Page 44 - Business Studies 9-10 (2006)

GLOSSARY 43
operating system. Software that manages the operations of a computer and peripheral devices.
PDA (personal digital assistant). A hand- held device that combines computing, tele- phone/fax, Internet, and networking features.
peripheral devices. External devices that are attached to the computer (e.g., printers, scanners, digitizers, and digital cameras).
phishing. The act of sending an e-mail to a user while falsely claiming to be a legitimate business in an attempt to trick the user into revealing personal information that could be used for crimes such as identity theft.
plagiarism. The act of copying someone else’s work (e.g., a piece of writing, a graphic, a chart) and presenting it as one’s own.
RAM (random access memory). Memory that temporarily stores data and instructions. Also called primary or main memory.
search engine. A program that enables users to search theWorldWideWeb for informa- tion contained in websites, using keywords.
social responsibility. The principle that companies should contribute to the welfare of society and not be devoted solely to maximiz- ing profits.
spam. Unsolicited e-mail.
spyware. Any software that gathers user infor- mation through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.
stand-alone environment. An environment in which computer systems are not linked to each other via a network.
trade agreement. An agreement between nations regarding issues of commerce, includ- ing quotas or tariffs.
URL (uniform resource locator). A global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web.
USB (universal serial bus). An external peripheral interface standard for communica- tion between a computer and external peripherals (e.g., digital camera, mouse, print- ers) over a cable using biserial transmission.
venture. Any initiative that mobilizes resources to produce a good or establish a service that will address needs, wants, problems, and challenges.
venture plan. A comprehensive written summary drawn up to test the feasibility of
a proposed venture. It includes an indication of how the entrepreneur intends to organize resources to attain his or her goals and serves as a “road map” for operating the venture and for measuring its progress.
WAN (wide area network). A computer network that connects computers over a large geographical area.
web browser. A software application used to locate and display web pages on the Internet.
website. A site on the World Wide Web. Each website contains a home page, which is the first document displayed when a user enters a site.
World Wide Web (WWW). A collection of linked electronic documents.A user may move from one location on the World Wide Web to another by clicking on a link on a web page.