The Lexicon of New Media Terms

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Note: These entries have been loosely complied from hundreds of online and print sources. Make independent confirmation and proper citation before using any of this material for professional or academic purposes.

Complete list of terms

411: Slang for general information or directory assistance, based on the telephone service code.
911: Slang for help, based on the telephone service code.
Access: Microsoft's desktop database application.
ACID: Atomic, consistent, isolated and durable - four properties of a valid data transaction.
ACL: Access control list, how Windows NT stores user permissions to use a disk file or directory.
acquisition: What marketers call is when you try something and like it. A click on a banner is a trial; when you buy something from the banner's advertiser you've been aquired.
Acrobat: Adobe Inc.'s cross-platform document format designed to keep a document looking the same regardless of the user's system.
action: The user's part of the interactive experience, like using a form or clicking on a link.
ActiveX: Microsoft's Internet technology for creating software controls which enhance Web pages or run as stand-alone applications.
ADN: Advanced Digital Network, usually refers to a 56Kbps leased-line.
ADO: ActiveX data objects, a way to provide data access to relational databases and other data stores.
Adobe: Software company which makes programs for designing print and Web content; main products include Illustrator, Acrobat and Photoshop.
Adobe PageMill: An early WYSIWYG HTML editor later replaced by GoLive.
AI: Artifical intelligence, ranging from anticipating related search terms to turning off your spaceship's life support system.
Alertbox: Heuristics guru Jakob Nielesen's online adivce column at www.useit.com focused on Web design and usablity.
alpha version: New software in its earliest stages of development.
Amazon.com: One of the first big online retailers, originally the site featured mainly books but later it expanded to offer several kinds of products.
anaonymous FTP: Using the word "anonymous" as a generic login to an file transfer protocol (FTP) site.
Andreessen, Marc: Creator of Mosiac and Netscape, the first graphic Web browsers.
ANSI: American National Standards Institute, the body responsible for standards like ASCII.
AOL: American Online, the largest Internet Access Provider in the U.S. reknown for its easy but limiting software.
Apache: A popular Web server made to run on the UNIX OS platform.
API: Application program interface, the core common routines an OS uses for software.
AppleScript: A scripting language created to run with the Macintosh OS and some Mac applications.
applet: A small program designed to run within another application, such a Web page headline applet running within a Web browser like Netscape.
application: A program created to do a users or computers do specific tasks, like writing letters in Word or cropping images in Photoshop.
archie: An Internet file sharing/searching protocol which was displaced by the World Wide Web after 1990.
architecture: How a Web site's components like sections, pages or media are arranged.
ARPANET: An early form of the Internet designed to keep computers talking after a nuclear war.
array: An indexed collection of data values, often used by a script or database to select chunks of information.
ASCII art: Crude drawings and images made up of ASCII characters.
ASCII text: American Standard Code for Information Interchange, standard computer characters like text and numbers.
ASP: Active Server Pages, Web documents which mix HTML and VBScript and run off of Microsoft Web servers.
ASP: Application Service Provider, a company which creates customized programs for other companies to use.
ATM: Automated Teller Machines, also called cash machines.
Aurora: Code name for the compnent of Netscape's post-4.0 browser which manages differnt types of files.
AvantGo: Company and product aimed at delivering Web content to PalmPilot users.
awareness: How well-known a company, brand or product is; for example, AOL and Coca-Cola have high awareness.
B2B: Business-to-business marketing in which the buyers and sellers are both companies selling other products or services.
B2C: Business-to-consumer marketing in which the buyer is typically an individual who will use the item or service personally (for example, most online malls).
backbone: The system of high-speed Internet connections which route traffic to slower regional and local data paths.
banners: A common unit of Web advertising begun by GNN and HotWired in 1994; a typical banner is 468x60 pixels.
BBEdit: A text editor for Macintosh OS; widely used by Web design professionals.
BBS: Bulletin board system, small dial-up services which since 1990 largely became displaced by Web sites.
behavior: A programming term for the what an object does based on certain attributes assigned to that object.
bells-and-whistles: Features of a design which don't add content and are used just to impress viewers with the medium's sophistication (or lack thereof).
Berners-Lee, Tim: Creator of the World Wide Web format in 1989; he made the first Web browser and server at CERN in 1990.
beta version: Unfinished new software which is released to the public for testing and feedback; beta testers find problems with the program which then (hopefully) get fixed before the final release.
bit bepth: A measurement of image quality based on orders of magnitute; for example, an 4-bit image can support 128 colors, while an 8-bit gives 256 colors.
bitmap: A mapped array of pixels that can be saved as a file; both JPEG and GIF images are bitmap graphic formats.
bits: Binary digits of ones and zeros; eight bits make up one byte.
Boo.com: A famous failure from 1999 in which millions of dollars were wasted trying to build and launch a fashion Web site.
branding: Messages a company puts out to encourage consumers to feel a certain way about that company and/or its products.
brick-and-mortar stores: Physical shops which customers walk into to buy things, as opposed to shopping online using e-commerce sites.
broadcast: Sending data or messages from one source to all available recievers; for example, radio and television signals.
brochureware: A Web site created to promote a company or its services but offering little other functionality to users.
browser: Software used to view content from the Web and follow hypertext links to other documents or files.
Bryce: A commercial application used for designing 3-D computer models and fantasy landscapes.
Business 2.0: A print magazine focused on technology-related investing and businesses.
byte: The basic unit of computer storage and processing; 8 bits make 1 byte; a thousand bytes is a kilobyte (k); a thousand kilobytes is a megabyte (MB); a thousand megabytes is a gigabyte (G).
