Web Terms
Above the Fold
The portion of a Web page visible in the browser window when the page first loads is decribed as being ‘above-the-fold’. The phrase is a reference to the area of a newspaper visible when folded for display in a newsstand, typically containing the masthead and lead story.
Accessibility
Web accessibility is about enabling equal access to online content and services for all people, including those with visual and mobility impairment.
Animated GIF
A moving version of the Graphics Interchange Format that is used extensively on the Web for logos and flat color images.
Back-End
A "back-end" is an information structure or application, e.g. database. The companion term "front-end" is the interface that allows a user to access the information or application.
Bandwidth
This is a method of measuring the amount of digital information that can be transported over a network within a period of time. The wider the bandwidth, the faster the connection. Hence the use of the term 'broadband' for a fast internet connection.
Banner Ad
A banner ad is an image shown on a Web page for advertising purposes. Along with animation, contemporary ad banners often use simple forms of interaction as a lure.
Blog
Blog, a contraction of ‘Web’ and ‘log’, describes a Web site comprising of date-related entries (or posts). Blogs are typically of a personal nature, although their use by companies as a marketing tool is increasing.
Breadcrumb
The term ‘breadcrumb’ is a reference to the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel —where the titular children leave a trail of crumbs to find their way back out of a forest. Breadcrumb navigation (also referred to as a ‘breadcrumb trail’), locates the current Web page in the context of a navigation path.
CSS / Cascading Style Sheets
The Cascading Style Sheets specification is a computer language that is used to write formatting instructions (rules). These rules tell a browser how Web page content should ‘look’— in terms of layout and style.
CMS / Content Management System
A (Web) content management system allows a number of people to maintain a Web site using a simple Web-browser-based interface (instead of manually authoring Web pages). Content management systems generally consist of a number of templates corresponding to standard ‘types’ of information. Users of the system may be assigned specific privileges to restrict the types of change they can make to the Web site. For example; the communications manager might only be able to add and edit press releases; changes to product pricing can only be made by the product manager.
Cookie
A cookie is a preference file written to the user’s computer when they access a Web site. Cookies are commonly used to store account information that can be used when the Web site is revisited at a later date. Only the Web site that created the cookie file can use the information it stores.
Domain
A domain is an internet metaphor for a virtual home or office. These domains have been given identifiable names. They have been sub-divided into various categories, such as .com (for commercial), .gov, (for governmental), .org, (for non-profit organizations), .edu (for educational establishments) and so on. These are known as domain names.
Download
Simply means the copying of data from a remote computer to your local computer. Viewing a Web page involves downloading it to your computer, as does downloading a piece of software or an image.
Dynamic Web Pages
Dynamic Web pages (also database-driven Web pages) are Web documents that are generated automatically, usually using information from a database and utilising server or scripting technology, for example PHP, ASP, Cold Fusion, .NET.
E-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the purchase and distribution of goods or services across the internet. This method of business is seen as a viable alternative to export driven economies to overcome geographical distance.
Emoticons
The collection of ASCII keyboard characters that roughly appear to represent various facial expressions. Otherwise known as smileys. :)
Flash
Flash is a multimedia program developed by software developer Macromedia (who were recently bought by Adobe). Its initial primary purpose was to enable animated images to be small enough in file size, so as to download quickly over the internet. Flash achieved this by using vector graphics to build its animations, as opposed to bitmap animation. Flash has quickly developed into a full-blown vector animation program. With the growth of broadband, some web designers are using Flash to create whole web sites, with embedded video graphics, games and other complicated interactive features. Interactivity is built into Flash, by Web developers, using a form of scripting called ActionScript.
FTP / File Transfer Protocol
An internet protocol that allows files to be uploaded and downloaded from an internet-based server. Probably the most popular method of uploading web site files used by Web designers.
GIF / Graphics Interchange Format
GIF images are used extensively on Web sites. They are useful because they can be compressed to a very small file size and so are utilised extensively for logos and buttons. GIFs are made smaller by excluding as many shades of color as possible, whilst still maintaining a reasonable representation of the image. As such they are better for use in flat-colored graphics, such as logos, rather than photographic images.
