WALLET:  Sometimes also e-Wallet or Digital Wallet.  Software residing on a user’s computer or cell phone that allows them to make electronic transactions quickly and securely.  Recently, there has been development of digital wallets for cell phones such that they merely need to be swiped across a reader to pay for purchases which normally require credit cards: Stores, transportation, parking, movies, etc. all are experimenting with this type of payment.  See Google Wallet.

WAN:  “Wide Area Network”.  Refers to a computer network of unrestricted size, usually an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that serves thousands of local users and networks.  If you have cable or DSL, you’re connected to a WAN.

WAR DRIVING:  The practice of driving through neighborhoods, equipped with your laptop computer, to determine if there are any insecure wireless networks which would provide internet access.  While it’s technically illegal to “steal” the internet access another has paid for, there are a number of “FreeNets,” a kind of grassroots community wireless networking movement, where you are allowed to use your WiFi to hop on to the Internet through their access points and you, in turn, agree to allow other users to do the same with your wireless connection.  See, http://ofcn.org/networks/By_State.txt.html for a state-by-state list.  Years ago, primarily in cities, there was actually a movement called “War Chalking” which is historically quite interesting.  People searching for wireless networks scoured neighborhoods for useful access points and labeled the sidewalk with one of the following (and other) symbols: The left symbol indicates an “open” wireless network, the middle one means it is “closed” and the right symbol means it is “encrypted.”  The use of these “sidewalk symbols” actually dates back to the Great Depression, when hoboes would make chalkmarks near homes that were friendly to hoboes and would give them food. [Credit: Gralla, Windows XP Hacks, p.155.]

WARE:  In computer terms, -ware is commonly used to form terms for various classes or types of software.  Examples:  freeware (free, sometimes “lite” versions of software), shareware (usually downloadable, generally free), vaporware (promised software that never materializes after the hype), malware (malicious software), spyware (malicious software that remotely accesses your computer), adware (advertising either invited or not), scareware (software that claims your computer is infected, urging you to purchase their removal tool, etc.), abandonware (software no longer supported or protected).

WAREZ:  A term used to refer to copyrighted software, usually with respect to illegal downloads of same. See, PUBSTRO.

WAT:  Windows Activation Technologies.  The updated version of WGA used with Windows 7.

WATSON:  A computer system which uses natural language techniques to process a question, considered the most powerful artificial intelligence “AI” computer in the world.  Don’t confuse this with Dr. Watson, the software or the man.

WAVE:  A product introduced by Google in 2009 which is a real-time collaboration system, using a system named operational transformation, which makes changes in near-real time, virtually immediately.  Discontinued in late 2010, as was Buzz, Google’s social networking attempt.

WEB:  See, WWW, Internet, Web 2.0, Web 3.0 in this Glossary.  Loosely, a worldwide system of computer networks through which users at any one computer can, with permission, obtain information from other computers on the network.

WEB BROWSER:  See, Browser.

WEB BEACON:  a/k/a web bug, tracking bug, tracking pixel, pixel tag, 1x1 gif, clear gif.  An object which is embedded into a web page or e-mail, usually invisible to the user, but which (when used in combination with a cookie) allows a third party to monitor the surfing behavior of the user, as well as basic information about the user (IP address, geographic location, etc.)

WebGL:  A 3-D graphics tool that is appearing in the latest versions of popular browsers like Chrome 9 Beta from Google and Firefox 4 Beta. With WebGL, users do not need  plug-ins like Flash or Java as the browser itself can handle complex graphics tasks.

WEBSITE (WEB SITE):  A collection of pages on the World Wide Web that are accessed via a common URL (e.g. www.TheComputerCoach.net).  The pages can contain text, images, graphics, etc. and range from the purely informational (e.g. about ths NIH) to educational (e.g. on-line courses) to sales (e.g. buying cars) in nature.  For more information about establishing and maintaining web sites, click HERE.

WEBBIES:  Shortcut for the Webby Awards.  The leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.  Established in 1996, Webbies are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550 member body of leading experts, business figures, visionaries and creative celebrities.

