Microsoft Versus
Dissecting Microsoft | Directory

Glossary

API
Application Programming Interface - functions and/or objects of an application or system exposed to programmers to provide interaction and integration
C++
Object-oriented programming language compiled to machine code; international standard
C#
Object-oriented programming language, a descendant of C++, often compared to Java™; primarily intended for the .NET software platform (see below) to be compiled to intermediary binary code; international standard originally created by Microsoft Corporation
cracker
A person who breaks into computer systems; not to be confused with hacker (see below)
deprecated
No longer supported, made obsolete; further use is typically given disapproval by the creator or owner
DOJ
U.S. Department of Justice
FOSS
Free and [open source] software (see below); also see the Free Software Foundation
free software
software which users are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve; see GNU.org
FUD
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
GUI
Graphical User Interface
hacker
A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities (from the "Jargon File" 4.2.0); Note: a person who breaks into computer systems is called a cracker not hacker
IE
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Java™
Object-oriented programming language; primarily intended to be compiled to an intermediary binary for execution in the Java™ Virtual Machine (JVM); software platform consisting of the Java language, JVM, and libraries; owned, trademarked and mostly controlled by Sun Microsystems, Inc.
MS & MSFT
Microsoft Corporation; MSFT is their NASDAQ trading symbol
.NET
A software platform (i.e. software upon which other software runs); includes a definition for a Common Language Interface and APIs; created by Microsoft Corporation and partly standardized by the ECMA
[open source]
software distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely; see the Open Source Initiative
OSS
[Open source] software (see above)
proprietary
Owned and controlled under the exclusive legal right of an individual or corporation
TCO
[Total Cost of Ownership]
Visual Basic
Proprietary programming language created by Microsoft; BASIC syntax with built-in functions and the addition of some object oriented features
XML
eXtensible Markup Language - a language, usually used as a transmission or file format, which is easily readable by both humans and computers


For other terminology search Wikipedia, Everything2, or Google.

Copyright © 2004-2007 Matthew Schwartz