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INTERNET - An immense, global network that connects computers via
telephone lines and/or fiber networks to storehouses of electronic
information. With only a computer, a modem, a telephone line and a
service provider, people from all over the world can communicate and
share information with little more thatn a few keystrokes.
BULLETINE BOARD SYSTEMS (BBSs) -
Electronic networks of computers that are connected by a central
computer setup and operated by a system administrator or operator and
are distinguishable from the Internet by their "dial-up" accessibility.
BBS users link their individual computers to the central BBS computer by
a modem which allows them to post messages, read messages left by
others, trade information, or hold direct conversations. Access to a
BBS can, and often is, privileged and limited to those users who have
access privileges granted by the systems operator.
COMMERCIAL ON-LINE SERVICE (COS) -
Examples of COSs are America Online, Prodigy, CompuServe and Microsoft
Network, which provice access to their service for a fee. COSs
generally offer limited access to the Internet as part of their total
service package.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP) -
Examples of ISPs are Erols, Concentric and Netcom. These services
offer direct, full access to the Internet at a flat, monthly rate and
often provide electronic-mail service for their customers. ISPs often
provide space on their servers for their customers to maintain World
Wide Web (WWW) sites. Not all ISPs are commercial enterprises.
Education, governmental and nonprofit organizations also provide
Internet access to their members.
PUBLIC CHAT ROOMS - Created, maintained,
listed and monitored by the COS and other public domain systems such as
Internet Relay Chat. A number of customers can be in the public chat
rooms at any given time, which are monitored for illegal activity and
even appropriate language by systems operators (SYSop). Some public
chat rooms are monitored more frequently than others, depending on the
COS and the type of chat room. Violators can be reported to the
administrators of the system (at America On-line they are referred to as
terms of service [TOS] which can revoke user privileges. The public
chat rooms usually cover a broad range of topics such as entertainment,
sports, game rooms, children only, etc.
CHAT - Real-time text conversation
between users in a chat room with no expectation of privacy. All chat
conversation is accessible by all individuals in the chat room while the
conversation is taking place.
INSTANT MESSAGES - Private, real-time
te4xt conversation between two users in a chat room.
INTERNET RELAY CHAT (IRC) - Real-time
text conversation similar to public and/or private chat rooms on COS.
USERNET (NEWSGROUPS) - Like a giant, cork
bulletin board where users post messages and information. Each posting
is like an open letter and is capable of having attachments, such as
graphic image files (GIFs). Anyone accessing the newsgroup can read the
postings, take copies of posted items, or post responses. Each
newsgroup can hold thousands of postings. Currently, there are over
29,000 public newsgroups and that number is growing daily. Newsgroups
are both public and/or private. There is no listing of private
newsgroups. A user of private newsgroups has to be invited into the
newsgroup and be provided with the news groups's address.
ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL) - A function of BBSs, COSs and ISPs which provides for the transmission of messages and
files between computers over a communications network similar to mailing
a letter via the postal service. E-mail is stored on a server, where it
will remain until the addressee retrieves it. Anonymity can be
maintained by the sender by predetermining what the receiver will see as
the "from" address. Another way to conceal one's identity is to use an
"anonymous remailer", which is a service that allows the user to send an
e-mail message repackaged under the remailer's own header, stripping off
the originator's name completely.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Office of Crimes Against Children
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535
(202) 324-3666
National Center For Missing & Exploited Children
CYBER TIPLINE
1-800-843-5678
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