© 2000 by Terri Seymour
When I first started on the internet, it was like trying to read another language. There were so many words and expressions that I did not understand. Words like webhost, ezine, upload, download, http, isp, dsl and so many, many more!! I was lost. Little by little I began to learn what these words and others meant. But there are always more to learn.
So this article will be more or less a mini-dictionary to help explain some of these foreign words. So here we go and I hope this helps explain these terms to make them more understandable.
- Upload -- This is when you copy a file from your computer and send it "up" to your host or server.
- Download -- This is the opposite of upload. When you bring "down" a file or program from another computer.
- ISP -- This stands for Internet Service Provider. A company that will give you access to the internet (for a monthly fee, of course).
- Browser -- Program used to access pages and information on the World Wide Web. Examples of browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
- Cookies -- This is information about you such as username, password, address, and so on that has been stored in your hard drive from typing this information into a form. When you again visit this site or form and click, stored cookies will pop up and you will not have to re-type all your information.
- Domain Name -- The "address" or URL of a website.
Example: http://www.websuccesscentral.com - websuccesscentral is the domain name.
- HTML -- HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is more or less the language the computer understands. When you build a webpage, you must use HTML coding so the computer understands the way you want the page to look.
- Java -- Java is a language used in writing programs to be safely downloaded without virus worries. With Java programs such as Applets, you can do lots of neat tricks, such as animation.
- Hyperlink -- Also known as links. Links are urls or other text that you can click on to bring you to another webpage or website. These links are coded in HTML.
- Search Engine -- A search engine is like the card catalog at the library. When you want to find a website about a particular subject, type your keywords in the search box and the search engine will find and list related sites and pages.
- Spam -- Spam is the junk mail of the internet. When you send a sales pitch or advertisement via email to someone without their consent, this is Spam.
- Virus -- This is a program that latches onto other programs and travels from computer to computer, possibly causing lots of damage by destroying files and information.
- Modem -- A modem is the part of your computer that enables you to get hooked up to the internet. Your phone line is hooked up to the modem and through your modem you can be connected to the internet.
- Shareware -- Shareware is software that you can download and try out before buying. If you decide to keep on using the software, you will have to pay a registration fee.
I hope this article has helped you understand these words a little better. You can find these words and many more at these sites:
There are so many new terms to learn that it may seem overwhelming, but with a little time and effort you can be speaking a whole new language!
Terri Seymour is the Publisher of Web Success Ezine, a free ezine designed to help people enhance their business success.
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You can find more information and resources at http://www.websuccesscentral.com
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