Statuses online and offline, what is it? What is online and offline

The concepts of “online” and “offline” are known to every advanced Internet user. These words are used in connection with communications or computer technology and indicate the status of access to a particular resource.

However, for beginners, defining the terms causes some difficulties. What is “online” and “offline”? Where are these concepts used and what do they mean?

What do the words “online” and “offline” mean?

Word "online" comes from English online, which translates as "be on the line" . It is most often interpreted as “connecting to the Internet,” although in fact the term has a broader meaning.

Concept "offline" also has English roots and is associated with the word offline, which means "offline" . The term is the opposite of "online" and refers to disconnection from the Internet.

Initially, “online” and “offline” are technical terms that were used long before the emergence of the World Wide Web. The concepts appeared at a time when computer technology was interconnected.

Through dial-up lines, users could connect to BBS electronic boards owned by various companies and view advertisements. While online, they were able to read messages from other users, respond to them, or take part in general conversations. When the connection was lost, they found themselves in "offline" mode and were unable to use the BBS.

What is online?

Today, the concept of “online” is widely used in all areas of the World Wide Web. The term refers to a state in which one person is available for communication with other people. In other words, online is the possibility of two-way communication between services or Internet visitors. For example, in social networks, ICQ or Skype, the inscription “online” means that the user is online on this site, that is, he can read your message and respond to it.


When applied to commercial resources, such as online stores or online casinos, the term has a slightly different meaning. In this case, it refers to the user’s ability to perform any actions on the Internet.

If we talk about videos, the word “online” indicates that you can watch videos in real time without first downloading them to your computer. A similar definition is used for online games, which can be played without downloading the application itself.

What is offline on the Internet?

The word “offline” implies that the user is in a disconnected, offline mode. Although the term is usually used in the context of the Internet, it has recently become widespread in everyday life. In particular, the concept of “offline media” indicates the newspapers and magazines we are familiar with, that is, media that are not on the Internet.

Offline communication refers to ordinary communication that does not involve communications - for example, correspondence with paper letters, personal meetings, telephone conversations. The slang expression “in real life” is often used as a synonym for the word “offline.”

Where else are the words “online” and “offline” used?

In addition to the presence or absence of Internet connectivity, the terms "online" and "offline" can be applied to computer programs. For example, the expression “offline browser” means the ability to view a website without going online. To do this, just download its pages to your local computer. Similar actions can be carried out, for example, using the Internet Explorer browser, which provides an offline viewing function.


Some programs, on the contrary, can only be used online, since they need to access databases on servers to function fully. Such applications include mail agents (in particular, Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird), which, when enabled, connect to mail servers to check mail. In offline mode, such actions are not available to them.

With the spread of computers, and especially the Internet, a number of new words have appeared in the Russian language. Among young people you can often hear, for example, expressions such as “I’ll be online in the evening” or “Meet me offline.” What this means, an ignorant person may not understand. But in fact, the meaning here is very simple.

The words “online” and “offline” themselves, as can be easily seen, originate from the English language. The word "line" means "line", and in a broader sense - the Internet. You can imagine it this way: previously, communication between computers occurred mainly using a modem and a telephone line, which is where this relationship apparently originated. And the words “on” and “off” mean, respectively, “on” and “off.” Thus, we easily get the translation of these words from the slang of avid Internet users: “online” means “on the Internet”, and “offline”, respectively, means “not on the Internet”.

With the first, everything is clear, since it says “I’ll be online in the evening,” it means that in the evening this friend will be sitting on his favorite site such as social networks, forums, ICQ or in his other favorite “habitats”, where he can be “caught” to communicate in some way.

The word “offline” is not so obvious. Indeed, what does this mean – “not on the Internet”. But in fact, everything is very simple. This is the name of everything that is outside the Global Network. If it says “Let’s meet offline,” it means we leave the house and go to the meeting place, with our feet, and not by pressing mouse buttons.

Offline is simply real, not virtual life. For example, an ordinary book that is printed on paper is an offline book. You can take it, put it in your pocket or bag... But the text of the same book, which is located on some website, and which can be read there only when connected to the network, is called an online book.

The same situation, for example, with films. When you watch it on some website, or using a program that broadcasts Internet TV, it is called “online video,” or “online video,” as you like. If you downloaded a movie to your computer and then can watch it at any time without an Internet connection, then such viewing will already be offline, that is, not online.

There are many online games that can only be played online. Some, of course, you can try to play anyway, just for the joy of wandering around the world in splendid isolation - all the other characters appear from the Internet. Offline – games do not require a network. These include regular games for one person, although many also allow network or online play. Offline games are not only games on a computer, but also everything for which it is not required at all, for example, football in the yard with friends takes place offline.

If you use any means of communication via the Internet, for example, ICQ or Skype, then you probably know that people who have the “offline” status are simply inaccessible - they are simply not near the computer, or they have ICQ or Skype turned off, then They simply aren’t available online. As soon as you disconnect, you will move from the “online” category to the “offline” category, simply put, you will return to the sinful earth from your virtual clouds... And sometimes online dating, that is, on sites, develops into offline - meetings where - either in a cafe or in a park, face to face...

