A[top]
above the fold
The content on a Web page that is visible without scrolling. The area above the fold is considered the most desirable real estate on a Web page.
affiliate
Used as an adjective, it describes a Web site, company, or marketing program that promotes products and/or services provided by a merchant in return for a commission. Affiliates aim to drive targeted traffic to a Web site, usually an e-commerce merchant, via a link or search utility on another Web site.
anchor
In HTML, anchors mark the start and end of hypertext links.
B[top]
backlink
One of the most important and challenging factors in promoting your Web site is encouraging other Web sites to link to yours. The more sites that link to yours, especially if they have similar or related content, the more of an "authority" you become in the eyes of the search engines.
bookmark
A direct link to an often visited site, saved in your browser for easy access.
breadcrumb
The nickname for a top navigation menu that uses a string of section names to identify where you are.
C[top]
client-side
A technology or program that runs on your desktop computer (as opposed to running on a server).
computer
A device that runs programs for displaying and manipulating text, graphics, symbols, audio, video, and numbers.
cookies
Cookies are stored as text files on your hard drive so servers can access them when you return to Web sites you've visited before. Cookies contain information that identifies each user, for example: login or username, passwords, shopping cart information, preferences, and so on. When a user revisits a Web site, his or her computer automatically "serves up" the cookie, which establishes the user's identity, thus eliminating the need for the customer to reenter the information.
D[top]
DIY
Online jargon, also known as text message shorthand, used primarily in texting, online chat, instant messaging, email, blogs, and newsgroup postings, these types of abbreviations are also referred to as chat acronyms.
domain name
The address or URL of a particular Web site, it is the text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a computer on the Internet.
dynamic content
Information, on a Web site or Web page that changes often, usually daily or each time a user reloads or returns to the page. It is also content that is structured based on user input.
E[top]
embed
This term refers to using computer
code to place something, such as a video or song, on a Web site or blog. When something is "embedded" on a Web page, the user can watch the video or listen to the song without leaving the page.
encryption
The process of protecting information as it moves from one computer to another.
extensions
The characters after the dot in a file's name are the file's extension. They determine how the file is formatted and viewed. For example, a file named "index.html" is coded in HTML and therefore must be viewed with a compatible program (such as a Web browser or HTML editor).
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FAQ
A list of questions and answers related to a Web site, newsgroup, software, or any kind of product or service. Because these are "frequently asked" questions, most users can find the information they need online.
Flash
A vector graphic animation technology that's bandwidth friendly and browser-independent. In other words, it is a programming technique that enables movies and animation to move seamlessly across a Web browser. As long as different browsers are equipped with the necessary plugins, Flash animations will look the same.
functionality
The way something works or operates, or online, what purpose it serves.
G[top]
GIF or .gif
On Web pages, the images (or pictures) you see are usually in GIF because the files are small and can be downloaded quickly. Another type of graphics format commonly used online is JPG.
Google
Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford Ph.D. candidates who developed a technologically advanced method for finding information on the Internet, its most famous product is a hybrid search engine that ranks the popularity of results that match your keyword search.
GUI
A well-known acronym for a software front end. A GUI should provide an attractive and easy-to-use interface between a computer user and an application (generally featuring graphical elements such as icons).
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homepage
The first page or front page of a Web site
. It serves as the starting point for navigation.
host
A computer that functions as the beginning and end point of data transfers. It is most commonly thought of as the place where your Web site resides.
HTML
HTML is Hypertext Markup Language(versus a programming language) that uses tags to structure text into headings, paragraphs, lists, and links.
I[top]
icon
A graphical representation of a specific item (or situation). The small images located on your desktop or Web browser, which you click on to activate a program or a link, are icons.
index
The default page that appears when you type in a URL.
Internet
The most important technological innovation of our generation, the Internet is actually a network of networks. Originally designed by the U.S. Department of Defense so that a communication signal could withstand nuclear war and serve military institutions worldwide.
J[top]
JPG or .jpg
One of the two most common types of image formats used on the World Wide Web (the other being GIF). The shorter extension, JPG (without the E), is usually used in association with PC platform files. It is designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale images of natural, real-world scenes. It works well on photographs, naturalistic artwork, and similar material; not so well on lettering, simple cartoons, or line drawings.
