GARBAGE

Unwanted or meaningless digital data in memory, on disk or on a tape.

GATEWAY

An electronic door between one computer network and another. A device or set of devices that connects two or more networks, enabling data transfer between them. When the networks are similar, a gateway routes packets or messages. When the networks differ, a gateway also performs extensive protocol conversion.

GATEWAYS

In networks a gateway provides a LAN with access to a different type of network, an inter- network, a mainframe computer, or a particular type of operating environment.

GDC

Global Internet eXchange. A common routing exchange point, which allows pairs of networks to implement agreed-upon routing policies. The GIX is intended to allow maximum connectivity to the Internet for networks all over the world.

GIF

Graphic Interchange Format.

GIF (GRAPHIC IMAGE FILE FORMAT)

A widely supported image storage format promoted by CompuServe for use on the web.

GIGABYTE (GB)

A measure of computer memory or disk space consisting of about one thousand million bytes (a thousand megabytes). The actual value is 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024 megabytes).

GIGAHERTZ (GHZ)

One billion bytes per second. See Clock Rate.

GIGO

Garbage In, Garbage Out. Expression used to illustrate the fact that the quality of computer output depends on the quality of the input.

GOPHER

A widely successful method of making menus of material available over the Internet. Gopher is a Client and Server style program, which requires that the user have a Gopher Client program. Although Gopher spread rapidly across the globe in only a couple of years, it has been largely supplanted by Hypertext, also known as WWW (World Wide Web). There are still thousands of Gopher Servers on the Internet.

GRAIN

The direction of the fibers in a sheet of paper. Fibers in long grain papers run parallel to the long dimension of the cut sheet. In short grain papers they run parallel with the short side. Long grain paper is generally preferred for laser check printing.

GRAPHIC

Graphics are one of the three types of data that can be created; stored, retrieved, and manipulated (the other two are text and documents). Graphics are basically pictures and drawings, either created by computer or entered into the computer by scanning or photographing.

GRAPHIC INTERCHANGE FORMAT (GIF)

A common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color. GIF format files of simple images are often smaller than the same file would be if stored in JPEG format, but GIF format does not store photographic images as well as JPEG. See JPEG.

GRAPHICAL ROUTE DEVELOPER TOOLS

Enables you to easily create, and modify, workflow routes by letting you 'draw' a workflow route on the screen, in much the way they would draw a picture with a computerized drawing program. In effect, users draw a map of how they want documents to flow through their organization.

GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

Defines a format for scroll bars, buttons, menus, etc, and how they respond to the user.

GRAY LEVEL

The brightness of a pixel. The value associated with a pixel representing it's lightness from black to white. Usually defined as a value from 0 to 255, with 0 being black and 255 being white.

GRAY LEVELS

A measure of the depth of an image in shades of gray. Although binary (black & white) images are more common, 16 or 256 gray levels are sometimes used in check and forms processing imaging applications.

GRAY SCALE

A range of shades of gray in an image. Gray scales of scanners are determined by the number of grays, or values between black and white, that they can recognize and reproduce. The spectrum, or range, of shade of gray an image has from white to black. Scanners' and terminals' gray scales are determined by the number of gray shades, or steps, they can recognize and reproduce. A scanner that can only digitize gray scale of 16 will not produce as accurate an image as one that digitizes a gray scale of 256.

GRAY SCALE IMAGE

An image in which variations in color and shading are represented in shades of gray. Compared with binary (back-and-white) images, gray-scale images take up more space on data-storage devices and take longer to transmit from one computer system to another. However, they are required for those item-processing applications where it is important for users to examine details of the document image.

GRAYED OUT

Pattern of dots that makes a menu, menu item, option, or icon dimmed out on screen. A grayed out menu, menu item, or other option is not available; a grayed out icon indicates that the icon is already open.

GRAYSCALE

The range of shades of black. In scanners the degree of grayscale is measured in 8-bit or 16-bit. This represents the number of variable available in each pixel.

GROUP-IV

A compression method designed by CCITT for use with Group IV fax machines. This method is optimized for compressing scanned text.

GROUPWARE

Software that allows groups to work together to perform tasks among the group members. Software that serves the group and makes the group as a whole more productive and efficient in performing group tasks.

GUI

Graphical User Interface.

GUI (GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE)

Controls on the screen of the computer designed in graphical depictions that allow for "point & click" operations.

GUMMED LABELS

Labels that require moisture to activate the adhesive backing; replaced for all practical purposes by pressure sensitive labels.

GUTTER

The center of a two page spread, where the two pages meet in the binding.