A (Address) Record
Address records assign a hostname (e.g.: support.yourdomain.com) to a
specific IP address (e.g.: 123.123.123.123).
Access
Refers to the database program "Microsoft Access", also called Jet
Database.
ADSL- Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
A technology that allows more data to be sent over existing copper
telephone lines (POTS). ADSL supports data rates of from 1.5 to 9 Mbps when
receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to 640 Kbps when
sending data (known as the upstream rate). ADSL requires a special ADSL
modem. It is not currently available to the general public except in trial
areas, but many believe that it will be one of the more popular choices for
Internet access over the next few years.
Alias
An alias is an e-mail address that forwards its mail to a specified
mailbox, masking the true name of the mailbox in which the mail is actually
received. For example, Sales@JoesDomain.com could be an alias for Joe1234@aol.com.
Analog
This word is often used to denote the opposite of digital. Loosely, it
means the measuring of data on more physical grounds, as opposed to the
more electronic or "wired" state of digital.
Anonymous
The means that allow a person to connect to an FTP site, search through
available files, and download any file, document or program without having
to establish a userID and/or password on the system where the material
resides.
Anonymous FTP
An Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) option that allows you to let
others onto your Web site to download files that you have made available,
without first establishing an account. Most FTP servers are set up to allow
a limited amount of anonymous FTP users to log in at the same time, and
only provide access to designated files.
Apache
A popular Web server. By some estimates, it is used to host more than 50%
of all Web sites in the world. The original version of Apache was written
for UNIX, but there are now versions that run under OS/2, Windows and other
platforms.
Applet
A mini-program that can be downloaded quickly and used by any computer
equipped with a Java- or ActiveX-capable browser. Applets carry their own
software players
ARPANET - Advanced Projects Agency Network
The precursor to the Internet. Developed in the late 60's and early 70's by
the U.S. Department of Defense as an experiment in wide-area-networking
that would survive a nuclear war.
ASP - Active Server Pages (Windows Only)
A specification for a dynamically created Web page with an .ASP extension
that contain either Visual Basic or JScript code. When a browser requests
an ASP page, the Web server generates a page with HTML code and sends it
back to the browser. ASP pages are similar to CGI scripts, but they enable
Visual Basic programmers to work with familiar tools. ASP is only available
on NT servers.
Autoresponder
An e-mail that is automatically sent in reply to any e-mail received in a
specified mailbox. Also known as a vacation message.
Backbone
The Internet's high-speed data highway that serves as a major access point
to which other networks can connect.
Bandwidth
1. The range of frequencies a transmission line or channel can carry; the
higher the frequency the higher the bandwidth and the greater the
information-carrying capacity of a channel. For a digital channel this is
defined in bits per second or BPS. For an analog channel it is dependent on
the type and method of modulation used to encode the data.
2. Expressed in cycles per second (hertz), the amount of information that can flow through a channel. On the less technical side bandwidth is used to measure the amount of time it takes for a Web page to fully load. Internet users occasionally refer to larger graphics on Web pages as "bandwidth hogs" - the use of the term bandwidth in this case isn't quite accurate, but what it means is that the graphic is loading slowly due to its large file size.
Banner Ad Rotator
Displays alternating banner ads and includes an administration area with
the ability to add, edit and delete banners from the rotation list.
BBS - Bulletin Board System
An electronic message center. The Bulletin Board System (BBS) allows you to
dial in with a modem, review messages left by others, and leave your own
message if you want. Bulletin boards are a particularly good place to find
free or inexpensive software products. Most bulletin boards serve specific
interest groups.
Binary
Any downloadable file that doesn't simply contain human-readable, ASCII
text. Typically it refers to a runnable program available for downloading,
but it can also refer to pictures, sounds or movies, among others. Most
Usenet newsgroups have subgroups specifically for binaries; a posting in
comp.sys.mac.comm might announce that a program is available for
downloading, but the binary (the file itself) would be found in
comp.sys.mac.comm.binaries. Newsgroups such as alt.pictures.binaries
contain files for download which are actually pictures. You will need a
newsreader to download and decode these files.
Bit
The smallest unit of computerized data, represented by a single-digit
number in base-2--in other words, either a 1 or a zero. Bandwidth is
usually measured in bits-per-second.
BPS - Bits-Per-Second
A measurement of the speed at which data is moved from one place to another
Browser
A program used to view, download, upload, surf or otherwise access
documents (pages) on the World Wide Web. Browsers can be text-based,
meaning they do not show graphics or images, but most are text- and
graphical-based. Browsers read "marked up" or coded pages (usually HTML but
not always) that reside on servers and interpret the coding into what we
see "rendered" as a Web page. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet
Explorer are examples of Web browsers. The program you are using right now
to view this information is called a browser.
Browser Compatibility
A term that compares the way a Web page looks on one WWW browser as opposed
to another. Usually this is done with Microsoft Internet Explorer (MIE) and
Netscape Navigator, but can also refer to cross-platform compatibility.
(For example, the way a page renders or displays on a Windows system as
opposed to a Mac.) The reason these incompatibilities exist is due to the
way a browser interprets the Web page's code (HTML). The differences are
usually very slight, but they're enough to annoy some Web designers and
sometimes even their clients to the point in which great time and energy is
spent in making a Web site compatible with any browser on any type of
system. Browser compatibility is also used in conjunction with (and should
not be confused with) the term browser support.
Browser Support
This refers to the ability of a particular browser to even recognize and
interpret certain HTML or other Web page codes. For example, Netscape
Navigator 1.0 did not have the ability to render a page layout in frames.
This feature did not come along until version 2.0, therefore it can be said
that Navigator 1.0 did not "support" frames.
Byte
A set of Bits that represent a single character. Usually there are 8 Bits
in a Byte
Cable Modem
A modem attached to a coaxial cable television system. Cable modems can
transmit data at 500 kilobytes a second, much faster than a typical
computer modem that sends signals over telephone lines.
