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We've complied a list of terminology and slang used not just in web design but also throughout the Word Wide Web.

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |

| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

 - A - 

24 x 7 FTP access  
Hosting companies use this terminology to define the access to your account. For example, you have unlimited access to your account, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This allows you to set up, change, or maintain your web site at any time of the day or night.

24 x 7 Network Monitoring  
Hosting companies use this terminology to define their monitoring of your site. For example Hostway says: "With our state-of-the-art operations hub, Hostway is equipped with systems to maximize reliability and security, and ensure your site is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We guarantee 99.9% uptime. We are here to provide our customers any information and support needed regarding your site."

 

Acceptable Use Policy -- (abbreviation: AUP) 
A formal set of rules that governs how a network may be used. For example, the original NSFnet Acceptable Use Policy forbade non-research use by commercial organizations. 
AUPs sometimes restrict the type of material that can be made publicly available; many AUPs ban the transmission of pornographic material. 
The enforcement of AUPs has historically been very uneven. This was true of the NSFnet AUP: its limitations on commercial activity were so widely ignored that it was finally abandoned in 1994, enabling the development of today's commercial Internet. See also Netiquette, Terms of Service. 

Access number  

The telephone number used by a subscriber to dial into an Internet Service Provider or online service. 

 

Access to Raw Log Files  
A raw log file contains detailed information about your site’s activity in raw web server format. By analyzing the log file, you can gain valuable marketing insights. Access to raw log file is a must if you wish to perform advanced site analysis using a third party site analyzer program.

Active X

A software technology developed by Microsoft that allows programmed capabilities or content to be delivered to Windows-based personal computers via the World Wide Web. Active X is notable for a complete lack of security controls; computer security experts discourage its use over the Internet. 

Address

There are three types of addresses in common use on the Internet: email addresses, IP addresses, and Uniform Resource Locators. See also email address, IP address, Uniform Resource Locator. 

Address book

A feature of some email applications that stores names and email addresses in an accessible format. 

Agent

A software process empowered to transparently act for or represent a user by completing transactions, seeking information of specific interest, or communicating with other users and agents. The Firefly online service is a good example of agent technology at work, http://www.firefly.com 

AI -- See artificial intelligence. 

AltaVista

An Internet search engine at http://www.altavista.digital.com 

America Online

The leading commercial online service that serves as an entry point into cyberspace for millions of network newcomers. 

 

Anonymous FTP
Allows visitors to upload and download specified files from designated directories without usernames or passwords. Anonymous FTP differs standard "FTP Access" which requires userames and passwords.

API -- See Application Program Interface. 

Applet

A Java program which is designed to run only on a web page. To use an applet on a web page, you would specify the name of the applet and the size (length and width--in pixels) that the applet can utilize. When the web page is accessed, the browser downloads the applet from a server and runs it on the user's machine (the client). Applets differ from applications in that they are governed by a strict security protocol. For example, even though applets run on the client, they can not read or write data onto the client's machine. Additionally, applets are further restricted so that they can only read and write data from the same domain that they are served from. See also Java. 

Application

A self-contained program that performs a well-defined set of tasks under user control, as opposed to a system program. Web browsers, mail readers, and FTP clients are examples of applications commonly used on the Internet. 

Archie

A database service that automatically gathers, indexes, and catalogues files on Internet servers. The initial implementation of Archie provided an indexed directory of filenames from all anonymous FTP archives on the Internet. Later versions provide other collections of information. Archie was developed by McGill School of Computer Science. 

Archive site

A server that provides access to an organized collection of files available to the public. 

Artificial Intelligence (abbreviation: AI) 
A branch of computer science that studies how to endow computers with capabilities of human intelligence. For example, speech recognition is a problem being worked on by AI scientists. 

ASCII

Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, pronounced "ass-key". ASCII is a code that assigns a number to each key on the keyboard. ASCII text does not include special formatting features and therefore can be exchanged and read by most computer systems. 

Attached file

A file that is embedded into an email message. 

AUP -- See Acceptable Use Policy. 

Authentication

The verification of the identity of a person or process. 

 

Autoresponders
Sends an automated email response to each incoming message that is sent to a specific address. Each email address on your account can have a different autoresponder. An example: Joe sends an email to sales@hostway.com. The autoresponder for this email address sends an prewritten message back to Joe automatically. 

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- B - 

Backbone

The top level of a hierarchical network. The main pipes along which data is transferred. The "Internet backbone" is sometimes referred to, though it doesn't exist. 

Bandwidth

1. The amount of information or data that can be sent over a network connection in a given period of time. Bandwidth is usually stated in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), or megabits per second (mps). 
2. The technical meaning is generalized in hacker slang. Individuals are said to be "high bandwidth" if they are able to process large volumes of information in short periods of time. 


BASIC

Acronym for Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instructional Code. An easy-to-learn, highly flexible computer language invented at Dartmouth University. Different versions of BASIC run on various operating systems. Since each version has its own peculiar quirks, a BASIC program written in one version may not be compatible with another version. 

Bcc

Abbreviation for Blind Carbon Copy. To bcc: an email message to someone is to send them a copy of the email message without the knowledge of the person to whom the email message is addressed to. 

Beta

A version of an application that is made available prior to the official release for the purposes of testing. 

Binary

Mathematical base 2, or numbers composed of a series of zeros and ones. Since zero's and one's can be easily represented by two voltage levels on an electronic device, the binary number system is widely used in digital computing. 

Bit

Stands for binary digit. A bit is either on or off and is represented by "1" or "0". A collection of bits are put together to form a byte. 

Bookmark

A routine that allows you to save a reference to a site or page that you have already visited. At a later point in time, you can use a bookmark to return to that page. It commonly refers to a feature of Netscape Navigator (a web browser) that allows you to collect and organize bookmarks of your favorite web sites. 

Browser

An application used to view and navigate the World Wide Web and other Internet resources. If you can read this, it's highly likely that you're using a Web browser. In brief, a browser is your interface to the World Wide Web; it interprets hypertext links and lets you view sites and navigate from one Internet node to another. Among the companies that produce browsers are NCSA Mosaic, Netscape, and Microsoft, as well as commercial services like CompuServe, Prodigy, and America Online.

