Internet Glossary of Terms
	The Internet has created a frenzy and with it has come a whole new vocabulary of three-letter acronyms and buzzwords. Here are some basic definitions for terms that you may have heard. 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 Address, web page: The specific location of one single Web page on the Internet. A Web page address is a unique combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that identifies one single HTML file within a larger Web site. For example, if you wanted to see the main support page within the Concentric web site, you would type the following string into your browser: http://support.concentric.net/index.html. Address, web site: The specific location of a Web site on the Internet. A Web site address is a unique combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that identifies a collection of HTML files that are collectively referred to as a Web site. For example, if you wanted to see the Web site for Concentric Network, you would type the following into your browser: http://www.concentric.net. Address, e-mail: The specific location of a person’s electronic mailbox on the Internet. An e-mail address typically consists of a variation of the person’s name followed by an @ symbol followed by the domain of the service on which the electronic mailbox is stored (example: user@concentric.net). E-mail addresses are usually all lowercase letters. ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): A common Internet protocol for transferring data across the Internet. ATM is a dedicated-connection switching technology that organizes digital data into cells or "packets" and transmits them over a connection using digital signal technology. Autoresponders: An autoresponder is an automatic reply for your email account that you can create and customize. For example, using an autoresponder could mean that all messages sent to Info@YourDomain.com receive an automatic reply when you're out of the office or away on vacation.
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	B Backbone, Internet: A larger transmission line that carries data gathered from smaller connections that interconnect with it. A backbone is a set of paths that local or regional ISP networks connect to for long-distance interconnection. The local or regional ISP network connects to the backbone at a network access point (NAP). Bandwidth: A measure of the amount of data that can be sent across a connection per unit of time. Bandwidth is normally measured in megabits per sec (Mbps); a megabit being one million bits. The amount of bandwidth a Web server requires depends on the applications that will be running on the Web server. Simple HTML Web pages do not require a large amount of bandwidth, but full-motion video requires a large amount of bandwidth. Browser, web: A computer program that opens and displays Web pages. The most popular Web browsers are Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. You need a Web browser to access the Web.
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	C CGI Scripts: Common Gateway Interface: A standard way for a Web server to pass a user's request to an application program and to receive data back to forward to a user. CGI scripts are used for tasks such as submitting forms to a Web server. In this example, an application program as part of the submission process must process the form. The Web server will typically pass the information in the form to a small application program that processes the data. The application may send back a confirmation message telling the user that the form was submitted correctly or incorrectly. The method for passing the form data back and forth between the Web server and the application program is called the common gateway interface (CGI). Co-location: The provisioning of space for a customer’s Web server in the ISP’s data center. Co-location is a basic service offered by Web hosts for customers who own their own Web servers. Co-location includes the rental of space in the data center as well as the connection of the Web server to the Internet. CyberCash™: A commercial provider of digital cash services. Digital cash is a system of purchasing cash credits in relatively small amounts, storing the credits in your computer, and then spending them when making electronic purchases over the Internet.
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	D Data Transfer: When a visitor downloads information from your Web site, data is transferred from your site to that person's computer. Data Transfer bandwidth is the total amount of data that can be downloaded from your Web site each month. The amount of data transferred is measured in gigabytes. Disk Space: A measure of the quantity of a Web server’s hard disk space allocated to each Web hosting customer. Disk space is normally measured in megabytes (MB). Disk space is one of the variables by which most Web hosting companies charge their customers. The total disk space your Web site will require is simply the sum of the size of each Web site file. HTML files take up almost no disk space compared to larger picture, graphic, and audio/visual files. Domain Name: The specific address of a computer on the Internet - (see address, web page). A domain name is a combination of the top- and second-level domains. This combination uniquely identifies one computer on the Internet. The alphanumeric equivalent of an IP address. Domain, second level: The domain level that identifies a group within the top-level domain - (see Domain, top level). Second level domains are used to identify one group or company. For example, “concentric” in concentric.net is a second-level domain name underneath the “.net” top-level domain. Domain, top level: A general domain level for a group of computers on the Internet. In the United States, there are currently six top level domains: Commercial (.com), Network (.net), Government (.gov), Military (.mil), Organization (.org), and Education (.edu). Other countries have different top level domains. Download: To copy a file from a computer on the Internet to your personal computer. All Web pages are downloaded from the Internet. When you enter a URL into your Web browser, the files that accompany that URL are copied and sent to your computer where they are displayed using your Web browser.
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	E Email POP Boxes: A POP (Post Office Protocol) account is a standard email account that you can access using an email client like EarthLink MailBox, Outlook, or Eudora. When you create a POP account, you're dedicating a place on your Web hosting server where the account stores and accesses email messages. Using a POP account lets you have access to messages that you have downloaded even when you're not connected to the Internet. Electronic Commerce: Buying and selling over the Internet. Any transaction where a customer purchases a product or service at a Web site, as opposed to calling a telephone number to purchase the product or service, is considered electronic commerce.
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	F Firewall: A set of related programs located at the gateway server of a network that protects information contained within the network from users outside the network (on the Internet). Companies with an Intranet that also allows workers to access to the wider Internet installs a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing its own private data resources. FTP Access: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) programs let you upload and download files to your Web site. Using an FTP program like WS_FTP, CuteFTP, or Fetch, you can change and update what people see when they visit your Web site online.
