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VAN: Webmasters:
Technical Terminology for Web and Business
A
address
The unique name or number, also called a URL,
that specifies the location of a file on the Internet
or on another network.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a
code that represents letters, numerals, punctuation marks,
control characters and symbols, and makes it possible
to transfer information from one computer to another.
animation
A special type of image file that can store multiple
images in a single file and produce the illusion of movement
when an application displays the images sequentially.
applet
A small application that can be embedded in a Web page
to enhance the look of or add functionality to the page.
See also Java.
B
Baud
The number of electrical symbols per second that a modem
sends through a phone line.
BinHex
A method for converting binary data files to ASCII
text files so they can be transmitted over the Internet
or across a network without losing data. BinHex files
use the .hqx file name extension.
Binary file
A file consisting of characters that describe an image,
document or application. Binary files are read by computers
rather than by people.
Bookmark
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) used by your browser
(see BROWSER) to find a specific web page.
BOM
Bill of materials
BOTS
Robots; search engines that can look for very specific
items
Bouncebacks
Email addresses that no longer work and are returned
to the sender
BPS
Bits per second. It is the smallest unit of measure for
computer data. Eight bits = a byte
Browser
Software that facilitates seeing information from the
Internet projected onto your computer screen. Most popular
are Netscape Navigator and Communicator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer.
BYTE
The standard measure in computer memory
bytecode
The compiled format of a Java applet. These files are
executed by the Java Virtual Machine (VM) and usually
use the .class file name extension.
C
cache
The folder on your hard disk in which Microsoft Internet
Explorer stores web pages and other files, such as images,
as you view them. By storing these files on your hard
disk, Internet Explorer can display pages you previously
visited more quickly, because it displays the files from
your hard disk rather than from the web.
certificate
A digital signature, issued by a certification authority,
that verifies the identity of a secure website. Certificates
ensure that no other website can assume the identity of
a secure site. This helps make sensitive online transactions,
such as shopping, banking and stock trading, more secure
by preventing unauthorized access to information sent
to or from a secure site.
CGI Script
(Common Gateway Interface) scripting language to create/process
fill-in-the-blank forms on the web.
Chat
Live communication with other users logged onto the same
website
Channel
Anyone who provides services to customers to help them
shop and get what they want. The most successful channels
will look like manufacturers to the customer.
character set
A group of alphabetic, numeric and other characters needed
to display text in a specific language.
ColorSync
A color management system included with the Macintosh
operating system. ColorSync improves color consistency
between different devices, such as monitors and printers.
compression
The process of reducing the size of a file by changing
its format so that it requires less storage space or takes
less time to transfer.
cookie
A text file on your hard disk that websites use to store
information about you and your preferences for the site.
Only the information you provide or the choices you make
while visiting a website can be stored in a cookie.
CPM
Co st per thousand impressions
D
decompression
The process of restoring a compressed file to its original
size and format
domain name
The unique name of the server and a suffix that identifies
the location of the server or the type of organization
that maintains the server — the right two parts of
an email address after the @. Domain names are often used
in URLs. For example, the domain name, <microsoft.com>
is part of the URL <http://www.microsoft.com/>.
Extensions or top-level domains are:
- com: commercial organization
- edu: education organization (usually a college or
university)
- gov: U.S. government body or department
- int: International organization like NATO
- mil: U.S. military site
- net: network organization
- org: organization or anything else, usually a not-for-profit
group
download
To copy a file from the Internet, a network server or
a file server to a computer.
DSL
Digital Subscriber Line: A combination of technologies
that offers digital image and sound transmission over
phone lines at comparable speeds as cable TV — about
25 times the speed. Subscribers need some special equipment
such as an Ethernet card to connect, and only the most
urban phone companies are offering this to date. Phone
companies hope to compete with cable TV for providing
Internet access
E
email
Electronic mail. An email message is sent from one person
to another. The most widely used Internet service. One
can get an email address at work, free from the web or
a subscription to an ISP. An address will include: username@hostname.extension
email address
The address of your electronic mailbox or the mailbox
where you receive email messages. An email address typically
includes your name, followed by the @ sign and then your
domain name; for example, someone@microsoft.com
extension
See file name extension.
eCommerce
Electronic commerce. A way to sell products, ideas through
the web
EDI
Electronic Data Interchange
Electronic Wallets
Tiles that store money and scrambled credit card information
on a PC in a way that's accessible only to its owner.