WEBDAV:  A Microsoft protocol (World Wide Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) supported by web servers, that allow you to create and modify special documents (such as calendars). Essentially, WebDAV converts HTTP/HTTPS from a read-only protocol into a read/write protocol.

WEB 2.0:  This is a term used quite often, but with no clear definition.  It was supposedly coined by O’Reilly Media in 2004.  Generally, it refers to a perceived ongoing evolution of the World Wide Web from merely a collection of separate web sites, to a second generation of web-based communities and services, such as social networking sites, wikis (see definition) and file sharing sites.  Web 2.0 does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to the more collaborative use of the existing web structure.

WEB 3.0:  As if we didn’t have enough of a problem with Web 2.0, we have Web 3.0, attributed to John Markoff of the N.Y. Times in 2006, which takes Web 2.0 to the third level of internet-based services, such as those using semantic web, microformats, natural language search, data-mining, machine learning, recommendation agents and artificial intelligence technologies, all of which emphasize machine-facilitated understanding of information in order to provide a more productive user experience.

WEBCASTING: See, Push Technology.

WEB ENABLED PC: A PC which perform work with resources provided over the internet, rather than loaded onto its disk drive.  See, cloud computing, SAAS.

WEB FILTERING: A service offered by many ISPs and some independent vendors (e.g. OpenDNS) which lets viewers control which sites can be visited.  This is done through white lists (sites always accessible), black lists (banned sites) and category based filtering.  It can be used for parental controls and, in extreme cases, repressive governments use this type of service to limit the sites their citizens can visit.  Also, some paid services (like Norton DNS for Business) offer filtering services for small businesses.

WEBISODE:   Usually, a single push technology episode of a television show that airs inititially as an Internet download as opposed to first airing on broadcast TV.  It can be a preview of a particular television show, music video or other promotion using streaming video that can be downloaded to a computer or web enabled telephone.

WEBKIT:   An open-source application that provides a foundation upon which to build a web browser.  Originally used by Apple, it has now been further developed by others.

webOS:   An operating system used by HP (in its TouchPad, for example) which was originally a smart phone platform which HP acquired when it bought Palm.

WEBTV:   A product which is an adapter (a so-called “thin client”) that allows a television set to be connected to the Internet, primarily for browsing and e-mail. The setup includes a web browser, corded or wireless keyboard, possibly a printer, and a connection to the Internet.  WebTV does not allow as much functionality as a computer-based browser, but it is a low cost alternative to the purchase of a computer for browsing the Internet.    WebTV was a product and service originally developed by WebTV Networks, Inc., later purchased by Microsoft and then absorbed into MSN (the Microsoft Network).  The first hardware “box” was a labeled “WebTV” box, the second version labeled “MSN2”.

WEINER, W. NORBERT:  A brilliant mathematical prodigy (1894-1964) who defined the field of cybernetics, which is a formalization of the notion of “feedback” often used in the study of both mechanical and living systems.

WES2011:  Windows Embedded Standard 2011.  This is a version of Windows 7 which will run embedded on a variety of smart devices ranging from consumer devices such as gaming systems to high-tech medical imaging equipment.

WGA:  Windows Genuine Advantage.  Refers to a Microsoft program intended to root out counterfeit software, included with Windows Updates and checked each time a Windows user downloads from Microsoft.  Failure to comply may render the operating system useless.

WHITELISTING:  A software process in an operating system, application software or Internet application which creates a list of acceptable programs, web sites or connections on that particular computer; the opposite of blacklisting.

WIBREE:  The original name for Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”).  BLE products use a fraction of the power of classic Bluetooth products.  The Wibree designation (and its logo, right), which was named after the first Nokia cell phone which introduced the technology, was abandoned when other cell phone manufacturers adopted the technology, which became incorporated into Bluetooth 4.0.  While it operates in the same spectrum range as “classic” Bluetooth, it uses a different set of channels and can also be implemented in both single and dual modes so that, while it is not directly backward compatible with classic Bluetooth, it can be accessed.  See Bluetooth for more.