C++: A programming language, normal letters and numbers which get turned into binary code by a compiler.
C2C: Consumer-to-consumer marketing in which products or services are exchanged between individuals (for example, eBay's online auctions).
CA: Certificate Authority, a third party that issues certificates for encryption and verification use. Examples include Verisign and Thawte Consulting.
cache: A technique computers and Web browsers use to save memory by storing frequently accessed files; for example, images recently downloaded for display on a Web page.
call to action: Copy in an advertisement that asks a viewer to do something specific; for example, "call now" or "click here."
case sensative: When uppercase and lowercase letters are considered two different characters; for example, "Something" vs. "something" for example.
CD: Compact disc, a thin circle of plastic with tiny pits burned onto one side to reflect a laser and play back digital signals.
CDF: Channel definition format, an XML proposal from Microsoft for use with push media.
CD-R: A recordable compact disc (a "blank" CD) which can have data stored on it once using a CD-ROM burner.
CD-ROM: Compact disc read-only-memory, a form of media storage which typically can hold up to 650 megabytes of data per disc.
CD-ROM burner: A device which can transfer files permanently to a CD-ROM.
CD-RW: Like a CD-R, but data stored on it multiple times, re-rewriting over old data.
Celeron: A type of processor made by Intel Corp.; better than a Pentium I.
CERN: European Organization for Nuclear Research, where Tim Berners-Lee invented the first web browser and server in 1990.
certificate: A form of identification for sercure communications.
CGI: Common gateway interface, a way Web servers process input data submitted by users or scripts.
channels: The way in which push media delivers content to the user.
cheat codes: Passwords for a video game which allow the player to skip game levels, gain extra life levels or power, etc.
cheek-by-jowl: When two things are close to each other or are tightly integrated, as in "Our Web server sits cheek-by-jowl to our client database."
Chiat, Jay: Legendary advertising executive, formerly of Chait/Day and later founder of the content broker company ScreamingMedia.
churn: When a user leaves a service such as dialup ISP account or listserv subscription.
clickthrough: The rate at which viewers actually click on ad banners and go to the advertiser's site; from 1% to 3% is considered a good rate by industry standards.
client: Software that requests services from another computer (called the server); browsers act as clients of Web sites.
CLUT file: Color look-up table, the set of available colors for a given application; a program's working palette is a subset of the broader CLUT.
CMC: Computer Mediated Communication
CMYK: Cyan, magenta, yellow and black, the four colors of ink used in process color printing.
Cnet: A family or Web sites and television programs dealing with new electronic technology: Cnet.com, Builder.com, News.com, etc.
CNN: Cable News Network founded by Ted Turner in Atlanta in 1980; later bought by Time Warner.
cntl-alt-delete: The three keys which can be pressed all at the same time to restart Windows OS; also called "Control-Alt-Delete" or "three finger reboot."
COBRA: Common Object Request Broker Architecture, a UNIX-based way to communicate between components.
Cold Fusion: A commerical program which runs with a Web server to send out HTML files from a database.
COMDEX: A series of annual trade shows for technology professionals and vendors.
compiler: A program which takes programming language like C++ or Java and turns it into ones and zeros for a computer to understand.
Compuserv: A propritary online network service popular in the 1980s; bought by AOL in 1997.
convergence: When two or more professional disiplines become combined due to changes in technology; for example, Web sites becoming more like interactive television.
CPC: Cost-per-click, an method where the advertiser only pays for the number of clickthroughs an ad gets rather than the exposure of impressions.
CPM: Cost per throusand impressions, a metric for judging different media buys; divide the cost an ad by the estimated viewership to find the CPM.
CPU: Core processing unit, more commonly used refering to the main computer box with the processor and memory chips inside.
crack: Codes allowing users to either change a commerical program or cheat at a video game.
crash: When separate programs conflict or data traffic overloads a computer, causing the entire system to shut down or freeze.
creative: Marketing-speak for ads or the people who design advertising.
crop: Cutting off unwanted pieces of an image.
CSS: Cascading stylesheets, a method of defining typesfaces, colors and other features within an XML or HTML document.
CSS-P: Cascading stylesheet positioning, a method of assigning layouts to XML or HTML documents.
cursor: An underline character often used in text strings in place of a space; available from shift-dash on most keyboards.
cut-and-paste: A function designed into both the Windows and Mac interface which allows users to copy content from one file or application, hold it in temporary storage, and then insert it into another file or application.
cyberpunk: A form of science fiction (most popular in the 1980s) that foresaw a 21st century dominated by eco-disasters, social decay and Internet use.
cyberspace: Overly dramatic slang for the Internet.
daemon: A program which runs continually within a network node to handle tasks such as directing mail or routing data.
data binding: Substituting a real value in a program after it has been compiled; in dHTML, data binding allows a browser to retieve content from a database and view it in a table.
data type: How a specific set of numbers or letters are supposed to be recognized and used in a script or program; example include intergers, strings, Booleans, functions, and objects.
datagram: The standard format for a packet of data, as arranged by IP.
degrade: How well a Web page displays in older or less popular Web browsers. Designs made with simple HTML usually "degrade gracefully" but cutting edge designs don't.
demographics: The characteristics of people in a given market; for example, age, sex, incomre, professions, martial status, where they live, etc.
denial-of-service attack: An intentional overload of requests to a Web site or online service aimed at crashing the target's system.
desktop: A metaphorical directory mapping feature of Windows and Mac OS showing icons for drives and files behind floating window boxes.
desktop computer: A personal computer small enough to fit on your desk but too big to be considered easily portable like a laptop or PalmPilot.
destination site: A Web site designed to attract users for its unique content, not just as a step along with way like portal sites or search engines.
dial-up: Accessing the Internet through a modem which dials into a network each time a user starts an online session.
direct response: How many users acted based on an ad; ususally this is a measurement of clickthroughs while ignoring the value of Web branding.
