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Electronic Marketing - Glossary
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The official policy statement regarding use of a network as applied by many transit networks that
restrict use to in regards to their networks. A well-known example is NSFNet which does not
allow commercial use. Enforcement of AUPs varies with the network.
Address
There are three types of addresses in common use within the Internet: email address, IP (internet)
or Internet address, and hardware or MAC address.
Address Resolution
Conversion of the Internet address into the corresponding physical address.
Ad hoc query
A temporary query for which neither the specification nor the output are saved.
Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET)
A pioneering network funded by ARPA (now DARPA). It served as the basis for early
networking research, as well as a central backbone during the development of the Internet. The
ARPANET consisted of individual packet switching computers interconnected by leased lines.
Advertising
Any form of nonpersonal communication about an organization, product, service, or idea placed
by an identified sponsor.
Affinity marketing
A marketing strategy that offers benefits to a group of persons who has a similar interest.
Marketing segmentation strategy appeals to the emotions of people who share common beliefs,
heritage, or pastimes.
America Online
A large, commercial, online service.
Anonymous FTP
Anonymous FTP allows a user to retrieve documents, files, programs, and other archived data
from anywhere in the Internet without having to establish a user-id and password. By using the
special user-id of "anonymous" the network user will bypass local security checks and will have
access to publicly accessible files on the remote system.
Acquirer
The financial institution or other payment processor that establishes an account with a merchant and
processes payment card authorizations and payments in accordance with card association regulations.
Application Protocol
Protocol that normally layers directly on top of TCP/IP. For example: HTTP, TELNET, FTP, and
SMTP.
Arbitron
Television and rating service that publishes regular reports for selected markets.
Archie
A service run over the Internet network that searches anonymous FTP sites for publicly available
files. Archie runs on Internet hosts all over the world and is usually accessed via Telnet.
ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency)
The U.S. Government agency responsible for creating the Internet, by means of technical
innovation and technology transfer projects and as a "distributed resources" national defense
strategy.
ARPAnet
A research network built in the 1970s that is used as a test-bed for protocols and other
communications facilities which led to the Internet, and was advanced as a common networking
and addressing scheme for interconnection of computers on existing and developing networks.
Asynchronous
A process in a multitasking system whose execution can proceed independently "in the
background." Other processes may be started before the asynchronous process has finished.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
A method for the dynamic allocation of bandwidth using a fixed-size packet called a cell.
Attribute
An attribute further defines an Entity. Attributes are the general equivalent of physical columns
in a table. Used in Logical Data Modeling.
Audiotext
An automated system that will send a set documents to the user when the proper document
number is requested. These systems are often used for customer support to reduce the load of
repetitive questions to the customer services representatives. These systems are often in the form
of a fax back or fax on demand system.
Authentication
The ability of one entity to determine the identity of another entity. Identity is the binding
between a public key and a name and the implicit ownership of the corresponding private key.
Auto-knowledge
Software programs that emulate activities of human response.
Automatic procurement
An automated system in which inventories can be ordered and purchased by software programs.
Product codes, passwords, and buyer keys protect the system.
Avatar
An image representing a user in a multiuser virtual reality space.
Backbone
The top level in a hierarchical network. All systems which have connectivity to an intermediate
system on the backbone are assured of connectivity to each other. This does not prevent systems
from setting up private arrangements with each other to bypass the backbone for reasons of cost,
performance, or security.
Back-end system
Any network system performing either the final stage in a process, or a task not apparent to the
user.
Back Office
Operations support that does not deal with customers face-to-face.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be sent through a given communications circuit.
Bulletin Board System (BBS)
A computer and associated software which typically provides electronic messaging
services, archives of files, and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin
board system's operator. Although BBS's have traditionally been the domain of
hobbyists, an increasing number of BBS's are connected directly to the Internet, and many
BBS's are currently operated by government, educational, and research institutions.
Behavioral segmentation
A method of segmenting any market by dividing customers into groups based on their
usage, loyalties, or buying responses to a product or service.
Bit
The bit is the smallest unit of information that a computer can work with. Each bit is
either a one or a zero. Most computer operations involve chunks or bits rather than one
bit at a time; the smallest chunk of bits a computer usually works with consists of 8 bits,
or a byte. Low level programming languages permit operations at the bit level.
Bitnet (Because It’s Time Network)
An academic computer network that provides interactive electronic mail and file transfer
services, using a store-and-forward protocol, based on IBM Network Job Entry protocols.
Bitnet-II encapsulates the Bitnet protocol within IP packets and depends on the Internet to
route them.
Boolean search
The use of logical connectors - and, or, not - to search for a combination of data meeting
a set of criteria.
Branding
The activities involved in projecting the intangible asset of added value or goodwill
resulting from a positive image or product differentiation. Many times consumers feel a
strength of attachment because of a brand name, trademark, or a company name.
Branding usually occurs over years of positive exposure.
Broadcast
A special type of multicast packet which all nodes on the network are always willing to
receive.
Browser
Client tool for viewing HTML documents, Web page viewer (for GUI style document
rendering) providing access to Internet HTTP servers, and are tools used to surf, to
retrieve Web pages and other documents and access resources linked to them by using the
HTTP protocol. They can usually access other services (than HTTP) on Internet hosts,
such as news, mail, FTP, and so on.
Browser Wallet
A browser wallet is an application integrated with an Internet browser that facilitates
certificate and payment management. Typically it is created as a Netscape plug-in or ActiveX
control, which means that it is easily incorporated into the user’s browser. The browser
wallet provides the cardholder with secure storage and management of credit cards and
certificates while shopping.
Bulk Cipher
A cryptographic technique with certain performance properties and are used when large
quantities of data are to be encrypted/decrypted in a timely manner. Examples include
RC2, RC4, and IDEA.
Business-to-business
A commerce relationship in which products or services of one company are sold to
another company for production of consumer or industrial goods or services. Most
business-to-business sales occur within the supply chain.
Byte
Eight bits; a chunk of 8 ones and zeros. For example, 01000001 is a byte. A byte is equal
to one column in a file written as ASCII characters format.