WIDGET: No longer just a generic economic term, in technology a widget is an actual item.  It refers to a small program which is run either by the Mac OS X Dashboard or the Yahoo! Widget Engine (formerly Konfabulator), or the Windows Vista or 7 Desktop Gadgets.  A widget is a convenient tool that allows you to add continuously updated online content to your personal website, blog, social-network, search engine home page, desktop and the like.  Common widgets include weather and news guides, stock lists, movie reviews, airplane flight trackers and calendars. They can also be created from RSS feeds.  Widgets are convenient, since they can be activated with one keystroke or click (think the various apps on the iPhone screen or on the Windows Vista and 7 sidebar).

WiDi:  Stands for Wireless Display.  An Intel wireless technology which allows you to beam what you’re watching on your computer (such as movies or web browsing) to your TV.  Somewhat limited in terms of computers (only three are presently available), technology (no DVD or Blu-Ray playbacks), and performance (noticeable lag in web display, some degradation in display and video streaming.).  WiDi II, introduced in 2011 using Intel Core 2011 technology, should solve all of these problems, allowing full 1080 streaming & BluRay.

WI-FI:  (Pronounced <why-fhy>).  Stands for “WIreless FIdelity”.  This term was coined by the WECA (“Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance”; yes, it really exists - I didn’t make this up).  The term refers to a wireless network, from a small one inside just one office or Starbucks, to one which covers a larger area, such as a town or rural area, within which any person with a computer or other wi-fi device (cellphone  or iPad, for example) can access the Internet.  Wi-Fi is synonymous with a standard known as IEEE 802.11, after which are various letter designations (“a”, “b”, “g” and “n” so far) which let the user know the speed and range of the network.  A huge step up is coming in 2012 with the next IEEE standard, 802.11ac.  It promises up to 1.3Gbps of real-world throughput, a big improvement over “n’s” 300Mbps.  The new standard will combine beam-forming, multiple antennas and wide bands (including operating at at a higher frequency band at 5Ghz rather than the 2.4Ghz band) to provide a broader range, better battery life for Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices and more powerful wall-penetration abilities, meaning a single device could possibly provide wireless access to an entire home, carrying three streams of slightly compressed video at once.  Broadcom expects shipments to begin in 2Qtr 2012 and take off by the end of the year.  The most secure wireless connection to date is the “n” series at up to 250Mbps using WPA2, the standard for which was approved by the IEEE in October 2009.  In addition, MIMO  smart antenna technology can be used with “n” series wireless routers so that multiple antennas can be used at both the source and the destination, minimizing data errors and optimizing speed.  Not all N Series routers are MIMO, but all MIMO routers are N Series. Any user with any brand of product can use any Wi-Fi network regardless of speed (although security may dictate that you sign on with a WEP “key”).  So, when you go to your local Starbucks or to a hotel and hook up wirelessly to the Internet, you’re using their Wi-Fi network. The universal Wi-Fi symbol is shown above.  Also becoming available is Wi-Fi Direct, a software protocol that allows Wi-Fi devices to talk to each other without the need for hot spots such as base stations or access points.  Wi-Fi Direct can be its own access point. For more information about wireless networks, click HERE.  See also, MiFi, Eye-Fi, WiDi, WiMAX, & WiGig.  For more about IEEE 802.11n, see WLAN below.

WiGig:  The next step in wireless networking, after 802.11n.  The Wi-Fi Alliance along with the Wireless Gigabit Alliance are working together on this next step for Wi-Fi to develop a new class of tri-band devices which will operate over the 2, 4, 5 and 60Ghz bands to deliver data transfer rates up to 7Gbps (more than 10 times faster than the highest “n” rate) while maintaining compatibility with existing Wi-Fi devices.