Director: Macromedia's interactive multimedia authoring application; part of the company's family of Shockwave tools.
Disney Corp.: More than Mickey Mouse, this corporation also owns ESPN, ABC, the Go Network, and hundreds of other media and technology companies.
DNS: Domain name system, an Internet service that translates domain names (www.something.com) into IP addresses (207.46.138.11) which are used to find computers connected to the Internet.
Dogpile.com: A Web search engine site.
DOM: Document Object Model, the proposed specification for how objects on a Web page are represented. Microsoft and Netscape each advocate their own DOM.
domain: A part of the DNS name.
DOS: Disk Operating System, Microsoft's original operating system for PCs. DOS still runs under Windows 95/98, but not WinNT/2000.
dot-com: A company involved in e-commerce or another Internet-dependent business.
dot-Communism: The rapid growth of Web sites and Internet-related business that has been going on since the early-1990s.
DoubleClick: An Internet advertising company.
downloading: Moving or copying a file from a remote computer to a local network or desktop computer.
Dreamweaver: Macromedia Inc.'s WYSIWYG HTML editor used to create Web pages.
Dreamweaver UltraDev: A version of Macromedia's WYSIWYG HTML editor aimed at designers working with database-driven Web sites.
Drudge, Matt: Online columnist who gained attention breaking news on his Web site during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.
DSL: Digital subscriber lines, a broadband delivery method using standard copper telephone wires but many times faster than modem dial-up services.
DTD: Document Type Definition, rules that define how SGML rules are applied to a particular markup language.
duotone: Images that only display two colors, usually the result of color tinting a grayscale image over a different specific color.
DVD: Digital Video Disk, a removeable media format of data storage - bascially a compact disc which holds seven times as much stuff.
Dyson, Esther: A popular Web columnist, author of Release 2.0; she is NOT the daughter of Freeman Dyson, inventor of the Dyson Sphere.
Easter egg: A cute little message or useless function programmers hide inside their software's user interface. Clicking on a hotspot or typing in a password can trigger an Easter Egg.
Ebay.com: The biggest online auction site on the Web, eBay took sales from newspaper classifieds and created Earth's biggest perpetual rummage sale.
ECMA: European Computer Manufacturers Association, the group which decides standards for computer technologies.
e-mail: Electronic mail, usually using a client program like Eudora or Outlook to pull text messages and attachments off a remote mail server.
embedded media: Non-ASCII content called into a Web page; examples include RealAudio files or GIF animations.
emoticon: A group of ASCII characters that are meant to suggest a type of face; also called a smiley.
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript, a document format widely used in digital printing which combines vector and bitmap images
esc: The escape key which can be used to interupt a software program's functions.
Ethernet: A type of network connection moving data between computers at speeds of 10 megabits per second.
event: Actions which a user does to interact with a computer program; examples include keystorkes, button clicks, or the position of the mouse pointer.
event handler: A function designed into a program or script to do something in response to an action by a user; for example, "when button is clicked, change Web page."
Excel: Microsoft's spreadsheet application.
Excite.com: A Web search engine site.
expression: Phrases which can be evaluted; for example, x + 10 or x < 10, as opposed to x = 10, which is simply a statement.
eyeballs: Slang for viewers, as in "Our Web site can deliver a lot of eyeballs for your ad."
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions, a list of answers to commonly asked questions about a topic, program or Web site.
file compression: A way to make a computer file smaller so it can be send through the Internet faster or take up less room on a disk.
file extentions: Two- or three-character codes after a file name and a period that tell computers running DOS and Window what application to use to work with the file.
FileMaker: A commercial database application program.
fill: Painting the inside of an image with a selected color or pattern.
filter: A program or script that takes something, manipulates it and returns results; for example, and Alpha filter in dHTML controls the opacitiy of a specific target.
finger: A program that can display information about specific users on a particular system.
firewall: Software which filters data passing from one network to another; for example, protecting a local network users from Internet files.
Fireworks: Macromedia's image editing application aimed at online media designers.
flame: An angry or nasty message sent to someone through e-mail or a USENET newsgroup.
Flash: Macromedia Inc.'s software for creating fast, interactive Web animations; also called Shockwave Flash.
flatten: Turning image created in many layers into a one-layer image.
font: The overall design for a set of characters. It describes the size, weight, and spacing of a character and shouldn't be confused with a typeface, which is a more general term. Courier is a typeface; Courier 24-point bold is a font.
FoxPro: A commercial database appplication, later bought and produced by Microsoft.
Freehand: Macromedia's drawing and illustration application program.
freeware: Software which is made available online either for use without any charge.
frequency: The number of times a person sees a message, in particular, a specific advertisement.
FTP: File transfer protocol, a method of moving files from one computer to another through the Internet.
function: A named group of statements in a program that perform a task when called on.
FYI: For Your Information, typically a side message or information for beginners.
Gannett Corp.: A major media corporation which owns USA Today and several newspapers around the world, including nine dailies in Wisconsin.
gateway: A computer that handles moving data from one network to another.
gaussian blur: Making an image appear out-of-focus.
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format, a compressed graphics file format which creates a smaller file size by only remembering a limited number of colors for use in the image.
GIMP: GNU Image Manipulation Program, a freeware graphics editing program for UNIX and X operating system; also called "The Gimp."
Gnutella: A software application for peer-to-peer sharing of data between computers (typically MP3 music files).
