The following definitions are not inclusive, but provide a good starting point for terminology related to hosting technology, e-commerce and domain management.
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.MIL - The top-level domain reserved for use by the United States military. This TLD is maintained by the Department of Defense Network Information Center. |
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Adware- A type of software that often comes with free downloads. Some adware displays ads on your computer, while some monitors your computer use (including websites visited) and displays targeted ads based on your use. |
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Anti-virus Software- Protects your computer from viruses that can destroy your data, slow your computer's performance, cause a crash, or even allow spammers to send email through your account. |
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Bandwidth- A measure of the "speed" of an Internet connection. |
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Bizopps- Shorthand for "business opportunity;" some schemes involve extravagant and unfounded earnings claims and are actually fraudulent business ventures. |
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Bookmark- A web browser feature that allows you to save the addresses of interesting or frequently used websites, so that you can readily revisit them. |
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Browser- A program that allows a user to find, view, hear, and interact with material on the Internet. |
| Computing |
Browser Hijacker- A common spyware program that changes your web browser's home page automatically, even if you change it back. |
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Cache- A form of computer memory that allows you to access stored information, such as web addresses you've recently typed into your browser, more quickly. Pronounced "cash." |
| Computing |
CAN-SPAM Act- A law that prohibits senders of unsolicited commercial email from using false or misleading header information or deceptive subject lines, and requires they identify each email as an advertisement, among other provisions. |
| Computing |
Chat Room- The name given to a place or page in a website or online service where people can type messages which are displayed almost instantly on the screens of others who are in the "chat room." |
| Computing |
Cookies- A small text file that a website can place on your computer's hard drive to collect information about your activities on the site or to allow other capabilities on the site. |
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Cyberspace- Used to distinguish the physical world from the digital, or computer-based world. |
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Domain- A segment of Internet space, denoted by the function or type of information it includes; current domains include ".com" for commercial sites, ".gov" for governmental ones, and ".org" for non-commercial organizations. |
| Computing |
Download- To copy files from one computer to another; to view a website or other web material with a browser. |
| Computing |
Drive-by Download- Software that installs on your computer without your knowledge when you visit certain websites. To avoid drive-by downloads, make sure to update your operating system and Web browser regularly. |
| Computing |
DSL- Digital Subscriber Line: A means of accessing the Internet at high speed using standard phone lines. |
| Computing |
Encryption- The scrambling of data into a secret code that can be read only by software set to decode the information. |
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End User Licensing Agreement (EULA)- A provider's legal terms. You, as the "end user," may be required to "click" to accept before you can download software. |
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Exposure- When sensitive data is released to someone without authorization. |
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Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID)- The name a manufacturer assigns to a router. It may be a standard, default name assigned by the manufacturer to all hardware of that model. Users can improve security by changing to a unique name. Similar to a Service Set Identifier (SSID). |
| Computing |
Filter- Software that screens information on the Internet, classifies its content, and allows the user to block certain kinds of content. |
| Computing |
Firewall- Hardware or software that helps keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission. Firewalls watch for outside attempts to access your system and block communications to and from sources you don't permit. |
| Computing |
Gigabyte- A measure of computer memory equaling 1,024 megabytes. |
| Computing |
Hacker- Someone who uses the Internet to access computers without permission. |
| Computing |
Hardware- The mechanical parts of a computer system, including the central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as well as other equipment like printers and speakers. |
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Hidden Dialers- Programs that you may unknowingly download that can use your computer to silently dial expensive phone calls which later show up on your phone bill. |
| Computing |
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)- The standard language that computers connected to the World Wide Web use to communicate with each other. |
| Computing |
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)- A coding language used to create documents on the Internet and control how web pages appear. |
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ICANN - Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers. The non-profit organization under U.S. Government contract that manages the domain name system, accredits and oversees domain name registrars, and manages root servers. |
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ICANN Regulatory Fee - The ICANN Regulatory Fee relates to a mandatory fee that ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers) assesses on each domain name. |
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IMAP (see Internet Message Access Protocol) |
| Computing |
Internet - A "network of networks" linking millions of computers worldwide for communications purposes. The Internet was originally developed in 1969 for the U.S. military and gradually grew to include educational and research institutions. Today commercial industries, corporations, and residential users all communicate using the Internet. The World Wide Web is a collection of interactive documents accessible via the Internet. |
| Computing |
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - A protocol that allows users to access and manipulate e-mail messages on a mail server. IMAP lets you create, delete, and rename mailboxes as well as check for new messages, remove messages, and search through existing messages. IMAP does not specify a particular means of writing or sending mail; this function is handled by a mail transfer protocol such as SMTP. |
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Internet Service Provider (ISP) - A company that enables companies or individuals to connect to the Internet. ISPs often provide e-mail capability, Web hosting, and other services in addition to connectivity. Large ISPs include America Online, Excite@Home, and Earthlink. |
| Computing |
InterNIC - Internet Network Information Center. Formerly, the cooperative activity between the U.S. government and Network Solutions that was responsible for registering and maintaining the ".com," ".net," and ".org" top-level domain names. Many of the InterNIC's functions have now been taken over by ICANN. |
| Computing |
IP Address (Internet Protocol Address) - The numeric address of a computer on the Internet. An IP address is written as a set of four numbers separated by periods (each number can range from 0 to 255). An example of an IP address is 123.123.4.5. |
| Computing |
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) - A telecommunications technology that allows for digital voice, video, and data transmission. ISDN replaces the slow and inefficient analog telephone system with a fast digital network that can transmit data at up to 128Kbps. |
| Computing |
ISP (see Internet Service Provider) |
