Glossary
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(Address) Record
Address records assign a hostname (e.g.: support.example.com) to
a specific IP address (e.g.: 123.123.123.123).
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Access
Refers to the database program "Microsoft Access", also
called Jet Database.
Active Server Pages (ASP)
ASP stands for Active Server Pages. ASP is a technology developed
by Microsoft that allows developers to deliver dynamic content that is
viewable in virtually any browser. Developers can use the scripting
language of their choice to give their Web site ability to create pages
on-the-fly, access databases, send email, and much more. An ASP may
contain a mix HTML and ASP script. When an ASP is requested, the server
proccesses all of the ASP script and delivers a page in plain HTML to the
end-user.
ADSL
A technology that allows more data to be sent over existing
copper telephone lines (POTS). ADSL supports data rates of from 1.5 to 9
Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to
640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate). ADSL requires a
special ADSL modem. It is not currently available to the general public
except in trial areas, but many believe that it will be one of the more
popular choices for Internet access over the next few years.
Alias
An alias is an email address that forwards its mail to a
specified mailbox, masking the true name of the mailbox in which the mail
is actually received. For example, Sales@JoesDomain.com could be an alias
for Joe1234@aol.com.
Analog
This word is often used to denote the opposite of digital.
Loosely, it means the measuring of data on more physical grounds, as
opposed to the more electronic or "wired" state of digital.
Anonymous
The means that allow a person to connect to an FTP site, search
through available files, and download any file, document or program
without having to establish a userID and/or password on the system where
the material resides.
Anonymous FTP
An Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) option that allows you
to let others onto your Web site to download files that you have made
available, without first establishing an account. Most FTP servers are
set up to allow a limited amount of anonymous FTP users to log in at the
same time, and only provide access to designated files.
Apache
A popular Web server. By some estimates, it is used to host more
than 50% of all Web sites in the world. The original version of Apache
was written for UNIX, but there are now versions that run under OS/2,
Windows and other platforms.
Applet
A mini-program that can be downloaded quickly and used by any
computer equipped with a Java- or ActiveX-capable browser. Applets carry
their own software players
ARPANET
The precursor to the Internet. Developed in the late 60's and
early 70's by the U.S. Department of Defense as an experiment in
wide-area-networking that would survive a nuclear war.
ASCII editor
An ASCII (plain text) editor is the opposite of a WYSIWYG editor.
In other words you do not see how your page will look immediately. You
program the page using hypertext codes that create the page. The greater
your understanding of HTML, the better your Web sites will look. Many
professional Web developers use ASCII editors for the absolute complete
control they gain over the Web site. With an ASCII editor, there is no
room for interpretation. However, as the popularity of WYSIWYG editors
becomes greater, ASCII editors grow lesser. Any ASCII text editor,
including Windows Notepad, can be used to create a Web page. In fact, all
that a WYSIWYG editor does is interpret where you place items into HTML
code. Many ASCII editors rely on you to upload the files to your Web
server using an FTP program, though a few have built in publishing tools.
ASP
Active Server Pages - A specification for a dynamically created
Web page with an .ASP extension that contain either Visual Basic or
JScript code. When a browser requests an ASP page, the Web server
generates a page with HTML code and sends it back to the browser. ASP
pages are similar to CGI scripts, but they enable Visual Basic
programmers to work with familiar tools. ASP is only available on NT
servers.
Autoresponder
An Auto-Responder is an automated program that sends pre-written
responses to all messages that arrive at a specified alias.
Auto-Responders can be very useful as a means of providing information
about your business, or they can be used to simply confirm that a message
has been received. You can use Auto-Responders with as many aliases on
your mail server as you wish, and each one can be set up to return a
different message.
Backbone
The Internet's high-speed data highway that serves as a major
access point to which other networks can connect.
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Bandwidth
1. The range of frequencies a transmission line or channel can
carry; the higher the frequency the higher the bandwidth and the greater
the information-carrying capacity of a channel. For a digital channel
this is defined in bits per second or BPS. For an analog channel it is
dependent on the type and method of modulation used to encode the data.
2. Expressed in cycles per second (hertz), the amount of information that
can flow through a channel. On the less technical side bandwidth is used
to measure the amount of time it takes for a Web page to fully load.
Internet users occasionally refer to larger graphics on Web pages as
"bandwidth hogs" - the use of the term bandwidth in this case
isn't quite accurate, but what it means is that the graphic is loading
slowly due to its large file size.
Banner Ad Rotator
Displays alternating banner ads and includes an administration
area with the ability to add, edit and delete banners from the rotation
list.
BBS
Stands for Bulletin Board System, an electronic message center.
The Bulletin Board System (BBS) allows you to dial in with a modem,
review messages left by others, and leave your own message if you want.
Bulletin boards are a particularly good place to find free or inexpensive
software products. Most bulletin boards serve specific interest groups.
Binary
Any downloadable file that doesn't simply contain human-readable,
ASCII text. Typically it refers to a runnable program available for
downloading, but it can also refer to pictures, sounds or movies, among
others. Most Usenet newsgroups have subgroups specifically for binaries;
a posting in comp.sys.mac.comm might announce that a program is available
for downloading, but the binary (the file itself) would be found in
comp.sys.mac.comm.binaries. Newsgroups such as alt.pictures.binaries
contain files for download which are actually pictures. You will need a
newsreader to download and decode these files.
Bit
The smallest unit of computerized data, represented by a
single-digit number in base-2--in other words, either a 1 or a zero.
Bandwidth is usually measured in bits-per-second.
BPS
Bits-Per-Second - A measurement of the speed at which data is
moved from one place to another
Browser
A program used to view, download, upload, surf or otherwise
access documents (pages) on the World Wide Web. Browsers can be
text-based, meaning they do not show graphics or images, but most are
text- and graphical-based. Browsers read "marked up" or coded
pages (usually HTML but not always) that reside on servers and interpret
the coding into what we see "rendered" as a Web page. Netscape
Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are examples of Web browsers.
The program you are using right now to view this information is called a
browser.
Browser Compatibility
A term that compares the way a Web page looks on one WWW browser
as opposed to another. Usually this is done with Microsoft Internet
Explorer (MIE) and Netscape Navigator, but can also refer to
cross-platform compatibility. (For example, the way a page renders or
displays on a Windows system as opposed to a Mac.) The reason these
incompatibilities exist is due to the way a browser interprets the Web
page's code (HTML). The differences are usually very slight, but they're
enough to annoy some Web designers and sometimes even their clients to
the point in which great time and energy is spent in making a Web site
compatible with any browser on any type of system. Browser compatibility
is also used in conjunction with (and should not be confused with) the
term browser support.
Browser Support
This refers to the ability of a particular browser to even
recognize and interpret certain HTML or other Web page codes. For
example, Netscape Navigator 1.0 did not have the ability to render a page
layout in frames. This feature did not come along until version 2.0,
therefore it can be said that Navigator 1.0 did not "support"
frames.
