guide to technical terms

8/3/2019 Guide to Technical Terms

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Internet Terms:

1. ActiveServerPage(ASP)This is a Web page that has one or more ASP scripts embedded in it. ASP scripts are like small

computer programs that run when an ASP‐based Web page is accessed. You can tell if you're

accessing an

active

server

page

if

the

suffix

of

the

URL

is

".asp"

(as

opposed

to

".html").

ASP

pages

are processed on a Web server before they are transferred to a user's Web browser. ASP pages are

typically used for pages that have dynamic or frequently changing information. For example, an ASP

script might get a visitor's zip code through a form on a Web page, and then customize the content

on the resulting page based on that information. Since ASP technology was designed by Microsoft,

ASP scripts are typically written in Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language.

2. ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a set of Web development tools offered by Microsoft. Programs like Visual Studio .NET

and Visual Web Developer allow Web developers to create dynamic websites using a visual

interface. Of course, programmers can write their own code and scripts and incorporate it into

ASP.NET websites

as

well.

Though

it

often

seen

as

a successor

to

Microsoft's

ASP

programming

technology, ASP.NET also supports Visual Basic.NET, JScript .NET and open‐source languages like

Python and Perl.

ASP.NET is built on the .NET framework, which provides an application program interface (API) for

software programmers. The .NET development tools can be used to create applications for both the

Windows operating system and the Web. Programs like Visual Studio .NET provide a visual interface

for developers to create their applications, which makes .NET a reasonable choice for designing

Web‐based interfaces as well.

3. AjaxAjax is a combination of Web development technologies used for creating dynamic websites. Ajax

stands for

"Asynchronous

JavaScript

And

XML."

Therefore,

websites

that

use

Ajax

combine

JavaScript and XML to display dynamic content. The "asynchronous" part of Ajax refers to the way

requests are made to the Web server. When a script sends a request to the Web server, it may

receive data, which can then be displayed on the Web page. Since these events happen at slightly

different times, they are considered to be asynchronous. The data is usually sent back to the

browser in an XML format, since it is easy to parse.

What makes Ajax so powerful is that scripts can run on the client side, rather than on the server. This

means a JavaScript function can make a request to a server after a webpage has already finished

loading. The data received from the server can then be displayed on the page without reloading the

other content. If a server‐side scripting language like PHP or ASP was used, the entire page would

need to be reloaded in order for the new content to be displayed.

4. ApacheApache is the most popular Web server software. It enables a computer to host one or more

websites that can be accessed over the Internet using a Web browser. The first version of Apache

was released in 1995 by the Apache Group.

Apache's popularity in the Web hosting market is largely because it is open source and free to use.

5.BitTorrent BitTorrent is a peer‐to‐peer (P2P) file sharing protocol designed to reduce the bandwidth required to

transfer files. It does this by distributing file transfers across multiple systems, thereby lessening the

average bandwidth used by each computer. For example, if a user begins downloading a movie file,

the BitTorrent

system

will

locate

multiple

computers

with

the

same

file

and

begin

downloading

the



file from several computers at once. Since most ISPs offer much faster download speeds than upload

speeds, downloading from multiple computers can significantly increase the file transfer rate.

In order to use the BitTorrent protocol, you need a BitTorrent client, which is a software program

that accesses the BitTorrent network. The client program allows you to search for files and begin

downloading torrents, which are in‐progress downloads. Most BitTorrent clients allow you to

resume torrents

that

have

been

paused

or

stopped.

6.BLOG

Short for "Web Log," this term refers to a list of journal entries posted on a Web page. Anybody who

knows how to create and publish a Web page can publish their own blog. Some Web hosts have

made it even easier by creating an interface where users can simply type a text entry and hit

"publish" to publish their blog.

Because of the simplicity of creating a blog, many people have found a new presence on the Web.

Instead of writing confidential entries in a book that no one is supposed to see, people now can

share their personal feelings and experiences with thousands of people around the world. Blogs are

typically updated daily, monthly, or anywhere in between.

7.Bookmark Similar to a real‐life bookmark, an Internet bookmark acts as a marker for a Web site. (In Internet

Explorer, they're called "Favorites".) When using a Web browser, you can simply select a bookmark

from the browser's Bookmarks menu to go to a certain site. This way, you don't have to go through

the redundant process of typing in the Internet address each time you visit one of your favorite sites.

