Bandwidth - is the amount of information that may be transmitted at any given time along a data line and is usually measured in Megabits per second. An analogy would be a water pipe where a larger diameter pipe can carry more water per second than a narrow pipe.

Banner ad - is an advertising banner displayed on sites to advertise a web site. If a user clicks on the banner it will take them to that site.

Browser - A browser is a program on a computer that is able to read a web page written in HTML. It re-arranges it into a format that the person using the computer can read and understand (Netscape, Internet Explorer).

CGI - stands for Common Gateway Interface and is a standard way for data to be passed between web applications e.g. passing data from an online HTML form to a script on the server.

Cookies - are small files that can be created and written to by a programming/scripting language. The most common are JavaScript cookies that are read/written to a user's hard drive by a JavaScript program that runs in the web browser when a user visits a web site. These are an example of client-side cookies but server-side cookies may be created by languages such as PHP. Many people consider cookies an invasion of privacy since they can be used to collect information about a user - however they can only collect information that the user is willing to submit via an online form.

Database - a standardized collection of information in computerized format, searchable by various parameters; in libraries often refers to electronic catalogs and indexes.

Domain name - On the Internet, a domain is the address for a Web site. By entering the domain name, you will go to the first page of a Web site which is usually called index.html o rdefault.html. It is the name that identifies one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name microsoft.com represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL
http://www.yahoo.com/index.html, the domain name is Yahoo.com.

E-Commerce - This defines electronic business transactions (Electronic Commerce), on the World Wide Web. E-commerce allows customers to shop on your Web site 24/7 with "real time" processing.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions- This is information often posted at a web site, provided to answer commonly asked questions.

Favorites - (sometimes called bookmarks) a folder in Internet Explorer used to store shortcuts of web sites you wish to return to. Once in place all you need do is click on the link and the browser takes you to the site.

FTP - stands for File Transfer Protocol and is the protocol used to transmit files over the Internet.

GIF - (Graphics Interchange Format) is a compressed graphic file normally used for images (e.g. logos, cartoons, etc) that do not require too many colors (maximum 256). The file name takes the form of filename.gif.

Gigabyte - This is the largest unit of data storage. It is 1,024 megabytes of information.

Graphics - Most graphics on the WWW are in one of two file formats: GIF and JPEG. Each format has different advantages. Preparing graphics to be used in web pages requires special care. File sizes must be minimized to avoid long page download times. As with HTML, there are boundless resources on the WWW for learning how to prepare graphics for the web.

Hit - Hits are a unit measure of file openings done on a web site. It refers to how many times someone opens the home page of a web site, or any other page on that web site.

Host - A host is a company that has the necessary equipment (file servers) to hold the pages of a web site. There is usually a monthly and other fee for storing the Web site on the server and for allowing access to that web site by its visitors.

HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, the actual communications protocol that enables Web browsing. the WWW protocol that performs the request and retrieves functions of a server. Commonly seen as the first part of a website address.it is the the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.

HTML - Hypertext Markup Language is the authoring software language used on the Internet's World Wide Web. HTML is used for creating World Wide Web pages. A subset of Standard Generalized Mark-Up Language ( SGML) for electronic publishing, the specific standard used for the World Wide Web. HTML is the basic language used to write web pages. HTML is a mark up language and not a full-blown programming language so is therefore essentially static in nature. HTML is parsed by your web browser when a web page downloads and consists of tags (commands to tell the browser how to render the text, where to load in graphics etc on the web page) as well as the actual text. Web pages are written in HTML, hypertext markup language. HTML is code in documents that tell web browsers how to display text (e.g., bold, italic, large heading, small heading), when and how to display images, and when to link to another page. Viewing the code "behind" an HTML page, or what the browser is reading, reveals a complicated looking jumble of words and code. However, basic HTML is relatively simple to learn, and more and more software programs are automating coding so that the web page authoring can be as simple as using a standard word processor.

Hyperlink - a hypertext link; a graphic or text string which, when clicked, opens a new web page or jumps to a new location in the current page.

Hypertext - Textual data which is "linked" across mutliple documents or locations.

Icon - a pictorial image used in a graphical user interface to represent a program, a command, a link to a Web page, etc.

Internet - The Internet or - World Wide Web is simply a linkage of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks using a common "language" to speak with each other.

ISP - Short for Internet Service Provider, a company that provides access to the Internet. For a monthly fee, the service provider gives you a software package, username, password and access phone number. Equipped with a modem, you can then log on to the Internet and browse the World Wide Web.

Javascript - version of Java. It is a programming lanuguage designed by Sun Microsystems, in conjuction with Netscape, that can be integrated into standard HTML pages. While JavaScript is based on the Java syntax, it is a scripting language, and therefore cannot be used to create stand-alone programs. Instead, it is used mainly to create dynamic, interactive Web pages. For example, Web developers can use JavaScript to validate form input, create image rollovers, and to open those annoying pop-up windows. Javascript is a Scripting language (originally called LiveScript) developed by Netscape Communications for use with the Navigator browser. JavaScript code forms part of the HTML page and can be used for example to respond to user actions such as button clicks or to run processes locally or validate data. JScript is the Microsoft equivalent of Netscape's JavaScript for use with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The advantages of JavaScript over Java are that JavaScript is simplified, it doesn't have to be compiled, and the source code resides within your HTML document.

JPEG - (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a compressed graphic file normally used for images (e.g. photographs) that require many colors (i.e. millions). The file name takes the form of filename.jpg.

Kilobyte - This is a unit of measurement for data storage. It is 1,024 bytes of information.

Link - A link is an electronic tag that directs a computers browser to another web page, e-mail address, video file, audio file or graphic image.

