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libaccounts-glib uses some straightforward terminology, that is nevertheless important to outline before further discussion.
| account | An account is given by a provider to a user, and allows access to services. | 
| provider | A provider gives out an account to users, as well as allowing them to use the account with a variety of services. A user can have multiple accounts with the same provider, and each account may have multiple services. | 
| service | A service is hosted by a provider, and allows the user to perform some task. | 
| service type | 
       A service type describes the main functionality provided by a service.
       Service types are a useful way to group services which support a
       certain functionality. Examples are  |