The S’s:  “S” Stands for “service” in business orientation.  See, e.g. SAAS, above, which means Software as a Service.  If you are evaluating business systems, you will see lots of acronyms ending in “S”:  Here are a few:  QoS - Quality of Service; CoS - Class of Service; SOA - Service Oriented Architecture.

SAM: “Software Asset Management”.  A collection of processes used to control software assets within an organization, including software asset identification, inventory management and control.  Important if you ever experience a software audit.

SAMBA: A free software networking protocol providing file and print services for various Microsoft Windows clients, released under the GNU General Public License, originally developed by Australian Andrew Tridgell in 1992.  Originally called SMBServer, but changed due to trademark conflicts.

SAN:  See Storage.

SANDBOX:  Sometimes also called a “working directory.” It is a “testing” (or virtual) computer environment in which program or web developers check out a copy of the software on a temporary basis before loading it onto the actual servers which will run the program, in order to detect any errors or negative effects on the real system or its security.  They “play” in the sandbox first.  Microsoft has named its sandbox “The Garage”.

SAS 70 Certification:  The Statement on Auditing Standards created to elaborate on the reporting standards mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“SOX”) of 2002.  [See LAWS]  For larger and public companies, Certification Levels I and II require that certain actions have been taken to protect data and general network security.

SAT:  Satellite. As in SATphone (satellite phone) or SATcard (satellite internet card for computer).

SATA:  Stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment.  This is a newer, faster standard for connecting hard drives to computer motherboards than IDE.  SATA technology is based on serial signaling, unlike IDE, which is based on parallel signaling.  SATA cables do not require the master/slave relationship as shared IDE drives do, and give each device on a controller a full dedicated point-to-point connector with 150Mb bandwidth that does not to be shared (as does IDE, where two devices running simultaneously would effectively halve the available bandwidth).  [Sata/300 is now available; sources predict SATA/600 will be available shortly.]  Also, SATA has a much lower signal voltage and is less prone to crosstalk and electromagnetic interference.  In addition, there’s eSATA, an extension to the SATA standard (with it’s own type of cable, naturally) that enables SATA drives to be connected externally, rather than by USB or Firewire. Click HERE for photos of SATA vs. IDE cables and power connectors.

SBC:  Server Based Computing.  Using a server-based network to provide computing over a network of computers.

Scan & Scram: See Showrooming.

SCAP:  Security Content Automation Protocol.  This is a standard pushed by the federal government which unites a number of existing and new standards that identify software bugs and misconfigurations that could pose a security threat, helping with the so-called “vulnerability management process”.

SCRAPING:  The practice of websites and blogs of taking large parts of original copyrighted works and using them for their own advantage. Sometimes, but not always, the practice is exempt from charges of illegal copying under the copyright law exception of “fair use,” which has a four point definition, taking into consideration the purpose (commercial vs. educational) and the substantiality of the excerpt itself.

SCHEMA:  A set of rules (structure and value constraints) applicable to XML documents.  Web sitemaps are often submitted to ascertain their compliance with the XML schema.

SCOOTER:  The name of the Alta Vista search engine spider.

SCREENS:  Call them monitors, screens or displays, they proliferate on computers and mobile devices.  But there are many types:  Click HERE for more.

SCRIPT KIDDIE:  Also, sometimes, script kiddy.  A derogatory term applied by more sophisticated hackers and crackers to the less expert exploiter of security lapses on the Internet.  Script kiddies use existing, frequently well known, programs, scripts and techniques to locate and penetrate other computers on the Internet, often randomly and without regard to the consequences.  Pro hackers disdain script kiddies’ lack of art in this endeavor, which they believe ruins their own reputation, because expert hackers take pride in the quality of their attack, often leaving no trace of their intrusion.

SCRIPT:  A program (sequence of instructions) that is interpreted or carried out by another program other than the computer’s operating system.  Scripts have their own languages, such as PERL & JavaScript, which are embedded in HTML to create various items and effects on internet pages.

SCSI:  Stands for Small Computer System Interface, this is a standard for connecting hard drives and scanners to computers.  There are several different generations of SCSI (SCSI and SCSI-2 most common).  There are special cables and connectors for SCSI devices.  Not as common now that SATA and USB connections are available.  This is the SCSI (DB-25) symbol:

SDN:  Software Defined Networking.  Uses the Open Flow Protocol which uses software rather than hardware to determine how network traffic should flow away from individual switches and routers by instead shifting it to a controller, making the process more automated and less expensive.

SEARCH ENGINE:  Also called a “browser” - a computer program that lets you search for specific information on the web by typing a keyword, title or topic.  Internet Explorer, Netscape & Firefox are search engines.

SEARCH INVERSION:  The morphing of the Internet search function from a useful tool for users into a corporate tool for profiling and targeting Internet users for sales and other financial purposes.  See Internet Privacy.

SECTION SIGN: “ § “.  Sometimes also called a “squiggly”.  A typographical character commonly used to denote sections in documents and legal codes.  However, respecting computers, it is used as a popular denotation for a unit of currency in games like SimNation, Spore and All-Out-War.  On Craigslist a section sign in the subject line indicates that the subject line comprises the entirety of the post .

SECURITY CERTIFICATE: See, certificate, SSL.

SEEDING: See, PRNG.

SEMANTIC WEB :  A concept thought up by Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the WWW, URLs, HTTP & HTML) and the folks as W3C.  A mesh (“mash-up”) of information linked in such a way as to be easily processable by machines, on a global scale, over the Internet.  It provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise and community boundaries.  In other words, data can be accessed and shared over the Internet for many purposes.

SEO:  Search Engine Optimization.The process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site, as referred from search engines via algorithms.

SERIAL:  Ports and cables used for computer interface (“connections”) such as printers, scanners, keyboards, mice and other peripherals.  Although serial ports send data in “serial” form (i.e. one bit right after another, using a single channel or wire), which would appear to be slower than the older “parallel” interface (which sends a byte (8 bits) of data simultaneously through a 36 wire cable), recent developments in serial architecture have almost completely supplanted parallel connections, eliminating crosstalk between the 36 wires in a parallel cable, as well as signal “skew”, created by dissembling and then reassembling the 8 bit packets for sending and receiving them over the parallel connection. The original serial connection was specified as IEEE RS-232 Standard (so-called 25 pin “D” type connector, because its shape resembled an upper-case “D”).  Later, the much smaller 9 Pin DE-9 (a/k/a DB-9 or D-sub 9) was introduced.  Since then, most serial connections have been replaced by newer standards such as USB and Firewire.

