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Website /
Internet Glossary |
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A
Ad banner -
a graphic image or other media object used as an
advertisement.
Address -
a unique identifier for a computer or site online, usually a
URL for a Web site or marked with an @ for an email
address. Literally, it is how one computer finds the
location of another computer using the Internet.
Ad window -
separate from the content window.
Affiliate marketing -
an agreement between two sites in which one site (the
affiliate) agrees to feature content or an ad designed
to drive traffic to another site. In return, the affiliate
receives a percentage of sales or some other form of
compensation generated by that traffic.
Animated GIF -
an animation created by combining multiple GIF images in one
file. The result is multiple images, displayed
one after another, that give the appearance of movement.
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B
Bandwidth -
1) the transmission rate of a communications line or system,
expressed either as cycles per second/hertz for
analog lines, or as bits (bps) or kilobits per second (Kbps)
for digital systems; 2) line speed; 3) the amount of
information that can be transmitted over communications
lines at one time.
Banner -
a graphic image displayed on an HTML page used as an ad. See
iab.net for voluntary guidelines defining
specifications of banner ads.
BBS (Bulletin Board System) -
software that enables users to log into e-mail, usenet and
chat groups via modem.
Bit -
the smallest unit of data in a computer. A bit has a single
binary value of either 0 or 1. There are eight bits in
a byte.
Bit rate -
a measure of bandwidth which tells you how fast data is
traveling from one place to another on a computer
network. Bit rate is usually expressed in kilobits (100
bits) per second or Kbps.
Bounce -
what happens when e-mails are returned to the mail server as
undeliverable.
Broadband -
an Internet connection that delivers a relatively high bit
rate - any bit rate at or above 100 Kbps. Cable
modems, DSL and ISDN all offer broadband connections.
Browser -
a software program that can request, download, cache and
display documents available on the World Wide
Web. Browsers can be either text-based or graphical.
Button -
1) clickable graphic that contains certain functionality,
such as taking one someplace or executing a
program; 2) buttons can also be ads. See iab.net for
voluntary guidelines defining specifications of button
ads.
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C
Cable modem -
a device that permits one-way or two-way high speed data
communication over a cable television system for
purposes such as Internet access .
Cache -
memory used to temporarily store the most frequently
requested content/files/pages in order to speed its
delivery to the user. Cache can be local (i.e. on a browser)
or on a network. In the case of local cache, most
computers have both memory (RAM), and disk (hard drive)
cache. Today, Web browsers cause virtually all
data viewed to be cached on a user's computer.
CGI script (Common Gateway Interface) -
CGI’s are used to allow a user to pass data to a Web server,
most commonly in a Web-based form.
Specifically, CGI scripts are used with forms such as
pull-down menus or text-entry areas with an
accompanying submit button. The input from the form is
processed by a program (the CGI script itself) on a
remote Web server.
Chat -
online interactive communication between two or more people
on the Web. One can “talk” in real time with
other people in a chat room, but the words are typed instead
of spoken.
Chat room -
an area online where you can chat with other people in
real-time.
Click down -
the action of clicking on an element within an ad and having
another file displayed on the user’s screen,
normally below or above the initial ad. Click down ads allow
the user to stay on the same Web page and
provide the advertiser a larger pallet to communicate their
message.
Clicks -
1) metric which measures the reaction of a user to an
Internet ad. There are three types of clicks: clickthroughs;
in-unit clicks; and mouseovers; 2) the opportunity for a
user to download another file by clicking on
an advertisement, as recorded by the server; 3) the result
of a measurable interaction with an advertisement
or key word that links to the advertiser’s intended Web site
or another page or frame within the Web site; 4)
metric which measures the reaction of a user to hot-linked
editorial content. See iab.net for ad campaign
measurement guidelines. See also ad click, click-through,
in-unit clicks and mouseover.
