Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
B
Backend
A subordinate processor or program, not directly accessed by the user, which performs a specialized function on behalf of a main processor or software system.
Backup
is not a verb. Something is "backed up." An archive of something is a "backup."
Browser
A browser is the software you use to view web pages. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox,
and Internet Explorer are some of the more common browsers, but there are others like
Safari and Opera. Since each one is different, pages can vary in appearance depending
on what browser is used. This has to be taken into account when designing and testing
websites.
C
Content Management System
Also known as a CMS, the Content Management System is a backend tool for managing
a sites content that separates said content from the design and functionality of the
site. Using a CMS generally makes it easier to change the design or function of a
site independent of the sites content. It also (usually) makes it easier for content
to be added to the site for people who aren't designers.
D
Domain name
A domain name is something like disney.com, usually rendered in lower case. It is
simply a human-readable nickname for an internet address, more useful than something
like 216.69.40.170.
E
Email
New standard set forth by AP style recognizes email as all one word.
Error 404
A 404 error message means the page you're trying to reach cannot be found. This can
happen if you link to a page that doesn't exist, or if a page is taken down and the
link remains up.
External Link
is any link that goes to a different domain
G
.GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. This file format is generally used for line art and is
limited to no more than 256 colors.
H
Hard drive
A hard drive is a component inside a computer upon which data is stored. "Hard drive"
is not the same thing as the metal box that contains it. That box is your laptop,
or tower, or case, or computer.
Headings
HTML codes giving extra style prominence to certain words
Hyperlink
A hyperlink, more commonly called a link, is an electronic connection between one
web page to either other web pages on the same website (internal linking), or web
pages located on another website (external linking).
I
Internal Link
is a type of hyperlink on a webpage to another page or resource, such as an image
or document, on the same website or domain.
J
JPG (JPEG)
Joint Photographic Experts Group. .JPG is a compressed format that is generally applied
to photos.
L
Logging in
Refers to the act of providing credentials or identification in order to gain access
to something. If a Web site does not require authentication of any kind, visitors
do not "log in" to it.
Login
is the correct form for a noun ("My login isn't working") or an adjective ("I can't
find the login page").
Log in
is the correct form for a verb ("I need to log in to the site before I can find that
information").
M
MAC
A "Mac" is a particular kind of computer.
P
Path
The path is a specific location on a server where a resource resides. Paths are generally
something like /documents/mynovel.doc.
PC
A "PC" is a particular kind of computer. "PC" should not be used generically.
.PDF
Short for "Portable Document Format," they were first developed by Adobe. The idea
behind the PDF was to create a file format that did not dependent on applications,
software, hardware or software for proper viewing. Every PDF file has a complete description
of a document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to
display it
.PNG
Portable Network Graphic. A newer compressed graphic format, similar to the GIF format
but more flexible with respect to the types of images it can be applied to.
S
Setup
Is not a verb. Something is "set up." The way something is structured is its "setup."
Site visitors
People who visit Web sites.
Subdomain
A subdomain is something like pooh.disney.com or www.disney.com. Never assume that
"www." belongs before any domain or subdomain. www.disney.com and disney.com are NOT
interchangeable by default.
Note:
- KCTCS properties should all have ".kctcs.edu" in their subdomain name. Examples are www.kctcs.edu, coalacademy.kctcs.edu, nara.kctcs.edu, etc.
- KCTCS subdomains should never use "www." before the rest of the subdomain. This usage is incorrect: www.nara.kctcs.edu. This usage is correct: nara.kctcs.edu.
U
Upload:
Uploading is the action of sending data from a local computer (yours) to a server
or website. When you have an image on your computer that you want to use on your website,
you upload it. When you transfer something from the web to your computer, it's downloading.
URL
A URL is a specific address for a resource's web page, a document, or some other type
of file. It typically includes three parts: a protocol, a domain name, and a path.
Examples of URLs are: http://disney.com, ftp://ftp.ncsa.org/downloads/, https://www.smithbarney.com/personalbanking/myaccount_balance.aspx,
http://216.69.40.170/boom/
Note:
- A protocol is a way of addressing a certain kind of internet service. The internet is made of computers running many different kinds of services. The web is just one of those services. Typically, URLs contain "http://" (indicating the "hypertext transfer protocol," or "the web") but this is not always the case. Some web URLs may include "https://," indicating the connection to the web site is encrypted ("secure"). Other protocols are relatively common, like ftp, file, sip, and more. The vast majority of URLs will use "http://". Web browsers do not actually require entry of the protocol, and will default to "http://" if nothing is entered.)
- The domain name portion of a URL is the domain or subdomain where the resource can be found. This can also be an IP address rather than a domain name.
- URLs are sometimes referred to as "web addresses." This is fine, as long as the URL is actually accessible via the web. Not all URLs are.
- URLs when typed should always include the minimum amount of necessary information. For example, the URL https://kctcs.edu/catalog/index.cfm is equivalent to https://kctcs.edu/catalog/, which is in turn equivalent to http://kctcs.edu/catalog. Check with your Web Services staff in specific cases.
- When typing an e-mail, use of the correct URL is nice, because most e-mail clients will automatically make a link out of a well-formed URL. When using print, it's generally okay to leave off the protocol (http://) as browsers will assume it anyway and it makes the line easier to read in print.
Users
"Users" can be used as an alternative, but generally refers to individuals with access
to particular applications, rather than general Web site visitors.
W
Web-based
A collection of globally distributed text and multimedia documents and files and other
network services linked in such a way as to create an immense electronic library from
which information can be retrieved quickly by intuitive searches.
Website
One word. A website is a related group of web pages published on the World Wide Web.
Web
Should always be capitalized. Exception: webcam, webcast, webmaster.