8.Broadband

This refers to high‐speed data transmission in which a single cable can carry a large amount of data

at once. The most common types of Internet broadband connections are cable modems (which use

the same connection as cable TV) and DSL modems (which use your existing phone line). Because of

its multiple

channel

capacity,

broadband

has

started

to

replace

baseband,

the

single

‐channel

technology originally used in most computer networks.

9.Captcha

It may also be written "CAPTCHA," which is an acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing

test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." A captcha is program used to verify that a human, rather

than a computer, is entering data. Captchas are commonly seen at the end of online forms and ask

the user to enter text from a distorted image. The text in the image may be wavy, have lines through

it, or may be highly irregular, making it nearly impossible for an automated program to recognize it.

Fortunately, most captchas allow the user to regenerate the image if the text is too difficult to read.

Some even include an auditory pronunciation feature. By requiring a captcha response, webmasters

can

prevent

automated

programs,

or

"bots,"

from

filling

out

forms

online.

This

prevents

spam

from

being sent through website forms and ensures that wikis, such as Wikipedia, are only edited by

humans. The name "captcha" comes from the word "capture," since it captures human responses.

10.Client In the real world, businesses have clients. In the computer world, servers have clients. The "client‐

server" architecture is common in both local and wide area networks. For example, if an office has a

server that stores the company's database on it, the other computers in the office that can access

the database are "clients" of the server. On a larger scale, when you access your e‐mail from a mail

server on the Internet, your computer acts as the client that connects to the mail server.



11.CloudComputingCloud computing refers to applications and services offered over the Internet. These services are

offered from data centers all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the "cloud." This

metaphor represents the intangible, yet universal nature of the Internet.

The idea of the "cloud" simplifies the many network connections and computer systems involved in

online services.

In

fact,

many

network

diagrams

use

the

image

of

a cloud

to

represent

the

Internet.

This symbolizes the Internet's broad reach, while simplifying its complexity. Any user with an

Internet connection can access the cloud and the services it provides. Since these services are often

connected, users can share information between multiple systems and with other users.

Examples of cloud computing include online backup services, social networking services, and

personal data services such as Apple's MobileMe. Cloud computing also includes online applications,

such as those offered through Microsoft Online Services.

12.CyberbullyingThere are bullies and then there are cyberbullies. While bullying typically happens at school or work,

cyberbullying takes place over cyberspace. This includes both Internet and cell phone

communication. Like

physical

bullying,

cyberbullying

is

aimed

at

younger

people,

such

as

children

and teenagers. It may involve harassing, threatening, embarrassing, or humiliating young people

online. Technically, cyberbullying takes place between two young people. When adults are involved,

it may be called cyber‐harassment or cyberstalking.

13.Cyberspace

Unlike most computer terms, "cyberspace" does not have a standard, objective definition. Instead, it

is used to describe the virtual world of computers. For example, an object in cyberspace refers to a

block of data floating around a computer system or network. With the advent of the Internet,

cyberspace now extends to the global network of computers. So, after sending an e‐mail to your

friend, you could say you sent the message to her through cyberspace.

14.CybersquattersIn the early days of the United States, pioneers travelled west and claimed federal land as their own.

These people were called "squatters," since they claimed rights to the land simply by occupying it.

Many early Internet users saw the potential value of prominent domain names and began to register

as many domains as they could. Over the course of a few years, nearly all common "dot coms" were

registered. Many of these domain names were registered for investment purposes, rather than

being used for legitimate websites. This practice soon became known as "cybersquatting."

15.Dial‐up

Dial‐up refers to an Internet connection that is established using a modem. The modem connects the

computer to

standard

phone

lines,

which

serve

as

the

data

transfer

medium.

When

a user

initiates

a

dial‐up connection, the modem dials a phone number of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that is

designated to receive dial‐up calls. The ISP then establishes the connection, which usually takes

about ten seconds and is accompanied by several beeping and buzzing sounds.

After the dial‐up connection has been established, it is active until the user disconnects from the ISP.