Canonical domain names
A standard format of designating domain names.
Cardholder
The cardholder carries his or her browser wallet and works the Web, seeing the sites along
the way and racking up orders at various sites.
CERN
European Center for Particle Physics, formerly Centre European Researche Nuclear.
Early developers of WWW technology and the formal developers of the HTML
definition, in concert with the NSF, NCSA, IAB, ARPA, and DARPA.
CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team)
An organization formed by DARPA in November 1988 in response to the needs exhibited
during the Internet worm incident. The CERT charter is to work with the Internet
community to facilitate its response to computer security events involving Internet hosts,
to take proactive steps to raise the community's awareness of computer security issues
and to conduct research targeted at improving the security of existing systems.
Checkbox
An HTML graphic element for selecting among a choice list.
Clickstream analysis
A method of studying consumer behavior on the World Wide Web in which access logs
record consumer navigation at a Web site in terms of various measures such as ISP
addresses, time and date of access, and how many bytes of information transferred.
Clickthrough
The process of a visitor clicking on a Web advertisement and going to the advertiser's
Web site. Also called ad clicks or requests.
Clickthrough rates
The ratio of home page visits to additional clicks for information on the page; see also hit
ratio.
Client
A computer system or process that requests a service of another computer system or
process. A workstation requesting the contents of a file from a file server is a client of the
file server.
Client-server model
A common way to describe the paradigm of many network protocols. Examples include
the name-server/name-resolver relationship in DNS and the file-server/file-client
relationship in NFS.
Client Side Image Maps
Mapping tags provide the code for client side image maps.
Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
A consortium formed by American Research Libraries, CAUSE, and EDUCOM to
promote the creation of, and access to, information resources in networked environments
in order to enrich scholarship and enhance intellectual productivity.
Collaboration
Working jointly with others, especially in an intellectual endeavor.
Collaborative filtering
A program that accepts a certain type of data as input, transforms it in some manner, and
then outputs the transformed data.
Comite Consultatif International de Telegraphique et Telephonique (CCITT)
This organization is part of the United National International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) and is responsible for making technical recommendations about telephone and data
communications systems. Every four years CCITT holds plenary sessions where they
adopt new standards.
Common Gateway Interfaces (CGI scripts)
Small software programs for transferring information between a Web server and a CGI
program. This program is designed to accept and return data that conforms to CGI
specifications.
Compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)
A non-volatile optical data storage medium readable by a computer with a CD-ROM
drive. It is popular for distribution of large databases, software and especially multimedia
applications.
Compuserve
Large commercial on-line service.
Computed attribute
An attribute for which the value is calculated from other attributes. While computed
attributes may be stored in relations, they are not usually. Most often they are produced as
needed in the resolution of a query.
Computer virus
A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge
and runs against your wishes. Most viruses can also replicate themselves and are
manmade. A simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory
and bring the system to a halt. More dangerous viruses are capable of transmitting
themselves across networks and bypassing security systems.
Concurrent activities
Activities happening at the same time.
Consultative selling
The method of personal selling in which the sales representative gives ideas and advice to
the customer so that the customer willingly accepts these opinions.
Coordinating Committee for Intercontinental Research Networks (CCIRN)
A committee that includes the United States, FNC, and its counterparts in North America
and Europe. Co-chaired by the executive directors of the FNC and the European
Association of Research Networks (RARE), the CCIRN provides a forum for cooperative
planning among the principal North American and European research networking bodies.
Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (CREN)
Corporation for Research and Educational Networking which is a merger of BITNET and
CSNET networks.
Control Program for Microcomputers (CPM)
An early microcomputer operating system written by Gary Kildall of Digital Research for
8080 and Zilog Z80-based 8-bit computers. CP/M was very popular in the late 1970s but
was virtually wiped out by MS-DOS after the release of the IBM PC in 1981.
Control Tags
Tags used to control the entire page. Most of these tags are very necessary for the proper
working of web pages.
Convergence
The coming together of disparate media or technology to complement and expand the
capabilities of each individual medium.
Cookie
A handle, transaction ID, or other token of agreement between cooperating programs.
Country code
Originally, a two-letter abbreviation for a particular country, generally used as a top-level
domain. Country codes are based on ISO 3166 and are used as the top-level domain for
Internet hostnames in most countries but hardly ever in the USA.
Coupon key
An identification code or key placed on online ads or coupons.
Cracker
An individual who attempts to access computer systems without authorization. These
individuals are often malicious, as opposed to hackers, and have many means at their
disposal for breaking into a system.
Creativity
The ability to generate unique, novel approaches, generally reflected in new and improved
solutions to problems; an ability to express new combinations of existing
communications appeals or situations
Criterion
A characteristic or limitation applied to the values of an attribute to select some of the
rows of a relation during a query. (pl. criteria)
Cultural sensitivity
An awareness to the complexity of learned meanings, values, norms, and customs shared
by members of a society.
Customer loyalty
The behavior a customer exhibits as a preference for the continual purchase of a
particular brand.
Cybermall
A collection of online storefronts.
Cyberstore
A storefront which is online in a virtual, not physical, location.
Database
A collection of all the data needed by a person or organization to perform needed
functions; a collection of related files; any collection of data organized to answer queries;
a database management system.
Database engine
The software that holds the database and executes the requests against that database.
Access is an example of a Database Engine
Database manager
The person with primary responsibility for the design, construction, and maintenance of a
database; Also, a database management system.
Database management system
An integrated collection of programs designed to allow people to design databases, enter
and maintain data, and perform queries. See also database manager.
Data Encryption Key (DEK)
Used for the encryption of message text and for the computation of message integrity
checks (signatures).
Data Encryption Standard (DES)
A popular, standard encryption scheme.
Data mining
Analysis of data in a database using tools which look for trends or anomalies without
knowledge of the meaning of the data.
Data warehouse
A generic term for a system of storing, retrieving and managing large amounts of data.
Dead web
A Web site or address that has been abandoned.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
An agency of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for the development of new
technology for use by the military. DARPA (formerly known as ARPA) was responsible
for funding much of the development of the Internet.