SERVER: A computer onto which other workstation computers on a network depend for applications, services or data.  Servers can be hardware (file or storage server), software (e-mail server) or services (web server).  The primary function of a server is to act as a library that other computer users can share. [See also, Windows Home Server]

SERVER FARM:  See also, Data Hotel.  Huge, air conditioned, spaces of buildings with massive power available where racks of computer servers are located, as well as the reams of data that are stored on them.  Google, for example, has huge buildings all over the world for this purpose.

SERVICES:  Windows services, such as those which appear in the Task manager, are executable programs usually involving Windows management that automatically start when the computer system boots, run continuously in background, and do not have any user interface.

SESSION ID:  This is specific number assigned by a website server for the duration of a user’s specific visit.  The number is generally an algorithm containing information such as the date and time of the visit as well as other variables defined by the server administrator.

SESSION RIDING: See: Cross-Site Request Forgeries (“CSRF”). Also called a “One Click Attack” or “XSRF”.  A malicious exploit of a website whereby unauthorized commands are transmitted from a user that the website trusts.  This is unlike “Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)” which sounds similar but which exploits the trust that a user has for a particular site.  CSRF, however, exploits the trust that a site has in a user’s browser. The attack works by including a link or a script on a page that accesses a site to which the user is supposedly known to have authenticated.  So, let’s say that the Coach regularly visits the Manhattan Products Website.  Unknown to Coach, Bill has crafted a message in the form of an image on that site that beckons Coach to click on.  However, when Coach clicks on it, he is instead allows Bill to connect to Coach’s Banking website and, if Coach’s cookie hasn’t yet expired, Bill can make an authorized transaction without Coach’s approval.  Most of these attacks are made from internet forums and chat rooms, where users are allowed to post images.  See, SPYWARE.

SEXTING:  See Texting and link therein to LAWS.

SFC:  Refers to the (Windows) System File Checker, a command that scans for corrupt system files and corrects them.

SFTP:  Secure FTP. A program enabling the transfer of files across the Internet using the secure SSH protocol.  More secure than ordinary simple FTP.

SHELL:  Relating to computers, this term can have more than one meaning.  It often refers to a menu (often displayed at start-up, especially in Linux) permitting the user to click on one key to jump to a program.  It also refers to a program named SSH (because it was developed by SSH Communications Secutiry, Ltd.) which logs onto another computer over a network to execute commands or move files.  See also, Kernel.

SHAPER:  A network traffic management tool that configures bandwidth  for security and optimization purposes.

SHAREPOINT:  A Microsoft program which is used for corporate enterprise online solutions, such as collaboration, document management, web publishing, corporate portals, and the like.

SHORT STROKED DRIVES: Hard disk drives, usually 15,000 rpm data center drives, which use only the outermost diameter of the drive in order to optimize performance.

SHOWROOMING:  The practice of looking at products in retail stores and then purchasing the same thing on line from the cheapest source.  Closely related: “scan and scram,” where shoppers scan an item’s bar code in a store and then buy it on line from a less expensive rival merchant.

SID (or SSID):  Short for Service Set Identifier, the SSID is the “Network Name” because essentially it is a name that identifies a wireless network. 

SIDEJACKING:  See “jacking.”  [Originally referred to as “Session Hijacking, a variation of the man-in-the-middle attack].  Polularized by a program named Firesheep, a type of WiFi hijacking which targets cookies to sites such as Amazon, Twitter, FaceBook and others which start out as secured connections then drop back to unsecured.

SGI:  Silicon Graphics, Inc. the company founded by Jim Clark of Netscape fame, manufacturer of hi-performance computers in the 3D graphics area, used in many graphic intensive movies.

SIDEWINDER:  The name of the InfoSeek search engine spider.

SIGNAL:  An indicator, such as an electric current, magnetic field or burst of light (the “carrier”), which is communicated between two or more points for the purpose of conveying data from one place to another.  This data is superimposed on the indicator by means of modulation.  Signal modulation can be either analog or digital in nature.  In addition, every signal has both a definable frequency as well as a wavelength (which is always inversely proportional to that frequency).  The data message may be as simple as switching direct current on and off, or as complex as some digital information technology which uses multiple digital data streams with multiple messages.

SIGNAL BOOSTER:  A device that amplifies a signal.  Click HERE for more...

SIGNATURE:  This refers to a string of bits, or the binary pattern of a virus.  The signature is like a virus’ fingerprint, allowing antivirus software to detect and remove it.  Your daily downloads of virus “patterns” include the signatures that your anti-virus program uses to keep you protected.  See also, polymorphism.

SILICON:  This is the main component of computer chips, transistors and printed circuit boards.  Silicon is a non-metallic element which is only found as a compound with other elements in nature and is commonly associated with glass.  When bonded with oxygen, it becomes silicia, such as sand and quartz. This is NOT the same thing as SILICONE, which is a man-made material which can be an oil, gel or rubber (elastomer), and which is commonly used in implants because they are well tolerated by the human body.

SILO:  Actually, an “information silo”.  This is defined as “an information system incapable of reciprocal operation with other, related information systems.  So, for example, in defense systems or banks, the information systems are kept separate and do not communicate with each other.  “Silo effect” in business refers to this lack of communication between departments, computers and the like.  See also, castling, encryption.

SIM:  Short for Simulation.  As in Sim City, the program in which simulated characters build and operate an interactive city on a computer.  First designed in 1989 by Will Wright for Maxis, there are now many Sim programs.  With the rising popularity of social networking, packaged games have stalled, while Facebook and others have brought these sims on-line, the most popular of which are Farmville and Empires & Allies (from Zynga, which has about 257 million players on Facebook) and Civilization (from Sid Meier).

SIM CARD:  Subscriber Identity Module. A small plastic removable printed circuit card which securely stores the service subscriber key (IMSI), which is a unique serial number used to identify the subscriber on mobile phones.  [SIMs are mandatory in GSM devices, not so much in CDMA devices.]  Subscribers can thus change phones by merely removing the SIM card from one phone and inserting it into another.  The early SIM cards, starting in 1991, were close to credit-card size; on newer phones they are far smaller than a postage stamp.  Many cell phone providers no longer use SIM cards, just build in the technology into the phone’s main circuit board (e.g. Verizon cell phones).

[THE] SINGULARITY:  A term used by such prominent technologists as Jeff Hawkins, Gordon Moore (“Moore’s Law”) and others to describe the notion that, quite suddenly, machine-based intelligence will take over at the tipping point where human intelligence leaves off.  Although it will be driven by technological progress such as machine intelligence, nanotechnology and/or neural implants, it is not the same thing as technological progress.  Rather it is the concept that technological progress has been limited by the human brain, which cannot be sigificantly upgraded.  When machines (computers) are upgraded in hardware and software, they may reach a point where they become more intelligent than humans (think the 2004 Will Smith movie I, Robot).  At that point, capable machines may design even more intelligent machines, leading to the recursive improvement which defines Singularity.  Strangely this was one prospect that Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber) ranted about in his Manifesto.  To the contrary, others philosophize that the human brain (and not machines), through perhaps life extension, will achieve the Singularity. 

