NetSTAR

Chat :

A system for text-based conversation in real time via the Internet. Can be done one-on-one or with several participants at the same time.

BBS (Bulletin Board System) :

BBS, which stands for Bulletin Board System, is an electronic bulletin board service in which anybody can participate by reading and writing. There are many different kinds of BBSs, ranging from ones set up on individuals' websites and ones provided as a related service of e-commerce sites, to dedicated commercial sites that bring together bulletin boards of many different genres.

Blog :

Generic term referring to a public diary-type website run by an individual. Blogs are not just diaries, including links to news articles or sites of interest, and usually feature in chronological order articles to which the blogger adds comments. In the majority of cases, a bulletin board function is also provided.

Webmail :

An e-mail system that can be used with a Web browser. It allows users to freely send and receive e-mails even when using PCs other than their own, for example at Internet cafes. Major portal sites, ISPs, search service companies, etc., offer free Webmail accounts, and as accounts are easily acquired, they offer high anonymity.

Online storage :

A service that offers storage of user files on a server such as that of an ISP, etc. Some charge a fee, others are free. Those that are free display ads during use. This service allows file synchronization at the workplace or at home, as well as data transfers among multiple users.

URL database :

Generic term referring to data file of URL or IP addresses such as a black list or a white list. The format and categories vary according to the product.

Black list :

A list of sites that contain information harmful to education such as porn and illegal drugs, or sites not required for work, such as travel and chat sites.

White list :

A list of sites useful for education or work. Lists that have been registered by users or manufacturers in advance to prevent useful sites from being restricted by mistake are sometimes called white lists too.

PICS :

A system for self-regulation by information issuers based on a standard fixed by the World Web Consortium (W3C). <meta http-equiv="pics label", etc., is described in HTML. Among PICS-compliant rating standards, RSACi is famous, but recently ICRA, Safety Online and other standards have emerged.

ICRA (Internet Content Rating Association) :

A non-profit organization for the development of international rating systems. It absorbed the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC), which was suffering financial difficulties, in 1998.

RSACi (Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet) :

A rating standard created by RSAC based on the results of the research of Dr. Donald F. Roberts, who studies the impact of media on children for over 20 years at Stanford University. It rates violence, nudity, sex, and language using a 5-level system.

Safety Online :

A rating standard created by the New Media Development Association in 1998 based on RSACi and taking into consideration Japan's specific situation. It adds a fifth category called "Other" to the four categories of RSACi.

Communications Decency Act :

Part of the Telecommunications Act of the U.S., this law prohibits the distribution of pornographic material on networks. Established in 1996, its constitutionality with regard to the constitution of the United States, which guarantees freedom of speech, was contested in court, and as a result, it was judged to be unconstitutional in 1997.