Glossary of common Web-related terms

The Web can be a confusing place with strange new words. In this section, 411web gives meaning to many common Web terms to help end the confusion.

access provider -- the business or organization that provides the service that enables a user to connect to the Internet via modem or dedicated line

animated gif -- a series of images programmed to show movement or animation

applet -- a small Java program used to add animation or interactivity to a Web site; viewable by Java-capable Web browsers

bandwidth -- the amount of information (measured in bits per second) that can funnel through a network connection; a T3 can handle more than 30 times the information a T1 can handle, which is 50 times as fast as a 28.8 modem, which is twice as fast as a 14.4 modem; a 28.8 modem can relay about 15,000 bits a second, an average page of text is 16,000 bits.

beta version -- a version of a new or improved product (especially software), released for testing or trial purposes before the finished product is ready for wide release to the public

bitmap -- the tiny patterns of pixels or dots that make up graphic images on a computer monitor; bitmaps formats include: gif, jpeg, tiff, bmp and pict

bookmark -- included in Web browser programs, an easy way for a viewer to mark preferred sites, for future viewing

bot -- short for "robot," short programs written to automatically take care of simple tasks

browser -- software programs that provide the framework for viewing Internet Web sites -- Netscape, Internet Explorer and AOL currently dominate the marketplace

business directory -- a specialized listing consisting predominantly of information about businesses

byte -- a measurement of computer data; eight bits (the smallest unit of computer data) make up one byte which is generally one character (letter, punctuation mark or number); a megabyte is one million bytes

cache -- a storehouse of sorts on your computer that temporarily retains Web pages you have accessed during an online session; if you click on the "back" button of your browser, the Web page you have already accessed will be retrieved from your cache which is quicker than getting it fresh from the Internet

cache clean-up -- dumping the files out of your cache to make room for new or updated information; most browsers clear the cache automatically, but it can also be done on command

CGI -- common gateway interface, a scripting language used to enable tasks such as fill-in forms, site searches and more

chat -- instant online communication, often in a "room" or "channel"

cookie -- a piece of information that helps a server keep track of its users during an online session, noting purchases and transactions; a cookie assigns you an often random number, recognizing your profile upon return

cross-platform -- programs that work on all major computer platforms (such as Macintosh and IBM-compatible); the Internet is cross-platform

customer service -- an essential business tool to let customers know how much they mean to you; AdGeeks strives to provide stellar customer service

default home page -- the first page of any Web site

dial-up account -- online service accessed by dialing through a modem to the service provider

disk cache -- a temporary storage area on a computer that keeps a copy of Web pages accessed during an online session; a computer can "pull up" the cached version more quickly than retrieving a fresh version from the network

domain name -- if the Internet was the CB world, a domain name would be your handle, "www.yourcompany.com"; (The customer service experts at AdGeeks will help you register the right domain name for your business or organization quickly and easily!)

download -- file transfer via the Internet, including text, graphics, sound, even software

e-mail -- a system for transmitting messages electronically, using an e-mail software program and the power of the Internet

e-mail address -- a unique address where people or organizations can send and receive e-mail

e-mail message -- individual e-mail transmissions, "She sent me an e-mail message about the meeting tomorrow," not "She sent me an e-mail about the meeting tomorrow."

emoticon -- the expressive, sometimes annoying, pictures made using symbols on the keyboard and viewed by tilting your head horizontally:

• smiley face : )
• sad face : (
• Santa Claus *<|:^{0>

encryption -- the scrambling of information while enroute; only the person with the key to the code should be able to translate the information

FAQ -- frequently asked question; often a listing of the questions, and their answers, most frequently posed to a Web site or organization

firewall -- a computer security system of both hardware and software between an internal system and the Internet to limit the information flowing into and out of the internal system, limiting access to hackers

flame -- derogatory and sometimes nasty comments erupting during online discussions or e-mail exchanges, usually in response to spam

frames -- a commonly used Web layout style using a stationary navigation bar in one frame and changing information (as accessed) in other frames

freeware -- software provided free, usually as a download; also known as shareware

gif -- one of the two most common file formats for graphic images on the World Wide Web (the other is jpeg); pronounced like "jif" by some and pronounced with a hard "g" by others

glossary -- a witty and entertaining, although limited, dictionary of relevant terms (do you think we'd say we weren't witty and entertaining?)

graphic designer -- if it's one that works for AdGeeks, it refers to a very helpful and artistic professional possessing the skills needed to add just the right graphic images to your Internet PowerPages Web ad

hacker -- most often used to describe someone who illegally gains access -- or hacks in -- to a computer system to manipulate or destroy information

hit -- a measurement of how often a Web page item is accessed

home page -- the default or "front door" to a Web site

host -- the server where a Web site "lives"

HTML -- hypertext markup language, the computer language used to create sites on the World Wide Web

