Here is a list of commonly-used Internet terms, if you have one not listed here, please let us know and we’ll add it. If you are looking for an explanation of something webring related, have a look in our Glossary of Webring terms.
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anchor
A HTML element that is used to create links allowing you to surf the World Wide Web (WWW).
All links in a HTML document begin with an < a > or anchor element. For example, a link to this site would begin with < a > and end with < /a > like < a href="http://www.webringworld.org/" >Link to this site< /a >.
See also named anchor
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.art, ART
Is the AmericaOnLine (AOL) proprietary image format, it is a compressed graphic. The actual .art file may be labelled .gif or .jpg but won’t display or open in some programs which is a clue to it’s true identity. In Internet Explorer (IE) when you try to save it you get the choice of .bmp or .art, not what it is labeled.
One way to avoid getting them is to uncheck the ‘Use compressed graphics’ in AOL. Some sites inadvertently use them and are unaware they have a problem until they are told. To convert an .art file you can open it in IE (on the PC) and choose save as .bmp then convert to .gif or .jpg from there. IE reads them on the PC, Netscape does not.
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bandwidth
Is the quantity of data you can send through a modem or network connection, measured in bits-per-second (kbps). If you think of the communications path as a highway, the width of the road represents bandwidth and the cars are the data, the wider the road, the more cars can travel along it in a given time.
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bitmap
A bitmapped image is an array of dots (bits), if you enlarge a bitmap it gets blocky. Bitmaps are the opposite of vector graphics which are saved as mathematical formulas and enlarge much better without getting blocky. Common bitmap file types are BMP, JPEG, GIF, PICT, PCX, and TIFF.
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cache
When you download a web page the data is ‘cached’ (temporarily stored on your computer). The next time you want that page, instead of requesting the file from the web server your web browser gets it from the copy in your cache so that the page loads quickly (assuming the page’s content hasn’t changed). Use your browser’s reload button to download the newest page from the server.
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CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
Is an interface program that enables an Internet server to run external programs. CGI programs process requests from a browser, execute a program and format the results in HTML so they can be displayed in the browser. Also referred to as gateways or CGI “scripts,” these programs are written in a programming language like C or Perl.
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domain
Domain normally refers to the first string of characters before the TLD (Top Level Domain), such as .com, .net, .org. .biz, and includes the TLD. For example, webring.com is a complete domain name.
See also domain name and IDN
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domain name
Domain names are the Internet address or URL of a particular website, listed to the right of the @ sign in the address. It includes a suffix defining the type of entity, such as .com or .biz for commerce, .gov for government, .org for organization, and .edu for education.
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FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Is a very common method to retrieve and send files from one computer to another via the Internet. Browsers can generally access FTP servers but FTP client programs like WS-FTP, CuteFTP or SmartFTP are easier to use.
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.gif, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
Is the most commonly used graphics format on the World Wide Web, it uses a compression formula originally developed by CompuServe. Because GIFs use compression and a palette of up to 256 colors their file size is relatively small. GIF files are best used for images with large areas of solid color and for animated images, they lack the color range to be used for high-quality photographic type images, for which the JPG format is best used.
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.html, HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language)
Is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a web browser page.
The markup tells the web browser how to display a web page’s words and images for the user. Each individual markup code is referred to as an element (but many people also refer to it as a tag).
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Image Map demo
image map
An image map is a graphic that is divided into areas or “hot spots” with links that open another web document.
A typical example of an image map is this graphic (right) that shows how a webring could be organized, clicking on various parts of the image will call up the appropriate page.
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IDN (Internet Domain Name)
An organization’s unique name on the Internet. As of March 2002, there were more than 31 million registered domain names. The name chosen by the organization combined with a top level domain (TLD) makes up the Internet domain name. For example, webringworld.org is the domain name for the publisher of this glossary.
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JavaScript
Is a scripting language that can be integrated into HTML documents to perform certain tasks. Many web sites use it to make the site more dynamic and interactive.
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.jpg, JPG, JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
Is the graphics file format that uses the compression standard developed by an industry committee of the same name, it is best used for photographic type images with a lot of color depth. JPG compression is much better for compressing graphics than GIF compression is but it is a “lossy” format, which means some quality is lost when the image is compressed. JPGs can have up to 16+ million colors, they are not limited to 256 colors like GIFs are. Like GIFs, JPGs are cross-platform, meaning the same file can be viewed equally as well on both a Mac and a PC.
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mailing list
Is a way of having a group discussion by e-mail and distributing announcements to a large number of people. Each time you or any member of the list posts a reply to the conversation it is distributed to the e-mail box of every member of the list and is made available on-line at the mailing list’s web site. All of this traffic is automated and managed by programs called Mailing List Managers (MLMs).
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meta tag
Is a special HTML tag that is used to give information about a web page but is not displayed in a web browser. Meta tags provide information like what application was used to create the page, how often it is updated, a description of the page and any keywords relevant to the page. Search engines use the information stored in meta tags when they index web pages.
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named anchor
HTML element that allows you to mark a specific location in a web page.
It enables you to create links to sections of the same page, or to the middle of another page. It is a good idea to use named anchors to navigate a long page with many sections.
A named anchor can also be incorporated into a ring’s HTML fragment and linked to on the member site’s navigation menu, this is a good way of ensuring visitors can easily find the ring controls once they get into each site.
You can create a named anchor by using the element and the “name” attribute, like:
Section 2 of a web page
You can create a link to the named anchor by doing the following:
Take me to Section 2
See also anchor
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open source
“Open source promotes software reliability and quality by supporting independent peer review and rapid evolution of source code. To be OSI certified, the software must be distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely.” Source: Open Source Initiative OSI – FAQ
Ringlink is an example of an open source webring script.
See also: Open Source Initiative OSI – The Open Source Definition
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Perl
A programming language used to write CGI programs.
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.png, PNG (Portable Network Graphic)
Is a file format designed primarily to replace the older GIF format. PNG files are “lossless”, meaning they don’t lose any detail when they are compressed. PNG supports up to 48-bit truecolor or 16-bit gray scale and typically compress about 5% to 25% better than GIF files. However, they do not support animations like GIFs do. An animation format similar to PNG, called MNG, is currently under development.
For more information visit the PNG home page and Burn All GIFs.
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spam
Is the practice of blindly posting commercial messages or advertisements to a large number of unrelated and uninterested news groups, and bulk e-mailing unsolicited commercial messages. Not to be confused with the manufactured meat product of the same name which is much more delicious.
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sub-domain
Any domain that comes before the domain and is separated by a dot or series of dotted name formats. ie. in www.ringsurf.com the “www” is a subdomain as commonly used for accessing world wide web format info.
A person using the web host Tripod may have a name of “name.tripod.com” in which the subdomain provides a separate website from the main domain.
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URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A URL is the address for a resource or site (usually a directory or file) on the World Wide Web and is the convention that browsers use for locating files and other remote services.
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web host
Is any computer directly connected to the WWW network that handles requests for data, e-mail, file transfers, and other network services from other computers.
The great majority of web hosting is carried out as a commercial operation. These companies sometimes provide services for free, usually with the proviso that your site carries the web host companies logo, banner or pop-up advertising. These free sites normally allocate a sub-directory to each site and they have a URL that will look something like this: http://www.freehostname.com/membersite/index.htm
Paying for your web hosting is the next step up from free services and, along with acquiring your own domain name, it shows the world that you are serious about your web presence and you have a long-term commitment to your rings.
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webmaster
A webmaster is the person in charge of maintaining a web site. Their duties may include such things as organising the site and writing the HTML files, making the graphics, setting up associated CGI programs and responding to e-mail about the site.