Reference & Manual > Glossary > I

IEEE
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Organization that ensures that electronic devices produced by different companies can interoperate. IEEE developed the 802 family of standards that govern computer networks.

IIS
Short for Internet Information Server, Microsoft's Web server that runs on Windows NT platforms. In fact, IIS comes bundled with Windows NT 4.0. Because IIS is tightly integrated with the operating system, it is relatively easy to administer. However, currently IIS is available only for the Windows NT platform, whereas Netscape's Web servers run on all major platforms, including Windows NT, OS/2 and UNIX.

Image Map
An image displayed on a webpage that has different areas that are hyperlinks. By clicking on different parts of the image browser can be redirected to another webpage, or can display modified version of the current one.

IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. A method allowing a client email program to access remote messages stored on a mail server. The protocol includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes, checking for new messages, message parsing, searching, and setting and clearing flags. IMAP was originally developed in 1986 at Stanford.

IMHO
(In My Humble Opinion) -- A shorthand appended to a comment written in an online forum, IMHO indicates that the writer is aware that they are expressing a debatable view, probably on a subject already under discussion. One of many shorthands in common use online, especially in discussion forums.

IMO
In My Opinion

Includes
When referring to web sites, includes allow you to use the same piece of code (HTML, ASP, ColdFusion, etc.) over and over. For instance, if you wanted your phone number to appear on the bottom of every page on your website, you could create an HTML page that had that information. Then you could include that file in every page on your website. If your phone number changed, you would only need to modify the include file.

Inline Images
These are the graphics contained within a Web document.

Instant Messenger
Web-based instant messaging software that allows users connected to your site to have real-time conversations and send files between them.

Interface
An interface is the item that allows two things to interact. For instance, a user interface includes the keyboard and mouse - these interfaces allow you to interact with the computer.

Internet
(Upper case I) The vast collection of inter-connected networks that all use the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early 70's. The Internet now (July 1995) connects roughly 60,000 independent networks into a vast global internet .
(Lower case i) Any time you connect 2 or more networks together, you have an internet - as in inter-national or inter-state.

internet
(Lower case i) Any time you connect 2 or more networks together, you have an internet - as in inter-national or inter-state.

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
A network control protocol running on top of the IP protocol. It is used by Internet hosts to maintain information related to multicast. All machines that want to use the multicast have to have the IGMP implemented. 

Internet Protocol (IP), IP Address, IP Number
Internet Protocol is a scheme for identifying devices connected to the Internet including computers/servers, printers and modems. The location of each device is described using an address; a series of numbers (not dissimilar to a phone number). For example, the IP address of the Motive server is; 216.71.203.42 (you can type this directly into your browser to access the Motive homepage).

An IP address may also be accessed using a more human-readable equivalent, a domain name . When a domain name has been assigned, a domain name system server (DNS server) looks-up the name to find the corresponding IP address.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company that provides internet access.

InterNIC
InterNIC (now known as Network Solutions) once held an exclusive contract with the U.S. government to assign domain names ending with a .com, net, and .org. Since their contract expired, the U.S. government has opened the monopoly once held by Network Solutions and now there are many different registrars who can register these domain names.

Intranet
A part of an organization's network that is private. Only authorized individuals have access to the intranet. Besides that an intranet is very similar to the Internet in a sense that it offers the same services and uses the same protocols.

IP Number
(Internet Protocol Number) -- Sometimes called a dotted quad. A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g.161.113.245.2

Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more Domain Names that are easier for people to remember.

IP Address
Internet Protocol Address. A unique number identifying all devices connected to the Internet. This number is usually shown in groups of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by periods, for example 207.46.230.218.

IRC
(Internet Relay Chat) -- Basically a huge multi-user live chat facility. There are a number of major IRC servers around the world which are linked to each other. Anyone can create a channel and anything that anyone types in a given channel is seen by all others in the channel. Private channels can (and are) created for multi-person conference calls.

ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) -- Basically a way to move more data over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is rapidly becoming available to much of the USA and in most markets it is priced very comparably to standard analog phone circuits. It can provide speeds of roughly 128,000 bits-per-second over regular phone lines. In practice, most people will be limited to 56,000 or 64,000 bits-per-second.

ISO
(International Organisation for Standardization). An Geneva-based international organization that develops and publishes various international standards.

ISP
(Internet Service Provider) -- An institution that provides access to the Internet in some form, usually for money.

ITU
(International Telecommunication Union). (Formerly CCITT). Another international standards body concerned with telecommunications.