Typically, this is done by selecting the "Disconnect" option using the ISP's software or a modem

utility program. However, if a dial‐up connection is interrupted by an incoming phone call or

someone picking up a phone in the house, the service may also be disconnected. In the early years

of the Internet, especially in the 1990s, a dial‐up connection was the standard way to connect to the

Internet.



16.Direct DigitalMarketing(DDM)Also known as "DDM," is a type of marketing that is done exclusively through digital means. It may

be used to supplement or even replace traditional physical marketing strategies. The primary

channels of direct digital marketing include e‐mail and the Web.

The Web is another popular medium for direct digital marketing. Many companies now advertise on

websites through

banner

ads,

text

links,

and

other

types

of

advertisements.

By

using

Web

marketing,

companies can drive visitors directly to their website with a single click.

17.DomainNameSystem(DNS)The primary purpose of DNS is to keep Web surfers sane. Without DNS, we would have to remember

the IP address of every site we wanted to visit, instead of just the domain name. Can you imagine

having to remember "17.254.3.183" instead of just "apple.com"? The reason the Domain Name

System is used is because Web sites are acutally located by their IP addresses. For example, when

you type in "http://www.adobe.com," the computer doesn't immediately know that it should look

for Adobe's Web site. Instead, it sends a request to the nearest DNS server, which finds the correct

IP address for "adobe.com." Your computer then attempts to connect to the server with that IP

number.

18.DNSrecordsThey are stored in zone files and are used for translating domain names to IP addresses. They also

contain other data, including the domain name's name server and mail server information. If there

are domain name aliases, such as the commonly used "www" preceding the domain name, these will

also be listed in the DNS record.

Since DNS records are made up entirely of text, they are easy to modify when needed. However, one

small typo could redirect a domain name to the wrong Web server or prevent it from showing up at

all. This is why it is important to enter DNS information accurately and double‐check your changes

entry before saving the zone file.

19.DomainNameThis is the name that identifies Web site. For example, "microsoft.com" is the domain name of

Microsoft's Web site. A single Web server can serve Web sites for multiple domain names, but a

single domain name can point to only one machine. For example, Apple Computer has Web sites at

www.apple.com, www.info.apple.com, and store.apple.com. Each of these sites could be served on

different machines.

20.DomainSuffix

A domain suffix is the last part of a domain name and is often referred to as a "top‐level domain" or

TLD. Popular domain suffixes include ".com," ".net," and ".org," but there are dozens of domain

suffixes approved

by

ICANN.

Each domain suffix is intended to define the type of website represented by the domain name. For

example, ".com" domains are meant for commercial websites, whereas ".org" domains are to be

used by organizations.

21.Download

This is the process in which data is sent to your computer. Whenever you receive information from

the Internet, you are downloading it to your computer. For example, you might have to download an

upgrade for your computer's operating system in order to play a new game. Or you might download

a demo version of a program you are thinking about buying from the software company's Web site.

The opposite of this process, sending information to another computer, is called uploading.



22.DynamicwebsitesThey contain Web pages that are generated in real‐time. These pages include Web scripting code,

such as PHP or ASP. When a dynamic page is accessed, the code within the page is parsed on the

Web server and the resulting HTML is sent to the client's Web browser.

Most large websites are dynamic, since they are easier to maintain than static websites. This is

because static

pages

each

contain

unique

content,

meaning

they

must

be

manually

opened,

edited,

and published whenever a change is made. Dynamic pages, on the other hand, access information

from a database. Therefore, to alter the content of a dynamic page, the webmaster may only need

to update a database record. This is especially helpful for large sites that contain hundreds or

thousands of pages. It also makes it possible for multiple users to update the content of a website

without editing the layout of the pages.

23.E‐commerce(electronic‐commerce)E‐commerce mean to do business over the Internet. Web sites such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, and

eBay are all e‐commerce sites. The two major forms of e‐commerce are Business‐to‐Consumer (B2C)

and Business‐to‐Business (B2B). While companies like Amazon.com cater mostly to consumers, other

companies provide

goods

and

services

exclusively

to

other

businesses.

24.E‐MailE‐mail is part of the standard TCP/IP set of protocols. Sending messages is typically done by SMTP

(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and receiving messages is handled by POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3),

or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). IMAP is the newer protocol, allowing you to view and

sort messages on the mail server, without downloading them to your hard drive.

