Internet2 Glossary and Style Guide
(I2GSG)
Glossary - Style Guide
last updated 5 October 2007
Computer networking is a notoriously jargon-rich discipline.
Jargon can make networking-related documents pretty much
impenetrable — not only to those outside the networking field, but
also to the networking person who is trying understand a sub-field other than
his or her own. Jargon can get in the way of working together efficiently.
For these reasons, it is useful to establish agreed-upon meanings and usages
for specialized words, abbreviations and acronyms.
Terms in the I2GSG are listed variously by acronym, abbreviation, or entire phrase. Entries are
listed under whatever variant of the term is (in the editor's opinion)
the most commonly used. Other variants are given in parentheses after the
main definition term. There is only one entry for each
term, so if you don't find a phrase, try an abbreviation for it, and vice
versa.
Many of these terms have idiosyncratic capitalization (gigaPoP, ESnet). The capitalization and hyphenation used in the definition term
are standard. Some terms have only definitions, some have only comments
on style and usage, some have both, and some have neither.
Usage rules and suggestions that pertain to more than one term go in the Style Guide.
Entries in the Style Guide are in no particular order.
Most of the I2GSG's usage rules should be considered as separating correct
usage from incorrect, good style from bad. Some, however, have only the more modest
purpose of establishing a consistent Internet2® house style. For example, while both "email"
and "e-mail" are commonly used and correct, "email" is the Internet2 house style.
House-style entries are identified as such.
By its nature the I2GSG is a permanent work in progress. Please send
comments, suggestions and corrections to info@internet2.edu.
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