Jargon Buster
Jargon Buster
Stands for “second generation” and refers to wireless mobile connectivity. 2G was the first entirely digital mobile connectivity technology
3rd Generation wireless format. It is the telecommunications technology that gives users a greater range of communications options, including access to the web and email as well as video data.
Refers to the fourth generation of wireless mobile technology. 4G is the latest technology, and is currently only available in certain countries. Some new devices in the UK are able to access 4G, but there are no 4G networks yet available in the UK.
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.
Affiliate marketing is the practice of using one website to drive traffic to another for a share of the profits.
Aggregators gather content from multiple sources online and offer it in a summarised format on their website via a single user interface.
An 'alt tag' or 'alt attribute' stands for alternative text. Alt tags are used to describe an image or non-textual element in a web page. These are important for people who use screen readers, or those who browse the web with graphics turned off, so that the content is still relevant and makes sense. Using alt tags is useful for seo purposes, as search engine crawlers can't read images, but can read alt tags.
Software specifically designed for the detection and prevention of known viruses.
The abbreviation of applications that has been widely adopted by mobile phone manufacturers and networks. Apps are available for a wide variety of uses and a range of costs. Most mobile platforms now provide “App-stores” full of approved apps to make finding and downloading apps even easier.
An avatar is a computer user's representation of themself or alter ego. This could be in the form of a 3D model used in computer games, or a 2D icon (picture) used in internet forums and other communities.
It is often possible to back order a domain name that is already registered. Your chosen provider will attempt to register the domain name as soon as it does become available. A supplier can not guarantee they will be able to secure the name for you.
This is a graphical web advertising unit typically measuring 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall. A banner advert is still the most prominent form of advertising online, and its success is measured by the number of click-throughs
Short for 'web log', this is a user-generated web site where entries are made in a journal style, and usually displayed in reverse chronological order. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.
Wireless technology enabling the exchange of data over short distances, creating a personal network which allows users to connect wireless devices and the internet.
Botnets, also known as Zombie Armies, are groups of computers on the Internet, under the control of criminals.
Broadband connections to the Internet differ from dial-up connections in two ways. First, they are much faster, typically ten times quicker than a modem. Second, they are normally left connected to the Internet permanently and not just when they are in use. Examples of broadband connections include: ADSL, cable modem and fibre-optic leased lines.
A unit or measure of computer memory, usually consisting of eight binary digits (bits) processed together; usually enough to store a single letter or digit.
Chat rooms are effectively real-time conferencing or conversations using technology. Using the keyboard, a virtual group of people with the same set of interests can easily communicate together.
The CTR measures the percentage of people who have clicked on a banner or other specific advert to arrive at the destination site. More specifically, it is the average number of click-throughs per hundred ad impressions, expressed as a percentage.
This is a new model in the world of computing, a new shift from the old days of main-frames and client servers.
It works on the idea of shared resources, software and other devices via the Internet. Because of the low barrier to entry, it offers many benefits to businesses, as well as being entirely scalable and customisable.
An organisation can subscribe to a cloud provider rather than making a commitment, as the applications and computer power are available on demand. It avoids having to make a huge investment.
Major service providers are Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon and Google.
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding and/or decoding a digital data stream or signal.
A small data file that is stored on a user's local computer for record-keeping purposes and which contains information about the user that is pertinent to a Web site, such as user preferences.
Cyberbullying is when one person or a group of people try to threaten, tease or embarrass someone else by using a mobile phone or the internet. Cyberbullying is just as harmful as bullying in the real world.
The Data Protection Act 1984 sets out the legal basis for handling and protecting private information and data in the UK.
Disaster recovery is the preparation of process, policies and procedures to ensure business continuity in the event of a natural or human disaster.
The internet is a great tool for organisations to utilise when incorporating a disaster recovery plan. Many organisations host or backup systems on external servers to ensure that, should the worst happen to the office, corporate information remains intact and secure. Using remote access and cloud computing, employees are able to access files and systems inherent to their working day without the need to physically visit the office.