Byte
A set of Bits that represent a single character. Usually there
are 8 Bits in a Byte
Cable Modem
A modem attached to a coaxial cable television system. Cable
modems can transmit data at 500 kilobytes a second, much faster than a
typical computer modem that sends signals over telephone lines.
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CFML
ColdFusion Markup Language - The ColdFusion programming
environment centers on an intuitive, tag-based, server scripting language
called the ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML). CFML controls the
application logic, back-end integration, and dynamic page generation. The
CFML features hold a tight integration with HTML (Hyper Text Markup
Language), structured exception handling, regular expressions, and easy
expansion with COM, CORBA, and C/C++.
CGI
Common Gateway Interface - CGI is a set of rules that describe
how a web server communicates with another piece of software on the same
machine, and how the other piece of software (the CGI program)
communicates with the web server. Many scripting languages, such as Perl,
follow the CGI standard. This allows you to develop more interactive
sites, by making use of system features.
CGI-BIN
A directory on a server that "houses" all of the CGI
programs. When you see this as a directory in your browser's URL window,
it usually means you are either running or about to run a CGI program.
The "binary" part refers to when many of the files placed in
that directory were binary files. More recently, many of these files are
text-based.
CHMOD
CHMOD is a UNIX command that stands for change mode. It allows
you to alter the permissions of directories or files in your UNIX
account. You will need to give your CGI script execute permissions in
order for it to run properly. You may either use this command in your
telnet, interactive access or your FTP program.
Client
A software program used to contact and obtain data from a server
software program on another computer, often across a great distance.
CNAME
The Canonical Name resource record, CNAME, specifies an alias or
nickname for the official, or canonical, host name. Alias records assign
an alternate hostname to a specific hostname. Both hostnames point at
whatever IP address the primary hostname is assigned to.
ColdFusion
A Rapid Application Development (RAD) system created by the
Allaire Corporation of Cambridge, Mass, ColdFusion integrates browser,
server and database technologies into Web applications. Cold Fusion Web
pages include tags written in ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) that
simplify integration with databases and avoid the use of more complex
languages like C++ to create translating programs. ColdFusion is the
industry's leading cross-platform Web application server. With
ColdFusion, Web developers can quickly develop and deliver a new
generation of large-volume, transaction-intensive Web applications for
everything from e-commerce to business automation and more.
Co-Location
Most often used to refer to having a server that belongs to one
person or group physically located on an Internet-connected network that
belongs to another person or group.
Configuration
A general-purpose computer term that refers to the way your
computer's operating system is set up. It can also refer to the total
combination of hardware components - central processing unit (CPU), video
display device, keyboard and peripheral devices - that make up the
computer system. The configuration is also at work in the software
settings that allow various hardware components of a computer system to
communicate with one another. A "vanilla" configuration is the
standard "clean" and "no frills" version of a
computer's configuration (no device drivers or extra settings). This is
what a technician might set a system to when trying to troubleshoot a
problem with a computer's hardware.
Connectivity
The state of being connected to the Internet or some other type
of computer network. On the Internet, if you lose your connectivity, you
are no longer online and must redial into your ISP. When ISPs get many
users signing on all at once, the connectivity tends to be poor.
"What is your connectivity?" usually means what kind of speed
does your Internet connection support, like 28.8 or T-1.
Cookie
A piece of information about your computer, something you clicked
on, and/or you (such as your username) that is stored in a text file on
your hard drive. A server accesses this information when you connect to a
Web site that wants to know this information. One common occurrence of a
"handing out a cookie", would be when you as a user, log into a
system through a Web site. After you enter in your username and password,
your browser saves a text file that it calls upon for later access. This
prevents you from having to log in again if you happen to leave the Web
site and then return at a later time. Cookies are also used in the
process of purchasing items on the Web. It is because of the cookie that
"shopping cart" technology works. By saving in a text file the
name, and other important information about an item a user
"clicks" on as they move through a shopping Web site, a user
can later go to an order form, and see all the items they selected, ready
for quick and easy processing.
Credit card processing
Online credit card processing is available through many of our
partners, such as Verisign Payment Services or Cardservice International.
For full details Click here
Cron
A Unix command for scheduling jobs to be executed sometime in the
future. A cron is normally used to schedule a job that is executed
periodically - for example, to send out a notice every morning. It is
also a daemon process, meaning that it runs continuously, waiting for
specific events to occur.
CyberCash
A form of real-time credit card processing
Database
A database is storage for data organized in a searchable manner.
A database consists of one or more tables, which contains one or more
fields. A database field contains actual data, which can be any of the
supported database types and can vary in size. Data stored in a table’s
row is considered a record. A database record can contain all, some, or
one of a table’s fields. Records can be added, deleted, or otherwise
modified within a table. Databases must be able to support thousands of
these records.
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Dedicated Line
A telecommunications line that lets your computer have a direct,
permanent connection to the Internet
Dial-Up Account
A basic type of Internet account that allows you to dial up an
Internet Service Provider's (ISP) computer with a modem. These types of
accounts usually have a UNIX or other command-line interface.
Digest
A manner in which messages to a list server mailing list can be
automatically consolidated into one email (the digest) and sent to the
list subscribers periodically.
Digital Certificate
A server uses a Digital Certificate to prove its authenticity.
The Digital Certificate establishes a legal relationship between a
legitimate company and their Web site.
DLL
Dynamic Link Library - A Windows platform file that is actually
an executable mini-program itself that is NOT executed directly by a user
but by a running program or application
DNS
Domain Name System - A database system that translates an IP
address into a domain name. For example, a numeric IP address like
207.219.116.4 is converted into netlingo.com. The DNS maintains this
database for figuring out and finding (or resolving) host names and IP
addresses. This allows users to specify remote computers by host names
rather than numerical IP addresses. Also referred to as Domain Name
Service and Domain Name Server.
DNS propagation
DNS servers generally cache data whenever someone requests it.
For example, if Linux.com is typed into your browser, my primary
nameserver is then contacted to translate the domain name to IP address.
If the nameserver hasn't looked up the Linux.com domain before, then it
will query the root nameservers until it finds the SOA (Start of
Authority) for the domain, and then connects you to the remote site. For
efficiency, your primary nameserver will then cache the data received
from the SOA, so subsequent queries from others can be executed quickly.
However,if your primary nameserver has queried the domain before, you
will get the same IP address until the TTL (Time to Live) runs out and
the data is flushed from the cache, at which point your primary
nameserver is forced to contact the SOA again and get updated DNS
records. The TTL is generally set to 24 hours on the DNS server on your
end; you control how long remote servers should wait before returning for
updates (found in the TTL section in the zone file).
Domain Name
The unique name identifying a Web site, located at the right of
the @ sign in an Internet address. Domain names always have two or more
parts, separated by dots. Domains are tied to name servers, which direct to which IP address the
domain should point. Any server can have multiple domain names, but a
domain name can only point to one server.