Though e‐mail was originally developed for sending simple text messages, it has become more

robust in the last few years. Now, HTML‐based e‐mail can use the same code as Web pages to

incorporate formatted text, colours, and images into the message. Also, documents can be attached

to e‐mail messages, allowing files to be transferred via the e‐mail protocol. However, since e‐mail

was not

originally

designed

to

handle

large

file

transfers,

transferring

large

documents

(over

3 MB,

for example) is not allowed by most mail servers. So remember to keep your attachments small!

25.FirewallIn the IT world, firewalls do not involve any fire or pyrotechnics, but they serve a similar purpose. A

computer firewall limits the data that can pass through it and protects a networked server or client

machine from damage by unauthorized users.

Firewalls can be either hardware or software‐based. A router is a good example of a hardware

device that has a built‐in firewall. Most routers can be configured to limit traffic from certain IP

addresses or block requests based on other criteria. Software programs that monitor and restrict

external access to a computer or network can also serve as firewalls. A network firewall only allows

authorized traffic

from

the

Internet

to

flow

in

and

out

of

the

network.

26.FileTransferProtocol(FTP)It is a common method of transferring files via the Internet from one computer to another. Some

common FTP programs are "Fetch" for the Mac, and "WS_FTP" for Windows. However, you can also

use a Web browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer to access FTP servers. To do this, you need to

type the URL of the server into the location field of the browser. Many FTP servers are "anonymous

FTP" servers which means you can log in with the user name "anonymous" and your e‐mail address

as the password. Other FTP servers require a specific login in order to access the files.

27.Gateway

A gateway

is

either

hardware

or

software

that

acts

as

a bridge

between

two

networks

so

that

data

can be transferred between a number of computers. For example, when you send an e‐mail to a



friend or when you log in to a Web site, there is a gateway that allows the connection take place.

Often, your connection to a Web site will involve many smaller connections to other servers along

the way. In these cases, a number of gateways are used. 28.HTTP

Stands for

"HyperText

Transfer

Protocol."

This

is

the

protocol

used

to

transfer

data

over

the

World

Wide Web. That's why all Web site addresses begin with "http://". Whenever you type a URL into

your browser and hit Enter, your computer sends an HTTP request to the appropriate Web server.

The Web server, which is designed to handle HTTP requests, then sends to you the requested HTML

page.

29.HTTPSStands for "HyperText Transport Protocol Secure." HTTPS is the same thing as HTTP, but uses a

secure socket layer (SSL) for security purposes. Some examples of sites that use HTTPS include

banking and investment websites, e‐commerce websites, and most websites that require you to log

in.

Websites that

use

the

standard

HTTP

protocol

transmit

and

receive

data

in

an

unsecured

manner.

This means it is possible for someone to eavesdrop on the data being transferred between the user

and the Web server. While this is highly unlikely, it is not a comforting thought that someone might

be capturing your credit card number or other personal information that you enter on a website.

Therefore, secure websites use the HTTPS protocol to encrypt the data being sent back and forth

with SSL encryption. If someone were to capture the data being transferred via HTTPS, it would be

unrecognizable.

30.Hyperlink:A hyperlink is a word, phrase, or image that you can click on to jump to a new document or a new

section within the current document. Hyperlinks are found in nearly all Web pages, allowing users to

click their

way

from

page

to

page.

Text

hyperlinks

are

often

blue

and

underlined,

but

don't

have

to

be. When you move the cursor over a hyperlink, whether it is text or an image, the arrow should

change to a small hand pointing at the link. When you click it, a new page or place in the current

page will open.

31.Internet Believe it or not, the Internet was created way back in 1969, during the Cold War, by the United

States military. It was meant to be a "nuke‐proof" communications network. Today, the Internet

spreads across the globe and consists of countless networks and computers, allowing millions of

people to share information. Data that travels long distances on the Internet is transferred on huge

lines known collectively as the Internet backbone. The Internet is now maintained by the major

Internet service

providers

such

as

MCI

Worldcom,

Sprint,

GTE,

ANS,

and

UUNET.

Because

these

providers make huge amounts of revenue off the Internet, they are motivated to maintain

consistent and fast connections which benefits everyday Internet users like you and me.

