Bandwidth

The amount of information that can pass through a communications channel.  The greater the bandwidth, the quicker information can travel through it. Higher bandwidths are required for specialist applications like multimedia.

Banner Ads

A graphic image, which acts as an advertisement to entice site visitors to “click through” to obtain further information.

Broadband

A high-speed Internet connection, with accessing speed of 512k via a cable modem. Telewest Blueyonder and BT ADSL offer services within the UK.

Browser

A software program that let’s someone surf the Internet and web. The two most common web browsers are from Netscape and Microsoft.

Cache

A folder on a computer that stores pages already visited on the web. Used to reduce download times, especially when clicking the “back” button on a web browser.

Domain Name

A convention used to allocate and structure the Internet hierarchy into meaningful sections.  For example, at the higher level are the “.com”, ”.org” “.uk” and “.net” domains, which can then be broken down into further domains such as “scothosts.com” , “scothosts.co.uk” , etc.

EDI

Electronic Data Interchange – a method of exchanging information (purchase orders, invoices, quotes, etc.) in a standardised form between companies.

E-mail

Electronic mail – an Internet service that allows messages to be sent from person to person, and which ca contain different file types such as text, graphics video, audio, spreadsheets, etc.

Extranets

An intranet offering secure access to suppliers, partners and clients to share corporate information.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions – lists of commonly asked questions and answers on specific subjects.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol – a method of transferring files electronically between computers on the Internet.

Gateway

An access point connecting one network on the Internet with another neighbouring network.  There are also payment gateways that offer direct access into a banks private network.

GIF

Graphical Interchange Format – a compressed graphics system used commonly on the Internet.

HTML

HyperText MarkUp Laungauge – the language used to create web pages on the Internet.

HTTP

HyperText Transport Protocol – the communications mechanism used to exchange information on the Internet.

Intranets

Use of Internet technology’s to create a private, internal information sharing mechanism within a single company.

ISDN

Integrated services digital network – a communications service offering speeds of 64kbs and 128kbs via a telephone network.

ISP

Internet service provider – a company providing Internet access to individuals and companies.

IPP

Internet Payment Provider – a company offering merchant account creation and on-line transaction services.

Java

An object-oriented programming language, developed by SUN that has seen widespread adoption for use on the Internet. Small Java programs, known as “applets”, can be embedded within a web page.

JPEG

Joint Picture Expert Group – a graphical image compression system used widely on the Internet.

Link

A hypertext facility that allows a connection between two objects on the Internet whether they may be text, video, audio or graphics.

Listservers

Applications that automatically manages e-mail discussion forums.  They can be sent commands via e-mail to perform several functions such as subscribing and unsubscribing to specific lists, providing a member list, etc.

Logs

Web servers normally produce log files that can be analysed to measure website objectives. For Example, number of visitors, time spent on the site, information sought, etc.

MIME

Multimedia Internet Mail Extensions – a facility that allows e-mails to contain several sections, with each containing different media types.

Modem

Modulator/Demodulator – a hardware device that enables a computer to access the Internet via a normal telephone line.

Netiquette

The ethical and cultural rules of using the Internet, such as not posting advertisements to Usenet discussion groups (unless they allow them), not posting the same message to several newsgroups, avoidance of shouting in e-mails (Using nothing but capital letters), avoiding sending unsolicited e-mails, etc.

Newsgroups

General discussion forums, rather like global electronic blackboards, covering every subject imaginable.  There are approximately 45,000 such groups.

Passphrase

A string of digits or characters providing confidential authentication software

Payment Gateway

A system that provides on-line e-commerce facilities to merchants on the Internet and links directly into a banks financial system.

Portal

A website that’s is used to get to another site.

Real Time Transaction

An Internet payment system in which credit card details are authenticated and verified within a matter of seconds.

Reciprocal Link

When two (or more) website exchange URL’s by mentioning each other on their own sites.

Search Engines

Websites containing searchable databases of information and resources on the Internet.

Secure Server

A web server offering e-commerce facilities via secure website by use of technology such as encryption and digital certificates. Commonly referred to as SSL.

Shopping Basket

A software system used at websites that allows visitors to place their goods and products in an electronic shopping cart. Items can be added and removed very easily before proceeding to the “checkout” at the website to pay for the goods purchased.

Signatures

When a file is passed through a message digest, the resulting output number is encrypted with your private key to create a digital signature. This can then be attached to the original file so recipients can decrypt your signature and check the message digest number to ensure the file has not been tampered with in transit.

Tags

Elements within web pages that describe how the information in that web page should be structured and displayed.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol – the fundamental communication mechanism used on the Internet.  Invented by Robert Kahn and Vint Cerf.

Telnet

An application allowing remote login between computers located anywhere on the Internet.

Terminal Adapter

A device allowing data to be sent over an ISDN line, much like a conventional modem does over a telephone line.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator – the unique identification of a website or web resource, such as http://www.scothosts.com

Visitors

The number of people arriving at your web-site, often called hits. Can be measured over an hour, day, week, month, etc.

Web Browser

A software program that enables someone to surf the web. The two most common browsers are Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Netscape’s Communicator.

Web Server

A software program that manages a web-site, fulfilling user requests, monitoring web-site usage, checking access controls, etc.