Internet Terms-H

hacker though the term has been associated primarily with people who endeavor to violate computer or software security in some manner, the primary definition refers to an individual who is exceptionally skilled as a computer programmer.
The other common meaning for the word is someone who gains unauthorized entry into a computer system or software program for the sake of mischief or financial gain. In light of many of the malicious deeds and pranks being played of late, such as the malicious introduction of viruses via email, and the intentional crippling of large Websites such as Yahoo, the accepted use of the term is unfortunately becoming negative. see cracker.

half duplex the transmission of data in only one direction at a time. see full duplex.

hand-held computer a battery operated computer small enough to hold in a user’s hand. Hand-held computers offer features such as an address book, organizer, calculator, Internet access, and games. One limitation of the device is a keyboard that is difficult to use, though this has proved to be a minor drawback as the electronic pen has become the method of choice for keyboard or screen keying functions.

hand icon the image the mouse cursor takes on when it is pointed to a hyperlink.

handle a name used in a chat room, bulletin board or other online discussion forum. For example, Marjie’s online handle is Fidgetywitch.

handles in a graphic design program, an object appears superimposed over an outlined box. Each of the corners and midpoints of the box are the grips or handles used by the artist to manipulate the image. see bounding box.

handshake the communication between two modems that indicates a connection is being made.

hang a kind of computer crash that makes communication between the keyboard and computer impossible with the exception of utilizing the Ctrl-Alt-Del function.
Doing so will offer the user the option to close the active application or reboot the computer. see Ctrl-Alt-Del, crash.

hard copy an actual printed paper copy of a computer document. A soft copy exists only on a computer monitor.

hard disk a magnetic data storage platter made from aluminum and coated with iron oxide used for saving computer data. The hard disk or hard drive usually refers to the main or permanent storage device of a computer. In the early days of personal computers, a typical hard disk stored 10 megabytes. It seems that modern computers have an almost unlimited capacity for data storage with hard disks now able to store up to 50 gigabytes of data and more in some cases.

hard drive see disk drive.

hardware virtually any computer component or related device that isn’t regarded as data or software. The display monitor, keyboard, connecting cables, optical scanner, printer, modem, sound card, the actual box containing the computer circuitry, and any other tangible computer component is considered hardware.

hardwired 1. built in computer components that cannot easily be altered. 2. online copy that remains the same whenever a particular Web page is viewed.

Hayes compatible an industry standard among modems and products using command language developed by Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. known as AT command set. Virtually all modems manufactured today are Hayes compatible.

head the component of a disk drive that reads and writes data to a magnetic disk or tape. Double-sided disks drives have two heads.

head crash a serious disk drive failure where, in most cases, the head comes in contact with the disk. In normal operation the head floats an almost immeasurable distance above the disk. If dust or dirt becomes lodged in this space it can cause a loss of data and permanent damage to the disk. Disk replacement is the only cure for such a disaster. Particles as small as cigarette smoke molecules have been known to cause a head crash.

header 1. the first lines of a page in a word processing document. 2. the top portion of an email message containing the address of the sender, recipient and the subject of the message. 3. the top portion of a Web page containing the title.

heap a block of data storage space allocated to a programmer for writing a program or a specific program function.

help in addition to the manual provided with most software, there also exists an onscreen help button designed to assist the user with questions or problems encountered while operating the program. Activating the help button presents the user with several help options such as an index of help topics, an explanation of what the user can expect from the program, and a menu containing detailed instructions for many of the program’s functions.

Hewlett-Packard a worldwide provider of computing and imaging solutions and services for business and the home. HPs major businesses include Imaging and Printing Systems, Computing Systems and Information Technology Services (IT Services).

hidden files files not listed in the directory or easily accessible to users in operating systems. Files vital to the operation of a system are hidden so a user will not accidentally alter or delete them.

hierarchical a system of organization similar to the chain of command in the military where the root of the hierarchy is the primary element in the system.Using the military example, the President is the leader of all of the armed forces, followed by the head of the joint chiefs of staff, then the top generals and admirals in the various branches of the military, etc. A similar system is used in categorizing the data contained on a computer, beginning with a computer’s root directories, then subdirectories, folders, and files.

high density disk a floppy disk of high quality that is able to hold 1.44MB (megabytes) of data and can only be used in high density diskette drives.

history a folder included as part of a Web browser that shows a user the Websites that have been visited. For example, on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the history file may be accessed by first clicking View on the menu bar, then select head crash 61 Explore Bar, and finally, History. This will display the recently viewed Web pages. The user can set the number of days a Website’s URL will stay in the history file.
hit the request from a browser for a Web page and the delivery of that page by a Web server. Strictly speaking, individual components of a page such as an isolated graphic, and a block of text are each considered a hit. Therefore, a page containing three pictures would be counted as at least three hits. Hits are used to determine the volume of traffic a Website receives. see impressions.

Home key a special keyboard key that returns the cursor to the upper left portion of the screen, but could have a different function depending on the program running.

home page 1. the primary page in a Website. The home page usually contains a summary of the contents of the site along with the site’s features and provides hyperlinks to them. 2. sometimes simply called Home, the Web page set in a browser as the page that first appears when the user logs on to the Internet.

host any computer on a network that provides services to other computers with access to the network. A Web host for example, provides the means for a server to store and deliver it’s clients Web pages to users of the Internet. Host services of many types are provided for a fee.

HotBot a popular search engine on the World Wide Web.

Hotmail a free browser-based email service hosted by Microsoft that allows a user to send and receive email from any location in the world.

hourglass icon in Windows, the cursor changes to an hourglass while the program is processing, indicating that the user must wait for the function to complete.
The hourglass is the equivalent of the watch icon in the Macintosh operating system.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) the coding language developed by Tim Berners-Lee, which is readable by a Web browser, used to create Web pages on the Internet.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) the protocol that allows the transfer of many documents on the World Wide Web. This is the familiar http:// seen at the beginning of many URLs.

hub a center or origin point for devices containing many ports comprising a network.

Human Click a free, realtime, interactive chat program available to Website managers and webmasters allowing visitors to ask questions about products, services etc. without having to first register. A visitor simply clicks an icon on the site and an audio/visual alert lets the business know a user is making contact.

hyperlink sometimes simply referred to as link, a component of a Web page that when clicked with the mouse, takes the user to another Web page. A hyperlink may be displayed as a common URL such as www.kokobono.com, it may appear as a name such as WebBizCentral, or it may be contained in a graphic image or photograph. When appearing as text, it is usually displayed in a color different than that of the main body of text. When the mouse cursor is directed over the link, the arrow usually changes to the hand icon.

hypermedia hyperlinks on a Website that connect a user to video, sound and enhanced graphics.

hypertext any onscreen text containing links to other pages or files not necessarily of the same or even similar formats. For example, a computerized tutorial for learning how to use a typewriter might contain hypertext. After introducing a particular concept, the tutorial might prompt the user to “see lesson 7 for more information” and provide a link to that lesson. Web pages are classic examples of documents that use hypertext. see hyperlink.

hypertext IBM (International Business Machines) in 1981 introduced the IBM Personal Computer which provided the spark for the home-computer revolution. Additionally, IBM provides customer solutions through the use of advanced information technology. These solutions include technologies, systems, products, services, software and financing.