1. <architecture> {cache hit}.

	2. <World-Wide Web> A request to a {web server} from a {web
	browser} or other {client} (e.g. a {robot}).

	The number of hits on a server may be important for
	determining advertising revenue.

	In the course of loading a single {web page}, a browser may
	hit a web server many times e.g. to retrieve the page itself
	and each {image} on the page.  In contrast, caching by
	browsers and {web proxies} reduces the number of hits on the
	server because some requests are satisfied from the cache.

	3. <jargon> To press and release a key on the keyboard.  Some
	prefer the less aggressive "tap".

	(2000-02-20)

1. <chat> {Unix}'s simple {talk} command and {protocol}.
	write has been largely superseded by {talk} and then {irc}.

	An enhancement, {RWP}, has been proposed.

	2. <tool> A simple {text editor} for {Windows}.

	(1998-04-28)

1. Not operating.  "The up escalator is down" is considered a
	humorous thing to say, and "The elevator is down" always
	means "The elevator isn't working" and never refers to what
	floor the elevator is on.  With respect to computers, this
	term has passed into the mainstream; the extension to other
	kinds of machine is still hackish.

	2. "go down" To stop functioning; usually said of the
	{system}.  The message from the {console} that every hacker
	hates to hear from the operator is "System going down in 5
	minutes".

	3. "take down", "bring down" To deactivate purposely, usually
	for repair work or {PM}.  "I'm taking the system down to work
	on that bug in the tape drive."  Occasionally one hears the
	word "down" by itself used as a verb in this sense.

	See {crash}; opposite: {up}.

	[{Jargon File}]

	(1994-12-07)

<computer> 1. A computer; especially in the construction "foo
	box" where foo is some functional qualifier, like "graphics",
	or the name of an {operating system} (thus, "{Unix} box",
	"{MS-DOS} box", etc.)  "We preprocess the data on Unix boxes
	before handing it up to the {mainframe}."  The plural
	"{boxen}" is sometimes seen.

	2. Without qualification in an {IBM} {SNA} site, "box" refers
	specifically to an {IBM} {front-end processor}.

	[{Jargon File}]

	(1994-11-29)

<hypertext> A program which allows a person to read
	{hypertext}.  The browser gives some means of viewing the
	contents of {nodes} (or "pages") and of {navigating} from one
	node to another.

	{Netscape Navigator}, {NCSA} {Mosaic}, {Lynx}, and {W3} are
	examples for browsers for the {World-Wide Web}.  They act as
	{clients} to remote {web servers}.

	(1996-05-31)

<convention> (FAQ, or rarely FAQL, FAQ list) A document
	provided for many {Usenet} {newsgroups} (and, more recently,
	{World-Wide Web} services) which attempts to answer questions
	which new readers often ask.  These are maintained by
	volunteers and posted regularly to the newsgroup.  You should
	always consult the FAQ list for a group before posting to it
	in case your question or point is common knowledge.

	The collection of all FAQ lists is one of the most precious
	and remarkable resources on the {Internet}.  It contains a
	huge wealth of up-to-date expert knowledge on many subjects of
	common interest.  Accuracy of the information is greatly
	assisted by its frequent exposure to criticism by an
	interested, and occasionally well-informed, audience (the
	readers of the relevant newsgroup).

	The main {FTP archive} for FAQs is on a computer called {RTFM}
	at {MIT}, where they can be accessed either {by group
	(ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/comp.answers/)} or {by
	hierarchy (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/)}.
	There is another archive at {Imperial College
	(ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/news-info/)}, London, UK and a
	{World-Wide Web} archive in {Ohio
	(http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/top.html)},
	USA.

	The FAQs are also posted to {Usenet} newsgroups:
	{news:comp.answers}, {news:news.answers} and
	{news:alt.answers}.

	(1997-12-08)

1. The {supervisor} program or {operating system} on a
	computer.

	2. The entire computer system, including input/output devices,
	the {supervisor} program or {operating system} and possibly
	other {software}.

	3. Any large program.

	4. Any method or {algorithm}.

	[{Jargon File}]

<company> The biggest supplier of {operating systems} and
	other software for {IBM PC} compatibles.  Software products
	include {MS-DOS}, {Microsoft Windows}, {Windows NT},
	{Microsoft Access}, {LAN Manager}, {MS Client}, {SQL Server},
	{Open Data Base Connectivity} (ODBC), {MS Mail}, and {SNA
	Server} for Windows NT.

	Microsoft was founded as "Micro-soft" in 1975 by {Bill Gates}
	(now CEO) and his high school pal Paul Allen.  Their first
	product was a version of {BASIC} for the new {Altair} computer
	[which one?].  In 1980, {IBM} chose Microsoft to supply the
	{operating system} for the {IBM PC}.

	On the UK television program "The Net" in May 1994, {Bill
	Gates} said he was betting his company on the {information
	highway}".

	Quarterly sales $1293M, profits $362M (Aug 1994).

	{Home (http://www.microsoft.com/)}.
	{(ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/)}.

	{Interesting Info and Other Microsoft WWW Servers
	(http://www-drg.microsoft.com/devinfo.htm)}.

	{Microsoft Windows Developer Information
	(http://www-drg.microsoft.com/devinfo.htm)}.

	{Microsoft Research Group Information
	(http://www.research.microsoft.com)}.

	{Win_News
	(http://www.microsoft.com/chicago/ms-www/ms-intro.htm)}.
	maintained by the Personal Operating Systems Division to
	distribute information on {Microsoft Windows}, {MS-DOS} and
	{Windows 95}.

	(1998-11-06)

<software> Instructions for a computer in some programming
	language, often {machine language}.  The word "code" is often
	used to distinguish instructions from {data} (e.g. "The code
	is marked 'read-only'") whereas "{software}" is used in
	contrast with "{hardware}" and may consist of more than just
	code.

	(2000-04-08)

<messaging> One of {Usenet}'s huge collection of topic groups
	or {fora}.  {Usenet} groups can be "unmoderated" (anyone can
	post) or "moderated" (submissions are automatically directed
	to a {moderator}, who edits or filters and then posts the
	results).  Some newsgroups have parallel {mailing lists} for
	{Internet} people with no netnews access, with postings to the
	group automatically propagated to the list and vice versa.
	Some moderated groups (especially those which are actually
	gatewayed {Internet} {mailing lists}) are distributed as
	"{digests}", with groups of postings periodically collected
	into a single large posting with an index.

	Among the best-known are comp.lang.c (the {C}-language forum),
	comp.arch (on computer architectures), comp.Unix.wizards (for
	{Unix wizards}), rec.arts.sf-lovers (for science-fiction
	fans), and talk.politics.misc (miscellaneous political
	discussions and {flamage}).

	Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com> is alleged to have said,
	"Remember the good old days when you could read all the group
	names in one day?"  This gives a good idea of the growth and
	size of {Usenet}.

	See also {netiquette}.

	[{Jargon File}]

	(1994-12-13)