Browser war

A catch phrase that refers to the battles between Netscape and Microsoft for dominance of the web browser market. Both sides seek to maximize their product's marketshare and mindshare in cyberspace. The battles are marked by short product development cycles, publicity campaigns, provocative public statements, appeals for federal intervention, and a general desire to crush the other side. 

Bulletin board system (abbreviation: BBS) 
An open computer system that members can dial into in order to send email, join discussion groups, and download files. Since the 1970s, BBS's have provided an early means for home users to get online. Originally, BBS's were freestanding local systems, but now many provide access to Internet email, telnet, FTP, and other Internet services. 

Byte

A collection of bits to form a binary number. The size of bytes varies from system to system. On the original home computers, bytes were composed of 8 bits. Now many computers operate with bytes that are 32 bits long. 

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- C -

C

The name of a sophisticated computer language commonly used for the creation of professional-grade applications. C is distinguished from other computer languages by its usage of pointers, variables that point at locations in memory. It was invented by Dennis Ritchie in the early 1970s. 

C++

A computer language based on C that uses objected-oriented programming design principles. 


Cc:

Abbreviation for Carbon Copy. To cc: an email message to someone is to send them a copy of the email message. 

CD

1. Abbreviation for compact disk. 
2. Abbreviation for change directory, a command in both the UNIX and DOS operating systems that assists in navigating a hierarchical directory structure. 

Cache
Caches come in many types, but they all work the same way: they store information where you can get to it fast. A Web browser cache stores the pages, graphics, sounds, and URLs of online places you visit on your hard drive; that way, when you go back to the page, everything doesn't have to be downloaded all over again. Since disk access is much faster than Internet access, this speeds things up. Of course, disk access is slower than RAM access, so there's also disk caching, which stores information you might need from your hard disk in faster RAM.

CGI (common gateway interface)
The CGI standard lays down the rules for running external programs in a Web HTTP server. External programs are called gateways because they open up an outside world of information to the server.

CGI script
Used to supplement basic HTML to make your website more interactive and functional. Hit counters, guest books, order forms, and many other useful features can all be programmed in CGI scripts. Hostway offers a free library of CGI scripts that you can use to enhance your web site. All of our plans come with its own local cgi-bin directory, where you can store custom cgi scripts that you may have written yourself or found else where on the web. 

Cookie
According to Netscape, cookies are a "general mechanism which server side connections can use to both store and retrieve information on the client side of the connection." In English, that means cookies are small data files written to your hard drive by some Web sites when you view them in your browser. These data files contain information the site can use to track such things as passwords, lists of pages you've visited, and the date when you last looked at a certain page.

CSS
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is a simple styling language which allows attaching style to HTML elements. Every element type as well as every occurance of a specific element within that type can be declared an unique style, e.g. margins, positioning, color or size.

CyberCash
Used for secure processing of credit card transactions. CyberCash works with all popular browsers in the market and other Web store software applications. 

Central Processing Unit (abbreviation: CPU) 
The main silicon chip that runs a computer's operating system and application software. It performs a computer's essential mathematical functions and controls essential operations. Intel CPUs in PCs were numbered by generation: 286, 386, 486. This numbering scheme was abandoned by Intel with the Pentium CPU, which would be the 586, and the Pentium Pro, which would the 686. Motorola PowerPC CPUs have maintained a consistent numbering convention: 601, 603, 604. 

CGI -- See Common Gateway Interface. 

Chat

A form of interactive online communication that enables typed conversations to occur in real-time. When participating in a chat discussion, your messages are instantaneously relayed to other members in the chat room while other members' messages are instantaneously relayed to you. 

chat history

A transcript of a chat session. 

Commercial online service

A computer network that supplies its members with access to chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other online content on a monthly fee basis. Commercial online services include America Online, CompuServe, The Microsoft Network, and Prodigy. In addition to their own proprietary content, most commercial online services also provide access to the Internet. 

Common Gateway Interface (abbreviation: CGI) 
A standard used by programmers that allows their programs to interact with the World Wide Web. CGI scripts can be written in many computer languages, but Perl and C are the most common. 

Compile

To have a computer translate code written in a computer language into an executable form. 

Compression

A technology that reduces the size of a file. Compression programs like WinZip and UNIX compress are valuable to network users because they help save both time and bandwidth. 

Compuserve

A commercial online service. 

Computer literacy

Knowledge about and the ability to learn about computers. 

Congestion

A state occurring in a part of a network when the message traffic is so heavy that it slows down network response time. 

Connection

When two computers have established a path through which the exchange of information can occur. 

Cookies

Small files that are downloaded to your computer when you browse certain web pages. Cookies hold information that can be retrieved by other web pages on the site. Some cookies are programmed with an expiration date so that they are automatically deleted after a period of time. 

CPU -- See Central Processing Unit. 

Cracker

A malicious hacker who breaks (or cracks) the security of computer systems in order to access, steal, or destroy sensitive information. "Hacker" is often incorrectly used instead of cracker, especially by the media. See also hacker. 

Cyberpunk

1. A subgenre of science fiction inspired by William Gibson's 1982 novel "Neuromancer". 
2. A lifestyle characterized by computer games, Internet surfing, and large doses of attitude. 

Cyberspace

1. The place where computer networking hardware, network software, and people using them converge. Defined by John Perry Barlow as the place where a telephone call happens. 
2. The prefix "cyber" is often combined with other words, as in "cyberpunk". 

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- D - 

Database
A database can be as simple as a shopping list or as complex as a collection of thousands of sounds, graphics, and related text files. Database software is designed to help users organize such information. While early "flat" databases were limited to simple, searchable rows and columns, modern relational databases allow users to access and reorganize data in a variety of ways. Even more advanced databases let users store and retrieve all kinds of nonstandard data, from sound clips to video.

Data Transfer per Month (Traffic)
Each time a web page, image, audio, video or other elements of your web site is accessed by your visitor, traffic is generated. Each time you upload your pages or check your email, traffic is also generated. Your aggregate traffic is the sum of outward-bound, inward-bound, email, and anonymous FTP traffic. Your monthly traffic allowance is calculated as 31 times the daily traffic allowance. Hostway’s daily data transfer allowances are high enough for most of our users to stay within the limit. hosting charges. It’s FREE to transfer existing domain names to Hostway.

