Glossary of Internet Service Related Terms

Packet

A bundle of data transmitted across a network. It contains the source address (where the packet has come from) the destination address (where it's going to) a packet identifier (what sort of packet it is) and the data being sent.

Packet/Packet Switching

A packet is a chunk of information sent over a network. Packet-switching is the process by which a carrier breaks up data into these chunks or packets. Each packet contains the address of origin, the address of its destination, and information about how to reunite with other related packets. This process allows packets from many different locations to co-mingle on the same lines and be sorted and directed to different routes by special machines along the way

Page Jacking

Stealing the design, content, and layout of a web page buy copying verbatem the source code

Page View

Technically, the accessing of a web page. Often used to determine the popularity of a site, it refers to the number of times a page has been accessed. A hit, in contrast, counts the number of times, all elements of a page (each graphic or photo could be one hit) have been accessed.

Paid Host

Paid hosts, as opposed to free hosts, require a monthly fee for hosting services. Web hosting is renting the space for your web site. Your web site must physically reside on a computer that's connected to the internet. Web hosting companies provide the equipment, a high-speed connection to the internet and monitor your site to make sure it is always available. Hosting companies typically charge a one-time setup fee in addition to the monthly hosting fee.

Parallel and Serial Ports

These ports are traditional connection sites for printers and scanners. Large ports, with a wide base, parallel and serial ports are being replaced with the smaller USB port which can use a smaller port hole and connect to printers and scanners

Parsing

Parsing data refers to the process by which programming data input is broken into smaller, more distinct chunks of information that can be more easily interpreted and acted upon.

Password

A password is a code or word used to gain access to restricted data on a computer network. While passwords provide security against unauthorized users, the security system can only confirm that the password is legitimate, not whether the user is authorized to use the password. That's why it is important to safeguard passwords: Never disclose your password. Devise a password that consists of letters, numbers, and symbols. Change your password frequently.

Pathname

A pathname indicates the location of a particular file or directory by outlining the route or "path" from the host name (if the file resides on a remote server) through the directory structure to the desired file name or directory name. Each name in the series of names that define a path is separated by a slash. If the file is located in the current working directory on your computer, it is referred to only by its filename. Pathnames can be absolute or relative. An absolute pathname provides the full path (address) of a file, including the computer system, directories, and subdirectories (if any) it resides in. Relative pathnames are used to describe a file or directory location on the user's system relative to the user's current location on the system (i.e., based on which level of the directory structure the user is in).

PayPal - Pay Pal

Cheaper than a regular merchant account, PayPal is an online payment company that allows for secure transactions when paying for goods or services. A basic PayPal account is free, with no surcharges or monthly fees.

PC card

Short for PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. It is a standard-sized module used in laptops for memory expansion and other peripherals, including modem cards.

PCI

Peripheral Component Interconnect. A type of connector on computer motherboards, used for expansion or adapter cards.

PDA - Personal Digital Assistant

Personal Digital Assistant. A handheld computer that provides a calendar and organizer for personal information. A PDA normally contains at least one database with names and addresses, to-do lists and a notepad. A PDA also refers to any small hand-held wireless device that provides computing and data storage abilities. The term "handheld" can be used instead. The Palm Pilot is an example of a PDA.

PDF

An acronym for Portable Document Format, PDF is a file type created by Adobe Systems, Inc. that allows fully formatted, high-resolution, PostScript documents to be easily transmitted across the Internet and viewed on any computer that has Adobe Acrobat Reader software (a proprietary viewer is available for free at the Adobe site). Corporations that have invested in brand name identification use PDF to display the original look of their logos and advertising. Publishers can create a high-quality brochure and then "publish" it as is, without converting it to HTML. Anyone interested in presenting documents with the highest possible resolution or a complex layout might choose to use PDF. PDF files can be distributed via e-mail, web pages, CD-ROMs, online services and LANs. They can also contain hyperlinks, QuickTime® movies, and sound clips

PERL

An acronym for Practical Extraction and Reporting Language, PERL is a robust programming language frequently used for creating CGI programs on web servers. PERL is faster than UNIX shell script programs, it can read and write binary files, and it can process very large files. The major advantage of PERL over C as a programming language is that PERL does not need to be compiled.

PHP

A scripting language used for developing dynamic Web pages and sites. It is typically used on Solaris and Linux platforms.

Ping

Ping tests the Internet to see what systems are working. Ping can also test and record the response time of accessing other companies. This provides a systems administrator with valuable information on what networks are overloaded so access times can be optimized.

Pixel

A pixel, short for picture element, is the smallest element that can be displayed on a video screen or computer monitor, and is often used as a unit of measurement for image size and resolution. The number of pixels (width and height) in an image defines its size, and the number of pixels in an inch defines the resolution of the image.

PKZIP/PKUNZIP

PKZIP is a software compression utility for the PC. It allows you to compress or "zip" a file or a number of files into one archive file in the Zip file format. PKUNZIP decompresses, or "unzips" the files, and comes as part of the PKZIP package. For Windows users, there is WinZip. Both PKZIP and WinZip are available on many public FTP sites.

Platform

A platform is the actual hardware that a hosting company utilizes to house your web site data. Generally the more popular platforms are Windows 2000, Windows NT, Red Hat Linux, or Unix. In most cases you won't really need to select a particular platform.

