What Network is
The term actually has many different meanings depending on the person, company, or context in which it is being used. Basically, it is a collection of two or more computers and associated devices that are linked together with communications equipment. Once connected, each part of the network can share the software, hardware, and information contained in the other parts.
The most common types of network are LANs (Local Area Networks, in which the computers share the same office space, room, or building) and WANs (Wide Area Networks, in which LANs are connected at different geographic locations by telephone lines or radio waves, as in wireless communications). Network connections are established by twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, connectors, or NICs (network interface cards). Network computing depends on protocols that work with a variety of operating systems and network hardware (see: IEEE and ISO). When you hear someone talking about "sharing network resources," they are referring either to client/server networks or peer-to-peer networks.
Also, you may hear Internet companies refer to their "network of Web sites," a group of associated sites that's analogous to a television network or cable TV network. If you have a small business that uses a network for Internet access and file sharing, be sure to have a firewall installed, to protect yourself from unauthorized access.
The meaning of User
A term that defines the online audience, it also refers to anyone who uses a computer. The term "users" rubs some people the wrong way because, in the past, if you said you were a user, it meant you were habitually consuming an illicit drug. Nowadays, a user is a person who is online. It comes from techies, who refer to people as "computer users." Historical reference: The word "users" is not yet in the American Heritage Dictionary, but the word "user-friendly" made it; perhaps because we are the first group ever to be online users.
Historical Reference: The word "users" isn't in the American Heritage Dictionary but the word "user-friendly" made it. The term "use" is defined in a variety of ways which, when taken in the context of "Internet users," can be quite poignant: "to put into service, to employ, to exploit, to consume completely, the privilege of using something," and so on. In the past you'd never refer to yourself as "a user" unless you were drug addicted... does this say something about how we're all getting addicted to the online world?
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