What about online stores? There you can buy any item you like online, that is, while on the site, look at its photographs, place an order, and if you have questions, write to the support service of this site, and all this without leaving your computer. Offline stores are those that are located on the street, and where you still need to get to.

Today, the Internet has penetrated our lives so much that the terms “online” and “offline” go almost side by side. It is no longer clear where people live more – in the virtual world or in the real one. Another interesting option is also possible, for example - the Olympics take place offline, but are broadcast online, where anyone can watch it. Offline stores often have their own websites, such as online stores, where they also trade, in order to expand the circle of customers.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to understand the meaning of the words “online” and “offline”. Just something simple – “online” or “in real life”...

Once upon a time, “online” and “offline” were user statuses in instant messengers. Today these are the names of business categories, types of services, properties of media products, and sociologists also talk about phenomena of human life. Both terms are tracing paper from the English online - on the Internet (on the Internet), offline - not on the Network (literally on line - on the line, off line - outside the line).

How does online differ from offline in terms of communication? In the first case, data is exchanged with the server through one or another transmission protocol on a global or local network; in the second, nothing is transferred anywhere. Let's look at what this means for the end user.

Comparison

For those who use the Internet only as a means of communication, it is enough to remember: “an online interlocutor” means that you can start communicating immediately, and its “offline” status results in the opportunity to leave a message before your counterpart appears on the Internet. In most services, these polar states are easy to determine visually.

The difference between online and offline computer games is larger. Network ones do not require high performance from the device (except for the graphical part) and dedicated resources: all data processing occurs on the server side. All you need is a stable Internet connection (or LAN) and installation of a client application on your device. Many online games provide the opportunity to have fun in multiplayer mode, where many real players interact.

Offline games require connections to the global network only when installing updates, mods and checking licenses. They use computer resources and, accordingly, impose requirements on the system configuration and performance. The development of the gaming industry forces component manufacturers to participate in the race to increase capacity, and consumers to make expensive upgrades to their machines at certain intervals. In this regard, offline games become an expensive pleasure, although online games are far from free: the practice of purchasing virtual goods for real money is widespread.

The “online” category also includes browser and flash games, the most popular of which are casual and children’s. They use browser software, do not require installation of applications and practically do not load the system. Naturally, without an Internet connection and access to the site, you won’t be able to chase balls, color pictures or play solitaire.

Online and offline services

Online services are used in one way or another in any business area: at a minimum, electronic document management makes life easier not only for corporations, but also for small individual entrepreneurs. Advertising on the Internet is more effective than advertising on TV and street advertising; network communications allow you to instantly connect branches with parent organizations. In a word, these opportunities are appreciated.

More and more organizations, including government ones, allow users to access their services online. This eliminates queues, errors, wasted time and nerves for both clients and consultants or operators. The required document forms and samples of how to fill them out can be downloaded in the public domain or received by email.

Naturally, a significant part of banking and trade has moved to the Internet. Everyone can experience for themselves the difference between online and offline banking: now you can make purchases and monitor your account balance right from your favorite sofa, and getting a loan is just a few clicks away. Considering that only Sberbank has relatively widespread availability across the vast Russian territory, such remote service is an undoubted blessing.

With the development of the Internet market, we should talk about the separation of online and offline businesses. It turned out that the production of intangible assets (information resources) and the provision of a number of services on the Internet is more profitable than on the ground. The advantages of doing business online include relatively small start-up capital, the absence of many cost items, a high degree of mobility, reduced burden on the bureaucracy, the steady development and improvement of technology, the accuracy of choosing the target audience, and the ability to easily ensure international cooperation. On the other hand, offline business does not require a constant connection to the Internet, covers a huge market, allows you to make large profits and is based on experience and accumulated knowledge.

Online and offline media

Not so long ago, on the desks of computer owners one could see a lot of flash drives and external hard drives of considerable size, on which a considerable collection of video and music files was stored. How it got there is a long tale about pirates and Roskomnadzor, one thing is important: the content was downloaded and it took up a certain amount of disk space. Today, a laptop with only 128 GB of storage is common for home use, and system units do not look like a server room. The need to store files on your own HDD has disappeared: people watch movies online and listen to music in the same way.

True, offline media have one significant advantage - they do not require Internet access. Where the connection is unstable or absent, you can be left without background music, funny videos with cats or a new series. In addition, in order to reduce the load on the channel, hosting companies compromise on the quality of the content, so you will not get a good picture or great sound online (or they will offer it for a fee).

Even at the beginning of the emergence of the VKontakte network, offline mode was not intended. What's the point offlineIn contact with? This means being online, watching the news, writing on the wall, but remaining invisible to other users. It must be said that no special button has yet been invented. However, you can hide from your friends and still use the power of the network.

How to sitIn contact withoffline?