A convenience to shopping.
Extranets
Secured computer networks running over the Internet or
proprietary networks where companies make product information
available to customers.
F
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
file helper
See helper application.
file name extension
The characters that follow a period in a file name and
indicate the file's format or type. For example, the file
Image.gif uses the .gif file name extension, which indicates
that the file is a GIF image.
firewall
A security system that prevents computers on a network
from communicating directly with computers on another
network. Instead, all communication is routed through
a proxy server, which determines whether a particular
message or file may pass to or from the network.
Flame
Angry, inflammatory message sent by email or posted on
newsgroups or bulletin boards
frame
A rectangular section of a web page that is itself a
separate HTML document. Web pages can have multiple frames,
each with the same capabilities as an unframed web page,
including scrolling and linking to another frame or website.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol, a protocol used for copying files
to and from remote computer systems on a network, such
as the Internet. FTP sites are frequently used on the
Internet for making files and folders publicly available.
G
GIF
Graphic Interchange Format, a file format commonly used
for transmitting bitmap images on the Internet because
its file size is typically smaller than comparable formats.
GPS
Global-positioning satellites
H
helper application
An application that handles a particular protocol
or file type. For example, you can make the Apple QuickTime
plug-in the helper application for QuickTime movie files,
so you can view these movies in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
home page
The web page that serves as a starting point for a website
and often functions as a table of contents for the site.
The home page is also the page you see each time you start
Microsoft Internet Explorer or when you click Home
on the Standard Buttons toolbar.
Host
Computer directly linked to the Internet
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language, a language used for creating
documents for the World Wide Web. HTML uses special
code that tells web browsers how to display elements such
as text and images in a document.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol, a protocol used for
exchanging HTML documents and other files on the World
Wide Web.
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, a protocol
used for handling secure transactions on the World
Wide Web.
hyperlink
See link.
Hypertext
A type of electronic document that contains pointers
or links to other hypertext document.
I
ICE
Information Content and Exchange. A protocol based on
XML to streamline web content sharing
Internet
The worldwide network of millions of connected computers.
The Internet contains many types of information, including
HTML documents, email messages, newsgroup messages and
applications.
Intermediary
Manufacturers, dealers, suppliers
Internet address
See email address, URL.
Intranet
Private version of the Internet that allows only those
within an organization to exchange information and data.
ISP
Internet service provider, a company that provides connections
to the Internet.
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network. Hardware that allows
for faster connections using phone lines.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. Most popular are America Online
(AOL), CompuServe, Microsoft Network (MSN). There are
tens of thousands of ISPs; some local, some international.
J
Java
A programming language, developed by Sun Microsystems,
Inc. Applications written in Java are a bytecode language
platform-independent, which means they can run on any
type of computer and thus is popular with web designers
for making special effects and filling out forms for web
pages.
Developers often use Java to create applets.
Java Virtual Machine
A special application included with your browser or operating
system that runs Java applets. Also called Java VM.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group, a file format commonly
used for storing continuous-tone images, such as photographs,
in a compressed format.
K
L
link
An image or special text that enables you to jump from
one HTML document to another, to jump to another
location in the same HTML document, or to download
files from the Internet to your computer. To follow a
link, click the link text or image.
ListServ
Program that manages mailing lists
Lynx
Character-based www browser, no pictures, faster than
Netscape or Internet Explorer
M
MacBinary
A method of encoding and decoding Macintosh files so
they can travel over networks without losing information.
MacBinary files use the .bin file name extension.
Majordomo
Program that manages mailing lists
Mailing lists
Similar to newsgroups but differ in that a separate copy
of the message is emailed to the individual email address
of every recipient on the list.
Modem
Hardware that facilitates communication between a computer
and a phone or cable line
N
newsgroup
A collection of messages posted to a news server. You
can find newsgroups on practically any subject. Anyone
who can access a newsgroup can read the messages it contains
and post new messages.