Click-through -
the action of following a hyperlink within an advertisement
or editorial content to another Web site or another
page or frame within the Web site. Ad click-throughs should
be tracked and reported as a 302 redirect at the
ad server and should filter out robotic activity.
Client -
a computer that submits an information request to a server
on behalf of a user or proxy.
Cookie -
a file on the user’s browser that uniquely identifies the
user’s browser. There are two types of cookies:
persistent cookies and session cookies. Session cookies are
temporary and are erased when the browser
exits. Persistent cookies remain on the user’s hard drive
until the user erases them or until they expire.
Cookie buster -
software that blocks the placement of cookies on a user’s
browser.
Copy -
printed text in an advertisement.
Crawler -
a software program which visits virtually all pages of the
Web to create indexes for search engines. They are
more interested in text files than graphic files. See also
spider, bot, and intelligent agent.
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D
Demographics -
common characteristics used for population or audience
segmentation, such as age, gender, household
income, etc.
Domain name -
the unique name that identifies an Internet site. Every
domain name consists of one top or high-level and
one or more lower-level designators. Top-level domains (TLDs)
are either generic or geographic. Generic
top-level domains include .com (commercial), .net (network),
.edu (educational), .org (organizational, public
or non-commercial), .gov (governmental), .mil (military);
.biz (business), .info (informational),.name
(personal), .pro (professional), .aero (air transport and
civil aviation), .coop (business cooperatives such as
credit unions) and .museum. Geographic domains designate
countries of origin, such as .us (United States),
.fr (France), .uk (United Kingdom), etc.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) -
a high-speed dedicated digital circuit from a given location
to the telephone company's central office, using
normal copper telephone lines. DSL provides a separate
channel for voice and fax, which means that phone
calls and faxes can be carried at the same time high-speed
data is flowing across the line. DSL is a general
term that includes several variations: ADSL (Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line), ranging up to 1.5 Mbps;
HDSL (High-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line), 1.5 Mbps; SDSL
(Single-line Digital Subscriber Line), 1.5
Mbps; VDSL (Very high-data-rate Digital Subscriber Line),
ranging up to 2.3 Mbps; and RDSL (Rate
Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line), various speeds.
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E
E-commerce -
the process of selling products or services via the Web.
E-mail -
electronic mail. Text files that are sent from one person to
another over the Internet.
E-mail campaign -
advertising campaign distributed via e-mail.
Encryption -
the scrambling of digital information so that it is
unreadable without the use of digital keys.
EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) -
an application that allows the viewer to interactively
select his/her television programming.
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F
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) -
Internet protocol which facilitates transfer of files.
Firewall -
a security barrier placed between an organization's internal
computer network and the Internet. A firewall is
based on rules which allow and disallow traffic to pass,
based on the level of security and filtering a network
administrator wishes to employ.
Flash™ -
Macromedia’s vector-based graphics file format which is used
to display interactive animations on a Web
page. This form of rich media technology is available via a
plug-in.
Frames -
multiple, independent sections used to create a single Web
page. Each frame is built as a separate HTML
file but with one "master" file to control the placement of
each section. When a user requests a page with
frames, several files will be displayed as panes. Sites
using frames report one page request with several
panes as multiple page requests. IAB ad campaign measurement
guidelines call for the counting of one file
per frame set as a page impression.
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G
Gigabyte -
one gigabyte equals 1000 megabytes.
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) -
a graphic format which uses compression to store and display
images.
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H
Hit -
when users access a Web site, their computer sends a request
to the site's server to begin downloading a
page. Each element of a requested page (including graphics,
text, interactive items) is recorded by the site's
Web server log file as a "hit." If a page containing two
graphics is accessed by a user, those hits will be
recorded once for the page itself and once for each of the
graphics. Webmasters use hits to measure their
servers' workload. Because page designs and visit patterns
vary from site to site, the number of hits bears
no relationship to the number of pages downloaded, and is
therefore a poor guide for traffic measurement.