Wii: (Pronounced “we”).  The seventh generation home video game console released by Nintendo, with the distinguishing feature of the Wii Remote wireless console and the WiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.  What does Wii stand for?  The two “i” characters appear to represent two people standing side-by-side, gaming.  But Nintendo says that Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes that the console is for everyone, can’t be abbreviated, is easy to rememberby people around the world, no matter what language they speek.  Competes with Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation (PS). 

WIKI:  This is a type of web site that allows the visitors themselves to contribute to and edit some available content, making the site useful for collaborative authoring.  The most famous of such sites is Wikipedia, a site which allows visitors some latitude in adding to the definitions in the on-line encyclopedia.  The term is derived from the Hawaiian phrase “Wiki Wiki,” which means “super fast,” referring to the speed with which Wiki pages can be updated.  One of the developers of WikiWikiWeb (Ward Cunningham), the first Wiki website, claims that he adopted the term when an employee at the Honolulu International Airport told him to take the Wiki Wiki Shuttle Bus which runs between the terminals.

WILDCARD:   A character that can be used to represent one or more other characters, at the users choosing.  Most frequently used characters on computers are the “*” and the “x”.  Kind of like the blank key in a Scrabble game.  See X.

WIMAX:  (Pronounced <why max>).  Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a wireless industry coalition, formed in April 2001, whose members (led by Sprint/Nextel) promote the 802.16 wireless specification, which has a range of up to 30 miles and a bandwidth of up to 75bps.  WiMax is an enhancement to WiFi and can be used to provide broadband to an entire city (a/k/a/ “wireless for the masses”), although it can’t match the Wi-Fi speeds.  Unfortunately, the plans announced for municipal Wi-Fi grids for entire cities (i.e. the “Philadelphia” plan, the model for other cities such as Chicago, Miami,  Houston) have effectively been abandoned, as was San Francisco (Google’s attempt) due to technological glitches, high costs, slow speeds and unrealistic ambitions (the ability to be profitable), as the major proponent, Earthlink, has now withdrawn its support from the market it had effectively cornered. (NYTimes 3/22/08).  Announced in 2005, Philadelphia’s municipal WiFi grid was to stretch over 135 square miles, with the hope of  bringing free or low-cost service to all residents, especially the poor.  There is also the Meraki network in San Francisco. In May, 2008, vowing to transform “the wireless communications landscape”, Sprint, Nextel and Clearwire, along with a group of investors and partners (Intel, Google, Time Warner, Comcast, Bright House, Trilogo Equity Partners), have created a new company called “XOHM” which are to combine their spectrum assets in a national network.  As of August 2009, Sprint Nextel has networks in Atlanta, Baltimore, Las vegas and Portland Oregon and expects to add 17 more WiMax 4G networks in U.S. cities in 2010, including 10 in Texas alone.   Australia has started taking bids to invest $4.7 billion into a national broadband network.  And, in Japan, Intel has invested $43 million with UQ Communications in an effort to reach  90% of Japan with WiMax service by 2012.  Although WiMax (now sometimes dubbed “Super WiFi”; see above) has a 2-3 year advantage over competing technologies, specifically the 4G cellular networking system known as Long Term Evolution, or LTE, LTE is now becoming more common on newer smart phones.  But, because Super Wi-Fi antennas are now smaller (the size of a shoebox), can be placed virtually anywhere (e.g. rooftops, street lamps), can go farther because they are much lower frequency (having been co-opted from the old TV stations after they switched to HD signals in 2010), require fewer access points (maybe only one or two instead of 25 to span a large area), are much less expensive (less than $800  each vice a $200,000+ for an ugly cell tower), it’s now far cheaper and easier to span a city with Wi-Fi.  Because Wi-Fi traffic won’t reduce cell tower capacity or older backhaul connections, cell providers welcome the technology. But don’t expect true WiFi bandwidth - it’ll be only about 20Mbps vice the 3-400Mbps of 802.11n, good for phone reception but not streaming video.  Towerstream (NY) is one of the first companies promoting this technology; present tests show 26Mpbs.

WIMP:  Acronym for “window, icon, mouse, pointer,” now superceded by GUI.

