Adult Hosting Glossary.
With so many adult hosting
companies looking for our business all of them telling us we need a variety of
applications and software packages to run our sites, just how do you know what
you do need and, more importantly, what you don't?
Below you will find a list of a
variety of common terms used in relation to hosting your website and, hopefully,
you will in turn, discover what your requirements are when looking for a new or
alternate hosting company.
Alias
A name that points to
another name. Aliases are used to make the original name easier to remember or
to protect the site's identity.
Applet
An applet is an
embedded program on a web site. Applets are usually written in the coding
language called Java. They are normally used for creating a virtual object that
may move or interact with the web site. An applet is like a small piece of
executable code that needs a full application to run it.
Active Server Pages (ASP)
Active Server Pages
allow web developers to make their sites dynamic with database driven content.
The code is mainly written in VB Script, and it is produced on the server of the
web site instead of the browser of your web site visitors. The server reads the
ASP code and then translates it to HTML.
Audio Streaming
The process of
providing audio content on a web site. This takes up a large amount of
bandwidth, especially if you get a lot of visitors at your site. Some hosts do
not allow audio or video streaming because of this.
Auto Responder
An automated program
that acknowledges receipt of an e-mail message, and then sends back a previously
prepared email to the sender, letting them know it was received. Once you
configure your auto responder, it sends e-mail with no further action required
on your part, making your web site interactive around the clock. Most hosting
companies let you set this up through their control panel.
Availability (Uptime)
Refers to the amount of time within a 24 hour period a system is active or
available for servicing requests. For example, if a hosting company says it is
available 99.9% of the time, they are claiming that your web site will up all
the time except for about 8 seconds each day. Over the course of a year, in this
example, the hosting company is claiming that your site will only be unavailable
(couldn't surf to it) for 48 hours.
Backbone
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a
network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small network will likely be
much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. In general, the
better the backbone of the hosting company, the better the availability of the
web sites that run on their computers.
Backups
Web hosts back up data on their servers. Many host packages offer backups every
24 hours. This is supposed to prevent the loss of data should something happen
to the server. . If you think you may need to restore old data in case of a
disaster, it may make sense to choose a hosting company that performs regular
backups.
Browser
This is the client software that displays (interprets) the HTML code it receives
from the server. All browsers work slightly different and one may not display
the pages correctly if the code was developed exclusively for another browser.
Today the two main browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape.
C +/++
C+ and C++ are programming languages. Some hosting companies provide access to
C+ and C++ class libraries if your web site contains these types of program
modules. Once your web site has been constructed, you will know whether access
to C+ or C++ will be required.
CGI (Common Gateway
Interface)
A CGI is a program that translates data from a web server and then displays that
data on a web page or in an email. CGI involves the transfer of data between a
server and a CGI program (called a script). This allows HTML pages to interact
with other programming applications. These scripts make web pages interactive.
Page counters, forms, guest books, random text/images and other features can be
driven by CGI scripts. Some servers have pre-installed/pre-defined CGI scripts,
meaning that the scripts are already installed on the server for you to use on
your site. Some servers permit user-defined or custom CGI scripts, which means
the site owner creates his/her own CGI script and runs this custom made script
on the web site. Not all servers allow user-defined (custom) scripts for
security reasons. Almost all hosting companies offer CGI today. If you think you
will need forms on your web site, CGI could be a key requirement.
Chat Server / Software
Some hosting companies allow you to develop a chat room or other type of chat
service for your visitors. Be sure to check with the web host company about the
details of the chat services offered. Some servers permit you to configure the
service, and others pre-configure everything for you while others do not allow
chat rooms at all.
Click Through
This term is used to describe the ratio of clicks to impressions on an
advertisement, usually a banner ad. If a banner has been shown 100 times and 3
people click on it, it will have a 3% click through ratio.
ColdFusion
An application which simplifies database queries by allowing for a simpler
programming language to handle functions between the user's browser, the server,
and the database. After you have developed your web site, you will know whether
ColdFusion is a requirement. If you have not used ColdFusion to develop your
site, you should ignore this feature.
Co-Location
Co-location means housing a web server that you own in the facilities of a
hosting provider. This option is perfect if you want to own your own server, but
do not want the hassle or security risk of maintaining that server.
Control Panel
An online package of tools permitting easy site management and editing. Almost
all hosting companies provide this option today. It is a very important feature
to have. By having your own control panel, you can maintain basic information
about your site, mail boxes, etc. without having to send emails to the hosting
company or call them on the phone.
