Some Frequently Asked Questions...

What is WWW? The World Wide Web is the Internet-connected files, the very large set of linked documents and other files located on computers connected through the Internet and used to access, manipulate, and download data and programs.  The World Wide Web is a hypertext system that allows users to jump from one place to another, rapidly becoming one of the most popular services on the Internet.

What is the Internet?

What is a Domain Name? A domain name is the name you use to address a web site. It is also known as a URL, or address, once www and .com is added to it. www.oconnor-originals.com is an example of a domain name. Other extensions, or endings, are available.  Besides the popular .com, there is .net, .org and the newer .info and .tv.  The .gov is reserved for government sites and the .edu for educational ones. 

Once the InterNIC announces that your domain name has been registered (or transferred, if applicable), it usually takes about 72-hours before it is active. All internet providers must update their records (DNS tables) to reflect new site locations. This is called propagation.

What is HTML? The language that is used to define and describe the page layout of documents displayed in the WWW browser, it stands for Hypertext Mark-Up Language.

What is a link or hyperlink? A word, picture or other area of a web page that users can click to move to another spot in the document or to another document.  Usually, when the cursor moves over a link, it changes to a hand icon.  The link may change colors, become underlined or have other effects applied when the mouse hovers over it.

What is cgi? CGI scripting allows web pages to supply feedback for form, message boards, areas a visitor to your site can only access with a password and more.  It stands for Consumer Gateway Interface.  Any piece of software can be a CGI program if it handles input and output according to the CGI standard.

What is the function of the "cgi-bin" directory?  This directory allows you to execute a CGI script written in Perl, Unix Shell, or C. Perl and shell programs are self-compiling and can be utilized immediately after transfer to this directory/folder.  C programs must first be compiled before they will function.  The “bin” part of “cgi-bin” is a shorthand version of “binary”, because most programs were referred to as “binaries”.

What is a Host? The Host owns the server where files are uploaded to the world wide web.

What is FTP?  This stands for File Transfer Protocol and it is the method of transferring files from a computer to a web server.  This is necessary so that others may view your website. 

  What is a frame? An advanced web browser feature that allows multiple individual pages to displayed on one screen. 

  What is a web image?

GIF or Graphic Interchange Format is a common format for image files, especially suitable for images containing large areas of the same color. GIF format files of simple images are often smaller than the same file would be if stored in JPEG format, but GIF format does not store photographic images as well as JPEG.  The GIF format also allows the creation of animations from GIF files as well as transparent GIFs.  The transparent GIF is one with the background color removed so that it appears to float on the web page's background.  An example would be yourlogo.gif

JPEG or Joint Photographic Experts Group  is most commonly mentioned as a format for image files. JPEG format is preferred to the GIF format for photographic images as opposed to line art or simple logo art.

  What is a Thumbnail? A "clickable" thumbnail photo loads a larger screen-size photo. Examples of thumbnails may be found here.

  What do you mean by site relocation? Someone may have a site on a free server and then wish to move it to a server that allows www.yoursite.com, or may wish to move from one server to another for other reasons.

  What is JavaScript? JavaScript is a programming language developed by Netscape that is mainly used in web pages, usually to add features that make the web page more interactive. When JavaScript is included in an HTML file it relies upon the browser to interpret the JavaScript. When JavaScript is combined with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and later versions of HTML (4.0 and later) the result is often called DHTML. 

It's original name was "LiveScript", but the name was changed to JavaScript to cash in on the popularity of Java. JavaScript and Java are two different programming languages.

  What is CSS?  This stands for Cascading Style Sheets.  This a Web technology which allows documents to be created with built-in custom formatting styles.  These styles can be applied to pages throughout a web site.  Style sheets work in much the same way as the styles in desktop publishing and word processing documents do.

  What is ASP?  This stands for Active Server Pages.  They are web pages which are enhanced with programs, scripts and other web technologies which respond to user input or contain animated special effects.

  What is a form?  Why would I want one?  A form allows users to enter information, select options and post data to the server.  An example of a form can be found at Planning Guide.  You could use a form if you are collecting names for a mailing list.

  What does a search engine do? If you are registered with search engines then anyone looking for your type of site will be directed to it.

  What is a Cookie?  The most common meaning of “Cookie” on the Internet refers to a piece of information sent by a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server.

Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browser’s settings, the Browser may accept or not accept the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long time.

Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online “shopping cart” information, user preferences, etc.  They can help "remember" your information so that you don't have to type in your information every time you access or order from a site such as amazon.com.

When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able to use the information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what is sent back to the user, or keep a log of particular user’s requests.

Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time and are usually saved in memory until the Browser software is closed down, at which time they may be saved to disk if their “expire time” has not been reached.

Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be used to gather more information about a user than would be possible without them.