Internet Jargon

We try to avoid the use of jargon when speaking with our customers, preferring to use plain English. However, it is helpful to know some terms and here are some of the more common ones:

Accessibility
When referring to the web, accessibility is how easily people with disabilities can use your website. Several tools are available for people with different kinds of disabilities. As a website owner, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your website meets the requirements to allow these tools to work successfully.

Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that your Internet connection can carry. Higher bandwidth means faster transmission of data, resulting in web pages that load faster.

Blog
The word "Blog" is an abbreviation of "Web Log" - a type of website where someone records events or articles on a specific subject. Visitors can usually add comments to an entry and some blogs allow visitors to their own entries.

Browser
A web browser is a software application which displays websites on your computer. The most common browser among Windows users is Microsoft Internet Explorer. On the Mac it is Safari. Several other browsers are gaining popularity including: FireFox, Opera, and Google's new browser Chrome.

Content Management System (CMS)
Content Management Systems allow website content to be updated by the website owner. These systems make it much easier for anyone to maintain a website without the need to know how to write code.

Cookie
A Cookie is a small file which websites store on your computer. It is normally used to recognise you on future visits to the site. Although cookies are quite safe, if you would prefer not to allow cookies, you can block them in your browser's settings. However, some websites will not work properly if cookies are turned off.

CSS
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. Web designers use CSS to control the appearance of items on the page. It can control colours, fonts, in fact the entire page layout. The use of CSS has become standard for all modern sites and greatly simplifies site maintenance. For example, changing the text used on every page of a website can be accomplished by making a simple change in the CSS file, saving countless hours of work.

Domain Name
A Domain name is the address of a website - such as "www.datrim.co.uk".

Flash
Flash is is a method of adding animation to webpages. Designed by Adobe, Flash can enhance a website if used sparingly; however, when overused it results in pages taking a long time to load and will frustrate visitors.

FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and is the protocol used for exchanging files over the Internet. FTP is most commonly used to transfer files to and from a web server using the Internet.

HTML
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is the name of the language used to write web pages. Your browser reads the HTML which tells it what to display on the page.

HTTP
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is the process used to transfer the content of a webpage from the server to your computer's browser.

Hyperlink
Hyperlinks, or links as they are more commonly called, are used to link different web pages together. When you click on a link, code embedded in the link directs the browser to the new location which may be a page on another web site, another page on the same site, or another spot on the same page.

ISP
ISP is an abbreviation of Internet Service Provider. ISP's are companies that provides internet connections to their customers.

Javascript
JavaScript is another programming language used by website developers. It is used to add additional features to web pages that are not possible using HTML It is usually used to dynamically add or change elements on the web page.

Search Engine
A search engine is a website which allows you to search the internet for information. The results are usually listed in order of relevance to the search phrase you entered. Google is probably the most well-known search engine.

URL
URL is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator - the address of a website or specific web page. A URL is similar to a domain name with one important difference: A website has only one domain name, but has a different URL for each page. You could think of the domain name as an office building and each office as a URL.

Web Server
A Web server, or Server, is a computer on which you store the contents a website. When your browser requests a specific web page the server serves it up. A single server may host many different websites and need to be very powerful in order to deal with large volumes of traffic.

VOIP
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet. This technology makes it possible to make inexpensive international telephone via the Internet