Access privileges: A feature of Mac OS file sharing. Access privileges are assigned to individual users, groups, and guests, and they determine whether those users can see or change files on a shared disk. Privileges are set in the Sharing section of the shared item's Info window.

Action: A feature of Personal Web Sharing that lets the Web folder launch a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script, Asynchronous CGI, or other application.

Any User: In Mac OS file sharing, the Owner setting that allows anyone with access to the server to make changes to a shared item. When Any User is selected in the Sharing section of an item's Info window, any user can change the access privileges for the shared item.

Apple Remote Access (ARA): Apple Remote Access (ARA) Client software allows you to connect to an ARA MultiPort Server, a computer with ARA Personal Server software installed, or an ARA-compatible server.

AppleShare: Software that lets you connect to other computers on a network and use the contents of shared folders or disks. You also use AppleShare to share folders or disks on your computer.

AppleTalk: A networking protocol used by some network devices, such as printers and servers.

Browser: An application that allows visitors to see the contents of a Web server.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script: An application that the server runs at specific times. For example, when a visitor connects to a server, the server might open a CGI script that displays a form the visitor fills out, and then sends the data to a storage area.

Configuration: A group of settings for a particular networking component like AppleTalk or TCP/IP. Configurations are grouped in sets so you can switch sets to switch all the configurations belonging to the set.

Domain type: The suffix of a Web site that identifies the type of content the Web site contains or what kind of organization the site is associated with (such as "com" for commercial, "edu" for education, "gov" for government, and "org" for a nonprofit organization).

Everyone: The category of access privileges for Mac OS file sharing that applies to all users (registered users and guests) except the Owner and User/Group. Privileges for Everyone are set in the Sharing section of an item's Info window.

File Sharing control panel: The control panel used to turn file sharing on or off. File sharing allows registered users on your network to access shared folders and files.

Guest: Anyone who connects to a server without supplying a name. Guest access is set in the File Sharing control panel on the Users & Groups tab, and is turned on or off with Mac OS file sharing.

Home page: The first HTML document displayed when a visitor connects to a Web server.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): A method for preparing text files so they can display content and link to other files on the World Wide Web.

Internet: The massive global network of interconnected computers and communications hardware and software that links World Wide Web sites and other services, such as email, discussion groups, and FTP servers.

Internet service provider (ISP): A company that provides direct access to the Internet. The ISP usually has fast, dedicated connections to Internet services and multiple modems to which individual users connect over phone lines. When you establish an account with an ISP, the company provides the information and basic software you need to set up your computer for Internet access.

Intranet: A network-based collection of Web servers and sites, usually located within one company or other organization.

IP address: IP is short for Internet Protocol, a way of specifying how information is transferred across computer networks. The IP address, which identifies a specific computer, consists of a 4- to 12-digit number separated into four sections by periods (for example, 130.43.2.2).

MIME type: Information associated with a file on a Web server. The MIME type tells the server, and the Web browsers of any connected users, what the file type of the file is, and which application to use to open the file. (MIME is an acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.)

Modem: A device that enables your computer to communicate with another computer over ordinary telephone lines. A modem converts digital information into the analog signals used on most phone lines.

Network: An interconnected group of computers that use specialized software and hardware to share and transfer data.

Owner: In Mac OS file sharing, the person who controls a specific folder.

Personal NetFinder: A feature of Personal Web Sharing that displays the contents of a Web folder as a list.

Port: A number representing the kind of level at which two devices communicate; the level must be the same for both devices for communication to occur. For example, Web servers and browsers communicate using HTTP, which runs on port 80. In Personal Web Sharing, the port is the address of the Web folder on your computer.

Registered user: In Mac OS file sharing, the name of a person who has access privileges associated with that name.

TCP/IP network connection: Abbreviation for Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a way of specifying how information is transferred over the Internet (by means of a network connection).

URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The "address" or location of a Web site or other Internet service.

Users & Groups: In Mac OS file sharing, a tab in the File Sharing control panel used to specify registered users, groups, and guests.

Web page: Any HTML document on a Web server.

Web server: A computer running software that shares HTML and other files by means of the Internet or an intranet.

Web Sharing control panel: The software you use to set up Personal Web Sharing.

Web site: A collection of HTML files and other content that visitors access by means of a URL and view with a Web browser.