Backbone - a high speed connection linking up slower branch networks

Bandwidth - the volume of data that can be transmitted simultaneously over a communication line

Browser - a program for viewing documents contained on the web

CGI - Common Gateway Interface, an interface for processing CGI-BIN scripts

CGI-BIN Script - a server side program which extends the scope of HTML (some counters, and search functions are done this way)

Client - an application or computer which receives and interprets information sent by a matching server application or computer

Domain Name - a unique name that identifies each site (www.yoursite.com)

Dynamic HTML (DHTML) - the new version of the basic web page creation language which includes improved ways to produce graphical devices

E-commerce - the ability to market, sell and complete secure transactions using web technology.

E-mail - electronic mail, mesages sent via a computer network.

Encryption - a security system that "scrambles data" to safeguard electronic messages and transactions across the Internet or an Intranet (should be used any time you give out personal informtion, such as a credit card number)

Firewall - a security device designed to prevent intruders from entering a network

FTP - File Transfer Protocol; the TCP/IP protocol for transferring files between addresses on the internet.

GIF - Graphics Information Format, one of the two most popular image formats used by web designers

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) - the language used to create web pages

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - the client/server protocol for moving hypertext files around the internet

Hypertext - hot links in web pages to enable the user to go to another page by clicking on underlined text or a graphic

Internet - the worldwide network of computers connected by TCP/IP and other protocols

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - a facility which allows internet users to converse in real time by sending typed messages to each other across the network.

Intranet - an internal company network built around web technologies

IP - Internet Protocol, a communications protocol which allows data packets to travel through multiple networks en-route to their ultimate destination.

IP Address - Internet Protocol Address a unique network address (123.456.789)

ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network, a digital "on demand" telephone service which supports voice, video and data

ISP - Internet Services Provider; an organisation providing access to the Internet (the people you pay each month to use the interent, such as Earthlink)

Java - Sun Microsystems's popular cross platform programmimg language used to create web applications

JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group a compressed graphics format, one of the two most popular image formats used by web designers

Link or Hyperlink - user selectable text or image, which contains a "link" to another block of text or multimedia object on either the same web page or a different page

Newsgroups - public discussion forums that are divided in to subject areas

Node - a single computer on a network

Perl - Practical Extraction Reporting Language; a UNIX based CGI scripting language for web applications

Plugin - a software add on for browsers which adds new facilities, such as audio and video

Protocol - a set of rules and regulations which govern the transmission and receipt of data over a network

Push Technology - information delivered directly to the desktop of a computer

Search Engine - a web site that indexes all the content on the Internet or an Intranet and allows the user to find what he/she wants by asking plain language questions (like Yahoo)

Server - a computer or application that sends data over the network to a matching client computer or application.

Spamming - the sending of junk e-mail over the internet.

Tag - an HTML markup element

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the range of protocols that supports the internet architecture.

Telnet - a program which allows clients to "login" to a remote server.

UNIX - A multi tasking computer operating system widely used by web servers

URL - Uniform Resource Locator; the name of the unique address given to each document on the Web (http://www.robinsfyi.com/macstuff.htm)

WAIS - Wide Area Information Service, a web server used for interrogating large Internet databases

WWW - World Wide Web; a system that enables pages containing text, pictures, sound, animation and video to be published and viewed on computers connected to the internet.