Many people think the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing. They're not! The

World Wide Web is what you are browsing right now. It is one of the many features of the Internet.

E‐mail, FTP, and Instant Messaging are also features of the Internet.

32.Internet Protocol(IP)It provides a standard set of rules for sending and receiving data through the Internet. People often

use the term "IP" when referring to an IP address, which is OK. The two terms are not necessarily

synonymous, but when you ask what somebody's IP is, most people will know that you are referring

to their

IP

address.



33.IP AddressAlso known as an "IP number" or simply an "IP," this is a code made up of numbers separated by

three dots that identifies a particular computer on the Internet. Every computer, whether it be a

Web server or the computer you're using right now, requires an IP address to connect to the

Internet. IP addresses consist of four sets of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by three dots. For

example "66.72.98.236"

or

"216.239.115.148".

Your

Internet

Service

Provider

(ISP)

will

assign

you

either a static IP address (which is always the same) or a dynamic IP address (which changes every

time you log on). ISPs typically assign dial‐up users a dynamic IP address each time they sign on

because it reduces the number of IP addresses they must register.

34.IPv4

It is the most widely used version of the Internet Protocol. It defines IP addresses in a 32‐bit format,

which looks like 123.123.123.123. Each three‐digit section can include a number from 0 to 255,

which means the total number of IPv4 addresses available is 4,294,967,296 (256 x 256 x 256 x 256 or

2^32).

35.IPv6

Every computer system and device connected to the Internet is located by an IP address. The current

system of distributing IP addresses is called IPv4. This system assigns each computer a 32‐bit

numeric address, such as 120.121.123.124. However, with the growth of computers connected to

the Internet, the number of available IP addresses are predicted to run out in only a few years. This

is why IPv6 was introduced.

IPv6, also called IPng (or IP Next Generation), is the next planned version of the IP address system.

(IPv5 was an experimental version used primarily for streaming data.) While IPv4 uses 32‐bit

addresses, IPv6 uses 128‐bit addresses, which increases the number of possible addresses by an

exponential amount. For example, IPv4 allows 4,294,967,296 addresses to be used (2^32). IPv6

allows for over 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 IP addresses. That should be

enough to

last

awhile.

Because IPv6 allows for substantially more IP addresses than IPv4, the addresses themselves are

more complex. They are typically written in this format:

hhhh:hhhh:hhhh:hhhh:hhhh:hhhh:hhhh:hhhh

Each "hhhh" section consists of a four‐digit hexadecimal number, which means each digit can be

from 0 to 9 and from A to F. An example IPv6 address may look like this:

F704:0000:0000:0000:3458:79A2:D08B:4320

36.ISDN Stands for "Integrated Services Digital Network." ISDN is a data transfer technology, created in 1984,

that can transfer data significantly faster than a dial‐up modem. ISDN enables wide‐bandwidth

digital transmission

over

the

public

telephone

network,

which

means

more

data

can

be

sent

at

one

time. A typical ISDN connection can support transfer rates of 64K or 128K of data per second. While

these speeds are faster than what you can get with a dial‐up modem, the newer DSL technology can

support even faster transfer rates and is less costly to set up and maintain.

37.ISP

Stands for "Internet Service Provider." In order to connect to the Internet, you need an ISP. It is the

company that you (or your parents) pay a monthly fee to in order to use the Internet. If you use a

dial‐up modem to connect to your ISP, a point‐to‐point protocol (PPP) connection is established with

another modem on the ISP's end. That modem connects to one of the ISP's routers, which routes

you to the Internet "backbone." From there, you can access information from anywhere around the

world. DSL

and

cable

modems

work

the

same

way,

except

after

you

connect

the

first

time,

you

are

always connected.



38.Link When you are browsing the Web and you see a highlighted and underlined word or phrase on a

page, there is a good chance you are looking at a link. By clicking on a link, you can "jump" to a new

Web page or a completely different Web site. While text links are typically blue and underlined, they

can be any color and don't have to be underlined. Images can also serve as links to other Web pages.

When you

move

the

cursor

over

a link

in

a Web

page,

the

arrow

will

turn

into

a little

hand,

letting

you know that it is a link. The term "hypertext" comes from the way links can quickly send you to

another Web destination.

