Glossary of Some Helpful Terms

WEAVING TALES, WEAVING WEBSITES:
Websites 101

The Internet

A contraction of inter-networks (or between networks). Started in the 1960's as a connection between Department of Defense computers at four sites across the U.S., the Internet now connects millions of computers all over the world. Nobody "owns" the Internet, and nobody has overall management responsibility.

The World Wide Web (WWW)

Invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, the Web, as it is called, is part of the Internet. Like the Internet, it's not a thing. Unlike the Internet, the Web is governed by a tight set of rules that specify how text, graphics, and other information should be coded so that information on one computer can be linked to information on another computer in a potentially infinite "web."

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The coding system that controls how Web information is interpreted and displayed. HTML is the standard for all Web documents. It relies on a set of beginning and ending codes, or tags, that enclose each element. For example, <b>Hello</b> would bold the word Hello. In the days when Web sites were relatively simple, these tags were often manually inserted. But as the complexity of Web sites has increased, it has become easier to use a Web authoring program like Microsoft FrontPage 2000 to handle the HTML coding, allowing you to focus on the site's content.

Web sites

Information resources published on the Web by government agencies, companies, organizations, and individuals. Each site has an address, called a Universal Resource Locator (or URL), that identifies the computer on which the files that make up the site's information are stored. These files can consist of text, and graphics, as well as multimedia components such as audio and video clips.

Web pages

The chunks of linked information that comprise a Web site. The starting point of each site is its home page. You can jump from one page to another both within a Web site and between sites by clicking hyperlinks, pointers that appear on the screen as specially formatted text or as graphics, but that include HTML codes specifying the address of the link's target.

Web servers

Computers on which special software has been installed to both manage the files that comprise a Web site and make those files available for viewing. Server capacity and the volume of traffic combine to determine how fast the Web pages on a particular server can be downloaded and viewed.

Web browsers

Programs you run on your computer so that you can view information stored on a Web server. The browser interprets the HTML coding, displays the information on your screen, and enables you to move between linked items. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are the two most popular Web browsers.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

The protocol, or agreed-upon mutual language, that Web servers and Web clients (such as the computer on which you run your Web browser) use to communicate with one another. You usually see this at the beginning of a Web address, or URL, because Web pages are sent and received using this protocol.

Pixel

The unit of measurement on the Web. One pixel is roughly the size of a period (.). A "standard" computer screen is 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels tall, although some computer users set their screen resolution as high as 1024 x 768 pixels (or higher).

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

The company (like America Online or EarthLink or CompuServe) that connects the phone line (or cable) from your home computer to the Internet. Your ISP will often also serve as your Web host, providing the Web server on which your Web site will reside.

Download

Getting information, files, or programs from another computer on the Web and electronically bringing them into your computer so you can use them.

Upload

Sending information, files, or programs from your computer and electronically delivering them to another computer on the Web. This is what you do when you transfer your Web site files to your Web host.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

One method of uploading your Web site files to your Web host. Some Web hosts enable you to transfer your files directly through the Web, rather than using FTP.

getting started

back to workshop menu

frontpage basics