CGI-BIN
A directory on a server that "houses" all of the CGI programs. When you see
this as a directory in your browser's URL window, it usually means you are
either running or about to run a CGI program. The "binary" part refers to
when many of the files placed in that directory were binary files. More
recently, many of these files are text-based.
Client
A software program used to contact and obtain data from a server software
program on another computer, often across a great distance.
CNAME - Canonical Name
The Canonical Name resource record, CNAME, specifies an alias or nickname
for the official, or canonical, host name. Alias records assign an
alternate hostname to a specific hostname. Both hostnames point at whatever
IP address the primary hostname is assigned to.
colocation
Most often used to refer to having a server that belongs to one person or
group physically located on an Internet-connected network that belongs to
another person or group.
ColdFusion
A Rapid Application Development (RAD) system created by the Allaire
Corporation of Cambridge, Mass, ColdFusion integrates browser, server and
database technologies into Web applications. Cold Fusion Web pages include
tags written in ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) that simplify integration
with databases and avoid the use of more complex languages like C++ to
create translating programs. ColdFusion is the industry's leading
cross-platform Web application server. With ColdFusion, Web developers can
quickly develop and deliver a new generation of large-volume,
transaction-intensive Web applications for everything from e-commerce to
business automation and more.
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
CGI is a set of rules that describe how a web server communicates with
another piece of software on the same machine, and how the other piece of
software (the CGI program) communicates with the web server. Many scripting
languages, such as Perl, follow the CGI standard. This allows you to
develop more interactive sites, by making use of system features.
Configuration
A general-purpose computer term that refers to the way your computer's
operating system is set up. It can also refer to the total combination of
hardware components - central processing unit (CPU), video display device,
keyboard and peripheral devices - that make up the computer system. The
configuration is also at work in the software settings that allow various
hardware components of a computer system to communicate with one another. A
"vanilla" configuration is the standard "clean" and "no frills" version of
a computer's configuration (no device drivers or extra settings). This is
what a technician might set a system to when trying to troubleshoot a
problem with a computer's hardware.
Connectivity
The state of being connected to the Internet or some other type of computer
network. On the Internet, if you lose your connectivity, you are no longer
online and must redial into your ISP. When ISPs get many users signing on
all at once, the connectivity tends to be poor. "What is your
connectivity?" usually means what kind of speed does your Internet
connection support, like 28.8 or T-1.
Cookie
A piece of information about your computer, something you clicked on,
and/or you (such as your username) that is stored in a text file on your
hard drive. A server accesses this information when you connect to a Web
site that wants to know this information. One common occurrence of a
"handing out a cookie", would be when you as a user, log into a system
through a Web site. After you enter in your username and password, your
browser saves a text file that it calls upon for later access. This
prevents you from having to log in again if you happen to leave the Web
site and then return at a later time. Cookies are also used in the process
of purchasing items on the Web. It is because of the cookie that "shopping
cart" technology works. By saving in a text file the name, and other
important information about an item a user "clicks" on as they move through
a shopping Web site, a user can later go to an order form, and see all the
items they selected, ready for quick and easy processing.
Credit card processing
Online credit card processing is available through many of our partners,
such as Verisign Payment Services or Cardservice International. For full
details Click here
Cron
A Unix command for scheduling jobs to be executed sometime in the future. A
cron is normally used to schedule a job that is executed periodically - for
example, to send out a notice every morning. It is also a daemon process,
meaning that it runs continuously, waiting for specific events to occur.
CyberCash
A form of real-time credit card processing
Dedicated Line
A telecommunications line that lets your computer have a direct, permanent
connection to the Internet
Dial-Up Account
A basic type of Internet account that allows you to dial up an Internet
Service Provider's (ISP) computer with a modem. These types of accounts
usually have a UNIX or other command-line interface.
Digest
A manner in which messages to a list server mailing list can be
automatically consolidated into one e-mail (the digest) and sent to the
list subscribers periodically.
DLL - Dynamic Link Library
A Windows platform file that is actually an executable mini-program itself
that is NOT executed directly by a user but by a running program or
application
DNS - Domain Name System
A database system that translates an IP address into a domain name. For
example, a numeric IP address like 207.219.116.4 is converted into
netlingo.com. The DNS is a static, hierarchical name service that uses
TCP/IP hosts and is housed on a number of servers on the Internet.
Basically, it maintains this database for figuring out and finding (or
resolving) host names and IP addresses. This allows users to specify remote
computers by host names rather than numerical IP addresses. Also referred
to as Domain Name Service and Domain Name Server.
Domain Name or Domain
The unique name identifying a Web site, located at the right of the @ sign
in an Internet address. Domain names always have two or more parts,
separated by dots, as in www.yourdomain.com. Domains are tied to name
servers, which direct to which IP address the domain should point. Any
server can have multiple domain names, but a domain name can only point to
one server.
Domain Registration
Our partnership with InterNIC allows us to register or transfer your domain
with them seamlessly. Therefore, we charge no additional fee for InterNIC
registration or transfers. However, be aware that you are still responsible
for the cost of domain registration with InterNIC, which currently is $70
for two year, $150 for five year, and $250 for 10 year registrations.
DRAM - Dynamic Random-Access Memory
A memory chip contained on such devices as video and sound cards. DRAM is
"dynamic" because the chip contains an electrical charge (as opposed to
SRAM, see below). The electrical charge will die out eventually so it must
refresh its memory regularly, which it does automatically from your CPU.
The only reason you need to know about DRAM is because it is related to
access time and video cards, etc.
DSN - Data Source Name
Data source names are used to access a database. Customers can create DSN's
via their administration page.
Dynamic Content
Information on a Web site or Web page that changes often, usually daily
and/or each time a user reloads or returns to the page. Content that is
also structured based on user input. For example, when you search on some
keywords on a search engine, the resulting page you get is a "dynamic"
page, meaning the information was created based on the words you typed into
the form on the previous page. Dynamic Web sites are usually driven by Web
application environments such as Microsoft ASP or Allaire's ColdFusion, and
the content is taken from a database each time a page request is made.