Cookie
A message given to a
Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file
called cookie.txt. The message is then sent back to the server each time the
browser requests a page from the server. The main purpose of cookies is to
identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you
enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing
such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a
cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time
you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web
server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web
pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might
see a welcome page with your name on it.
Credit Card Billing
What is a merchant account? Why do I need one? A merchant account gives a
business the ability to accept credit cards as payment for the company's goods
and services. It provides your customers with an extremely popular payment
option, beyond cash and checks. This is usually done via a 3rd party provider
such as Ibill.
CSS (Cascading Style
Sheets)
Used to add more functionality to simple HTML pages. Internet Explorer 3.0 and
up support a good portion of CSS, while Netscape 4.0 and up supports a small
amount of CSS - a fully compliant browser does not exist yet.
Database Support
If your web site will leverage a database to store information, database support
by the hosting company will be required. After you have developed your web site,
you will know which database will be required. Some commonly used database
programs are SQL Server, MySQL, Access, Oracle, and FoxPro. Databases can be
difficult to configure properly. Before you sign up with a web host, first
inquire if the host can support your database needs.
Data Transfer
This is the amount of
data that is transferred from an account as visitors view the pages of the web
site. If you have a web site with lots of video, audio, and images that gets
many visitors per day, you would have to make sure that you choose a host that
will allow large amounts of data to be transferred. If you choose a host that
only allows 200 MB of data transfer per month, and your site transferred 500 MB
per month, then the host may stop half of your visitors from viewing your site
and you could lose potential customers. Your best bet is to try to find a host
that offers unlimited data transfer or at least a Gig of transfer. A gig is more
than enough for most web sites. As a general rule, 500 MB of data transfer is
equivalent to 20,000 page views.
Dedicated Server
A more expensive type of account in which the web hosting company provides you
with an entire hosting setup including your own server hardware that only you
can use. This usually means a much faster loading time for your site because the
entire computer is "dedicated" to running the server software. This is
different from most other hosting accounts in which your web site will share
space on a server with many other web sites, called a virtual server. A
dedicated server makes sense for web sites that require higher availability and
higher data transfer rates.
Disk Space
This indicates the amount of disk space that will be available to you on the
hosts server to hold your web site files. Normally because HTML files are small,
a web site (unless it has extensive graphics or database functionality) will be
small, as low as 1 or 2 MB in most cases.
Domain Parking
Many hosting companies give you the option to 'park' your domain name without
actually having your web site up and running. This is a nice option if you want
to acquire a domain name for your web site well ahead of having the web site
itself designed and constructed.
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Domain Names always have 2 or
more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and
the part on the right is the most general (adult-hosting-companies.com).
Technically, the domain name is a name that identifies an IP address. To most of
us, it simply means www.yourname.com. Because the Internet is based on IP
addresses, not domain names, web servers depend on a Domain Name System (DNS) to
translate domain names into IP addresses. Simply stated, domain names allow
people to find your web site by name rather than by its numerical (IP) address.
Domain Name Registration
Often a hosting company will offer to register your domain name at the time you
sign up for a hosting plan. This normally incurs an additional charge but may be
cheaper and more convenient than using a separate domain name registration
service. We recommend that you go ahead and register your domain name as soon as
possible, especially if you think it will take some time to develop the site
itself.
Domain Name System
(DNS)
A model for tracking other machines (that contain web sites) and their numeric
IP addresses. Translates domain names (for example, www.adult-hosting-companies.com
into a numerical IP address). When a computer is referred to by name, a domain
name server puts that name into the numeric IP address assigned to that
computer. So when you buy a domain, say www.yourname.com, it does not become
accessible until it gets assigned an IP address from a hosting company. Once the
IP address is assigned, a cross-reference record (DNS record) is created that
points your domain name to the numeric IP address.
Email POP Account
POP (Post Office Protocol) is an actual e-mail account on your web host's e-mail
server. Think of each POP account as a unique email address (lee@adult-hosting-companies.com,
advertising@adult-hosting-companies.com, etc.) Before you choose a specific
hosting plan, you should know exactly how many email accounts are required to
meet your specific needs.
