These are files which you can send along with your email, for example, graphics files, word processing documents, spreadsheets, etc. Any file you want to send along with your email.

Microsoft's proprietary database standard. Many corporate databases are Microsoft Access databases

Server-generated (as opposed to human- written) Web page with an .ASP extension. It utilizes ActiveX scripting - usually Visual Basic Script or JavaScript. When a browser requests an ASP page, the Web server generates a page with HTML code and sends it back to the browser

ActiveX is not a programming language, but rather a set of rules for how applications should share information. ActiveX controls have full access to the Windows operating system. This gives them much more power than Java applets, but with this power comes a certain risk that the applet may damage software or data on your machine. To control this risk, Microsoft developed a registration system so that browsers can identify and authenticate an ActiveX control before downloading it. Another difference between Java applets and ActiveX controls is that Java applets can be written to run on all platforms, whereas ActiveX controls are limited to Windows environments

A piece of software that runs on a computer. Business applications include word processors, spreadsheet programs and database programs. The most important application when running a Web site is the Web server software.

APIs are sets of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer puts the blocks together. Most operating environments, such as Windows, provide an API so that programmers can write applications consistent with the operating environment. Although APIs are designed for programmers, they are ultimately good for users because they guarantee that all programs using a common API will have similar interfaces. This makes it easier for users to learn new programs.

A feature that sends an automated reply to incoming email. For example, when customers send email to your sales@yourdomain.com address, a standard message could be sent back to them. Some systems allow you to set up more than one vacation reply (autoresponder) and it will select which one to send out based on features of the incoming message, which you specify. For example, any messages from your colleagues may receive one message, whereas messages from external clients receive another.

A high-speed line (or a series of connections) that forms a major pathway within a network.

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred in a given amount of time. It is usually measured in megabytes per month. Bandwidth, Data transfer and Traffic are synonyms. Some hosting providers allow "unlimited bandwidth" ("unlimited traffic", "unmetered data transfer"), it is not unlimited actually, but very big.

In general, any outward-bound traffic from a Web site (with the exception of email) is considered to be data transfer. Each time a Web page, image, MIDI file, etc. is loaded, data transfer is generated.

An advertisements in the form of graphics (usually rectangular in shape) displayed on a Web page. When viewers click on a banner, they are taken to the advertiser's Web site.

A specification for sending data between Web server software and other applications. CGI programs are the most common way for Web pages to interact directly with users, including pages that process forms. It is considered a "Server Side" application, because the processing takes place on the Web server. This is different from such "Client Side" applications as Java applets, which are processed on the Web-user's computer.

Forms, counters, and guestbooks are common examples of CGI programs.

All users have access to a Web-based Control Panel that allows you to set mail forwarding options, setup FrontPage extensions, view your statistics, change your password and more.

A cookie is a piece of information sent to a browser by a Web Server. The browser then returns that information to the Webserver. This is how some Web pages "remember" your previous visits; for example, an E-Commerce site might use a cookie to remember which items you've placed in your online shopping cart. Cookies can also store user preference information, log-in data, etc.

When a program terminates unexpectedly, due to an internal fault, a user error or some other unforeseen event, the program has "crashed." All types of software, from operating systems to applications to Web server software, are prone to the occasional crash. Stability is a measure of how crash resistant a piece of software is. The less likely that a piece of software will crash, the more "stable" that piece of software is.

This is any collection of data: part numbers, product codes, customer information, etc. Information is stored in a database as a series of records, and each record contains a number of fields. For instance, a customer database would contain a unique record for each customer, and each record would contain fields such as "name," "address" and "phone number." The database can be searched and organized according to any of those fields.

Domain Name System: A system of servers located throughout the Internet that handle Internet connections and the routing of email.

A unique name that identifies a Web site. A domain name acts as a permanent Web address and provides a professional, prestigious Web presence. Compare these two URLs: 1.http://www.anywebhost.com/members/yourwebpage 2. http://www.yourname.com In the first URL, the domain name "anywebhost.com" is owned by someone else. If you moved your business Web site to another Web host, you'd need a new URL--and you'd have to notify your customers of your new address. The second URL contains an example of a custom domain name that you own: "yourname.com." If you ever move your site, your address will stay the same.