Home page -
the page designated as the main point of entry of a Web site
(or main page) or the starting point when a
browser first connects to the Internet. Typically, it
welcomes you and introduces the purpose of the site, or
the organization sponsoring it, and then provides links to
other pages within the site.
Host -
any computer on a network that offers services or
connectivity to other computers on the network. A host
has an IP address associated with it.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) -
a set of codes called markup tags in a plain text (*.txt)
file that determine what information is retrieved and
how it is rendered by a browser. There are two kinds of
markup tags: anchor and format. Anchor tags
determine what is retrieved, and format tags determine how
it is rendered.
HTML page -
a HyperText Markup Language document stored in a directory
on a Web server and/or created dynamically
at the time of the request for the purpose of satisfying
that request. In addition to text, an HTML page may
include graphics, video, audio, and other files.
HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) -
the format most commonly used to transfer documents on the
World Wide Web.
Hyperlink -
HTML programming which redirects the user to a new URL when
the individual clicks on hypertext.
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I
Image map -
a GIF or JPEG image with more than one linking hyperlink.
Each hyperlink or hot spot can lead to a different
destination page.
Impression -
a measurement of responses from a Web server to a page
request from the user browser, which is filtered
from robotic activity and error codes, and is recorded at a
point as close as possible to opportunity to see the
page by the user.
Instant messaging -
a method of users communicating one-to-one or in groups over
the standard IP protocol. Users can
assemble “buddy lists” and chat with friends, family and
colleagues.
Intelligent agents -
software tools which help the user find information of
specific interest to him/her. The user’s profile is
continually refined and improved based on the user's
acceptance or rejection of recommendations over time.
Internet -
a worldwide system of computer networks providing reliable
and redundant connectivity between disparate
computers and systems by using common transport and data
protocols.
Intranet -
a network based on TCP/IP protocols that belongs to an
organization, usually a corporation, and is
accessible only by the organization’s members, employees or
others with authorization.
IP (Internet Protocol) -
a protocol telling the network how packets are addressed and
routed.
IP address -
Internet protocol numerical address assigned to each
computer on the network so that its location and
activities can be distinguished from other computers. The
format is ##.##.##.## with each number ranging
from 0 through 255 (e.g. 125.45.87.204)
ISP (Internet Service Provider) -
an organization that provides access to the Internet. An ISP
can be a commercial provider, a corporate
computer network, a school, college, university, or the
government.
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J
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) -
file format that uses a compression technique to reduce the
size (number of bytes) of graphic files.
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K
Key word -
specific word(s) entered into a search engine by the user
that result(s) in a list of Web sites related to the
key word. The key word can be purchased by advertisers in
order to direct the hyperlink opportunity to the
advertiser's site or to serve an ad related to the user’s
search.
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L
LAN (Local Area Network) -
a group of computers connected together (a network) which
are at one physical location.
Link -
an electronic connection between two Web sites. Also called
"hot link" and hyperlink.
Load -
usually used with up-load or down-load, it means to transfer
files or software from one computer or server to
another computer or server. In other words, it is the
movement of information online.
Log file -
a file that records transactions that have occurred on the
Web server. Some of the types of data which are
collected are: date/time stamp, URL served, IP address of
requestor, status code of request, user agent
string, previous URL of requestor, etc. Use of the extended
log file format is preferable.
Login -
the identification or name used to access a computer,
network or site.
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M
Mailing list -
an automatically distributed e-mail message on a particular
topic going to certain individuals.
Megabyte -
a million bytes.
.MP3 -
a computer file format that compresses audio files by a
factor of 12 from a .wav file.
Modem -
device which transfers digital signals to analog signals and
vice versa suitable for sending across phone or
cable lines.
MPEG -
1) the file format that is used to compress and transmit
movies or video clips online; 2) standards set by the
Motion Picture Exports Group for video media.
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N
Newsgroup -
an electronic bulletin board devoted to talking about a
specific topic and open to everybody. Only a handful
of newsgroups permit the posting of advertising.
