Tommy House Web Design has
assembled some
common terms used when discussing the internet and websites.
Address
Code used to locate any person, website and/or file on the Internet. The format
for email addresses is username@domain, where username is your username, login
name, or account number, and domain is the name of the computer or Internet
provider you use (e.g. AOL). Websites and files are also identified by a unique
address, or URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Tommy House Web Design's URL, for example, is
www.tommyhouse.com.
Auto-responder
Auto-responders allow you to automatically return a pre-set message whenever a
selected mailbox receives a message. It is often used to confirm receipt of
orders when items are purchased over the Internet, or to alert a sender when the
recipient of an email message is out of town. Auto-responder will also notify a
selected mailbox of the receipt and response.
Backgrounds
These are images designed to sit in the background of a webpage so that all
other information, (e.g. text, images) appears to sit on top.
Backup
To copy files to a second medium (disk or tape) as a precaution in case the
first medium fails.
Bandwidth
Also referred to as data transfer, bandwidth is a measurement of the amount of
information that can be transmitted over a network at a given time. Bandwidth is
usually measured in bits per second (bps).
Browser
The program that allows you to view webpages. Examples of widely used browsers
are Internet Explorer and Netscape.
Certificates: Secure or Digital
Issued by a Certificate Authority (such as Thawte or VeriSign), a
Secure Certificate (also known as a Digital Certificate) is proof that a website
is linked to a legitimate business, with a physical address and phone number. It
is the job of the Certificate Authority to verify the identity of merchants and
issue each a digital or authentication certificate.
Com
When these letters appear in lowercase type at the end of an address, they
indicate that a company, rather than a university or government agency, runs the
host computer. It also means that the host computer is most likely located in
the United States.
Cookie
A file that is stored in your browser by a particular website and is pulled
every time you revisit the site. Cookies are often used to glean information
about visitors to a given site.
Data Transfer
Data transfer (or, bandwidth) is the amount of information downloaded from a
website. For example, let's assume all of the data (pictures, text, buttons) on
your homepage totals 25KB (the size of Yahoo's homepage). If a thousand people
viewed your homepage you'd have 25MB total data transfer for that month (25KB
multiplied by 1000).
Disk Space
Disk space describes your website's storage capacity for HTML, graphics,
pictures, etc. and is usually expressed in MB.
DNS
Domain Name System. A database system that translates an IP address into a
Domain Name. For example, a numeric address like 232.452.120.54 can become
something like mycompany.com.
Domain
The name of a company, organization or person's Internet connection, which then
becomes part of their Web address. For instance, in johndoe@abc.com, "abc" is
the domain name.
Domain Name Registration
Domain Name Registration is the process of registering your website address
(i.e. www.tommyhouse.com) with an official Internet registrar.
Domain Registrar
A company that is accredited by ICANN to license domain names. For example,
Network Solutions, Melbourne IT, and Register.com.
Domain Transfer
When a domain name is moved from one Internet address to another, the new
address must be recorded by the domain registrar to allow Internet Domain Name
Servers to point to the new location.
Download
To copy a file from another machine, usually a host machine, to store on your
machine.
E-Commerce
Electronic commerce; the use of computers and electronic communications in
business transactions.
Email Alias
See Email Forwarding.
Email Forwarding
Forwards email sent to one email address to another specified email address.
Also known as, 'Email Alias.'
Forms
Forms add extra interactivity to websites. Forms include questionnaires with
text areas, check boxes and radio buttons that can be filled out, and then sent
to a specified mailbox (usually the manager of the website).
FrontPage®
A WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) website creation and management tool
from Microsoft. For more information: http://microsoft.com/frontpage.
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format is a bit-mapped, compressed graphics file format
that is a standard for displaying images on the Web. Image files are typically
saved as imagename.gif.
GB
Gigabyte = 1,024 megabytes = 1,073,741,824 (2 to the 30th power) bytes, or
characters of information.
Hits
Hits are a record of how many items are retrieved from a web server. For
example, a visit to a web page with two graphics would record 3 hits-1 hit for
the page, and 2 hits for the graphics. Hits are frequently mistaken for the
number of visits to a given site, but as the example illustrates, one visit is
likely to generate a number of hits. Page views are a more accurate measure of
traffic.
Homepage
The introductory page to a website.
Hosting
Hosting (also known as Web site
hosting, Web hosting, and Webhosting) is the business
of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites.
Every website is 'hosted' somewhere.