FrontPage (Microsoft)
Front Page is an HTML editor made by Microsoft. It is commonly used to create
web sites
Frontpage Extensions
Frontpage extensions can be thought of as "mini programs" that allow
features of a web site created with MS Front Page to operate smoothly. It is
possible to use MS Front Page to create a web site and host that site on a
server that doesn't offer FP extensions, however some of the powerful features
of the program cannot be used in these web sites. See Microsoft's Front Page
site for more information. After you design your web site, you will know whether
FrontPage extensions will be a requirement.
File Transfer Protocol
(FTP)
A way of transferring files (uploading and downloading) across the Internet.
Most web sites are uploaded to the Internet by means of an FTP program. This is
how the web site you create on your computer at home is transferred (uploaded)
to the Internet. Some software, such as Microsoft Front Page, does not require
use of an FTP program but the use of most any other HTML editor requites the use
of and FTP Program. There is a free FTP program called WS_FTP and you can
download it at download.com. There are many Internet sites that have established
publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by
logging in using the account name anonymous, thus these sites are called
anonymous FTP servers.
Host (Name Server)
When you hear the term
"host" in the Internet world, it is referring to an Internet company
that has the required servers and software to connect domain names to (IP)
Internet Protocol numbers so that your site can be viewed by the public when
they type your domain in their browser window. Basically this is where you house
your site, and you usually have to pay a monthly or annual fee for this service.
Host Country
Specifies which country the hosting company resides. The internet is a very
complex web of server computers connected through telecommunications devices. In
general, it is best to host your web site in a location closest to the users
that access it. For example, if you plan to deploy a web site that will attract
mostly German visitors, it may makes sense to choose a hosting company located
in Germany.
Host Platform
This is the platform of the hosting providers servers. Hosting companies will
typically having a hosting platform based upon Windows 2000 (Win2K), Windows NT
or Linux. If you have a basic web site that does not make use of server side
applications such as a database then you do not need to worry which platform is
used.
Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML)
Stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. This is the code that web pages are
written in and the browser interprets to turn into the web page you view on the
screen.
Hypertext Transport
Protocol (HTTP)
The protocol for transferring hypertext files across the Internet. Requires a
HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end.
HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW). You see it
every time you type a web site in your browser http://...
IP Address
A unique number used to
specify hosts and networks. Internet Protocol (IP) numbers are used for
identifying machines that are connected to the Internet. They are sometimes
called a dotted quad and are unique numbers consisting of 4 parts separated by
dots, They would look something like this 111.222.333.444 Every machine that is
on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP
number, it is not really on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more
Domain Names that are easier for people to remember.
Internet Service
Provider (ISP)
A company or institution that provides access to the Internet in some form,
usually for money. They will usually allow users to dial up through a modem, DSL,
or cable connection to view the information on the Internet Access is via SLIP,
PPP, or TCP/IP. Picking your ISP is an important decision but has more to do
with how you access the Internet rather than which host you choose.
JavaScript
A scripting language which enables web designers to add dynamic, interactive
elements to a web site.
Java Servlets
A servlet is an application or a script that is written in Java and executed on
a server, as opposed to on a client. It is analogous to CGI, although servlets
are more than simply CGI scripts written in Java.
Mailing List Software
A mailing list is a discussion group based on the e-mail system. You may want to
set one up - they're very useful promotional tools. Even if you don't want to
host a discussion group, you can use a mailing-list program to distribute a
newsletter similar to http://www.adultwebmasternewsletter.com.
Many companies have mailing-list software available for their clients to use --
if so, ask whether there's an additional cost, how many mailing lists you are
allowed to have, and how many members per list
ODBC Sources
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a generic way for applications to speak to
a database. ODBC acts as an interpreter between an application (say a Cold
Fusion or ASP application) and a database (like Microsoft Access). By using
ODBC, a connector can be created that will allow a web application that you
create to read data from and insert data into an Access database that you've
created. An ODBC source is a directory entry that specifies database
information. This ODBC source (or DSN Source) allows your site to point to the
correct database located on the web server.
It is possible to connect to a
db without ODBC, but it is a safe bet to assume you need 1 ODBC connection per
individual database you will have.
Perl (Practical
Extraction and Report Language)
Perl is an interpreted language optimized for scanning arbitrary text files,
extracting information from those text files, and printing reports based on that
information. It's also a good language for many system management tasks.
PHP
PHP is another scripting language. Like ASP, it's commands are embedded within
the HTML of a web page. The commands are executed on the web server, making it
browser independent. The web browser only sees the resulting HTML output of the
PHP code.