Dynamic SQL
Creates queries based on user data, environment variables, and previously
returned query results. Dynamic SQL can also increase processing efficiency
by executing multiple queries and sending them to multiple databases from a
single browser request.
E-Commerce - Electronic Commerce
Quite simply, it means conducting business online. In the traditional sense
of selling goods, it is possible to do this electronically because of
certain software programs that run the main functions of an e-commerce Web
site, such as product display, online ordering, and inventory management.
The software, which works in conjunction with online payment systems to
process payments, resides on a commerce server. The definition of
e-commerce has expanded to include all kinds of commercial online
transactions, like selling products via credit cards, charging for
advertising on a high-traffic Web site, or trading stock in your brokerage
account -- practically any way a company can derive revenue online is
thought of as e-commerce.
E-mail - Electronic Mail
E-mail is the sending and receiving of messages, usually text, from one
computer to another using e-mail software.
Ecash
Developed by DigiCash and the Mark Twain Bank, ecash is the ability to use
real money in an electronic purchasing system over the World Wide Web. The
process involves you sending a check to Mark Twain Bank which in turn sends
you software that gives you access to the ecash Mint where you draw funds
to your hard drive for use when purchasing goods and services on the
Internet.
Encryption
A way of making data unreadable to everyone except the receiver, encryption
is an increasingly common way of sending credit card numbers over the
Internet when conducting commercial transactions.
Ethernet
A widespread networking scheme rated at 10 Mbs (megabits per second).
Extensions
The characters after the dot in a file's name are considered its extension.
This is used to determine how the file is formatted and viewed. For example
a file named netlingo.html means that the file is coded in HTML and
therefore must be viewed with a compatible program such as a Web browser in
order to see it properly. On the Internet you will come across many
different file extensions such as .dcr, .mov, .avi and .au. In order to
properly handle these files your browser must be configured to recognize
these extensions.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Documents that list and answer the most common questions on a particular
subject
FastCGI
An open extension to CGI that provides higher performance by reusing
processes to handle multiple requests.
File Extension
The group of letters after a period or "dot" in a file name is called the
file extension. This extension refers to the type of file it is, for
example, if the filename is readme.txt, the extension txt denotes this is a
text file and can be viewed using a text editor such as Notepad or Simple
Text. Operating systems such as MAC OS or Windows 95 will refer to a file's
extension when choosing which application to launch when a user clicks on a
particular file name.
Firewall
A device that protects a private network from the public part, or a
computer set up to monitor traffic between an Internet site and the
Internet. A firewall is designed to increase a server's security by keeping
unauthorized outsiders from tampering with a computer system.
FrontPage Compatibility
Allows you to edit your site using Microsoft FrontPage or Visual InterDev.
Also allows you to make use of special built- in features that use
FrontPage Extensions.
FrontPage Extensions
Server add-ons that allows you to make use of pre-defined functions such as
a hit counter, Java buttons and form validation.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol
Common procedure used for downloading and uploading files over the
Internet. With FTP you can log in to another Internet site and transfer
(send or receive) files. Some sites have public file archives that you can
access by using FTP with the account name "anonymous" and your e-mail
address as the password. This type of access is called anonymous FTP.
Macintosh users use a program called Fetch; one of the FTP programs for
Windows is called WS-FTP
Gateway
A computer system for exchanging information across incompatible networks
that use different protocols. For example, many commercial services have
e-mail gateways for sending messages to Internet addresses.
GIF - Graphic Interchange Format
A common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing
large areas of the same color.
Gigabyte
1000 or 1024 Megabytes
Guest Book
A simple guest book allows visitors to leave their name and a brief message
from/on your site.
GUI - Graphical User Interface (goo-ey)
This term refers to a software front-end application meant to provide an
attractive and easy-to-use interface between a computer user and an
application.
HDML- Hand-Held Device Markup Language
The HTML for hand-held devices like Palm Pilots and PDAs. A simple language
used to define hypertext-like content and applications for hand-held
devices with small displays. HDML is designed to leverage the
infrastructure and protocols of the World Wide Web while providing an
efficient markup language for wireless and other handheld devices.
Congruent with the capabilities and limitations of many handheld devices,
HDML's focus goes beyond presentation and layout. HDML provides an explicit
navigation model, which does not rely upon the visual context, required of
HTML. As such, HDML offers an efficient means of providing content via the
WWW infrastructure to handheld devices such as cellular phones, pagers, and
wireless PDA's.
Hit
1. A term used to describe the accessing of a World Wide Web page. When a
user "points" a browser to a Web site URL, the moment that user requests
the HTML document is called a "hit". Hits are used to determine how popular
a Web site is and plays an important role in assessing how much it costs to
advertise on a particular Web page. Some Web site authors and developers
use counters on their page to let people know how many other users (hits)
have accessed that particular page that they are on. There has been great
debate as to the validity of the "number of hits" pages or sites are said
to receive due in part to Web servers that record hits not only on accesses
to HTML pages but also the graphics, which are embedded in them.
2. Prior to 1994, the access of a Web file by a user on a server. Every element of a requested page (graphics, multimedia, etc.), including the HTML file itself, is counted as a hit. For example, if a Web page contains five graphics, then accessing the page generates six hits. Hits used to be a method of determining the amount of traffic a Web site received, but because businesses needed to isolate the exact number of times a page was requested in order to charge for advertising, this method was tossed aside in lieu counting the actual HTML page requests.
Host
Any computer that can function as the beginning and end point of data
transfers. An Internet host has a unique Internet address (IP address) and
a unique domain or host name.
Hotlist
A list of frequently accessed World Wide Web sites. Usually the names of
the sites are coded as hypertext, making them links. In this case the user
must simply click on the name of the site in order to go there. (Yahoo!
started as one major hotlist.)
