my connected community (mc2)

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Cache
The browser uses a cache to temporarily store webpages it has dowloaded. This enables pages to load faster if they are requested a second time. If an old page is displayed, use "refresh" in your browser, or press the F5 function key. You can flush the cache of old pages in Internet Explorer 7 by selecting Tools / Delete Browsing History, then under Temporary Internet Files click Delete Files. See also Refresh and Proxy

CD (Compact Disc)
Small, portable, round disk for electronically recording, storing, and playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form. CDs replaced vinyl & cassettes for playing music. CD-R discs can record data, when placed in a CD burner. CD-RW discs can also be re-used, or recorded over. CDs have a storage capacity of around 700Mb. A newer technology, the digital versatile disc (DVD), is the same physical size as a CD, but has a much greater storage capacity of 4.7Gb. See DVD and Burner

Chat
A way to communicate with a group of other people over the Internet in real time by typing messages back & forth. All mc² communities incorporate an integrated chat room for their group, open 24 hours a day. To chat with mc2, you will need a Java-enabled browser, or you can use a program such as mIRC. To save typing, or add emotions or emphasis to typed messages, people often use emotional icons (emoticons) or "smileys". See a list of Chat Acronyms & Smileys :- )

See also:

Chip
A small piece of semiconducting material (usually silicon) on which an integrated circuit is embedded. A typical chip is less than 25 mm² and can contain millions of electronic components (transistors). Computers consist of many chips placed on electronic boards called printed circuit boards.

Clock Speed
Also called clock rate, the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instructions are executed and synchronizes all the various computer components. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second. Clock speeds are expressed in megahertz (MHz), 1 MHz being equal to 1 million cycles per second, or GHz (1,000 MHz). The CPUs of personal computers have clock speeds of anywhere from 1.6 GHz to 3.2 GHz or more. See also: CPU and Microprocessor

Code of Conduct
We want mc² to be a safe, secure environment for people to share their experiences and engage with others. Bad behaviour will not be tolerated! All members of mc² are bound and protected by the Code of Conduct and Privacy Policy. mc², group owners and moderators, reserve the right to remove any content deemed inappropriate and any user or group in breach of the Code of Conduct. It is the responsibility of mc² users to have read the most up-to-date Code of Conduct and Privacy Policy on the mc² site, as Vicnet reserves the right to alter this document at any time.

Computer
A programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are:

It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.
It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).

Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery - wires, transistors, and circuits - is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software. A crucial piece of software is the operating system.

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:

memory : Enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.
mass storage device : Allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drives (hard drive) and tape drives.
input device : Usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
output device : A display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished. These are also known as peripherals
central processing unit (CPU): The heart of the computer, this is the component that actually executes instructions.

Community or Group
my connected community (known as mc²) is a virtual space where real or virtual communities interact online. The terms Group and Community are used interchangeably at mc². Each group has a range of features: a chat room, forum, guestbook etc.

Cookies
A cookie is a block of data that is shared between a web server and a user's browser, stored as a small text file on your computer. Cookies can give the server information about a user's identity and website visiting patterns and preferences. mc² uses cookies as part of the login process, to to distinguish one visitor from another. This is for security purposes, to ensure only YOU can access YOUR information. For this reason, your browser must be cookie-enabled. If you are experiencing any difficulties logging into mc², you should click here to test your browser for cookies. If you fail the cookie test [you get a red "X"], then look at the Cookie Help page. See also: mc² Privacy Policy.

Copyright
Copyright protection is free and automatic. It is not ideas, but their expression, that are protected by copyright law. The intention is that nobody should profit unfairly from the work of others, by stealing and reproducing their work, then passing it off as their own. Thus copyright protection provides an incentive for creators to continue to create new materials.

The copyright notice ©
You do not need to put a "copyright notice" on your work for it to be protected in Australia. You may choose to put a copyright notice on your work to remind people that it is protected by copyright. You can put the notice on your work yourself; there is no formal procedure. The notice is: © (or "Copyright") + copyright owner's name + year of first publication. For example: © Vicnet 2000.

CPU - Central Processing Unit
The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system. On large machines, CPUs require one or more printed circuit boards. On personal computers and small workstations, the CPU is housed in a single chip called a microprocessor.