Internet Glossary
Questions?
Are you just starting out looking for a website? Below are some common terms related to websites, hosting, and the Internet.
ASP or Active Server Pages
ASP is a coding language developed by Microsoft. Using either a coding language or CGI scripts allows you to make your site interactive by including database results, email forms, guestbooks, bulletin boards, chat, etc (FrontPage also includes some of these capabilities). ASP is one of the most popular languages used for interactive websites, although in recent years it is being replaced with ASP.NET, a much more sophisticated language.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of Transfer of data allowed each month. It signifies how much data your site is transfering to clients all over the web. Depending on which plan you have, depends on how much data you can transfer. Most sites don't transfer more than 20-40 Gigabytes of data a month.
CGI-BIN
A common name for a directory on a web server in which CGI programs are stored. If you are going to be running cgi scripts, please double-check that your plan comes with cgi-bin access. Most cgi-bin scripts are designed to run on Unix, and may require modifications to run on a Windows server.
CMS or Content Management System
Website code built so that website content (text, pictures, videos) can be added, edited, and administered via a web-based interface. Such a system can save time for the site owners, since they
can update their own website without learning to write code. And since the content is stored in a database, XML or other data format, it can be conveniently organized and manipulated.
Custom Error Pages
Customize documents returned when the server encounters an error. You can create a page and send it to us to install for your site that allows the user to see your own Error page with your graphics and text.
Disk Space
This is the amount of memory on our servers that we provide to you for your Web files. Your Web files can include html pages, images, audio and video files, log files, data from on-line forms, and anything else you wish to load to your account with Le Modulor.
Dreamweaver
Macromedia Dreamweaver is one of the many programs that can be used in the creation of websites. It provides a coding environment supporting most languages currently in use, a convenient drag-and-drop interface for site layouts, file management and upload tools, and other features. These features, plus it's ease of use, make it a popular choice across the spectrum from beginners to professionals.
Emails & Unlimited Aliases
Email accounts allow you to provide email for your domain to your employees as well as allowing you to separate mail for different topics like customer service and support. Aliases provide you with alternate names to send email to the same box. When comparing hosting companies, consider what your actual email needs will be.
Flash
Macromedia Flash is a very popular software package that creates animated graphic content. It is used widely for websites and banner advertising, as most modern browsers support it. Its capabilities go far beyond just making things move across your screen though. It can be used to create games, presentations, database and interactive websites, media players, and even non-web animations for cartoons and music videos.
Front Page Extensions
Microsoft FrontPage is a widely used program for creating websites. If your website is built in FrontPage, be sure your host provides FrontPage extensions that, depending on what features were used, may be necessary for your site to function correctly.
FTP or File Transfer Protocol
A very common method of moving files between two computers. Usually, you use an FTP to upload your site from your home computer to the web server. FrontPage uses its own, built-in version of FTP that automatically publishes the extra files FrontPage needs, so you must use FrontPage to upload your site if you use FrontPage to design it. The same is true for Dreamweaver.
Javascript
Java Script is a scripting language, most commonly used in client-side scripts. That means the script runs on the viewer's browser, not on the site's webserver. Common uses of JavaScript are mouseovers, drop-down menus, scrolling text, and form validation. However there are annoying uses, such as popups, and malicious uses as well, leading people to block JavaScript on their browser. This blockage, as well as cross-browser compatibility, should be taken into consideration when designing a website.
Logfile Access
Le Modulor provides the raw data generated by the server from your site to you in the form of log files. This gives you the flexibility to manage and analyze your own site data. You may also have us analyze your logfiles at no additional charge and provide you with Web Statistics.
Merchant Account
Anyone who wants to process credit card transactions on their website will need either a Merchant Account or a Payment Processor. A Payment Processor is a company that handles the entire transaction and holds the money in their own account, paying it out at designated intervals or, like PayPal, holding it in an account for you to access. This option is easier to get set up, but in general the fees are higher than if you have your own Merchant Account. A Merchant Account is a bank account that you, as an Internet merchant, set up with a bank that offers such accounts. Through a Payment Gateway, the transactions go into the Merchant Account, where they can then be transferred to your checking or other account at designated intervals.
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Microsoft Access Database
A Microsoft database designed for use with small-to-medium amounts of data. As a general rule, if your Access database is over 20MB, you will need to upgrade to SQL for your database to work efficiently. Many of our plans include the ability to use Access with your website.
Perl
Perl is a coding language. Using either a coding language or cgi scripts allows you to make your site interactive by including database results, email forms, guestbooks, bulletin boards, chat, etc. Most Perl scripts are designed to run on Unix, and may require modifications to run on a Windows server. The language has been around for many years and although respected in the programming community it is being replaced in recent years by scripting languages.
SSL or Secure Certificate
Anyone who wants their website to handle credit card transactions must be sure that their host provides a secure connection for those transactions. SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer, is the protocol used in this secure connection, and the industry standard is 128-bit encryption. To implement SSL on a website, a Secure Certificate for that site is required. Internally, Secure Certificates contain information about who the certificate belongs to, who it was issued by, a unique serial number or other unique identification, valid dates, and an encrypted "fingerprint" that can be used to verify the contents of the certificate.
Secure FTP
This particular service is much more secure than standard FTP. It encrypts all your data that you send including your username and password into 128 bit encrypted data. This method is highly recommended by us.
SHTML
Server Side Includes (SSI) allow a web page to ‘include’ content from another source before sending the page to the browser to be displayed. SSI pages are identified by the file extension .shtml. SSI are useful to display content from one source on multiple pages within your website. This means that you only need to update one file in your website instead of multiple files if you wish to make a change. The most common use for SSI pages is for including content that will be the same on every page of your site such as page headers or navigation bars.
Statistics or Stats
We provide you with Statistics on how your site is accessed and who accesses it. The data is recorded for every hit your website gets detailing all the files and places your visitors come from. You can use this information to market your site on the internet better, providing you with even more users.