Hotmail
Hotmail is a Web-based free e-mail system which adheres to the universal
HTTP standard. It is based on the premise that e-mail access should be easy
and possible from any computer connected to the World Wide Web. Web-based
e-mail programs use a Web browser as an e-mail program, providing a
globally retrievable form of e-mail.
HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
HTML is the lingua franca for publishing hypertext on the World Wide Web.
It is a non-proprietary format based upon SGML, and can be created and
processed in a wide range of tools from simple plain text editors to
sophisticated WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) authoring tools. HTML
uses tags like <h1> and <h1> to structure text into headings, paragraphs,
lists, hypertext links and more.
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
The protocol that tells the server what to send to the client, so the
client can view Web pages, FTP sites, or other areas of the net.
HTTPS - Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
A type of server software that provides the ability for secure transactions
to take place on the World Wide Web. If a Web site is running on a HTTPS
server you can type in HTTPS instead of HTTP in the URL section of your
browser to enter into the "secured mode". Windows NT HTTPS and Netscape
Commerce server software support this protocol.
Hyperlink
Web site text that can be clicked on with a mouse, that in turn will take
you to another Web page or a different area of the same Web page.
Hyperlinks are created (coded) in HTML. They are also used to load
multimedia files such as AVI movies and AU sound files.
Hypertext
A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to be linked
in multiple ways, to be available at several levels of detail, and to
contain links to related documents. The term was coined by Ted Nelson to
refer to a nonlinear system of information browsing and retrieval that
contains associative links to other related documents. The World Wide Web
uses hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to provide links to pages and
multimedia files.
IIS - Internet Information Server
Microsoft's Web server that runs on Windows NT platforms. IIS comes bundled
with Windows NT 4.0; Because IIS is tightly integrated with the operating
system, it is relatively easy to administer. Currently IIS is available
only for the Windows NT platform, whereas Netscape's Web servers run on all
major platforms, including Windows NT, OS/2 and UNIX.
Internet Backbone
This fast network spanning the world from one major metropolitan area to
another is provided by a handful of national Internet service providers
(ISPs). These companies and organizations use connections running at
approximately 45 MB per second (T3 lines) linked up at specified
interconnection points called national access points. Local ISPs connect to
this backbone through routers so that data can be carried though the
backbone to its destination.
Internet Protocol (IP) Address or IP Number
Sometimes called a dotted quad, the IP address is a unique number used to
identify a machine on the Internet. The number consists of four numbers
between 0 and 255 separated by dots (208.233.88.55). Every machine on the
Internet must have it's own IP address. Domains are tied to name servers,
which direct to which IP address the domain should point.
Internet Security
Information traveling on the Internet usually takes a circuitous route
through several intermediary computers to reach any destination computer.
The actual route your information takes to reach its destination is not
under your control. As your information travels on Internet computers, any
intermediary computer has the potential to eavesdrop and make copies. An
intermediary computer could even deceive you and exchange information with
you by misrepresenting itself as your intended destination. These
possibilities make the transfer of confidential information such as
passwords or credit card numbers susceptible to abuse. This is where
Internet security comes in and why it has become a rapidly growing concern
for all who use the Internet.
InterNIC - Internet Network Information Center
A repository of information about the Internet. It is divided into two
parts: directory services, which is run by AT&T in New Jersey, and
registration services, which is run by Network Solutions in Virginia. It is
funded partially by the National Science Foundation and partially by fees
that are charged to register Internet domains. This is the place where you
register URLs or Domain Names like www.netlingo.com and it basically
involves a fee and several forms (some very technical), to set up.
Intranet
A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds
of software that you would find on the public Internet, but that is only
for internal use. As the Internet has become more popular, many of the
tools used on the Internet are being used in private networks, often in the
form of Web servers that are available only to employees. Note that an
"Intranet" may not actually be an Internet; it may simply be a network.
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
ISDN is a set of communications standards allowing a single wire or optical
fiber to carry voice, digital network services and video. ISDN is intended
to eventually replace the plain old telephone system (POTS). ISDN was first
published as one of the 1984 ITU-T Red Book recommendations; the 1988 Blue
Book recommendations added many new features. ISDN uses mostly existing
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switches and wiring, upgraded so
that the basic "call" is a 64 kilobits per second, all-digital end-to-end
channel. Packet and frame modes are also provided in some places.
Key Words/Key Phrases
Words or sets of words used to improve ranking in search engines when those
words are phrases are entered by a user. For example, if a person does a
search for "pet supplies", while a person who has the key word "pet" in his
page, the page with the key phrase "pet supplies" will be ranked higher in
the search results.
LAN - Local Area Network
A network that connects computers in a small, pre-determined area (like a
room, building or set of buildings). LANs can also be connected to each
other via telephone lines and radio waves. Workstations and personal
computers in an office are commonly connected to each other with a LAN.
This allows them to have send/receive files and/or have access to the files
and data. Each computer connected to a LAN is called a node.
Leased Line
Refers to a phone line (connection) that is rented for exclusive
24-hour/7-days-a-week use from one computer or network to another, or for
constant access to the Internet. Also called a dedicated line.
Link
Text and/or an image area on a Web page that a user can click on to connect
to or reference another document. Commonly, links connect two Web pages or
Web sites. They can also reference a different part of the same document,
linking to a file which will download to your computer or triggering the
launching of an external or helper application which will then process the
clicked-on file.
List Server - Adding Headers
Capability of adding header or trailer text to all messages listed. The
list owner can choose to display text information (entered in the Edit box)
at the beginning or end of every message sent to the list. To enter the
header information, the list owner selects the Enable Header option, clicks
Edit, and then enters the text information. This information is entered in
the header.txt file. To enter the trailer info, the list owner selects the
Enable Trailer option, clicks Edit, and then enters the text information.