In other words, the 'hosting' entity (Tommy House Web
Design) runs a server machine that not only stores a given website but -
most critically - makes it possible for other machines around the
Internet to find that website on their machine.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language. Coding used to format text for use on the World Wide
Web.
HTTP
HyperText Transport Protocol. The transmission standard used to send HTML [link]
documents across the Web.
Hyperlink
A clickable element in a webpage that, when clicked, transports you to another
website, another page within the same website, or allows you to download a file.
Also known as a 'link.'
InterNIC
Internet Network Information Center. A group of three organizations, which
together provide services for NSFNet. General Atomics handles information
services, AT&T handles directory and database services, and Network Solutions,
Inc. (NSI) handles registration services. Network addresses and Domain Names for
the Internet are assigned by InterNIC through NSI.
IP
Internet Protocol. The transport layer protocol used as a basis of the Internet.
IP enables information to be routed from one network to another in packets,
which are then reassembled when they reach their destination.
IP Address
Internet Protocol addresses are numeric addresses, such as 123.323.23.1, that
specify the location of a particular networked server.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. A company that provides access to the Internet,
typically for a monthly fee. Examples include AOL and Earthlink.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A compression technique for color images
which has become a standard for displaying images on the Web. JPEG files are
typically saved as imagefile.jpg
Link
A pointer in an HTML document that leads to another World Wide Website, or to
another place within the same site; also called a hyperlink. A link is activated
by clicking on it.
MB
Megabyte = 1,048,576 bytes. A unit of computer memory, data storage capacity, or
data.
Megabits
A unit of data equal to 1,048,576 bits.
Net
Net is an abbreviation for the term Internet, which stands for Interconnected
networks. When these letters appear at the end of an address (info@yourcompany.net),
they may indicate that the host computer is run by a network but is more often
used interchangeably with .com. It also means that the host computer is most
likely located in the United States.
Network
Any time you connect two or more computers together so they can share resources,
you have a computer network. Connect two or more networks together and you have
an internet (small "i").
Page
A document, or collection of information, available by way of the World Wide
Web. To make information available over the WWW, you organize it into pages. A
page may contain text, graphics, video, and/or sound files.
POP
Point of Presence. A physical site in a geographic area where a network access
provider, such as UUNET, has equipment to which users connect. The local phone
company's central office in a particular area is also sometimes referred to as
their POP for that area. (As an example, AT&T's POP for the Seattle area is in
downtown Seattle.)
POP3
Post Office Protocol 3. A standard protocol used to retrieve email from a mail
server.
Propagation
The process of disseminating information throughout a system. Example 1 - After
you register a new Internet domain name, the information is propagated across
the Internet when local DNS servers update their databases from a central file.
Note: Not all local DNS databases are updated with the same frequency (hourly,
daily, every other day, etc.). Example 2 - Password changes often must be made
on several different servers and will not complete propagation until all
affected servers update their databases. Updating (rehashing) a given server's
database is usually an automated process that is performed at specific
intervals.
Protocol
A set of rules that regulate the way data is transmitted between computers over
a network.
Screen Resolution
The number of dots per square inch (dpi) displayed on a screen. The higher the
number of dots, the better the resolution.
Search Engine
A software application found online that allows you to search for information by
keywords.
Server
The computer in a network that manages the network's resources. For example, a
Web server is a computer that processes requests for HTML and other components
of web pages within a network.
Service Provider
A service provider is a company that supplies Internet access to personal users
or businesses. See ISP.
Shopping cart
Software that acts as an online store's catalog and ordering process. Typically,
it allows consumers to browse the website, select items for purchase as they
browse, review items they have selected, make necessary modifications or
additions, and purchase the merchandise.
Site
A site is the term given to a place where information can be found on the World
Wide Web. (i.e. A website)
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A protocol used to transfer email between
computers
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol from Netscape Communications Corp. designed to
provide secure communications on the Internet.
TCP/IP
Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The system that networks use to
communicate with each other on the Internet.
Upload
The act of transferring a data file from one computer to another computer over a
network.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. The standard way to give the address of any resource
on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this:
http://www.tommyhouse.com/contactme.htm. The most common way to use a URL is to
enter it into a Web browser program, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or
Netscape Navigator.
Visitor
A person who views your website; also known as a user.
Web
An abbreviated term for the World Wide Web.
Website
A collection of html files, graphic files and any other file types that is
supported by the World Wide Web, and can be viewed by using a World Wide Web
browser.
