June 2008

Q: How can I stop popups?

A: Pop-ups are mostly harmless, but they can be annoying and can also slow down your computer. You can use a pop-up blocker to prevent them from displaying. Most Web browsers have built-in pop-up blockers, or you can use a popup-blocker that runs as a desktop application.

Some reliable Web sites can use pop-ups so if you block all pop-ups, you might have trouble using those sites. You can change the settings of your pop-up blocker to allow them from certain sites that you decide are reliable.

May 2008

Q: What is Flaming?

A: Flaming is posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting to an Internet discussion board or blog. Flaming is a type of cyber bullying and Flaming can sometimes even grow into a flame war.

Flamers usually have a strong opinion on a topic and may personally attack others who disagree. Sometimes a message meant as a joke can be mistaken for flaming.

April 2008

Q: What is a Social Networking Site?

A: A Social Networking site is a Web site that brings people together to talk, gossip, share ideas and interests, and make new friends.

Most are available for free on the Web and can have a variety of ways for users to interact, such as chat rooms, instant messaging, email, file sharing, blogging, and forums. They often allow you to create a profile, upload a picture, and allow your network or group of "friends" to view your profile or contact you.

March 2008

Q: What is a Blog?

A: A blog (a combination of the words "web" and "log") is a personal Web site where you can post entries containing text, pictures, links, or video for anyone in Cyberspace to see. Many people use their blogs as an online diary, but others focus on the news or a particular subject. Many blogs allow people who visit them to leave comments on what they read.

Be sure to check out the Academy faculty and cadet blogs on this site!

February 2008

Q: What is a URL?

A: A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is like an address and is a way to locate something such as a Web site in Cyberspace. URLs are usually entered into the address bar of a Web browser and they are a combination of parts that describe a network location in Cyberspace and how you want to access it.

For example, the URL http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com breaks down into these parts:

• HTTP:// - This part is called the Scheme and is how you want to access that Web location. "HTTP" is used when you are viewing a Web site.
• WWW - This refers to the World Wide Web and is also used when viewing a Web site
• Carnegiecyberacademy.com - this is the domain name and identifies the computer on the Internet where the site is. ".com" means it is a commercial site.

January 2008

Q: What does WWW mean?

A: WWW stands for World Wide Web, or The Web for short. The Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents (or Web pages) that you access through the Internet using a browser. You can navigate between pages on the Web by clicking on hyperlinks in the pages. The letters "www" are commonly found at the beginning of web addresses, but they are not required.

December 2007

Q: What is personal information

A: Personal information is any information about you that could be used to find or identify you in real life. This information is part of your OFFLINE identity and should not be shared with others in Cyberspace. Personal information can be obvious things like your real name, your address, your age, your school, and who your friends and family are, but it can also include not-so-obvious things such as places you like to visit often and your parent's license plate number.

For a printable list of different types of personal information, check out the Hint Sheet for the Communications Level 1 Mission.

November 2007

Q: What is a Firewall?

A: A firewall is a hardware or software device that controls the flow of data between computer networks. Just like a firewall in a building is used to prevent fire from spreading, a firewall in a computer prevents intrusion into a private network. When set up properly, a firewall can prevent attacks to your computer and your network from the outside.

October 2007

Q: What does LOL mean?

A: LOL is short for Laugh out Loud and is the most commonly used chat slang to illustrate you are laughing during a text conversation or that you found something funny. Chat slang is when you use words or letters instead of real words. For example, instead of typing out "are", a user may only type "r".