This.information is entered in the trailer.txt file. For example, you can
enter the Subscribe/Unsubscribe information for the list and have.it appear
at the beginning or end of every message or digest that is sent to the
list.
List Server - Digest
List server mailing lists can be posted as a digest. Messages to a list
server mailing list can be accumulated and regularly posted.as a digest. A
digest contains a group of messages sent to the list. Lists that receive a
large volume of messages can give subscribers the option of periodically
receiving a digest rather than being interrupted every few minutes with a
new message from a list.
List Server - Public or Private
List server mailing lists can be public or private. A list owner can select
"Disallow Subscriptions" which will refuse a Subscribe request to the list.
The owner or administrator must add new users either by editing the Users
file, or through the Web Remote Administration utility. Unsubscribe
requests are always honored.
List Server - Subject Line
Capability of adding a text string to appear on the Subject line. The list
owner can choose to display a text string (entered in the Edit box) at the
beginning of the subject line of every message sent to the list. For
example, if you enter [Software-Info] as the defined text string, the
subject line of the messages will appear as follows: Subject: re:
[Software-Info] What do you think of private-labeled software? The default
string is the name of the list server mailing list.
ListServer
ListServer lets you set up automated mailing lists on the server. It comes
with a control to add/edit/delete users and to send new messages to your
user group (each message has a limit of 1000 words). This package allows
for 300 mailing list subscribers per list.
Log File Access
Raw log files are used to track the hits to your website. You can access
them from your root directory.
Mail List
A system that allows people to send e-mail to one address, whereupon their
message is copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the mail
list.
Mailbox
The directory on a host computer where your e-mail message are stored. With
some systems you can choose between keeping saved messages on the server or
on your local computer.
Megabyte
A million bytes
Message Board
An electronic message center (also called a bulletin board); part of the
Bulletin Board System (BBS). Message boards are accessed by dialing in with
a modem; once there one may review messages left by others or leave a
message. Bulletin boards are a particularly good place to find free or
inexpensive software products. Most bulletin boards serve specific interest
groups.
Meta Tag
An optional HTML tag that is used to specify information about a Web
document. Some search engines such as AltaVista use "spiders" to index Web
pages. These spiders read the information contained within a page's META
tag. So in theory, an HTML or Web page author has the ability to control
how there site is indexed by search engines and how and when it will come
up on a user's search. The META tag can also be used to specify an HTTP or
URL address for the page to "jump" to after a certain amount of time. This
is known as Client-Pull. What this means, is a Web page author can control
the amount of time a Web page is up on the screen as well as where the
browser will go next. Here's a look at the syntax for search engine
indexing: Here's a look at the syntax for Client Pull: this will "refresh"
or change to the URL specified in 30 seconds.
MIME - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
A protocol for Internet e-mail that enables the transmission of nontextual
data such as graphics, audio, video and other binary types of files. An
e-mail program such as Eudora is said to be "MIME Compliant" if it can both
send and receive files using the MIME standard. When non-text files are
sent using the MIME standard they are converted (encoded) into text -
although the resulting text is not really readable. Besides e-mail
software, the MIME standard is also universally used by Web servers to
identify the files they are sending to Web clients. In this way new file
formats can be accommodated simply by updating the browsers' list of pairs
of MIME-types and appropriate software for handling each type.
Mirror
A server that provides copies of the same files as another server. Some
servers are so popular that other servers have been set up to mirror them
and to spread the load on to more than one site. Many international sites
have mirrors set up in other countries to allow quicker access for their
international users.
Modem - Modulator, Demodulator
A device connecting a computer and to a phone line, that allows the
computer to talk to other computers through the phone system. Basically,
modems do for computers what a telephone does for humans. Generally there
are 3 types of modems: external, PC Card and internal.
Mosaic
Mosaic is the common name of a World Wide Web multimedia browser program
developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) in
Urbana-Champaign, Ill. It was the first Web browser that used the same
interface for Macintosh, Windows and UNIX, and started the popularity of
the Web. The official, copyrighted name of the program is NCSA Mosaic. The
source code for Mosaic has been licensed by several companies, most
notably, Netscape.
MX Record - Mail Exchange Record
Mail Server records designate the mailservers that will handle mail for
your domain. If you have more than one mailserver, MX records also specify
the order in which the mailservers will be used as primary, backup, etc.
Navigate
To move around on the World Wide Web by following hypertext paths from
document to document on different computers.
Netiquette
Contraction of Internet etiquette, the etiquette guidelines for posting
messages to online services, and particularly Internet newsgroups.
Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions (i.e.,
avoiding flames), but also special guidelines unique to the electronic
nature of forum messages. For example, netiquette advises users to use
simple formats because complex formatting may not appear correctly for all
readers. In most cases, netiquette is enforced by fellow users who will
vociferously object if you break a rule of netiquette.
Netscape Navigator
A highly popular World Wide Web browser. The program allows for Gopher,
FTP, and Telnet access as well as e-mail and newsgroup retrieval and
management. Many companies use Netscape server software to create Web pages
and are therefore written to be best displayed using Netscape Navigator.
The program is available for all platforms and is especially adept at
displaying graphics.
Network
Two or more computers that are connected. The most common types of networks
are: * LAN - Local Area Network The computers are near each other, in the
same office space, room or building. * WAN - Wide Area Network The
computers are at different geographic locations and are connected by
telephone lines or radio waves.
Newsgroup
Same as forum, an on-line discussion group. On the Internet, there are
literally thousands of newsgroups covering every conceivable interest. To
view and post messages to a newsgroup, you need a newsreader, a program
that runs on your computer and connects you to a news server on the
Internet.
NIC - Networked Information Center
An office that handles information for a network. The most famous of these
on the Internet is the InterNIC, which is where new domain names are
registered.