Domain Name Pointer
A domain name pointer is a domain name that simply points to your
account. In other words, domain name pointers allow you to have as many
domain names point to your Web site as you want. So, you could have
example.com and example.net pointing to the same Web site. The domain of
both of these virtual domains above display the same Web site. These are
not different accounts with two copies of the same Web site, but both
domains are pointing to the same hostname/URL.
Domain Registration
Our partnership with InterNIC allows us to register or transfer
your domain with them seamlessly. Therefore, we charge no additional fee
for InterNIC registration or transfers. However, be aware that you are
still responsible for the cost of domain registration with InterNIC,
which currently is $70 for two year, $150 for five year, and $250 for 10
year registrations.
DRAM
A memory chip contained on such devices as video and sound cards.
DRAM is "dynamic" because the chip contains an electrical
charge (as opposed to SRAM, see below). The electrical charge will die
out eventually so it must refresh its memory regularly, which it does
automatically from your CPU. The only reason you need to know about DRAM
is because it is related to access time and video cards, etc.
DSN
Data Source Name - Data source names are used to access a
database. Customers can create DSN's via their administration page.
Dynamic Content
Information on a Web site or Web page that changes often, usually
daily and/or each time a user reloads or returns to the page. Content
that is also structured based on user input. For example, when you search
on some keywords on a search engine, the resulting page you get is a
"dynamic" page, meaning the information was created based on
the words you typed into the form on the previous page. Dynamic Web sites
are usually driven by Web application environments such as Microsoft ASP
or Allaire's ColdFusion, and the content is taken from a database each
time a page request is made.
Dynamic SQL
Creates queries based on user data, environment variables, and
previously returned query results. Dynamic SQL can also increase
processing efficiency by executing multiple queries and sending them to
multiple databases from a single browser request.
E-commerce
Electronic Commerce - Quite simply, it means conducting business
online. In the traditional sense of selling goods, it is possible to do
this electronically because of certain software programs that run the
main functions of an e-commerce Web site, such as product display, online
ordering, and inventory management. The software, which works in
conjunction with online payment systems to process payments, resides on a
commerce server. The definition of e-commerce has expanded to include all
kinds of commercial online transactions, like selling products via credit
cards, charging for advertising on a high-traffic Web site, or trading
stock in your brokerage account -- practically any way a company can
derive revenue online is thought of as e-commerce.
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Email
Email is the sending and receiving of messages, usually text,
from one computer to another using email software.
Email alias
An alias is an alternate email address that forwards messages to
another location. For example, you can set up an alias to forward mail
sent to sales@example.com and info@example.com to your user@example.com
mailbox. The benefit of an alias is that it saves you from having to set
up and check extra mailboxes. However, if you reply to mail sent to the
sales and info aliases, the outgoing mail will still come from the
user@example.com address. An alias does not have its own storage space,
username, and password, so it must be associated with another email
address.
Encryption
A way of making data unreadable to everyone except the receiver,
encryption is an increasingly common way of sending credit card numbers
over the Internet when conducting commercial transactions.
Ethernet
A widespread networking scheme rated at 10 Mbs (megabits per
second).
Extensions
The characters after the dot in a file's name are considered its
extension. This is used to determine how the file is formatted and
viewed. For example a file named netlingo.html means that the file is
coded in HTML and therefore must be viewed with a compatible program such
as a Web browser in order to see it properly. On the Internet you will
come across many different file extensions such as .dcr, .mov, .avi and
.au. In order to properly handle these files your browser must be
configured to recognize these extensions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions - Documents that list and answer the
most common questions on a particular subject
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FastCGI
An open extension to CGI that provides higher performance by
reusing processes to handle multiple requests.
File Extension
The group of letters after a period or "dot" in a file
name is called the file extension. This extension refers to the type of
file it is, for example, if the filename is readme.txt, the extension txt
denotes this is a text file and can be viewed using a text editor such as
Notepad or Simple Text. Operating systems such as MAC OS or Windows 95
will refer to a file's extension when choosing which application to
launch when a user clicks on a particular file name.
Firewall
A device that protects a private network from the public part, or
a computer set up to monitor traffic between an Internet site and the
Internet. A firewall is designed to increase a server's security by
keeping unauthorized outsiders from tampering with a computer system.
FrontPage Compatibility
Allows you to edit your site using Microsoft FrontPage or Visual
InterDev. Also allows you to make use of special built- in features that
use FrontPage Extensions.
FrontPage Extensions
Server add-ons that allows you to make use of pre-defined
functions such as a hit counter, Java buttons and form validation.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol - Common procedure used for downloading
and uploading files over the Internet. With FTP you can log in to another
Internet site and transfer (send or receive) files. Some sites have
public file archives that you can access by using FTP with the account
name "anonymous" and your email address as the password. This
type of access is called anonymous FTP. Macintosh users use a program
called Fetch; one of the FTP programs for Windows is called WS-FTP
FTP client
An FTP client is a program that runs on your local computer and
interacts with your virtual server's FTP service. Most FTP programs have
graphical interfaces that make it easy to transfer and manipulate files.
If you don’t have an FTP client, you can download one from the Internet.
There are many free FTP clients available. Once you obtain an FTP client,
you should install and configure it according to its documentation.
Gateway
A computer system for exchanging information across incompatible
networks that use different protocols. For example, many commercial
services have email gateways for sending messages to Internet addresses.
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GIF - Graphic Interchange Form
A common format for image files, especially suitable for images
containing large areas of the same color.
Gigabyte
1000 or 1024 Megabytes
Guest Book
A simple guest book allows visitors to leave their name and a
brief message from/on your site.
GUI
Graphical User Interface - This term refers to a software
front-end application meant to provide an attractive and easy-to-use
interface between a computer user and an application.
HDML
Hand-Held Device Markup - The HTML for hand-held devices like
Palm Pilots and PDAs. A simple language used to define hypertext-like
content and applications for hand-held devices with small displays. HDML
is designed to leverage the infrastructure and protocols of the World
Wide Web while providing an efficient markup language for wireless and
other handheld devices. Congruent with the capabilities and limitations
of many handheld devices, HDML's focus goes beyond presentation and
layout. HDML provides an explicit navigation model, which does not rely
upon the visual context, required of HTML. As such, HDML offers an
efficient means of providing content via the WWW infrastructure to
handheld devices such as cellular phones, pagers, and wireless PDA's.
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Hit
A term used to describe the accessing of a World Wide Web page.
When a user "points" a browser to a Web site URL, the moment
that user requests the HTML document is called a "hit". Hits
are used to determine how popular a Web site is and plays an important
role in assessing how much it costs to advertise on a particular Web
page. Some Web site authors and developers use counters on their page to
let people know how many other users (hits) have accessed that particular
page that they are on. There has been great debate as to the validity of
the "number of hits" pages or sites are said to receive due in
part to Web servers that record hits not only on accesses to HTML pages
but also the graphics, which are embedded in them.