39.Phishing It is similar to fishing in a lake, but instead of trying to capture fish, phishers attempt to steal your

personal information. They send out e‐mails that appear to come from legitimate websites such as

eBay, PayPal, or other banking institutions. The e‐mails state that your information needs to be

updated or validated and ask that you enter your username and password, after clicking a link

included in the e‐mail. Some e‐mails will ask that you enter even more information, such as your full

name, address, phone number, social security number, and credit card number. However, even if

you visit

the

false

website

and

just

enter

your

username

and

password,

the

phisher

may

be

able

to

gain access to more information by just logging in to your account.

40.PHP

Stands for "Hypertext Preprocessor." (It is a recursive acronym, if you can understand what that

means.) PHP is an HTML‐embedded Web scripting language. This means PHP code can be inserted

into the HTML of a Web page. When a PHP page is accessed, the PHP code is read or "parsed" by the

server the page resides on. The outputs from the PHP functions on the page are typically returned as

HTML code, which can be read by the browser. Because the PHP code is transformed into HTML

before the page is loaded, users cannot view the PHP code on a page. This make PHP pages secure

enough to access databases and other secure information.

A lot

of

the

syntax

of

PHP

is

borrowed

from

other

languages

such

as

C,

Java

and

Perl.

However,

PHP

has a number of unique features and specific functions as well. The goal of the language is to allow

Web developers to write dynamically generated pages quickly and easily. PHP is also great for

creating database‐driven Web sites.

41.PortalInternet portal is a Web site that acts as a starting point for browsing the Web. Portals typically

include search engines and large directories of websites. Some popular portals are Yahoo, Excite,

Lycos, Netscape, AltaVista, MSN, and AOL.com. There are also many smaller portals, known as

"niche portals," for specific interests. These sites include C|net (for computers and technology),

Fool.com (for investors), and Garden.com (for gardeners).

Most large

portals

have

millions

of

Web

pages

indexed

for

visitors

to

search

though.

They

also

have

large directories of Web sites, which are categorized by topic. Though the primary purpose of a

portal is to find other sites for you, many now include a lot of information within their own sites.

42.ProtocolWhen computers communicate with each other, there needs to be a common set of rules and

instructions that each computer follows. A specific set of communication rules is called a protocol.

Because of the many ways computers can communicate with each other, there are many different

protocols ‐‐ too many for the average person to remember. Some examples of these different

protocols include PPP, TCP/IP, SLIP, HTTP, and FTP.



43.SearchEngineGoogle, Excite, Lycos, AltaVista, Infoseek, and Yahoo are all search engines. They index millions of

sites on the Web, so that Web surfers like you and me can easily find Web sites with the information

we want. By creating indexes, or large databases of Web sites (based on titles, keywords, and the

text in the pages), search engines can locate relevant Web sites when users enter search terms or

phrases. When

you

are

looking

for

something

using

a search

engine,

it

is

a good

idea

to

use

words

like AND, OR, and NOT to specify your search. Using these boolean operators, you can usually get a

list of more relevant sites.

44.SearchEngineOptimization(SEO)Just about every webmaster wants his or her site to appear in the top listings of all the major search

engines. Say, for example, that Bob runs an online soccer store. He wants his site to show up in the

top few listings when someone searches for "soccer shoes." Then he gets more leads from search

engines, which means more traffic, more sales, and more revenue. The problem is that there are

thousands of other soccer sites, whose Webmasters are hoping for the same thing. That's where

search engine optimization, or SEO, comes in.

SEO involves

a number

of

adjustments

to

the

HTML

of

individual

Web

pages

to

achieve

a high

search

engine ranking. First, the title of the page must include relevant information about the page. In the

previous example, Bob's home page might have the title, "Bob's Soccer Store ‐‐ Soccer Shoes and

Equipment." The title is the most important part of SEO, since it tells the search engine exactly what

the page is about. Within Bob's home page, it would be helpful to repeat the words "soccer" and

"soccer shoes" a few times, since search engines also scan the text of the pages they index.

Finally, there are META tags. These HTML tags can really distinguish your site from the rest of the

pile. The META tags that most search engines read are the description and keywords tags. Within

the description tags, you should type a brief description of the Web page. It should be similar but

more detailed than the title. Within the keywords tags, you should list 5‐20 words that relate to the

content of the page. Using META tags can significantly boost your search engine ranking.

