Chapter 6 Flashcards
Storage technology
Any type of device or medium in which information can be maintained for later retrieval
Mediated communication
Communication that takes place through a medium, such as writing or recording, as opposed to unmediated communication, such as face-to-face discussions
Sequential-access memory
A type of medium in which a reader, viewer, or user must go through the medium in the order received in order to find specific information
Random-access memory (RAM)
Usually used for a type of computer memory and abbreviated to RAM, in storage-technology terms it is a type of medium that allows for a reader or viewer to randomly obtain specific pieces of content by doing searches, using an index or taking some other action
Byte
The most common base unit used to measure computer storage and information, it consists of eight bits, in a combination of 0’s and 1’s, to form letters, numbers, and all modes of computer information that are displayed
Optical storage
Uses light in the form of lasers to store and read data of all types, whether text, audio, or video. Using light is highly efficient: it permits storage devices to record vastly greater amounts of data in small spaces and enables faster retrieval of the stored data than from magnetic storage devices
Nanotechnology
A cutting-edge field of technology research that involves items that are nanometers (10^-9 meters) in length and that promises to revolutionize many fields, ranging from electronics, information storage, and even medicine
MPEG
Moving Picture Experts Group, established in 1988 and responsible for creating the standards for digital and audio compression. THe abbreviation is also used to denote the types of compression, such as MPEG-1, MPEG-4, and so on
MP3
Stands for MPEG-1, Audio Layer-III, a file-storage format for digital audio recordings
Keyword auction
One method on search engine marketing in which companies bid for words and pay the search engine a certain amount every time the word is searched and their listing is clicked on
Search engine Optimization (SEO)
A strategy that utilizes website design, careful choice of keywords, links, and other techniques to show prominently on online searches
Search engine marketing (SEM)
Paying a search engine such as Google to have a listing appear prominently when searched
Information overload
The difficulties associated with dealing with the vast amounts of information available to us and making sense of it
User interface
The junction between a medium and the people who use it
Cathode-ray tube (CRT)
A device that is still used in most television screens and computer monitors in which electrons are transmitted to a screen for viewing
Aspect ratio
The ratio of a screen’s height to its width. Incompatible aspect ratios of ilm and television mean that either films have to be cropped to fit within a television screen, or, in order to keep the original aspect ratio, black borders must appear on the top and bottom of the screen
Multitasking
In a computer environment, doing several activities at once with variety of programs such as simultaneously doing word-processing, spreadsheet, and database work while conducting real-time chat through an instant-messenger service
Human-computer interaction
The general term for any interaction between humans and computers, either through devices such as keyboards, mice, touch screens, or voice recognition
Graphical user interface (GUI)
A computer interface that shows graphical representations of file structures, files, and applications, in the form of folders, icons, and windows
Trolling
The practice of posting deliberately obnoxious or disruptive messages to discussion groups or other online forums simply to get a reaction from the participants
Metatag
A word or words used by websites to help search engines index and describe a site, typically unseen by humans unless looking at the website’s code
OLED
Organic light-emitting diode screen, a type of thin, flexible screen that will change how and where we are able to view content on screens
