MyNAU Glossary

This glossary is intended to provide brief definitions for terms used in the MyNAU Tutorial. For definitions of words not found in this glossary, try Dictionary.com or the Free Online Dictionary of Computing.

Channel: A small chunk of information, usually set off from other channels on a webpage in a box of its own. Each channel contains its own specific information. In the picture of MyNAU below, the arrows point to several channels on the Community tab: Free Film Series, Sun Entertainment, Classifieds, Flagstaff Events and NAU Outdoors.

Cookie: A collection of information stored on the local computer of a person using the World Wide Web, used chiefly by websites to identify users who have previously registered or visited the site. A cookie is set by MyNAU when you log in.

Layout: The arrangement of information on a web page or within a website. In MyNAU, "layout" refers to the tabs, columns and channels you have, and how they are organized and located with respect to each other.

Portal: A website that aims to be an entry point to a large, institutional website or to the World Wide Web, often by providing access to a search engine, and possibly news feeds or other services. Typically a portal can be configured to individual taste, usage, or needs. MyNAU is Northern Arizona University's portal, chiefly targeted toward NAU students, faculty, staff and affiliates.

Skin: The visual, aesthetic properties of a web page or website. In MyNAU, the skin defines a set of colors (and sometimes font styles, sizes, etc.) that will be used throughout a person's MyNAU.

Subscribe: To authorize (someone) to receive or access electronic texts or services, especially over the Internet. In the case of MyNAU, "subscribing to a channel" means to "add a channel" to your layout.

Tab: In the context of a portal, a tab is one of several pages you can visit, each of which contains one or more channels. In MyNAU, the tab names appear near the top of your web browser window, just under the top banner area. Services, Today@NAU, and Learning are a few examples of the default tabs in MyNAU.