So what

happens

when

a bunch

of

sites

all

have

similar

titles,

content,

and

META

tags?

Well,

most

search engines choose to list the most popular sites first. But then how do you get into the most

popular sites? The best way is to submit your site to Web directories (not just search engines) and

get other sites to link to yours. It can be a long climb to the top, but your perserverance will pay off.

For more tips on SEO, visit the Submit Corner Web site.

45.Session

In the computing world, a session refers to a limited time of communication between two systems.

Some sessions involve a client and a server, while other sessions involve two personal computers.

A common type of client/server session is a Web or HTTP session. An HTTP session is initiated by a

Web browser each time you visit a website. While each page visit constitutes an individual session,

the term

is

often

used

to

describe

the

entire

time

you

spend

on

the

website.

For

example,

when

you

purchase an item on an ecommerce site, the entire process may be described as a session, even

though you navigated through several different pages.

46.Tweet For most of history, "tweet" has been the sound a bird makes. However, with the advent of Twitter,

the word "tweet" has taken on a whole new meaning.

A tweet is an online posting, or "micro‐blog" created by a Twitter user. The purpose of each tweet is

to answer the question, "What are you doing?" However, tweets can contain any information you

want to post, such as your plans for the weekend, your thoughts about a TV show, or even notes

from a lecture. You can publish a tweet using a computer or a mobile phone. Once published, the

tweet will

appear

on

the

Twitter

home

pages

of

all

the

users

that

are

following

you.

Likewise,

your

Twitter home page will display the most recent tweets of the users that you are following.



Each tweet is limited to 140 characters or less. This limit makes it possible to show several tweets on

one page without certain tweets taking up a lot more space than others. However, it also means that

tweets must be brief, so you must choose your words wisely. Of course, there is no limit to how

many tweets you can post, so if you really have a lot to say, you can publish several tweets in a row.

After all, what better way to spend your time than to let the world know that you are at Starbucks,

drinking a Frappuccino

and

reading

the

latest

issue

of

TIME

magazine.

That

is

important

information

to share with the world.

47.TwitterIt is an online service that allows you to share updates with other users by answering one simple

question: "What are you doing?"

In order to use Twitter, you must first sign up for a free account. Once you have created your

account, you can post your own updates and view the updates others have posted. You can search

for people to follow or you can let Twitter select random users. Once you have selected a number of

users, their most recent posts, or "tweets," will show up on your Twitter home page. Likewise, your

own latest tweets will show up on the home pages of people who have decided to follow you.

Twitter limits

each

tweet

to

140

characters,

which

means

there

is

no

room

for

rambling.

48.UniformResourceLocator(URL)A URL is the address of a specific Web site or file on the Internet. It cannot have spaces or certain

other characters and uses forward slashes to denote different directories. Some examples of URLs

are http://www.cnet.com/, http://web.mit.edu/, and ftp://info.apple.com/. As you can see, not all

URLs begin with "http". The first part of a URL indicates what kind of resource it is addressing. The

second part of a URL (after the "://") contains the address of the computer being located as well as

the path to the file. For example, in "http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reports/index.html,"

"www.cnet.com" is the address or domain name of the host computer and

"/Content/Reports/index.html" is the path to the file. When an address ends with a slash and not

something like

".html"

or

".php,"

the

Web

server

typically

defaults

to

a file

in

the

current

directory

named "index.html," "index.htm," or "index.php." So, if you type in "http://www.apple.com/" and

"http://www.apple.com/index.html," you should get the same page.

49.VoiceoverInternet Protocol(VoIP)It is often pronounced "voip." VoIP is basically a telephone connection over the Internet. The data is

sent digitally, using the Internet Protocol (IP) instead of analog telephone lines. This allows people to

talk to one another long‐distance and around the world without having to pay long distance or

international phone charges.

In order to use VoIP, you need a computer, an Internet connection, and VoIP software. You also

need either a microphone or analog telephone adapter or VoIP telephone. Many VoIP programs

allow you

to

use

a basic

microphone

and

speaker

setup.

Others

requires

VoIP

phones,

which

are

like

regular telephone handsets, but typically connect to your computer via USB.