Google.com: A popular Web search engine.
Gopher: An Internet information tool created at the Univesity of Minnesota which has since been displaced by Web-based sites and browsers.
grayscale: Using only shades of gray to represent an image; sometimes called "black-and-white," which is inaccurate since 16 to 256 different colors of gray are involved..
GUI: Graphic user interface, any way of working with a program using icons or other images instead of just line-code commands; GUI is pronouced "gooey".
guru: An expert on a particular topic; for example, Jakob Nielsen is often called a "usability guru."
hack: Slang for any type of computer programing or, more specificially, attempting to bypass a security system.
hacked: When an unauthorized programmer gains access into a secure network or Web site, usually by breaking security systems or using a stolen login and password.
Handspring: The company which makes the PalmPilot clone called the Visor.
hardware: The physical parts of a computer system like the CPU box, the monitor screen, the keyboard, etc.
hash: A collection of data in which each piece of data has two components, a key and a value; also called an associative array.
hexadecimal: A number system using 16 unique symbols: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For example, F is equal to the decimal number 15.
hits: Individual requests a server answers to render a single Web page completely; each GIF used on a Web page means another hit to the server.
HOMERUN: From Jakob Nielsen: High-quality content, Often updated, Minimal download time, Ease of use, Relevant to user's needs, Unique to the online medium, Net-centric corporate culture
HomeSite: A commercial Web page editing application program.
hosting provider: A company which leases space on its Web servers and charges based on disk space used, Web visitor traffic, and various add-on services.
Hotjobs.com: An employment advertising Web site which along with Monster.com heavily took sales away from newspaper classifieds.
hover: In dHTML, positioning a cursor over a link but not yet clicking on the link.
HTML: Hypertext Markup Language, the codes used to structure and present text and graphic content on a Web page.
HTTP: Hypertext Transport Protocol, the Web standard which enables linking using Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).
HTTPS: Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure, a version of HTTP which uses certificates and encryption for sending data.
hypermedia: The ability to show different media using hyperlinks.
hypertext: Data that provides links between key elements, allowing a user to move through information nonsequentially.
IAB: Internet Advertising Bureau, an industry organization aimed at setting standards and metrics.
ICe: Intrusion Countermeasures, what system administrators do to prevent hackers from breaking into secure networks.
Icepick: Joke name for a mythical super-hacker.
ICQ: An online chat application.
IE: Internet Explorer, Microsoft's Web browser.
IIS: Internet Information Server, a popular Web server made by Microsoft.
iMac: A fashionable version of Apple's Macintosh computer which was a big hit with consumers when it debuted in 1998.
image map: An image that has several links tied to specific areas; for example, making the four corners of a picture into separate buttons calling four different Web sites.
impressions: One viewing of an ad by a user, measured based on what files got successfully loaded to the user's browser.
index color: A way to control and limit the number of colors used in an image in order to make the image file compress into a smaller file size.
information architecture: The design, labeling and organization of content along with the means to find and use that content; most Web sites suffer from poor information architecture.
inline stylesheet: Markup tags in the body of a document meant to change its appearence; less flexible than using a linked stylesheet.
interactive: Actions which a user does to interact with a computer program; examples include keystorkes, button clicks, or the position of the mouse pointer.
interlaced: Images rendered in alternating horizontal lines, giving the effect of the image coming into clearer focus as more image data loads.
Internet: Computers and networks throughout the world connected using TCP/IP protocols.
InterNIC: Former name for the agency responsible to registering domain names in connection with IP addresses.
interoperability: The ability of computer systems to work together by using common protocols.
interstitial: Web advertisements that appear on a page between content pages, causing users to see the ad while trying to find the non-ad content they are looking for.
intuitive: Design elements which most users understand how to use based on past user experience and common navigation techniques.
IP: Internet Protocol, the packet structure of a datagram.
IP address: The number address of a computer or network connected to the Internet.
IP number: Internet Protocol Number, also called a dotted quad, used to address a computer or device on the Internet and often tied to one or more domain names.
ISAPI: Internet Server Application Programming Interface, a way server-side programs can build Web pages dynamically.
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network, an Internet cable connection transferring digital signals up to 64 kilobits per second.
ISO: International Organization for Standards which sets specifications like how thick credit cards should be or what being "ISO-9000 compliant" means.
ISO entities: ASCII characters used in HTML to display special characters, like the copyright symbol; also called character entities.
ISP: Initial public offering, a business term for when a company first offers shares of stock for sale to the public, bringing in new money and making the founding investors rich.
IT: Information Technology, the department of a business which keeps the phone lines and computer network connected and working.
Java: A programming language, normal letters and numbers which get turned into binary code by a compiler; Java was created by Sun Microsystems.
JavaBean: A program written in Java which is used by another application.
JavaScript: A scripting language often mixed with HTML on Web pages to produce fancy effects like light-up buttons or getting data out of Web cookies.
JDBC: Java Database Connectivity, software which allows Java applications
JDK: Java Development Kit, a bunch of help files for programmers trying to creating software written in Java.
Jobs, Steve: Co-founder of Apple Computers and the driving force behind the original Macintosh and later the iMac.
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group file, a compressed graphics file format which lowers the quality of an image in order to make the file size smaller.
JScript: Microsoft's bastardization of W3C-approved JavaScript.
kewl: Alternate spelling of "cool," as in "That Flash animation is really kewl."
killer app: Short for "killer application," a program so common and useful that people almost cannot live or work without it; for example, e-mail.
kiosk: Public terminals that offer electronic services such as Internet access, travel information, or ATM services.
Knight-Ridder Corp.: A major media corporation which owns daily newspapers and television stations throughout the U.S.