Defense Data Network (DDN)
A global communications network serving the U.S. Department of Defense composed of
MILNET, other portions of the Internet, and classified networks that are not part of the
Internet. The DDN is used to connect military installations and is managed by the
Defense Information Systems Agency.
Defense Data Network Network Information Center (DDN NIC)
Often called "The NIC", the DDN NIC's primary responsibility is the assignment of
Internet network addresses and Autonomous System numbers, the administration of the
root domain, and providing information and support services to the DDN. It is also a
primary repository for RFCs.
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
Formerly called the Defense Communications Agency (DCA), this is the government
agency responsible for managing the DDN portion of the Internet, including the
MILNET. Currently, DISA administers the DDN, and supports the user assistance
services of the DDN NIC.
Demographics
The statistical study of human populations with reference to size and density, distribution,
and vital statistics.
Dialup
A temporary, as opposed to dedicated, connection between machines established over a
standard phone line.
Digital cash
A system that allows a person to pay for goods or services by transmitting a number from
one computer to another. Like the serial numbers on real dollar bills, the digital cash
numbers are unique. Each one is issued by a bank and represents a specified sum of real
money.
Digital certificates
An attachment to an electronic message used for security purposes.
Discussion Groups
An online discussion group. Online services and bulletin board services (BBS's) provide a
variety of forums, in which participants with common interests can exchange open
messages. Forums are sometimes called newsgroups or conferences.
Disintermediation
The act of separating or disconnecting.
Distributed database
A database in which the resources are stored on more than one computer system, often at
different physical locations.
Domain
A defined area of responsibility within the distributed, hierarchical system that is the
Internet. Internet hosts are identified by domain name for addressing and administrative
purposes.
Domain Name
A multi-part name that identifies an Internet server, where each component refers to a
computer, network, or organization, such as rtfm.mit.edu, representing an address in a
hierarchy.
Domain Name System (DNS)
A global naming system used in Internet communications for general-purpose,
name-to-resource mapping.
Dyadic communications
A process of direct communications between to two persons or parties such as a
salesperson and a customer.
Electronic business (E-business)
Another term for electronic commerce.
Electronic Commerce (E-commerce)
The conducting of business communication and transactions over networks and through
computers including the buying and selling of goods and services and the transfer of
funds through digital communications.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
The exchange of standardized document forms between computer systems for business
use.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
A non-profit, non-partisan organization funded in 1990 to work in the public interest
protecting fundamental civil liberties, including privacy and freedom of expression.
Electronic funds transfer
The transfer of funds via an electronic media.
Electronic Mail (Email)
A system whereby a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users (or
groups of users) via a communications network. Electronic mail is one of the most
popular uses of the Internet.
Electronic marketing
The process of situation analysis, marketing planning, and marketing implementation
activities, conducted mostly online, to facilitate electronic commerce.
Electronic marketing resources
Those electronic tools such as e-mail or videoconferencing systems, database systems, or
networks such as the World Wide Web, intranets, or extranets which facilitate electronic
transactions or communications.
Electronic publishing
The activity of publishing documents online.
Email address
The domain-based address that is used to send electronic mail to a specified destination.
Emoticons
An ASCII glyph used to indicate an emotional state in electronic news or mail.
Encryption
The translation of data into a secret code. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve
data security.
Enterprise reporting
The process of gathering information throughout the organization to assemble it into
comprehensive reports, rather than working among scattered, unconnected business
reporting.
Entity
A thing of significance, either real or conceptual, about which the business or system
being modeled needs to hold information. For example, if the business needs to process
sales orders, an Entity to represent sales orders would be recorded. An Entity generally
corresponds to a physical table. See also Attribute.
Ethernet
A 10-Mb/s standard for LANs, initially developed by Xerox, and later refined by Digital,
Intel and Xerox (DIX).
Ethics
Standards of fair and honest conduct.
EU Directive
Electronic commerce and communications regulations adopted by the European Union.
European Academic and Research Network (EARN)
A network connecting European academic and research institutions with electronic mail
and file transfer services using the Bitnet protocol.
Exchange process
A situation in which one party has something of value and a second party has the desire
and ability to give up something of value acceptable to the first party.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
An initiative from the W3C defining an "extremely simple" dialect of SGML suitable for
use on the World Wide Web.
Extranet
The extension of a company’s intranet out onto the Internet to allow selected customers,
suppliers, and mobile workers to access the company’s private data and applications via
the World Wide Web.
Facsimile
A process by which fixed graphic material including pictures, text, or images is scanned
and the information converted into electrical signals which are transmitted via telephone
to produce a paper copy of the graphics on the receiving fax machine.
Fair use
The use of a portion of copyrighted material in a way that does not infringe on the
owner’s rights. The use of a portion of material for educational purposes, literacy
criticism, or news reporting is often considered fair use.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Question.
Fax-on-demand
An automated fax machine that will fax set documents to the user when the proper
document number is requested. These systems are often used for customer support to
reduce the load of repetitive questions to the customer services representatives.
Federal Networking Council (FNC)
The coordinating group of representatives from those federal agencies involved in the
development and use of federal networking, especially those networks using TCP/IP and
the Internet. Current members include representatives from DOD, DOE, DARPA, NSF,
NASA, and HHS.
Feedback loop
A communications strategy in which part of the message receiver’s response is returned
to the sender.
Field
Term used by Access as a synonym for Attribute.
Figures
These tags are fairly new and not yet widely used, but typically represent advanced
images such as charts and figures.
File
The separately-named unit of storage for all data and programs on most computers; a term
used as a synonym for relation in some database managers such as Access or dBase.
File transfer
The copying of a file from one computer to another via a computer network.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A protocol which allows a user on one host to access and transfer files to and from
another host over a network. FTP is usually the name of the program the user invokes to
execute the protocol.
Filter
Access term for a persistent query.
Finger
A program that displays information about a particular user, or all users, logged on the
local system or on a remote system. It typically shows full name, last login time, idle
time, terminal line, and terminal location. It may also display plan and project files left by
the user.
