BBS --

See "Electronic Bulletin Board Systems."

CD ROM --

CD ROM stands for Compact Disk Read-Only Memory. CD ROMs store and read massive amounts of information on a removable disk platter or solid state storage chip. Unlike the data on hard drives and diskettes, data on CD ROMs can only be read--not altered--by the user. Also called "firmware."

CPU --

The central processing unit.

DATA --

"A formalized representation of facts or concepts suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by people or automated means." The term "data" is often used to refer to the information stored in the computer.

DOCUMENTATION --

Documents that describe technical specifications for computer-related products and how to use hardware components and/or software applications.

ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS (BBS) --

A bulletin board system is a computer dedicated, in whole or in part, to serving as an electronic meeting place. A BBS computer system may contain information, programs, and e-mail, and is set up so that users can dial the bulletin board system, read and leave messages for other users, and download and upload software programs for common use. A BBS can have multiple telephone lines (so that many people can use it at the same time) or a single line where a user's access is first-come, first-served. BBSs can have several levels of access, sometimes called "sub-boards" or "conferences." Access to the different conferences is controlled by the system operator with a password system. A single user may have several different passwords, one for each different level or conference. A user may store documents, data, programs, messages, and even photographs in the different levels of the BBS. A bulletin board system may be located anywhere telephone lines go.

ELECTRONIC MAIL --

Electronic mail provides for the transmission of messages and files between computers over a communications network. Sending information in this way is similar in some ways to mailing a letter through the postal service. The messages are sent from one computer through a network server to the electronic address of another specific computer or to a series of computers of the sender's choice. The transmitted messages (and attached files) are either stored at the computer of the addressee (such as someone's personal computer) or at the mail server (a machine dedicated, at least in part, to storing mail), and will remain there until the addressee retrieves the mail from the server. When people "pick up" e-mail from the mail server, they usually receive only a copy of their mail, and the stored message is maintained in the mail server until the addressee deletes it. (Some systems allow senders to delete mail on the server before delivery.) Of course, deleted mail may sometimes be recovered by "undeleting" the message (if not yet overwritten) or by obtaining a backup copy (if the server was backed up before the message was deleted).

FAX PERIPHERAL --

A device, normally inserted as an internal card, that allows the computer to function as a fax machine. (An abbreviation of "facsimile.")

FILE SERVER --

A file server is a computer on a network that stores the programs and data files shared by the users of the network. A file server is the nerve center of the network, and also acts as a remote disk drive, enabling users to store information. It can be physically located in another judicial district from the suspect's machine.

FLOPPY DISK DRIVE --

A drive that reads from or writes to separate diskettes which the user inserts. Information is stored on the diskettes themselves, not on the drive.

HARD DISK DRIVE --

A storage device based on a fixed, permanently mounted disk drive. It may be either internal (part of the computer itself) or external (a separate but connected component). Both applications and data may be stored on the disk.

HARDWARE --

"The physical components or equipment that make up a computer system. . . ." Examples include keyboards, monitors, and printers.

INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE --

A piece of equipment which sends data to, or receives data from, a computer. Keyboards, monitors, and printers are all common I/O devices.

LASER DISK --

Similar to a CD ROM drive but uses lasers to read and sometimes write information.

MODEM --

A device ("modulate/demodulate") which allows one computer to communicate with another computer, normally over standard telephone lines. It converts the computer's digital information to analogue signals for outgoing telephone transmission, and reverses the conversion for incoming messages. Modems may be either part of (internal) or external to the computer.

MOUSE --

A pointing device that controls input by moving a cursor or other figure on the screen. Normally, the user points to an object on the screen and then presses a button on the mouse to indicate her selection.

NETWORK --

"A system of interconnected computer systems and terminals."

PRINTER --

A number of technologies exist, using various techniques. The most common types of computer printers are:

1. Band - a rotating metal band is impacted as it spins;

2. Daisy wheel - a small print wheel containing the form of each character rotates and hits the paper, character by character;

3. Dot matrix - characters and graphics are created by pins hitting the ribbon and paper;

4. Ink jet - injects (sprays) ink onto the paper;

5. Laser - electrostatically charges the printed page and applies toner;

6. Plotter - moves ink pens over the paper surface, typically used for large engineering and architectural drawings.

7. Thermal - a hot printer head contacts special paper that reacts to heat.

SCANNER --

Any optical device which can recognize characters on paper and, using specialized software, convert them into digital form.

SERVER --

See "File Server."

SOFTWARE --

"The programs or instructions that tell a computer what to do." This includes operating system programs which control the basic functions of the computer system (such as Microsoft's Disk Operating System--"MS-DOS" --that controls IBM-compatible PCs) and applications programs which enable the computer to produce useful work (e.g., a word processing program such as WordPerfect).

SYSOP --

See "System Administrator."

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR --

The individual responsible for assuring that the computer network is functioning properly. He is often responsible for computer security as well.

SYSTEM OPERATOR --

See "System Administrator."

VOICE-MAIL SYSTEMS --

A voice-mail system is a complex phone answering machine (run by a computer) which allows individuals to send and receive telephone voice messages to a specific "mailbox" number. A person can call the voice-mail system (often a 1-800 number) and leave a message in a particular person's mailbox, retrieve messages left by other people, or transfer one message to many different mailboxes in a list. Usually, anyone can leave messages, but it takes a password to pick them up or change the initial greeting. The system turns the user's voice into digital information and stores it until the addressee erases it or another message overwrites it. Criminals sometimes use voice mailboxes (especially, if they can beat the password, those of unsuspecting people) as remote deaddrops for information that may be valuable in a criminal case. The server for the voice mailboxes is usually located in the message system computer of the commercial vendor which supplies the voice-mail service. Sometimes it can be found on the customer-organization's computer server at the location called. Voice mail messages can be written on magnetic disk or remain in the computer's memory, depending on the vendor's system.

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