Glossary of Web Terms

ASCII: (pronounced "Ask-ee"): an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Exchange. an international standard in which numbers, letters, punctuation markes, symbols and control codes are assigned numbers from 0 to 27. ASCII text is easily transferred over networks. It is plain, unadorned text without style or font specifications.

AU file: an audio format.

back/forward: buttons in the Netscape or Internet Explorer toolbar. Back returns you to the document previously viewed. Forward goes to the next document after you go back.

bandwidth: how much stuff you can send through a connection. usually measured in bits-per-second.

baud: the baud rate of a modem is how may bits it can send or receive per second.

BinHex: a file conversion format that converts binary files to ASCII text files.

bit: term derived from the words "binary digit." a bit is a single digit number in base-2 (either a one or a zero). it is the smallest unit of computerized data.

bookmark: the way your browser stores in your computer direct links to sites you wish to return to. In Internet Explorer a bookmark is called "Favorites."

bps: bits per second.

broadband: a transmission method in which a network's range of transmission frequencies is divided into separate channels, and each channel is used to send a different signal. Broadband is often used to send different types of signals simultaneously.

browser: a "client" program (software) that is used to look at various kinds of internet resources.

byte: a set of bits that represent a single character. usually there are 8 bits in one byte.

cache: a cache temporarily stores web pages you have visited in your computer.

cgi: common gateway interface. the most common way web programs interact dynamically with users.

cgi-bin: the most common name of the directory on a web server where cgi programs are stored.

client: a software program used to contact and obtain data from a server software program on another computer. a web browser is a specific kind of client.

cookie: information sent by a web server to a web browser that the browser saves and sends back to the server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the server. cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online "shopping cart" information, user preferences, etc.

CyberMall: an electronic site shared by a number of commercial interests.

cyberspace: originally coined by William Gibson in his book, "Neuromancer," the terms referred to a near-future computer network where users mentally travel through matrices of data. Now it is used to describe the Internet.

Direct Connection: a permanent connection between your computer system and the Internet. This is sometimes referred to as a leased-line connection because the line is leased from the telephone company.

DNS: Domain Name Server - refers to a database of Internet names and addresses which translates the names to the official Internet Protocol (IP) numbers and vice versa.

document: any file containing text, media or hyperlinks that can be transferred from an HTTP server to a client program.

domain name: a unique name that identifies an internet site. domain names have 2 or more parts, separated by dots.

download: to transfer to your computer a copy of a file that resides on another computer.

DSL: digital subscriber line: a method for moving data over regular phone lines. a dsl circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, but the wires coming into a subscriber's premises are thesame copper wires used for regular phone service.

Email: electronic mail: messages sent from one person to another via computer.

ethernet: a common method of networking computers in a local area network (lan).

FAQ: frequently asked questions.

firewall: a combination of hardware and software that comprise security measures designed to protect a networked system from unauthorized or unwelcome access.

frames: a format for web documents that divides the screen into segments.

ftp: file transfer protocol: a way to login to another internet site for purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.

GIF: graphic interchange format: a common format for image files.

gigabyte: 1000 (actually 1024) megabytes.

hit: a single request from a web browser for a single item from a web server.

home page: 2 meanings - the web page your browser points to when it starts up, also the main web page for a business, organization, or person.

host: any computer on a network that serves as a repository for services available to other computers.

HTML: hypertext markup language: the coding language used to create hypetext documents on the web.

http: hypertext transfer protocol: protocol for moving hypertext files across the internet. it requires a http client program (browser) on one end, and an http server program on the other end.

hypertext: any text that contains links to other documents.

inline images: graphics contained within a web document.

IP number: a unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots. every machine that is on the internet has a unique ip number

IRC: internet relay chat: a huge multi-user chat facility.

ISDN: integrated services digital network: a telecommunications standard that uses digital transmission technology to support voice, video and data communications applications over regular telephone lines.

ISP: internet service provider

Java: programming language invented by Sun Microsystems

JavaScript: programming language that is mostly used in web pages, to make pages more interactive.

JPEG: joint photographic experts group. an image compression format used to transfer color photographs and images over computer networks.

links: hypertext connections between web pages.

meta-search engine: search engines that automatically submit yur keyword search to several other search tools, and retrieve results from all their databases.

MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions: a messaging standard tha allows Internet users to exchange e-mail messages enhanced with graphics, video and voice.

MPEG: Moving Pictures Expert Group: an international standard for video compression and desktop movie presentation. An MPEG viewing application is needed to run MPEG files on your computer.

POP: Point of Presence. a service provider's location for connection to users.

PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol. An Internet connection where phone lines and a modem can be used to connect a computer to the Internet.

Protocol: a set of standards that define how traffic and communications are handled by a computer or network routers.

QuickTime: This is a digital video standard. Special viewing applications are needed to run QuickTime movies.

Router: a communications device designed to transmit signals via the most efficient route possible.

Search Engine: A program that helps users find information in text-oriented databases.

Server: a computer system that manages and delivers information for client computers.

Socket: a communication mechanism. Sockets are used as endpoints for sending and receiving data between computers.

T-1: a high-speed data line connection, operating at 1.45 Mbps.

Tags: formatting codes used in HTML documents.

TCP-IP: the basic protocols controlling applications on the Internet.

TIFF: Tagged Image File Format, a graphic file format.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator, the addressing system used in the World Wide Web. the URL contains information about the method of access, the server to be accessed, and the path of any file to be accessed.

Webmaster: the person in charge of administration of a website.