Data Transfer per Month
Each time a web page, image, audio, video, and other elements of your website is accessed by your visitor, traffic is generated. Your aggregate traffic is the sum of outward-bound, inward-bound, email, and anonymous FTP traffic.Your monthly traffic allowance is calculated as 31 times the daily traffic allowance. Our daily data transfer allowances are high enough that most of our users stay within the limit. Traffic overage will be charged according the additional traffic pricing; see our additional items pricing page.  

Detailed web site Statistics (Wusage 7.0)  
Hostway provides you with a detailed web site activity report, including both graphical and raw numbers, grouped by weeks, days and hours. Using this information, you can track how many hits you are getting, where those hits are coming from, which page is the most popular, how much data transfer is occurring, and more. This critical information allows you to shape and focus your marketing efforts so that you can bring in highly targeted visitors and maintain your successful Web presence.

Detailed Usage Statistic/ Access to Raw Log File
Hostway gives you detailed graphical and tabular usage statistics for your website grouped by weeks, days, and hours. Using this information, you can track how many hits you are getting, where those hits are coming from, which page is the most popular, how much data transfer is occurring, and more. Access to raw log files allows you to analyze the usage using even more sophisticated programs. 

Disk Space
Everything related to your web site is stored on disk: your regular html files, images, multimedia files, anonymous ftp files, email messages, CGI-scripts, and so on. Each Hostway package includes a generous amount of disk storage space. Additional space used will be billed according to our additional disk space pricing. Please see our additional items pricing page.

Disk Space
Everything related to your website is stored on disk: your regular html files, images, multimedia files, anonymous ftp files, POP mail messages, cgi-scripts and so on. 

Domain Alias
Allows additional domain names to point to a common website. This feature is useful when you want users to be able to access the same web site through a number of different addresses. An example: Acme Corporation registers two domain names, A and B. It places its web site at A, and makes B a domain alias of A. Whenever someone types in the address of domain B, they are automatically redirected to domain A. 

Domain Name
Computers connected to the Internet identify each other using numerical IP addresses, which are very difficult for humans to remember. A Domain Name is an easy-to-remember Internet address in plain alphabet (such as "hostway.com") which is translated automatically into the IP address. 

A more formal definition is given by InterNIC: "An addressing construct used for identifying and locating computers on the Internet. Domain names provide a system of easy-to-remember Internet addresses, which can be translated by the Domain Name System (DNS) into the numeric addresses (Internet Protocol (IP) numbers) used by the network. A domain name is hierarchical and often conveys information about the type of entity using the domain name. A domain name is simply a label that represents a domain, which is a subset of the total domain name space. Domain names at the same level of the hierarchy must be unique, for example there can be only one com at the top level of the hierarchy, and only one netsol.com at the next level of the hierarchy."

Having your own domain name (www.yourcompany.com)
gives you the control to set yourself apart from the rest of the dot com’s and enables you to successfully promote your brand online. It’s like hanging your own signage in front of your door.

How do you get your own domain name? All you have to do is pick the name you want at the time of ordering your web hosting-account. WBCS Web Design and Hostway will take care of the registration process so that you don’t have to deal with all the paperwork and phone calls….

Domain Name Registration
In order for visitors to find your website using the domain name of your choice, you need to do two things. First, you need to reserve your domain name with InterNIC, the organization that registers domain names. Second, you need to provide InterNIC with the nameserver of your domain name, so that the IP address for your domain name can be disseminated throughout the Internet. 
WBCS and Hostway can help with both steps. If you order any of Hostway's Webhosting plans, they will handle the above process free of charge. If you are not yet ready to have a web site but want to reserve just the name, Hostway can handle this procedure for you also. 

If your domain name is already registered, WBCS Web Design and Hostway provides free assistance with domain name transfer process. With our help, transferring your domain name is as easy as 1-2-3.

DSL (digital subscriber line)
Digital subscriber lines carry data at high speeds over standard copper telephone wires. With DSL, data can be delivered at a rate of 1.5 mbps (around 30 times faster than through a 56-kbps modem). Also, DSL users can receive voice and data simultaneously, so small offices can leave computers plugged into the Net without interrupting phone connections. Currently, DSL is expensive because specialized equipment--a splitter--needs to be installed at the subscriber's location. DSL Lite, the consumer-ready version of DSL, requires no such splitter, and promises comparable access speeds at a cheaper rate. xDSL is the collective term for different variations of DSL, such as ADSL and HDSL.

Database

Loosely, any aggregation of data; usually a large collection of data that has been formatted by some user-defined standard. 

DNS -- See Domain Name System. 

Domain name

The official name of a computer connected to the Internet. Domain names are derived from a hierarchical system, with a host name followed by a top-level domain category. The top-level domain categories are com (for commercial enterprises), org (for non-profit organizations), net (for network services providers), mil (for the military), and gov (for government). Some Internet domain names include the computer server name, other sub-domains, and/or country abbreviations (e.g., us). Domain names act as easy-to-remember addresses for product or company information. As such, they are often subject to disputes between competing commercial interests. Most domain names are assigned by the InterNIC. 

Domain Name System -- (abbreviation: DNS) 
A database system which looks up host IP addresses based upon domain names. For example if you ask for "www.thisismyhost.com" it will return "123.45.67.89". Copies of the Domain Name System are distributed through the Internet. 

Download

To transfer data from a larger "host" system to a smaller "client" system's hard drive or other local storage device. See also upload. 

Download charges

Monetary charges associated with downloading a file from a commercial online service. This method of information exchange is not very popular. 

Drag

To move an image or a window from one place on the screen to another by grabbing it and pulling it to a new location. 

Dump

1. A large mass of information that shows the exact contents of computer memory at a particular time. Dumps are used by programmers in the debugging process. 
2. To send a large volume of information to somewhere specific such as a printer or a screen. 
3. A backup or a backup file created by the UNIX dump utility

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- E - 

Email Aliasing
Email forwarding and email aliasing can be used interchangeably. Hostway provides unlimited use of email forwarding. When this is activated, messages sent to a certain email address are forwarded to another address. For example, Bob sends an email to webmaster@yourdomain.com. This message is then automatically forwarded to you@yourisp.com or you@yourdomain.com if you turn on the email forwarding feature on webmaster@yourdomain.com. In this case, webmaster@yourdomain.com is an email alias to either you@yourisp.com and you@yourdomain.com.

