Terms for being linked to, or disconnected from, the internet In computer technology and telecom, online indicates a state of connection, and offline indicates a detached state. In modern-day terminology this typically describes an Internet connection, but (specifically when expressed "on line" or "on the line") could describe any piece of equipment or functional unit that is connected to a larger system.
"Online" has concerned explain activities performed on and data available on the Internet, for instance: "online identity", "online predator", "online gaming", "online shopping", "online banking", and "online learning". Comparable meaning is likewise offered by the prefixes "cyber" and "e", as in the words "the online world", "cybercrime", "email", and "ecommerce". On This Author , "offline" can describe either computing activities performed while detached from the Web, or alternatives to Internet activities (such as shopping in brick-and-mortar shops).
Antecedents [modify] Throughout the 19th century, the term "on line" was commonly used in both the railroad and telegraph markets. For railroads, a signal box would send out messages down the line (track), by means of a telegraph line (cable), showing the track's status: "Train on line" or "Line clear". Telegraph linemen would refer to sending current through a line as "direct on line" or "battery on line"; or they may refer to an issue with the circuit as being "on line", as opposed to the source of power or end-point equipment.
One such MUA is Microsoft Outlook. When online it will try to connect to mail servers (to look for brand-new mail at routine periods, for instance), and when offline it will not attempt to make any such connection. The online or offline state of the MUA does not necessarily show the connection status in between the computer system on which it is running and the web.
Similarly, a computer system may be set up to employ a dial-up connection on need (as when an application such as Outlook efforts to make connection to a server), however the user might not want for Outlook to trigger that call whenever it is configured to check for mail. Offline media playing [edit] Another example of the usage of these concepts is digital audio technology.
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