Domain Name System (DNS) is a naming system for any computer, service or resource connected either to the Internet or a private network. Primarily DNS assigns each resource with unique identifiers and IP Addresses to allow them to communicate. DNS then translates these IP Addresses and identifiers into human-friendly website addresses, such as www.knowthenet.org.uk.
Domain names are mainly used in web addresses such as (http://www.nominet.org.uk)and in email addresses (firstname.lastname@nominet.org.uk). In this example, the domain name is “Nominet.org.uk”. It is a string of letters and numbers used to name organisations, computers and addresses on the internet
A registrar is the company or organisation that people register their domain name through. This may be an ISP or a domain name reseller or just a company that specialises in registering domain names.
A mobile dongle is a piece of technology, usually the same size as a USB/flash memory stick that plugs into a computer, laptop or netbook and provides mobile access to the internet through the use of traditional mobile phone networks. Mobile broadband dongles are available to purchase on most major phone networks and can be on a monthly contract or pay as you go tariff.
To transfer a copy of a file from a remote computer to a requesting computer by means of a modem or network.
One of the most popular online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide. This is a good example of many auction sites.
Short for electronic mail, this is a method of composing, sending, storing and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. An email system requires a messaging system that provides the store and forward capability and a mail program that gives you send and receive functions. Sent messages are stored in electronic mailboxes until the recipient fetches them.
Encryption is a way of securing sensitive information on the internet using an algorithm (mathematical formula for solving a problem). Anyone wishing to access this information needs to have knowledge of this algorithm in order to “decrypt” the data.
Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites. It provides a quick and easy way of setting up a user profile, where you can input as much or as little personal information as you like.
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. As with Google Chrome, it is a web browser alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
A firewall is effectively a protective force between your IT network, whether at home or at work, and the outside world.
It is designed to protect your pc from any incoming viruses, spyware, Trojans and other malware. If your pc does become infected, anti-virus software can also prevent outgoing problems too.
There are different types that can protect hardware and software, with home users normally focusing on anti-virus software. However, businesses are required to look after the security of their whole IT network and are obliged to purchase effective solutions for both hardware and software protection.
This provides you with the facility to protect everything on your laptop with one easily remembered passphrase that you type in when the laptop starts up.
A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes and precedes the terabyte unit of measurement. Computer drive sizes are typically measured in gigabytes, such as 250GB drive (translating as “250 gigs of disk space).
These are adverts placed down the right hand side of Google’s search results page that appear when someone has searched on a relevant keyword that matches your advert.
It is a very effective and accurate way of targeting your audience, as you can base your advert on keywords, so your advert only appears when relevant to the searcher. It can also be used to target specific geographical locations and can be used for very local campaigns.
The adverts can be constantly adjusted until you are happy that the keywords are entirely relevant and you are getting accurate results.
You only pay for the adverts when the searcher clicks on your advert. This is called pay-per-click.
For an example of an organisation using Google AdWords, go to Crumbcollection
For more information about pay-per-click, go to pay-per-click
This is short for hypertext transfer protocol. HTTP is a protocol which defines how files are transferred on the world wide web. HTTP is the framework for how browsers will display and use file formats. When you enter in a URL with HTTP at the beginning, you are requesting a web page which can contain other elements (such as pictures) and links to other resources.
HTTPS (hypertext transfer protocol secure) is the combination of regular HTTP with secure identification of the server. It greatly reduces the chance of being victim to intervening eavesdroppers or man-in-the-middle security attacks. HTTPS utilises security certificates that are signed by trusted individuals. If the signature is not recognised by the users internet browsers, the user is warned and advised not to continue. It is often used for websites that utilise payment options.
A link from a hypertext file to another location or file; typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word or icon at a particular location on the screen
(Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers) A worldwide organisation that regulates the co-ordination of website names with IP address numbers on the internet using DNS. This co-ordination allows IP Address numbers to be replaced by website addresses, to make surfing the web much more accessible. Without it, web users would have to enter a string of numbers to find websites rather than the website name e.g. instead of typing www.google.com you would have to type http://209.85.229.99/. The work of ICANN means that regardless of your location worldwide, your experience on the internet remains the same.