WMA:  A file format provided by Microsoft as an alternative to the popular MP3 music file format.

WINDOWS:  One of several operating systems (OSs), this software from Microsoft turns your computer from a putty-colored lump of plastic and metal into a machine that is ready to accept commands from you to actually do something.  Microsoft has been inconsistent with naming - They started out with version numbers (1.0 through 3.11), then years (95, 98, 2000), then letters (NT, ME, XP), then Vista (an aberration), then back to versions (7 [actually 6.1], soon 8).  [Click HERE to see a comprehensive list of various Windows versions with release and retirement dates.]  Within the OS are various components that make it run: Services are OS applications (programs) that are loaded when Windows starts and continue to run in the background.  Services usually have special “privileges” in the OS that regular programs do not (hence, the term Application As Service, which means modifying an ordinary Windows Program (Application) to run with all of the OS advantages of a native Windows Service); Processes are also launched at startup, and may be part of the OS or applications and usually perform only a single task.  Service and process applications generally involve such things as network and internet connections, diagnostics, print, video, sound, media processing, remote management, etc.

WINDOWS DEFENDER:  Microsoft’s anti-malware suite.  First named Microsoft Anti-Spyware (after Microsoft’s 1996 acquisition of Giant, then Windows Anti-Spyware (1996), now Windows Defender Online (2012).  To make matters even more confusing, on the small business side, Microsoft acquired Sybari in 2005 and introduced ForeFront that same year.  A couple of years later, Microsoft created software dubbed Microsoft Security Essentials (“MSE”) which is used for both consumer and corporate (and will supercede Windows Defender if both are installed on the same computer).  The new and improved Windows Defender Online (“WDO”) that may come with Windows 8 has none of the original code of WD, more capabilities, and is more like MSE/ForeFront.

WINDOWS HOME SERVER:   A (relatively) easy to use network for homes introduced by Microsoft in late 2007.  The second generation of WHS, MediaSmart Server from HP has been released in early 2009, with a starting price of $799 for a 750Gb model.  It’s easy to set up and use, is compatible with Macs, will back up to the web and saves all content from any computer on the network.  Less expensive, but harder to configure and use, is Cisco’s Linksys Media Hub, with prices starting at $350 for 500Gb.  All systems will allow you to store and access data from a homeful of PCs, MACs, laptops, Xboxes, Playstations and Apple TV boxes and iPods from a central server location.

WINDOWS INSTALLER:  A Windows service that installs software onto your computer.  It is an add-on that can be downloaded and installed separately if it becomes corrupt in Windows 3.0 through Vista, but in Windows 7 it is actually part of the operating system.  You can see what version you’re running by typing msiexec in your run line.

WINDOWS LIVE: This can be confusing.  Microsoft perpetually is “rebranding” itself and, in doing so, renames and rebundles its products.  Windows Live is a collective brand name for a variety of Microsoft services and software, many of which are web applications, allowing sharing and accessability over the Internet, i.e. in the cloud. Windows Live was created by Microsoft in 2005 to replace Microsoft Network or MSN (see definition), which was created back with the introduction of Windows 95.  In the 2005 changeover, the MSN IDs (Hotmail ID, Microsoft Wallet, MS Passport and MS Passport Network) were renamed Windows Live ID.  The only exception was MSN Hotmail, which briefly became Windows Live Mail, then settled on Windows Live Hotmail.  Microsoft’s goal was to bring all of its online products under one name (“Live”), so it continued by merging MSN Messenger with Windows Messenger to become Windows Live Messenger.  Windows Live Search, though, has now become Bing.  However, because of various problems with the ill-fated Vista O/S and the desire to be able to update some programs, Microsoft established Windows Live Essentials in 2006 as an on-line website from which users could download apps such as Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Photo Gallery.  This strategy worked so well for Microsoft that by 2009, Windows Live Essentials included a dozen more downloadable apps.  Most work with both Windows XP and Vista, and some with Windows 7.  But Windows 8 Metro changes everything, because it moves from the Windows Live brand to the Windows Metro platform (maybe the legacy part of Windows 8 will still support Windows Live, but this isn’t certain) .  Here’s how things look pre-release: 