Receiving a document or file from another computer onto your local one, via a data connection.

A message that is sent electronically. E-mails may include different program and media files as attachments. These files are the primary source of computer viruses.

Frequently Asked Questions: A compilation of answers to the most common questions on a particular subject.

Much as Access is Microsoft's main proprietary database standard, FileMaker is Apple's proprietary database.

A combination of hardware and software, used to protect a network from unwelcome traffic. A firewall can be used to separate a LAN into two or more parts, or to control network traffic.

This feature indicates that you can automatically forward incoming emails to another email account.

FrontPage is a WYSIWYG Web page editor by Microsoft. In order to use FrontPage to create and maintain your Web site, your hosting service must install "extensions" (CGI programs that provide the server side implementation of FrontPage) for your account.

File Transfer Protocol: A common method of sending and receiving files on the Internet. You might use FTP to upload HTML files to your Web host from your own computer. A user ID and password are needed to use FTP, unless Anonymous FTP is allowed.

The software that makes files available to Internet users to download and receives files they upload. While it is possible to set up file transfers using a Web server, these are usually more complicated, less versatile and slower.

Any physical object that's part of a computer system.

The first page of a Website. Some people choose to have only a homepage, with no supporting pages.

1. A computer system accessed by a user from a remote location. In the case of two computer systems connected via modem, the "host" is the system containing the data and the "remote" is the computer at which the user is working. 2. A computer that is connected to a TCP/IP network, including the Internet. Each host has a unique IP address. 3. As a verb, "host" means providing the infrastructure for a computer service. A company that hosts a Web server may provide the hardware and software needed to run that server, but does not supply all the content on that server.

HyperText Markup Language: The coding language used to create Web pages.

HyperText Transfer Protocol: The protocol for moving hypertext files across the World Wide Web. When you enter a URL in your browser to visit a Web page, an HTTP command is sent to the Web server. This command tells the server to fetch and transmit the requested Web page.

Any text within a document that is linked to another location. The other location could be within the same document, or a different document. Clicking hypertext with your mouse will activate the link. This site is made up of hypertext, containing many links.

The language used to define the structure and layout of a Web document. It uses a variety of standard tags and attribute which are read by the Web browser and translated into a Web page with the correct layout.

Defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. For example, when you enter a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP command to the Web server directing it to fetch and transmit the requested Web page.

To install a piece of software means to copy the software onto your computer and configure it so that it's ready to run.

A protocol for retrieving email from an email server (like POP). It includes functions, such as the ability to search through your messages by key word while they're still on the server, that POP doesn't offer.

APIs that are designed for use with Microsoft's IIS Web server software. Several other companies' Web server software also support ISAPIs.

A company that provides Web servers with access to the Internet. ISP's also offer Web access to other users and to businesses.

The unique 4-part number assigned to each and every computer linked to the Internet (e.g., 206.141.202.111). When you connect to the Internet, your ISP assigns you an IP number for the duration of your connection. DNS converts domain names into IP addresses.

Integrated Services Digital Network: Technology that allows data to be moved over phone lines at speeds of up to 64,000 BPS per channel.

Internet Service Provider: A company that provides access to the Internet.

Java is a programming language invented by Sun Microsystems. Java programs (or "applets") can be downloaded from the Internet to your computer. They can also be used to enhance Web pages. Common Java applets used on Web pages include animation, calculators, and counters. Java applets can run on most computers, including UNIX, the Macintosh OS, and Windows, which makes it versatile enough to be used across the Web.

A Java API that enables Java programs to execute SQL statements. This allows Java programs to interact with any SQL-compliant database. Since nearly all database systems support SQL, and because Java itself runs on most platforms, JDBC makes it possible to write a single database application that can run on different platforms and interact with different database software. JDBC is similar to ODBC, but is designed specifically for Java programs, whereas ODBC is language-independent.

A site that contains a lot of Java applets.

A scripting language designed by Netscape to enable Web designers to add dynamic content to their sites. Name to the contrary, it was developed seperately from Java. It is an open source language. JavaScript is used for things such as "rollover buttons" (graphics that change color when you run your mouse over them), rotating banners, MIDI jukeboxes, pop-up windows, etc.