Email Autoresponders  
We can set up your site to use Hostway's unlimited use of email autoresponders. An email autoresponder sends an automated email response to each incoming message that is sent to a specific address. Each email address on your account can have a different autoresponder. For example, Bob sends an email to sales@yourdomain.com. The autoresponder sends your prewritten message back to Bob automatically. With this feature, you can improve your company’s image. Your customers know you have received their e-mail, and you are responsive to their needs.

Email Forwarding
When email forwarding is activated, messages sent to a certain email address are forwarded to another address. For example: Joe sends an email to webmaster@yourname.com. The message is forwarded immediately to you@your-ISP.com.

Extranet
Companies often use extranets to provide nonpublic information to a select group of people, such as business partners or customers. So while an extranet may look like an ordinary Web site, you have to enter a password or use digital encryption to access it. For example, Federal Express's customers can track packages on the company's extranet by simply entering a tracking number. And Bank of America's extranet lets users transfer funds or look up account balances online. Using an extranet can help companies save money by allowing customers to find information themselves, without having to call and talk to a person.

Email

Electronic mail, the computer-based exchange of mail. 

Email address

An electronic mail address. Email addresses follow the formula: user-ID@domain-name. 

Email never-neverland

A fictitious "place" where lost email is said to wind up. 

Email overload

The state of being completely overwhelmed by the amount of email one has received. 

Ethernet

A standard method of connecting computers to a local area network using coaxial cable invented by Robert Metcalfe at Xerox PARC in the early 1970s. 

Excite

An Internet search engine at http://www.excite.com 

Execute

To process or run a computer program. 

Eyeballs

A viewing audience for a WWW site. 

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- F - 

Flash  
Flash is a multimedia/animation technology, commonly created by MacroMedia’s Flash software. Flash uses *.swf files and is a client-based application. That is, it runs on the browser and not on the server. From the server side, the Flash “MIME” types are installed, so as long as the browser is Flash enabled, it should work on our systems. MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. It is a method for sending non-text data over the Internet, used by mail servers and web servers. Standard MIME types are already installed on our servers, and custom MIME types can be installed in our Unix plans. Hostway supports Flash on all web hosting and ecommerce plans.

Front Page Extensions  
Hiring a professional web site designer is very expensive. There is a do-it-yourself alternative of using programs such as Microsoft FrontPage, one of the most popular and easy to use web site design and management tools for average people like us. Incidentally, the majority of Hostway customers build and maintain their web sites themselves. It’s a very simple process to go through if you’re equipped with the right software tools. All Unix web hosting and ecommerce plans support FrontPage2002(and older) extensions, and all Windows2000 web hosting plans support FrontPage2002(and older) extensions free of charge so that you can utilize all the advanced FrontPage functionalities.

FrontPage is supported on both UNIX and Windows2000 platform.

FrontPage Extension
In order for you to use all the features that come with your Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000 WebPages editor, FrontPage Extension should be installed for your account. You may request installation of this feature when you place your original order. 

FTP (file transfer protocol)
This Internet protocol is used to copy files between computers--usually a client and an archive site. It's old-fashioned, it's a bit on the slow side, it doesn't support compression, and it uses cryptic Unix command parameters. But the good news is that you can download shareware or freeware apps that shield you from the complexities of Unix, and you can connect to FTP sites using a Web browser.

FTP Access
Used to upload and download your website between your own computer and the Hostway Web servers. You have unlimited FTP access to your account 24 hours a day 365 days a year, allowing you to set up, change, or maintain your web site at any time. 

Facilitated chat

In a facilitated chat, a host or facilitator controls the messages that appear on the chat screen. Usually used when there is a guest speaker. Facilitated chats provide an orderly environment for the guest speaker and ensure that she is not overwhelmed with dozens of questions all being asked at once. See also chat. 

FAQ

Acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. A reference document created for particular topic or group that answers to common beginners' questions. It is considered poor Netiquette to ask a question without first reading the FAQ. 

FidoNet

A worldwide hobbyist network of personal computers started in 1984 that exchanges mail, discussion groups, and files. 

File compression

Reducing the size of files for ease of storage and transfer. WinZip is an example of an application that compresses files; the UNIX compress utility is another. 

File transfer

The process of moving or transmitting a file from one location to another, as between two programs or from one computer to another. 

File Transfer Protocol (abbreviation: FTP) 
An Internet protocol that enables you to transfer files between computers on the Internet. See also anonymous FTP. 

Finger

A UNIX utility that reports information about other users who have UNIX accounts. Finger can tell you, for example, where and when a person last logged in to the system. It can also be used on a single host or across the Internet. 

Firewall

A set of security procedures that separates and protects data on a LAN from crackers who might access the LAN from the Internet. 

Flame

A public post or email message that expresses a strong opinion or criticism. Flames can be fun when they allow people to vent their feelings, then return to the topic at hand. Others are simply insulting and can lead to flame wars. 

Flame bait

An inflammatory post that is designed to provoke a flame war or flame responses. 

Flat-file

1. As a noun, an ASCII text file consisting of records of a single type, in which there is no embedded structure information governing relationships between records. 
2. As an adjective, describes a flattened representation of a database as single file from which the structure could implicitly be rebuilt. 

Font

A typographic style used to display or print characters. Times Roman, Courier, and Helvetica are three examples. 

Forum

A topically-focused discussion group or area. From the traditional Roman forum -- a community area where ideas and proposals are discussed. 

Forwarding

Sending an email message or post from one person to a third party. 

Frame

1. An HTML feature that allows web designers to segment the window of a web browser into distinct sections. 
2. A single complete picture in a moving picture sequence. 

Freenet

A community-based bulletin board system that serves a local geographic community on a non-profit basis. 

FTP -- See File Transfer Protocol. 

FYI -- Abbreviation of For Your Information. 

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- G - 

Garbage

1. A string of unwanted, meaningless, or unintelligible characters produced by error. 
2. Incorrect input to a computer. See GIGO. 

Get a real computer!

An imperative issued as a response to someone who is complaining about not being able to get work done on an obsolete, single-tasking, graphical, or otherwise lame computer. Generally, UNIX systems are considered to be real computers in opposition to Windows-based systems. 

GIF -- See Graphics Interchange Format. 

