32-bit numeric address, such as 120.121.123.124. However, with the growth of computers connected to the Internet, the number of available IP addresses are predicted to run out in only a few years. This is why IPv6 was introduced. IPv6, also called IPng (or IP Next Generation), is the next plann...

IPv4 Definition IPv4 is the most widely used version of the Internet Protocol. It defines IP addresses in a 32-bit format, which looks like 123.123.123.123. Each three-digit section can include a number from 0 to 255, which means the total number of IPv4 addresses available is 4,294,967,296 (256 x 256 x 256 x 256 or 2^32). Each computer or device connected to the Internet must have a unique IP address in order to communicate with other systems on the Internet. Because the number of systems conn...

Zone File Definition A zone file is stored on a name server and provides information about one or more domain names. Each zone file contains a list of DNS records with mappings between domain names and IP addresses. These records define the IP address of a domain name, the reverse lookup of an IP to other domains, and contain DNS and mail server information. Because zone files are plain text files, they can be edited quickly and easily. However, this also means that if unauthorized users gain a...