Hacker
A slang term for a computer enthusiast, that is a person who enjoys learning programming languages and computer systems and can often be considered an expert on the subject. The term is popularly used to refer to individuals who gain unauthorised access to computer systems for the purpose of stealing and corrupting data. Hackers themselves maintain that the proper term for such individuals is cracker.

ICT
Information and communications technology. “The means of generating, processing, transporting and presenting information”.
[OECD]

ICT policy
ICT policy generally covers three main areas: telecommunications (especially telephone communications), broadcasting (radio and TV) and the internet.

ICTs - Information and Communication Technologies
Information and communication are integral to human society. In many cultures today, information retrieval and presentation - the recording of wisdom and history - is still done with the use of speech, drama, painting, song or dance. The use of writing changed this enormously, and the invention of the printing press allowed communication on a massive scale, through newspapers and magazines. More recent technological innovations increased further the reach and speed of communication, culminating, for now, with digital technology. These new ICTs can be grouped into three, frequently interlinked, categories:: Information technology uses computers, which have become indispensable in modern societies to process data and save time and effort Telecommunications technologies include telephones (with fax) and the broadcasting of radio and television, often through satellites Networking technologies, of which the best known is the internet, but which has extended to mobile phone technology, Voice Over IP telephony (VOIP), satellite communications, and other forms of communication that are still in their infancy. These new technologies have become central to contemporary societies.
Related resources:
»GEM Glossary

Information Society (see also: Knowledge-based Economy)
Information Society is a term for a society in which the creation, distribution, and manipulation of information has become the most significant economic and cultural activity. An Information Society may be contrasted with societies in which the economic underpinning is primarily Industrial or Agrarian. The machine tools of the Information Society are computers and telecommunications, rather than lathes or ploughs.

It is a society characterised by a high level of information intensity in the everyday life of most citizens, in most organisations and workplaces; by the use of common or compatible technology for a wide range of personal, social, educational and business activities, and by the ability to transmit, receive and exchange digital data rapidly between places irrespective of distance.

More recently, the term has been used to shift the emphasis from ICTs as 'drivers' of change to a perspective where these technologies are regarded as tools which may provide a new potential for combining the information embedded in ICT systems with the creative potential and knowledge embodied in people. These technologies do not create the transformations in society by themselves: they are designed and implemented by people in their social, economic and technological contexts.
Related resources:
»Whatis.com - IT Encyclopedia and Learning Center
»INK - Knowledge Societies Information Technology for Sustainable Development

Intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is an intangible thing (you cannot touch it or hold it in your hand) that you can own, similar to the way that you can own tangible things like a car or a plot of land. It can be something that you have written, drawn, designed, invented, or spoken, and it can be something that you have created yourself or paid someone to create for you. Like tangible property, you can buy, sell, exchange or give away intellectual property, and you can control its use by others. However, in order for your intangible thing to qualify as intellectual property so you can gain these rights, you have to be able to distinguish it from similar things. The concept of intellectual property is intended to protect innovations and allow people to make money by selling their ideas. Usually the expression ‘intellectual property’ is used as a legal term to indicate four distinct types of protection given to intangible property patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Intellectual property rights
Intellectual property is a legal definition of ownership over an intellectual creation. The intellectual creations that make up intellectual property are the copyright over the works of an author, the patenting of technical designs, the trademarking of designs or names, and the protection of databases of information. Intellectual property is the core of the new information society. It provides legal protection to the information traded or used in the media or on computer systems. But the effect of intellectual property law in recent years has been to close off knowledge, so providing a monopoly control to demand money for essential information. As a result there has been a backlash against the recent expansion of intellectual property rights. Most prominently by the open content movement.
Related resources:
»Internet Rights Glossary

Intellectual property rights
Intellectual property is a legal definition of ownership over an intellectual creation. The intellectual creations that make up intellectual property are the copyright over the works of an author, the patenting of technical designs, the trademarking of designs or names, and the protection of databases of information. Intellectual property is the core of the new information society. It provides legal protection to the information traded or used in the media or on computer systems. But the effect of intellectual property law in recent years has been to close off knowledge, so providing a monopoly control to demand money for essential information. As a result there has been a backlash against the recent expansion of intellectual property rights. Most prominently by the open content movement.

