• •

glossary a - c I d - f I g - i I j - l I m - o I p - r I s - u I v -z

a-c active x ad banner adobe acrobat aliasing & anti-aliasing application server authentication b2b b2c backbone bandwidth browser compatibility CGI chat room cold fusion cookies d-f dedicated hosting DHTML domain name download e-commerce encryption ethernet extranet firewall flash frame relay frames FTP g-i gateway page GIF hacker host HTML intranet IP address j-l java javascript JPEG or JPG keyword linux m-o meta tag MIDI MP3 nav bar  network not found 404 optimization p-r platform portal positioning query RealAudio reciprocal link s-u script search engine server spam SQL SQL Server SSL sticky content T-1 T-3 thumbnail UNIX URL v-z vertical portal virtual hosting web designer web developer webmaster webring XML Yahoo Zip     meta tag An optional HTML tag that is used to specify information about a web document. Some search engines such as AltaVista will use "spiders" to index web pages. These spiders will read the information contained within a page's META tag. This allows an HTML or web page author the ability to control how there site is indexed by the search engines and how and when it will "come up" on a search. MIDI (musical digital interface) A connectivity standard which enables computers, musical instruments, and synthesizers to hook together in order to make and orchestrate digital sound. Pronounced "middy," the term is used to describe the standard itself, the hardware that supports the standard, and files that store information that the hardware can use. MIDI files are like digital sheet music--they contain instructions for musical notes, tempo, and instrumentation--and are widely used in game soundtracks and recording studios. MIDI sound files usually have an extension of ".mid". If you come across any of these files on the Internet you will need a application configured to work on your system in order to play one of these sound files. Although not supported by all browsers, MIDI files are one of a few different file formats which can be embedded on a Web page with the BG SOUND= HTML tag, which will enable the sound file to play when the Web page is accessed. return to  top MP3 MP3 is one of the most popular formats for storing music on the Internet. It is an open format that compresses large music files into smaller versions without jeopardizing the audio quality. It is a new standard for digital audio compression because it is capable of compressing about 12:1 while still preserving sound quality.  nav bar (navigation bar) The set of directional tools you are presented with on a Web site. The options listed and hyperlinked on a web page - will usually be determined by the names of the main sections of a Web site. Inherent to the name "web" almost all web pages are "linked" in numerous places to additional pages. Nav bars are implemented to help guide a user through the site. network Two or more computers that are connected. LAN (local area network) is one of the most common types of networks: The computers are near each other, like in the same office space, room or building and WAN (wide area network) is when the computers are at different locations and are connected by telephone lines or radio waves. return to  top not found 404 You can get the message "The Requested URL was not found on this server" which means that the Web page you were wanting to see has either moved to a new address, you were given an incorrect address, or that the page no longer being maintained by whoever originally put it out there (and so no longer exists on the Web). optimization To improve the positioning of a web page with one or more search engines and as a means of helping potential customers or visitors find a web site. Optimization may involve design/layout changes, new text for the title-tags, meta-tags, alt- attributes, headings, and changes to the first few hundred words of the main text. A large image map at the top of a page should be moved further down the page. Frames should be avoided (unless navigational links are also provided within the frames). platform The type of computer or operating system on which a software application runs. For example, some common platforms are PC, Macintosh, Unix, and NeXT. A cross-platform is when someone knows more than one of these platforms or when a program can be used on one or more of these platforms, it is known as cross-platform. return to  top portal Web sites that serve as starting points to other destinations or activities on the Web. Sometimes thought of as a "home base", portals attempt to provide "all of your Internet needs in one location." Portals will usually provide services such as e-mail, online chat forums, shopping, searching, content, newsfeeds and practically everything else you can imagine and can be helpful to serve as an entry point to organize the complex and sometimes chaotic online environment. Portals originated as an attempt to get more people on a web site in order to generate more advertising revenue and are an great example of how to take advantage of building user loyalty utilizing sticky content. positioning The process of organizing web sites or web pages by a search engine or a directory so that the most relevant sites will appear first There is software on the market such as PositionAgent, RankThis and Webposition that can be helpful in determining how a URL is positioned for particular search engines using a specific search