GIGO

Acronym for Garbage In Garbage Out. Usually said in response to complaints that a program didn't "do the right thing" when given bad or flawed input. See garbage. 

Glitch

A small malfunction. 

Golden Rule of Netiquette

"Remember the Human", the rule upon which all Netiquette is based. Often in electronic communications, it is easy to forget that you are communicating with real people, not just networks of computers. See Netiquette. 

Gopher

A menu-driven program developed at the University of Minnesota that helps you locate and retrieve information on the Internet. 

Go word

The word associated with a forum or area on a commercial online service that allows you to get to that place quickly. 

Graphics Interchange Format (abbreviation: GIF) 
A file format for storing images, commonly used on the web. 

Grep

1. To rapidly scan a large volume of information looking for a particular string or pattern. 
2. A UNIX command used to scan a file or group of files for a matching search string or pattern. 

GUI 

Abbreviation for Graphical User Interface. A set of screen presentations and metaphors that utilize graphic elements such as icons in an attempt to make an operating system easier to use. Unlike UNIX and DOS, which feature a command line interface, the Windows and the Macintosh operating systems present graphical environments for input and output. 

Guru

An expert who acts as a knowledge resource for others and who is generally venerated by the people whose problems he or she solves. 

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- H - 

Hacker

An expert programmer who likes to spend a lot of time figuring out the finer details of computer systems or networks, as opposed to those who learn only the minimum necessary. See also cracker. 

Handle

A nickname used in online communications. 

Hang

1. An unexpected halt of a computer, usually while running an application program. A hung machine is characterized by a total lack of response from the mouse and keyboard. The user can almost never effect a recovery except by turning the computer off and restarting it. 
2. In the construction "hang off", to attach a peripheral device to a computer via a cable. "I'm going to hang another hard drive off my home box." 

Hardwired

A function or capability that is hardcoded into a system. Generally, anything that can not be modified or customized. 

Hello World!

The classic first demonstration program used when teaching a new language. The goal of a "Hello World!" program is simply to print the words "Hello World!" to the screen. See also BASIC, C, Java, and Perl. 

Hit

A single user accessing a single file from a web server. A unit of measure often used erroneously to evaluate the popularity of a web site. 

Holy wars

Ubiquitous online disputes that never end. Common holy wars are fought over Macintosh vs. Windows, UNIX vs. Windows NT, and everyone vs. Microsoft, as well as over societal issues such as abortion, gun control, and pornography. See also flame war. 

Home page

A web page that is topically the main source of information about a particular person, group, or concept. Many people on the web create home pages about themselves for fun; these are also known as vanity pages. 

Hosed

To be totally destroyed or otherwise unusable, as in "my hard drive is hosed" or "the network is totally hosed." 

Host

1. A computer that allows users to communicate with other host computers on a network. 
2. A chat term for someone who is managing a chat. Hosts often act as referees and have the power to turn participants into spectators and vice versa. 

HotBot

An Internet search engine at http://www.hotbot.com 

HTML -- See Hypertext Markup Language. 

HTTP -- See Hypertext Transfer Protocol. 

Hype

Marketing messages that overstate the truth (as in "Don't believe the hype!"). 

Hyperlink

A highlighted word or picture within a hypertext document that when clicked takes you to another place within the document or to another document altogether. 

Hypertext

Text that includes links or shortcuts to other documents, allowing the reader to easily jump from one text to related texts, and consequentially from one idea to another, in a non-linear fashion. Coined by Ted Nelson in 1965. 

Hypertext Markup Language (abbreviation: HTML) 
The tag-based ASCII language used to create pages on the World Wide Web. See also hypertext. 

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (abbreviation: HTTP) 
The protocol used by the World Wide Web to transfer HTML files. 

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Intranet
A play on the word Internet, an intranet is a restricted-access network that works like the Web, but isn't on it. Usually owned and managed by a corporation, an intranet enables a company to share its resources with its employees without confidential information being made available to everyone with Internet access.

ISP (Internet service provider)
Once upon a time, you could only connect to the Internet if you belonged to a major university or had a note from the Pentagon. Not anymore: ISPs have arrived to act as your (ideally) user-friendly front end to all that the Internet offers. Most ISPs have a network of servers (mail, news, Web, and the like), routers, and modems attached to a permanent, high-speed Internet "backbone" connection. Subscribers can then dial into the local network to gain Internet access--without having to maintain servers, file for domain names, or learn Unix.

Icon

A small graphic image that represents a file or application and when clicked upon produces a programmed result. Use of this mnemonic convention originated at Xerox PARC and was subsequently popularized by the Apple Macintosh. Producing an effective icon is non-trivial because of size and color restraints. See iconographer. 

Iconographer

A skillful designer who elevates icon design to an art form. 

Identity hacking

Posing as someone else. Posting anonymously or pseudonymously, usually with the intent to deceive. 

IMHO

Abbreviation for In My Humble Opinion. 

Inbox

A folder where you receive incoming mail. 

Infobahn

A variant of information superhighway. 

Information superhighway

An unimplemented proposal by Vice President Al Gore to wire the US for hundreds of cable television channels. Now synonymous with the Internet. 

Infoseek

An Internet search engine at http://www.infoseek.com 

Install

To load and configure a piece of software on a computer. 

Integrated Services Digital Network (abbreviation: ISDN) 
A technology offered by telephone carriers that allows for the rapid transfer of voice and data. 

Internet

A worldwide network of networks that all use the TCP/IP communications protocol and share a common address space. First incarnated as the ARPANET in 1969, the Internet has metamorphosed from a military internetwork to an academic research internetwork to the current commercial internetwork. It commonly supports services such as email, the World Wide Web, file transfer, and Internet Relay Chat. The Internet is experiencing tremendous growth in the number of users, hosts, and domain names. It is gradually subsuming other media, such as proprietary computer networks, newspapers, books, television, and the telephone. Also known as "the net", "the information superhighway", and "cyberspace". See also ARPANET, domain, and Domain Name Service. 

Internet Explorer

A free web browser application from Microsoft. 

Internet Relay Chat (abbreviation: IRC) 
A chat network that operates over the Internet. Originally evolved from the UNIX talk program, IRC is similar to the chat systems found on commercial online services. 