For more information visit www.icann.org/en/about/ or http:// 192.0.32.7/
Although many people think that the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing, they are not. The internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks, linked by wires, fibre-optic cables and wireless connections. The Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs. The World Wide Web is accessible via the internet, as are many other services including email, web pages and file sharing.
A web browser, commonly referred to as IE, developed by Microsoft Internet Service Provider / ISP.
Internet Protocol (IP) Address works as a normal address by allowing computer equipment (including PC’s, printers, modems, routers etc.) to be identified, so they can communicate with each other. Automatically assigned, your IP Address can be used to identify your equipment by ISP’s to ensure you are not exceeding any imposed bandwidth limits. IP Addresses are also used to identify websites.
Programming language and framework used for many internet, games and utility applications. see http://www.java.com
LinkedIn is a professional social networking site. It provides a way of building a network of peers, colleagues and associates.
Malware is a term, short for malicious software, that describes software designed to secretly access a computer system without the owner's informed consent.
Frequently abbreviated as 'M' or 'MB'. Is a chunk of computer space used to store your web pages. Your web page size will be determined by the amount of text and graphics that are used to design your website. For example, a website that uses mostly graphics will be larger than a website that is mostly text. The larger your web pages are the more Megabytes you will need.
A portable device that transmits a wifi signal using a mobile network in much the same way as a mobile phone connected to the internet. Multiple wifi capale devices can connect to one mifi transmitter and share the mobile internet coverage. The word Mifi is the merge of Mobile and Wifi.
Or mobile application is a software application that runs in a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device.
Many apps are developed by providers of other software or services and are generally extensions of their other services and provide mobile interfaces to make accessing them much easier. Other apps, including many games, imaging and music apps, are developed by independent publishers and distributed through promotion in app stores and online.
MySpace is a social networking site. Users can upload music, photos and receive comments from other users. Users can also personalise the design of their profile however they like.
The term 'online' usually means being connected to the Internet. The connection can be through a phone line, using a dial-up or DSL modem, a cable line via a cable modem, or through a wireless connection. A computer can also be online via a connection to a computer network.
A patch is a small piece of software that is used to correct a problem with a software program or an operating system. Patches are often called 'fixes.' Service packs usually contain many different patches.
Pay Per Click (PPC) refers to a method of advertising online in which advertisers pay the host website only when their advert is clicked on. When used on search engines, advertisers bid on common keywords relevant to their target market. In contrast, content based websites commonly charge a fixed price for each click of an advert rather than a bid based system. The three largest PPC providers are Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter, all of which are associated with top internet search providers.
A personal digital assistant (PDA), is a handheld computer which functions as a personal information manager and connects to the internet.
Phishing is where you get an email pretending to be from a bank (or ebay, paypal or some other place where you might enter personal information and bank details) which is actually from a scammer trying to steal your money and information.
A pop-up is a graphical user interface display area, usually a small window, that suddenly appears ('pops up') in the foreground of the visual interface. Pop-ups can be initiated by a single or double mouse click or rollover (sometimes called a mouseover).
(Post Office Protocol 3) The current standard protocol for receiving email. It provides a standardised way for users to access mailboxes and retrieve email messages. Emails are held on a Server until they are delivered to the email client on the computer (such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird etc). Once received by the client, emails are automatically removed from the server.
Having POP3 email allows you to use professional email addresses such as sales@yourdomain.co.uk. It also allows you to receive emails using popular e-mail programs such as Outlook, Outlook Express and many more.
By having more than one email name set up i.e. sales@yourdomain.co.uk and support@yourdomain.co.uk it allows you to pre-sort your unread mail making sure the relevant person views the emails. This is done using the filtering capability of your email program.
This refers to the individual or organisation (e.g. limited company, partnership, sole trader etc) that registers a specific domain name with a registrar. They hold the right to use that domain name for a specified period of time (two years for a domain name ending in .uk). The registrant is the 'legal entity' who is bound by the registry’s (Nominet) terms and conditions for domain name registration.