phrase. query A question, usually used in connection with a search engine or database to find a specific file, web site, record or set of records in a database. return to  top RealAudio RealAudio by Progressive Networks is a client-server software system which enables Internet and online users equipped with conventional multimedia personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines to browse, select, and play back audio or audio-based multimedia content in real time and on demand. reciprocal link A hyperlink or link placed on one Web site to return the favor of another site putting a link on their page. return to  top script In the context of the World Wide Web, a (gateway) script is a program that runs on a server and processes requests based on input from the browser search engine A program which acts as a catalog for the Internet. Search engines try to index and locate desired information by searching for keywords in which a user specifies. These lists are either built from specific resource lists (as is the case with a search directory) or created by Web programs, with insect names like bots, spiders, crawlers, and worms. Search engines can sometimes be a quite tiresome and in some cases not very efficient if you don't know how to use them correctly. In fact, different engines are good for different kinds of searches so it's recommended that you read the advanced search section of the engine's Web site. server A host computer on a network that holds information such as "web sites" and will respond to requests for information. The term server is also used to describe the software that makes the act of serving information possible. Commerce servers, for example, use software to run the main functions of an e-commerce Web site, such as product display, online ordering, and inventory management. You'll also hear this described as "shopping cart technology." return to  top spam To send identical and irrelevant postings to many different newsgroups or mailing lists. Usually this posting is something that has nothing to do with the particular topic of a newsgroup or of no real interest to the person on the mailing list. This is considered to be a serious violation of netiquette.  spider A program that crawls the Internet to find new, publicly accessible resources such as documents, files available in public FTP archives, and Gopher documents. Also called wanderers or robots (bots), spiders contribute their discoveries to a database, which Internet users can search by using an Internet-accessible search engine. Spiders are necessary due to the rate at which people are creating new Internet documents and significantly exceeds manual indexing capacity. SQL (structured query language) The standardized query language for requesting information from a database. The original version called SEQUEL (structured English query language) was designed by an IBM research center in 1974 and 1975. SQL was first introduced as a commercial database system in 1979 by Oracle Corporation. return to  top SQL server A Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS) from Sybase Corporation. SQL Server was designed for client/server use and is accessed by applications utilizing SQL. It runs on OS/2, Windows NT, NetWare servers, VAXen, and UNIX workstations. Usually any database management system (DBMS) that can respond to queries from client machines formatted in the SQL language. When capitalized, the term generally refers to one of two database management products from Sybase and Microsoft. Both companies offer client-server DBMS products called SQL Server. SSL (secured sockets layer) A protocol that delivers server authentication, data encryption, and message integrity. SSL is placed behind application protocols such as HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, FTP, Gopher, and NNTP, and is layered above the connection protocol TCP/IP. SSL's strategy is to operate independently of the Internet application protocols. With SSL implemented on both the client and server, your Internet communications are transmitted in an encrypted form and is information that can be trusted to arrive privately and unaltered to the server you specify. sticky content This refers to the concept that the web site has a compelling reason for users to frequently come back to visit. This can be achieved by getting the user to leave some information behind on the site, such as a personal profile, an investment portfolio, a resume, a list of preferred cities for weather reports, personal horoscopes, newsletter sign-up, birthday/gift reminders, etc. The concept is that once a user has taken the time to upload all of this personal information on that particular site, they are likely to "stick around" and reuse that site again, which limits the possibility of switching to another site which may provide similar services. return to  top T-1 A leased line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits-per-second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a megabyte in less than 10 seconds. That is still not fast enough for full-screen, full-motion video, for which you need at least 10,000,000 bits-per-second. T-1 is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to the Internet. T-3 A leased line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits-per-second. This is more than enough to do full-screen, full-motion video thumbnail A graphic or image intentionally made smaller in size in order