Internet Service Provider (abbreviation: ISP)

1.      A business that delivers access to the Internet, usually for a monthly fee. PSI, UUNET, and Netcom are examples of established ISPs but there are thousands of smaller ones all Around the world. 

2.      Any business that provides Internet services such as web sites or web site development. 

Internet Society (abbreviation: ISOC) 
To quote its home page at http://info.isoc.org: "The Internet Society is a non-governmental International organization for global cooperation and coordination for the Internet and its internetworking technologies and applications. The Society's individual and organizational members are bound by a common stake in maintaining the viability and global scaling of the Internet. They comprise the companies, government agencies, and foundations that have created the Internet and its technologies as well as innovative new entrepreneurial organizations contributing to maintain that dynamic." 

InterNIC

The InterNIC is the entity that controls the registration of most domain names on the Internet. The InterNIC is a cooperative activity between the National Science Foundation, Network Solutions, Inc. and AT&T. Its home page is at http://internic.net/ 

Interoperability

The ability of software and hardware on multiple machines from multiple vendors to communicate meaningfully. 

Intranet

A private network that uses Internet-related technologies to provide services within an organization. 

IP address

A string of four numbers separated by periods (such as 111.22.3.444) used to represent a computer on the Internet. The format of the address is specified by the Internet Protocol in RFC 791. When a PC accesses the Internet through an ISP, it sometimes receives a temporary IP address. 

IRC -- See Internet Relay Chat. 

ISDN -- See Integrated Services Digital Network. 

ISOC -- See Internet Society. 

ISP -- See Internet Service Provider. 

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- J - 

Jack in

To log in to a machine or connect to a network. Derived from cyberpunk fiction. 

Java

An object oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems. Java is a device independent language, meaning that programs compiled in Java can be run on any computer. Java programs can be run as a free-standing application or as an applet placed on a web page. Applets written in Java are served from a web site but executed on the client computer. Java applets have a built-in security feature which prevents them from accessing the file system of the client computer. See also applet. 

JavaScript

A scripting language that allows lines of Java code to be inserted into HTML scripts. 

Joint Photographic Experts Group (abbreviation: JPEG) 
An image compression standard for still photographs that is commonly used on the web. 

JPEG -- See Joint Photographic Experts Group. 

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Kermit

A protocol used for transferring files over a dial-up connection that is commonly used on BBS systems. 

Kill file

A file used by some USENET reading programs that filters out unwanted messages, usually from a particular author or on a particular subject. If you add someone to your kill file, you arrange for the person to be ignored by your news reader. Originally from Larry Wall's rn program. 

Kluge

A quick fix to a problem that places expediency over elegance. Pronounced "klooj". Variant spelling is "kludge". 

Knowbie

A person who understands the finer details of computer networking. See also hacker, newbie, and power newbie. 

Knowbot

A artificially intelligent computer program that automates the search for animation. 

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- L - 

LAN -- See Local Area Network. 

Leased line

A permanently established connection between computers over a dedicated phone line which is leased from a telephone carrier. See also dedicated line. 

Line noise

Static over a telephone line that interferes with network communications. 

Link

A highlighted word or picture within a hypertext document that when clicked bring you to another place within the document or to another document altogether. See also hyperlink. 

List server

An automated mailing list distribution system. List servers maintain a list of email addresses to be used for mass emailing. Subscribing and unsubscribing to the list is accomplished by sending a properly formatted email message to the list server. 

Local Area Network (abbreviation: LAN) 
A group of computers at a single location (usually an office or home) that are connected by phone lines or coaxial cable. 

LOL -- Abbreviation for Laughing Out Loud. 

Loop

A programming technique of creating a series of repeating actions. Usually, there is some event specified as part of the loop which triggers the ending of the repetitious action. 

Lurk

To hang out in an area without directly participating. For example, when you're new to a discussion group or chat room, it's a good idea to lurk and become familiar with its scope and general rules before posting. Lurking is perfectly acceptable in cyberspace; the negative connotations of the standard English usage does not apply. See also "delurk". 

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Mailman  
Mailman helps you manage email discussion lists. Unlike other similar products, Mailman comes with a web based control panel. It allows users to subscribe, unsubscribe, and etc. over the Web. Even you, the list manager, can administer your list entirely from the web.

All of Hostway’s hosting plans from the Gold plan and up come with at least one Mailman mailing list. This feature enables you to spread important news about your products, services, or other general info to your customers and members.

META Tags consist of three items:

1. Title: Every page of your site (especially the ones you register in search engines) should have a proper title. At a minimum, this should include your company or product name and a description. Keep this title content length to 69 characters. This information may be displayed in a search engine. Title tag content will also appear when your site is bookmarked or placed in a favorites folder.

2. Keywords: These should match the words that someone would enter in a search to find your site. Include the following: your company name, products, your product category, the plural of those words, and possible misspellings or acronyms.

3. Description: This is the description that will show with your listing in a search engine. The description should make you want to visit the site or solve a problem for the visitor

<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="ALL">

Use a comma-separated list of one or more of those terms. Their meanings are

• ALL -- same as INDEX,FOLLOW (default)
• INDEX -- index this page
• NOINDEX -- do not index this page
• FOLLOW -- follow links from this page
• NOFOLLOW -- do not follow links from this page
• NONE -- same as NOINDEX,NOFOLLOW (robots should ignore this page and should not follow links from this page.

Not all sites recognize the ROBOTS meta tag, but some of the major ones do (Excite, Infoseek, Lycos, and WebCrawler).

In fact, most search engines do not recognize all meta tags. Some will use your title tag for a description of the page, others will use the description meta tag, others will use both the description tag, title tag and the keyword tag to rate the "relevancy" of your page. Others will also read the top two sentences or the bottom two sentences to help judge "relevancy." Do not overload your page with keywords, this is called spamdexing and will actually more often than not penalize your page with a lower relevancy ranking.

mSQL
A database engine. Hostway provides support for creating a simple searchable database. More complex database-website interfaces requires custom programming. More information on mSQL can be found at  http://www.hughes.com.au

Machine -- Commonly used for "computer". 

Machine language

A program in the form of a series of binary codes that are understandable by the CPU. 99.9% of the time programmers write their code in another "higher level" programming language which in turn translates their code into machine language. 

