Computer Science

FAQ
An acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. FAQ is exactly what it sounds like: Frequently Asked Questions, with the answers of course. FAQ usually serves as a mini-help file.

FAT
File Allocation Table

Fax Server
A server on a network that is configured to provide both incoming and outgoing fax services to the entire network.

FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface - A standard for transmitting data on optical fiber cables at a rate of around 100,000,000 bits-per-second, about twice as fast as T-3.

Fiber Optic Cable
A cable that is made out of light-conducting glass or plastic fibers. Multiple fiber cores can be bundled in the center of its protective tubing. Optical fibers carry digital signals in the form of modulated pulses of light.

File Server
A network's central computer, with a very large amount of storage space for shared files.

Finger
An Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. Finger is also sometimes used to give access to non-personal information, but the most common use is to see if a person has an account at a particular Internet site. Many sites do not allow incoming Finger requests, but many do.

Firewall
A set of programs running on a network's gateway server that monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and allows only authorized packets to be transmitted or received. Usually a combination of hardware and software that is used to separate a LAN from the Internet.

Flame
Originally, flame meant to carry forth in a passionate manner in the spirit of honorable debate. Flames most often involved the use of flowery language and flaming well was an art form. More recently flame has come to refer to any kind of derogatory comment no matter how witless or crude.

Flame War
When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debaters, rather than discussion of their positions. A heated exchange.

Flaming,
An organized attempt by a large group of mailers whose goal is to disrupt your activities.

Floppy Drive
Low capacity magnetic removable storage disk.

Fragmentation
The scattering of files all over the drive, caused by the continual addition and deletion of files. Not harmful to the computer, but will slow down a hard drive due to the computer having to access two or more places to retrieve a file.

Frame Relay
An improved version of X.25 packet switching technology.

Frames
A group of bits containing address information, error detection, and other control information, sent over a communications channel.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol - A very common method of moving files between two Internet sites. FTP is a special way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name anonymous, thus these sites are called anonymous ftp servers.

Full-Duplex
Data can travel in both directions at once.