50.VirtualPrivateNetwork (VPN)A virtual private network is "tunnelled" through a wide area network WAN such as the Internet. This

means the network does not have to be located in one physical location like a LAN. However, by

using encryption and other security measures, a VPN can scramble all the data sent through the

wide area network, so the network is "virtually" private.

Businesses often use VPNs to communicate across multiple locations. For example, a large company

that has offices in several cities may need to send data to the different locations via the Internet. To

keep the information secure, the company might set up a VPN with an encrypted connection. This is

similar to

having

a secure

intranet

over

the

Internet.



51.Wide AreaNetwrok It is similar to a Local Area Network (LAN), but it's a lot bigger. Unlike LANs, WANs are not limited to

a single location. Many wide area networks span long distances via telephone lines, fiber‐optic

cables, or satellite links. They can also be composed of smaller LANs that are interconnected. The

Internet could be described as the biggest WAN in the world. You could even call the Internet a

Super WAN

BAM

if

you

wanted

to.

52.Web2.0

It is term that was introduced in 2004 and refers to the second generation of the World Wide Web.

The new generation of the Web includes new features and functionality that was not available in the

past. However, Web 2.0 does not refer to a specific version of the Web, but rather a series of

technological improvements.

Some examples of features considered to be part of Web 2.0 are listed below:

Blogs ‐ also known as Web logs, these allow users to post thoughts and updates about their

life on the Web.

Wikis ‐ sites like Wikipedia and others enable users from around the world to add and

update online

content.

Social networking ‐ sites like Facebook and MySpace allow users to build and customize their

own profile sand communicate with friends.

Web applications ‐ a broad range of new applications make it possible for users to run

programs directly in a Web browser.

Web 2.0 technologies provide a level user interaction that was not available before. Websites have

become much more dynamic and interconnected, producing "online communities" and making it

even easier to share information on the Web. Because most Web 2.0 features are offered as free

services, sites like Wikipedia and Facebook have grown at amazingly fast rates. As the sites continue

to grow, more features are added, building off the technologies in place. So, while Web 2.0 may be a

static label given to the new era of the Web, the actual technology continues to evolve and change. 53.WebserverIt is a computer system that hosts websites. It runs Web server software, such as Apache or

Microsoft IIS, which provides access to hosted webpages over the Internet. Most Web servers are

connected to the Internet via a high‐speed connection, offering faster data transmission rates. A fast

Internet connection allows Web servers to support multiple connections at one time without

slowing down. Any computer can be used as a Web server, as long as it is connected to the Internet

and has the appropriate software installed. 54.Webpages They are what make up the World Wide Web. These documents are written in HTML (hypertext

markup language)

and

are

translated

by

your

Web

browser.

Web

pages

can

either

be

static

or

dynamic. Static pages show the same content each time they are viewed. Dynamic pages have

content that can change each time they are accessed. These pages are typically written in scripting

languages such as PHP, Perl, ASP, or JSP. The scripts in the pages run functions on the server that

return things like the date and time, and database information. 55.WebsiteIt is not the same thing as a Web page. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, they

should not be. So what's the difference? To put it simply, a Web site is a collection of Web pages. For

example, Amazon.com is a Web site, but there are millions of Web pages that make up the site.



56.WikiIt is a Web site that allows users to add and update content on the site using their own Web

browser. This is made possible by Wiki software that runs on the Web server. Wikis end up being

created mainly by a collaborative effort of the site visitors. A great example of a large wiki is the

Wikipedia, a free encyclopaedia in many languages that anyone can edit. The term "wiki" comes

from the

Hawaiian

phrase,

"wiki

wiki,"

which

means

"super

‐fast."

I guess

if

you

have

thousands

of

users adding content to a Web site on a regular basis, the site could grow "super‐fast."

57.WorldWideWeb

It is important to know that this is not a synonym for the Internet. The World Wide Web, or just "the

Web," as ordinary people call it, is a subset of the Internet. The Web consists of pages that can be

accessed using a Web browser. The Internet is the actual network of networks where all the

information resides. Things like Telnet, FTP, Internet gaming, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and e‐mail

are all part of the Internet, but are not part of the World Wide Web.

guide to technical terms

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