Host
Any computer that can function as the beginning and end point of
data transfers. An Internet host has a unique Internet address (IP
address) and a unique domain or host name.
Hotlist
A list of frequently accessed World Wide Web sites. Usually the
names of the sites are coded as hypertext, making them links. In this
case the user must simply click on the name of the site in order to go
there. (Yahoo! started as one major hotlist.)
Hotmail
Hotmail is a Web-based free email system which adheres to the
universal HTTP standard. It is based on the premise that email access
should be easy and possible from any computer connected to the World Wide
Web. Web-based email programs use a Web browser as an email program,
providing a globally retrievable form of email.
Htaccess
An .htaccess file is simply a text file containing Apache
directives. Those directives apply to the documents in the directory
where the .htaccess file is located, and to all subdirectories under it
as well. Other .htaccess files in subdirectories may change or nullify
the effects of those in parent directories. As text files, you can use
whatever text editor you like to create or make changes to .htaccess
files. These files are called '.htaccess files' because that's what
they're typically named. This naming scheme has its roots in the NCSA Web
server and the UNIX file system; files whose names begin with a dot are
often considered to be 'hidden' and aren't displayed in a normal
directory listing. The NCSA developers chose the name '.htaccess' so that
a control file in a directory would have a fairly reasonable name ('ht'
for 'hypertext') and not clutter up directory listings. Plus, there's a
long history of UNIX utilities storing their preferences information in
such 'hidden' files.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language - HTML is the lingua franca for
publishing hypertext on the World Wide Web. It is a non-proprietary
format based upon SGML, and can be created and processed in a wide range
of tools from simple plain text editors to sophisticated WYSIWYG (What
You See Is What You Get) authoring tools. HTML uses tags like <h1>
to structure text into headings, paragraphs, lists, hypertext links and
more.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol - The protocol that tells the server
what to send to the client, so the client can view Web pages, FTP sites,
or other areas of the net.
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol - A type of server software that
provides the ability for secure transactions to take place on the World
Wide Web. If a Web site is running on a HTTPS server you can type in
HTTPS instead of HTTP in the URL section of your browser to enter into
the "secured mode". Windows NT HTTPS and Netscape Commerce
server software support this protocol.
Hyperlink
Web site text that can be clicked on with a mouse, that in turn
will take you to another Web page or a different area of the same Web
page. Hyperlinks are created (coded) in HTML. They are also used to load
multimedia files such as AVI movies and AU sound files.
Hypertext
A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to
be linked in multiple ways, to be available at several levels of detail,
and to contain links to related documents. The term was coined by Ted
Nelson to refer to a nonlinear system of information browsing and
retrieval that contains associative links to other related documents. The
World Wide Web uses hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to provide links
to pages and multimedia files.
IIS
Internet Information Server - Microsoft's Web server that runs on
Windows NT platforms. IIS comes bundled with Windows NT 4.0; Because IIS
is tightly integrated with the operating system, it is relatively easy to
administer. Currently IIS is available only for the Windows NT platform,
whereas Netscape's Web servers run on all major platforms, including
Windows NT, OS/2 and UNIX.
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Internet Backbone
This fast network spanning the world from one major metropolitan
area to another is provided by a handful of national Internet service
providers (ISPs). These companies and organizations use connections
running at approximately 45 MB per second (T3 lines) linked up at
specified interconnection points called national access points. Local
ISPs connect to this backbone through routers so that data can be carried
though the backbone to its destination.
Internet Protocol (IP) Address
Sometimes called a dotted quad, the IP address is a unique number
used to identify a machine on the Internet. The number consists of four
numbers between 0 and 255 separated by dots (208.233.88.55). Every
machine on the Internet must have it's own IP address. Domains are tied
to name servers, which direct to which IP address the domain should
point.
Internet Security
Information traveling on the Internet usually takes a circuitous
route through several intermediary computers to reach any destination
computer. The actual route your information takes to reach its
destination is not under your control. As your information travels on
Internet computers, any intermediary computer has the potential to
eavesdrop and make copies. An intermediary computer could even deceive
you and exchange information with you by misrepresenting itself as your
intended destination. These possibilities make the transfer of
confidential information such as passwords or credit card numbers
susceptible to abuse. This is where Internet security comes in and why it
has become a rapidly growing concern for all who use the Internet.
InterNIC
A repository of information about the Internet. It is divided
into two parts: directory services, which is run by AT&T in New
Jersey, and registration services, which is run by Network Solutions in
Virginia. It is funded partially by the National Science Foundation and
partially by fees that are charged to register Internet domains. This is
the place where you register URLs or Domain Names like
NetLingo.com Dictionary of Internet Terms: Online Definitions & Text Messagingand it basically involves a fee and several forms (some very technical),
to set up.
Intranet
A private network inside a company or organization that uses the
same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet, but
that is only for internal use. As the Internet has become more popular,
many of the tools used on the Internet are being used in private
networks, often in the form of Web servers that are available only to
employees. Note that an "Intranet" may not actually be an
Internet; it may simply be a network.
ISDN
ISDN is a set of communications standards allowing a single wire
or optical fiber to carry voice, digital network services and video. ISDN
is intended to eventually replace the plain old telephone system (POTS).
ISDN was first published as one of the 1984 ITU-T Red Book
recommendations; the 1988 Blue Book recommendations added many new
features. ISDN uses mostly existing Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN) switches and wiring, upgraded so that the basic "call"
is a 64 kilobits per second, all-digital end-to-end channel. Packet and
frame modes are also provided in some places.
Java Database Connectivity
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is a programming interface that
lets developers using the Java programming language gain access to a wide
range of databases and other data sources, either directly or through
middle-ware. By using the JDBC programming interface, Java programmers
can request a connection with a database, then send query statements
using SQL and receive the results for processing. JDBC handles the actual
connection, sending queries and data to and from the database.
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JavaScript
JavaScript was developed by Sun and first implemented by Netscape
for the creation of interactive Web sites. JavaScript, which is similar
to, but not related to, the Java programming language, interacts with
HTML code to serve dynamic content.
Keywords/Key Phrases
Words or sets of words used to improve ranking in search engines
when those words are phrases are entered by a user. For example, if a
person does a search for "pet supplies", while a person who has
the key word "pet" in his page, the page with the key phrase
"pet supplies" will be ranked higher in the search results.
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LAN
Local Area Network - A network that connects computers in a
small, pre-determined area (like a room, building or set of buildings).
LANs can also be connected to each other via telephone lines and radio
waves. Workstations and personal computers in an office are commonly
connected to each other with a LAN. This allows them to have send/receive
files and/or have access to the files and data. Each computer connected
to a LAN is called a node.
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Leased Line
Refers to a phone line (connection) that is rented for exclusive
24-hour/7-days-a-week use from one computer or network to another, or for
constant access to the Internet. Also called a dedicated line.
