VMPlus Computer and Internet Glossary

There are three types of addresses in use with the World Wide Web. These are Domain Names, E-mail and IP numbers (Internet Protocol addresses).

An email address that forwards to another email address. Commonly used for a short and easy to remember email address that translates into another usually long and difficult to remember email address.

The mobile phone operating system used by Google (Alphabet), Android integrates with Google services like Google Maps, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, etc. It is based on the Linux kernel (an Open Source operating system).

Antivirus Software is computer software designed to prevent, detect, and remove malicious software, also known as malware. The software protects against viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and other threats. There are many popular anti-virus programs which can be loaded onto your PC or Mobile Phone - sometimes included with the purchase of a new device. Most of these programs are available as a Paid Subscription service.

The most popular Web Server software on the Internet. Apache is an open source server application. Designed as a set of modules, enabling administrators to choose which features they wish to use and making it easy to add features to meet specific needs, including handling various protocols such as the web-standard HTTPS protocol for secure connections.

A software program installed on a Mobile Device, Phone, Tablet, etc. App’s allow your device do something, like play music, a game or give directions. “App” is a misappropriation of “Application” as it refers to software written for the PC, Mac or Linux based operating systems.

An Application is software that allows a PC, Mac or Linux based operating system computer to do something/accomplish a task. Examples include Word Processors, Spreadsheets, Browsers, Games and Photo-Image Editors. An application is generally synonymous with a program.

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. This is the "De facto", worldwide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lower case Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. There are 128 standard ASCII codes which can be represented by a 7 digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111. While ASCII was once the dominant encoding, it has been largely superseded by Unicode, which supports a wider range of characters.

An automated response to an e-mail inquiry, generated by a Mail Server that is programmed to acknowledge receipt of an e-mail request. Most e-mail Clients, Apps and Browsers allow you to customize the response e-mail sent. Useful for including information about availability or send additional information about a specific product or service.

An image that represents you in online games, social media platforms, chat rooms, etc., it is generally tied to a user's account. When you post on social networks or in forums, your avatar may appear next to your posts. Many users register an Avatar with a website that will synchronize one image, bio (optional) and other information to maintain a consistent online presence.  One of the most popular Avatar registration sites is Gravatar.

A Backlink is a clickable hyperlink that directs users from one website to another. Search engines like Google, Bing and others use backlinks as a ranking factor, meaning websites with more high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search results. If a lot of websites have Backlinks to your website, it may get a higher search ranking.

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data which can be transmitted over a local network or internet connection in a given amount of time. Bandwidth is often mistaken for internet speed. It is generally calculated in megabits per second (Mbps). Bandwidth is how much information you receive every second, while Speed is how fast that information is received or downloaded.

A Bulletin Board System (BBS) is an early form of online communication where users could dial into a computer system using a modem to access message boards, share files, and connect with other users. Think of a BBS as a precursor to modern forums, social networking, and online communities, predating the widespread adoption of the internet.

In computing, a Bit (short for "binary digit") is the smallest unit of digital information. It represents a logical state with one of two possible values, typically 0 or 1, or off or on.  Computers use combinations of Bits to represent information, including numbers, text, images, and instructions so Bits are fundamental to how computers work. (Also see Byte)

A Blind Link refers to a hyperlink that lacks descriptive text, making it unclear where it leads. This can be confusing for users, including those with visual impairments who rely on screen readers to navigate the web. Blind links typically use text like " Click here" or just the URL itself, which doesn't provide context to the user. This is sometimes considered deceptive coming from the Internet advertising/marketing world, but it is still commonly used.

A Blog (short for “weblog”) is an online journal or informational website run by an individual, group, or business that offers regularly updated content (blog posts) about a topic. It usually presents information in reverse chronological order and it's written in an informal or conversational style. Many Blogs include people's opinions, photos, and videos about a particular subject.

The saving of a website address (URL) or specific webpage in your Browser allowing you to easily visit the website again. The term bookmarking is also used when in reference to Social Bookmarking, where you post and share your favorite websites.

Internet Bots are automated software programs that perform tasks on the internet, often mimicking human activity. They can be beneficial, like search engine crawlers, or malicious, like Bots used for spam or cyberattacks. A significant portion of internet traffic is generated by Bots, with some reports indicating that nearly half of all traffic may be Bots.

Bounce as applied to email means an email message failed to reach the intended recipient and was returned to the sender. This can happen for various reasons, either temporarily (soft bounce) or permanently (hard bounce). Bounced emails are a sign that something went wrong with the delivery process.

Bounce Rate for a Website is a number that shows the percentage of website visits where a visitor leaves after viewing only one page. It's a key indicator of website engagement and user experience, as it can reveal whether visitors find the content engaging enough to explore further. A high Bounce Rate can suggest issues like poor design, slow loading times, or irrelevant content. Bounce Rate is calculated by dividing the number of bounces (single-page sessions) by the total number of website entrances.

A Browser is software that resides on your computer which can be used to request information from the Internet. Software on the Web Server sends the Web page information back to your Browser. It is your browser which interprets the Site coding in order to display them correctly on your monitor.
Some of the most popular and secure Browsers are:
Firefox, Waterfox, Slim Browser, Microsoft Edge, Safari, FreeNet, SeaMonkey, Chromium, Epic, Vivaldi, Google Chrome, Brave, OmniWeb, Torch.