K[top]
keyword
On a search engine, for example, it's the term or phrase you type in order to begin an online search. In HTML, keywords appear in the meta tags for a Web page, where they help search engines
readily identify and better index the Web site.
L[top]
link
Text or images on a Web page that a user can click on in order to access or connect to another document. An absolute link specifies a full URL.
link rot
The process by which links on a Web page become obsolete as the sites they're connected to change location or die.
live
A stage of Web development
at which the site is finished and launched. For example, you may hear, "When is the site going to go live?"
M[top]
meta tag
An HTML tag that contains information about a Web page. In theory, an HTML or Web page author can control how a site is indexed by search engines and how and when it will be called up during a user's search.
N[top]
navigate
The act of moving around the Web by clicking on hypertext links (or paths) that take you from one Web page to another.
netiquette
The code of conduct and unofficial rules that govern online interaction and behavior, it comes from "net" plus "etiquette."
Not Found 404
The requested URL was not found on this server.
O[top]
online
The state of being connected to the Internet (generally through an ISP, an OSP, or a network). Used as an adjective, it describes a variety of activities that users do on the Internet, for example: online chat.
P[top]
page rank
PageRank (trademarked by Google), PR. This software (which operates behind the scenes) analyzes both the number of incoming links and the quality of the referring Web page. It then produces a relative measure between 0 (low) and 10 (high) which is seen as a green bar next to the search result on Google.com
pay-per-click (PPC)
Same as Cost-Per-Click (CPC). An online advertising payment model in which payment is based only on the number of click-throughs that are generated. It works like this: You bid for certain keywords that describe your site and the products or services you offer. When a user searches with these keywords, they are brought to your listing. Money is paid only when someone clicks on the listing.
Q[top]
quarantine
A term used to isolate spam e-mail messages, it is often seen in anti-spam software. Once you quarantine the suspect messages, you must then delete them.
query
A question or request to find a particular file, Web site, record, or set of records in a search engine or database.
R[top]
reciprocal link
A link placed on your Web site to return the favor of having another site link to yours. In other words, you exchange outbound links for inbound links. It is a form of bartering with the intention that each Web site receives more exposure.
relevancy
When used in computer searching, "relevancy" measures how closely a document or Web page matches the users' search query. Many search engines return the search results in a hierarchy from the most relevant to the least relevant.
S[top]
search engine optimization (SEO)
The process of selecting targeted keywords that reflect the content of a Web site and testing the search engine results to make sure the site is well placed based on the keywords you selected.
secure socket layer
This strategy allows SSL to operate without depending on 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).
server-side
Describes a technology or program that runs on the server in a client/server system (as opposed to running on the client-side, your local computer system). On the Web, CGI scripts are server-side apps whereas JavaScript scripts are client-side (they are executed by your browser).
T[top]
tag
In Web programming languages, it is the code that describes a command or instruction so that a Web browser will be able to interpret and display it.
tool
A helpful program that generally is used to make something else. tool can be any of the following (or in some cases, more than one): a small, text-based application; an HTML-editing application; a huge graphics program; a custom-built application that helps a Webmaster or sysadmin maintain his or her content.
U[top]
upload
To copy a file from your local computer to a server or host system.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. An acronym/term that describes the location and access method of a resource on the Internet. All Web sites have URLs.
user-friendly
Easy to use or learn
V[top]
vector graphics
Also called object-oriented graphics, these programs store images in the form of mathematical representations that can be resized and scaled without distortion.
vertical portal
A portal that caters to consumers within a particular industry (sometimes called a "vertical industry").
virus
A software program that replicates on computer systems by incorporating itself into shared programs. Viruses range from harmless pranks that merely display an annoying message to programs that can destroy files or disable a computer altogether.
W[top]
web designer
The aesthetic and navigational architect of a Web site, the designer is the person responsible for how the site looks and feels. Usually this person is trained in the creative side of image development
web developer
The title for a person who architecturally builds or structures a Web site from a technical standpoint. This person is responsible for integrating the back end technology with any front end interfaces.
website
A place on the World Wide Web that's comprised of files organized into a hierarchy. Each file or document contains text or graphics that appear as digital information on a computer screen. A site can contain a combination of graphics, text, audio, video, and other dynamic or static materials.
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