Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

TELNET
     
        /tel'net/ 1. The {Internet} {standard} {protocol} for remote
        login.  Runs on top of {TCP/IP}.  Defined in {STD} 8, {RFC
        854} and extended with options by many other RFCs.  {Unix}
        {BSD} networking software includes a program, telnet, which
        uses the protocol and acts as a {terminal emulator} for the
        remote login session.  Sometimes abbreviated to TN.  {TOPS-10}
        had a similar program called {IMPCOM}.
     
        2. The US nationwide network into which one dials to access
        {CompuServe}.  It was created by John Goltz, one of the
        founders and system {guru} of {CompuServe}.  He later worked
        for {Tymshare}, one of CompuServe's big competitors.
     
        [{Jargon File}]