COMPSALE

Computer Terminology - G

This web page looks at some of the terminology associated with the Computer Industry. This appendix is not to be deemed as complete but does cover a large range of common terminology.

If you find a term not covered in this file you may and list the word (computer connected terminology ONLY). We will endeavour to locate the meaning and respond to you. If we consider it a common enough term, we will add it to our list. New terminology (with explanation) may also be submitted for consideration.

Index SIZE Numeric A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

garbage: 1. A string of unwanted, meaningless, or unintelligible characters produced by error.
2. Incorrect input to a computer. See GIGO.

Gb: Gigabyte. One thousand megabytes.

Get a real computer!: An imperative issued as a response to someone who is complaining about not being able to get work done on an obsolete, single-tasking, graphical, or otherwise lame computer. Generally, UNIX systems are considered to be real computers in opposition to Windows-based systems.

GIF: Graphics Interchange Format. GIF images are the most widely used graphic format on the Internet. GIF images display up to 256 colours.

GIGO: Acronym for Garbage In Garbage Out. Usually said in response to complaints that a program didn't "do the right thing" when given bad or flawed input. See garbage.

glitch: A small malfunction.

Golden Rule of Netiquette: "Remember the Human", the rule upon which all Netiquette is based. Often in electronic communications, it is easy to forget that you are communicating with real people, not just networks of computers. See Netiquette.

Gopher: A menu-driven program developed at the University of Minnesota that helps you locate and retrieve information on the Internet.

go word: The word associated with a forum or area on a commercial online service that allows you to get to that place quickly.

grep: 1. To rapidly scan a large volume of information looking for a particular string or pattern.
2. A UNIX command used to scan a file or group of files for a matching search string or pattern.

GUI: Graphical User Interface. A system that simplifies selecting computer commands by enabling the user to point to symbols or illustrations (called "icons") on the computer screen with a mouse.

guru: An expert who acts as a knowledge resource for others and who is generally venerated by the people whose problems he or she solves.