Link
Text and/or an image area on a Web page that a user can click on
to connect to or reference another document. Commonly, links connect two
Web pages or Web sites. They can also reference a different part of the
same document, linking to a file which will download to your computer or
triggering the launching of an external or helper application which will
then process the clicked-on file.
ListServer
ListServer lets you set up automated mailing lists on the server.
It comes with a control to add/edit/delete users and to send new messages
to your user group (each message has a limit of 1000 words). This package
allows for 300 mailing list subscribers per list.
Load Balancing
Load Balancing is the act of breaking apart what would
traditionally be handled on one server into multiple servers. When a
request is made to a virtual domain name, for instance,
smtp.registeredsite.com, the Load Balancer chooses the physical server
that has the most available resources and sends the request to that
server. This improves performance overall and helps ensure a more
reliable uptime.
Log File Access
Raw log files are used to track the hits to your website. You can
access them from your root directory.
Mail List
A system that allows people to send email to one address,
whereupon their message is copied and sent to all of the other
subscribers to the mail list.
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Mail user agent (MUA)
We usually refer to the MUA as a mail client. Short for mail user
agent, this is the software that allows a user to access and manage
email, including reading, composing, disposing, printing, and displaying
email messages. The MUA provides the interface between the user and the
MTA. MUA software is third party; examples of MUAs are Eudora and
Microsoft Outlook. The only MUA that we offer are the various webmail
interfaces.
Mailbox
The directory on a host computer where your email message are
stored. With some systems you can choose between keeping saved messages
on the server or on your local computer.
Megabyte
A million bytes
Message Board
An electronic message center (also called a bulletin board); part
of the Bulletin Board System (BBS). Message boards are accessed by
dialing in with a modem; once there one may review messages left by
others or leave a message. Bulletin boards are a particularly good place
to find free or inexpensive software products. Most bulletin boards serve
specific interest groups.
Message Store System (MSS)
The Message Store System (MSS) is a system that actually stores
customer mail messages. With a standalone mail server, the individual
responsibilities of message storage, SMTP, POP, and web interface are
performed by different services all on one server. However, on some
systems multiple servers handle the responsibilities.
Message Transfer Agent (MTA)
An MTA is the program responsible for receiving incoming emails
and delivering the messages to individual users. The MTA transfers
messages between computers. Hidden from the average user, it is
responsible for routing messages to their proper destinations. In
traditional stand-alone servers, this is a service on the server. In
clustered systems, a cluster of several servers dedicated to that purpose
plays the “MTA service” role. MTAs receive messages from both MUAs and
other MTAs, although single-user machines more often retrieve mail
messages using POP3.
Meta Tag
An optional HTML tag that is used to specify information about a
Web document. Some search engines such as AltaVista use
"spiders" to index Web pages. These spiders read the
information contained within a page's META tag. So in theory, an HTML or
Web page author has the ability to control how there site is indexed by
search engines and how and when it will come up on a user's search. The
META tag can also be used to specify an HTTP or URL address for the page
to "jump" to after a certain amount of time. This is known as
Client-Pull. What this means, is a Web page author can control the amount
of time a Web page is up on the screen as well as where the browser will
go next. Here's a look at the syntax for search engine indexing: Here's a
look at the syntax for Client Pull: this will "refresh" or
change to the URL specified in 30 seconds.
MIME
A protocol for Internet email that enables the transmission of
nontextual data such as graphics, audio, video and other binary types of
files. An email program such as Eudora is said to be "MIME
Compliant" if it can both send and receive files using the MIME
standard. When non-text files are sent using the MIME standard they are
converted (encoded) into text - although the resulting text is not really
readable. Besides email software, the MIME standard is also universally
used by Web servers to identify the files they are sending to Web
clients. In this way new file formats can be accommodated simply by
updating the browsers' list of pairs of MIME-types and appropriate
software for handling each type.
Mirror
A server that provides copies of the same files as another
server. Some servers are so popular that other servers have been set up
to mirror them and to spread the load on to more than one site. Many
international sites have mirrors set up in other countries to allow
quicker access for their international users.
Modem
A device connecting a computer and to a phone line, that allows
the computer to talk to other computers through the phone system.
Basically, modems do for computers what a telephone does for humans.
Generally there are 3 types of modems: external, PC Card and internal.
Mosaic
Mosaic is the common name of a World Wide Web multimedia browser
program developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NCSA) in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. It was the first Web browser that used
the same interface for Macintosh, Windows and UNIX, and started the
popularity of the Web. The official, copyrighted name of the program is
NCSA Mosaic. The source code for Mosaic has been licensed by several
companies, most notably, Netscape.
MX Record
Mail Exchange Record - Mail Server records designate the
mailservers that will handle mail for your domain. If you have more than
one mailserver, MX records also specify the order in which the
mailservers will be used as primary, backup, etc.
MySQL
MySQL is a true multi-user, multi-threaded SQL (Structured Query
Language) database server. SQL is a popular database language. MySQL is a
client/server implementation that consists of a server daemon (mysqld)
and many different client programs and libraries.
Navigate
To move around on the World Wide Web by following hypertext paths
from document to document on different computers.
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Netiquette
Contraction of Internet etiquette, the etiquette guidelines for
posting messages to online services, and particularly Internet
newsgroups. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in
discussions (i.e., avoiding flames), but also special guidelines unique
to the electronic nature of forum messages. For example, netiquette
advises users to use simple formats because complex formatting may not
appear correctly for all readers. In most cases, netiquette is enforced
by fellow users who will vociferously object if you break a rule of
netiquette.
Netscape Navigator
A highly popular World Wide Web browser. The program allows for
Gopher, FTP, and Telnet access as well as email and newsgroup retrieval
and management. Many companies use Netscape server software to create Web
pages and are therefore written to be best displayed using Netscape
Navigator. The program is available for all platforms and is especially
adept at displaying graphics.
Network
Two or more computers that are connected. The most common types
of networks are: * LAN - Local Area Network The computers are near each
other, in the same office space, room or building. * WAN - Wide Area
Network The computers are at different geographic locations and are
connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
Newsgroup
Same as forum, an on-line discussion group. On the Internet,
there are literally thousands of newsgroups covering every conceivable
interest. To view and post messages to a newsgroup, you need a
newsreader, a program that runs on your computer and connects you to a
news server on the Internet.
NIC Handle
Every entity registered with InterNIC has a NIC handle. For
example, Burlee.com has a NIC handle of BD927-ORG that contains our
address and contact information, so that we need not enter this
information each time a new domain name is registered. You can use the
same NIC handle as contacts for several domains. This way, if you make a
change to the NIC handle (i.e., the email address), all domains using
that NIC handle will be updated as well.