Intended use
Intended use is a basic concept used in an evaluation approach called "utilization-focused evaluation". This approach begins with a premise that evaluations should be judged by their utility and actual use. Evaluations therefore, should be facilitated and designed with careful consideration of how everything that is done, from beginning to end, will affect use. The author of this approach, Michael Quinn Patton, further states that "use concerns how real people in the real world apply evaluation findings and experience the evaluation process". The purpose then of this evaluation approach is on intended use by intended users.
[Quinn Patton p 20]

Interconnection
The linking together of systems. The linkage used to join two or more communications units, such as systems, networks, links, nodes, equipment, circuits, and devices.

Internet
A worldwide interconnection of individual networks operated by government, industry, academia, and private parties.

Internet backbone
This super-fast network spanning the world from one major metropolitan area to another is provided by a handful of national internet service providers (ISPs). These organisations (including Net 99 and Alternet) use connections running at approximately 45 mbps (T3 lines) linked up at specified interconnection points called national access points (which are located in major metropolitan areas). Local ISPs connect to this backbone through routers so that data can be carried though the backbone to its destination.
Related resources:
»http//www.cnet.com/Resources/Info/Glossary/Terms

Internet exchange point (IXP)
A physical network infrastructure operated by a single entity with the purpose of facilitating the exchange of internet traffic between ISPs. Internet Service Provider (ISP) A company that provides access to the internet for companies or individuals.

Internet protocol
A standard protocol designed for use in interconnected systems of packet-switched computer communication networks. Note The internet protocol provides for transmitting blocks of data called datagrams from sources to destinations, where sources and destinations are hosts identified by fixed-length addresses. The internet protocol also provides for fragmentation and reassembly of long datagrams, if necessary, for transmission through small-packet networks.
Related resources:
»http//www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/

Internet Rights
Since the Second World War there have been various measures to guarantee legally enforceable human rights across the world. Many states incorporate aspects of these International agreements as part of national law. Internet rights is a movement that seeks to extend the concepts of traditional human rights into the new information society. In particular, the concept that in a world which is increasingly mediated by technology, a right to have access to information technology, and to use it for communication, is essential to guarantee the other human rights that evolved within the previous industrial society. This general right to communicate encompasses many other areas. For example freedom of association, freedom of expression, and tackling the emerging issue of the digital divide. APC and others have drawn together the various themes relating to Internet Rights to produce a Charter for Internet Rights.
Related resources:
»Internet Rights Glossary

Internet Rights
Since the Second World War there have been various measures to guarantee legally enforceable human rights across the world. Many states incorporate aspects of these International agreements as part of national law. Internet rights is a movement that seeks to extend the concepts of traditional human rights into the new information society. In particular, the concept that in a world which is increasingly mediated by technology, a right to have access to information technology, and to use it for communication, is essential to guarantee the other human rights that evolved within the previous industrial society. This general right to communicate encompasses many other areas. For example freedom of association, freedom of expression, and tackling the emerging issue of the digital divide. APC and others have drawn together the various themes relating to Internet Rights to produce a Charter for Internet Rights.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
You cannot just connect to the Internet. You need to be identified as a member of a network on the Internet. You therefore need an account with an Internet Service Provider to give you a unique identify for use on the Internet. An account with an ISP can give you email, Internet access via the web or other services, and even access to other services such as email to fax gateways, and more recently email to text messaging (SMS). In turn, ISPs are connected to the global Internet via their own 'connectivity providers'. It is possible for individuals to set up their own system, with a line to a connectivity provider, but it is very expensive.
Related resources:
»Internet Rights Glossary

ITU
International Telecommunications Union.