Office Live Add-In: Helps Office apps connect to Office Live Workspaces; Office Outlook Hotmail Connector: A glorified bug fix that lets Outlook get into Hotmail's messages, contacts, and calendar; Silverlight: Microsoft's failed attempt to replace Flash. It's still used as a programming framework, but it's clearly on the way out. It's not compatible with Win8 Metro's version of Internet Explorer; Windows Live Family Safety: Lets admin accounts control how much time regular accounts can spend online. It also whitelists websites and blocks access to programs. All of this has been rolled into account administration in Windows 8 just as it is in Windows 7; Windows Live Mail: Microsoft's most robust, free e-mail program to date. Its Win8 replacement — Metro Mail — is at this point quite underpowered but will undoubtedly be more polished by the time it is actually released; Windows Live Messenger: After a zillion incarnations, Messenger goes Metro. But more important, Messenger is getting absorbed into all sorts of Microsoft apps and websites — most notably, Hotmail. It might even get tacked onto Skype (recently acquired by Microsoft), which already has its own messaging service; Windows Live Movie Maker: Replaced Vista's Movie Maker, which was a totally different app. We don't know how — or even whether — Windows 8 will handle movie editing, though Microsoft states that it will be replaced by Metro Videos.  Windows Live Photo Gallery: Second only to Hotmail, WLPG is possibly the most popular Windows Live program. Microsoft states that WLPG will be replaced by Metro Photos, but the app-preview version included with Win8 Consumer Preview is light years behind WLPG (and not even a faint shadow of the iPad's iPhoto); Windows Live Sync: Presently Windows Live Mesh.  Ray Ozzie, who left Microsoft in 2010, championed this once-revolutionary product. Microsoft says SkyDrive will replace Live Sync in Windows 8, but there are many missing pieces; Windows Live Toolbar: Yet another toolbar for Internet Explorer. Windows Live Writer: Replaced Windows Live Spaces, after it was discontinued.  Beloved by many bloggers, Windows Live Writer makes it easy to create blog posts for WordPress and other blogging services. Its status is up in the air.  [Thanks to Woody Leonhard for his great analysis of this confusion.]

WINDOWS REMOTE DESKTOP:  See, Remote Desktop.

WinMO:  Short for Windows Mobile, Microsoft’s O/S for mobile phones.

WinSxS:   Short for “Windows Side by Side,” a compatibility technology for programs that require different versions of the same system files, especially DLLs, to co-exist “side by side”.  Reduces DLL Hell.

WINS:   Windows Internet Naming Service.  A slightly older application than DNS, this service maps IP addresses to computer names in a slightly different fashion, using NetBios names from computers.

WIRED MAGAZINE:   One of the first digital magazines dedicated to the subject of computers and technology.

WIRELESS:   The opposite of wired or cabled; obviously, having no wires to connect computer hardware.  It comes in various types. See Wi-Fi, Eye-Fi, WiMax, MiMo, MiFi, 3G/4G.  Wireless is less expensive to install, easy to move and expand, but can be slower, less secure.

WISIWYG:  Slang acronym for “What You See Is What You Get”, meaning that what you see on your computer screen is exactly what your printout will look like.

WISP:  Microsoft’s version of the LAMP stack of software, instead using Windows, Internet Information Services, SQL Server and PHP.