A registrar is the company or organisation that everyone registers their domain name through. This may be an ISP or a domain name reseller or just a company that specialises in registering domain names. The registrar signs a 'registrar agreement' that is their contract with the registry. For all .uk domain names, the registry is Nominet.
An Internet domain name registry receives domain name service (DNS) information into a centralised database and transmits the information on the Internet so that domain names can be found by users around the world via the world wide web and email. Nominet is the registry for the .uk country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). Verisign is the exclusive registry for the .com, .net and .org generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs).
RSS ('Really Simple Syndication') is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.
Scareware is a type of malware designed to trick victims into purchasing and downloading useless and potentially dangerous software.
A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen. It speaks aloud information from a computer display, for users with impaired vision.
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. The search results are usually presented in a list of results and are commonly called hits.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the ranking of a web site or a web page in search engines via the 'organic' or un-paid search results.
Semantic web is a movement to making the web more accessible by computers. Currently, the internet can be used by people, through a computer, for a wide variety of purposes. It is the person using the computer that is searching for and choosing to access particular information available on the web – the computer, is simply the tool used to facilitate this search and access.
Semantic web is the attempt to make all this information “readable” by computers, so that they can more intelligently search for, combine, and act upon information available on the web in order to make using the internet easier and more intuitive. It would implement a common “computer readable” language that would facilitate communication between applications, the internet and other software to improve computer and internet usability.
A complex system, semantic web is still very much in development. Experts are mixed on their interpretation of semantic web and on the likelihood of its evolution beyond theory. Should it come to fruition it would revolutionise the way the internet works and the capabilities for future developments.
Further information: http://semanticweb.org/wiki/Main_Page
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. It's free and considered easy to download and use, and works with most computers. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a nominal fee using a debit-based user account system. Once you download, register and install the software, you'll need to plug in a headset, speakers or USB phone to start using Skype.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) - The current standard protocol that facilitates the sending of emails between servers. Most email systems that send mail over the internet utilise SMTP. Once a message has been sent using SMTP, it is then retrieved from the recipients email server using POP or IMAP.
Just as anyone can tune their radio into a particular radio station, a criminal can tune their PC in to your wireless network. This is called interception or sniffing.
This is where an outside hacker makes use of psychological tricks on legitimate computer system users in order to obtain information (such as a password) to gain access rather than breaking into the system.
Social networking is a phenomenon defined by linking people to each other in some way. Generally, social networks are used to allow or encourage various types of activity whether commercial, social or some combination of the the two.
Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices.
Email spam refers to unsolicited commercial email messages sent in bulk by people you don't know.
Blocks unsolicited e-mails. You can control the sensitivity of the filtering used, and decide what action should be taken when Spam e-mail arrives.
Unwanted software that secretly monitors a user's activity, scans for private information or gives outsiders control of a computer
stands for Server Side Includes. A scripting language, almost exclusively used for web development. It is used to include dynamic content in HTML pages. See http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/howto/ssi.html
Provides support and allows you to secure transactions between your web site and your customers. Pages that are designated as secure will be encrypted (scrambled) and allow you to set up a credit card payment facility for on-line transactions.
Allows the display of video on a web page, without having to wait for the entire file to download before it starts playing.
The World Wide Web (www) is the interconnected content that can be accessed on the Internet. A web browser gives you access to all of the various documents, web pages, emails, videos, and other linked content that is available on the millions of web sites hosted on the Internet.
The Internet provides the infrastructure, the World Wide Web provides the content and allows the user to get to it and navigate their way through it all.
A tweet is a post or status update on Twitter. As Twitter only allows messages of 140 characters or less, a 'tweet' also highlights the size of the message.
Twitter is a short messaging service that can be used to post your opinions on current affairs, the media or anything else, on the internet.
The act of following mass numbers of people, not because you're actually interested in their tweets, but simply to gain attention, get views of your profile (and possibly clicks on URLs therein), or (ideally) to get followed back.
Refers to the replacing of an older version of a product with a newer version. In technology terms this can apply to the physical replacement of hardware or components, or the replacement of software versions. For example, many software packages, such as internet browsers, provide optional upgrades as they are released that help protect against vulnerabilities, provide additional functionality and ensure the best experience for the end user.