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O
Opt-in -
refers to an individual giving a company permission to use
data collected from or about the individual for a
particular reason, such as to market the company's products
and services. See permission marketing.
Opt-in e-mail -
lists of Internet users who have voluntarily signed up to
receive commercial e-mail about topics of interest.
Opt-out -
when a company states that it plans to market its products
and services to an individual unless the individual
asks to be removed from the company's mailing list.
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P
Page impression -
a measurement of responses from a Web server to a page
request from the user’s browser, which is filtered
from robotic activity and error codes, and is recorded at a
point as close as possible to the opportunity to see
the page by the user.
Page request -
the opportunity for an HTML document to appear on a browser
window as a direct result of a user's
interaction with a Web site.
Page view -
when the page is actually seen by the user. Note: this is
not measurable today; the best approximation today
is provided by page displays.
Password -
a group of letters and/or numbers which allow a unique user
access to a secured Web site and/or a secure
area of a Web site.
Pay-per-Click -
an advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay
agencies and/or media companies based on how
many users clicked on an online ad or e-mail message.
Pay-per-Impression -
an advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay based
on how many users were served their ads.
PDF files (Portable Document Format) -
a translation format developed by Adobe used primarily for
distributing files across a network, or on a Web
site. Files with a .pdf extension have been created in
another application and then translated into .pdf files
so they can be viewed by anyone, regardless of platform.
Pixel -
picture element (single illuminated dot) on a computer
monitor.
The metric used to indicate the size of Internet ads.
Plug-in -
a program application that can easily be installed and used
as part of a Web browser. Once installed, plug-in
applications are recognized by the browser and their
function integrated into the main HTML file being
presented.
Pop-up ad -
ad that appears in a separate window on top of content
already on-screen. Similar to a daughter window, but
without an associated banner.
Privacy policy -
a statement about what information is being collected; how
the information being collected is being used;
how an individual can access his/her own data collected; how
the individual can opt-out; and what security
measures are being taken by the parties collecting the data.
Protocol -
a uniform set of rules that enable two devices to connect
and transmit data to one another. Protocols
determine how data are transmitted between computing devices
and over networks. They define issues
such as error control and data compression methods. The
protocol determines the following: type of error
checking to be used, data compression method (if any), how
the sending device will indicate that it has
finished a message and how the receiving device will
indicate that it has received the message. Internet
protocols include TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol),
FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol).
Proxy servers -
intermediaries between end users and Web sites such as ISPs,
commercial online services, and corporate
networks. Proxy servers hold the most commonly and recently
used content from the Web for users in order
to provide quicker access and to increase server security.
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Q
Query -
a request for information, usually to a search engine.
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R
Re-direct -
when used in reference to online advertising, one server
assigning an ad-serving or ad-targeting function to
another server, often operated by a third company. For
instance, a Web publisher's ad management server
might re-direct to a third-party hired by an advertiser to
distribute its ads to target customers; and then
another re-direct to a "rich media" provider might also
occur if streaming video were involved before the ad
is finally delivered to the consumer. In some cases, the
process of re-directs can produce latency. See ad
serving, latency.
Real time -
events that happen in real time are happening virtually at
that particular moment. When one chats in a chat
room, or sends an instant message, one is interacting in
real time since it is immediate.
Referral link -
the referring page, or referral link is a place from which
the user clicked to get to the current page. In other
words, since a hyperlink connects one URL to another, in
clicking on a link the browser moves from the
referring URL to the destination URL. Also known as source
of a visit.
Repeat visitor -
unique visitor who has accessed a Web site more than once
over a specific time period.
Robot -
a program that runs automatically without human
intervention. Typically, a robot is endowed with some
artificial intelligence so that it can react to different
situations it may encounter. Two common types of robots
are agents and spiders. Commercial robots are programs that
are used to fetch Web pages, but the user
never has an opportunity to see the content of the requested
documents. Personal robots provide the user
with the opportunity to see the requested Web pages, usually
in an offline mode. Also known as bots.
