Site Monitoring

Glossary of Internet Terms

The Internet is full of confusing technical terms and there are very few sites that explain them with any clarity. This section of our web site is designed to give a short introduction to the basic terms. Click on a link to find out about a particular jargon word used on the Internet.

CachingGetting information more quickly DomainsGiving a Name to a Site
ErrorsDecoding Server Error Reports VirusServer Virus Attacks
SocketsMaking the connection SecureFTPTransferring files securely
PortConnecting to the Service IP AddressYour unique access address
QueryGetting information from a user HTMLDisplaying WWW Pages
DNSLooking up a site's name HTTPGetting at the information
CSSGiving style to a web site RegistrarsGetting a domain name registered
GoogleGoogle the leading search engine Hyper LinksLinks are at the heart of the Internet
URLSpecifying what you want to access FirewallProtecting the Server
FTPTransferring files PingChecking a Server is working
CookiesKeeping track of user visits Log FormatLogging accesses to a web site
ISPProviding access to the Internet KeywordsSpecifying what a page is all about
Log FilesThe server's log file has many answers RankingDetermine how important is that web site
MIMESpecifying information format ProxyIndirect access to the Internet
HTTPSSecure access to information TrafficMonitoring visits to a Web Site
TCP/IPCommunicating over the Web WatchTrack accesses to key pages
RFCInternet Standards and Proposals ReferralsLooking at how visitors find your site
RobotsAutomated Internet Access BrowserSurfing the Internet
SpeedIs access speed acceptable AvailabilityMake sure the server is always up
HostingChoose the most appropriate web host for your business ScriptsMake a web page much more lively
SpiderChecking all the pages on a web site Search EnginesFinding the right site
WhoisFinding out about the owner

If you would like an excellent layman's guide to the Internet please try How Stuff Works

The Site Vigil product produced by Silurian Software is designed to help you manage web sites without burying you in all the associated technical jargon.