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a specific web site or file on the Internet. It cannot have spaces or certain other characters and uses forward slashes to denote different directories. The first part of a URL indicates what kind of resource it is addressing e.g. http (a hypertext directory or document (such as a Web page). The second part, after the “://”contains the address of the computer being located as well as the path to the file.
It is the graphic design and appearance of a website, its function as seen and used by the person on the user end, at the website in a browser. The UI of a website is ultimately how it lets users know what it has to offer them.
Virtual computing allows you to access files from anywhere in the world, providing you have an internet connection. You can achieve faster system speeds due to freeing up the system, memory and storage. Virtual computing provides increased efficiency by allocating a computer's processes to a virtual environment, making the computer available for other processes and applications. Virtualization is now a critical component to an overall IT strategy.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a private network that uses a public network such as the internet to securely connect remote sites or users together. Instead of using a dedicated, real-world connection such as leased line, a VPN uses 'virtual' connections via the Internet from the company's private network to the remote site or employee.
Code written with the express intention of replicating itself. A virus attempts to spread from computer to computer by infecting another file, typically an executable program. Besides spreading, viruses can be used to do harm or for criminal activity.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made over computer networks like the Internet. It converts analog voice signals into digital data packets and supports real-time, two-way transmission of conversations using the primary network protocol used on the Internet.
Web 2.0 is the popular term describing web applications that support interactive information sharing, user-centric design and collaboration across the Web. It embraces different technologies, including blogs, wikis, social networking sites, instant messaging, web conferencing, voice over IP (VoIP), peer to peer networking and IPTV.
Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimising web usage.
A web banner is a form of advertising on the internet. This form of online advertising involves embedding an advertisement into a web page to attract traffic.
Web based email (also known as webmail) is the most commonly used account for personal email. Web based email has advantages over other email services as it allows users to access their mailbox from anywhere with an internet connection.
A Web browser is a software application that interprets the coding language of the World Wide Web in graphic form, and displays the translation rather than the coding. This allows anyone to “browse the Web” by simple point and click navigation, bypassing the need to know commands used in software languages.
It manages the retrieval, presentation and navigation information resources such as web pages, images, video or other pieces of content.
Web hosting is a service that provides space to 'house' your website on the world wide web making it visible to users on the internet.
A web server distributes the load over a number of computer servers. If a site you look at is very slow its usually because its not got a web server, therefore the load cannot be shared.
A document or resource of information connected to the World Wide Web and viewable by anyone connected to the internet who has a web browser.
A computer connected to the internet that maintains a collection of related web pages, images of videos on the World Wide Web. A website is typically accessible from the same URL.
(Pronounced “who is”) This is a common query method used to ascertain details about website addresses. It can be used to ascertain whether a website address is available for registration. If already registered, a WHOIS query provides details of the current website owners (sometimes including names and addresses), renewal dates, the IP address of the site and the sites registrars.
A communication system that uses low-power microwave radio signals to connect laptop computers, PDAs, and web-enabled cell phones to the Internet.
Wifi – A method of connecting devices to the internet without wires. Wifi is available in the home through the use of a wifi router, and in public wifi hotspots. Users are able to securely connect any wifi enabled device to the internet without the use of cables.
A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who can access it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative web sites. Wikipedia, the collaborative encyclopedia is one of the best-known wikis.
A free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless local area network that links PCs, laptops, PDAs and smartphones together and usually provides Internet access. This gives you the mobility to move around within a broad coverage area and still be connected to the network.
The World Wide Web (www) is the interconnected content that can be accessed on the Internet. A web browser gives you access to all of the various documents, web pages, emails, videos, and other linked content that is available on the millions of web sites hosted on the Internet.
The Internet provides the infrastructure, the World Wide Web provides the content and allows the user to get to it and navigate their way through it all.
An xml sitemap is a file which contains a list of the page links on your website, which can help search engines to crawl your site and index the links.
Zombie Armies, also known as Botnets, are groups of computers on the Internet, under the control of criminals.
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