NOC- Network Operations Center
Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Internet's component
networks
NT
A Windows NT (New Technologies) computer or server
OC - Optical Center
Optical Carrier used to specify the speed of fiber optic networks
conforming to the SONET standard
OC-12
622.08 Mbps or 336 T-1's
OC-48
2.488 Mbps
ODBC Connectivity
A standard database access method developed by Microsoft. The goal of ODBC
is to make it possible to access any data from any application, regardless
of which database management system (DBMS) is handling the data. ODBC
manages this by inserting a middle layer, called a database driver ,
between an application and the DBMS. The purpose of this layer is to
translate the application's data queries into commands that the DBMS
understands. For this to work, both the application and the DBMS must be
ODBC-compliant -- that is, the application must be capable of issuing ODBC
commands and the DBMS must be capable of responding to them. Since version
2.0, the standard supports SAG SQL. Two types of ODBC connections are as
follows: Jet Data Engine - This connection allows ODBC-compliant databases
such as Microsoft Access, Foxpro, D-Base and others. SQL Server - This
allows ODBC connection via TCP/IP to a Microsoft SQL server.
OLE DB
Abbreviation of Object Linking and Embedding (pronounced as separate
letters or as "oh-leh"). OLE is a compound document standard developed by
Microsoft Corporation. It enables you to create objects with one
application and then link or embed them in a second application. Embedded
objects retain their original format and link to the application that
created them. Support for OLE is built into the Windows and Macintosh
operating systems. A competing compound document standard developed jointly
by IBM, Apple Computer, and other computer firms is called OpenDoc.
Packet
A unit of data sent across a network. Packet is a generic term used to
describe a unit of data at any layer of the OSI protocol stack, but it is
most correctly used to describe application layer data units (application
protocol data units, APDUs).
Packet Switching
The method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet switching,
all the data coming out of a machine is broken up into chunks; each chunk
has the address of where it came from and where it is going. This enables
chunks of data from many different sources to co-mingle on the same lines,
and be sorted and directed to different routes by special machines along
the way. This way many people can use the same lines at the same time.
Parallel Port
A parallel interface for connecting an external device such as a printer.
Most personal computers have both a parallel port and at least one serial
port. On PCs, the parallel port uses a 25-pin connector (type DB-25) and is
used to connect printers, computers and other devices that need relatively
high bandwidth. It is often called a Centronics interface after the company
that designed the original standard for parallel communication between a
computer and printer. (The modern parallel interface is based on a design
by Epson.)
Parking
When two domains point to the same IP Address
Password
A secret series of characters that enables a user to access a file,
computer or program. On multi-user systems, each user must enter a password
before the computer will respond to commands. The password helps ensure
that unauthorized users do not access the computer. In addition, data files
and programs may require a password. Ideally, the password should be
something that nobody could guess. Most people choose a password that is
easy to remember, such as their name or their initials. This is one reason
it is relatively easy to break into most computer systems.
PGP - Pretty Good Privacy
A freeware program, developed by Philip Zimmermann, that allows a user to
send e-mail messages to anyone in the world, in complete privacy. One can
also send authentication with your messages so that the recipient can
verify the source of the message. You can encrypt sensitive files on your
computer so that the files remain private even if your computer and disks
are stolen.
PHP
PHP Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side, HTML-embedded scripting
language used to create dynamic Web pages. In an HTML document, PHP script
(similar syntax to that of Perl or C) is enclosed within special PHP tags.
Because PHP is embedded within tags, the author can jump between HTML and
PHP (similar to ASP and Cold Fusion) instead of having to rely on heavy
amounts of code to output HTML. Because PHP is executed on the server, the
client cannot view the PHP code. PHP can perform any task any CGI program
can, but its strength lies in its compatibility with many types of
databases. Also, PHP can talk across networks using IMAP, SNMP, NNTP, POP3
or HTTP.
PING - Packet Internet Groper
An Internet program used to determine whether a specific IP address is
accessible. It works by sending a packet to the specified address and
waiting for a reply, then reporting how many hops are required to connect
two Internet hosts. PING is used primarily to troubleshoot Internet
connections. There are many freeware and shareware PING utilities available
for personal computers.
Platform
The type of computer or operating system on which a software application
runs. For example, some common platforms are PC, Macintosh, Unix and NeXT.
When someone knows more than one of these platforms or when a program can
be used on more than one of these platforms, it is termed cross-platform.
POP - Post Office Protocol
POP refers to the protocol used by e-mail software, such as Eudora or
Outlook Express, to retrieve electronic mail from a mail server. The
protocol used by mail clients to retrieve messages from a mail server. This
includes POP1, POP2, and POP3, the number denoting the different version
number of the protocol. POP3 is the most common e-mail standard. POP is the
protocol used by mail clients to retrieve messages from a mail server.
Port
1. A place where information goes into or out of a computer, or both. For
instance, the serial port on a personal computer is where a modem would be
connected. 2. On the Internet, port often refers to a number that is part
of a URL, appearing after a colon (:) right after the domain name. Every
service on an Internet server "listens" on a particular port number on that
server. Most services have standard port numbers; Web servers normally
listen on port 80. Services can also listen on non-standard ports, in which
case the port number must be specified in a URL when accessing the server,
so you might see a URL of the form: gopher://peg.cwis.uci.edu:7000/ which
shows a gopher server running on a non-standard port (the standard gopher
port is 70). 3. To port is to translate a piece of software to bring it
from one type of computer system to another, e.g. to translate a Windows
program so that is will run on a Macintosh.
PPP - Point-to-Point Protocol
Communication protocol used over serial lines to support Internet
connectivity.
Protocol
Protocol is a set of rules governing behavior in certain situations.
Foreign diplomats learn local protocol to ensure that they behave correctly
in another country. The protocols ensure that there are no communication
breakdowns or serious misunderstandings. Computers need protocols, too, to
ensure that they can communicate with each other correctly and to ensure
data is exchanged correctly. The Internet is made up of various protocols
for various functions.