In 2011, Rick Schwall, an internet millionaire, started a non-profit organization known as Saving Humanity from Homo Sapiens which looks to fund researchers who have plans for taming artificial intelligence and developing safeguards that will protect man from machines.  They concentrate upon protecting the planet from “existential risk,” which is a term for catastrophic events which could wipe out the human species.  The term is broader than the Singularity, including the catastrophic effects of climate change and external attack from asteriods or non-human forces, synthetic biology, nuclear destruction and nanotechnology gone wild, in addition to our own creation of computers, machines and technology that could go seriously wrong.  While religious groups concentrate on God-caused events, existential risk adherents address a different sort of “rapture,” that caused when machines outpace humans and then enslave and possibly destroy us.  Good technology gone bad, or to the dark side, so to speak.   So, too, the Lifeboat Foundation, founded by Eric Klein, concerned about computers gone bad, alien attacks and manmade synthetic creatures.  And Eliezer Yudkowsk, a prolific blogger on the subject, who offers scientific explanations you would expect of a computer scientist.  Peter Thiel, first investor in Facebook and one of the original developers of Skype, has expressed his interest as well. 

Much of the information is exchanged at the annual Singularity Summit held by the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence where speakers and attendees (such as Ray Kurzweil)  ponder the upcoming events which may lead to the Singularity.

SIP:  Session Internet Protocol.  A generic P2P protocol that sets up a communication between two end points.  It can be used for voice calls, videoconferencing and instant messaging.  It’s terribly useful, particularly as communication services converge, because you don’t have to handle multiple protocols.  Developed by the IETF, SIP is an IP telephony signaling protocol primarily used by VoIP calls.  SIP is a text-based protocol that is based on HTTP and MIME, which makes it suitable and very flexible for integrated VoIP applications. Natively supported by Windows XP and subsequent Windows versions, it uses fewer system resources and is not particularly complex (compared to H.323, for example).  A SIP Trunk is a SIP-based voice service from a telephony service provider, which acts as a delivery mechanism to replace a PRI (“Primary Rate Interface”) “legacy” circuit such as POTS or T1.  The format over which voice traffic is transported is known as Real Time Protocol (“RTP”).  An encrypted version known as SRTP (for “Secure” RTP) is also available.   For the security conscious, a protocol that prevents unauthorized evesdropping of an IP-based voice communication is known as Transport Layer Security or “TLS”.  [On 3/23/09, Skype rolled out its beta of Skype for SIP that will let enterprises use their regular phones in conjunction with IP PBX systems to make desktop calls to any phone in the world at standard Sykpe rates.]  For more, see VOIP.

SIRI:  A feature introduced by Apple in the iPhone 4GS where you talk normally and ask Siri (a female voice in the U.S., male in some other countries like the U.K.; Ask her what she’s wearing, she replies “Why does everybody ask me that?”) to find things and do things for you, like check the weather, place a call, schedule things and more.  It even talks back to you.  What does it mean?  Some say “butt” in Japanese, although I doubt that was their intention.  Apple didn’t name it, but acquired Siri from a startup named Siri in 2010, and can’t say for sure where the name came from.  It is, Apple says, still in beta and developing, so it’s not perfect.

SITEMAP:  “sitemap” (all lower case) refers to an HTML page on a website that lists all of the pages of the site in either text of graphic form (see, for example, the site map reference on the home page of this site), including pages not shown on the nav bar or other shortcuts, for the user’s information.  “Sitemap” (with cap) refers to a proprietary protocol used by Google for web creators to submit various pages for Google’s consideration, providing specific information and assigning a degree of importance for each such page.

66 BLOCK:   a/k/a M Block.  A type of punchdown block used to connect sets of telephone wires between the telephone company’s Demarc and the (usually commercial) customer’s premises equipment (“CPE”).  The 66 Block can be either a 25-pair split or non-split block.  The split block has been the industry standard for telephony:  Each row of the 25 pairs contains 4 clips, but the left two clips are electrically isolated from the right two clips. The telephone company generally punches in the service on the left side of the block; the customer’s premises are wired from the right side.  The tip wire is terminated on the leftmost slot of one row and the ring wire on the row beneath.  Metal bridging clips are used to connect the two center slots, bonding the left to the right side of the punch block connections, and also allowing isolation for testing.  The 66 Block is fast becoming legacy equipment, because of the necessity of terminating higher speed data lines (Cat 5) in addition to telephone (Cat 3).  Modern 110 Blocks have largely supplanted 66 Blocks for this purpose, since they are Cat 5 compliant.  Some 66 Blocks come pre-assembled with an RJ-21 connector that accepts a quick connection to a 25 pair cable:

NOTE:  IF THIS CONNECTOR LOOKS FAMILIAR, IT SHOULD:  IT IS ALSO USED FOR SCSI-1 CONNECTIONS AND A SMALLER 36-PIN VERSION KNOWN AS A CENTRONICS CONNECTOR (SOMETIMES  INCORRECTLY NAMED MICRO RIBBON CONNECTOR) IS USED FOR PC PRINTERS.

SKUNK WORKS:  A small group of people who are given permission to work independent of the usual organizational structure and constraints in order to achieve quick outside-of-the-box results.  The name was derived from the popular Al Capp cartoon “Li’l Abner”  and is the nickname given  to the moonshine factory in the cartoon.

SKYDRIVE:  Initially “Windows Live Folders,” part of Microsoft’s Windows Live range of online services.  SkyDrive is the file storage and sharing service that allows users to upload files to the computing cloud and then access them from a web browser. Limited to 25Gb total, files no larger than 100Mb.

SKYPE:  A popular VoIP phone service co-founded in 2003 by Danes Jaanus Friis (L) and Niklas Zennstrom (R), and also Priit Kasesalu (also the co-founders of KaZaA), which was sold to e-Bay in 2005 for $3.1 billion which then parted in 2009 with a 70% stake to an investors’ group led by Silver Lake Partners for $1.9 billion, who then sold to Microsoft on 5/9/11 for $8.5 billion. Also now part of Facebook video calling and contacts.  Friis, Zennstrom and Kasesalu are now working on Joost, which distributes TV shows over the Web, like Hulu.  Skype uses a different architecture than Vonage, which relies on VoIP protocol SIP.  Skype uses proprietary protocols that incorporate a peer-to-peer scheme so that, if Skype cannot make a direct connection from one user to the other, it may elicit one of its users who has the Skype application loaded to become a “supernode” and relay the call. Using Skype, all pc-to-pc calls are free, while charging a low per-minute charge for regular telephone service, using softphone architecture.  According to Friis, the three founders started thinking of a name that they would call this service that would allow the world to talk for free.  One of the names they came up with was “Sky peer-to-peer”  which soon got shortened to “Skyper”.  But, as happens in the Internet world, some of the domain names associated with skyper were already taken, so they thought they’d just drop the “r” and make it “Skype”.

