Internet Law Terms and Definitions

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Virtual reality The use of specialized computers, software, and other gear to construct computer-generated environments. A user wears a headset that blocks out vision of the physical world and projects these computer-generated environments onto a screen near the eyes. Wiretap Act Rule on the degree to which the federal Wiretap Act protects the privacy of e-mail, by deciding whether the act applies to e-mail held in temporary storage. DNS Domain Name Server – Used to map names to IP addresses and vice versa. Domain Name Servers maintain central lists of domain name/IP addresses and map the domain names in your Internet requests to other servers on the Internet until the specified web site is found. See Also: IP Address Go to top Cable modem A modem supplied by a cable television operator that allows users to access the Internet or other information services over cable television networks, which comprise broadband coaxial cables and are capable of much greater speed than conventional twisted pair copper telephone lines. Analog The transmission of sound and visual information in the form of waves in the frequency spectrum. For example, in an analog telephone transmission the human voice is transmitted as sound waves that can be detected by the ear. Ports Web pages are accessed on servers through ports. A port can be specified by following the URL with a colon and the port number. If no port is specified, the browser uses port 80 Cellular overlay network A cellular telecommunications network that transmits information through the airwaves across a series of geographically defined "cells" via low-power transmitters. Bundling The combining of either network functionalities or end-user services into one integrated package for provision by a supplier to a customer. In the former case, major operators of public networks have often required that competing service providers seeking inter-network connection purchase all the necessary functionalities (e.g., switching and signalling) in one package, rather than providing some of these elements on their own. On-line A "live" connection to a computer network over telecommunications lines, in which a user interacts with other computers on a network to send electronic mail, read information stored on another system, or download information to his or her own terminal. Cyber-cash On the Internet, customers often purchase products or services by giving their credit card information to a supplier, who then submits a debit to the customer's account with a credit card agency. Cyber-cash provides a new alternative, for which no one standard approach is dominant.

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	Did You Know?
	1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (EFOIA) The 1966 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits any person to request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose records upon receipt of a written request, except for records that are protected from disclosure by nice exemptions or three exclusions in the Act. Persons are also able to request documents in an electronic format under the 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (EFOIA).