PUBLISHING

AZW
Presumably an acronym for ‘Amazon
Word’. A file format used by Amazon for
its Kindle range of e-reader devices and
software applications. See also KF8 and
MOBI.
B
Bandwidth
The physical transmission capacity of a
communication channel. Often used as
an expression of the maximum amount
of data that can be sent via a specific network
connection. The higher the bandwidth,
the greater the amount of data that
can be transmitted within a given time
period. Bandwidth is therefore crucial for
services such as video streaming (where
playback would stop if the bandwidth
were too low to transmit the data quickly
enough).
Binary
A numeral system based on only two values,
zero and one. For example, the binary
representation of the number 9 is 1001.
Because of the straightforward implementation
of binary numbers in electronic circuits,
all computing devices are ultimately
based on this numeral system.
Bit
Contraction of ‘binary digit’. A bit is the
smallest measurement unit of computer
memory or processing, or data transmission
speed. The binary code ‘1001’, for
example, consists of four bits. See also
Binary.
BitTorrent
BitTorrent is the most popular internet
technology for file sharing and downloading
large amounts of data (such as
movies). It works according to a principle
known as ‘peer-to-peer’, which means
that everyone who is downloading a file
is simultaneously uploading it to fellow
downloaders. This way, bandwidth is
shared among the downloaders, and no
central download server is necessary.
Blog
Short for ‘web log’; usually a chronological
and often personal record of thoughts,
web links, events or actions, posted on
the web. The difference between blogs
and news/opinion websites is becoming
increasingly blurry.
Browser
The software used by people for accessing
and viewing websites. A web browser
loads pages from servers, translates their
internal HTML code into formatted text,
displays graphics, plays music and video,
and provides links to related pages. Web
browsers are based on the file format and
network standards of the World Wide
Web, which are defined by the World Wide
Web Consortium. In practice, however,
browser manufacturers extend or deviate
from those standards, which can lead to
compatibility problems in web design.
Browser extension
Plug-ins (additional software modules)
which extend or enhance the inner workings
of a web browser.
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