A Byte is a group of binary digits or bits (which represent a 0 or 1.) which reside in computer memory. Generally, 8 Bits will make up a Byte. In computers for example, Bytes are typically used to measure memory and file sizes, serving as the basis for larger units like kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes, etc. (Also see Bit)

A CAPTCHA is program or coding on a web page used as a way of thwarting spam and automated extraction data programs or bots. A CAPTCHA intended to distinguish humans from machine input. A CAPTCHA presents a test, often involving distorted text, images, or a simple question, that humans can readily solve. ( Also see ReCAPTCHA )

Content Management Systems are software applications that can be used to manage the creation and modification of web pages or websites without the need for specialized technical knowledge. A CMS allows multiple users to work on the same project from different locations. Wordpress, Joomla! and Drupal are some of the most popular examples of CMS software, and are Open Source.

The term Conversion with regard to SEO means the percentage of people who go from clicking on an ad or visiting a website to actually making a sale. The Conversion rate indicates that the link or ad was successful since it moved from a simple click to a actual sale.

Browser Cookies are small files that websites use to collect and store information about you on your computer or other device. A Cookie can track web pages or websites you visit, your login details or browsing preferences. They are created by a web server and sent to your browser, which then stores them for a set period of time. Cookies can help personalize your web experience, making it easier to navigate and access websites you visit frequently. Some websites may sell information about your use of the web to other companies, so it is usually recommended that cookies be removed after each use of the internet.

A Web Hosting Control Panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a website for the website owner or "end user". A feature of cPanel is that it enables administration through a standard web browser using a three-tier structure. With over 80 different features, cPanel It claims to be the most powerful online control panel available.

Cost Per Mile, CPM is an Internet advertising term that relates to the cost to get One Thousand Ad Impressions (views). If an internet ad is $2.00-CPM, the advertiser will pay $2.00 for every 1,000 impressions of its Ad. The word mille is Latin for “thousand”, hence Cost Per “Mile”.

CSS or Cascade Style Sheet is a style sheet programming language (i.e., "style.css" or "footer.css") CSS files control the look and feel of a website. The usefulness of CSS is a way to change web page styles, size, color, font, images, and other options throughout the whole site by modifying just one file. A Website with 10,000+ pages could have every page reflect the changes just by changing the one line in the master style sheet file.

Comma Separated Values, CSV files are used by spreadsheet, database and other information storing programs. These files will store information in individual rows of data, with each segment of information “separated” by a character such as a “ , ” or “ ; ”.  CSV files can be useful for moving names, addresses, dollar amounts, etc. between programs and devices.

Click-Through Rate. For a website, the CTR is the percentage of actual clicks on a banner, button, link or other web page element . If there are 100 views for say, a banner ad, and if it gets only 10 clicks - Then the advertisement has a 10% Click-Through Rate.

Cyberspace refers to the online world of computer networks, particularly the internet, where people interact and exchange information. It encompasses various digital spaces, like social media, online marketplaces, and even military networks. And being global in scope, it is a space where information can be stored, modified, and exchanged regardless of physical location. The term Cyberspace was first used by the American-Canadian author William Gibson in 1982 in a story in Omni magazine and then in his book Neuromancer.

A Database is a structured collection of data or records organized for a specific purpose that can be searched. An organized collection of information. Complicated databases link information between multiple tables allowing for analysis of the contained information. An address book is an example basic database.

Direct Response marketing is a strategy that aims to immediately evoke a specific action from the target audience, such as purchasing a product or subscribing to a service. It focuses on encouraging immediate response and can be tracked more easily than indirect marketing. Clicking a button on a webpage that says “Buy Now” is and example of a Direct Response.

An online Discussion Group is a focus group of people who typically communicate via a chat or messaging platform. Businesses owners may use the information or feedback collected from the discussion group to make changes to their product or services.

A Domain Name is a string of text that maps to an alphanumeric IP address, used to access a website from client software. Simply put, a domain name is the text that a user types into a browser window to reach a particular website. Example: The domain name for VMPlus is vmplus.net , pronounced “vmplus dot net”. In this example “net” is the Top-Level Domain (TLD) while “vmplus” is the Second-Level Domain (SLD). The TLD’s of domains that we will frequent are .com, .net, .org, .edu and .gov. Beginning in 2012, a program allowing for potentially hundreds of additional TLD’s was implemented.

Download or “Downloading” is the process of receiving data from a remote system, like a web server, onto your local computer. It's essentially the opposite of uploading, where you send data to a remote server. Downloading usually refers to transferring entire files for storage and later use.

Open Source refers to publicly accessible software where anyone can view, modify, and distribute the source code. This collaborative model encourages transparency and allows for community-driven development and improvement. The Open Source Initiative defines what qualifies as open-source software, with the core principle being that the software must allow for free modification, use, and redistribution.

ReCAPTCHA is a popular CAPTCHA service that uses machine learning to analyze user behavior and determine if they are human or a bot. ( See CAPTCHA )