Plain English Web Glossary

... simple explanations of web 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 to 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 complete the form below:

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