Query
A question usually used in connection with a search engine or database to
find a particular file, Web site, record or set of records in a database.
RAID5
RAID is a way of storing the same data in different places by placing data
on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks operations can
overlap in a balanced way, improving performance.
RAM - Random-Access Memory
Hardware inside your computer that retains memory on a short-term basis.
This information is stored temporarily while you're working on it. RAM
comes in several different forms:
RealAudio
RealNetworks' (formerly Progressive Networks) RealAudio client-server
software system enables Internet and online users equipped with
conventional multimedia personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines
to browse, select and play back audio or audio-based multimedia content on
demand, in real time. This is a real breakthrough compared to typical
download times encountered with delivery of audio over conventional online
methods with which audio is downloaded at a rate that is five times longer
than the actual program.
RealMedia
A term encompassing RealNetworks' RealAudio and RealVideo
RealVideo
A streaming technology developed by RealNetworks (formerly Progressive
Networks) for transmitting live video over the Internet. RealVideo uses a
variety of data compression techniques and works with both normal IP
connections as well as IP Multicast connections.
Remember My Login
If you select this option you will not be prompted for your username and
password when entering the site. This maynot be secure if you are using a
public or shared computer. Your computer must be set to accept cookies to
use this feature.
Remote Terminal
It is possible to log in to a remote computer by using an application
program based on TELNET - a terminal emulation protocol made for this
purpose. The user can therefore enter commands on a keyboard attached to
their local computer and access files, etc., on a remote computer that may
be located anywhere in the world.
Router
Hardware (or software) that connects a local network to the Internet.
Routers look at the destination addresses of the packets passing through
them and decide which route to send them on.
Scalability
How well a solution to a given issue will work when the size of the issue
increases.
Script
Another term for macro or batch file, a script is a list of commands that
can be executed without user interaction. A script language is a simple
programming language with which you can write scripts.
Search Engine
A program which acts like a card catalog for the Internet. Search engines
attempt to help a user isolate desired information or resources by
searching for keywords that the user specifies. The method for finding this
information is usually done by maintaining an index of Web resources that
can be queried for the keywords or concepts entered by the user. The index
can be built from specific resource lists or created by Web wanderers,
robots, spiders, crawlers and worms. From the Net surfer point of view,
search engines can be quite tiresome and not very fruitful if you don't
know how to use them correctly. Different engines are good for different
kinds of searches, so to optimize search results, read the search engine's
help section before searching.
Server
A host computer on a network that holds information (such as Web sites) and
responds to requests for information from it (links to another Web page).
The term server is also used to refer to the software that makes the act of
serving information possible. Commerce servers, for example, use software
to run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, such as product
display, online ordering, and inventory management. You'll also hear this
described as "shopping cart technology".
Server has no DNS Entry
This can mean that the URL you have is an incorrect address. Netscape finds
Web pages by querying a Domain Name Server (DNS) computer and asking the
computer for the numerical address of the name address in the link. If it
does not get a reply, it's because the DNS computer has no record of the
name.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart is a piece of software that acts as an online store's
catalog and ordering process. Typically, a shopping cart is the interface
between a company's Web site and its deeper infrastructure, allowing
consumers to select merchandise; review what they have selected; make
necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise.
SLIP - Serial Line Internet Protocol
Communication protocol used over serial lines to support Internet
connectivity.
SLIP/PPP
To connect to the Internet via Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), you need to have TCP/IP software on your
computer. When connected by SLIP/PPP, your computer actually becomes
another node on the Internet. You can then run popular client software
directly. This has an advantage over a shell account where you will have to
double download in order to transfer a file by FTP because the data first
goes to network and then to a local machine.
SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
The standard Internet protocol for transferring electronic mail messages
Solution
The word tagged onto computer terms when it is meant to imply that the
product or software is meeting the needs and addressing the "problems" that
have been associated with a particular type of computer software package or
application. Usually these needs are in abundance and encompass a variety
of tasks.
Spam
To send identical and irrelevant postings to many different newsgroups or
mailing lists. Usually this posting is something that has nothing to do
with the particular topic of a newsgroup or of no real interest to the
person on the mailing list. The name comes from a Monty Python song and is
considered to be a serious violation of netiquette.
SQL - Structured Query Language
The standardized query language for requesting information from a database.
The original version called SEQUEL (structured English query language) was
designed by an IBM research center in 1974 and 1975. Oracle Corporation
first introduced SQL as a commercial database system in 1979.
SQL Server
A Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS) from Sybase Corporation.
SQL Server was designed for client/server use and is accessed by
applications using SQL. It runs on OS/2, Windows NT, NetWare servers,
VAXen, and UNIX workstations. Generically, any database management system
(DBMS) that can respond to queries from client machines formatted in the
SQL language. When capitalized, the term generally refers to either of two
database management products from Sybase and Microsoft. Both companies
offer client-server DBMS products called SQL Server.
SRAM - Static Random-Access Memory
SRAM is used for caching because it is a lot faster. This chip holds its
contents without refreshing from the CPU.
SSI - Server Side Include
A type of HTML comment that directs the Web server to dynamically generate
data for the Web page whenever it is requested.
SSL - Secured Sockets Layer
A protocol that delivers server authentication, data encryption and message
integrity. SSL is layered beneath application protocols such as HTTP, SMTP,
Telnet, FTP, Gopher and NNTP, and layered above the connection protocol
TCP/IP. This strategy allows SSL to operate independently of the Internet
application protocols. With SSL implemented on both the client and server,
your Internet communications are transmitted in encrypted form. Information
you send can be trusted to arrive privately and unaltered to the server you
specify and no other.
Static IP
An IP address which is the same every time you log on to the Internet. See
IP address for more information.
Streamworks
The StreamWorks Player brings the power of networked audio and video to the
desktop. You can play "live" and "on-demand" audio and video from
StreamWorks Servers across the globe. The StreamWorks Transmitter allows
for LIVE network encoding of digital audio and video over today's networks.