SLA:  Service level agreement.  An agreement between a hardware or software vendor to service, usually business, hardware or software.

SLEEP:  Depending on your computer manufacturer, somewhat synonomous with “standby”, “hibernate”, or even “Zzz”.  See, ACPI, which defines the six sleep states (from S0 [pc fully on] to S5 [completely off]).  If you’re setting sleep states with Windows, you can see the exact sleep configuration with either the Windows built-in event viewer, the BIOS settings or the “pwercfg” command line.

SLIPSTREAMING:  A process used to create a bootable program CD or DVD with up-to-date patches and changes included.  Vendors originally used this technique to stealthily deliver unannounced patches and updates, often to correct problems without attracting publicity.  The term comes from the idea of dropping new code into the imaginary “wake” of a rapidly “moving” software product, into its “slipstream” as it were, just like a boat’s wake.  An alternate explanation claims that, in earlier days, software vendors slipped bug patches and repairs into installation disks without even telling customers about them or even changing the installation version number, adding code to a product which was “already moving.”  Who knows?

SLURP:  The name of the Inktomi search engine spider.

S.M.A.R.T.:  Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology.  Pioneered by Compaq, and adopted by all major drive manufacturers, this reliability prediction technology is an “early warning system,” anticipating the failure of a drive in sufficient time to avert data loss.

SMART CARD:  A plastic card about the size of a credit card, which has an microchip (which contains much more information than a magnetic strip) embedded that can be periodically refreshed for additional use.  Commonly used for telephone calling, electronic cash payments, etc.  The card can be read with a reader or at a distance (such as at a toll booth).  Because of its programming ability, it can be encrypted to protect against accidental divulgence of data or editing of the data itself.  The two leading smart card operating systems are JavaCard and MULTOS.

SMART DUST:  An intriguing, but as yet unrealized, future vision of a dusty cloud consisting of tiny digital (“microelectromechanical”) sensors named “motes” (as in “dust motes”), spread over the planet, gathering information and communicating with powerful computer networks for the purpose of monitoring, measuring and understanding the physical world in new ways.  Positive applications include monitoring of global warning, warning of impending natural disastors, tracking patient or troop movements and the like.  Some have warned against this technology, such as Michael Crighton (“Prey”), predicting and end-of-the-world scenario known as “grey goo” in which out-of-control nanotechnology creates a self-replicating swarm of robots which consume all matter on Earth while continually building more of themselves, in a scenario known as “ecophagy”  (“eating the environment”).  Denial of Service attacks in the virtual world “Second Life” have been dubbed grey goo because of the connotation of infite replication of objects until the system crashes.

SMART PHONE:  A cell phone such as the Apple iPhone or the Blackberry which provides a convergence of such services as telephone, e-mail, web browsing,  music, games, GPS and more, all on the same device.

SME:  “Small/Medium Enterprise”.  A small or medium enterprise (business). Sometimes SMB (Small or Medium Business).

SMILEY:  See, EMOTICON.

SMP:  See, Parallel Computing.

SMTP:  Outgoing mail server. Stands for “Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.”

SMS:  Short Message Service.  Used by computer, cellphone and PDA users to send short messages to each other and chatting one-on-one and in groups via instant message through accounts with public IM services such as AOL, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google.  Limited to 160 characters (Twitter limits it to 140) SMS differs from IM in that, while with IM you can tell if the recipient is available, with SMS, you cannot tell if the recipient’s cell phone is on.  IMs are usually just text messages, while SMSs can also include attachments and files.  Partly as a result, SMS may incur additional charges, while IM is part of your general network traffic.  IMs are generally personal and one-on-one, SMSs more corporate (not a whole lot of ads, like IM) , on the whole.

SMURF ATTACK:  An Denial of Service attack on an Internet site of such repetitive volume that it overloads the system so much that the victim website server cannot be available to the people who really need it (customers, subscribers, etc.).  The name Smurf comes from the program used for the attack and is unrelated to the 80’s cartoon.  [So you can relax, as no actual or virtual smurfs or smurfettes are harmed through the use of this program.]

SNAFU:  This one should make all you WWII vets feel much better.  You may remember “Situation Normal, All Fouled Up”; this acronym usually went along with FUBAR (“Fouled Up Beyond All Repair”).

SNIFFER:  An electronic device or computer software which detects or monitors computer network data through network probes or “snoops” without altering the data.  Most famous sniffer was the Carnivore program used by the US government.  Sometimes used illegally to perpetrate man-in-the-middle malware attacks (see SPYWARE).

SNIPING:  In on-line auctions, the practice of darting in to an auction just before it closes and topping the highest bid (often using a computerized bid).  In computer gaming, it refers to the tactic of using a very accurate, powerful weapon to kill other players or targets over long distances (like a sniper).

SNMP:  Simple Network Management Protocol.  Part of the Internet Protocol Suite, this is used in larger network management systems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative action.

SMARTZONE: The e-mail component for Comcast internet services.

SMO:  Social Media Officer.  A new title within the enterprise, which requires the officer to blend marketing, advertising, self-promotion, branding and the like through social media such as blogging, tweeting (and re-tweeting), Facebook, company web sites, complaint resolution (a/k/a/ “customer recovery”) and the like.  Just think:  Young adults getting paid to do what they do anyway.  Customers, particularly young consumers who don’t trust big corporations are more likely to listen to individuals, especially those who approach them in a light, witty, self-aware tone, even if they are shameless marketers.  Although it’s tough to prove the worth to the client, those who are successful in this job can command salaries between $60 and $120K from the larger companies.

SMS:  Short Message Service.  A test messaging service which was originally used as part of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)  for the  exchange of messages between mobile devices.  The concept was developed in 1984, but started it use in 1992.  SMS sends a limited amount of text (e.g. Twitter is less than 140 characters), while MMS can send multi-media, which includes pictures, video and other attachments as well as simply text.

SNMP:  Simple Network Management Protocol.  See Hubs, Switches & Routers.  The protocol used to control managed switches.

