FAQ

What is a Domain Name Registrar?
A provider that secures and registers web site domain names for clients at a fee.

What is a Domain Name Server (DNS)?
Directs a URL to a IP address. All web site addresses are actually a numerical IP address, for example: 128.242.55.7 The DNS lets us simply type in the name of a web site rather than some cryptic number since names are much easier to remember

What is a browser?
A software program that allows you to connect with the World Wide Web (provided you have an Internet connection) and view the contents of Web sites. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are currently two popular browsers.

What does FTP stand for?
File Transfer Protocol - the code that allows users to transfer files from one computer to another over phone lines. You transfer pages to your web site using FTP.

What is a Home Page?
The first page on a Web site. That is, the page that comes up when you enter a URL and "go to" that site. Home pages usually contain general information about the site and have links to the other pages on the site.

What is a URL?
Universal Resource Locator - also known as an address, this is the string of characters you type into your browsers to reach a certain Web site. For example, http://www.scamwatch.com is the URL for the ScamWatch Web site.

What is HTML?
Hypertext Markup Language - the programming language used by the World Wide Web. Just as PostScript allows users to produce desktop publishing documents with various fonts and graphics, HTML allows users to create documents for the Web.

What is a Hyperlink?
An object (text or graphic) containing a link to a Web page. When you click on a hyperlinked object, you are automatically connected with another Web page. It might be another page on the same site, or it might be a page on a different Web site. click here to see a hyperlink take you to the top of this article.

What is a Service Provider?
A company that provides users with Internet access. For example, RMT Webs is a service provider--providing Web site services on our Virtual Private Server (VPS) at Verio .

What is a Site?
Short for Web Site, a page or group of pages containing text and graphics that can be accessed by anyone with an Internet connection.

What does WWW mean?
World Wide Web - the Web is a part of the Internet that allows users to view documents containing text, graphics and hyperlinked objects.

Definitions

Bandwidth: The rate at which you can send or receive information through your connection to the Internet.

BPS: (Bits per Second) refers to the data-transfer speed allowed by the network or your connection to the network.

Browser: Client software that allows you to access information on the World Wide Web.

Client: Software that allows you to retrieve information from the Internet and the Web.

Cyberspace: The total range of information available through computer networks. A term coined by author William Gibson.

Emoticon: Also known as a 'smiley', a combination of ASCII characters that suggests an emotion when read sideways ;-)

Email: Messages sent between computers with an Internet address.

Ethernet: Protocol for connecting individual computers to Local Area networks (LANs).

ETLA: (Extended Three Letter Acronym) Like a TLA but with more than three letters!

FAQ: (Frequently Asked Questions) Canned answers to questions everyone asks.

Frame relay: A telephone term describing a way to hook up dedicated line connections.

Freeware: Software which can be used without any payment, generally downloaded from the Net.

FTP: (File Transfer Protocol) Methods of transferring files to and from remote computers.

GIF: (Graphics Interchange Format ) A visual image file.

Hit: A measure of Web site traffic; each time a page on a site is requested.

Home page: The first screen you see when you enter a Web Site.

HTML: (HyperText Markup Language) The rules that govern the way documents are created so that can be read by a WWW Browser.

HTTP: (HyperText Transport Protocol) The standard for moving hypertext files across the Internet.

JPEG: (Joint Photographic Expert Group) A method of storing an image.

LAN: (Local Area Network) What you get when you link all the computers at a single location.

MIME: (Multiple Internet Mail Extensions) Things you can include with E-mail, sent over the Internet i.e. audio, visual images, text messages

Modem: A device that connects your computer to other computers via phone line.

MPEG: (Moving Pictures Experts Group) A method for storing movie files.

Packet: Switching technology that transfers information across the Net in programs, files, or listings.

POP: (Point of Presence) An Internet access node of an Internet service provider - in other words, the number your modem rings to get on-line.

POP3: (Post Office Protocol 3) A type of e-mail system which stores messages on your service provider's machine and downloads them automatically when you are on-line.

PPP: (Point to Point Protocol) A regular phone line that connects to the Internet.

Router: A computer system that makes decisions about which path Internet traffic will take to reach its destination.

Server: The software that people with a home page need in order to let you look at their stuff, or the computer on which it is held.

Shareware: Software which can be used for free for a trial period, after which a small payment is expected. Generally downloaded from the Net.

SMTP: (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) A type of electronic mail protocol which governs the format of email messages, usually ASCII.

Spam: Sending a message to multiple newsgroups or mailing lists that didn't ask for it. just like opening a can of Spam and then throwing it into a whirling fan.

T-1: A connection to the Internet capable of carrying 1,544,000 bits-per-second.

TCP/IP: (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) The communications protocol that connects your computer to the Internet.

Telnet: The command program used to access other servers on the Internet.

TLA: (Three Letter Acronym) Three letter abbreviations used in newsgroups, e-mail, and throughout the computer world.

URL: (Uniform Resource Locator) Indicates the address of a specific source of information. Usually a Web Site.

WAN: (Wide Area Network) Any internet or network that covers an area larger than a single building.

WWW: (World Wide Web) A hyper-text based system that allows you to retrieve information from around the globe.