Plug-In

A plug-in extends the capabilities of a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, allowing the browser to run multimedia files. The term "plug-in" is used in two ways on the Internet. The technical definition of a plug-in is a small add-on piece of software that conforms to Netscape Navigator standard. Other browsers however, including Internet Explorer, support many Netscape plug-ins. But Explorer actually uses a different software standard, called an ActiveX control, instead of plug-ins.

PNG - Portable Network Graphics

Portable Network Graphics are specifically designed for world wide web graphic format. PNG compresses images without compromising quality of high-res images.

Pointer

A pointer is a word, picture, or navigation element that when clicked on, moves a user from one point in a document to another or to another document altogether. It is the same as a link.

Poll

Prewritten or free CGI-script often offered in hosting packages for conducting surveys and polls with site guests.

POP

An acronym for Point of Presence, a POP is the local telephone exchange from which you receive service.

POP Server

A POP server uses the Post Office Protocol, to hold users' incoming e-mail until they read or download it.

Pop-Under

The less obtrusive form of the pop-up window, the pop-under advertisement shows up behind the browser window.

Pop-up

A page or window, usually smaller than the regular window, that pops up either when a link or linked item is clicked, or by some automatic stimulus. Pop-ups are most useful in presenting photo enlargements when clicking a thumbnail photo. They are also used to display announcements or advertisements, usually unrequested by the viewer. A pop-up can be made to close with a button or link word or using an embedded javascript that will make the pop-up close automatically after a set number of seconds or minutes. A pop-up is essentially the same as any other browser page except that it is much smaller and has no web browser tool panels.

Port

Port can mean two things: To transfer or translate data or program files from one computer platform to another, such as from a PC to a Macintosh. Software programs usually have to be rewritten to be successfully ported. A connector on a computer to which peripheral devices, such as a printer or modem, are attached. Typically, these are serial ports, parallel ports, and modem ports.

Portal

A point of entry web site is called a portal. It is used as an entry to other web sites via directory or search engine

Positioning

Search engines and directories order web sites so that the most relevant web sites appear first in search engine results for a particular query. This process is called search engine positioning. This term is also used to describe various techniques used by search engine (web site) optimizers to help the web site rank higher in search engines.

Posting

A posting is an e-mail message posted to an electronic communication service, such as a newsgroup or BBS

Posts

Email messages sent to a mailing list or Usenet newsgroup to be read by subscribers or others on the Internet.

PPC - Pay per Click

Pay per Click is a type of search marketing where advertisers pay a set amount every time their ad is clicked by a prospect (otherwise known as a click thru).Some search engines, such as Overture, specialize in this type of advertising medium, although pay per click is not limited solely to pay-per-click engines. For instance, Looksmart, a directory, recently changed its business model to pay per click. Also, XML trusted feeds through Inktomi and Fast are sold at a per-click basis.

PPP

An acronym for Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP is a communications protocol used to transmit network data over telephone lines. It allows you to connect your computer to the Internet itself, rather than logging on through an Internet service provider's host computer and using UNIX commands through a shell. This type of connection lets you communicate directly with other computers on the network using TCP/IP connections. It is part of the TCP/IP suite of programs necessary to connect to and use the Internet

PR - Page Rank

The name given to Google's link popularity measuring system. PR is determined by measuring both the quantity and quality of incoming links to a web site and is a major factor in the Google ranking algorithm. Also Known As: Page Rank

Primary Server

The primary name server of a domain name is where other name servers know to look for the authoritative information regarding the domain and its corresponding IP address. The primary name server is usually assigned through either the registrar or the web host.

Privacy Policy

The policy under which the company or organization operating a Web site handles the personal information collected about visitors to the site. Many Web site operators publish their privacy policy on their Web site. The policy usually includes a description of the personal information which is collected by the site, how the information will be used, with whom it will be shared, and whether the visitors have the option to exercise control over how their information will be used.

Processor

The processor in a computer houses the brains of the computer. Clock speed is used the measure how fast the chip can process information.

Program

Used as a noun - a series of instructions which tell a computer what to do. Used as a verb - the act of writing or revising a program.

Propagation

The process whereby the name servers throughout the world have updated their records for a specific domain. For example, if you move your domain from one host to another, it will take around 24 hours or so for the new address to broadcast everywhere. During that 24 hour period, the traffic is decreasing at the old location and increasing at the new location.

Protocol

A protocol is the standard or set of rules that two computers use to communicate with each other. Also known as a communications protocol or network protocol, this is a set of standards that assures that different network products or programs can work together. Any product that uses a given protocol should work with any other product using the same protocol

Proxy Server

The server middle man, a proxy server relays messages between a client and the server the client is trying to use. Proxy servers store results to reduce demands on the main servers and to provide quicker replies to clients. Proxy servers are commonly established on LANs.

PSA - Public Service Announcement

The abbreviation for Public Service Announcement, which is a spot containing information of interest to the general public, and posted by the web site at no charge.

Public domain software

Shareware programs that are free to use and modify, as the author has relinquished control over the code.

Pull Technology

You are using pull technology when you surf the World Wide Web, to seek out and download information to your computer. This contrasts with push technology, where data is automatically delivered to your computer.

Push Technology

You are using push technology when you allow data to be sent automatically to your computer at regular intervals, such as news updates every hour, or when triggered by an event, such as when a web page is updated. Push technology has been touted as an alternative to the way the World Wide Web currently operates, where users go online to search for information.