NOC- Network Operations Center
Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Internet's
component networks
NT
A Windows NT (New Technologies) computer or server
ODBC Connectivity
A standard database access method developed by Microsoft. The
goal of ODBC is to make it possible to access any data from any
application, regardless of which database management system (DBMS) is
handling the data. ODBC manages this by inserting a middle layer, called
a database driver , between an application and the DBMS. The purpose of
this layer is to translate the application's data queries into commands
that the DBMS understands. For this to work, both the application and the
DBMS must be ODBC-compliant -- that is, the application must be capable
of issuing ODBC commands and the DBMS must be capable of responding to
them. Since version 2.0, the standard supports SAG SQL. Two types of ODBC
connections are as follows: Jet Data Engine - This connection allows
ODBC-compliant databases such as Microsoft Access, Foxpro, D-Base and
others. SQL Server - This allows ODBC connection via TCP/IP to a
Microsoft SQL server.
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OLE DB
Abbreviation of Object Linking and Embedding (pronounced as
separate letters or as "oh-leh"). OLE is a compound document
standard developed by Microsoft Corporation. It enables you to create
objects with one application and then link or embed them in a second
application. Embedded objects retain their original format and link to
the application that created them. Support for OLE is built into the
Windows and Macintosh operating systems. A competing compound document
standard developed jointly by IBM, Apple Computer, and other computer
firms is called OpenDoc.
Packet
A unit of data sent across a network. Packet is a generic term
used to describe a unit of data at any layer of the OSI protocol stack,
but it is most correctly used to describe application layer data units
(application protocol data units, APDUs).
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Packet Switching
The method used to move data around on the Internet. In packet
switching, all the data coming out of a machine is broken up into chunks;
each chunk has the address of where it came from and where it is going.
This enables chunks of data from many different sources to co-mingle on
the same lines, and be sorted and directed to different routes by special
machines along the way. This way many people can use the same lines at
the same time.
Parallel Port
A parallel interface for connecting an external device such as a
printer. Most personal computers have both a parallel port and at least
one serial port. On PCs, the parallel port uses a 25-pin connector (type
DB-25) and is used to connect printers, computers and other devices that
need relatively high bandwidth. It is often called a Centronics interface
after the company that designed the original standard for parallel
communication between a computer and printer. (The modern parallel
interface is based on a design by Epson.)
Password
A secret series of characters that enables a user to access a
file, computer or program. On multi-user systems, each user must enter a
password before the computer will respond to commands. The password helps
ensure that unauthorized users do not access the computer. In addition,
data files and programs may require a password. Ideally, the password
should be something that nobody could guess. Most people choose a
password that is easy to remember, such as their name or their initials.
This is one reason it is relatively easy to break into most computer
systems.
PGP - Pretty Good Privacy
A freeware program, developed by Philip Zimmermann, that allows a
user to send email messages to anyone in the world, in complete privacy.
One can also send authentication with your messages so that the recipient
can verify the source of the message. You can encrypt sensitive files on
your computer so that the files remain private even if your computer and
disks are stolen.
PHP
PHP Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side, HTML-embedded
scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. In an HTML document,
PHP script (similar syntax to that of Perl or C) is enclosed within
special PHP tags. Because PHP is embedded within tags, the author can
jump between HTML and PHP (similar to ASP and Cold Fusion) instead of
having to rely on heavy amounts of code to output HTML. Because PHP is
executed on the server, the client cannot view the PHP code. PHP can
perform any task any CGI program can, but its strength lies in its
compatibility with many types of databases. Also, PHP can talk across
networks using IMAP, SNMP, NNTP, POP3 or HTTP.
PING
Packet Internet Groper - An Internet program used to determine
whether a specific IP address is accessible. It works by sending a packet
to the specified address and waiting for a reply, then reporting how many
hops are required to connect two Internet hosts. PING is used primarily
to troubleshoot Internet connections. There are many freeware and
shareware PING utilities available for personal computers.
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. When someone knows more than one of these platforms or
when a program can be used on more than one of these platforms, it is
termed cross-platform.
POP
Post Office Protocol - POP refers to the protocol used by email
software, such as Eudora or Outlook Express, to retrieve electronic mail
from a mail server. The protocol used by mail clients to retrieve
messages from a mail server. This includes POP1, POP2, and POP3, the
number denoting the different version number of the protocol. POP3 is the
most common email standard. POP is the protocol used by mail clients to
retrieve messages from a mail server.
Port
1. A place where information goes into or out of a computer, or
both. For instance, the serial port on a personal computer is where a
modem would be connected. 2. On the Internet, port often refers to a
number that is part of a URL, appearing after a colon
(
right after the domain name. Every service on an Internet server
"listens" on a particular port number on that server. Most
services have standard port numbers; Web servers normally listen on port
80. Services can also listen on non-standard ports, in which case the
port number must be specified in a URL when accessing the server, so you
might see a URL of the form: gopher://peg.cwis.uci.edu:7000/ which shows
a gopher server running on a non-standard port (the standard gopher port
is 70). 3. To port is to translate a piece of software to bring it from
one type of computer system to another, e.g. to translate a Windows
program so that is will run on a Macintosh.
PPP
Point-to-Point Protocol - Communication protocol used over serial
lines to support Internet connectivity.
Protocol
Protocol is a set of rules governing behavior in certain
situations. Foreign diplomats learn local protocol to ensure that they
behave correctly in another country. The protocols ensure that there are
no communication breakdowns or serious misunderstandings. Computers need
protocols, too, to ensure that they can communicate with each other
correctly and to ensure data is exchanged correctly. The Internet is made
up of various protocols for various functions.
Query
A question usually used in connection with a search engine or
database to find a particular file, Web site, record or set of records in
a database.
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RAID5
RAID is a way of storing the same data in different places by
placing data on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks
operations can overlap in a balanced way, improving performance.
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RAM
Random-Access Memory - Hardware inside your computer that retains
memory on a short-term basis. This information is stored temporarily
while you're working on it. RAM comes in several different forms:
RDS
RDS is a ColdFusion feature, which allows customers to access
server files and ODBC sources. Connecting to a MS-SQL or any Database via
Cold Fusion Studio (RDS) is usually done during the development phase of
a project.
RealAudio
RealNetworks' (formerly Progressive Networks) RealAudio
client-server software system 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 on demand, in real time. This is a real breakthrough compared to
typical download times encountered with delivery of audio over
conventional online methods with which audio is downloaded at a rate that
is five times longer than the actual program.
RealMedia
A term encompassing RealNetworks' RealAudio and RealVideo
Realtime Blackhole List (RBL)
Realtime Blackhole List (RBL) is a list of IP addresses whose
owners refuse to stop sending spam. The RBL usually lists server IP
addresses from ISPs whose customers are responsible for the spam, or from
ISPs whose servers are hijacked for spam relay. Companies who subscribe
to the RBL will know from which IP addresses to block traffic. Most
traffic blocking occurs during the SMTP connection phase. The receiving
end will check the RBL for the connecting IP address. If the IP address
matches one on the list, then the connection gets dropped before
accepting any traffic from the spammer. Some ISPs, though, will choose to
blackhole (or ignore) IP packets at their routers. The goal here is to
block all IP traffic. The RBL was created by Mail Abuse Prevention System
(MAPS) LLC., but there are other entities that keep RBLs besides MAPS. We
use lists such as, but not limited to, SpamHaus and SpamCop in the
CatchGuard feature offered with some of our mail packages.