Global Navigation
‘Global’, ‘top-level’, ‘persistent’, or ‘primary’ navigation is navigation that is displayed on every Web page, usually at the top or left of the screen. This type of navigation provides access to the main content sections or services. In function it is similar supermarket signage—it helps to orient the user to their surroundings.
GUI / Graphical User Interface
GUI is an acronym and is pronounced ‘goo-ey’. A graphical user interface allows a user to interact with a computer without entering code. The combination of an input device (such as a mouse or stylus) and visual representations of the workspace and tasks, the user is able to interact with the computer in a manner similar to the physical manipulations available in the real world.
HTML / Hyper Text Markup Language
HTML is the basic mark-up language of the Web. All the pages that are viewed on Web sites use HTML to some degree. HTML is constantly updated and nowadays web sites tend to contain a mixture of a number of languages, including DHTML, javascript, CSS and, increasingly, Flash.
Home Page
The home page of a Web site is the root, top-most , or the first page that is generally viewable.
Host (Webhost)
A Webhost is a company that hosts Web sites. They may offer a number of services, including shared hosting – where a number of Web sites sit on one Web server, or dedicated web hosting – where a computer (or many computers) serve just one Web site.
Information Architecture
Information architecture is not limited to websites, nor virtual information spaces. In the real world, the discipline is often referred to as ‘wayfinding’, and is concerned with the design of signage systems, paths and information environments. Information architecture describes the structure and methodology by which information (such as website content), is organized and is typically formulated through consideration of user intention (primary tasks), and managing the relationship between the user and content or services (how tasks can be completed).
Internet
Not to be confused with the World Wide Web. The internet is the term for the International networked collection of computers that communicate with each other via a standard set of network protocols - Internet Protocol. E-mail, WWW and FTP are communication protocols that sit on top of the internet.
IP / Internet Protocol
Internet protocol is the method by which digital information is sent from one computer to another on the internet. Every computer on the internet has a unique identifying number, known as an IP address. This functions as a kind of virtual telephone number. An IP address can be static - as in the case of web sites - or it can be dynamically assigned by an internet service provider when a user connects to the internet. All Web sites have an IP number, but this is usually translated into a domain name, for the sake of usability.
ISP / Internet Service Provider
ISPs are companies that provide a bridge between the user and the internet. They can provide these connections via a dial-up modem connection or ADSL, Cable or other broadband connections. Some ISPs also provide other services such as Email, web hosting and domain name purchasing.
Javascript
Javascript is a scripting language, used to add numerous interactive functions to Web pages. Javascript can be utilized for a wide range of design activity from rollovers; to drop-down menus; to checking the contents of a submitted Web form.
Landing Page
Landing page is a generic term for the first page a person sees when linking to a Web site. The landing page may be the homepage, but due to the use of search engines, it is increasingly likely to be a content page.
Link / Hyperlink
A link is simply the area on a graphic, or word on a web page that, when clicked, takes the user to another Web page, Web site or file download.
Mailing List
Users can subscribe to any number of online mailing lists, on a number of Web sites. Usually they are for interested parties to receive information about the web site, or relevant news and updates.
Mirror Site
A duplicate of a web or FTP site, used the balance the load of a very busy site. Often used by Web sites that provide software downloads, due to the amount of bandwidth that can be used at any one time.
MySQL
MySQL is an open source relational database management system. Information in a MySQL database is stored in the form of related tables. MySQL databases are typically used for Web application development (often accessed using PHP). MySQL databases are queried using a subset of the standard Structured Query Language (SQL) commands.
nameservers
A nameserver is a computer server that is able to convert (resolve) the name of a domain into its corresponding IP address (and visa versa).
Navigation
Navigation is both the system(s) that a visitor can use to move around a website (global navigation, breadcrumb trails, related links, pagination (previous/next page), footer navigation, etc.) and the visual manifestation of such systems (hyperlinked text, tabs, buttons, etc.). Web site navigation has two main functions — to tell the user where they are and to enable to user to go somewhere else.
Network
A network is a system of interconnected computers that are capable of exchanging information with each other. A network can be as small as two or three computers 'daisy-chained' to each other with cables or can be as large as a huge corporation with dedicated file servers and email systems, spanning many offices around the Globe. The largest network system in the World is, of course, the internet.