Mailbomb

The act of sending massive amounts of email to a single address with the malicious intent of disrupting the system of the recipient. Mailbombing is considered a serious breach of Netiquette and is probably illegal. 

Mailing list

A discussion group that occurs via mass email distributions. Mailing lists are usually maintained by individuals utilizing list server software. List servers maintain a list of email addresses to be used for the mailing list. Subscribing and unsubscribing to the list is accomplished by sending a properly formatted email message to the list server. There are two types of mailing lists: moderated and unmoderated. To send a message to an unmoderated list, you email it to the list server which automatically emails your message to every name on the list. To send a message to a moderated list, you email it to the mailing list's moderator who would then send it on to the list server for distribution. 

Mainframe

A high-level computer designed for intensive computational tasks and used by large corporations. Mainframes are often shared by multiple users connected to the computer via terminals. Originally refers to the cabinet containing the CPU of a room-sized batch-processing machine. 

Matrix

A superset of the Internet that includes all networks and computers that can exchange email. 

Mbone -- See Multicast Backbone. 

Meltdown

A state of complete network overload that grinds all traffic to a halt. 

Menu

A list of options, each of which performs a desired action such as choosing a command or applying a particular format to a part of a document. Menu's are commonly used in graphical interfaces. 

Message header

The information at the beginning of an email or bulletin board message. Message headers contain the identities of the author and recipients, the subject of the message, and the date the message was sent. 

MIME -- See Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. 

Mirror site

A server which contains a duplicate of another WWW or FTP site. Mirror sites are created when the traffic on the original site becomes too heavy for a single server. Often mirror sites are located in different geographic areas allowing users to choose the site closest to them. 

Mission critical

Indispensable. Usually describes applications such as databases or process control software that are deemed essential to a company's operation and that typically run on mainframes or workstation rather than on personal computers. A nuclear power plant's operator console software is mission critical. 

Modem

A device that enables a computer to send and receive information over a telephone line. Internal modems are circuit cards that are plugged straight into the computer's motherboard. External modems are small electronic boxes attached to the serial port with a cable. 

Moderator

A person or small group of people who manage a mailing list or newsgroup. Moderators determine which messages can be seen by the entire group. See also mailing list. 

Mods

Hacker slang for modifcations to hardware or software, especially bug fixes or minor design changes. 

Moof

When you get disconnected from the Internet for no apparent reason, it's common to blame the Moof monster. For example, when returning to a chat after being unintentionally disconnected, you can tell your cyberbuddies, "Sorry I left so suddenly, I got moofed!" 

MorF? -- Abbreviation of "Male of Female?" 

Mosaic

The original WWW browser developed at University of Illinois. Mosaic has been superceded by commercial browsers like Netscape Navigator. 

MUD -- See Multi-User Dungeon. 

Multi-User Dungeon (abbreviation: MUD) 
An online fantasy role-playing game environment that takes place in telnet sessions. MUDs occur in text mode -- similar to a chat environment -- where the players assume the identities of fictional characters and follow a series of rules which guide the adventure. 

Multicast Backbone (abbreviation: Mbone) 
A high speed network protocol used to broadcast audio and video over the Internet. 

Multimedia Gulch

The South of Market area of San Francisco where many Internet development firms are located. 

Multiplexor

A complex piece of telephone equipment which combines the data stream of several leased lines for transmission over a single higher bandwidth leased line. Multiplexors are used in the construction of WANs. 

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (abbreviation: MIME) 
An extension to Internet email which provides the ability to transfer non-textual data, such as graphics, audio and fax. 

Multitasking

1. A mode of operation offered by an operating system in which a computer works on more than one task or application at a time. 
2. Also can describe people who excel at juggling several tasks at once, as opposed to those who work from task to task in a linear fashion

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- N - 

Nanosecond

A measurement of time. There are 1,000,000,000 nanoseconds in a second. 

Nastygram

A disapproving or flaming piece of email. 

Navigator

A web browser application from Netscape. 

NDA -- See Non-Disclosure Agreement. 

Netiquette

Network etiquette, or the set of informal rules of behavior that have evolved in Cyberspace, including the Internet and online services. 

Netlag

A condition that occurs on the Internet in which response time is greatly slowed due to heavy traffic. 

Netnews

The content of USENET. See also USENET. 

Network

A group of computers or devices that are connected together for the exchange of data and sharing of resources. 

Net god

An individual who has achieved an exulted status due to notable technical accomplishments. This accolade is most frequently applied to those who have played a role in creating and developing USENET or the Internet. 

Net lingo

The slang commonly used on the Internet. 

Net police

Those who feel it's their appointed role to flame perceived violations of Netiquette. 

Net surfing

Browsing or exploring a network or the World Wide Web to find places of interest, usually without a specific goal in mind. Analogous to channel surfing with a TV remote control. 

Newbie

A network newcomer, one who is new to the world of online communications. Sometimes used incorrectly as a pejorative term, as in "clueless newbie." See also power newbie and knowbie. 

Newsgroup

A public place where messages are posted for public consumption and response. The most available distribution of newsgroups is USENET which contains over ten thousand unique newsgroups covering practically every human proclivity. The names of newsgroups are comprised of a string of words separated by periods, such as "rec.humor.funny" or "misc.jobs.offered". The first word (i.e. "rec" or "misc") represents the top level category of newsgroups. The second word (in these examples "humor" and "jobs") represents a subcategory of the first level, and the third word a subcategory of the second. 

Non-Disclosure Agreement (abbreviation: NDA) 
A contract commonly used by computer companies to protect the confidentiality of unreleased products. Software developers, reporters, and sometimes beta testers are often required to sign these before they are given access to either information about upcoming products or the product itself. 

NSFnet

One of the Internet's primary backbone networks. 

Nuke

To intentionally delete the entire contents of a given directory, hard drive, or storage volume. 

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OS (operating system)
A computer by itself is essentially dumb bits of wire and silicon. An operating system knows how to talk to this hardware and can manage a computer's functions, such as allocating memory, scheduling tasks, accessing disk drives, and supplying a user interface. Without an operating system, software developers would have to write programs that directly accessed hardware--essentially reinventing the wheel with every new program. With an operating system, such as Windows NT or Mac OS 8, developers can write to a common set of programming interfaces called APIs and let the operating system do the dirty work of talking to the hardware.

