This is a very basic glossary for beginners. For advanced definitions check Webopedia

	Animation Works on the web much the same as cartoons. A graphic contains frames or cells that appear in rapid succession to give the appearance of movement. Can be as simple as an animated gif for a small image, or as complex as an animated website created with Macromedia Flash software.
	Bandwidth How much information that can be sent through a connection, usually measured in bits per second. The term, "low bandwidth," means a slower connection, which makes for longer download times (the time it takes for a page to appear on screen). Bandwidths can be as low as 29kbps (kilobytes per second) on a phone modem to as much as 44,736kbps on a T-3 connection. Banner A graphic that displays an on-line advertisement. The ads are hyperlinked to the advertising company's website. Studies provide conflicting conclusions about the cost effectiveness of banner ads.   Browser Interprets the code of web pages and displays the pages as you see them on the screen. The most popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
	CGI Stands for Common Gateway Interface. It's a kind of programming that allows a person to run programs from their browser on a remote server. CGI scripting adds interactivity to a web page. Examples are forms processing, page view counters, chatrooms and message boards. Chatroom Allows users to communicate in real time, usually about a certain topic. See also: Newsgroups/Usenets Code/Coding The programming that defines the appearance and function of a page. Programming languages for the web include HTML, JavaScript, DHTML, PERL, C++, among many others. If you want to see the "code" for a page, go up to your browser toolbar and click on View>Source. Color Correction Color on the web may seem simple enough, but it's actually quite technical and involves several considerations. First, the use of a "web-safe pallette" is necessary to accomodate the many browsers on the market today. Also, converting a graphic file from its creation software format to a web-viewable graphic can cause colors to become corrupted. Thirdly, "optimization", the delicate balancing act of graphic file size vs. clarity ensures both quality images and acceptable download times. Continuity Consistent style and function throughout the site prevents users from becoming confused and disoriented. Elements that should remain consistent are page layout, navigation, type (text font for headers and content, paragraph spacing, etc.), and creatives. Corporate Branding/Corporate Identity A style that people immediately associate with a particular company. Examples: the Nike swoosh, coca-cola red with swoosh, the intel-inside circle. You don't have to be a corporation, however, to establish a corporate identity. Your logo, if creatively crafted, can establish this same brand recognition. Counter Displays to the viewer how many hits a page has recieved. Nice doodad for personal websites but use on commercial websites appears unprofessional. Instead of using a counter, owners of commercial websites can (and should) review data logs provided by their server. Creatives/Creative concepts Aesthetic style of a site that sets a mood, tone or sense of place. For example a site that sells surfboards might use an ocean theme. Graphics would be ocean-related and colors might be cool blues and greens. Adjectives and phrases in the content may be written to further create a sense of place.
	Domain name The unique name that identifies a website. Example: darriendesign.com Many extensions are available. The most widely used are ".com" for commercial websites; ".org" is generally used for clubs, groups and non-profit organizations; ".net" is suited to internet related businesses such as hosting companies.
	Elements/Site Elements All of the parts that make up a website, including pages, menus, layout, graphics, text, hyperlinks, functional elements such as forms, continuity standards, etc. Engine See search engine E-Commerce "Electronic commerce" is sales conducted on the internet. Users can purchase online with their credit card.
	Finger A service that allows people to request information about other people and computers on the net. The only information a finger can provide about you is the information you authorize to be released. Frame 1. A feature in HTML that allows the programmer to display more than one page on a single screen. Each page acts independently. 2. A single image within an animated graphic. Also referred to as a "cell". One animated graphic consists of two or more separate images displayed sequentially, much like a cartoon. Freeware Free software available for download from the net. Function Function in websites refers to interactive elements such as navigation and hyperlinks, and advanced features such as javascripts and shopping carts.   FTP Stands for "File Transfer Protocol". A tool that allows users to copy a file from one computer to another. This is one way to transfer the webpages that are stored on a PC to a server. The pages can then be viewed on other people's PCs through the internet.
	gif A file extension that identifies the file as a graphic. Simple images with just a few colors are usually gif's, while more complex graphics such as photos are usually jpeg. Gif's render true color but may dither (dots of different colors are apparent) when viewed with a monitor set at low bit depths. Graphics Images, such as photographs, clipart, buttons, icons, and animations that have a gif or jpeg file extension. Graphics are an integral part of web pages, and are used in many ways to improve the function, aesthetics, and "feel" of a site. Graphics can be static or animated.
	Hit/Hit report A hit occurs when a web page is accessed. An entry is made in the server's log file and can be accessed by the site owner to see how many hits the site is getting. This is a very useful tool to check on the effectiveness of your advertising methods by seeing where your visitors came from, and in calculating the cost per hit ratio. Hits and page views are different. A hit occurs when the page is accessed -- this could be a search engine robot, not necessarily a site visitor with a pair of eyeballs. A page view occurs when a web page is actually opened and viewed from a browser. Home page The main page of a site, intended to introduce the user to the main topics of the site, the "feel" of the site, and its navigation method. Host A computer that makes services available to other computers, such as www and Usenet. HTML Stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. The computer language that specifies the appearance and function of web pages. If you want to see the "code" for a page, go up to your browser toolbar and click on View>Source. Hyperlink (aka Link) An object on the screen that you can click on to go somewhere else, either to another page within the site or to another site.
	Internet Millions of computers connected together in a world wide network in order to share information. Note that the term "internet" and "World Wide Web" are not synonymous. The www resides on the internet. Intranet A private network within an organization for internal use by employees. ISP Stands for Internet Service Provider. A service that provides a way for computers to connect to the internet. Examples of ISP's are AOL and MSN.
