Welcome, gentle reader.
I have written a number of networking HOWTOs in the past, and it occurred to me that there's a hell of pile of jargon in each one. I had three choices: my other two were ignoring the problem and explaining the terms everywhere. Neither was attractive.
The point of Free software is that you should have the freedom to explore and play with the software systems you use. I believe that enabling people to experience this freedom is a noble goal; not only do people feel empowered by the pursuit (such as rebuilding a car engine) but the nature of the modern Internet and Free software allows you to share the experience with millions.
But you have to start somewhere, so here we are.
(C) 2000 Paul `Rusty' Russell. Licenced under the GNU GPL.