To stay on the VKontakte social network, hiding from your friends, you can use the method described below. In principle, it is not difficult to understand what to doofflineIn contact withfrom computer. First you need to download from the website qip.ru, then install the qip program, which is quite well-known and tested. This program will help you log into your account. There are two options. You can view all services for promoting and promoting a VKontakte account or group.

1. Upon request, you must enter your username and password, and then click on the small arrow to the right of the “Login” button. Next, select the status “Visible”/“Invisible”.
2. Click the “Login” button, and then change the status to “Invisible”. This is done in the main window, namely, in the menu below. Another option is to right-click on the tray icon. Place the cursor on “Change status” and make a selection.

Now modeofflineIn contact with included. By the way, the versatility of the program is that it can be used on any social network. Additional material about the “invisibility” VKontakte is available at link .

You can also use this mode on a phone running Android OS. To do this you need to download the very popular Kate Mobile program. Here the offline mode is active if you are in the application itself. It should be taken into account that initially the application leaves you online. This can be fixed in the settings. Find the item “Be offline if possible.” The changes made are saved. Now the next time you launch this application you will be offline. There is one condition under which these changes remain in effect: you cannot send posts to the wall. But you can read messages, send them, view news, photos, and enjoy music until you get bored. To get reposts on a VKontakte post, go to this page .

VKontakte has, as an alternative, a mobile service called APIdog, written in JavaScript. APIdog is the answer to the question, how to sitIn contact withoffline. You can use all the network features. However, if you leave notes on the wall, you will immediately find yourself online. To activate offline mode, go to “Settings” and check the box next to “Enable auto-update of dialogs (long-poll)”. You need to click the “Save” button, then “Restart long-poll”. If this is not done, then in Dialogs you will have to work with the “Update” button, otherwise you will not be able to see the messages. All actions must be saved. If you want to restrict some users' access to your VKontakte information, here is how you can do this.

Despite various shortcomings of the service, the necessary offline function will allow you to hide from other users, but at the same time be aware of all the news. If you need votes to participate in the VKontakte competition, you can purchase them here

Initially online And offline(“on line” and “out of line”) are English technical terms denoting the state of special electronic equipment, but by now they have entered many languages ​​of the world as common words.

The word "offline" is often used by Russian speakers in the context of using the Internet; the adjective is also used offline. Thus, the phrase “offline media” means “traditional media,” that is, any media other than online media. "Offline communication" usually means "traditional communication", that is, any communication that does not involve Internet communications, for example, correspondence via paper mail, personal or telephone communication (it should be noted that in the case of IP telephony, which acquires everything increasing popularity, voice telephone communication ceases to be “offline” in the usual sense of the word).

Sometimes a slang expression synonymous with the word “offline” is used “ in real life", that is, "not on the Internet."

The term “offline” is also used to refer to the “offline” state of some software, for example, Internet messengers or browsers. The expression “send a message offline” in relation to ICQ means sending a message to a user who is not currently online ( not "online" / « not online"): it will only receive it after it connects (" will go online»).

Notes

see also

• Real life

Links

Wikimedia Foundation.

• Synonyms
• Official ranking of snooker players for the 2009/2010 season

Official website of the city

See what “Offline” is in other dictionaries:- (English off line outside the line), 1) lack of connection to the Internet (see INTERNET). 2) Off the Internet (about the media (see MASS MEDIA)) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

offline- noun, number of synonyms: 1 autonomous (4) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

offline- In the context of payment and settlement systems, the term may refer to the transmission of transfer instructions by users via voice, written or faxed instructions, which must then be entered into the transfer processing system... Technical Translator's Guide

offline- I uncl. m.; = offline I II unchanged adj.; = offline II III adv. qualities circumstances; = offline III Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova. T.F... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

offline- offline, and unism... Russian spelling dictionary

Offline browser- Some browsers support, in addition to online mode, when the browser tries to retrieve pages from a web server, offline mode, in which you can view saved copies of previously visited pages. Offline mode is useful when for some reason... ... Wikipedia

offline mode- autonominis režimas statusas T sritis automatika atitikmenys: engl. autonomous behavior local mode; native mode; off line mode; off line operation vok. Eigenmodus, m; geräteinterner Betrieb, m; rechnerunabhängiger Betrieb, m; unabhängiger… … Automatikos terminų žodynas

Offline- Offline (English offline, “disconnected from the network”) is a slang term usually applied to something not related to the Internet, as opposed to “online”. Initially, online and offline (“on line” and “off line”) are English technical terms, ... ... Wikipedia

ROPO- ROPO search online, buy offline. The process of searching the Internet to obtain necessary information about a product before purchasing it offline. Contents 1 ROPO in online marketing 2 ROPO effect in action ... Wikipedia

History of Mozilla Firefox- Merge Mozilla Firefox... Wikipedia

Books

• Offline (ed. 2017), Egor Letov. The collection `Offline` includes interviews with the Russian poet and musician, leader of the group `Civil Defense` Yegor Letov (1964-2008), once published on the official website of the group.…