Defines who owns a piece of commercial software, who is authorized to use it and what they are allowed to use it for. Most closed source software comes with a license that allows only the initial purchaser of the software to use it, and only the software's creator to modify it. Open source software, on the other hand, is usually issued under the GNU general public license, which allows anyone to modify and redistribute it.

A file that contains a list of actions that have occurred on your web server. The statistics of your site are created by referencing the activity log file. This file is located in your "log" directory and is entitled "access_log"

A piece of software that accepts incoming email from the Internet and stores it until users decide to check their email. A mail server is to email as a Web server is to Web pages.

A group discussion conducted through email messages, specific to a topic or common interest. When a message is sent to a mailing list, each list subscriber receives a copy.

A type of bulletin board where users read and respond to other people's posts.

Mini SQL: A lightweight database engine designed to provide fast access to stored data.

A computer system containing more than one CPU, and at least two CPUs are processing different information at any given time, has multiple processors. (Thus, a system that has two processors that are mirroring each other's activity for redundancy purposes is not a true multiple processor system.) Multiple processors allow for greater computing power to be made available to the applications running on a computer, leading to greater stability.

A standard database access method developed by Microsoft to make it possible to access data from any application. In order for ODBC to function, however, both the application and the database must be ODBC compliant.

A piece of software code that's released after the main software is. Most patches either fix problems with the original code that went undiscovered before shipping, or upgrade the software by adding new features.

The efficiency with which server components have been integrated, and applications designed to run in the working environment.

Short for Practical Extraction and Report Language. Programming language developed by Larry Wall, especially designed for processing text. Because of its strong text processing abilities, Perl has become one of the most popular languages for writing CGI scripts. Perl is an interpretive language, which makes it easy to build and test simple programs.

A protocol for retrieving email from an email server. That is, it allows you to collect emails from an account that you have on another computer (called a server, or host) to your own email software, such as Outlook, Netscape Messenger, Eudora, Exchange, etc. It lacks some of the functionality IMAP offers, such as the ability to search through your messages by key word while they're still on the server.

A standard for the exchange of information. There are several different types of protocols (e.g., FTP, TCP/IP) used by various computers and software.

A piece of software that sits between a client application (such as a Web browser) and the Internet. It intercepts all traffic flowing between the two and analyzes them This allows proxy servers to do two important things. One is to boost Internet access speeds for groups of users. Since the proxy server stores a "cache" of recently downloaded Web sites, any user that tries to access a Web site that has recently been accessed by another user is simply sent the cached version from the proxy server. The other important function is filtering. A proxy server can be set up to filter all attempts by users to access specific Web sites.

An object-oriented programming language named after Monty Python's Flying Circus. It is very portable, as there are Python interpreters available for most operating systems. Although Python is copyrighted, the source code is freely available. It can be commercially re-sold.

In a scaleable system, growth is possible, if demand grows. Notebooks, for example, are not very scaleable, because it's hard to add additional hardware. Rack mounted servers, on the other hand, are scaleable, with the ability (in some very high-end servers) to add extra hard drives and RAM while the system is running.

A list of commands that can run without user interaction.

An exchange of sensitive information (credit card numbers) in an Internet business where special measures are in place to ensure privacy. Most secure e-commerce transactions are handled using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol developed by Netscape. SSL uses a private key to encrypt data, so that only the Web server software and the client's browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer) can read the data.

A directory of Internet content. If you're looking for specific information on the WWW, a search engine can list Web sites at which you'll likely find that information. Popular search engines include Google, Excite, Snap, Yahoo, and Infoseek.

Information used to establish a secure connection by SSL protocol. In order for an SSL connection to be created, both sides must have a valid Security Certificate, issued by the Certificate Authority.

A computer or device that manages network resources. The term can refer to a piece of software, or to the machine on which the software is running. A single server machine could be running several different server software packages, thus providing many different services to users on the network.

Software used to create an online "storefront," or E-Commerce Web site. It acts as a virtual shopping cart, keeping track of the items visitors have ordered and allowing them to add or remove items. When a visitor decides to "check out" (purchase the items online) the software sends all order information to the merchant.

This is a computing standard that enables emails to be sent through another computer (called a server) from your own email software, such as Outlook, Netscape Messenger, Eudora, Exchange, etc. It is complementary to POP3 and IMAP.

