IT Glossary

A  |  B  |  C  |  D  |  E  |  F  |  H  |  I  |  L  |  N  |  O  |  P  |  R  |  S  |  T  |  U  |  W  |  Z

A

alignment
The positioning of a body of text.  Text can be positioned to the left, right, or centre of a page.  For the best, consistent alignment, website designers use tables and Cascading Style Sheets.

animated GIF
A GIF graphic file which consists of two or more images shown in a timed sequence to give the effect of motion.

animation
Animation is the creating of a timed sequence or series of graphic images or frames together to give the appearance of continuous movement.

ASP (Active Server Page)
A dynamically generated web page, generally using ActiveX scripting.  When a browser or a search engine spider requests an ASP page from a server, the server generates the web page with HTML code and gives it to the browser or spider.

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B

bandwidth
Refers to the capacity of a telecommunications link and is a measure of how fast data can be moved around.  It is measured in either bits per second (bps) or cycles per second (Hertz/Hz and megahertz/MHz).  The greater the bps or Hertz, the wider the bandwidth and the more data that can pass down a channel at any one time.

barcode
A unique printed pattern of wide and narrow vertical bars used to represent numerical codes, designed to be read by an optical scanner.

broadband connectivity
An Internet/intranet connection that functions over a wide range of frequencies and thus transmits large quantities of data at high speed.

browser
A software package used to search information posted on the Web.  Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer are the most popular browsers.

business modelling software
Software that allows business managers to explore the potential outcomes of changing specific variables within their operations.

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C

cascading style sheet
A cascading style sheet (CSS) is a web page derived from a number of sources with a defined order of style precedence.  CSS gives more control over the appearance of the web page and allows chosen styles to be consistently applied across the website.

Client/Server
A type of network in which one computer acts as the central storage device for files and programs than can be accessed by PCs on the network.

computer aided design and drafting (CADD)
A software program that replaces manual drafting on paper by allowing the designer to formulate projects on screen, using two- and three-dimensional representations.

computer database design and estimating package
A software program that enables the user to develop, store, retrieve and edit a growing bank of designs, and automatically predict the cost of producing a design in a particular material and construction method.

content management system (CMS)
Infrastructure system that is used to store and retrieve information on a website.

credit card transfers
The electronic transfer of funds which are debited to the customer’s credit card.

custom-written software
Software that is tailor-made for a client’s specific purposes (as distinct from generic or packaged software bought off the shelf).

customer relationship management (CRM)
The systematic collection and utilisation by a business of data re the identity, spending patterns and interests of each of its customers, in order to foster customer loyalty through individualised correspondence and tailored benefits and offers.

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D

database
A large collection of information stored in a computer and organised in categories to facilitate retrieval and analysis.

digital camera
A camera that records images electronically rather than on film.

domain name
The unique identification of a website.  Companies who own their own domain name (as distinct from a sub-domain name) have the advantage of more direct, speedier communications via the Internet and are not dependent on the services of a third party.

download
To transfer data from another computer or the web.  Everything you see when viewing a web page must be downloaded to your computer first.

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E

e-commerce site
A website set up for the purpose of selling goods and/or services online.

EDI
Electronic Data Interchange - exchanging information forms electroncially, such as invoices and orders.

email
Electronic mail - the use of a computer network to send and receive messages, either locally or more widely (eg via the Internet).

encryption
Encoding information so that it cannot be deciphered by an unauthorised person.

extranet
If you have an intranet, you can turn part of it into an extranet by allowing customers, suppliers and other key people secure access to the areas they need.

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F

firewall
Security technology that prevents unauthorised access to a company's networks by outside users.

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H

hosting costs
Monthly fees paid to an ISP for hosting a domain name.

host server
Any computer on a network that is a repository for services available to other computers on the network.

HTML
"Hypertext Markup Language" - a system of codes used to determine the appearance of documents on the web.  "HTML websites" are relatively inexpensive to create but have limited capabilities and can be expensive to update.

hyperlinks
Embedded "hot spots" in web pages that allow users to jump from one document to another document, regardless of where it "lives" on the Internet.

hub
The central connection point for a group of nodes;  useful for centralised management, the ability to isolate nodes from disruption and extending the distance of LAN coverage.

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I

interactive website
A website that responds to viewers selections.

Internet
The global network of computers, routers and cable connections that enables the world's computers to connect to each other.

Internet service provider (ISP)
A company that provides Internet accounts and connections to individuals and businesses.

intranet
Private network inside an organisation that is only for internal use and normally requires password access.  Typically uses Internet technology.

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L

link software
Software that enables two or more separately developed programs to "understand" each other, exchange data and (in some cases) function as a single program.

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N

network
A system of computer systems and/or peripheral devices (eg printers, phone lines) with each remote unit connected to the others so that data can be transferred electronically.

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O

online
Accessible while interactively connected to a computer database.

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P

portal
Website intended to be first point of entry to the web.  Typically a portal site has a catalogue of websites or search engines and other services to entice people to use the site as their entry to the web.

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R

ranking
The prioritised listing of websites displayed as the results of a search carried out by a web search engine.

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S

scanner
A machine fitted with a photoelectric cell that "reads" a picture, bar code or text in order to convert it into an image (or text file) that can be digitally displayed and manipulated on a computer screen.

search engine
A computer software program that enables a user to find items on a database or websites on the web, using key words as the search criteria.

self-destructing email
An email message that automatically disappears from the computer’s memory after it has been opened and/or its attachment has been printed out once.

self-publishing
The preparation and publication in-house of a magazine, book or other printed text by its author.

shareware
Computer software that is made available free on trial, with an optional fee payable after the trial period.

site design
The division and linkage of information between web pages on a website.  Also, the art direction of a website.

sub-domain
Subsidiary website linked to and dependent upon the primary domain website.

surfing
Exploring the Internet by key words and/or links, to see what can be found of interest.

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T

training module
Stand-alone section of a software program written to teach users about the program’s features and capabilities.

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U

URL
"Uniform resource locator" - the address of a website on the Internet.

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W

web
"World Wide Web" - a large-scale, networked, hypertext information system, primarily consisting of URLs, available over the Internet.

web-based project management
An Internet-based management tool that enables document/data management and specific information exchange throughout the project team.

web page
A document posted on a website.

website
In the web, a computer system that has a recognised domain (or sub-domain) name and publishes documents (web pages) on the web.

website development company
A company that specialises in the creation, design and establishment of websites.

website hits
A tally of the number of times a website is visited.  A range of other data (eg each visitor’s email address, which web pages they opened) can also be recorded for market analysis.

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Z

zip disks
Magnetic disks for storing and providing ready access to large quantities of computer data.