HTTP -- hypertext transfer protocol, the system used by computers to transfer hypertext files (Web pages) via the Internet

hypertext -- text that is linked to something else, such as another page, other text within the page, a sound file, a graphics image, etc.

image map -- a graphic image that is coded with HTML to be hyperlinked in various parts of the image to other parts of the Web site or page; for example: a map of the United States, HTML-coded by state

Internet -- a vast collection of computer networks connected via high-speed data lines; the Internet includes not only the World Wide Web, but FTP, Gopher and Telnet as well

Internet PowerPages -- a superb option for any small-business that is ready for a Web presence at an easy-to-afford cost

Internet service provider or ISP -- the "middleman" between the consumer with a modem hook-up and access to the Internet

InterNIC -- provides domain name registration services for the top level domains: .com, .net, .org and .edu.

Intranet -- internal networks based on the same technology as the Internet

IP address -- a unique, numerical identifier for every computer on the Internet

IRC -- Internet relay chat -- an area of the Internet where users can chat via immediate information transmission

Java -- a computer programming language that allows for movement or animation of objects; developed by Sun Microsystems

JPEG -- one of the most popular forms of Web graphics (the other is gif), jpegs usually provide sharper images, but also take longer to load onto a Web page; named for the committee that designed the standard image compression algorithm, the Joint Photographic Experts Group

keyword -- the significant words or phrases used when someone is searching for your product or service; some keywords are visible and others are hidden within the coding of the page

link -- a graphic image or part of the text that has been coded to connect, via the viewer clicking on it, with another part of the site or site on the Internet

megabyte -- one million bytes; generally, one byte makes up a character such as a letter, a number or a punctuation mark

Microsoft Internet Explorer -- one of the major Web browsers

MIDI -- musical instrument digital interface; an internationally acknowledged standard or format for musical data storage and playing on digital synthesizers and computers

modem -- the device that connects one computer to another via a phone line

netiquette -- common sense etiquette for all things Internet

Netscape Navigator -- by far the most popular of the major Web browsers

online service -- a company that provides organized content such as news, shopping, books, weather and more, as well as access to the Internet; examples include America Online and Compuserve

platform -- the underlying operating system of a computer, such as Macintosh and IBM-compatible

plug-in -- adds to the capabilities of a Web browser to enable sound, video, movement, etc. on Web sites; usually available free as shareware

professional -- the staff at AdGeeks and the approach used to create, upgrade and maintain your Internet web page.

QuickTime -- software that enables sound, graphics and movie files to be included in Web sites

RealAudio -- software that enables live audio via the Web using streaming technology

RealPlayer -- the shareware plug-in that enables Web browsers to receive RealAudio and RealVideo broadcasts

RealVideo -- software that enables live video via the Web using streaming technology

reputation -- an indicator of character (business and personal) closely guarded by AdGeeks for our clients, and for our business as well (no "adult" sites, no bulk e-mailing, no promises too god to be true)

robot -- short programs written to automatically take care of simple tasks

search engine -- individual Web sites attempting to organize vast numbers of Web sites into a searchable database; viewers search a search engine using keywords and phrases; Web sites submit their site address for indexing

search engine upgrade -- submission, by AdGeeks professionals, of your Web ad or Web site to more than 300 search engines for a low, one-time fee

service provider -- the "middleman" between the consumer with a modem hook-up and access to the Internet

shareware -- software provided free, usually as a download; also known as freeware

Shockwave -- a browser plug-in that provides sound and motion to Web sites, while keeping loading time down

spam -- unwanted e-mail messages, especially messages sent out in bulk to a purchased e-mail list and often promoting some kind of get-rich-quick scam

surfing -- moving from site to site on the World Wide Web

T1 -- a high-speed, direct Internet connection; a T1 can carry up to 1.536 million bits a second

T3 -- a higher-speed, direct Internet connection; a T3 can carry up to 45 million bits a second

team effort -- what you will get from our entire staff as a client of AdGeeks.

thumbnail -- a very small visual representation of a photo or graphic; thumbnails then expand to a larger image with the click of a mouse

URL -- uniform resource locator; a Web site address

wav -- a sound file format created in Windows, but available cross-platform on Web sites

wave -- a friendly gesture to indicate "hello" (just checking to see if you were still with us)

Web -- shortened version of "World Wide Web"; commonly accepted (always uppercase)

Web ad -- our successful and popular one-page advertisements for customers from all walks of life and business, posted for the world to see!

World Wide Web -- the "multimedia" portion of the Internet, with color, graphics, sound, video and other possibilities; made up of pages organized into sites all over the globe and linked by hypertext

WYSIWYG -- What You See Is What You Get; software aimed at the desktop publishing market which allows users to easily create Web sites based on page layout, color, fonts, graphics, etc. without having to know HTML code