SOA:  Service-Oriented Architecture.  This is a computer system design that guides all aspects of creating and using business processes (packaged as Services), which are distributed back and forth over a computer network, combined together, and used and re-used to create business applications.

SoC:  System-on-a-Chip. This is the process of packaging all of the necessary circuits and other parts for a full “system” onto a single microchip (a/k/a an “IC,” an Integrated Circuit).  This is often done with consumer electronics devices such as cell phones, GPSs and digital cameras, where the IC may include such components as memory, logic control, analog-to-digital converter and power circuits.

SODCASTING:  Playing music through a cell phone in public, usually disturbing others on public transportation, usually by teenagers.  Negative connotation.

SOCIAL NETWORKING (“S/N”):  Various (mostly free) internet websites which specialize in establishing various “networks” such as school, place of employment, geographic location, or personal preferences (music, photos), to which interested users may join and post information (text and graphics) about themselves.  Popular general sites are Facebook (launched on 2/2/04) and MySpace. Also popular are Linkedin, Ning, Twitter and Friendster. [For an extensive list of social networking sites compiled by Wikipedia, click HERE.] They are essentially online communities that allow friends to keep and touch and meet new friends by posting text and images.  Once you sign up, you create a custom profile (information about yourself), maybe even a blog.  If you want to add a friend, or vice versa, all it takes is a click to accept the invitation.  Also used for employment and viral advertising purposes (companies, such as Starbucks, have sites), as well as specialized groups (e.g. wine drinkers, or Lacrosse players).   For a discussion about getting involved in SN, and the inevitable and increasing privacy concerns, click HERE.

SOFTPHONE:  SOFTware PHONE.  A software-based phone for VoIP that is installed in the user’s PC. 

SOFTWARE:  See OS.

SOFTWARE COMPLIANCE AUDIT:  This type of audit, which can be conducted by a government entity (e.g. for SARBOX compliance, or DoD security), or a private entity (e.g. by a software manufacturer for compliance with a contract or EULA or the Business Software Alliance (“BSA”) or the Software & Information Industry Association) focuses on the compliance with the terms of the contract or security guidelines for the particular software, including its source and proper registration.  See also, discussion in LAWS.

SOFTWARE MODELING: As companies move into a services world (such as virtual and cloud computing) where many of the components of applications they use are not written by the software providers themselves, modeling can help bring those services together more easily, so that code doesn’t have to be written to accomplish this end.  Microsoft’s modeling strategy is named Oslo, and is part of an overall SOA initiative

SOFTWARE STACK:  Several layers of software that load as a package and perform together, usually made up of the operating system (the platform on which everything runs), middleware (the programming that allows applications to talk to one another, and finally the applications (the actual programs that a device will run).  Android, for example, is a software stack, so is LAMP and WISP.  Also sometimes known as an “application stack”.

SOHO:  “Small Office/Home Office”.  A segment of the computer business defined as generally less than five stand-alone or networked computers at a home or small business office.

SOLARIS:  A UNIX-based operating system developed and promoted by Sun Microsystems.

SOURCE CODE:  In order to create a software program that can be run on a computer, it first requires what is known as a source code.  This is the programming statements created by a programmer with a text editor or a visual programming tool which is then saved in a file.  The source code is then run through a compiler/interpreter, constructing what becomes known as the object code, a sequence of binary instructions, in machine language, that the computer processor (but not humans) can understand and execute.  A compiler is a computer program which transforms the human readable source code of a program into the machine readable code that a CPU can then execute (kind of a “before” and “after” version of the program).   So, for example, a programmer can write a program using a series of C++ language statements which he saves in a text file, which is then compiled by a C++ compiler into a C++ object code that can be run by a computer.  When you purchase an off-the-shelf program, it is usually in the form of the object code, while the developer retains the source code, becuse it is proprietary and used only by the creator to create upgrades and patches and the like, and they don’t want others modifying it.  When you purchase Quicken or Word, for example, you can’t change the underlying code for the programs, although you can create macros or rearrange the menus, because the vendor allows you to.  A few programs (such as Linux) have source code that is “open” to the programming community so that they can submit improvements.  For more information see also object code, compiler.

SPAM:  Unsolicited, usually commercial, messages sent via e-mail as part of a larger collection of essentially identical e-mails - i.e. Internet “junk mail.”  Why Spam?  The most interesting explanation I’ve uncovered is that the phrase arose from a 1970’s Monty Python skit in which a couple attempted to order breakfast at a cafe featuring Spam in nearly every entree and where the diners were eventually drowned out by a group of Vikings singing “Spam, lovely Spam, wonderful Spam,” prompting Internet pioneers to label junk e-mail Spam because it overwhelmed other dialogue.  Also, SPIM - which is SPAM sent via an instant message system, and SPIT, which is Spam sent over Internet telephony.  These are not the same as SPYWARE, which can infect your system, not just be a nuisance, although excessive spam can overload a network and bring it down. Basically, it’s the price you pay for using a public electronic mail system; no different from the bulk mail solicitations you get in your physical mailbox by virtue of having a public street address.  Also, spamdexing, the process of attempting to increase optimization of web sites by methods which don’t accurately reflect the true nature of the hits (such as through repeated unrelated phrases or sites to increase traffic).

SPANNING:  Also derogatorily referred to as “JBOD,” (“Just a Bunch of Disks”) this term refers to a group of hard drives or disks that have not been configured with RAID.  While a RAID system stores the same data redundantly on multiple disks which appear to the operating system as a separate drives, spanned drives or disks also appear to the o/s as a single disk, but only because spanning combines all of the disks into a single (non-redundant) one, delivering none of the benefits of RAID.

SPARC: From Scalable Processor Architecture.  A RISC microprocessor instruction set architecture originally designed in 1985 by Sun Microsystems for use in its UNIX servers, now a registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc. as a fully open and non-proprietary architecture used by many manufacturers.

SPARKLINE:  Small in-line charts that are included along with text in a report.  They are small, high-resolution graphics embedded in a context of words, numbers or images and are design-simple word-sized graphics.  For example:

For more information, see the discussion at this LINK.

SPDIF:  Stands for “Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format.”  This is a method for carrying digital audio signals (2 channels only) between devices (including computers) and stereo components over optical or electrical cable.  For example, it can be used to connect the output of a computer’s DVD player to a home theater receiver.  See connector photos.

SPECTRUM:  The part of the electromagnetic radio frequencies typically lower than about 300Ghz (or wavelengths longer than about 1mm).  Typically, radio spectrum is regulated by the Government to private users for differing transmission technologies and applications (e.g. cell phones, radio, TV & Internet).  The spectrum is further divided into bands (most common VHF & UHF), which are small sections of the overall spectrum and then further into numeric channels which are also used or set aside.

