Glossary of Internet Terms
By Queen Mason for Red Triangle Enterprises, Inc.
Copyright 1999, Red Triangle Enterprises, Inc.
The advent of the Internet has spawned a whole new language consisting of words like "hotlinks" and "spamming," and the words "finger" and "cracker" have a whole new meaning to users of "netspeak." This article defines some of the most common Internet terms and idioms.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): A basic text format which can be read by most computers.
Autoresponder: A device that sends an automatic e-mail message in response to an incoming e-mail message.
Bandwidth: The capacity of a network to transfer data.
Banner: A static or animated graphic which is usually linked to a web page.
Baud rate: The speed at which signals are sent by modem.
Browser (or web browser): A program that interacts with web servers, enabling users to view web pages.
Carrier signals: The high-pitched squeaks that accompany connections between modems.
Chat room: A web site incorporating interactive elements which allow visitors to interact with each other in real-time.
Cracker: A malicious hacker who breaks into a computer system with the intention of stealing or altering files or disrupting the way the system functions.
Dial-up access: Accessing the Internet or making other computer connections over telephone lines.
Directory: A database of web pages listed by category. Directories -- unlike search engines -- don't use indexing software (spiders), so URL's must be submitted in order to be indexed.
Domain: A domain is a web site with its own unique domain name.
Domain name: The address (in words) of an IP number on the Internet.
Download: Retrieve files from a computer.
Downtime: A period during which Internet connectivity cannot be established with a server (or with any web site hosted on the server).
E-mail (or email): "Electronic mail" consisting of messages sent and/or received electronically.
E-mail address: An online location where e-mail messages are stored on a server until they are picked up by the recipient. An e-mail address consists of a "userid" and a domain name separated by the "@" sign. Example: janedoe@yahoo.com.
Finger: A program that provides information about users on a system.
Flame: An angry, often abusive attack delivered via e-mail that is usually directed against spammers.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A standard used to transfer files from one computer to another.
Freeware: Free software, often available in downloadable files over the Internet.
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format): A common type of file format for images.
Graphic: An image on a web page.
GUI (Graphical User Interface): Point-and-click capability (as opposed to command-line interface requiring typed instructions).
Hacker: A person who enjoys working with computers, programs, systems, networks, etc. Hackers are often very proficient at retrieving lost files, improving a system's performance, and even gaining unauthorized entrance into secure systems (although most hackers don't use their skills for abusive or illegal purposes).
Handshake: The squawking sounds (carrier signals) that modems make when they are communicating with each other to determine a protocol for exchanging information.
Hit counter (or counter): A device that records the number of times a web page or file is accessed.
Home page: The main page or main menu of a web site. The most common point of entry into a web site.
Hotlink: A hyperlink on an image that links it to another document. Example: Hotlinks are applied to most banners, providing a link from the banner to a web page.
HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language): The standard format for documents on the World Wide Web.
Hyperlink: A word (or words) in hypertext that provides a connection to another document, or to a different area of the same document. Also a hotlink that connects an image with another document.
Hypertext: Highlighted words (text links) that connect to other areas on a web page, other pages in a web site, or other web sites on the Internet.
Internet: A world wide network that makes it possible for computers to communicate with other computers all over the world.
Internet relay chat (IRC): see chat room.
InterNic: An organization through which domain names can be registered and/or reserved.
Invisible keywords: Keywords that are the same color as the background to keep them from being visible on a web page. Using invisible keywords is a form of keyword spamming.
IP number: A unique number that identifies a domain.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides access to the Internet.
Jpeg (pronounced "jay-peg"): Compressed format for an image file.
Keyword: A word used in search engines and directories to define search parameters.
Keyword spamming: The mindless repetition of a keyword in tiny letters (or the use of "invisible keywords") on a web page to manipulate search engine positioning. Note: Most search engines and directories penalize keyword spammers with a lower placement or with removal from their databases.
Listserver (also mail list server or majordomo): A device that sends an automatic e-mail message to a list.
Main page: see home page.
Main menu: The home page of a web site (usually a domain) containing several separate web pages or web sites, each of which is usually linked from the main menu.
Majordomo: see listserver.
META tags: Hidden commands inserted into the HTML code on a web page. Examples include META keyword tags, META description tags, and META title tags.
Modem: A device that connects a computer to a phone line and allows computers to communicate.
Netiquette: Internet rules of etiquette.
Netpreneur: An Internet entrepreneur.
Newbie: A newcomer to the Internet.
Newsgroup reader: A software program that is needed to read newsgroups.
Newsgroups: Discussion forums that are arranged by subject.
Newsreader: see newsgroup reader.
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol): An alternative way to connect to the Internet or to another computer (as opposed to dial-up access).
Real-time: The Internet equivalent of a "live" broadcast, which allows participants to engage in a conversation on a subject-oriented channel.
Reciprocal linking: A common online marketing technique involving the exchange of links between two or more web sites.
Search engine: A database of web pages. Most search engines use indexing software (spiders) to explore the web, "crawling" from link to link and indexing web pages as they go.
Server: A computer capable of hosting web sites and domains, and of performing complex tasks for other computers, called "clients."
Shareware: Free software for which some form of voluntary payment -- not necessarily in the form of money -- is usually requested.
Signature file: A file added to the end of outgoing e-mail messages that contains the sender's contact information.
Site map: A web page that provides links to other areas on a web site. Site maps are usually used to facilitate navigating a web site.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol): An alternative way to connect to the Internet or to another computer (as opposed to the more common dial-up access).
Snail mail: Printed matter sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
Spam: Unsolicited e-mail or inappropriate newsgroup posting, including posting ads to newsgroups that specifically prohibit advertising.
Spammer: A person who uses spam.
Spider (or web crawler): A "robot" used by some search engines to "spider" a web site (to "crawl" from link to link until it has accessed and indexed all or most of the pages on the site).
Stationery file: An e-mail template that can be used again and again.
Surfer: One who "surfs" the World Wide Web.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): Internet connectivity, usually provided by the software supplied by an ISP.
Text link: A word (or a string of words) in hypertext that connects one area of a web page with another area or with another web page.
Thread: A message posted to a newsgroup with a series of replies.
Timeout: A break in communication between two computers. This usually occurs when one computer takes too long to respond to another computer's signals.
Traffic: Usually refers to the number of visitors to a web page.
Upload: Transferring a file from a local computer to a remote computer.
Uptime: Usually stated in terms of a percentage, "uptime" most often refers to the time Internet connectivity can be established with a web site and/or a server.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The unique Internet address assigned to every web page.
Usenet: A collection of networks and computer systems arranged by subject matter into newsgroups, each of which can exchange messages with the others.
Userid: A unique name given to a user on a system. An example of a userid is the first part of an e-mail address, which distinguishes the user from all other users on the system.
Web crawler (or webcrawler): see spider.
Web page: A document on the Internet with a unique URL (Internet address).
Web page editor: A program that allows users to create web pages, usually with little or no knowledge of HTML.
Web ring (or webring): Consists of a "ring" of member sites about a specific subject. Each member site displays a logo on the bottom of its main page that provides a link to the next member site in the ring.
Web site (or website): A little piece of cyberspace consisting of one or more web pages.
Web site host: A server that hosts web sites and/or domains.
World Wide Web (or WWW): An Internet application based on hypertext which allows users to move from one document to another via links.
For more information about online marketing, visit Red Triangle's Business Mall at http://www.red-triangle.com/bottomline107.htm now, or write to: Red Triangle Enterprises, Inc., Dept. Internet Magic, 39040 Hubbard St., Palmdale, CA 93551 USA.
