Church Websites: Plain English Web Glossary
—Simple explanations of web and Internet terminology...
When investigating web services there is a lot of technical language.
Fortunately, Church123 users do no need to know any of it. However, for
those wishing to learn more, or trying and understand lists from other
websites, please read on.
Technical words explained in plain English (words in italics have their
own definitions):
Bandwidth
The greater the bandwidth the more information that can be transferred
at one time. It’s a bit like your garden hose – the fatter
the hose the more water can flow through it at any one time. The term
bandwidth also broadly includes throughput, meaning the amount of information
sent.
Broadband
More and more churches are getting broadband. In a nutshell it’s
like getting a large hose pipe (see bandwidth). It makes using
the Internet much faster than with a standard dialup modem.
For example, downloading a document (such as a Word file) from
the Internet may take 2 minutes on a normal dialup modem but
only 12 seconds on a broadband connection. Dialup modems normally
use your phone line, preventing voice calls whenever you are on the Internet,
whereas broadband connections allow you to use your phone simultaneously.
Browser
Software for viewing web pages. Browsers (or Internet Browsers)
are often free, either to download or from CDs on magazines
or at supermarket tills. The most popular browser is made by Microsoft
and called Internet Explorer. If you have a PC it will already be on
your computer.
Cyberspace
A term coined by William Gibson in his novel "Neuromancer" to
refer to a near-future computer network where users mentally travel through
matrices of information. The term is now used to describe the Internet and
other computer networks.
Dialup Modem
Currently the most widespread form of Internet connection
for the home user. This is a connection from your computer using a modem
over standard telephone lines. A modem is simply a device to let your
computer talk over the phone line.
Download
The process of copying a file from the Internet onto your
computer. For example, you can download a Word file. When you disconnect
from the Internet you can still access the downloaded Word file as it
is now copied to your computer.
Email
Similar to normal post there is a ‘from address’ and a ‘to
address’ but rather than a postman everything is handled electronically.
FAQ
Acronym for Frequently Asked Questions.
Firewall
Used to stop unwanted access to either a computer or a network. If
you are using a PC, particularly if you are using broadband we
recommend you consider installing the free version of ZoneAlarm.
FTP
Acronym for File Transfer Protocol. A method of transferring files
from one computer to another. If you run your own website by buying server
space you will probably need to learn about FTP.
GIF
Acronym for Graphic Interchange Format. Images come in a variety of
formats (similarly, movies can come as DVDs, VHS tapes or Betamax tapes).
GIF is one of the main image formats for use on the web. GIF is particularly
good for logos and line drawings. Photographs are better as JPEGs.
Home Page
Home Page can either refer to the first web page you come to at a website
(e.g. the WELCOME page) or the document displayed when you first open
your browser.
HTML
Acronym for HyperText Markup Language. Most web pages are written in
a language called HTML. To learn a little HTML is simple. To learn to
write HTML well takes a lot of hard work. Church123 users do not need
to know any HTML.
Hyperlinks
See links.
Internet
Lots of computers connected together by wires, satellites and radio
links etc. Whenever you are surfing the web the computer you
are using is connected to the Internet.
JPEG
Acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group. One of the main image
formats for use on the web. Photographs are normally best stored as JPEG
images for use on the web. (See GIF).
Links
Also known as hyperlinks. Connects you from where you are on the web
to somewhere else. For example, it may connect you to another website
or to a person’s email address etc. When you click on a menu and
it opens another page you have clicked a link.
QuickTime
QuickTime is a movie format developed by Apple. You can download the free
QuickTime viewer here.
URL
Acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. Addressing system used in the
World Wide Web and other Internet resources. An address such
as "http://www.church123.com" is a URL. We think it is easier
to say ‘web address’.
Virus
A program that copies itself across the Internet, especially
via email (or by other means, e.g. floppy disk). These programs can do
annoying or nasty things to your computer. If you use the Internet you
should use a virus killer program. We have been pleased with the protection
received from these commercially available virus killers: Mcafee
VirusScan and Norton
Antivirus.
Web
Also known as World Wide Web. Often used informally to mean the collection
of computers connected to the Internet. If you had a large map
and put a marker pin in it for every computer on the Internet then
drew a line (with a very fine pencil) between every point you would soon
see why it is called the web. (Think of a spider’s web.)
Webmaster
Person in charge of running a website.
Web Page
A single page on the web. A collection of pages is referred to as a website.
Web Server
A computer permanently connected to the Internet which runs a website.
When a visitor requests a page the web server sends it to them.
Website
Also written ‘web site’. One or more web pages.
Just like a book has pages with text and pictures, so can a site.
World Wide Web
See web.
If there is a word you would like explained, and potentially added
to our list, please email the Church123
helpdesk.
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