Flame
An electronic mail or Usenet news message intended to insult, provoke or rebuke; the act
of sending such a message; to speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively
uninteresting subject with a patently ridiculous attitude or with hostility towards a
particular person or group of people.
Foreign key
One or more columns in a table whose values must match the values in the primary key of
the referenced table. The columns in the foreign key typically reference the primary key
of another table but may reference the same table. This mechanism allows two tables to
be joined together.
Form Tags
These tags are used to create fill-out forms.
Frame Tags
Elements used to divide the screen up into separate areas, each containing a different
HTML page.
FreeNet
Community-based bulletin board system with email, information services, interactive
communications, and conferencing. They are part of the National Public Telecomputing
Network (NPTN), an organization based in Cleveland, Ohio, devoted to making computer
telecommunication and networking services as freely available as public libraries.
Front-end system
In client/server applications, the client part of the program is often called the front end
and the server part is called the back end; hold statistics technology.
Fulfillment services
Services that satisfy the end need of the consumer.
Gateway
A communications device/program which passes data between networks having similar
functions but dissimilar implementations. This should not be confused with a protocol
converter. By this definition, a router is a layer 3 (network layer) gateway, and a mail
gateway is a layer 7 (application layer) gateway.
Geo-demographics
The marketing study of human populations focusing on two characteristics: demography
and geography.
Gigabyte (Gb)
Roughly one billion bytes (1 megabyte * 1024).
Global Business Dialogue
A coalition of international marketing and manufacturing companies enacted to
encourage dialogues of self-regulation among international businesses and foreign
governments.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A system for determining position on the Earth's surface by comparing radio signals from
several satellites.
Gopher
A distributed information service that makes hierarchical collections of information
available across the Internet. Gopher uses a simple protocol that allows a single Gopher
client to access information from any accessible Gopher server, providing the user with a
single "Gopher space" of information.
Gross Rating Point (GRP)
This is a measure of the advertising weight delivered vehicle or vehicles within a given
time period.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
The use of pictures rather than words to represent the input and output of a program.
GVU User survey
Georgia Tech’s Graphics, Visualization, and Utilization WWW User Survey.
Hackers
An amateur or a programmer who lacks formal training; sometimes used as a derogatory
term to refer to individuals who gain unauthorized access to computer systems for the
purpose of stealing and corrupting data. Hackers themselves maintain that the proper
term for such individuals is crackers.
Hit ratio
A relationship between page views and clickthroughs, often a conversion ratio of 1.5 to
0.5% of hits to clickthroughs is an acceptable rate
Hoaxes
A fraudulent report of a virus meant to cause confusion; a fake virus outbreak.
Hold statistics technology
The practice of applying statistical methods for measuring wait time for customers trying
to contact a company or organization by telephone.
Host
A computer that allows users to communicate with other host computers on a network.
Individual users communicate by using application programs, such as electronic mail,
Telnet and FTP.
Hostname
The name given to a machine.
Hot spots
A screen region that is sensitive to mouse clicks which trigger action.
Household clusters
Groupings of homes, either family or individual residences, that share similar
demographic or psychographic likeness.
HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML)
A collection of ASCII text markup methods defined in Standard Generalized Markup
Language (SGML) as HTML elements that are used to mark up the various components
of a World Wide Web document such as a Web page. HTML markup tags are used in
Web documents to embed information used by a client browser to control display of
substance document components such as title, headings, lists, paragraphs, and so on.
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
HTTP makes possible the use of hypertext documents on the Internet. A user clicks on
links in a document and moves retrieves the linked document, even if it is located on a
different computer.
HyperText Tags
Tags which control the way a page links to other pages, the embedding of images, sounds
and other media. This linking property is often called HyperMedia.
Identity
Tools that carry the desired image, or the “how” the image will be delivered.
Index
A method used to reorder rows or to display them in a specific order; a data structure used
to give rapid, random access to relations.
Information economy
An economic theory based on the value of the exchange of desired information
Intellectual property
The ownership of ideas and control over the tangible or virtual representation of those
ideas. Use of another person's intellectual property may or may not involve royalty
payments or permission, but should always include proper credit to the source.
Intelligent shopping agent
A computer program that performs intelligent tasks such as retrieving World Wide Web
documents and indexing references. A certain type of agent can perform functions that
help consumers in shopping on the Internet.
Interactivity
A term describing a program whose input and output are interleaved allowing the user’s
input to depend on earlier output from the same run.
Interactive advertising agency
A business organization, usually of independent ownership, that specializes in the
creation and implementation of interactive media such as kiosks and Web sites
Interactive kiosk
A booth providing a computer-related service, such as an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
Kiosks providing Internet access are expected to be popular in the near future.
International e-commerce
The practice of marketing and manufacturing goods and services for global consumption using
online shopping and information retrieval services accessed through a personal computer.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
A voluntary, nontreaty organization founded in 1946 which is responsible for creating
international standards in many areas, including computers and communications. Its members are
the national standards organizations of the 89 member countries, including ANSI for the U.S.
internet
(note the lower case “i”)While an internet is a network, the term "internet" is usually used to refer
to a collection of networks interconnected with routers.
Internet
(note the capital "I") The Internet is the largest internet in the world. Is a three level hierarchy
composed of backbone networks (e.g., NSFNET, MILNET), mid-level networks, and stub
networks. The Internet is a multiprotocol internet.
Internet2
A sub-network of the Next Generation Internet Initiative reserved for educational and academic
research.
Internet address
A IP address that uniquely identifies a node on an internet. An Internet address (capital "I"),
uniquely identifies a node on the Internet.
Internet appliance
An instrument of access to online services.
Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
The technical body that oversees the development of the Internet suite of protocols. It has two
task forces: the IETF and the IRTF. "IAB" previously stood for Internet Activities Board.
Internet Censorship
The prevention of publication, transmission, or exhibition of material considered undesirable for
the general public to process or be exposed to. This can include the censorship, in the national
interest, of military secrets, or of obscene material.
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG)
The IESG is composed of the IETF Area Directors and the IETF Chair. It provides the first
technical review of Internet standards and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the
IETF.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
The IETF is a large, open community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers
whose purpose is to coordinate the operation, management, and evolution of the Internet, as well
as resolve short-range and mid-range protocol and architectural issues.