	JavaScript Developed by Sun Microsystems, JavaScript is a programming language that creates webpage interactivity. For instance, if you've seen a site where a button lights up when you move your curser over it (like this one), then you've probably seen JavaScript at work. Interactivity gives the user a sense of control and the effects can be fun. jpeg A common file format used for images, usually photographs. A poorly optimized jpeg will result in jpeg "spray" -- uneven or blurred edges and dots of stray color.
	Keyword An attribute of the META tag within HTML coding that provides descriptive words of what the site provides. These words are used by search engines to index a site and rank search results.
	Layout The arrangement of elements on a page. Elements are the things that populate a page, such as navigation, background, content, graphics, links, etc. Most websites use a uniform layout throughout the site because uniformity is easiest for the user. Layouts may vary, however, if the site owner requires a unique presentation or the site is made for casual surfing, where entertainment is the goal. Whether the layout is uniform or varied, it must be both functional and pleasing to the eye. Link See Hyperlink.
	META Tag There are several META tags available to the HTML programmer that provide information and perform functions. META tags that pertain to marketing efforts optimize search engine results. Search engines are the number one way that customers find the products and services they are shopping for, so the effective use of META tags in the site's coding is essential if you want your site to be found. Search engines use the "keyword", "description", and "title" attributes of the META tags to find words and phrases within a site. Once found, the engine returns the site in the search results. If these tags are effectively written, the site will rank higher (the site will appear closer to the top of the results list). Mission Statement The purpose and objectives of a website. This should be clear, concise, and measureable. A clear sense of purpose must be established first, before any other site design element, or the project can get bogged down in superfluous content and concepts. Simplicity, streamlined with purpose, makes for an easy-to-use and effective site. Multi-Media This is the latest boon on the net. Includes capabilities such as CD-quality audio, full-motion video and data streaming. RealAudio, Shockwave and Quicktime are some examples of multi-media technology that is gaining a foothold on the web. These should be used with care, however. This media requires high-bandwidth connections to run quickly and smoothly. Consider audience demographics. If they probably don't have a high bandwidth connection you will severely limit your audience.
	Navigation Ways to get around a site. Navigation can be a graphic link such as a button, menu bar or image map, or a simple text link. Navigation should be "intuitive," that is, users should be able to use the navigation without giving any thought as to how it works and where they will go if they click on a link. Newsgroup/Usenet Mailing lists or e-mail groups that allow people to communicate to each other about a certain topic.
	Optimization The process of preparing a graphic for display on a web page. An image that is not optimized may take a long time to download because there are too many colors for the browser to display quickly. If optimized poorly, the image will dither or spray. Optimization is a delicate balancing act of graphic file size vs. clarity, to ensure both quality images and acceptable download times.
	Page/ Web Page An HTML document. There may be only one page, or a collection of several pages within a website. Pixel Short for "picture element". Your monitor's screen is organized into a grid of thousands of pixels. When some of these pixels are colored, they form the shapes you see on the screen. Pixels are very small. One pixel is about the size of a period.
	Router A computer that routes information from one PC to another using the information's URL.
	Search engine A tool that lets you search for topics on the web. Type in keywords or phrases and the engine responds by displaying websites that relate to your search. Popular search engines are Google, Dogpile and Yahoo! Some large sites have a search engine that helps you find what you're looking for within the site. See also: Keyword, META tag. Server Aka "host". A computer that stores webpages and makes them available to other computers via the internet.   Shareware Software that is available for free download, for you to use on a trial basis. If you like the software, pay a small fee (about $10 to $40 US) for registration, which entitles you to publish what the software creates. Shopping cart Coding that allows a user to place items in a "cart" as they shop. The items are stored in memory until the user is ready to "check out", then can buy everything in the cart with one transaction. Spam Unsolicited e-mail. Also, coding techniques that are unscrupulously used to obtain higher rankings with search engines, so that the site will more likely be listed during a search. Many engines are now excluding sites that do this so they don't appear in the results list. Splash page When used, it is the first page of a site. It is often graphics-intense and is intended to set the mood for the site, "wow" the viewer, and encourage them to enter. When done well, a splash page can be effective. However, if it takes too long to load or is not well done, a splash page can turn viewers away. Structure The bones of a site. Includes page layout (arrangement of elements on a page), the organization of information, and the navigation method of a site.
	Template A web page "shell" that content can be "plugged into." The advantages of using a template in a large website far outweigh the disadvantages. A template-based website is faster to build, much easier to update, and ensures uniformity and consistancy. The disadvantage to templates is that, except for the content, all of the pages based on a template will look pretty much the same, which can be a bit dull. Monotony can be broken by using more than one template in very large sites. Text Formatting Coding that specifies text properties such as font, color and size.
	URL (aka Web Address) Stands for Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is made up of a scheme, host name, and file name. The scheme tells the browser what kind of information to display, and will appear in the URL as http://, ftp://, mailto:, finger://, etc. The ISP comes after the scheme. This is where the site is physically located, just like a file is physically located on your hard drive. After the server, the remaining URL is the path and file name of the page. Usenet A discussion and news system consisting of a set of newsgroups, with names categorized by subject. Articles and announcements are posted to a newsgroup that pertain to a particular subject. For instance, an electrician's newsgroup would post information of interest to electricians. For more info check  faqs.org Website A document consisting of one or more pages that exists on the World Wide Web. Much like a book but designed to be interactive, transforming a "reader" into a "user". WYSIWYG "What You See Is What You Get". HTML editors that display the page as it will appear on the web. An HTML editor is the software that allows you to write the programming code to create web pages.