Computer Glossary W

WAN wide area network. This acronym refers to a group of LANs (local area networks) connected over a large geographical area. The internet is probably the largest WAN in the world.

Winsock A program that provides Windows with a standard way to communicate with the internet. Any Windows-based computer needs one. If you don’t already possess a Winsock, you will probably be provided with a copy by your ISP. However, it may come as part of your connection software.

WormA computer worm is comparable to a computer virus, but unlike a virus a worm does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Instead, it is able to spread copies of itself from one computer to another without being activated by users.

Wysiwyg what you see is what you get. Pronounced ‘wizzywig’, this term refers to an application that shows on the screen exactly what will appear on the document when it is printed. This includes colours, fonts and graphics as well as text.

Wysiwyg Editor A software package which makes website creation easy. Design-wise, what you see is what you get, while the HTML code the computer uses is automatically generated by the program.

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