You may occasionally hear reference to two kinds of file compression algorithms: lossless and lossy. Lossy file compression algorithms are willing to lose slight amounts of information in exchange for remarkable compression ratios - often at least 100 to 1. That's cool (or usually cool) for large graphics and video files, which require enormous amounts of bandwidth to transmit. After all, you can appreciate your TV even though the image isn't absolutely perfect. The search for better and better lossy compression is at the heart of attempts to bring full-motion video to the desktop. JPEG (Joint Photographics Expert Group) is one example of a recent lossy compression standard. However, back here on Earth, a few bits missing from your company's accounting system would not be welcome.