Authentication
A procedure that insures that digital data transmissions are delivered to the intended receiver.

Bandwidth
A term used to describe the data carrying capacity of a connection. It is usually measured in bits or bytes per second.

Browser
Interface to the World Wide Web that interprets coded web pages into viewable pages. Allows for easy navigation across the Internet

CGI
Common Gateway Interface. A set of rules for running programs from a HTTP web server. This allows for information to be passed from the browser to the server.

Cyberspace
Used loosely to refer to the Internet or the World Wide Web. A virtual world composed of computers and the connections between them.

DNS
Domain Name System. Translates Domain names into internet addresses, or a series of numbers such as 11.111.11.11

Domain Name
The name that is found immediately left of the extension. Common extensions are .com, .net and .org.

Encryption
The process of changing data into a form that can only be read by the intended receiver.>

FTP
File Transfer Protocol. Used to transfer files between computers, such as installing websites on a host's server.

GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. A compact file format that is ideal for graphics that use few colors. GIFs are limited to up to 256 colors.

Hit
A request made to a web server. Commonly misused to describe the number of visitors to a site. One visitor may produce several hits per page.

Home Page
A home page serves as a site's starting point and introduction page.

HTML
Hypertext Markup Language. A group of formatting commands that are used to create web pages.

HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Used to transmit and receive data over the World Wide Web.

Hyperlink
Usually a underlined word that when clicked, takes you to another web page. Any code that refers you to another page.

IP address
Internet Protocol Address. A unique string of numbers that identifies a computer on the internet. The numbers are separated by periods, and look like this: 11.111.11.11.

JavaScript
Code that can be added to standard HTML to create interactive documents.

JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A compressible file format for color rich images.

Protocol
Communication rules that computers use to transfer data. This is needed because of the many different types of computers and operating systems.

Shopping Cart
An application used on e-Commerce sites that let you buy more than one item, and pay for it with one payment.

Spam
Unsolicited email, usually advertisements sent to a large group of people.

URL
Uniform Resource Locator. The internet equivalent to an address. The address of a web site, containing the protocol, Domain name and optionally a directory.

World Wide Web
A visual part of the internet that lets you visit a site, and surf using hyperlinks. A client/server hypertext system for retrieving information across the Internet.