Taking inputs from analog audio and video connections, like the ones on the
back of a VCR, StreamWorks Transmitter is capable of enabling live,
real-time MPEG audio and video over industry standard TCP/IP networks.
T-1
A leased line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000
bits-per-second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a
megabyte in less than 10 seconds. That is still not fast enough for
full-screen, full-motion video, for which you need at least 10,000,000
bits-per-second. T-1 is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks
to the Internet.
T-3
A leased line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000
bits-per-second. This is more than enough to do full-screen, full-motion
video.
Tag
A tag is used to describe a type of command or instruction usually in
regards to HTML or Web page code. HTML tags look like this: , , or , always
with a pair of brackets (<>) surrounding the specific instruction.
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
This set of protocols makes TELNET, FTP, e-mail, and other services
possible among computers that don't belong to the same network.
Telnet
An Internet program for connecting to a remote host or server. The Telnet
interface is text-based and a user usually has to enter their login name
and password before gaining access to the system. Some of the things that
can be done with Telnet access include checking e-mail, downloading
programs and chatting with other Telnet users. It is one of the oldest
Internet activities and is primarily used to access online databases or to
read articles stored on university servers. It is also possible to Telnet
via your Web browser by changing the http:// to telnet:// and entering in
the site's address.
Terabyte
1000 Gigabytes
Terminal
A device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere else. At
a minimum, this usually means a keyboard and a display screen and some
simple circuitry. Usually you will use terminal software in a personal
computer - the software pretends to be ("emulates") a physical terminal and
allows you to type commands to a computer somewhere else.
Terminal Server
A special-purpose computer with places to plug in many modems on one side
and with a connection to a LAN or host machine on the other side. The
terminal server answers calls and passes the connections on to the
appropriate node. Most terminal servers can provide PPP or SLIP services if
connected to the Internet.
UNIX
An operating system, invented in 1969 at AT&T Bell Laboratories, that was
made available to researchers and students in 1973. It was used to develop
the Internet's communication software protocols. An interactive
time-sharing system invented in 1969 by Ken Thompson after Bell Labs left
the Multics project, originally so he could play games on his scavenged
PDP-7. Dennis Ritchie, the inventor of C, is considered a co-author of the
system. The turning point in UNIX's history came when it was reimplemented
almost entirely in C during 1972--1974, making it the first source-portable
operating system. UNIX subsequently underwent mutations and expansions at
the hands of many different people, resulting in a uniquely flexible and
developer-friendly environment. By 1991, UNIX had become the most widely
used multi-user general-purpose operating system in the world.
URL - Uniform Resource Locator
Describes the location and access method of a resource on the Internet All
Web sites have URLs. One could say a URL is to a web site as a telephone
number is to a telephone or a street address is to a house. Although Web
site URLs are sometimes long and hard to read, many browsers have a
bookmark feature, which allows you to save the location (URL) of Web sites
you want to return to. The URL "http://www.yourdomain.com" describes the
type of access method being used (http) and the server location which hosts
the Web site (www.yourdomain.com).
Vacation Message
A message automatically sent as a reply to any message received in a
specified mailbox, in this case to inform the original sender that the
recipient is away and will not be able to respond. Also known as an
autoresponder.
Virtual
Simulation of the real thing. Means "almost" or "in effect only". You will
see this term appear before various computer terms to indicate simulation
technology that enables you to cross boundaries and experience something
without requiring its physical presence. The Internet is also seen as a
"virtual" world.
WAN - Wide Area Network
A network that connects computers over a large geographic area
Web Hosting
Web hosting allows your Web site to be connected to the Internet at high
speed via a Web server so its information can be viewed globally through a
browser. Metaphorically speaking, renting space on a server is comparable
to renting an apartment. For a monthly fee, you reside in that apartment
and all maintenance is the responsibility of the property. You also have
access to certain amenities that would otherwise be a costly investment. A
Web hosting company houses your Web site on its own secure servers,
enabling you to affordably leverage the power of a high-speed network, 24/7
expert monitoring and support, and state-of-the-art technology.
WebTrends
WebTrends offers Web tracking services, such as financial, traffic, and
more. With WebTrends reporting you can really see who is hitting your site,
and which pages are the most popular. WebTrends contains graphical and
table based reporting, so that you can find vital information about how
your website is being viewed.
Whois
A means of looking up names in a remote database. Used initially as an aid
for finding e-mail addresses for people at large institutions or companies.
Wideband
A medium-capacity communications circuit/path. It usually implies a speed
from 64Kbps to 1.544Mbps.
Windows NT
Windows NT is a 32-bit operating system that supports preemptive
multitasking. There are two versions of Windows NT: Windows NT Server is
designed to act as a server in networks, and Windows NT Workstation is for
stand-alone or client workstations
WWW - World Wide Web
A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents.
The documents are formatted in a language called HTML (HyperText Markup
Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics,
audio, and video files. This means you can jump from one document to
another simply by clicking on hot spots. Not all Internet servers are part
of the World Wide Web.
XML
Short for extensible markup language, a specification developed by the .
XML is a pared-down version of SGML, designed especially for Web documents.
It allows designers to create their own customized tag, enabling the
definition, transmission, validation and interpretation of data between
applications and between organizations.
Yahoo!
A World Wide Web subject tree created by David Filo and Jerry Yang of the
Department of Computer Science at Stanford University. With a keen eye for
the popular as well as the useful, Filo and Yang have created a directory
of Web resources that performs a reported 10 million searches across the
World Wide Web a week.
ZV Port
Short for zoomed video port, a port that enables data to be transferred
directly from a PC Card to a VGA controller. The port is actually a
connection to a zoomed video bus. This new bus was designed by the PCMCIA
to enable notebook computers to connect to real-time multimedia devices
such as video cameras. The first notebook computers with the ZV port
arrived in late 1996.