RealVideo
A streaming technology developed by RealNetworks (formerly
Progressive Networks) for transmitting live video over the Internet.
RealVideo uses a variety of data compression techniques and works with
both normal IP connections as well as IP Multicast connections.
Remember My Login
If you select this option you will not be prompted for your
username and password when entering the site. This maynot be secure if
you are using a public or shared computer. Your computer must be set to
accept cookies to use this feature.
Remote Terminal
It is possible to log in to a remote computer by using an
application program based on TELNET - a terminal emulation protocol made
for this purpose. The user can therefore enter commands on a keyboard
attached to their local computer and access files, etc., on a remote
computer that may be located anywhere in the world.
Requests for Comments (RFC)
The Requests for Comments (RFC) document series is a set of
technical and organizational notes about the Internet (originally the
ARPANET), starting in 1969. Memos in the RFC series discuss many aspects
of computer networking, including protocols, procedures, programs, and
concepts. The official specification documents of the Internet Protocol
suite that are defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and
the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG ) are recorded and
published as standards track RFCs. As a result, the RFC publication
process plays an important role in the Internet standards process. Our
company uses these standards to make its engineering decisions, including
all rules and settings on our servers.
Router
Hardware (or software) that connects a local network to the
Internet. Routers look at the destination addresses of the packets
passing through them and decide which route to send them on.
Scalability
How well a solution to a given issue will work when the size of
the issue increases.
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Script
Another term for macro or batch file, a script is a list of
commands that can be executed without user interaction. A script language
is a simple programming language with which you can write scripts.
Search Engine
A program which acts like a card catalog for the Internet. Search
engines attempt to help a user isolate desired information or resources
by searching for keywords that the user specifies. The method for finding
this information is usually done by maintaining an index of Web resources
that can be queried for the keywords or concepts entered by the user. The
index can be built from specific resource lists or created by Web
wanderers, robots, spiders, crawlers and worms. From the Net surfer point
of view, search engines can be quite tiresome and not very fruitful if
you don't know how to use them correctly. Different engines are good for
different kinds of searches, so to optimize search results, read the
search engine's help section before searching.
Server
A host computer on a network that holds information (such as Web
sites) and responds to requests for information from it (links to another
Web page). The term server is also used to refer to 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".
Server has no DNS Entry
This can mean that the URL you have is an incorrect address.
Netscape finds Web pages by querying a Domain Name Server (DNS) computer
and asking the computer for the numerical address of the name address in
the link. If it does not get a reply, it's because the DNS computer has
no record of the name.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart is a piece of software that acts as an online
store's catalog and ordering process. Typically, a shopping cart is the
interface between a company's Web site and its deeper infrastructure,
allowing consumers to select merchandise; review what they have selected;
make necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise.
SLIP
Serial Line Internet Protocol - Communication protocol used over
serial lines to support Internet connectivity.
SLIP/PPP
To connect to the Internet via Serial Line Internet Protocol
(SLIP) or Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), you need to have TCP/IP software
on your computer. When connected by SLIP/PPP, your computer actually
becomes another node on the Internet. You can then run popular client
software directly. This has an advantage over a shell account where you
will have to double download in order to transfer a file by FTP because
the data first goes to network and then to a local machine.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol - This is the generally accepted
protocol for outgoing email.
SMTP blocking
Many ISPs have implemented various filters and policies to help
control traffic on their networks. Most ISPs use a form of filtering
called SMTP Blocking, which restricts their users from routing mail
through mail servers except for those controlled by the ISP. This also
allows ISPs to control and monitor their network traffic. You need to
check with their ISP to find out which SMTP server you should be using.
Solution
The word tagged onto computer terms when it is meant to imply
that the product or software is meeting the needs and addressing the
"problems" that have been associated with a particular type of
computer software package or application. Usually these needs are in
abundance and encompass a variety of tasks.
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. The name comes from a Monty
Python song and is considered to be a serious violation of netiquette.
Spam relay
Spam relaying is a dishonest practice employed by spammers
whereby bulk email messages are forwarded, or relayed, through someone
else's outbound mail server in an effort to mask the original source of
the email. Although spammers usually act without the knowledge or consent
of the administrator whose server is being used as a relay, it is
impossible to tell whether the spammer was actually given permission to
use the server as a relay. For this reason, Internet providers commonly
blacklist any server that is identified as an open spam relay, even
though you may be more a victim of the spammer than the spam recipients
themselves.
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. Oracle Corporation first introduced SQL
as a commercial database system in 1979.
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 using SQL. It runs on OS/2, Windows NT, NetWare
servers, VAXen, and UNIX workstations. Generically, 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 either of two database management products from Sybase and
Microsoft. Both companies offer client-server DBMS products called SQL
Server.
SRAM
Static Random-Access Memory - SRAM is used for caching because it
is a lot faster. This chip holds its contents without refreshing from the
CPU.
SSI - Server Side Include
A type of HTML comment that directs the Web server to dynamically
generate data for the Web page whenever it is requested.
SSL - Secured Sockets Layer
A protocol that delivers server authentication, data encryption
and message integrity. SSL is layered beneath application protocols such
as HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, FTP, Gopher and NNTP, and layered above the
connection protocol TCP/IP. This strategy allows SSL to operate
independently of the Internet application protocols. With SSL implemented
on both the client and server, your Internet communications are
transmitted in encrypted form. Information you send can be trusted to
arrive privately and unaltered to the server you specify and no other.
Static IP
An IP address which is the same every time you log on to the
Internet. See IP address for more information.
Streaming Media
Certain plug-ins and software packages exist that permit you to
view a file as it downloads. An initial portion is sent, and as that
plays, the rest of the file downloads, building upon itself slowly. This
also allows "live" video feeds to the Internet, so you can
watch a newscast as it's being broadcast, or run a live teaching seminar
with a world-wide audience.
Streamworks
The StreamWorks Player brings the power of networked audio and
video to the desktop. You can play "live" and
"on-demand" audio and video from StreamWorks Servers across the
globe. The StreamWorks Transmitter allows for LIVE network encoding of
digital audio and video over today's networks. Taking inputs from analog
audio and video connections, like the ones on the back of a VCR,
StreamWorks Transmitter is capable of enabling live, real-time MPEG audio
and video over industry standard TCP/IP networks.
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.
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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.
Tag
A tag is used to describe a type of command or instruction
usually in regards to HTML or Web page code. HTML tags look like this: ,
, or , always with a pair of brackets (<>) surrounding the specific
instruction.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control - This set of protocols makes TELNET, FTP,
email, and other services possible among computers that don't belong to
the same network.
