Acrobat
An Adobe Acrobat is an acrobat made entirely out of clay. He can jump through hoops, tumble, and flip from trapeze to trapeze... as long as you keep him moist. Actually, you wouldn't want to keep the real Adobe Acrobat moist, since it should reside on your hard drive. What is it? Well, it's a PDF file creator. Why would you want to use the Portable Document Format? Well, let's say you've found a page on the Web that you want to print. You could save a printable version of the page in Adobe Acrobat. If your company wants to feature its new brochure on their Web site, you can use Adobe Acrobat to create an electronic version ready for mass Internet consumption. The document will retain its characteristics and structure no matter where it's viewed. You may have already installed the Adobe Acrobat reader; if you can open PDF files, you're golden. If you don't have it yet, just download a copy of reader for FREE at ADOBE.COM. It's close to the center ring...
Abandonware
Abandon ship! Yeah, I know there's a band on the ship... they just played in the ballroom (ba dum bum). Often, when an application (or game) no longer serves a purpose for the company that created it, that package becomes "abandonware." This just means that, while the program is no longer marketed by its owner, it can still be obtained from another source. An example would be an older version of an improved game that the company no longer sees as marketable. In a perfect world, Web sites that want to distribute an abandoned program must get permission from the company that created it. Remember, I said "in a perfect world." This licensing thing can be a real drag, but I can appreciate its function.
Add-in
This was a controversial comedy / variety television show that aired in the 1970s; you bet your sweet bippy it was... or perhaps I'm getting my words mixed up again? Well, you don't have to be a Go-Go dancer to sock it to programs with an add-in or two. You see, an add-in is a program that attaches itself to another program. Sound too leech-like for your tastes? Don't furrow your brow; add-ins are supposed to help. For example, I've featured dictionary programs that, when downloaded, integrate with Microsoft Word (or Internet Explorer). In other words, the program(s) nestle themselves snuggly into the program(s) they're supposed to help and... they spin their magic. Them dictionary programs sure are swell. Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall's. Here come de judge! Okay, that's enough. Say goodnight, Dick.
Apache
Okay, so we talked about "open source" and defined it as products such as Linux that can be changed and modified by the user to suit their needs. And we defined "Web server" as a program that serves up requested Web pages. Actually, I don't remember if I defined "Web server" or not, but there you go. Now, if you put these two terms together you get...? Right, "openwebsourceserver." But you also get Apache, which is the name of a very popular open source Web server, though it has little to do with a battle-hardened helicopter in this instance. You might have already guessed that Apache runs on UNIX-based systems such as Linux, but it also runs on Windows NT/2000. Since it's open source, those who use it can change it in any way they want.
Applet
This isn't a small apple, nor is it a tiny apple with a mohawk. Apple-T... I pity da fool who didn't get that joke. Nevermind. It's actually a small application -- something that can perform a task instantly (typically run within Web pages). If you've ever wondered how calculations get calculated and animations get animated, you're probably dealing with an applet. Since it's executed from within a larger application, they can't be launched from a regular operating system. Hey, that's just the way it goes. Does the term "Java applet" ring a bell? Every once in a while, I'll call 'em Control Panel applets. That's not precise usage, but I was trying to further the language. It'll never catch on.
ASCII
This term stands for "American Standard Code for Information Interchange" and is a method of representing readable characters with 7-binary digits. This allows for 128 possible characters, which is farily limited by today's standards, but is still the most commonly used format for plain text files. Since the ASCII standard represents a limited amount of characters, extended formats must be implemented to include non-English, graphical, and mathematical characters. Just ASCII and you shall receive.
Attachments
If the mailperson arrives with a package that is too big for your mailbox, then s/he has to bring the package to your door. I think the only exception to this rule is Mr. McFeeley, who always brings Mr. Rogers's mail directly into his house. My neighborhood's mail carrier never brings me film footage of a typical day on a dairy farm. You can think of your Inbox in the same light (as a mailbox, not a dairy farm). This is where you make attachments; they're files that are 'attached' to any given e-mail message (well, obviously). For most users, a paper clip icon accompanies messages with attachments. You might get a message that reads "We just had a baby! See the digital snapshot! Love, Uncle Happy." Depending on how the picture was sent, it will either appear in the message itself, or you will have to open it by clicking on the paper clip. Mail clients are typically straightforward about how to send and view attached files. Some ISPs, however, will place restrictions on the size of the messages you can send and receive. Always virus scan e-mailed files before opening them -- even if you know the sender. VBS and EXE attachments aren't from the Land of Make-Believe; they're real, and they can potentially damage your system.
Avatar
If you chat frequently (and I'm talking about online chatting here, not conversing with Mabel at the grocery store), then you may have encountered an avatar once or twice. What's an avatar? Well, it's a graphical rendition of a human being. In other words, it's a character (say, a bird) that represents you. It may talk, smile, bend, flutter, walk, sit and basically act however you'd like it to. It doesn't have to be a bird, it can be pretty much anything. Avatars pop up in chat rooms, and you can also download them from certain Web sites. It's not a replacement for real human interaction, but it does make chatting a lot more fun.