SPEEDS AND MEASUREMENTS:  For an extensive compilation of common speeds, measurements and conversions relating to computers, CLICK HERE.

SPIDER:  Spiders (also known as bots, robots or crawlers) are software programs used by search engines to explore the web in an automated manner and download the HTML content (excluding graphics and applets) from websites, then eliminating anything it deems unnecessary from the websites, and storing the results in it’s database (a/k/a/ its “Index”).  Once indexed, users of the search engines can access the web pages for fast searches.  This type of automated (not requiring human intervention) software is also used for automating routine maintenance tasks on websites, such as checking links or validating HTML code, or for more specific tasks, such as harvesting e-mail addresses from web pages (sometimes, unfortunately, for spamming purposes).

SPINNER:  A feature in Microsoft Excel which offers an easy way to test different input variables to see the effect on a financial model without altering the underlying formulas on the spreadsheet.

SPLITTER:  A device which is attached to a coaxial cable to divide the signal into two or more separate cables.  Click HERE for more information.

SPOOLING:  In printing, the process of sending a file to be printed to a disk instead of directly to the printer, which causes it to act like a network server, which prints considerably faster than direct to the printer. This acronym actually stands for “Simultaneous Peripheral Output On-Line.”

SPOTIFY:  A streaming audio service which started in Europe then migrated to the U.S. on July 14, 2011.  It remains to be seen if U.S. customers will be content to merely rent audio.  It was started by Daniel Ek and is known for both an easy interface, on-demand audio, and both paid and free music.  For a comparison of current streaming audio services, see below.  In late 2011, it received a big boost from Facebook, when Spotify required that its new users be a member of Facebook first.

SPREADSHEET:  Generally, a document set up with rows and columns, intersecting in cells, onto which one may insert text, numbers or formulas for the manipulation of those cells.  The very first spreadsheet was Visicalc, created by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in Bricklin’s attic in 1979, available first for Apple computers, later in 1981 for PCs.; more current spreadsheet programs include Excel, Works, and Lotus.  Used often for manipulation of financial and accounting data.

SPUDGER:  A tool used by computer and telephone technicians which comes in various materials (metal, plastic, wood) and configurations (flat, hooked, sharpened), and is used for prying (e.g. the case off a cell phone), probing, soldering and pulling (e.g. wires through punch-down blocks and 66 blocks) components, cases and wires.  Looks a lot like dental tools, which are also used.

SPYWARE:  For an extensive discussion distinguishing spyware, adware, malware, Trojans, worms, rootkits, etc.  CLICK HERE. 

SQUARE:  A smart phone app, created by Jack Dorsey, who created Twitter, which turns a smartphone into a mobile cash register by letting users accept credit card payments over their phone using a free download and a plastic card reader which plugs into the phone’s audio jack.

SQL:  Stands for Structured Query Language (pronounced “sequel”).  It is an ANSI standard computer language for accessing and manipulating database systems such as Access, DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, etc.  (Many of these programs have their own proprietary extensions in addition to the SQL standard.)  The SQL consists of statements that are used to retrieve and update data in the databases for these programs.  Used primarily in RDBMS programs.

Coexisting with SQL is NoSQL, which really means “Not Only” SQL, another RDBMS technology which has become popular with many Web 2.0 leaders like Facebook, Twitter and Google, which use massive distributed data stores (say, for Facebook’s 500,000 users or Twitter’s terabytes of daily data).  While SQL “scales up” through faster hardware and additional memory, NoSQL “scales up” by spreading the load across the network.  Unlike SQL, there is no fixed schema and no joins.  Some of the big players in NoSQL are Dynamo, Cassandra, BigTable, SimpleDB and CouchDB. Oracle has joined the NoSQL movement in November, 2011.

SQL INJECTION:  See SPYWARE.

SSD:  “Solid State Drive” - an electronic drive (like a pen/flash drive, or UMPC)  that has no moving parts like a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), uses less power (.5 watts vs. 10 - 15 watts used by server HDDs), starts up faster, has faster random access times, virtually no spin-up time, runs considerably cooler, takes up less space, can be 30 times faster, isn’t subject to damage from dropping or shaking, extends battery life, is far quieter and may last longer than traditional hard drives. While SSDs fail, they claim to do so in a more predictable way and their replacement is thus said to be more manageable.  Introduced in 2007, this looks to be the next big hard drive market: Samsung, BitMicro, Pliant Technology and other manufacturers now manufacture SSDs in IDE and SATA format up to 16 Terabytes of data! A single SSD, for example, could replace several short-stroked HDDs in a data center.  There are some downsides - primarily higher cost ($500, $600 is not uncommon) until greater adoption, and some limitations on those SSDs using volatile DRAM memory vice NAND non-volatile memory, but these problems are being remedied by sophisticated algorythms that govern now they read and write data.  NOTE: You never want to defragment them, it shortens their life.  Also, if you’re thinking of installing one on your computer, check compatibility:  If you’re not using the SATA/IDE drive, but a PCIe drive, not all motherboards will boot from a x4 PCIe slot, even with a BIOS upgrade, and you may need RAID drivers if your SSD is more than one drive on the card.  Finally, history is showing that they are difficult if not impossible to erase, particularly if they have been encrypted.  It remains to be seen how well these drives perform over time.  So far, they’re not lasting particularly long compared to standard drives.  But it is predicted that, while the drives may cost ten times that of a standard drive ($1/Gb vs. 10 cents/Gb) they will last 10 times as long, up to 50 years.  But they haven’t been around for 50 years yet and, besides, it’s virtually certain that technology will change over that long a period!  Meanwhile, a type of drive known as a SSD-Hybrid drive as evolved (e.g. Seagate Momentus XT) which claims to be  almost as fast as a SSD, but which still uses a high speed (7200rpm) spinning drive, but is boosted with 32Mb cache, 4Gb of solid state SLC NAND flash storage and Adaptive Memory technology.  And it’s only slightly more costly than a standard SATA drive. Click HERE for more information. 

SSH:  Stands for Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell, this is program that allows a user to long onto another computer remotely across the Internet while maintaining complete security through a Unix interface (much like a VPN in Windows).  Composed of three utilities - slogin, ssh & scp - that are secure versions of the earlier Unix utilities rlogin, rsh and rcp. See, SHELL, SSL, IPSec,TLS.

SSID:  Stands for “Service Set Identifier,” which is a unique ID consisting of 32 characters and is used for naming wireless networks.  Not the same as the “name” of the wireless network, which is what you might see when you connect to the network (e.g. Linksys or JoesPlace), the SSID is a distinct identifier that ensures that the network is different from other nearby networks so that the data being sent over the air arrives at the correct location and not another wireless network.