WLAN:   Stands for “Wireless LAN”.  That’s it - stop reading here if you’re not a techie.  For those of us obsessed with technology:  With the explosion of available types of wireless devices and the introduction of IEEE802.11n (with its dual frequency band support, additional channels and MIMO), WLANs have evolved from the consumer-grade arrangements of a simple collection of wireless access points (“APs”) connected over a single spectrum (RFs or Radio Frequencies) into a much more complex architecture.  WLAN “N” architecture falls into two categories:  MCA (Microchannel (or “cell”) and SCA (Single Channel (or “virtual cell”).  Wi-Fi networks typically divide their spectrum into “channels” - 13 in the 2.4Ghz band and 20 on the 5Ghz band.  Using MCA, physically adjacent APs operate on different channels and set power levels so that the signal range doesn’t overlap.  [Overlap can cause co-channel interference due to collision domains, causing signal degradation and interference.)  In contrast, SCA operates every AP on a single channel, typically at higher power levels with overlapping coverage.  This debate may not be particularly significant, since MCA vendors control about 95% of the market, with only two vendors using SCA, not necessarily because of its technological superiority but rather because it mirrors the cellular phone architecture.  Indeed, SCA supporters claim that it is superior because co-channel interference isn’t a concern, signal-to-noise (“SNR” is improved [increasing data rates and reliability], and it leaves other unused channels available for expansion.   A second concern is about data forwarding.  Centralized forwarding provides increased control and security, but can overload the controller and slow down speeds, while distributed forwarding doesn’t increase the controller load as wireless traffic increases, but is difficult to adjust and may require more capacity. Luckily the same system can use both O.K. folks, there’s room for both of you...

WOL:   Stands for Wake-on-LAN.  A key energy-saving component found on most network cards that wakes up a sleeping network only when necessary for use.

WORA:   See Cross Platform.

WORD PERFECT:   A word processing program (now also a program suite) which became wildly popular in the 1980s and is still widely used today.  Version 5.1 was widely used as a standardized publishing format due to its portability, number of printer drivers, virus-free macros, reveal codes and other features and style libraries.  It took the lead over WordStar (MicroPro International), which was up until that time the most popular word processing program, but which was originally written for the CP/M O/S and then ported to DOS.  Originally the property of The Word Perfect Corporation, it was acquired by Novell Corp. in 1994 and then Corel Corp. in 1996.  By the 1990s, however, Microsoft Office began to dominate the workplace. 

WORKSTATION:   See, Client.  A computer on a server network that works through the server computer, where the data and often the programs are resident.  Because it has no resources of its own, it’s sometimes called a “dumb terminal.”

WORLD WIDE WEB:   See, WWW, below.

WORM:   See, Spyware.

WPS:   Wi-Fi Protected Setup is a standard for easy and secure wireless setup and connections.  Some router manufacturers have their own names for this (e.g. Netgear calls it “Push ‘n Connect”) but, basically, WPS sets up a random network name (SSID) and WPA wireless security for routers and other devices without the necessity of manually entering the information in the setup program.

WSE:   Microsoft’s Web Services Enhancements for .NET.  Often pronounced “Wizzy,” this is a developer tool.  If you are a user that finds this software running on your system, unless you’re a developer, it’s probably safe to remove it.

WSUS:   Short for “Windows Software Update Services” a/k/a “Windows Updates”.

WWW:  “World Wide Web”.  Tim Berners-Lee, a British software programmer at the CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics outside Geneva is generally credited with naming and popularizing the World Wide Web (“WWW”) in about 1990.  [Initially, TBL considered calling the WWW the “Mine of Information” or “MOI” for short.  We’re glad that didn’t stick!] The WWW is a system allowing users to share information between computers using documents (called web pages) written in a hypertext language. The very first web site launched on the Internet was info.cern.ch and it was launched on August 6, 1991 and hosted by Tim Berners-Lee.  Users can search, or “surf” the internet using software called a web browser (see above) to locate the pages they are interested in.  The WWW is shared between large and small computer networks across the planet over the Internet, which is the actual communications connection between those computer networks.  The physical Internet predated the WWW.  It actually began in 1960s as a network for the U.S. Military (ARPANET) and has expanded over time into an immense collection of public networks that share a common addressing scheme, currently administered by a number of registrars, which are accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (see “ICANN”).   In short,  while the Internet allowed computers to talk to each other, the WWW created a way to browse between them and access various information sources.  For more history, click here.

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