Technical Tips - Beating the jargon

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

B

  • Blog : A website, usually maintained by an individual, (a) with regular entries of commentary or news on a particular subject, or (b) as a personal online diary. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is an abridgment of the term "web log". "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Blogs are one of the constituent parts of what has become known as Web 2.0.
  • Browser software : The software program that converts HTML into what you see displayed on your screen. The most common browser, now (Summer 2008) with around 85% of the global market, is Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Mozilla's Firefox browser has the major share of the remaining 15% of the market.

D

  • Domain Name : A simple name used to identify your website, e.g. www.google.com. Think of your domain name as being like your mobile phone number: with a phone it doesn't matter which network you're on, or where you are in the world, you can still be contacted on the same number; with a domain name it doesn't matter who the name is registered with, or where the website is hosted, the website can be found by its unique domain name.

E

  • Extranet : An intranet that has been extended, generally with password-protection, to allow authorised outsiders, such as customers, suppliers, and business partners, to access the organisation’s private information via the internet.

F

  • FTP : File Transfer Protocol. FTP software is used to transfer files between a local computer and a remote web server, such as the servers used for web hosting. There are many perfectly adequate FTP programs available on the internet as freeware or shareware, and FTP software is built into most web-authoring programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage.
  • FTP site : A server (computer) on the internet that allows uploading and downloading of files by the use of file transfer protocol (FTP). An FTP site may be one or more servers, or just one or more folders, dedicated to file transfer, on a single server. An FTP site is not a website because its data cannot be displayed like a webpage.
  • Forum : Also known as internet forums or web forums. A web-based online discussion group where participants with common interests can exchange open messages. Forums are characterised by "threads" and "messages" - a thread is a series of connected messages, often in question-and-answer format, on a particular topic. Forums are one of the constituent parts of what has become known as Web 2.0.

H

  • HTML : HyperText Markup Language. The simple code in which most website and intranet pages are written. Browser software converts the HTML in the computer file into what you see displayed on your screen. The .htm in the file name of this file - see the URL in the Address box above - shows that this page is written in HTML.

I

  • IA : Information architecture. The art and science of organising information so that it is findable, manageable and useful. IA includes the structure, content, labelling, and categorisation of information, including the design of navigation and search systems (for websites and intranets, for example) that help people share information.
  • Intranet : A website intended specifically for use within a single organisation. Intranets generally include company or project-specific information that allows employees to work together more efficiently. Although intranet pages may link to the internet, an intranet is not available to the general public. See Extranet.
  • ISP : Internet Service Provider. The company that you pay to provide you with access to the internet. Popular ISPs with which you may be familiar include AOL, BT, Homecall, NTL, Tiscali, Virgin Net, and Wanadoo. There are dozens of others although many are geared towards the specific needs of large businesses.

L

  • LAN : Local area network. A network connecting a number of computers in relatively close proximity to each other, such as within a building, so that the computers can share programs, files, and resources such as printers. The computers, typically, include one or more 'servers' that run the network and control shared resources, and a number of workstations.

P

  • Portal : ........

R

  • RSS : Really Simple Syndication. Read the Technical Tip on RSS Feeds.

U

  • URL : Uniform Resource Locator. In principle, every page of every website on the internet has its own unique 'address' or URL and this is usually shown in the Address box towards the top of your browser window. The URL of this page, for example, is http://www.andrewkb.net/web/web003.htm.

W

  • WAN : Wide Area Network. A communications network that uses devices such as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN. Telephone companies and ISPs use WANs to service large regional areas or entire countries. Large businesses may have their own private WANs to link remote offices. The Internet is the world's largest WAN.
  • Web 2.0 : An expression, used for the first time in 2004, referring to the "second generation" of the Internet where "bottom-up, user-generated" content, such as blogs, forums, and wikis, is becoming more significant than "top-down" content such as traditionally-authored websites. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are generally cited as examples of what is meant by Web 2.0.
  • Web Hosting : A commercial service providing storage space on computers (web servers) for the files (HTML files, images, databases, etc.) from which websites are constructed. The servers, typically housed in what is now known as a data centre, are connected to the internet.
  • Webmaster : A term used loosely to describe the individual with the primary responsibility for maintaining and updating a website. The Webmaster may also have designed the website, but not necessarily.
  • Wiki : A website that allows multiple users to create, modify, and organize web pages in a collaborative manner. Wikis, unlike forums, typically allow all users to edit all the content, including content created by others. The best-known example of a publically-accessible wiki is the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Wikis are one of the constituent parts of what has become known as Web 2.0.
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