Neopets — virtual pet website and online community Neopets Neopets is a long-running browser-based virtual pet site combining pet care, casual games, a player-driven economy and community features. Launched in 1999, it remains influential…
Net (term): meanings across textiles, technology, finance, sports, and verbs Net Net: a versatile term meaning a woven mesh, the Internet or network, a post-deduction amount in finance, a sports barrier, or a verb to catch or secure—meanings and usage depend on…
Net neutrality: principle, practices, history, and policy implications Net neutrality Net neutrality is the principle that network operators and regulators should treat Internet traffic without discrimination. This article explains its meaning, history, typical viol…
Netscape Navigator: pioneering 1990s web browser and its legacy Netscape Navigator Netscape Navigator was a leading web browser of the mid‑1990s that introduced key Web technologies, sparked the first browser wars with Internet Explorer, and later became the foun…
Netsplit (IRC server network partitioning) Netsplit Netsplit: temporary partitioning of an IRC network when servers lose connectivity, causing visible quits, channel splits, and potential nickname or operator conflicts until servers…
Network address A network address is an identifier assigned to a device, interface, or service that enables locating and routing data across a network. Covers types (IP, MAC, ports), structure, al…
Network Address Translation (NAT): purpose, operation, types and effects Network address translation Network Address Translation (NAT) rewrites IP addresses in packet headers to conserve IPv4 addresses, enable private networks, and control traffic. Covers operation, types, uses, l…
Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) Network News Transfer Protocol NNTP is the protocol used to distribute, read and post Usenet newsgroup articles. Once widespread in the 1980s–90s, it remains in niche use for discussion and binary distribution.
Network port (computer networking) Network port A network port is a 16-bit number used by transport protocols (TCP, UDP) to direct traffic to a specific process or service on a host. Ports enable multiple services, are grouped b…
Network Time Protocol (NTP) Network Time Protocol Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronizes computer clocks to Coordinated Universal Time across IP networks, providing hierarchical time distribution, millisecond accuracy, and mecha…
Newgrounds — history, community, and creative platform Newgrounds Newgrounds is an online creative portal founded in 1995 by Tom Fulp, known for hosting Flash animations and games, music and art, and for pioneering an automated user-submission an…
Nick.com — Nickelodeon’s official online portal Nick.com Official Nickelodeon website offering games, show pages, video clips, and interactive content for children and families. Launched in 1995 and developed alongside digital media tren…
Nintendo Wi‑Fi Connection (WFC) — online service for Wii and Nintendo DS Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Nintendo Wi‑Fi Connection was Nintendo's free online service for the Wii and Nintendo DS that enabled online play, leaderboards and downloadable content; it was retired in 2014.
Node (networking) A network node is any physical or logical device that can create, receive, or forward data on a computer network. This article explains types, roles, addressing, and practical conc…
NoFap (self‑help movement against pornography and masturbation) NoFap NoFap is an online community and self‑help movement that encourages abstaining from pornography and masturbation. Founded in 2011, it combines peer support, challenges and personal…
Nupedia: an expert-reviewed precursor to Wikipedia Nupedia Nupedia was an English-language, expert-reviewed online encyclopedia (2000–2003) that aimed for scholarly-quality articles through formal peer review and directly inspired the crea…
Nyan Cat Nyan Cat is an internet meme featuring an animated Pop-Tart-bodied cat flying through space while a repetitive, upbeat song plays. It originated in 2011 and became a widely shared…
O RLY? — an Internet reaction meme O RLY? O RLY? (Oh, really?) is an early Internet reaction meme used sarcastically to express feigned surprise or incredulity. It appears as text and image macros and often forms part of a…
Online and offline: connected and disconnected states in computing Online and offline Definitions and context for 'online' and 'offline' in computing and telecommunications: meanings, typical states, history, examples, design implications like offline-first and air-…
Online game Interactive video games played over a network, ranging from simple browser minigames to large persistent multiplayer worlds; includes types, history, social impact, and common tech…
Online shopping Online shopping is buying goods or services over the Internet. This article explains how it works, its history, major forms, benefits, risks and notable developments.
