Online Computer Terms Dictionary - C

Communications Decency Act

<legal> (CDA) An amendment to the U.S. 1996 Telecommunications Bill that went into effect on 08 February 1996, outraging thousands of Internet users who turned their web pages black in protest. The law, originally proposed by Senator James Exon to protect children from obscenity on the Internet, ended up making it punishable by fines of up to $250,000 to post indecent language on the Internet anywhere that a minor could read it.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation created public domain blue ribbon icons that many web authors downloaded and displayed on their web pages.

On 12 June 1996, a three-judge panel in Philadelphia ruled the CDA unconstitutional and issued an injunction against the United States Justice Department forbidding them to enforce the "indecency" provisions of the law. Internet users celebrated by displaying an animated "Free Speech" fireworks icon to their web pages, courtesy of the Voters Telecommunications Watch. The Justice Department has appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

(1996-11-03)

Communications of the ACM

<publication> (CACM) A monthly publication by the Association for Computing Machinery sent to all members. CACM is an influential publication that keeps computer science professionals up to date on developments. Each issue includes articles, case studies, practitioner oriented pieces, regular columns, commentary, departments, the ACM Forum, and technical correspondence, and advertisements.

Home.

(1995-01-18)

communications port

<hardware, communications> A connector for a communications interface, usually, a serial port.

(1996-08-04)

Communications Server

<operating system> IBM's rebranding of ACF.

(1999-01-20)

communications software

<communications, software> Application programs, operating system components, and probably firmware, forming part of a communication system. These different software components might be classified according to the functions within the Open Systems Interconnect model which they provide.

(2001-03-18)

communication system

<communications> A system or facility capable of providing information transfer between persons and equipment. The system usually consists of a collection of individual communication networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and terminal equipment capable of interconnection and interoperation so as to form an integrated whole. These individual components must serve a common purpose, be technically compatible, employ common procedures, respond to some form of control, and generally operate in unison.

["Communications Standard Dictionary", 2nd Edition, Martin H. Weik].

(1995-02-06)