Internet firewall
A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network, allowing
approved traffic in and out according to a specific plan.
Internet Protocol (IP)
The Internet Protocol, defined in STD 5, RFC 791, is the network layer for the TCP/IP Protocol
Suite. It is a connectionless, best-effort packet switching protocol.
Internet Registry (IR)
The IANA has the discretionary authority to delegate portions of its responsibility and, with
respect to network address and Autonomous System identifiers, has lodged this responsibility
with an IR. The IR function is performed by the DDN NIC.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
A worldwide party line protocol that allows one to converse with others in real time. IRC is
structured as a network of servers, each of which accepts connections from client programs, one
per user.
Internet Research Task Force (IRTF)
The IRTF is chartered by the IAB to consider long-term Internet issues from a theoretical point of
view. Multi-cast audio/video conferencing and privacy enhanced mail are samples of IRTF
output.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A commercial Internet host; the operator of a commercial Internet host, providing access to
Internet services usually via a variety of connection methods and account types.
Internet Society (ISOC)
The Internet Society is a non-profit, professional membership organization that facilitates and
supports the technical evolution of the Internet, stimulates interest in and educates the scientific
and academic communities, industry and the public about the technology, and promotes the
development of new applications for the system.
Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC)
Developed in cooperation with the Internet community, this group solicits for one or more
Network Information Service (NIS) Managers to provide and/or coordinate services for the
NSFNet community. Three organizations were selected to receive cooperative agreements and
together they constitute the InterNIC.
Intranet
Any network that provides similar services within an organization to those provided by the
Internet outside it but which is not necessarily connected to the Internet.
Intuitive navigation
A method of Web site operation which is based on knowing or perceiving by intuition
IP address
The 32-bit address defined by the Internet Protocol in STD 5, RFC 791. It is usually represented
in dotted decimal notation.
iVALS
Psychographic segmentation methodology developed by Stanford Research Institute in 1978,
termed “Values And LifeStyles,” now applied to and accessed by the Internet.
Join
A query that uses data from more than one relation and the relations must have at least one
attribute, called the join or linking attribute, in common.
Key
An attribute or combination of attributes. A combination of their values will be used to select
rows from a relation.
Knowbot
Robotic librarian or indexing application implemented in software to seek out information on
behalf of a user (e.g. search tool), or to filter information on behalf of a user ( i.e. filter a port or a
process such as a chat service). Also called BOT, Intelligent Agent, and Spider.
La Toile
“The Web,” in French, as in a spider’s web.
Legacy system
A computer system or application program which continues to be used in spite of its poor
compatibility with modern equivalents because of the cost of replacing or redesigning it is too
great.
Linear activities
Those activities that must be executed one at time, the next depending on the completion of the
previous activity.
“Linked storefront”
A storefront that is hyperlinked with a popular, general interest site.
Listening posts
An information gathering system of opinion retrieval, usually in a casual sitting.
ListServ
An automated mailing list distribution system originally designed for the Bitnet/EARN network.
Local Area Network (LAN)
A data network intended to serve an area of only a few square kilometers or less. Because the
network is known to cover only a small area, optimizations can be made in the network signal
protocols that permit data rates up to 100Mb/s.
List Tags
These tags provide the formatting for lists.
Mailbot
An e-mail system which automatically sends and receives e-mail.
Mail server
A software program that distributes files or information in response to requests sent via email.
Internet examples include Almanac and netlib. Mail servers have also been used in Bitnet to
provide FTP-like services.
Mailing list
A list of email addresses, used by a mail exploder, to forward messages to groups of people.
Generally, a mailing list is used to discuss certain set of topics, and different mailing lists discuss
different topics and may be moderated.
Many-to-many relationship
One or more rows in one relation may be related to one or more rows in a second relation by a
common value of a join attribute. This implies that each value of the join attribute may appear
any number of times in either relation or in both.
Mapping
The segmentation practice of dividing markets of similar characteristics by geographical
boundaries.
Marketing Implementation
Those activities which execute the strategies or ideas of the marketing plan. The implementation
stage initiates action of distributing products or services, producing and placing Web sites,
registering with search engines. Marketing implementation also monitors the performance of the
marketing campaign results.
Marketing planning
Based on the findings of the exploratory situation analysis, these are the activities to construct a
unique strategy of the marketing Ps—inputs for product, prize, promotion, and place
(distribution). Marketing planning is future-oriented while marketing implementation is
conducted mainly in the present.
Merchant
Offers goods or services in exchange for payment. A merchant that accepts credit cards must have a
relationship with a financial institution or other payment processor, known as an Acquirer.
Merchant Server
The merchant server is the merchandising and fulfillment engine for merchants selling on the Web.
For payments, it processes cardholder transactions and communicates with the acquiring bank or
credit card processor for approval and subsequent payment capture.
Meta data
Provides information about a database, including descriptions of the tables and columns, as well
as descriptions of the data stored within those tables and columns.
Meta search sites
A comprehensive site which covers a single topic.
Metasite
An all-in-one Web supersite. See also web portal.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A data network intended to serve an area the size of a large city. Such networks are being
implemented by innovative techniques, such as running optical fiber through subway tunnels. A
popular example of a MAN is SMDS.
Morals
Standards of conduct as right or wrong.
Mosaic
The first program to provide a slick multimedia graphical user interface to the Internet’s
burgeoning wealth of distributed information services at a time when access to the Internet was
expanding rapidly outside its pervious domain of academia and large industrial research
institutions.
Mouse-over
The process of moving your mouse over an item on a web site, usually visually clued by a small
hand icon appearing or some action taking place on the computer screen.
Multicast
A packet with a special destination address which multiple nodes on the network may be willing
to receive.
Multi-User Dungeon (MUD)
Adventure, role playing games, or simulations played on the Internet. Most MUDs are based on
the Telnet protocol. Also commonly called MOOs, and MUSEs.
Multi-User Simulation Environments (MUSE)
See Multi-User Dimensions.
Name resolution
The process of mapping a name into its corresponding address.
