Contents:
	Welcome Step One Internet Providers Design Your Own Page Publicize Your Site	Web Page Developers Online Resources Online Security Vermont Businesses Glossary
	PDF Version of "Cyberselling in Vermont" (requires free Acrobat Reader)

Sen. Leahy's Guide to Doing Business on the Internet

Glossary

Bandwidth - Bandwidth (the width of a band of electromagnetic frequencies) is used to mean (1) how fast data flows on a given transmission path, and (2) the width of the range of frequencies that an electronic signal occupies on a given transmission medium. Any digital or analog signal has a bandwidth.

Broadband - Broadband in the context of the Internet is most often used to refer to bandwidth. The greater the bandwidth, the faster one can transmit information from one point to another. The level of bandwidth of a particular transmission is most often measured by the amount of digital bits that one can transmit per second. A byte is a number of bits and is measured using metric prefixes so that you have a kilobyte, a megabyte, a gigabyte and so on. Certain types of content and applications require a certain amount of bandwidth in order to viewed, listened to, or to function at an optimal level.

Browser - Interactive software program for accessing the Internet. The graphical interface displays pictures, text, and multimedia elements such as video and sound clips. Interaction is through mouse point and click actions.

Domain Name - The unique name that identifies a specific Internet site. Domain Names always have two or more parts, separated by dots. Names are regulated and assigned by the quasi-public agency, Internic.

Downloading - The process of receiving a file from another computer. The file is downloaded by the receiver.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - A method for moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires coming into the subscriber’s premises are the same (copper) wires used for regular phone service. A commonly discussed configuration of DSL allows downloads at speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second. This arrangement is called an ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.

E-mail (Electronic mail) - Programs that enable a user on one computer to send messages to users on other computers. This can be done in the same office on a network or across the globe through a gateway to the Internet.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - The process of sending/uploading files to and receiving/downloading files from other computers. To do this you must first know the name of the file and the address of the site where it is located. Then you can go to that site and ftp it.

Home Page - The main page of a web site.

Host (Hosting Service) - A powerful server linked directly to the Internet that serves as a "host" or repository for one or more web sites.

HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) - The language World Wide Web pages are written it.

HTML Accessories (Hyper-Text Markup Language Accessories) - World Wide Web page authoring programs that help create tables, forms, image maps, Java applets, and so forth.

HTML Editors (Hyper-Text Markup Language Editors) - World Wide Web page editing programs that use buttons and icons to insert coded tags.

HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) - The protocol used on the World Wide Web. This protocol moves Hyper-Text files (i.e. the *.html files used in World Wide Web pages) across the Internet.

Hyper-Text - Text containing "links" to other documents. A reader selects highlighted text which causes anther document to be retrieved and displayed.

Image Viewers - Image viewers load and save image files, such as GIF and JPEG. Some programs manipulate and convert graphics as well.

Internet - The world-wide network of computer networks connected to each other. Resources can be shared with any computer having access to a dedicated Internet connection. The Internet enables electronic mail, web pages, file transfer, and so forth.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) - Basically a way to move more data over existing regular phone lines. ISDN is rapidly becoming available to much of the USA and in most markets it is priced very comparably to standard analog phone circuits. It can provide speeds of roughly 128,000 bits-per-second over regular phone lines. In practice, most people will be limited to 56,000 or 64,000 bits-per-second.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) - One of two services that sell access time on the Internet. Both national and local ISPs provide unlimited access and storage space on their servers for a fee. The other way to access the Internet is via an online service.

Java - A programming language used to create mini-programs known as applets. Applets automatically download when you come across a Java-enhanced web site, such as some online games and animated web pages. Java is not machine specific. Therefore, programs and applets created in Java work in a variety of computer systems.

Java Application (a.k.a. Java Applets) - Plug-ins. Mini-applications that are written in Java. Java applets provide web pages with animations, live updating, two-way interactions, and more. Java applets allow cross-platform programmability – that is, they can be imported into a variety of computer systems. Java applets are embedded right into HTML pages.

Narrowband - 1. A restricted frequency band, usually for a single user or used for a single purpose. 2. A range of frequencies contained within a braodband. 3. A communications channel that can carry data from 50 bps to 64 Kbps.

Online Service - One of two services that sell access time on the Internet. Online services, such as America Online, provide not only access to the Net but also a lot of their own content which may make navigating the Internet easier. They also provide tools and assistance for creating web pages. The other way to access the Internet is via an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Server - A computer, or software package, providing specific services to client software, (e.g., a Browser) that runs on other Computers. The term "Server" can refer to either a particular piece of software, such as a World Wide Web server, or to an actual machine on which the software is running.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - The basic language all computers on the Internet use to talk to each other and to send bits of information that make up web pages, FTP, and everything else. TCP/IP is a platform-independent standard that enables dissimilar computer, operating systems, and networks to exchange data over the Internet. A TCP/IP Stack needs to be installed and setup to go online.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - The standardized address format used for Internet addresses. A typical Internet URL looks like this: http://www.geocites.com. When URLs are entered into World Wide Web Browser address boxes, they bring you to that particular address.

Web Page - Any page or screen from a web site.

Web Site - A page or collection of pages on the World Wide Web accessible to anyone with Internet access and web browser software. Web site can be either personal of commercial.

Wireless - Wireless is a term used to describe telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves, rather than some form of wire, carry the signal over part or all of the communication path.