Arachnid media can help with the jargon - we can explain
everything
Access
provider
An organisation that provides access to the Internet.
Also known as Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Anonymous ftp
A publicly available Internet file site. Users must sign
on as anonymous and enter their email address to connect
to an anonymous ftp site.
Applet
A self-contained mini-executable program, such as one
written in the Java programming language. It connects
with or is designed to work with a larger 'partner'
program.
ASP
Active Server Pages - a scripting language created by
Microsoft for dynamically created web pages and database
functions. Web pages created with ASP usually have an
.asp suffix.
Bandwidth
A Term used to describe how much data you can send
through a connection to the Net. The transmission
capacity of a given medium, in terms of how much data
the medium can transmit in a given amount of time. The
greater the bandwidth, the faster the rate of data
transmission. Information carrying capacity of a
communication channel.
Browser
Software that allows users to access and navigate the
World Wide Web. Some Web browsers, such as Mosaic and
Netscape, are graphical. Lynx is a text-based browser.
Cache
A section of computer memory set aside for storing
frequently-used data from a disk drive, speeding up the
transfer of information.
Cascading style sheets
An extension to HTML which allows style features
(colour, font size, spacing, and page-layering) to be
specified for certain elements of a hypertext document.
CSSs are especially useful for making a global change to
multiple web pages - because the style is specified just
once, often in a separate file.
CGI
Common Gateway Interface - an interactive system
installed on Web servers to automatically process
information entered into Web page forms.
Cookies
Small text files created by an Internet web site and
stored on the user's computer. A cookie contains
information that can help speed access on subsequent
visits, such as passwords and details of the user's
display facilities.
Database
A computer holding large amounts of information that can
be searched by an Internet user. A storehouse of
information on the Net.
DHTML
Dynamic HTML - an integration of JavaScript, Cascading
Style Sheets, and the Document Object Model. With DHTML,
the content of a web page can move across the screen or
respond to user inputs.
Dialup Internet connection
Lets a user dial into an Internet service provider using
a modem and telephone line to access the Internet. The
user is presented with a text-based set of menus which
are used to navigate the Internet. (See SLIP or PPP
connections)
Domain Name
The address for people to locate your business on the
www (Internet) it is usually registered with the same or
similar name to your business name or range of products.
You can register as many different names that all point
to your website, this helps you 'catch' more hits to
your website.
E-commerce
Performing business transactions on the Internet - which
may include the use of credit cards, 'shopping
trolleys', forms, and secure servers.
Email
Allows users to send and receive messages to each other
over the Internet.
Email Address
A code representing a unique email user on the Internet.
Examples might include - support@arachnidm.co.uk
Email Forwarding
Incoming email can be forwarded to any existing email
address. This is useful if you want all your email to
come to the same mailbox, rather than having to check
several mailboxes separately.
E-mail virus scanning
You can set-up automatic virus scanning of all e-mail
sent to a domain name. Incoming messages are checked
before they reach your inbox.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. An application program that uses
TCP/IP protocol to allow you to move files from a
distant computer to a local computer using a network
like the Internet.
Firewall
A security system, usually for networked computers,
which controls access in and out of the network.
GUI
Graphical user interface. Software designed to allow the
user to execute commands by pointing and clicking on
icons or text. It's pronounced 'Gooey'.
Hits
The number of requests for files made to a Web server. A
much misunderstood term. It is not the number of unique
visitors. A typical Web page is made up of one HTML
file, plus a number of graphics. One request for this
page results in several hits.
Home page
The first page a user sees when visiting a World Wide
Web site.
Host
An Internet company providing storage space for web
sites on their server computer(s).
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language. The programming language of
the World Wide Web, HTML software turns a document into
a hyperlinked World Wide Web page.
HTTP
HyperText Transfer Protocol: The protocol used to
provide hypertext links between pages. It is the
standard way of transferring HTML documents between Web
servers and browsers.
HTTPS
HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure - is used to secure
Web sites by using encrypted traffic to and from the
user by means of Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
Hypertext/hyperlink
A
highlighted word or graphic in a document that, when
clicked upon, takes the user to a related piece of
information on the Internet. When the cursor passes over
a link, it usually changes from an arrow to a pointing
hand.
Internet
Or 'net' became popular from the mid 1990's and allowed
anyone with a computer, modem and telephone line to
'talk' to another computer and view websites, which are
webpages held on servers anywhere in the world. The
Internet is extensively used for commercial
transactions, news groups, information, education etc.
IP address
Every computer on the Internet has a unique numerical IP
address assigned to it, such as 123.456.78.9.
ISP
Internet Service Providers (also known as Internet
Access Providers) provide access to the Internet through
telephone line modems or other technologies. You access
the Internet using a modem, a phone line, and an
Internet service provider account such as AOL, Freeserve,
BT etc
Java
A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems
used for cross-platform Web-based applications. Its
primary contribution to the Web has been in the form of
Java Server Pages (JSP), J2EE and it is also used in
'applets' - mini-programs written in Java that run in
browsers.
JavaScript
A scripting language developed by Netscape that adds
interactivity to web pages. Its name reflects a shared
syntax with the Java programming language.
JPEG
A widely-used graphic file format. Acronym of the Joint
Photographic Experts Group. (It's pronounced 'Jay-peg'.)
JSP
Java Server Pages - a scripting language based on Java
for developing dynamic Web pages and sites. It is
typically used on Solaris and Linux platforms.
Junk email
Email messages which are received, but not asked for or
even wanted.
Linux
A version of the Unix operating system designed to run
on PCs. Controversial because it has been developed as
part of the Open Sources movement and given away free of
charge. Very popular for Web servers and appliances.
MySQL
An Open Source development of the SQL language for
talking to databases. Most commonly used amongst small
business users and run on Linux operating systems
Network
A group of computers that are connected in some fashion.
Most school networks are known as LANs, or Local Area
Networks, because they are networks linking computers in
one small area. The Internet could be referred to as a
WAN, or a Wide Area Network, because it connects
computers in more than one local area.
Online/Offline
When you are logged onto a computer through your modem,
you are said to be online. When you are using your
computer but are not connected to a computer through
your modem, you're said to be working offline.
PDF
Portable Document Format - a file format developed by
Adobe Systems for capturing formatted page layouts for
distribution. Requires the proprietary Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is now given away free of charge.
PHP
A scripting language used for developing dynamic Web
pages and sites. It is typically used on Solaris and
Linux platforms.
Scripting Support
Our web servers support most scripting languages. Using
scripting languages such as PERL, PHP, and CGI when
developing your web site, allows web developers to write
dynamically generated pages that people can interact
with. If you are going to use this in your web site you
will need to use a hosting company that supports your
scripting language. Ask your web designer which
scripting languages your web site uses.
Search engine
An online service which can trawl through the contents
of the Web (Websites, newsgroups, email addresses)
looking for specific phrases or words. The engine asks
you for keywords and then provides a list of web sites
that contain you
SPAM Filtering
Blocks unsolicited e-mails. You can control the
sensitivity of the filtering used, and decide what
action should be taken when Spam e-mail arrives.
Webserver
A web server distributes the load over a number of
computer servers. If a site you look at is very slow its
usually because its not got a web server, therefore the
load cannot be shared.
Website Statistics
With Matrix Stats you can view both real-time and
historical information about the visitors to your web
site.
World Wide Web
A revolutionary browsing system that allows
point-and-click navigation of the Internet. The Web is a
spiderweb-like interconnection of millions of pieces of
information located on computers around the world. Web
documents use hypertext, which incorporates text and
graphical links to other documents and files on
Internet-connected computers.