The term used to define the method of a letter being physically delivered to a person using the Post Office or some other letter carrier.

Junk email or junk newsgroup posts. Spam is usually some sort of advertising, inappropriately sent to a mailing list or newsgroup. Spam not only wastes the recipient's time, but also misuses network bandwidth. We do not support spam--take a look at our policy.

An Internet robot (used by a search engine) that explores the Web at large. Spiders collect Web page addresses based on content found at those pages.

Originally designed by an IBM research center in 1974, SQL was first introduced as a standardized language for requesting information from commercial databases in 1979 by Oracle Corp. SQL is the closest thing to a standard for database queries that exists. It has managed to migrate from the mini computers and mainframes for which it was originally designed to the PC-based databases of today thanks, in a large part, to its support of databases.

Any database management system that can accept SQL-formatted queries. More specifically, the database systems produced by Sybase and Microsoft that are actually called "SQL Server."

Any database that supports SQL as a query language.

Secure Sockets Layer: A protocol designed by Netscape to enable encrypted communications across the Internet. It provides privacy, authentication, and message integrity. SSL is often used in communications between browsers and servers. A URL that begins with "https" is a clue that an SSL connection will be used on the Web site. During an SSL connection, each side sends a Security Certificate to the other. Both sides then encrypt what they send, ensuring that only the intended recipient can decode it.

A measure of how robust a system (hardware or software) is. The more stable a piece of software, the less likely it is that the software will crash. Stability can often be improved by tweaking the system.

Makes downloaded content available in the form of an un-interrupted stream of data, as opposed to a series of packets. This is achieved via a process known as caching, where several packets of information (e.g. several seconds of audio) are stored on the client's terminal and played back while further packets are downloaded. Streaming allows clients to watch large movie files or listen to lengthy audio broadcasts without having to wait for the entire file to download. It also allows live events to be "broadcast" over the Web.

A connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits per second. T-1 is most commonly used to connect networks to the Internet.

A connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits per second. Equivalent to 29 T-1 connections.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: This is the suite of protocols that defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating system, TCP/IP software is now available for every major computer operating system. Your computer must have TCP/IP software to be connected to the Internet.

The standard way to display an address on the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL is accessed through a Web browser and looks like this: http://web-hosting.1host.info

An URL is the global address of any document available on the World Wide Web. URLs come in the form: http://www.domainname.com/folder/document.html, where "http://" indicates that the document is a Web resource, "www.domainname.com" is the name of the server the document is stored on, "/folder/" is the name of the sub-directory the document is stored in on the server, and "document.html" is the name of the document itself.

A computer operating system. UNIX is designed to be used by many people at the same time and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet.

To improve software so that it has more functions or is more stable.

A new version of a piece of software that updates an older version of the same software. Some software packages offer free upgrades as they come out. Others require the user to pay for each upgrade. It makes sense, when shopping around for software, to check if upgrades are included free of charge.

Sending a file from your system to a server or to someone else's computer. To download is the opposite.

When a Web server "points" users' browsers to a different server than the one the user is currently trying to access. For example, if a user tries to access www.address1.com, they may be re-directed to www.address2.com.

A scripting language developed by Microsoft and supported by the Explorer. It is based on the Visual Basic programming language, making it easy to learn for Visual Basic users. It allows Web developers to add interactive controls like buttons and scroll bars to their web pages.

A document on the World Wide Web. Every Web page is identified by a unique URL.

An email account accessible by browsing the worldwide web. Allows you to check your e-mail via a standard Web browser, as opposed to a POP or IMAP enabled e-mail program. One advantage of this is that you can check your e-mail from any computer with a Web browser and an Internet connection, including those in public places.

A site (location) on the World Wide Web. Each Web site contains a home page and might also contain additional documents and files. Each site is owned and managed by an individual, company or organization.

A utility in a program that outlines a series of sequential tasks to set up a portion of the program. For example, an email program may use a wizard to gather the necessary information to set up an email account.

eXtensible Markup Language: a specification, similar to HTML, designed especially for Web documents. It allows designers to create their own customized tags, enabling the definition, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data between applications and between organizations.