Megabyte - This is a unit of measurement for data storage, equal to 1,024 kilobytes. Our standard Web site is 50 MB's.

Merchant Account - This defines an account provided by a financial institution allowing your web site owners to accept payment transactions for products/services in real time, via credit cards, e-checks, and debit cards.

Metatags - are HTML tags that are written into the head section of an HTML page and convey different kinds of information, but don't actually show on the page as text. For example the title, description and keywords for the page. Some search engines use metatags to index pages.

PHP - Hypertext Preprocessor is an open source server side language extensively used for web scripts and to process data passed via the CGI or Common Gateway Interface written as scripts that reside on the server and may produce HTML output that downloads to the web browser. Alternatively, PHP can be embedded within HTML pages that are then saved with a .php file extension. The PHP sections of the page are then parsed by the PHP engine on the server and the PHP code stripped out before the page is downloaded to the web browser.
The name is a bit of a programming joke (if there is such a thing) since it's a recursive acronym i.e. the P in PHP stands for PHP. Alternatively, PHP can be embedded within HTML pages that are then saved with a .php file extension. ...
www.ozwebsonline.com/glossary_of_internet_terms.php

Protocol - is an agreed way for two computers to communicate. e.g. http:// tells your web browser that the data downloading is Hypertext Transfer Protocol and should be rendered as a web page.

Search Engines - are web sites set up to allow users to search for web sites dedicated to particular subjects. They are Internet software services that sort and categorize specific key words used to describe information and location on the Internet. Search engines allow retail customers to locate Web sites based on key words. The term search engine normally refers to sites that use robot programs to index other web sites, as opposed to online directories that use human editors to index other web sites.

Spam - is unsolicited e-mail. The term spamming is also sometimes used by search engines to mean web sites that try to gain a higher listing by submitting hundreds of almost identical pages or by inserting hundreds of keywords within a web document.

SQL - Structured Query Language ( SQL), pronounced "sequel", is a language that provides an interface to relational database systems. It was developed by IBM in the 1970s for use in System R. SQL is a de facto standard, as well as an ISO and ANSI standard.

SSL - Secure Sockets Layer protocol is a method of passing sensitive information, such as credit card details, over the Internet. All communication is encryted to prevent eavesdropping. An SSL URL is preceded by https:// instead of http://.

Static & Dynamic Pages - Essentially, static pages are those on your site that send exactly the same response to every request; dynamic pages can customize the response on the server to offer personalization based on cookies and information it can get from the visitor. An obvious example of a static page is an old style HTML document; the only way to change a HTML page is to upload a new or updated version in its place. Every time a static file is downloaded, the file contents that are sent to the browser are the same for everyone that accesses that file Flash and Shockwave presentations are also classed as static content; despite the fact that user interaction can lead to different ways of presenting the same data, everyone will download the same file from the server.

Static Pages

Most of these advantages and disadvantages apply to normal HTML pages in particular.

Advantages

• Quick and easy to put together.
• Cost of website is minimal
• Ideal for demonstrating how a site will look.
• Cache friendly, one copy can be shown to many people.

Disadvantages

• Difficult to maintain when a site gets large.
• Offers little visitor personalization (all would have to be client side).

Dynamic Pages

Typically written in various scripting languages or technologies such as ASP, PHP, Perl or JSP.

Advantages

• Offers highly personalized and customised visitor options.
• Database access improves the personalized experience (as opposed to using just client side cookies)
• Scripts can read in data sources and display it differently depending on how it is run.
• Can create the illusion of being updated regularly using time and date sensitive routines (or even randomisers) to display pre-written text.

Disadvantages

• Personalized pages are not very cache friendly.
• Cost of website is much greater
• Requires a basic minimum knowledge of the language being used.
• Scripts need more consideration when uploading and installing, particularly to *nix servers.

Upload - Transmitting a data file from your computer to another computer comprises an upload. This is the opposite of a download, which is receiving a file on your computer from another computer. Upload means the same as transmit, while download means the same as receive.

URL - (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the page you are visiting, and can be found in the address bar of your browser. it is often called an Internet Address. It is a more specific Internet address. It is like the street address for an apartment complex, with the apartment number and zip code (i.e., www.anysite.com/info/rent ). By entering a specific URL you can jump to a certain page of a Web site.

WWW - Stands for World Wide Web. A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a language called HTML 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.

Web Browser - The software used to access pages on a web server and display them on your computer screen.

Web Page - A Web page is a single electronic document that is formatted in HTML, a software language. The person who created the document has the ability to put photographs, text and images into the document. In addition, links to other Web pages can be added to the page. A Web page is similar to a single document placed in a file folder in a filing cabinet.

Web Site - A site (location) on the World Wide Web. A Web site is a collection of two or more pages that are linked together under a common Web address (Domain Name). A Web site is similar to a folder in a filing cabinet. Each Web site contains a home page, which is the first document users see when they enter the site. The site might also contain additional documents and files. Each site is owned and managed by an individual, company or organization.

XHTML - is a family of current and future document types and modules that reproduce, subset, and extend HTML 4. XHTML family document types are XML based, and ultimately are designed to work in conjunction with XML-based user agents. The details of this family and its evolution are discussed in more detail in [XML™ is the shorthand name for Extensible Markup Language XML.

XML - Extensible Markup Language was conceived as a means of regaining the power and flexibility of SGML without most of its complexity. Although a restricted form of SGML, XML nonetheless preserves most of SGML's power and richness, and yet still retains all of SGML's commonly used features. While retaining these beneficial features, XML removes many of the more complex features of SGML that make the authoring and design of suitable software both difficult and costly.

ZIP file - is a file that has been compressed in order to take up less space on a hard drive or download faster over the Internet.