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Terms for being connected to, or disconnected from, the web In computer technology and telecom, online indicates a state of connection, and offline suggests a detached state. In modern terms this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (particularly when expressed "on line" or "on the line") could describe any tool or practical unit that is linked to a bigger system.

"Online" has pertained to explain activities carried out on and information readily available on the Internet, for instance: "online identity", "online predator", "online gaming", "online shopping", "electronic banking", and "online knowing". Comparable meaning is also offered by the prefixes "cyber" and "e", as in the words "the online world", "cybercrime", "email", and "ecommerce". In contrast, "offline" can describe either computing activities carried out while detached from the Web, or alternatives to Web activities (such as shopping in brick-and-mortar shops).

Antecedents [modify] Throughout the 19th century, the term "on line" was typically used in both the railway and telegraph industries. For This Author , a signal box would send messages down the line (track), through a telegraph line (cable), suggesting the track's status: "Train on line" or "Line clear". Telegraph linemen would describe sending current through a line as "direct on line" or "battery on line"; or they may describe a problem with the circuit as being "on line", instead of the power source or end-point equipment.

One such MUA is Microsoft Outlook. When online it will try to connect to mail servers (to check for new mail at regular intervals, for example), and when offline it will not try to make any such connection. The online or offline state of the MUA does not necessarily reflect the connection status between the computer system on which it is running and the internet.

Similarly, a computer may be set up to utilize a dial-up connection as needed (as when an application such as Outlook efforts to make connection to a server), however the user might not long for Outlook to trigger that call whenever it is set up to inspect for mail. Offline media playing [edit] Another example of using these concepts is digital audio innovation.