Telnet
An Internet program for connecting to a remote host or server.
The Telnet interface is text-based and a user usually has to enter their
login name and password before gaining access to the system. Some of the
things that can be done with Telnet access include checking email,
downloading programs and chatting with other Telnet users. It is one of
the oldest Internet activities and is primarily used to access online
databases or to read articles stored on university servers. It is also
possible to Telnet via your Web browser by changing the
http:// to
telnet:// and entering in the
site's address.
Terabyte
1000 Gigabytes
Terminal
A device that allows you to send commands to a computer somewhere
else. At a minimum, this usually means a keyboard and a display screen
and some simple circuitry. Usually you will use terminal software in a
personal computer - the software pretends to be ("emulates") a
physical terminal and allows you to type commands to a computer somewhere
else.
Terminal Server
A special-purpose computer with places to plug in many modems on
one side and with a connection to a LAN or host machine on the other
side. The terminal server answers calls and passes the connections on to
the appropriate node. Most terminal servers can provide PPP or SLIP
services if connected to the Internet.
Traceroute
A traceroute is the process of viewing the Internet connection
route that takes place between two machines. When a machine, or computer,
is connecting to another computer, the connection may span over several
routers. If one of those routers is down, then Internet Connection cannot
be established. Doing a traceroute enables you to see which router is
causing the problem.
UNIX
An operating system, invented in 1969 at AT&T Bell
Laboratories, that was made available to researchers and students in
1973. It was used to develop the Internet's communication software
protocols. An interactive time-sharing system invented in 1969 by Ken
Thompson after Bell Labs left the Multics project, originally so he could
play games on his scavenged PDP-7. Dennis Ritchie, the inventor of C, is
considered a co-author of the system. The turning point in UNIX's history
came when it was reimplemented almost entirely in C during 1972--1974,
making it the first source-portable operating system. UNIX subsequently
underwent mutations and expansions at the hands of many different people,
resulting in a uniquely flexible and developer-friendly environment. By
1991, UNIX had become the most widely used multi-user general-purpose
operating system in the world.
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URL - Uniform Resource Locator
Describes the location and access method of a resource on the
Internet All Web sites have URLs. One could say a URL is to a web site as
a telephone number is to a telephone or a street address is to a house.
Although Web site URLs are sometimes long and hard to read, many browsers
have a bookmark feature, which allows you to save the location (URL) of
Web sites you want to return to.
Vacation message
A message automatically sent as a reply to any message received
in a specified mailbox, in this case to inform the original sender that
the recipient is away and will not be able to respond. Also known as an
autoresponder.
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Virtual
Simulation of the real thing. Means "almost" or
"in effect only". You will see this term appear before various
computer terms to indicate simulation technology that enables you to
cross boundaries and experience something without requiring its physical
presence. The Internet is also seen as a "virtual" world.
Virtual domain
A virtual domain is the base URL of the domain name. Examples
include yahoo.com and whg.org. Virtual domain names are not just limited
to .com, .net, .org, or .edu domain extensions. International domain
names are also virtual domain names, such as communitech.co.uk,
deutchland.de, etc.
Virtual server
A VServer virtual server is a fully functional Internet server
system. There are a few distinct differences, however, between a virtual
server and other Web hosting solutions. To function properly, all
Internet servers require a computer, special software, and a high-speed
connection to the Internet. A dedicated Internet server typically allows
only one person (or group of people) to use the computer, software, and
Internet connection. Because one person or group must purchase all the
hardware and software, plus pay for the monthly expense of a high-speed
Internet connection just to publish a single Internet site, dedicated
servers are rather expensive. As an alternative to dedicated Internet
severs, there are two basic types of Web hosting solutions: Virtual
Hosting, and Virtual Server technology.
Virus profiling
Virus profiling uses a scoring system to determine the likelihood
that the message contains a virus. There are certain attributes that make
a message inherently risky. We check those attributes first and block
those messages outright. Next, the profile software compares the message
body, subject line, attachment name, attachment file type, and other
message attributes against a database. The database contains attributes
that are indicative of known virus or worm characteristics. Virus
profiling is not an exact science. Some viruses are very proficient at
masking themselves by varying these attributes, and making it more
difficult to detect their presence through profiling.
Virus scanning
Virus scanning is done by actually scanning a file and seeking
certain attributes that define it as a virus, based on the scanning
software’s definitions. This is not possible on any mail server because
viruses are contained within attached files. Since mail can only be
transferred in ASCII text format, any attached file is encoded into ASCII
text. The only way for a mail server to perform virus scanning is if the
messages are decoded on the server, scanned, and then encoded for final
transport to the recipient. This is not feasible, given the amount of
time required to complete this process. Thus, virus scanning must be done
on the local computer, and as a result is the responsibility of that
computer’s owner.
WAN
Wide Area Network - A network that connects computers over a
large geographic area
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Web Hosting
Web hosting allows your Web site to be connected to the Internet
at high speed via a Web server so its information can be viewed globally
through a browser. Metaphorically speaking, renting space on a server is
comparable to renting an apartment. For a monthly fee, you reside in that
apartment and all maintenance is the responsibility of the property. You
also have access to certain amenities that would otherwise be a costly
investment. A Web hosting company houses your Web site on its own secure
servers, enabling you to affordably leverage the power of a high-speed
network, 24/7 expert monitoring and support, and state-of-the-art
technology.
WebTrends
WebTrends offers Web tracking services, such as financial,
traffic, and more. With WebTrends reporting you can really see who is
hitting your site, and which pages are the most popular. WebTrends
contains graphical and table based reporting, so that you can find vital
information about how your website is being viewed.
Whois
A means of looking up names in a remote database. Used initially
as an aid for finding email addresses for people at large institutions or
companies.
Wideband
A medium-capacity communications circuit/path. It usually implies
a speed from 64Kbps to 1.544Mbps.
Windows NT
Windows NT is a 32-bit operating system that supports preemptive
multitasking. There are two versions of Windows NT: Windows NT Server is
designed to act as a server in networks, and Windows NT Workstation is
for stand-alone or client workstations
WWW - World Wide Web
A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted
documents. The documents are formatted in a language called HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as
well as graphics, audio, and video files. This means you can jump from
one document to another simply by clicking on hot spots. Not all Internet
servers are part of the World Wide Web.
XML
Short for extensible markup language. XML is a pared-down version
of SGML, designed especially for Web documents. It allows designers to
create their own customized tag, enabling the definition, transmission,
validation and interpretation of data between applications and between
organizations.
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Yahoo!
A directory of Web resources that performs a reported 10 million
searches across the World Wide Web a week.
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ZV Port
Short for zoomed video port, a port that enables data to be
transferred directly from a PC Card to a VGA controller. The port is
actually a connection to a zoomed video bus. This new bus was designed by
the PCMCIA to enable notebook computers to connect to real-time
multimedia devices such as video cameras. The first notebook computers
with the ZV port arrived in late 1996.
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