LAN: Local Area Network, a group of computers connected to a nearby server, typically in a small office or campus.
laptop computer: A folder-sized computer which folds open to show a display on one panel and a keyboard on the other; same as notebook computer.
latency: The delay that occurs as data moves through a series of routers to a destination.
layer: A tag supported by Netscape to display content on top of other content on a Web page.
leading: Spacing between lines of text.
link: A piece of highlighted text or an image on a Web page that, when clicked, connects the user's browser to another Web page or file.
linked stylesheet: A set of markup tag definitions kept seperate from a document's content so that changes made to the stylesheet won't mean recoding the actual document.
LINUX: A popular variant of the UNIX computer operating system.
lists: A set of HTML tags used to add bullets, ordered numbers, or letters in front of lines of text.
LISTSERV: A mailing list program that responds automatically to e-mail requests and sending out new messages to a subscriber list.
loop: A way scripts keep checking for a specific condition to occur; for example, when variable X becomes greater than 6, do action Y - but wait until then.
Lycos: A Web search engine site.
Mac OS: Apple Computer's Macintosh Operating System, usually noted by its version number (Mac OS8, Mac OSX, etc.)
macro: An automated action created within an application to perform a specific set of tasks.
Macromedia: Software company which makes programs for designing and hosting Web content such as Dreamweaver, Flash, and Shockwave products.
MacWorld Expo: A big annual trade show for Macintosh developers, vendors and fans.
mailserver: A server which receives, routes and sends e-mail messages and attachments to computers running client software like Eudora or Outlook.
Media Metrix: A company which tracks and audits Web site and other media traffic; see www.mediametrix.com.
memetics: The study of information patterns which spread through cultural transmissions; for example, beliefs, values, fashions, ideas, opinions.
meta information: "Information about information;" in a Web document, keywords and dates used to categorize the document's content.
method: A Javascript function assignd to an object.
micropayments: A business model in which content providers charge small fees to access a Web site or other online source; this is often not cost-effective for the content provider.
Microsoft: Bill Gates' little company.
Microsoft Access: Microsoft's program for small databases.
Microsoft FrontPage: A WYSIWYG HTML editor which works like Microsoft Word but creates Web pages instead of print documents.
Microsoft Office: A popular suite of business applications including Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, and PowerPoint for presentations.
Microsoft Sidewalk: Microsoft's venture in the mid-1990s to create a network of online city guides, threatening the market position of newspapers and local TV; later sold off.
Microsoft SQL Server: Microsoft's software for big databases using a version of Structured Query Language commands.
MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extentions, a system for supporting non-text media through e-mail.
MIT-LCS: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science, where neat gadgets get born.
monospace font: A font in which every letter takes up the same amount of horitzonal space; for example, the courier font.
Monster.com: An employment advertising Web site which along with Hotjobs.com heavily took sales away from newspaper classifieds.
Mosaic: An early graphical Web brower which evolved to become Netscape Navigator.
MP3: MPEG Audio Layer 3, an audio compression technology developed in Germany in 1991.
MPEG: Motion Pictures Expert Group, the organization which sets standards for the MPEG/MP3 digital video format.
MSN: Microsoft Network, a collection of Web sites run by Microsoft including CarPoint, Encarta Online, and MSNBC.
MSNBC: A joint venture between Microsoft and NBC to share content in broadcast and online.
multicast: Moving data from one point to specific network points or individual computers.
multimedia: Presenting information to a user through a mix of text, images, animation, sound, video and/or interactivity.
MX records: Files which specify a mail exchanger for a domain name, a process used to route e-mail messages.
nameserver: A computer that managers Internet names and numeric addresses turning domain names into IP addresses.
nanotechnology: Microscopic machines; currently more science-fiction than reality.
NCSA: National Center of Supercomputer Applications
NetCaster: Netscape's push delivery system run through Netscape Communicator software.
netiquette: Slang for polite manners while online; net + etiquette.
Netscape: A popular Web browser which evolved from an early program called Mosaic; Netscape was bought by AOL in 1999.
network: Computers connected together to communicate information, share resources and exchange files.
newbie: Slang term for a beginning Web or computer user.
news cycle: The rhythm of news services' deadlines and methods of reaching audiences (5 a.m. newspaper delivery, 5-6-10 p.m. news broadcasts, etc.)
newsgroup: A USENET discussion about a specific topic; some Web-based forums are also called newsgroups.
NeXT: A computer company founded by Steve Jobs during his time away from Apple in the late-1980s.
NNTP: Network News Tranfer Protocol, the exchange standard for USENET.
node: Any point or computer attatched to a network.
NorthernLight.com: A Web search engine site.
notebook computer: A folder-sized computer which folds open to show a display on one panel and a keyboard on the other; same as laptop.
Novell Netware: Novell Corp. software used to run a network of computers.
object (dHTML): In object-orientated programming, a self-contained entitiy that consists of both data and manipulation procedures.
OCBC: Open Database Connectivity, a standard for allowing relational databases to share data; oringally developed by Microsoft.
office suite: A commercial bundle of program applications for word processing, data management and other business tasks.
OLE: Object Linking and Embedding, a way application programs can exchange data; succeeded by ActiveX components.
open source: Making the raw, non-compiled code behind a program available to the public for other programers to analyze, modify, and improve.
open source software: Free programs created through the collaborative efforts of programmers from around the world
Opera: A Web browser program, much less popular than Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape.
operator: Shorthand characters that tell JavaScript what to do data in an expression; for example, the "+" in "2+2" is an operator.
O'Reilly & Associates: Publishing company which puts out a series of computer how-to books.
