APOP
Secure E-mail protocol. See POP.

ASP (Active Server Pages)
Microsoft NT scripting language that allows you to design Web pages that can make displaying, manipulating, and editing databases simpler.

Backbone
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. On the Internet there are several major backbone providers like BBN Internet , MCI/SprintLink, and US West.

Bandwidth
Amount of data you can send through a connection. Usually measured in bits-per-second (bps). A 56K modem transfers data up to 53Kbps, or 53,000 bits-per-second. Term is also sometimes used in place of "data transfer."

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
A set of rules that describe how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine.

CGI-Bin Access
Ability for the customer to write custom programs to manipulate data on their Web site.

Co-location
Refers to having a server that belongs to one group physically located on an Internet-connected network that belongs to another group. Usually done because the server/owner wants their machine to be on a high-speed Internet connection and/or they do not want the security risks of having the server on thier own network.

Datacenter
See NOC.

Data Transfer
This is the amount of data that you are allowed to transfer with your account. Data in this case usually refers to images and text. Typically refers to a data transfer allotment, most often in GB (gigabytes). Thus, a hosting plan might come with, "3GB of data transfer." 500 MB of data transfer is equivilant to about 25,000 page views.

Domain Name
The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have two or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general.

Domain Name Registration
Refers to registering a name, which can be used for hosting a domain name, such as www.yourname.com.

DS-3
Connection to Internet Backbone favored by most medium-size Web hosting providers. More than 28 times the bandwidth of a T-1 connection.

Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce)
Allows Web site customers to sell products and services online and accept payment at the same time, usually through a cgi-script of some kind.

E-Mail Autoresponders
Allow customers to set up an automatic message to respond to anyone who sends E-mail to the customer.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
This program lets customers transfer their Web site content files from their own computer to Web server.

FrontPage 2000
Microsoft's FrontPage 2000 software is a Web site development software package. It uses unique Microsoft file types (often referred to as "Microsoft extensions"). A Web server and virtual domain must be configured to accept these extensions.

FTP Client
Software needed by the customer to upload content files to their Web site.

FTP Site/Anonymous FTP
Anonymous FTP is a dedicated area on a virtual or dedicated hosting domain for download of files, and even upload of files to an "incoming" folder. FTP is a special way to log in to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.

Hosting Provider
An institution that provides Web space to companies or individuals, usually for money.

IP Address
Internet Protocol address. A number analagous to a street address on the Web. See IP Number.

IP Number (Internet Protocol Number)
Sometimes called a "dotted quad." A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, e.g. 64.65.58.113.

IPP
Internet Presence Provider. Another name for a hosting provider.

Major Domo
An open-source mailing list application installed on a Web server. Sometimes called a "list serv" or "reflector" because it allows a list subscriber to send messages to all other subscribers simply by sending E-mail to the application.

NOC (Network Operation Center)
Sometimes called a "datacenter." This is the term for a secure, managed network environment that may house tens or thousands of Web servers with power backup and high-speed connections to the Internet Backbone. NOCs usually have a mixture of OC-3 and DS-3 connections.

OC-3
Ultra-fast connectivity for mission-critical Internet needs, ranging from 60 to 155 Mbps of service. Up to three times more bandwidth capability than a T-3.

POP (Post Office Protocol)
A protocol used to retrieve E-mail from a mail server. Most E-mail applications (sometimes called an E-mail client) use the POP protocol, although some can use the newer IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) or APOP.

Primary DNS
The Primary Domain Name Server (DNS) for the customer's domain. These are the DNS IP numbers, usually preceeded by "ns.name.com" and "ns2.name.com," and a domain must point at a DNS for it to "resolve" to a local virtual location.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol. Requires use of a certificate for secure access. A Secure Socket Layer does not provide for credit card clearing or any other form of payment processing. It only provides a facility for secure transactions across the Internet. Some hosting providers allow use of a "shared" certificate.

Shell Account
A UNIX shell account to a shared server Web site, allows customers to update their Web site content using Telnet.

T-1
A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits-per-second. At maximum theoretical capacity, a T-1 line could move a megabyte in less than 10 seconds. That is still too slow for full-screen, full-motion video, for which you need at least 10,000,000 bits-per-second.

T-3
A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits-per-second. This is more than enough to do full-screen, full-motion video.

Telnet
The command and program used to log in from one Internet site to another. The telnet command/program gets you to the login: prompt of another host.

Transfer
Total amount of data transferred from the customer's Web site to clients. Includes all HTML, Web pages, images, sounds, videos, etc. See Data Transfer.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). A URL looks like this: http://www.DigitalAuthor.com/index.shtml

Web Server
A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software (such as Apache or WebStar) or to the machine on which the software is running.

Web Site Traffic Reporting
Reporting software to provide information such as the frequency of hits, page views, amount of data transfer, and total transfer sizes.