Namespace
A commonly distributed set of names in which all names are unique.
Narrowcasting
To send data to a specific list of recipients. The Internet uses both a broadcast and a narrowcast
model. Perhaps the best example of narrowcasting are e-mail lists where messages are sent only
to individuals who subscribe to the list.
National infrastructure
The underlying foundation or basic framework of a system, organization, or national entity for
conducting commerce.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
United States governmental body that provides assistance in developing standards. Formerly the
National Bureau of Standards.
National Research and Education Network (NREN)
The NREN is the realization of an interconnected gigabit computer network devoted to Hign
Performance Computing and Communications.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
A U.S. government agency whose purpose is to promote the advancement of science. NSF funds
science researchers, scientific projects, and infrastructure to improve the quality of scientific
research.
National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET)
A high speed hierarchical network of networks in the U.S., funded by the National Science
Foundation.
Natural language understanding
An artificial intelligence computer program designed for understanding human languages
through speech recognition, written input, and other methods.
Netiquette
A pun on "etiquette" referring to proper behavior on a network.
Network
A computer network is a data communications system that interconnects computer systems at
various different sites. A network may be composed of any combination of LANs, MANs or
WANs.
Network address
The network portion of an IP address. For a class A network, the network address is the first byte
of the IP address. For a class B network, the network address is the first two bytes of the IP
address. For a class C network, the network address is the first three bytes of the IP address. In
each case, the remainder is the host address.
Network Information Center (NIC)
A NIC provides information, assistance, and services to network users.
Network Information Services (NIS)
A set of services, generally provided by a NIC, to assist users in using the network.
Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
A protocol, defined in RFC 977, for the distribution, inquiry, retrieval, and posting of news
articles.
Next Generation Internet initiative (NGI)
A U.S. program designated to fund and coordinate federal agencies and academia to design and
build the next generation of Internet services.
Niche
A place, employment, or activity for which a person or product is best fitted.
Node
An addressable device attached to a computer network.
Nonce
A randomly generated value used to defeat playback attacks. One party randomly generates a
nonce and sends it to the other party. The receiver encrypts it using the agreed upon secret key
and returns it to the sender.
Objective and task method
Method in which the marketer delineates the marketing for the period and then calculates a cost
for each task.
One-to-many relationship
Exactly one row in one relation is related by a common join attribute to many rows in another
relation. This implies that each value of the join attribute is unique in the first relation but not
necessarily unique in the second.
One-to-one relationship
Exactly one row in one relation is related by a common join attribute to exactly one row in
another relation. This implies that each value of the join attribute appears no more than once in
each of the relations.
One voice
People joined together in one opinion or goal.
On-line
Actively using a computer system, especially the Internet; term should be hyphenated because it
is compounded from two words but the hyphen is often omitted in names of organizations or
services.
On-line customer service
Customer service that is available via the Internet.
On-line retailing
The process of conducting a retail business via the Internet.
Optical character mark reader
Referring to a peripheral device that reads marks from paper or an object and translates the
images into a form that the computer can manipulate.
Optical scanner
Peripheral devices that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translate the
information into a form that the computer can use.
Outsourcing
Paying another company to provide services which a company might otherwise have employed
its own staff to perform, such as software development.
Packet
The unit of data sent across a network; a generic term used to describe unit of data at all levels of
the protocol stack, but it is most correctly used to describe application data units.
Packet switching
A communications paradigm in which packets are individually routed between hosts, with no
previously established communication path.
Partnering
Cooperation between two or more independent companies to develop, manufacture, distribute, or
market a common product or service.
Payment Gateway
A device operated by an Acquirer or a designated third party that processes merchant payment
messages, including payment instructions from cardholders.
Personal Computer (PC)
Any of several types of computers designed for home use and general public consumption.
Persistent query
A query which is stored for reuse.
Personalized home pages
A standard home page such as AltaVista or Yahoo! that has been reworked to specify choices of
addresses which the viewer would like to see first.
Piracy
The unauthorized copying of software.
Popularity engines
Search engines that are added to Web sites such as home pages to increase the attractiveness or
utility of the Web site.
Positioning line
A creative statement that includes the benefit delivered to the market.
Post
To make a change to the stored data which may be done immediately or deferred until all related
changes can be checked and verified.
Product lifecycle
A theory that hypotheses that products proceed through a series of stages such as introduction,
growth, maturity, and decline and should be managed according to be level of sales and
promotional potential inherent to each stage.
Program for Internet News and Mail (PINE)
A tool for reading, sending, and managing electronic messages.
Point Of Presence (POP)
A site where there exists a collection of telecommunications equipment, usually digital leased
lines and multi-protocol routers.
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
Provides a method for transmitting packets over serial point-to-point links.
Port
A transport layer demultiplexing value in which each application has a unique port
number associated with it.
Post Office Protocol (POP)
A three version protocol designed to allow single user hosts to read mail from a server.
Postmaster
The person responsible for taking care of electronic mail problems, answering queries
about users, and other related work.
Primary key
The mandatory column or columns used to enforce the uniqueness of rows in a table. This
is normally the most frequent means by which rows are accessed. While primarily
referring to tables, Primary Keys can also pertain to entities.
Primary research
A custom investigation in which the information derived is proprietary and owned by the
company that commissioned the study or survey.
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of two entities to communicate without fear of eavesdropping and is often
implemented by encrypting the communications stream between the two entities.
Project
A query in which only some of the attributes in the source relation appear in the output.
Protocol
A formal description of message formats and the rules two computers must follow to exchange
those messages.
Psychographics
The study of consumer populations with reference to personality and/or lifestyle.
Psychographic research
Research based on an analysis of the consumer from a psychoanalytic point of view.
Public Domain
Refers to works whose creators have placed ownership of rights to use or license to use the works
in the public trust, explicitly not owned by any particular individual or institution. An author or
creator of a work might copyright a work and put its use into the public domain with expressed
conditions. Software that is in the public domain is often called freeware, not to be confused with
shareware.
Publicity
Communications about an organization, product, service, or idea that is not directly paid for or
placed by an identified sponsor.