Objects

In programming terminology, a freestanding chunk of code that defines the properties of some thing. For example, this Netdictionary applet is an object that contains button objects, scrolling list objects, window objects, URL objects, definition objects, etc. Not all programming languages use this object model; the ones that do are said to be object-oriented. 

Object Oriented Programming (abbreviation: OOP) 
A style of computer programming which entails building of independent pieces of code which interact with each other. For example, JAVA and C++ are object oriented programming languages. 

Offline

1. As an adjective, not connected to a computer network. 
2. As an adverb, not here or not now, as in "Let's take this discussion offline." Often used to indicate that a topic should be discussed privately rather than in a public forum. 

Online

1. Currently connected to a host, opposite of offline. 
2. Referring to anything connected to a computer network. 

OOP -- See Object Oriented Programming. 

Operating system

The master set of programs responsible for overseeing the basic hardware resources of a computer such as disks, memory, keyboard, screen, and CPU time. UNIX, DOS, Windows, Macintosh System 7, and IBMs VM are examples of operating systems. 

Orthogonal

In mathematics, relating to or composed of right angles. Generalized to mean independent of , separate from, or irrelevant to. For example, a message about the weather in Nebraska might be orthogonal to a discussion of the Java programming language. 

Outbox

A folder where you store mail before it about to be sent. 

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POP (Post Office Protocol)
The current champ in Internet email mailbox access standards, but its limitations--basically, you connect to a server and download all your messages, which are then deleted from the server--discourage flexibility. Of course, some clients let you leave all messages on the server, and/or refuse to download messages above a certain size. Still, as messages become longer--with multimedia (such as sound or video) objects and the likes--we'll want some flexibility in what we retrieve and when we retrieve it. That's where IMAP comes in. The current version of POP is POP3.

POP3 Email Accounts  
These are your email boxes in Hostway’s server that can be accessed directly to retrieve your mail using such programs as Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, Outlook Express and Netscape Mail. Each POP account has its own password to ensure privacy. For example, let’s say you have 5 employees, each needing his or her own email address that needs to be checked individually. Then each of your employees will receive a POP3 email account. The advantage to POP3 Email Accounts is that you can check your email from anywhere in the world where you have access to the Internet. POP stands for Post Office Protocol.

How is this different than email aliases? Per POP3 email account, you can have multiple email aliases. Let’s say your POP3 email account is johndoe@yourdomain.com. You can have johnd@yourdomain.com, jdoe@yourdomain.com, doe@yourdomain.com all point to johndoe@yourdomain.com.

POP3 Email Accounts
These are your email mail boxes in our server that can be accessed directly to retrieve your mail using such programs as Eudora, Outlook Express, and Netscape Mail. Each POP3 account has its own password to ensure privacy. You can check your email from anywhere around the world that you have access to the Internet. 
packet -- A unit of data sent across a network. When a large block of data is to be sent over a network, it is broken up into several packets, sent, and the reassembled at the other end. Packets often include checksum codes to detect transmission errors. The exact layout of an individual packet is determined by the protocol being used. 

Packet sniffing

The intentional and usually illegal act of intercepting packets of data being transmitted over the Internet and searching them for information. 

Parse

To search through a stream of text and either break it up into useful chunks of information or reformat it in some other manner. 

Password

A secret code that you utilize along with your user ID in order to log on to a network. 

Path

The hierarchical description of where a directory, folder, or file is located on your computer or on a network 

PC -- See personal computer. 

Perl

A programming language whose acronym stands for "Practical Extraction and Report Language". Perl is a powerful, yet unstructured language that is especially good for writing quick and dirty programs that process text files. Because of these abilities, Perl is a common choice of programmers for writing CGI scripts to automate input and output from web pages. Perl was invented in 1986 by Larry Wall and is available to anyone at no charge. 

Personal computer (abbreviation: PC) 
The original personal computer model introduced by IBM in 1981. Because IBM was late to enter the desktop computer field, it created the PC with an "open architecture" so that it could compete with the then popular Apple II computers. This open architecture meant that any computer manufacturer could legally manufacture PC-compatible machines that could run the same software as IBM's PC. Since IBM purchased its CPU chips from Intel and its operating system (DOS) from Microsoft, makers of PC-compatibles (called clones at the time) were able to utilize the same chips and OS as IBM. As a result, PCs became the most popular home computer, IBM's fortunes dropped, and Microsoft and Intel became the multi-million dollar companies that they are today. Current popular usage of the term PC refers to both IBM produced personal computers and PC-compatible computers produced by other manufacturers. 

PGP -- See Pretty Good Privacy. 

PING

Abbreviation for Packet InterNet Groper. A connection testing program that sends a self-returning packet to a host and times how long it takes to return. 

Plug-ins

Third party add-on software that adds new features to a commercial application. Many companies have written plug-ins for Netscape Navigator. 

Point of Presence  (abbreviation: POP) 
A site that has a collection of telecommunications equipment, usually refers to ISP or telephone company sites. 

Point-to-Point Protocol  (abbreviation: PPP) 
A protocol used by TCP/IP routers and PCs to send packets over dial-up and leased-line connections. 

POP -- See Point of Presence. 

Post

To send a message to a public area like a BBS or newsgroup where it can be read by many others. 

Postmaster

The name given to the person in charge of administrating email for a particular site. According to convention, mail sent to postmaster@foo.com should be read by a real live person. 

Power newbie

An enthusiastic newbie (network newcomer) who takes advantage of educational resources in an effort to become a knowbie. Power newbies share their knowledge with other newbies both face-to-face and in bulletin boards and chat rooms. See also newbie and knowbie. 

PPP -- See Point-to-Point Protocol. 

Pretty Good Privacy (abbreviation: PGP) 
A program, developed by Phil Zimmerman, that uses cryptography to protect files and electronic mail from being read by others. PGP also includes a feature which allows users to digitally "sign" a document or message, in order to provide non-forgable proof of authorship. 

Prodigy

A commerical online service. 

Program

A series of instructions that tell a computer what to do. Also to create or revise a program. 

Programming language

A computer language that programmers utilize to create programs. C, Perl, Java, BASIC, and COBOL are examples of programming languages. In essence, programming languages are translators that take words and symbols and convert them to binary codes that the CPU can understand. See also BASIC, C, and Java. 

Protocol