OS: Operating System, the underlining code for how a computer runs programs; examples include MS-DOS, Windows2000, Mac OSX, and UNIX
outline font: A geometrical description of characters used to render type in a variety of sizes, regardless of an output device's resolution.
outsourcing: Using a business or service outside of a company to do specific tasks or projects on an as-needed basis.
P2P: Peer-to-peer exchanges in which products or services are openly shared (for example, Napster).
packet: A basic unit of Internet data marked with an address and error-checking data and transfered from point A to point B.
packet switching: Sending packets through a network or the Internet, allowing for alternate routing if a particular network link fails.
pageview: The sum total of what content a user sees in a browser window.
Paint Shop Pro: A commercial image editing program.
palette: The specific colors which a computer or program knows how to show when displaying images.
PalmPilot: A popular handheld minicomputer made by 3Com; newer models have wireless Internet access.
parse: Breaking something down into units that can be analyzed, like finding the main verb of a sentence or a directory name within a URL.
patch: A small program used to fix problems in how a larger application program works.
path: A tool in Photoshop which allows parts of an image to be traced or selected, then altered or saved separate from the complete image.
PC: Personal Computer, usually a system of box, monitor, keyboard and mouse running some version of Microsoft Windows (95/96/ME/NT/2000).
PDA: Personal Data Appliances, small handheld computers such as PalmPilots.
PDF: Portable Document Format, the cross-platform document format created by Adobe's Acrobat application.
Pentium: A type of processor made by Intel Corp.; not as good as a Celeron processor.
Perl: Practical extraction and reporting language, a scripting language widely used for CGI scripting.
PGP: Pretty Good Privacy, a method of encryption.
Photoshop: Adobe Inc.'s image editing software program which is a standard for photographers, graphic artists, Web designers and professional illustrators.
PHP: A server-side scripting language for creating dynamic Web pages
pico: A text editor for use with the UNIX operating system.
PICS-Label: Platform for Internet Content Selection, a W3C system of labeling content, esp. in terms of appropriateness similar in fashion to television's V-chip.
PICT: An image file format popularly used with Macintosh software.
pine: An e-mail program for use with the UNIX operating system.
ping: A program utility which checks to see if a specific server or host is reachable on a network or through the Internet.
Pixar: A high-end computer animation company co-founded by Steve Jobs; created the "Toy Story" movies.
pixel: A square dot on a computer monitor display screen; originally named from the term Picture Element.
platform: A combination of hardware and software working together, specifically what processor and operating system is inside a user's computer.
plug-and-play: Software or hardware that is easy to install.
plug-ins: Software modules that add specific features or services to a larger program or system.
PMS: Pantone Matching System, a popular system of specific codes used for matching colors in printing inks.
PNG: A compressed graphics file format which creates a smaller file size by only remembering a limited number of colors for use in the image.
point-and-click: A program interface which can be used almost entirely with a mouse, no text typing required.
PointCast: A failed attempt in the mid-1990s using push technology to send Web pages to online "channel" subscribers.
POP: Post Office Protocol, an e-mail storage and delivery program.
port: A program's specific location on a server or Internet host computer.
portal site: A Web site which serves as a point-of-entry for services or sites related either by geography, industry or topic; for example, OnWisconsin.com.
POTS: Plain old telephone service, using a phone jack and a modem to connect to the Internet.
PowerBook: A type of Macintosh laptop computer.
PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol, a way to exchange packets over the Internet.
Premiere: Adobe's video editing application.
process color: A printing term for creating a color with varying shades of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks.
Prodigy: A propritary online network service big in the 1980s but which mostly died off following the Web boom of the early 1990s.
Project: Microsoft's project tracking and management application.
protocol: A specific way that a computer communicates with other computers, machines or systems.
proxy server: A server which caches information on a network to speed up acess for users by sending local copies of content instead of copies from remote servers.
psychographics: Broad data about consumer attitudes such as politics, education, and music which advertisers can use to target their messages.
pull media: A system in which users request content on demand, and mostly only get what was asked for (for example, Web sites).
push media: A system in which content is sent to the audience without the users requesting it (for example, broadcast TV).
Python: A scripting language.
Quark Xpress: A desktop publishing application for creating print publication layouts.
QuickTime: Apple Computer's video and animation system which also supports JPEG and MPEG compression standards.
RDF: Resource Description Framework, a W3C standard for meta information.
reach: The number of different types of individuals tht see an ad or message.
RealMedia: A company with a popular streaming media audio and video software for both for content providers and Web users.
redundancy: Repeating an element for emphasis or insure an element is noticed; often good to have some redundant navigation to help guide users.
referral network: Shared marketing in which Web sites each promote links to similar sites to give all the sites exposure and increased traffic; WebRings are an example.
relationship marketing: Marketing speak for finding out who uses a Web site and what these users want, then tailoring content to meet those needs.
render: To display an object on a computer screen as it actually appears in real life.
reputation management: A service or feature which tracks, grades and reports on businesses, products or users; for example, eBay suggests a trust rating for each of its registered users.
resolution: How many dots are used per inch, centimeter or line; the higher the resolution, the more precise the details.
resolution: Translating an Internet name into its corresponding IP address.
retention: The desire to keep a user as a customer by any cost-effective means necessary.
RGB: Red-green-blue, the colors of light used to make video images, as opposed to CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) in print ink.