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	H Host, web: A company that hosts Web sites. The most common Web host is an ISP. The size and scope of the Web host’s computer network and the quality and configuration of the hardware system on which Web sites are stored and delivered to the Internet determine the performance and reliability of the Web host. Hosting, web: The storage of a Web site and delivery of that Web site to the Internet. Web hosting has two basic parts: Web pages are stored and Web pages are delivered to the Internet. Web hosting may be shared or dedicated. Hosting, dedicated: A web server that delivers Web page content for a single customer. Enterprise and Internet-centric customers who require a secure, high-performance hosting solution for a popular Web site typically seek dedicated hosting. Hosting, shared: A web server that delivers Web page content for multiple customers. Shared hosting is a flexible Web hosting solution for individuals and small businesses. Shared hosting provides lower cost while retaining performance and reliability of a dedicated hosting solution. HTML: Hypertext markup language. A system of codes (called tags) that control the appearance and function of Web pages. HTML is a universal language that all computers can understand allowing computers from different manufacturers with different operating systems to understand each other. HTML tags format the Web page text, insert links to other Web sites, position pictures and graphics on the Web pages, and draw tables and borders for the page. HTTP: Hypertext transfer protocol. The language used to request and transfer Web pages across the Internet. Every Web page address starts with the header “http://” or “https://”. The only difference between the two is that the "s" stands for a secure connection.
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	I Internet: A public interconnection of various computer networks around the world. Millions of computers around the world are connected to thousands of different computer networks. These different computer networks are connected all connected together at network access points around the world. The Internet is the sum of all these networks connected together. Internet Service Provider: A single computer network, connected to the Internet that provides access for individual computers to the Internet. ISPs provide local dial-up access for your personal computer to their computer network. When you dial-in and connect to their network, you connected to the Internet since their network is part of the Internet. InterNIC: The organization that registers the .com, .edu, .gov, .net, and .org domain names on the Web. If you are creating or already have a Web site for which you would like to have your own domain name, you must register the domain name with InterNIC. The registration fee (after April 1, 1998) is $70 for the first two years and $35 a year thereafter. Reputable ISPs will register a domain name for you without additional charge. Intranet: A private network of various computers within an organization. An Intranet is used to share company information and computing resources among employees. An Intranet uses regular Internet protocols and in general looks like a private version of the Internet. IP Address: The specific address of a computer on the Internet - (see Address, web site). An IP address is a 32-bit number that identifies each sender or receiver of information that is sent across the Internet.
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	J JAVA: A computer language created by Sun Microsystems compatible with many different types of computers and hand-held devices. Web developers write JAVA “applets”, small programs written in JAVA, that run on Web pages. Examples include games such as tic-tac-toe and programs that let you calculate mortgage interest. JavaScript: A system of programming codes created by Netscape that can be imbedded into HTML to create additional functionality not supported by HTML. JavaScript programming codes allow Web developers to insert functionality into Web sites such as animation and interactivity.
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	K Keyword: Words and phrases used by search engines to categorize Web site content. When Internet users want to find Web sites on a given topic, they type keywords into a search engine. The search engine then delivers sites that have content that includes the keywords.
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	M Merchant ID: An account number from a merchant bank that allows a company to accept credit-card payments. Merchant banks establish bank accounts for the purpose of enabling companies to accept credit card payments. The merchant bank account allows a company to receive and process credit card transactions online and transfers money from the buyer’s account to the seller’s account.
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	N NAP: Network Access Point. One of several major Internet interconnection points in the United States that serve to tie all the Internet access providers together. NAPs were created and supported by the National Science Foundation as part of the transition from the original U.S. government-financed Internet to a commercially operated Internet. Companies apply to use the NAP facilities and make their own inter-company peering arrangements. Much Internet traffic is handled without involving NAPs, using peering arrangements and interconnections within geographic regions. NT, Microsoft: A computer operating system by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft NT is a popular operating system for higher-end computers called workstations as well as Web servers and other types of servers.
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	S Search Engine: A computer program that searches the Web to find Web pages on a given subject. Search Engines help you find information on the Web. Some well-known search engines are Alta Vista, Excite, HotBot, Lycos, Infoseek, Web Crawler, and Yahoo!. Server: A fast, high-power computer that is used as the repository and distributor of data, and to control various applications such as e-mail. Servers can be used for a variety of applications including hosting Web sites, e-mail databases, and other types of database applications. Shopping Cart: A list of items a customer wants to purchase from an online storefront. Shopping cart software allows customers on an electronic commerce Web site to select items they wish to purchase and store them in their virtual shopping cart. Customers can view, add, or delete items in their shopping cart before making their electronic purchase. Solaris™: A computer operating system by Sun Microsystems. Solaris is a popular operating system for higher-end computers called workstations as well as Web servers and other types of servers. SSL: Secure Socket Layer. SSL is a technology that provides security for Web site transactions. SSL handles authentication and data encryption between a Web browser and a Web server. Most electronic commerce applications on the Web use SSL.
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	T Traffic: A measure of the quantity of data transferred from one computer to another computer per unit of time. Traffic is normally measured in megabytes (MB). For billing purposes, traffic is normally quotes in MB per month. Traffic is one of the variables by which most Web hosting companies charge their customers.
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	U UNIX: An open-standard computer operating system for Web servers and other server and workstation applications. UNIX originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system. UNIX has evolved into a type of freeware product, with many extensions and new ideas provided in a variety of versions of UNIX by different companies, universities, and individuals. Various versions of UNIX are available from a number of companies.
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	W Web Developer: An individual or company that specializes in the development of Web sites. Web developers handle all programming aspects of creating a Web site including HTML programming, creating graphics, adding pictures, creating links, and everything else that goes into building a Web site. Web Host: (See Host, web) Web Hosting: (See Hosting, web) Web Publishing Software: Software that allows a user to write HTML without having HTML programming experience. Two of the most popular examples of web publishing software are Adobe PageMill and Microsoft FrontPage. They contain all the tools necessary to create a Web site.
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