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Acronyms

A Guide to Understanding Online Chat Acronyms & Smiley Faces(http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp)

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Chat Room

A virtual room where a chat session takes place. Technically, a chat room is really a channel, but the term room is used to promote the chat metaphor.

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IM

Short for instant message, a type of communications service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet, analagous to a telephone conversation but using text-based, not voice-based, communication. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. (http://www.webopedia.com)

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PDA

Short for personal digital assistant, a handheld device that combines computing, telephone/fax, Internet and networking features. A typical PDA can function as a cellular phone, fax sender, Web browser and personal organizer. Unlike portable computers, most PDAs began as pen-based, using a stylus rather than a keyboard for input. This means that they also incorporated handwriting recognition features. Some PDAs can also react to voice input by using voice recognition technologies. PDAs of today are available in either a stylus or keyboard version. (http://www.webopedia.com)

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SMS

Short for Short Message Service Similar to paging, SMS is a service for sending short text messages to mobile phones. (http://www.webopedia.com)

Smiley Faces

A Guide to Understanding Online Chat Acronyms & Smiley Faces(http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp)

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Virtual

Not real. The term virtual is popular among computer scientists and is used in a wide variety of situations. In general, it distinguishes something that is merely conceptual from something that has physical reality. For example, virtual memory refers to an imaginary set of locations, or addresses, where you can store data. It is imaginary in the sense that the memory area is not the same as the real physical memory composed of transistors. The difference is a bit like the difference between an architect's plans for a house and the actual house. A computer scientist might call the plans a virtual house. Another analogy is the difference between the brain and the mind. The mind is a virtual brain. It exists conceptually, but the actual physical matter is the brain. (http://www.webopedia.com)

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