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) — Link-State Interior Routing Protocol Open Shortest Path First OSPF is a link-state interior routing protocol used inside organizations. It builds a map of the network, runs a shortest-path algorithm, and divides networks into areas for scalab…
Open Site — free online encyclopedia Open Site Open Site is a collaboratively edited, free internet encyclopedia. Volunteers may apply to become editors or contribute articles; the project emphasizes open access, community revi…
Open source software Open source Open source software is software whose source code is published for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. It supports collaborative development and is governed by licenses tha…
Opera Software Norwegian software company behind the Opera family of web browsers and Internet services, known for mobile compression, early browsing innovations and a switch from its own engine…
Outlook Express — overview, history, features, and legacy Outlook Express Outlook Express was Microsoft’s free email and newsreader client bundled with Windows. This article explains its features, history, differences from Outlook, security issues, and m…
Outlook.com — Microsoft's consumer webmail and personal information service Outlook.com Outlook.com is Microsoft's web-based email, calendar and contacts service (successor to Hotmail), offering web and mobile access, OneDrive integration, security features and busine…
Packet (computing): structure, role and history of network data units Packet (computing) A packet is a formatted unit of data used for communication between computers across networks. This article explains structure, packet switching, protocols, history, uses, and nota…
PayPal: digital payments platform and online wallet PayPal PayPal is a global digital payments service and online wallet that lets individuals and businesses send and receive money, accept card payments, and manage transactions across devi…
Perl (programming language) Perl Perl is a high-level, general-purpose language created by Larry Wall for text processing and system scripting, known for powerful regular expressions, sigils, dynamic typing and th…
Persian Wikipedia (Farsi-language edition) Persian Wikipedia The Persian-language edition of Wikipedia, launched in December 2003, is a volunteer-built online encyclopedia in Persian (Farsi). It serves Persian speakers worldwide and is part…
Phishing: methods, common types, prevention, and response Phishing Phishing is a form of social engineering where attackers trick people into revealing credentials, financial data or identities. This article explains how it works, types, warning s…
Piedmontese Wikipedia The Piedmontese-language edition of Wikipedia, a volunteer-created online encyclopedia in the Piedmontese (Gallo‑Italic) language, supporting regional culture, information and lang…
Ping (network utility and general term) Ping Ping: a network diagnostic utility using ICMP echo requests and replies, and a general term for brief signals or notifications. Explains function, measurements, limitations, histor…
Pinterest: visual discovery, pinboards, and inspiration platform Pinterest Pinterest is a visual discovery and bookmarking platform where users save and organize images and ideas into themed pinboards, explore trends, use visual search, and discover produ…
Player killing (PKing): definition, mechanics, history, and social impact Player killing Player killing (PKing) refers to one player character killing another in multiplayer games. This article explains mechanics, common terms, history, examples, and how designers and…
PlayStation Store Sony’s digital storefront for PlayStation platforms, offering games, add‑ons, media and themes via the PlayStation Network. Available across consoles, web and mobile with regional…
Polish Wikipedia (Wikipedia polskojęzyczna) Polish Wikipedia Polish-language edition of Wikipedia, launched in September 2001; maintained by volunteers and the Wikimedia community, with over 1,539,000 articles and a distinct Polish editorial…
Pornhub Pornhub is an adult video‑sharing website founded in 2007. It hosts professional and amateur material, offers user accounts and uploads, and has been the subject of regulatory acti…
Port forwarding (port mapping): overview, uses, and considerations Port forwarding Explanation of port forwarding (port mapping): what it is, how it works with NAT routers, common uses, configuration types, security implications and alternatives.
Portuguese Wikipedia (Wikipédia em Português) Portuguese Wikipedia Portuguese-language edition of Wikipedia, launched in June 2001; a collaboratively edited online encyclopedia serving Portuguese speakers worldwide, with over one million articles.
Post Office Protocol (POP) — POP3 and e-mail retrieval Post Office Protocol Post Office Protocol (POP) is a simple Internet standard used to retrieve e-mail from a remote server to a local client. POP3 is the dominant version; its behavior, history, and co…
Private network (computer networking) Private network A private network uses reserved IP address ranges for internal communication within a site. It is isolated from public routing and typically connects to the Internet through NAT, p…
Project Gutenberg: history and free public-domain eBook library Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg is a volunteer-driven digital library, founded in 1971, offering free public-domain e-books in multiple formats. It preserves cultural works, coordinates voluntee…
Proposed top-level domain Planned or suggested additions to the Internet's top-level domain namespace, covering generic, geographic, brand and internationalized domains, plus the proposal process, uses, and…
Protocol 41 (IPv6-in-IPv4 encapsulation) Protocol 41 Protocol 41 encapsulates IPv6 packets inside IPv4 packets to provide IPv6 connectivity over IPv4 networks. It is used by static and automatic tunnels and has practical limits with…
Proxy: Acting on Behalf of Another in Technology, Law, and Society Proxy Overview of the concept of a proxy: meanings, common types (computing, voting, marriage, criminal), uses, distinctions, history and practical considerations.
Proxy server (network intermediary) Proxy server A proxy server is an intermediary system that handles requests between clients and other servers — used for caching, security, filtering, anonymity, load balancing, and protocol tr…