Public key encryption
Public key encryption is a technique that leverages asymmetric ciphers. A public key system consists
of two keys: a public key and a private key. Messages encrypted with the public key can only be
decrypted with the associated private key. Conversely, messages encrypted with the private key can
only be decrypted with the public key.
Public relations
A management function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies or practices of an
individual or organization, develops matching strategies and activities to the public interest and
executes programs to produce a positive awareness in the public at large or among selected
segments
Push versus pull media
A characteristic of promotional media in which a benefit or offer is pulled, usually by advertising
or sales promotion to the end user, through the distribution chain or is pushed, by payments or
incentives directed to trade intermediaries such as wholesalers or retailers, through the
distribution channels.
Quality of service (QoS)
The performance properties of a network service, possibly including throughput, transit delay,
priority. Some protocols allow packets or streams to include QoS requirements.
Query-by-example (QBE)
Query-by-example is a tabular language for expressing queries in which a query is specified by
sketching an abbreviated 'schema' of the output desired, along with any criteria which should be
applied to the attributes desired.
Query
A command, written in a query language, for the database to present a specified subset of the data
in the database or the subset of data produced as output in response to a query.
Query language
A computer language which can be used to express queries.
Query resolution
The process of collecting the data needed to answer a query.
RC2
A proprietary block cipher invented by RSA.
RC4
A proprietary stream cipher invented by RSA.
Radio button
An HTML graphic element for selecting among a choice list.
Record
Term used as a synonym for row in some database management systems.
Recursive query
A query in which the output of the query is then used as input for the same query.
Redundant system
An intentional repetition of a given computer system usually intended to improve reliability.
Relation
The basic collection of data in a relational database which is usually represented as a rectangular
array of data, in which each row is a collection of data about one entity.
Relational database
A database in which data is stored in multiple tables, these tables then relate to one another to
make up the entire database.
Remote login
Operating on a remote computer, using a protocol over a computer network, as though locally
attached.
Request For Comments (RFC)
A document series which describes the Internet suite of protocols and related experiments. Very
few RFCs describe Internet standards, but all Internet standards are written up as RFCs.
Robot
A program that automatically explores the World Wide Web by retrieving a document and
recursively retrieving some or all the documents that are referenced in it. See also crawler, or
spider.
Robot shipping agents
A computer program that performs intelligent tasks such as retrieving World Wide Web
documents and indexing references. A certain type of robot can perform shipping functions.
Router
A device which forwards traffic between networks. The forwarding decision is based on network
layer information and routing tables, often constructed by routing protocols.
Row
A collection of all the facts related to one entity usually represented as a row of data.
Running a query
Access term for query resolution.
Sales promotion spiral
A trap that results from a number of competitors using sales promotions. Competitors continue to
copy promotions and up the ante on the value of the sales promotion, causing all players to match
the promotional offer while no competitor gains distinctive advantage.
Sampling
A sample of a product is offered to consumers to entice them to try it and become regular
customers.
Schema
A description of a database where the database specifies the relations, their attributes, and the
domains of the attributes; the description of one relation.
Script
A program written in a scripting language.
Scripting Tags
Script tags define scripts that are used to make pages function in certain ways. They are usually
Javascript script, but can use other scripting languages such as VBScript.
Search
The electronic comparison of character strings entered by the operator with those contained in
files or databases and arranged in Boolean logic expressions.
Secondary key
A key which is not the primary key for a relation.
Secondary research
Data collected by an outside source, usually from public documents such as the Census Bureau or
the Bureau of Labor.
Secure Electronic Transactions (SET)
A new standard that will enable secure credit card transactions on the Internet. By employing
digital signatures, SET will enable merchants to verify buyers and will protect cardholders
without the merchant being able to see the number.
Secure sockets layer
A protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. It works
by using a private key to encrypt data that is being transferred over the SSL connection.
Select
A query in which only some of the rows in the source relation appear in the output
Self-regulation
Regulation of, or by, an individual or group.
Sequel
see SQL.
Sequential Query Language (SQL)
The most common text-based database query language.
Server
The application entity that responds to requests for connections from clients. The server is passive,
waiting for requests from clients; also, a provider of resources.
Session cipher
A bulk cipher that is capable of encrypting or decrypting large amounts of data. Session ciphers
are used primarily for performance reasons.
Session identifier
A random value generated by a client that identifies itself to a particular server. The session
identifier can be thought of as a handle that both parties use to access a recorded secret key. If
both parties remember the session identifier then the implication is that the secret key is already
known and need not be negotiated.
Session key
The key to the session cipher. In SSL there are four keys that are called session keys: client-read
key, client-write key, server-read key, and server-write key.
Situation analysis
The investigation of various environments which influence consumer attitudes toward a product
or service. These influences can emanate from demographic or psychographic trends, economic,
legal, regulatory, political or cultural sources and are used by marketers to fashion strategies and
tactics in the marketing plan.
Smart cards
Any plastic card with an embedded integrated circuit for storing information.
Shareware
Software that can be accessed freely via the Internet, but which requires a payment to the author
if found useful. Some shareware packages are limited or cut-down versions of a system to give
the user a chance to see a subset of the software in action before they purchase a copy.
.sig files
A few lines of information about the sender of an e-mail message or news posting. Most mail
and news software will automatically attend a signature from a file called .signature in the user’s
home directory to outgoing mail and news.
Signature
The three or four line message at the bottom of a piece of email or a Usenet article that identifies
the sender.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
A protocol used to transfer electronic mail between computers. It is a server-to-server protocol
which means other protocols are used to access the messages.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
The Internet standard protocol developed to manage nodes on an IP network.
Site ownership
The individual or organization to which a site is registered.
Snail mail
A term referring to the U.S. postal service.
Spam
Electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings.
Special Interest Group (SIG)
Another term for discussion groups that focus on a specific topic.
Spider
A bot that wanders the Web to search and index processes while creating a database for use by
other processes.
Stakeholder
A member or group in a community which has an interest in the policies and performance of an
organization regardless of ownership position.