to feature multiple images on the same web page at the same time. This is a standard practice on the web since it gives the user the chance to choose the image they would like to see in a larger format. This can usually be done by simply clicking your mouse on it. return to  top UNIX An operating system invented in 1969 at AT&T Bell Laboratories which was made available to researchers and students in 1973. It was used to develop the Internet's communication software protocols.The turning point in UNIX's history came when it was re-implemented almost entirely in C during 1972--1974, making it the first source-portable operating system. UNIX subsequently underwent vast changes and expansions at the hands of many different people, resulting in a very flexible and developer-friendly environment. By 1991, UNIX had become the most widely used multi-user general-purpose operating system in the world.  URL (uniform resource locator) Describes the access and location method of a resource found on the Internet. The URL http://www.ocwebsolution.com describes the type of access method being used (http) and the server location which hosts the web site (www.ocwebsolution.com). All web sites have URLs and is similar to what a telephone number is to a telephone or a street address is to a house. Although some URLs can be hard to read or remember, browsers like Netscape and AOL have a bookmark feature which allows you to save the location (URL) of web sites you want to return to. vertical portal A web site that caters to consumers within a specific industry. These web sites are usually industry specific, and like a portal, make use of Internet technology by using the same kind of personalization technology. Another definition of a vertical portal is one that serves solely to other businesses. Most business-to-business sites describe themselves as a "portal", however a more likely definition is a vertical portal due to the delivery of content and services focused on their particular niche. return to  top virtual hosting When a web site is developed it will need a server or a company to host it. Virtual hosting will allow multiple sites to reside on the same server (in fact hundreds or thousands of Web sites may reside on the same server) however no one will have access to your directories. Unlike dedicated hosting, there tends to be a lot more traffic and may result in less bandwidth and slower downloads. web designer An individual or firm that focuses on the aesthetic and navigational Architect of a web site and it's presentation and functionality. How the site "looks" and "feels" is the responsibility of the web designer.  A fundamental factor to being a successful web designer usually requires a person to be on the artistic side, however, they should also possess an extensive knowledge of web based programming, art, and information architecture. This person/firm can usually create an on-line web production on their own with little "outside" help. Good client relational skills a must! web developer A person who architecturally "builds" web sites from a technical standpoint and who researches and provides programming for a particular web product or function to work.  return to  top webmaster A commonly used term that can refer to many different types of individuals involved with a web site. It is the person who maintains, "runs", or "watches over" the content and functionality of a web site and serves as an ambassador for the site. The Webmaster is the person to which all feedback and correspondence for a Web site is usually sent to. An important point to keep in mind is that the term "Webmaster" (like ambassador) is NOT gender specific; it can refer to a man or a woman, or even a group of people who perform the functions described above. The term Webmistress evolved anyway since many women also perform these functions. webring A WebRing is an Internet service and concept which links together a group of sites that have the same theme. In each WebRing, member web sites have banded together to place their sites into linked circles. Their primary purpose is to allow more visitors to reach them quickly and easily. XML (extensible markup languange) A programming language/specification developed by the W3C. XML is a pared-down version of SGML, designed especially for web documents. It enables web authors and designers to create their own customized tags to provide functionality not available with HTML. For example, XML supports links that point to multiple documents, as opposed to HTML links, which can reference just one destination each. return to  top Yahoo! A World Wide Web subject tree created by David Filo and Jerry Yang of the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University. Filo and Yang created a directory of Web resources that performs a reported 10 million searches across the World Wide Web each week. ZIP A Microsoft Windows based compressed file. Commonly referred to as a "ZIP file," it can hold one or many files as well as a directory structure. On the Internet, large graphics and programs are usually compressed into ZIP files and then made available for download. After you download this file you need to use a decompression software program to "UNZIP" the file. (we recommend "winzip") It may sound a bit complicated but in fact, the process of "zipping" and "unzipping" files is quite easy and it comes in handy when you want to send digital photos or large files. return to  top