RIAA: Recording Industry Association of America, the industry trade group which claimed copyright infringement against Napster in 2000.
rollover: Displaying different content in a space when a user moves a cursor over a specific link or area of a Web page; term originated in Macromedia's Lingo scripting language.
router: A computer system that decides which path Internet traffic should take to reach its destination.
scaleability: The ability for a computer system or network to grow as greater demands or traffic are put on it.
script: A list of executable commands which run either on a user's browser or a Web server when triggered.
scripting language: Any simple programming language used to write scripts; examples include JavaScript for Web browsers or Lingo for Macromedia's Director.
search engine: A program or Web site which catalogs online content and allows users to search for information across the World Wide Web.
security: Protecting data from unauthorized access.
segmentation: Marketing speak for breaking an audience down into definable subcategories such as "frequent site visitors" or "Midwest users."
serif/sans serif: Serif typefaces like "Times" use small decorative marks on characters, making them easier to read; sans serif typefaces like "Helvetica" do not.
service provider: A company that offers access to the Internet; same as Internet Service Provider, or ISP.
SGML: Standard Generalized Markup Language, the broader method of publishing codes from which HTML was created.
shareware: Software which is made available online either for use over a limited time (30 days) and/or for use at a low cost.
sharpen: Increasing the focus of an image.
shell: A program that provides a user interface for UNIX.
shell account: A dial-up account to a UNIX-based service provider's computer.
Shockwave: Macromedia's brand of Web-friendly multimedia, specifically files created using the Flash or Director application programs.
shovelware: Content originally designed for use in print which is then also put on a Web site without changes to better fit the medium.
signature: A short message or attachment which an e-mail program adds to the bottom of an outgoing message.
sitemaps: Any diagram which shows or explains the heirarchy of a Web site.
SLIP: Serial Line Internet Protocol, a standard for using a phone line and modem to connect to the Internet. SLIP is gradually being replaced by PPP.
smart quotes: Non-ASCII quotation mark characters which "point" toward the in-between text being quoted.
smiley: A group of ASCII characters that are meant to suggest a type of face; also called a emoticon.
SMIL: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, a DTD for multimedia such as RealNetwork's streaming feeds.
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a standard method for handling e-mail through the Internet.
software: Computer programs, either applications like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop or operating systems like Mac OSX.
spam: Unsoliciated and unwanted e-mail messages, usually containing advertising.
spot color: A printing term for using typically just one to three shades of ink.
SQL: Structured Query Language, a programming language for sending queries to databases. Properly pronounced as "S-Q-L," though many say it like the word "sequel."
SSI: Server-side includes, code which tells a Web server in insert code from another file such as "put company site navigation links here."
stack: A layered view of network operations where each layer is controlled by a specific protocol.
stand alone applications: Software programs which don't require specific other programs to function; these application still need to run in an operating system, however.
statement: Sentences of expressions in JavaScript code.
sticky content: Marketing-speak for anything which holds a user's attention and keeps users from leaving a Web site.
streaming media: Any digital content such as sound, video or animations which can begin playing before the entire piece of content is finished transferring to the user's computer.
stylesheets: Presentation rules kept separate from a document's content in order to more easily change that document's presentation.
subscriptions: Requested access to content, usually for a renewable fee.
Sun Microsystems: Software developer which created the Java programming language.
spoofing (1): Converting an IP address into a different one to avoid tracing Internet activity back to a connected computer.
spoofing (2): Parody or satire of a well-known media product such as a movie, television show, advertisment, or publication.
skins: A small software template which replaces the default look-and-feel of an application or operation system's graphic user interface.
SWOT: Stengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a product or idea compared to all its possible rivals in a marketplace.
Symantec: Software company known mostly for its maintenance software to repair broken systems or damaged disks.
synchronous: Process of sending data communications at a fixed rate.
synergy: A popular business and technology buzzword refering to cooperation or integration between things.
sysop: System Operator, the person responsible for the physical operations of a computer system or network resource.
T1: A fast cable connection to the Internet; the term comes from AT&T referring to digital signals transferring at 1.544 megabits per second.
T3: A fast Internet cable connection for transferring digital signals at 44.736 megabits per second - almost 30 times faster than a T1 line.
tables: Presenting content in columns and rows; often used in Web design for document layout.
tabular data control: A Microsoft ActiveX control which processes a data file and returns results in a Web page.
tags: Bracketed text commands written into a document to specify how content should be formatted.
talent: Regular on-air personalities at radio and television broadcast stations; for example, a news anchor is "talent" but a camera operator is not.
tar: A method of file archiving.
targeting: Aiming a brand message to a specific audience.
TCP: Transfer Control Protocol, a method of controlling the transport of data and making sure what's recieved matches what was sent.
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a set of protocols that defines where computer are and how to find them through the Internet.
Telnet: An Internet protocol and program allowing a user to log into a remote computer.
template: A design "skeleton" meant to have content added in later on by producers or an automated process.
terminial emulation: Communicating with a remote computer as if the user's computer was a terminal connected to that computer.
ThinkPad: A type of IBM laptop computer.
threads / threaded messages: A series of messages in which secondary messages are replies to the intiial posted message or other users' replies.
Torvalds, Linus: The guy who modified UNIX into a more open version called Linux.
timeout: The length of time it takes a program or user to give up trying to do a specific task.
tilde: The sorta squiggly dash character available from shift-clicking the top left corner key of most American-style keyboards; rhymes with "bill me."
Time Warner: A major media corporation which owns CNN, Time, AOL, and many other media products.
top-of-mind: Brands that consumers associate most quickly with certain products.
traffic: The number of visitor a Web site gets, as tracked by pageviews, visitors, impressions or hits.
trial: When a consumer samples or gets more information about a product for the first time.
trialware: Software which is made available online for use over a limited time (like 30 days), after which the program typcially stops working.
typeface: Overall design of how text characters appear. Courier is a typeface; Courier 24-point bold is a font.
undocumented feature: What programmers call it when their software programs do strange things noboby expected - like crashing a computer.
universe: The number of potential consumers in a given media or market.