SSL:  “Secure Sockets Layer”.  The leading security protocol on the Internet.  Developed by Netscape, this protocol is used to validate the identity of a web site and then create an encrypted connection for sending credit card and other personal information.  If you see a lock icon on the bottom of your browser, and it’s closed, you are secure.  See also, certificate, IPSec.

SSP: Secure Simple Pairing.  See Bluetooth.  A part of Bluetooth 2.1 and later that radically improves the pairing experience for Bluetooth devices and increases security.

STACK:  This term can have several meanings.  Originally, DOS specified the number of stacks in the config.sys file, set at “9, 256,” meaning an allocation of 9 stacks of 256 bytes each taking up to 2,304 bytes of conventional memory reserved for (FIFO) hardware interrupts (IRQs).  More recently, used to refer to a hierarchy of software layers (as in TCP/IP stack).  Also, sometimes, a Macintosh folder view.  See also, software stack, a/k/a application stack, above.

STAR: The “ * “ key.  See Asterisk for explanation.

STATEFUL PACKET INSPECTION (“SPI”): Also known as dynamic packet filtering, is a firewall technology based on ports and IPs that ensures that all inbound packets are the result of an outbound request.  Now that videoconferencing is becoming more popular, this security is less common.

STATE MACHINE: See, Bell-LaPadula Model.  A “special purpose” machine designed with the operational states and hardware required to solve a specific problem.

STATEMENT: A coded instruction in a programming language.  It can be simple (containing only one expression) or complex (containing more than one statement).

STEGANOGRAPHY:  The process of hiding a secret message within an ordinary message so that it can be extracted at its destination (e.g. over the Internet).  Steganography takes cryptography one step further, by hiding the encrypted message so that no one suspects it even exists.  This term is derived from the Greek steganos (“covered”) and graphie (“writing”) and was first used in a work by Johannes Trithemius in 1500 named Steganographia a tome about Angel Magic” that was reportedly unpublished out of religious fears at the time.  [Info from SearchSecurity.com] It’s so easy for hackers and even the technologically-challenged to find such programs that there’s even one specifically for the iPhone named PrivateTIP that allows users to encode and send Twitter length pieces of information inside images.  The threat, of course, is that employees may use such subtrefuge to take proprietary information outside of a business organization for illegal use.  See also, Easter Eggs.

Stoned (Virus): One of the early (1989) boot sector virus which would infect computers by first making your screen waver and then displaying the message “Your PC is now stoned -- legalize marijuana”.  See Spyware.

STOP CODE: The hexadecimal code usually associated with a Windows BSOD or other screen which “stops” windows from operating when a driver attempts to write to a read-only memory segment.  It is divided into four parameters: The virtual address of the attempted write, the PTE (“page table entry” contents, and two additional undefined parameters).

STORAGE - NAS vs SAN:  Both Network Attached Storage (“NAS”) and Storage Area Network (“SAN”) [and also IP SAN] are used to back up data on a computer network and are, in many respects, identical.  But there are differences.  Basically, NAS involves adding a storage computer to an existing LAN, and possibly a FAN (“File Area Network”) as a manager, while SAN is really separate from the network. NAS is perceived to be somewhat slower, because it runs over an ethernet network (TCP/IP protocol), while SAN uses SCSI architecture (fibre channel).  While both systems back up to RAID (see definition), SAN mirrors the complete drive, while NAS backs up by file.  Over time, the difference between these two solutions are becoming blurred.  If you are a medium or large business (by U.S. Dept. of Labor standards), you should be aware that there are laws that govern the retention and availability or corporate records and e-mail for business and litigation purposes (see, LAWS). 

Recently, storage has migrated to the cloud as well.  Also, storage pooling and tiering and pNFS (“parallel network file system) as well as solid state drives.  When considering your backup, it’s a good idea to also consider your disaster recovery  (“DRP”) and business continuation plan as well if you’re a business.  Will your data be available from anywhere?  What happens if your provider goes out of business?  If you’re backing up locally, keep in mind that the low, penny-per-gigabyte price of IBM and Fujifilm’s latest tape formulation (at nearly 30G bits per square inch) are still the most cost effective (and the greenest in terms of power and carbon footprint) media for backup.  Today’s densest optical disks (Blu-Ray) store just 50GB, so storing just one 4 inch tape cartridge holding 35TB (35,000 GB) would require 700 Blu-Ray disks at about 30 cents per GB.  Alternatively, storing the same data on hard drives (either locally or in the Cloud) which would hold 1TB each would require 35 drives at about 10 cents per GB.  And each tape drive can read hundreds of tapes, only one of which must be kept spinning when in use, unlike hard drives, which all must spin.  See also, Converged Network Fabric.

STORM: A widespread worm virus, often spread by spam e-mails which contain the phrase “F.B.I. vs. Facebook” and which, when clicked, cause the victim computer to become infected and part of a botnet, used for malicious purposes.

STP:  No, its not the same STP that protects your auto engine.  It stands for Spanning Tree Protocol, a widely used protocol that enables switches to be plugged into other switches so that redundant paths are available to prevent a single point of failure, while loops, which are fatal to network operation, are prevented.

STREAMING:  A sequence of moving images (video and sound) that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive, as opposed to downloading the entire large video file before viewing.  It is called streaming because the media is sent from the server in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives.  If the receiving client cannot process the data fast enough, the image will be choppy or jerky; if it receives it too fast, the excess data will be stored in a buffer.

STREAMING AUDIO:  The ability to listen to music over the Internet without actually downloading it to your computer or smart phone.  Summary a/o July 2011:

CREDIT:  Info. from Bloomberg Business Week, 7/18/2011

STREISAND EFFECT: A name given by Web Mavens to describe a phenomenon where a person or company tries to suppress a piece of information and, in doing so, unintentionally popularizes it.   This was the effect in 2003 where Barbra Streisand filed an (unsuccessful) lawsuit to remove photos of her Malibu home from the Web, causing the reverse effect - significantly increasing traffic to the web site!

STRUCTURED CABLING:  A cable system in an infrastructure (e.g. building or campus of buildings) that is comprised of a number of smaller standardized subsystems. Governed by a set of standards specifying cabling of data centers, offices and other buildings, there are 6 subsystems:  Demarcation point; Equipment Rooms; Riser (vertical) Cabling; Horizontal Cabling and Work Area Components.

STUXNET:  A worm type virus using four zero day exploits (see SPYWARE) which specifically targeted programmable logic controllers in many countries in 2010.  Specifically, it targeted Seimens controllers in Iran, where it was feared that centrifuges were being used to develop weapons grade plutonium.  The worm ordered the centrifuges to spin too fast, destroying them, while disabling alarms and feeding technicians fake log reports showing correct performance.

