You are here: Interpreting Geek Speak
Not sure what all the lingo means?
Here’s a glossary of some common and not so common website terms explained in plain English:
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
A special type of DSL line for the transfer of data.
Bandwidth
A measure for the speed (amount of data) you can send through an Internet connection. The more bandwidth, the faster the connection.
BMP (Bitmap)
A format for storing images. BPS (Bits Per Second) Term to describe the transmission speed for data over the web.
Banner ads
Those graphic advertisements that you see at the top of so many Web pages.
Cookies (are not for eating)
Cookies are simply Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit. Like the cookies from a bakery, some cookies are better than others.
Cyberspace (Not a science fiction realm)
Cyberspace is synonymous with any digital information transfer. Even telephone conversations and ATM (automatic teller machines) transactions happen in cyberspace. Websites provide users with webpages using a cyberspace transfer to your computer.
Domain name
Your domain name is your network name. It identifies who you are to the world. A good domain name will describe who you are, what you do and where or why you do it.
ecommerce
Electronic commerce (also known as ebusiness). This simply means buying and selling products and services via the Internet.
encryption
Transforming data so it is unreadable to everyone except the intended recipient. The recipient of the encrypted data must have the proper decryption key to decipher the message.
Firewall
Software that acts as a security filter that can restrict types of network communication. Most often used between an individual computer (or a LAN) and the Internet.
Flash
A Web-based animation application that transforms web pages into a swirl of action, colors, and excitement. Without broadband access, this involves a long loading time (and the potential loss of visitors who are unwilling to wait).
Forum
A "meeting place" on a website where you go to ask and answer questions and to share information. They function very much like newsgroups.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
One of the most common methods for sending files between two computers. Hosting Every Web site is stored on a computer – called a server – that is connected to the Web. When your site is stored on one of these servers, your site is being "hosted" by the server.
HTML Hypertext Mark-up Language.
The coding language to create hypertext documents (HTML files) on the Web (Web pages).
Hyperlink
A pointer to another document. Most often a pointer to another web page. A hyperlink is a synonym for a hotlink or a link, and sometimes called a hypertext connection to another document or web page.
JPEG
(Joint Photographic Expert Group) and JPG Graphic formats for storing compressed images. JPEG is the organization that promotes the JPG and JPEG graphic formats.
Keyword
A word or phrase that you type in when you are searching for information in the search engines.
Meta Tags
Tags inserted into documents to describe the document.
Modem Hardware
equipment to connect a computer to a telephone network. Typically used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.
Optimisation
Search engine optimisation is the act of writing or re-writing a webpage to be more accessible to and rank higher in the search results pages (SERP) of the major search engines. Having a webpage appear near the top of the search results will usually mean that more people will see it and visit your website.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A document file format developed by Adobe. Most often used for text documents. Shopping cart A section of an online store where a customer can order products and provide credit card information.
SPAM In web terms:
The action of sending multiple unwelcome messages to a newsgroup or mailing list.
Splash page
A media-rich (usually Flash) entry page to a web site.
Spoofing
Addressing a web page or an e-mail with a false referrer. Like sending an e-mail from a false address.
Trojan Horse
Computer program hidden in another computer program with the purpose of destroying software or collecting information about the use of the computer.
URL
Your website address. The Uniform Resource Locator is used to specify the address of Web sites and Web pages.
Web Browser
A software program used to display web pages.
ZIP
A compressing format for computer files. Commonly used for compressing files before downloading over the Internet.
Interpreting Geek Speak ...
Handling an investigation involving technology?Not sure what all the lingo means?
Here’s a glossary of some common and not so common website terms explained in plain English:
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
A special type of DSL line for the transfer of data.
Bandwidth
A measure for the speed (amount of data) you can send through an Internet connection. The more bandwidth, the faster the connection.
BMP (Bitmap)
A format for storing images. BPS (Bits Per Second) Term to describe the transmission speed for data over the web.
Banner ads
Those graphic advertisements that you see at the top of so many Web pages.
Cookies (are not for eating)
Cookies are simply Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit. Like the cookies from a bakery, some cookies are better than others.
Cyberspace (Not a science fiction realm)
Cyberspace is synonymous with any digital information transfer. Even telephone conversations and ATM (automatic teller machines) transactions happen in cyberspace. Websites provide users with webpages using a cyberspace transfer to your computer.
Domain name
Your domain name is your network name. It identifies who you are to the world. A good domain name will describe who you are, what you do and where or why you do it.
ecommerce
Electronic commerce (also known as ebusiness). This simply means buying and selling products and services via the Internet.
encryption
Transforming data so it is unreadable to everyone except the intended recipient. The recipient of the encrypted data must have the proper decryption key to decipher the message.
Firewall
Software that acts as a security filter that can restrict types of network communication. Most often used between an individual computer (or a LAN) and the Internet.
Flash
A Web-based animation application that transforms web pages into a swirl of action, colors, and excitement. Without broadband access, this involves a long loading time (and the potential loss of visitors who are unwilling to wait).
Forum
A "meeting place" on a website where you go to ask and answer questions and to share information. They function very much like newsgroups.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
One of the most common methods for sending files between two computers. Hosting Every Web site is stored on a computer – called a server – that is connected to the Web. When your site is stored on one of these servers, your site is being "hosted" by the server.
HTML Hypertext Mark-up Language.
The coding language to create hypertext documents (HTML files) on the Web (Web pages).
Hyperlink
A pointer to another document. Most often a pointer to another web page. A hyperlink is a synonym for a hotlink or a link, and sometimes called a hypertext connection to another document or web page.
JPEG
(Joint Photographic Expert Group) and JPG Graphic formats for storing compressed images. JPEG is the organization that promotes the JPG and JPEG graphic formats.
Keyword
A word or phrase that you type in when you are searching for information in the search engines.
Meta Tags
Tags inserted into documents to describe the document.
Modem Hardware
equipment to connect a computer to a telephone network. Typically used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.
Optimisation
Search engine optimisation is the act of writing or re-writing a webpage to be more accessible to and rank higher in the search results pages (SERP) of the major search engines. Having a webpage appear near the top of the search results will usually mean that more people will see it and visit your website.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A document file format developed by Adobe. Most often used for text documents. Shopping cart A section of an online store where a customer can order products and provide credit card information.
SPAM In web terms:
The action of sending multiple unwelcome messages to a newsgroup or mailing list.
Splash page
A media-rich (usually Flash) entry page to a web site.
Spoofing
Addressing a web page or an e-mail with a false referrer. Like sending an e-mail from a false address.
Trojan Horse
Computer program hidden in another computer program with the purpose of destroying software or collecting information about the use of the computer.
URL
Your website address. The Uniform Resource Locator is used to specify the address of Web sites and Web pages.
Web Browser
A software program used to display web pages.
ZIP
A compressing format for computer files. Commonly used for compressing files before downloading over the Internet.