Online
Being connected, 'logged in', to the internet is called being online. Some discussion forums and internet chat tools will show if a particular user is logged in and will show that the user is 'online'. Online is also a term that can be used to describe any service that is accessible on the Web.
Open Source
A computer program where the underlying code is made available to the public is referred to as 'open source'. With the networking of computers enabled by the internet, what computer programs 'are doing' has become a cause for concern. Open source programs address this by making the program code available for general inspection. A significant byproduct of this transparency is the ability for programmers to actively contribute to the continued development of a shared code library.
Opt-in Policy/Permission-Based Marketing
An opt-in policy requires a potential customer to self-select the services they wish to subscribe to, and how any information they provide may be used. Also referred to as permission-based marketing. In practice, an opt-in policy involves creating forms where services such as email newsletter subscriptions are unchecked by default. The benefit of this approach is that a user who has actively considered the offering before signing-up, is a more qualified potential customer.
PHP
PHP is a server side language and program that is capable of taking data from a number of database sources and creating dynamic Web pages.
Pop-Up / Pop-Under Window
A pop-up window is a new browser window created (launched or opened), either by the user clicking a button/link, or automatically: when a Web page is first viewed (loaded) or is linked away from (unloaded). Based on the negative response to new windows that obscure content, Web-marketers have also introduced a less intrusive variation. A pop-under is first opened, then moved behind the content window. The new window is then only visible if the user systematically closes content windows before quitting/closing their browser, or if the content windows do not fill the screen.
Search Engine
Google, Yahoo and others are popular search engines that enable users to find other Web sites and internet resources. Search engines work by indexing the Web and adding Web site information into a set of massive databases.
Sitemap
A sitemap provides an overview of w=Web site content in a manner similar to the contents page of a book. Sections and pages are listed according to narrative flow, if the author intends for pages to be read in a specific order; or alphabetically or chronological index if content pages are essentially unrelated. The later is the case in news Web sites, where articles are archived by topic, and then by title or publication date.
Spider
A spider is the term given to the electronic information gatherers that search engines send out to index the Web.
Template
Consistency, imposed through the use of templates, enables a user to more readily learn how content has been structured and how to interact with information or services. A webpage template might include global navigation and examples of how different types of content, such as headings, pull-quotes, tables and form elements should be treated. Ideally guidelines should be provided to help an author choose an appropriate treatment and the corresponding markup.
Upload
To copy files onto a remote server. For example a Web designer will upload their designed Web pages onto a web server using an FTP client.
URL / Uniform Resource Locator
The method of specifying the location of a file, or source of information, on the internet.
Usability
Usability is a measure of the quality of a person’s experience in interacting with content or services. The quality of the user experience is typically discussed in terms of look-and-feel, navigation, interface design and information architecture.
Viral Marketing
A method of promotion that involves the dissemination of messages from person-to-person without the involvement of the originator. This is commonly achieved through the use of email, but web-based postcards and ‘recommend this site to a friend’ links are other means to the same end. Viral marketing campaigns generally rely on the strength of the original proposition: be it a product, service or (increasingly) entertainment value.
Web-Safe Colors
Color palette consisting of a collection of 216 colors which remain consistent across Macintosh and Windows based computer screens, without dithering. Traditionally web designers stuck to these rules rigidly, especially when dealing with solid colors for logos and buttons. With the advent of modern computers and graphics cards making use of the web safe color palette is becoming less important.
WYSIWYG / What You See is What You Get
Pronounced ‘wiz-e-wig’, a wysiwyg is a graphical user interface (GUI) where the user appears to interact with an accurate, screen-based representation of an end-product. While a visual-editor enables a designer to quickly layout a Web page, it may lull a less-experienced author into thinking that the Web page they have created will look and work the same way for all users—in fact it is more accurate to label the interface to a visual editor: ‘what-you-see-is-sort-of-what-you-get’.
XML (Extensible Markup Language)
A method of creating markup languages that describe the structure of data. It allows Web developers to create custom tags to represent published html data. XML has been developed to help large scale, data-driven, Web publishing projects.
Zip
A format for compressing digital files to reduce their size for internet transmission.
