Index of Terms

Backbone
The network of connections and high-speed lines that forms the infrastructure of the internet. An important consideration in choosing a website host is the host's proximity to the backbone. The less distance between your provider and the backbone, the faster and more reliable your website will be.

Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transferred over the network in a fixed amount of time or, in other words, the measured amount of information that can be transmitted over a connection. The higher the bandwidth, the greater the capacity of a channel to carry information. On the Internet, it is usually expressed in bits per second (bps). A fast modem for example can move about 57,000 bits in one second.

Banner Ads
A banner is a graphic image (static, animated, or rich media) that is placed on web sites as an advertisement. Banners are commonly used for brand awareness and generating sales.

Bevel
Adding a beveled effect to a graphic image gives the image a raised appearance by applying highlight colors and shadow colors to the inside and outside edges.

bit
A single digit number in base-2, in other words, either a 1 or a zero. The smallest unit of computerized data. For the most part, bits are used to describe transmission speeds, whereas bytes generally refer to storage capacity.

Bitmap Image (bmp)
A graphic image stored as a specific arrangement of screen dots, or pixels. Web graphics are bitmap images. A graphic which is defined by specifying the colors of dots or pixels which make up the picture. Also known as raster graphics. Common types of bitmap graphics are GIF, JPEG, Photoshop, PCX, TIFF, Macintosh Paint, Microsoft Paint, PNG, FAX formats, and TGA.

Bookmark
A feature in some browsers that allows the browser to remember a web address you visited and makes it easy to return to the bookmarked web page in the future.

bps - Bits-Per-Second
A measurement of how fast data is moved from one place to another. A 56K modem , for example, can move about 57,000 bits per second.

Broadband
A high-speed, high-capacity data transmission Internet connection (transmitting information on coaxial cable or fiber-optic cable). Cable modems, DSL modems, satellite link-ups, and T1 lines are all broadband devices. Dial-up modems and other low-bandwidth devices are called "narrowband." It is measured in kilobits, megabits, or gigabits per second.

Browser
Software you use to view and navigate web pages. The current popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape.

Index of Terms