SUBNET MASK:  A mask or filter used to determine what subnet an IP address belongs to (See further discussion in Public vs. Private).  For example, the IP address 170.233.255.254 would be divided as follows:  The first two numbers (170.233) establish this as a Class B network, and the second two numbers (255.254) identify a particular host on the network.  For further discussion, see Public vs. Private.

SUITE:  A term used to describe a group of programs which work together.  The Microsoft Office suite, for example, includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and other programs (depending on the version) each of which can incorporate data and graphics created by the others.

SUN MICROSYSTEMS:  A California company that builds computer hardware and software, founded in 1982 by Scott McNeally and other Stanford classmates.  Sun is known best for its UNIX based operating system, SPARC workstations, Solaris operating environment and the development of the Java programming language.

SUNRISE:  A term used by the domain name industry to describe the initial period of registration of new domains.

SUPERNODE:  A user’s computer in a peer-to-peer network that acts as a “relay,” depending on network traffic and hardware, usually automatically. Skype uses supernodes.

SUPER WiFI: Wireless broadcast over a large area, such as a city.  See WiMax for more. Uses the “whitespace” remaining after TV switched to HD signals in 2010.

SURFING: As in “web surfing” or “surfing the Internet”.  Slang for “searching” for information on the Internet using software known as a browser.  See also WWW.

SURGE SUPPRESSOR: Sometimes also called a surge protector.  A device that looks much like a power strip (which is basically an in-line extension cord) that is designed to offer protection against voltage fluctuations on the AC power line that supplies electricity to the sensitive components in electronic devices such as computers, televisions and the like.  While power fluctuations are often caused by lightning (especially here in Florida), they can also be caused by brownouts (everyone in your neighborhood turns on the A/C at once), a car hitting a power pole, flooding in an electrical main, construction mishaps or a hundred other ways.

Typically, the surge suppressor acts to limit the peak voltage available to the electronic device(s) connected to it, so that if the line voltage exceeds a threshold of say + or - 100 volts, it will be detected by MOVs (metal oxide varistors) and the power line will effectively be short-circuited to ground, while the flow of normal 60Hz current will remain unaffected.  If the voltage fluctuation is severe or prolonged, the MOVs will activate a trip-wire circuits and sacrifice themselves by burning out, then the suppressor may have to be replaced.  Suppressors are rated by joules (a unit of measurement the equivalent of one watt of power radiated or dissipated for one second), clamping voltage (the power threshold at which the suppression will be triggered) and clamp-time (the response time to respond to the voltage exceeding the clamping level, in milliseconds).  The best clamping voltage is 330v (no higher) and (at least) 1000 joules clamping voltage.  Response time should be less than 1 nanosecond.  And, even if you never get power fluctuations so extreme as to trip the suppressor, the suppressor will also act to limit the occurrence of “electronic rust” which is the gradual degradation of electronic components due to repeated exposure to small transient surges.  See also, UPS.  Also, the discussion in TIPS about printers and surge protection, and lightning facts.

And remember that, along with surge protection, grounding is an equally important part of a power protection plan.  Inadequate grounding and power protection can slowly deteriorate the performance of hard drives and other equipment.

S-VIDEO: This is a video color format that combines the three (YU&V) video signals into two channels.  Brightness/luma (Y) is one channel and color/chroma (U & V) are the other.  Provides a sharper image than composite video, but not as good as component video.  Has a special cable available on many computers and televisions. Click HERE for more.

SWAP FILE:  See Page File.

SWYPE:  Telephone software from the creators of the older T-9 technology that allows users to simply glide a finger across a virtual keyboard to spell words or numbers, rather than tapping every word or number.  For a demo, see THIS, and THIS.  Other companies, such as Google, SlideIT, and Nuance are also experimenting with other entry and/or speech recognition technology for today’s new smartphones.

SWITCHES:  HARDWARE switches: SEE - HUBS, SWITCHES & ROUTERS. SOFTWARE switches:  This refers to one or more “choices” that can be specified to a program to determine how it will be run.  Typically a command line, followed by “/” then another command (e.g. the command line DIR/p means to display the current directory page by page).

SXSW:  Not actually a technology term, but you’ve probably seen these letters dropped into stories and tweets every Spring and might have wondered what it meant. It means “south by southwest” and refers to three festivals (music, film and interactive) held in Austin, Texas every year, starting in 1987.  It’s importance to technology is its importance in social networking, because in 2008 Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame gave the keynote interview, and also it was at the 2007 festival that Twitter gained significant ground with the #SXSW hashtag.

SYMBIAN:  The software operating system used on Nokia cell phones through early 2011, when Nokia abandonned the system in favor of Windows Phone.

SYBASE:  At one time, one of the most popular database systems (Oracle is first, IBM second, Microsoft third).  Sybase had once made a major leap forward to the second position after developing the Unix-based SQL Server, but when Microsoft produced a Windows-based SQL Server, the sybase market shrunk to less than 5% of the market. 

SYMBOLIC LINK:  Also, “symlink” or “soft link”.  A special type of file that points to another file or folder.  When you perform an action on a symbolic link, that action is actually performed on the file or folder to which the symbolic link points.  Files which have a “.sylk” suffix refer to a Microsoft file format typically used to exchange data between applications, usually spreadsheets.  But symbolic links can also be used for web sites and other files and folders.

SYNTAX:  The spelling and grammar of a particular programming language.  The form of the input to the computer, without which it will not act.

SYSOP:  Short for “SYStem OPerator”.  That person responsible for the physical operation of a computer system, usually in an enterprise.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE:  This term defies strict definition, but applies to the overall design of a computer and its components and circuit boards.  For example, your computer may have a serial port on the back of the CPU, and you may be able to set the IRQ for that port.  But, depending on what motherboard you have inside the CPU, or the other components active in your system, the command to use the serial port may travel differently over the circuit board and system components, and may take a shorter or longer time to achieve its result.

SYSTEM CALL:  See, Kernel.

SYSTEM RESTORE:  This is a feature in some Windows operating systems that allows you to restore the system to the way it was on previous dates, called “restore points”.  It can usually be found in the Windows Control Panel>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore or My Computer>Properties>System Restore tab.  For more discussion about what System Restore is and how it works (and what it doesn’t do), see Tips and Tricks.

CLICK TO SHARE THIS PAGE

CLICK THE FIRST LETTER OF YOUR ACRONYM OR TERM TO SEARCH GLOSSARY:

© Computer Coach.  All written materials are the sole property of Computer Coach (unless otherwise attributed) and no part of this website may be used in any format without the express written permission of Computer Coach.