Post Office Protocol (POP)
This is a method of
retrieving e-mail from an e-mail server. Most e-mail applications (sometimes
called an e-mail client) use the POP protocol, although some can use the newer
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). There are two versions of POP. The
first, called POP2, became a standard in the mid-80's and requires SMTP to send
messages. The newer version, POP3, can be used with or without SMTP. The newest
and most widely used version of POP email is POP3 email. You will see the term
POP3 in most of the web hosting plans available today.
Price
The monthly amount that you will have to pay a hosting company to provide the
hosting services requested. Paying monthly is normally perfectly acceptable, but
discounts may be available by paying quarterly or annually.
Reseller Plans
Many hosting providers allow you to be a reseller of hosting space earning a
commission off of each sale. If you intend to be a provider of hosting services,
you should investigate this option as you decide where to host your web site.
Many hosting companies offer discounts (in addition to revenue opportunities) to
companies that wish to remarket their web hosting services.
Root Server
A machine that has the software and data needed to locate name servers that
contain authoritative data for the top-level domains.
Setup Fee
Some hosting companies charge a one time setup fee to set up your hosting
account. It is worth to also take this into account when looking at the monthly
fee.
Server
A computer, or software package, that provides a specific kind of service to
client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular
piece of software, such as a WWW or HTTP server, or to the machine on which the
software is running. A single server machine could have several different server
software packages running on it, thus providing many different servers to
clients on the network. More specifically, a server is a computer that manages
and shares network resources.
Shell Account
Something experienced computer users often request. Permits you to edit your
files online in real-time, rather than making changes to your site offline and
then uploading the changes. Unless you intend to manage the web server your site
runs on, a shell account should not be needed.
Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP)
The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the Internet. Most Internet
email is sent and received using SMTP. SMTP consists of a set of rules for how a
program sending mail and a program receiving mail should interact.
Server Side Includes (SSI)
Commands that can be included in web pages that are processed by the web server
when a user requests a file. The command takes the form <!--#include
virtual="/path/to/file"-->. A common use for SSI commands is to
insert a universal menu into all of the pages of the web site so that the menu
only has to be changed once and inserted with SSI instead of changing the menu
on every page.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable encrypted,
authenticated communications across the Internet. It is used mostly (but not
exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web servers. URL's that
begin with "https" indicate that an SSL connection will be used. SSL
provides 3 important things: Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity. In
an SSL connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate,
which each side's software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it
sends using information from both its own and the other side's Certificate,
ensuring that only the intended recipient can decrypt it, and that the other
side can be sure the data came from the place it claims to have come from, and
that the message has not been tampered with.
Shopping Cart Software
A software program
which acts as a "virtual store front". Such software typically allows
a web site user to create and manage a virtual shopping cart to which items can
be added or removed. Once a customer is ready to "check out", this
same Shopping Cart Software typically includes interfaces to allow customers to
pay with their credit card directly on the site. Shopping Cart Software is
critical for those web sites that intend to sell products and services directly
over the Internet without human intervention.
Statistics
Many hosting companies run software on their web servers that collect usage
information about your web site and compile it in a user-friendly, easy-to-read
format for you to analyze trends about your web site. Having access to
statistics is critical if you need to know how many visitors are coming to your
site, which web pages receive the most attention, and how much time people
actually spend browsing your site.
Support
Telephone or e-mail technical support provided to a web hosting company's
customers. When there's a problem with your site or your e-mail, you want to be
able to get an answer promptly by e-mail or on the phone. Some hosting companies
offer email only support, telephone support, or a combination of both. Some
hosting companies provide 24hr 7 days a week support (24/7). This is important
if your site is an e-commerce site with a lot of daily visitors.
TCP/IP
This is a set of communications protocols to connect hosts on the Internet.
Unix
A computer operating system designed to be used by many people at the same time
(it is multi-user) and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most common operating
system for servers on the Internet.
Uniform Resource
Locator (URL)
The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is
part of the World Wide Web (WWW). www.adult-hosting-companies.com
is an example URL.
Unique IP Address
In many hosting plans, you share an IP address and you will be able to view your
site through your domain name only. Obtaining a unique IP address (see IP
Address) provides a one-to-one relationship between your domain name (www.yourname.com)
and an IP address.
Video Streaming
The process of
providing video data or content via a web page.
Virtual Server
A web server which shares its resources with multiple users. It's another
way of saying that multiple web sites share the resources of one server. If you
do not need your own web server (i.e. your own server class computer), you will
use a virtual server to host your web site.
Article Written By Lee.
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