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S
Search engine -
a program that helps Web users find information on the
Internet. The method for finding this information is
usually done by maintaining an index of Web resources that
can be queried for the keywords or concepts
entered by the user.
Server -
a computer which distributes files which are shared across a
LAN, WAN or the Internet. Also known as a
"host".
Session -
1) a sequence of Internet activity made by one user at one
site. If a user makes no request from a site
during a 30 minute period of time, the next content or ad
request would then constitute the beginning of a
new visit; 2) a series of transactions performed by a user
that can be tracked across successive Web sites.
For example, in a single session, a user may start on a
publisher's Web site, click on an advertisement and
then go to an advertiser's Web site and make a purchase.
Skins -
customized and interchangeable sets of graphics, which allow
Internet users to continually change the look
of their desktops or browsers, without changing their
settings or functionality. Skins are a type of marketing
tool.
Spam -
slang term describing unsolicited e-mail.
Spider -
a program that automatically fetches Web pages. Spiders are
used to feed pages to search engines. It is
called a spider because it crawls over the Web. Because most
Web pages contain links to other pages, a
spider can start almost anywhere. As soon as it sees a link
to another page, it goes off and fetches it. Large
search engines have many spiders working in parallel. See
robot.
Splash page -
a preliminary page that precedes the user-requested page of
a Web site that usually promotes a particular
site feature or provides advertising. A splash page is timed
to move on to the requested page after a short
period of time or a click. Also known as an interstitial.
Splash pages are not considered qualified page
impressions under current industry guidelines, but they are
considered qualified ad impressions.
Sponsor -
1) a sponsor is an advertiser who has sponsored an ad and,
by doing so, has also helped sponsor or sustain
the Web site itself; 2) an advertiser that has a special
relationship with the Web site and supports a specific
feature of a Web site, such as a writer's column or a
collection of articles on a particular subject.
Streaming -
1) technology that permits continuous audio and video
delivered to a computer from a remote Web site; 2)
an Internet data transfer technique that allows the user to
see and hear audio and video files. The host or
source compresses, then "streams" small packets of
information over the Internet to the user, who can
access the content as it is received.
Surfing -
exploring the World Wide Web.
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T
Traffic -
the number of visits and/or visitors who come to a Web site.
Transfer -
the successful response to a page request; also when a
browser receives a complete page of content from a
Web server.
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U
Unique user -
unique individual or browser which has either accessed a
site (see unique visitor) or which has been served
unique content and/or ads such as e-mail, newsletters,
interstitials and pop-under ads. Unique users can be
identified by user registration or cookies. Reported unique
users should filter out robots. See iab.net for ad
campaign measurement guidelines.
Unique visitor -
a unique user who accesses a Web site within a specific time
period. See unique user.
Upload -
to send data from a computer to a network. An example of
uploading data is sending e-mail.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) -
the unique identifying address of any particular page on the
Web. It contains all the information required to
locate a resource, including its protocol (usually HTTP),
server domain name (or IP address), file path
(directory and name) and format (usually HTML or CGI).
User -
an individual with access to the World Wide Web.
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V
Viewer -
person viewing content or ads on the Web. There is currently
no way to measure viewers.
Visit -
measurement which has been filtered for robotic activity of
one or more text and/or graphics downloads from
a site without 30 consecutive minutes of inactivity and
which can be reasonably attributed to a single
browser for a single session.
Visit duration -
the length of time the visitor is exposed to a specific ad,
Web page or Web site during a single session.
Visitor -
individual or browser which accesses a Web site within a
specific time period.
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W
Web site -
the virtual location (domain) for an organization's or
individual's presence on the World Wide Web.
Webcasting -
real-time or pre-recorded delivery of a live event’s audio,
video, or animation over the Internet.
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