Standard Industry Classification (SIC codes)
A classification system in which businesses in similar industries are designated with unique
numbers termed “Standard Industry Classification”
Storefront developer
A supplier that can design and implement the operations of a virtual storefront.
Streaming video
A term applied to the compression and buffering techniques that allow you to transmit real-time
video via the Internet.
Subnet
A portion of a network, which may be a physically independent network segment, which shares a
network address with other portions of the network and is distinguished by a subnet number.
Subnet address
The subnet portion of an IP address. In a subnetted network, the host portion of an IP address is
split into a subnet portion and a host portion using an address (subnet) mask.
Surfing
The browsing of Web documents via hypertext links wherever they may lead.
Symmetric Cipher
This type of cipher has the property where that the same key can be used for decryption and
encryption.
system administrator
The systems person in charge of a computer.
T1
1,544,000 bps communication line.
T3
45,000,000 bps communication line.
Table
Term used by Access as a synonym for relation.
Table Tags
These tags help to organize data in tables and can also be used to create formats that are
otherwise difficult to create in HTML.
Talk
A protocol which allows two people on remote computers to communicate in a real-time fashion.
Target Rating Point (TRP)
A more narrow definition of demographic markets such as 18 through 25 years of age rather than
a GRP measuring total adults, 18+.
TCP/IP Protocol Suite
Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol. This is a common shorthand which refers
to the suite of transport and application protocols which runs over IP.
Techno-watch
An organized effort in which members of a business entity search for and monitor competitor
activities, public attitudes, emerging technology, or other influences which might affect
marketing performance.
Telecommuting
The practice of working at home and communicating with coworkers through the phone,
computer, and modem.
Telemarketing
Conducting marketing via the telephone.
TELENET
A public packet switched network using the CCITT X.25 protocols and should not be confused
with Telnet.
Telnet
The Internet standard protocol for remote terminal connection service. It is defined in STD 8,
RFC 854 and extended with options by many other RFCs.
Testbed
An experimental network to test communications-linked technologies.
Text Tags
These tags are used to manipulate the way text looks.
Thread
A USENET group topic by which messages can be sorted.
Transaction
The fundamental unit of change in many databases; the real-life event which is modeled by the
changes to the database.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
An Internet Standard transport layer protocol defined in STD 7, RFC 793 and is
connection-oriented and stream-oriented, as opposed to UDP.
Trojan Horse
A computer program that carries within itself a means to allow the creator of the program access
to the system using it.
Turnkey developer
A storefront developer that can coordinate all phases of the establishment of a virtual store from
conception to cite registration to site maintenance.
Unix
An interactive time-sharing operating system invented in 1969 by Ken Thompson and Dennis
Ritchie.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A draft standard for specifying the location of an object on the Internet, such as a file or a
newsgroup. URLs are used extensively on the World Wide Web and specify the target of a
hyperlink which is often another HTML document.
Unique key
While primarily referring to tables, Primary Keys can also pertain to entities and is the mandatory
column or columns used to enforce the uniqueness of rows in a table. This is normally the most
frequent means by which rows are accessed.
Unique selling proposition
An advertising strategy that focuses on a product or service attribute that is distinctive to a
particular brand and offers an important benefit to the customer.
Unique visitor
A visitor that is counted only once no matter how many times he/she visits the site; a nonduplicated viewer.
Usenet
A collection of thousands of topically named newsgroups, the computers which run the
protocols, and the people who read and submit Usenet news. Not all Internet hosts subscribe to
Usenet and not all Usenet hosts are on the Internet.
Usenet discussion groups
A worldwide bulletin board system that can be accessed through the Internet or through many
online services. The USENET contains more than 14,000 forums called newsgroups that cover
every imaginable interest group.
Value
The computer representation of a fact about an entity.
Value-added reseller
An intermediary that buys a product or service, incorporates a unique feature, and resells the
product to a third party, usually at a higher price than the price of the original product.
Value chain
A marketing concept of sequential activities each adding value to the end product or service.
Video conferencing
A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and
hear each other using electronic communications.
Videography
The art of recording pictures with a video camera.
Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)
A draft specification for the design and implementation of a platform-independent
language for virtual reality scene description.
Virtual seminar
An informational presentation delivered on a Web site.
Virtual shopping cart
A method of collecting electronic purchases on a commercial Web site. The software keeps
track and totals the purchase when checking-out.
Virtual stores
Abstract entities operating for online commerce or information purposes that are housed and
maintained on the World Wide Web.
Virus
A program which replicates itself on computer systems by incorporating itself into other
programs which are shared among computer systems.
Wanderers
An automatic search and indexing process which searches Web space creating a database for use
by other processes. See also Spider.
Webmaster
The person responsible for the development and maintenance of the World Wide Web server and
some, or all, of the web pages at a site.
Web portal
A Web site or service that offers a broad array of resources and services, such as e-mail, forums,
search engines, and on-line shopping malls.
White pages
The Internet supports several databases that contain basic information about users, such as email
addresses, telephone numbers, and postal addresses. These databases can be searched to get
information about particular individuals. Because they serve a function akin to the telephone
book, these databases are often referred to as white pages.
Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS)
A distributed information service which offers simple natural language input, indexed searching
for fast retrieval, and a relevance feedback mechanism which allows the results of initial searches
to influence future searches.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A network, usually constructed with serial lines, which covers a large geographic area.
World Wide Web (WWW or W3)
A hypertext-based, distributed information system created by researchers at CERN in
Switzerland. Users may create, edit or browse hypertext documents. The clients and servers are
freely available.
Worm
A computer program which replicates itself and is self-propagating. Worms, as opposed to
viruses, are meant to spawn in network environments.
Yahoo!
A hierarchical Web page index with searching.
Yellow Pages (YP)
A service used by UNIX administrators to manage databases distributed across a network.
Zero-based budgeting
The budgeting process in which a marketer lists all necessary expenditures for the next budget
year and then estimates the cost of each item to arrive at a total budget. Name is derived from
starting at zero each year. Also known as objective and task method of budgeting
Definitions sources:
Free OnLine Dictionary Of Computing, http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk./foldoc/index.html
Internet.com PC Dictionary, http://webopedia.internet.com/