UNIX: A computer operating system popular with computer programmers and Internet technicians.
uploading: Moving or copying a file from a local computer to a remote network or Web server.
URL: Uniform resource locator (pronounced like "Earl"), the domain name and server path which locates a file; for example, www.somesite.com/news-directory/homepage.html.
usability: How easy it is for users to satisfy their goals using a program or Web site; for example, how long it takes to draw a picture in an image editing application.
USENET: A global network of threaded discussion groups.
user interface: The point of communication between a computer and human users.
validation: Making sure a Web page is compliant with current HTML specifications and avoids proprietary tags which only work in a specific browser.
VALS: Values and Lifestyles, a way of segmenting consumers into mutually exclusive groups like "Achievers" or "Experiencers" based on their psychographics.
vaporware: A product (typically software) which marketers promote heavily before making it available, but the product is never actually released.
VB: Visual Basic, Microsoft's entry-level programming language for Windows OS.
VBScript: From "Visual Basic script," a scripting language often used with Microsoft products to perform automated functions.
VC: Venture capitalists, the rich people who invest behind small companies in expectation of a big IPO or sale of the new firm later on.
version number: The generation of a given application; for example, Photoshop 4.0 was an upgraded version of Photoshop 3.0. Marketers sometimes cheat and skip numbers between versions.
VI: A text editor for use with the UNIX operating system.
viral marketing: Online advertising, typcially through e-mail, which encourages recipients to spread the message (i.e. sign up 5 friends for a free gift)
virus: A program hidden in another program or e-mail message which duplicates itself and may also do bad things like automatically delete files.
visit: A series of page requests by a visitor without 30 minutes of inactivity.
visitor: A user who requests a Web site; actual totals for a site's number of visitors are a difficult but important traffic metric.
VR: Virtual Reality, a method of simulating a world or using all a person's senses to interface with a computer.
VRML: Virtual Reality Modeling Language, a way to make 3-D objects and worlds linked together through the Web.
WAIS: Wide Area Information Servers, a communications system displaced by the Web.
walk-through: An instructional presentation (live or through multimedia) which highlights specific features about a product or service.
Wall, Larry: Creator of the PERL scripting language.
WAN: Wide Area Network, a group of computers linked together over greater distances; for example, a chain pharmacy stores exchanging prescription records.
wannabees: People, companies or Web sites which try to appear like a more successful rival in order to share in that rival's higher status.
WAP: Wireless Application Protocol, an Internet communications protocol for portable devices such as cellular phones.
warez: Illegally distributed software, program serial numbers, or product licensing; rhymes with "bears."
waste: The point at which it is no longer economically sound for a marketer to continue targeting a message to a specific consumer or audience.
WAV: A compressed audio file format.
WC3: World Wide Web Consortium, the cabal of Internet professionals and experts who approve standards for WWW protocols and coding.
Web rings: A series of seperate, independent Web sites linked together in a series to focus on a similar topic.
Web server: A compter and/or computer program connected to the Internet to deliver Web sites on demand to user's Web browsers.
Web site: A set of HTML documents or other files grouped under a domain name and delivered to users through the World Wide Web.
Web vertigo: The result of bad user interface design when a user doesn't know what to do next on a Web page.
Webmaster: A vague term usually refering to the person responsible for maintaining a Web server.
WebMonkey.com: Wired's Web site for advice and tips to online development professionals.
webographics: Ways to measure a user experience; key factors include platform, browser make and model, and connection speed.
Weinman, Lynda: Author of several Web design and graphics editing books and videos.
wetware: Human users.
WHOIS: A common program used to look up and show information about domain names and their legal owners.
wildcard: A character (usually an asterisk *) used to represent any other character; often used in searches when only part of the text for what's sought is known.
window dressing: Graphic elements which don't add meaning to the content but help maintain a consistent branding or just look cool.
Windows: Microsoft's PC Operating System, available in DOS-enhancing versions (Windows95, 98) or as full network OS (WindowsNT, 2000).
WinSock: Windows Sockets, software Windows uses to communicate with a network - specifically, the Internet.
Wired: At first a magazine for computer geeks, soon it grew to a media family of technology-related Web, print and broadcast products including WebMonkey.
Word: Microsoft's word processing application.
workstation: A computer typically more powerful than an ordinary desktop computer and often running UNIX.
worm: A program that can make copies of itself automatically across a network or the Internet; such a program wreaked havoc worldwide in late 1988.
WWW: World Wide Web, a protocol for communicating over the Internet.
WYSIWYG: What-you-see-is-what-you-get, software such as a Web page editor which displays what the end product will look like as a user is working.
XHTML: A W3C specification to make HTML conform closer to XML but rely on either the XML or HTML DOM.
XML: Extensible Markup Language, a robust system of tags used to defining the structure and function of documents.
XSSI: Extended server-side includes, part of the Apache Web server application to run scripts before sending requested Web content to a user's computer.
Y2K: The year 2000 when computers were supposed to malfunction due to a program error working with dates; basically nothing really happened.
Yahoo!: Orignally a Web guide by David Filo and Jerry Yang in 1994, today grown into a successful network of commercial Web sites.
Zatso: A company which turns video feeds from television stations into streaming media viewable on the Web.
ZDNET: A network of commercial Web sites from magazine publishing company Ziff-Davis.
zip: A file compression format to make files smaller.
Zip Disk / Zip Drive: iOmega's type of removeable media; each disk holds about 100 megabytes, the equivelant of more than 80 floppy disks.

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