*Some of these glossary definitions have been adapted and reproduced by permission of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Many computer and Web-related definitions have been contributed by Jason Snart, College of DuPage.

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fact Knowledge or information based on real-world occurrences.

factual beliefs Beliefs based on observations.

factual evidence Evidence derived from a concrete, reliable source or foundation.

fallacies Unsound arguments that are often persuasive because they can appear to be logical by usually appealing to emotions and prejudices, and because they often support conclusions that we want to believe are accurate.

fallacy of relevance A fallacious argument which appeals for support to factors that have little or nothing to do with the argument being offered.

false dilemma A fallacy that occurs when we are asked to choose between two extreme alternatives without being able to consider additional options. Also known as the “either/or fallacy” or the “black-or-white fallacy. ”

falsifiable beliefs Beliefs that pass a set of tests or stated conditions formulated to test the beliefs.

fictional Relating to or characterized by an imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.

file transfer protocol (FTP)A communications procedure governing the transfer of files from one computer to another over a network. An FTP site uses the FTP method to transfer data.

flexible Responsive to change; adaptable.

form To develop in the mind; conceive.

frame In computers, a window (or multiple windows) that appears within the larger frame of an Internet browser. A frames page is a Web site that uses frames.