O
OEM
Original equipment manufacturers
offline
Not connected to the Internet or to another network
online
Connected to the Internet or to another network
P
page
See Web page.
PDF
Portable Document Format
PHP
Preloaded Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP was created by Rasmus
Lerdorf. The first version of Lerdorf's preprocessor (known
then
as PHP/FI) was released in 1994. Since then, PHP has become
popular in the open-source community and was renamed PHP
with the release of version 3.0. PHP is now at version
4.0 and is used by over 3 million web sites on the Internet.
plug-in
A small application that adds functionality to a larger
application. For example, the Apple QuickTime plug-in
enables Microsoft Internet Explorer to display QuickTime
movies in the browser window — to help handle special
types of files like audio and video.
Portal sites
Self-contained website that typically includes search,
directory and information capabilities all in one.
PNG
Portable Network Graphics, a file format commonly used
for transmitting bitmap images on the Internet because
its file size is typically smaller than comparable formats.
protocol
A set of rules and standards that enables computers to
exchange information.
protocol helper
See helper application.
proxy server
A computer that acts as a gateway between a network protected
by a firewall and other networks. For example,
a proxy server passes a request for an Internet address
from a Web browser in the protected network to an outside
server and then returns the results.
Q
QuickTime
A file format for viewing video and other rich media
formats
R
refresh
To reload or update the contents of the current web page
or frame in your web browser.
RealAudio
A file format for audio-listening over the Net
ROI
Return on Investment
S
scripting
A simple programming language, such as perl, that enables
web page designers to enhance the look of or add functionality
to a web page. Scripts are typically implemented by embedding
script code in an HTML document.
Search engine
Index of the information on the web, in a text-searchable
structure like a card catalog: Yahoo, Excite, Lycos.
site
See website.
Socket
The port a program utilizes to connect to another program
that is running on a different computer on the Internet.
Spam
The act of sending an unsolicited email message to a
large number of unsuspecting recipients
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a TCP/IP protocol
used for sending email messages from a computer to a server,
and from one server to another.
style sheet
A list of formatting definitions, such as character,
paragraph and layout attributes, used by one or more web
pages.
SSL
Secure Socket Layer
Stickiness
The amount of time an average visitor spends on a website
Surfing
The practice of bouncing from one web page to another.
T
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a set
of protocols used for transferring data between computers.
temporary items folder
See cache.
Telnet
A way to make a text based connection from one computer
to another.
TIF file
A graphic file format like jpeg and gif.
T1 or T3 lines
Faster phone lines.
U
URL
Uniform Resource Locator, a unique name or number that
specifies the location of a file on the Internet. A URL
consists of a protocol, such as "http://"
that specifies a web page, followed by a server or path
name. For example, the URL for the Microsoft website is
<http://www.microsoft.com/>. More and
more browsers don't require the http://
USB
Universal Serial Bus, which means that one can plug any
USP device into your computer — a scanner, printer,
camera — and it will recognize it.
V
VAN
Value-added network; Vox Alumni Network
VAR
Value added reseller
W
Web
See World Wide Web.
Web browser
An application, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer,
that enables you to view web pages on the World Wide Web,
on another network or on your computer. A browser also
enables you to jump from one web page to another by following
links and to download files from the Internet
to your computer.
Webmaster/Web'ster
Administrative staff person in charge of a website.
Web page
An HTML document that can include text, images,
sounds and movies, as well as links to other web
pages and files.
Web server
A computer that can deliver a web page when requested
to do so by a web browser. Each web server on the World
Wide Web has a unique address.
Website
A collection of web pages (also known as HTML
documents) on the same web server. The pages on a website
typically cover related topics and are usually interconnected
by links. Most websites have a home page.
World Wide Web (WWW)
The graphical, series of linked information outlets and
multimedia portion of the Internet. The most common files
on the World Wide Web (WWW) are HTML documents,
which are also known as web pages. A system that uses
the Internet to link vast quantities of information from
all over the world — often confused with the Internet,
which is a network of computers.
X
XML
Extensible Markup Language
Y
Z
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