Sam the Site Maker

Browser: An application program used to view and navigate the World Wide Web and other Internet resources. Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (IE) are examples of Web browsers. Both Firefox and Safari are free, much better than IE, and much more secure. You can download either or both by clicking on their names and following instructions.

Domain name: A name that identifies one or more Internet addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.samthesitemaker.com/index.htm, the domain name is samthesitemaker.com. Domain names are not case sensitive, but the part of the URL following .com (or .net or .org, etc.) is case sensitive in the hosting servers used by SSM.

FTP: File Transfer Protocol - A client-server protocol which allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and from another computer on the Internet. Users can also transfer files by attaching them to an email message but most email systems limit message size to 15 MB (megabytes) or less. FTP transfers have no size limit, so this is a better transfer method for large files and large numbers of files. Most browsers can perform FTP transfers but specially designed FTP client software is preferred. SSM recommends Filezilla, a free download. Clients wishing to upload files to Sam the Site Maker by FTP should contact us by email to obtain an FTP address, user name and password.

Hosting: Housing, serving, and maintaining documents for one or more Web sites. Includes the computer space provided for Web site documents and a (fast and reliable) connection to the Internet.

HTML: The basic programming language of World Wide Web documents, used to structure text and multimedia documents and to set up hypertext links between documents.

Hypertext: A computer-based text retrieval system that enables a user to access particular locations in Web pages or other electronic documents by clicking on links within specific Web pages or documents.

Java: A programming language that is particularly well suited for use on the World Wide Web. Small Java applications are called Java applets and can be downloaded from a Web server and run on your computer by any Java-compatible browser. Used by Web designers to view/manipulate documents & images when HTML alone cannot achieve the desired effect. The album, below, is created by a Java applet.

Javascript: A popular programming language that is supported by all modern Web browsers. Often used by Web designers when HTML alone cannot achieve the desired effect. For example, HTML coding can open a new browser window, but cannot control the features (such as size) of the window, as we do in this example with a few lines of Javascript.

Server: A computer on a network that is dedicated to a particular purpose and that stores all information and performs all of the functions for that purpose. For example, a Web server stores all documents related to a Web site and performs all work necessary for hosting the Web site.

Site Maintenance: The act of providing basic and necessary support for the site. Includes modifying, updating, and replacing the documents on the site; keeping the domain registration current; monitoring hosting performance; and directing replies from site visitors to the appropriate contact person.

Site Management: The handling, supervision, and control of documents that conform to the rules of the World Wide Web. SSM’s site management can include registering your domain name, hosting your site, analyzing the target market, designing the site, writing and editing content, maintaining the site, and troubleshooting.

URL An Internet address (for example, http://www.samthesitemaker.com/Marcy), usually consisting of the access protocol (http), the prefix www (for World Wide Web), the domain name (samthesitemaker.com), and optionally the path to a file or resource residing on that server (Marcy).

Web Content Review: This process takes a critical look at the site design and message and assesses whether it achieves its stated purposes, whether purely informational or sales-oriented. The review considers the audience, the message, the medium, and the stated goals of the site and applies principles of sound writing and editing practice, layout and design considerations, and the dynamics of user/screen interaction to point the way to enhancements designed to improve the response to the site.

Web Site Design: The development of a collection of structured layout grids for electronic pages formatted in HTML that can contain text, graphic images, and multimedia effects such as sound files, video and/or animation files, and other programming elements such as Java and Javascript.