freeware
Freeware is free software. The authors of the free software still retain the copyright so that you can't use the software code in anything you may be developing.

front-end
Application that web users interact with directly. For example, a search form is the front-end of a search engine.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Method of transferring files, such as webpages, over the internet. Typically used to upload webpages and images to a host server. The server then serves the pages to users requesting it over the internet.

FTP server
Computer on the internet that stores files for transmission by FTP.

G

gateway
Computer that connects one network with another. Often used in commerce to act as a gateway between a merchant and a bank.

Gbps
1 Gbps = 1 billion bits per second. A measure of bandwidth on a digital data transmission medium such as optical fiber.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) / GIF89a
One of the two most common file formats for graphic images on the World Wide Web. The other is JPEG.

giga-
Prefix meaning one billion (1,000,000,000).

gigabit
In data communications, a gigabit is one billion (1,000,000,000) bits.

gigabyte
Measure of computer data storage capacity. One gigabyte is 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Google
Google is the most popular search engine in the world.

gross exposures
Total number of times an ad is served, including duplicate downloads, to the same user.

guerrilla marketing
Unconventional marketing techniques for achieving maximum results from minimal resources or budgets.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)
Graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer.

H

HCI (Human-Computer Interaction)
Study of how humans interact with computer systems.

header
The beginning of an email that contains information about the email itself; "To" and "From" addresses, date sent, subject, etc. A header is also used to refer to the top of a webpage.

hidden links
Hidden links are a means of adding links from a home page or site map to doorway and hallway pages, so that search engines can crawl and index them, while keeping the links invisible to human visitors.

hit
The request of a single file, such as an HTML, image, audio, or other file from a web server.

home page
The main entry page of a website.

HotBot
HotBot no longer offers its own search engine. Instead it offers a search form to the four major web indexes; FAST, Google, Inktomi, Teoma.

house ad
Self promotional ads that replace unsold ad inventory.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
Most popular language used to write webpages on the Web. HTML webpages usually have the extension .htm, .html, or .shtml.

HTML banner
Banner ad that includes HTML elements, such as interactive forms or pull-down menus.

HTML email
Email that is formatted using HTML.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
Protocol used by web servers to deliver and receive information. Used to exchange text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files on the Web. All webpages URLs start with "http", although its use is often optional.

HTTPS (Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
A secure extension of HTTP. This extension securely encrypts and decrypts webpage requests. Whenever you pay for goods using a credit card on the internet, HTTPS will be used to ensure your credit card details are secure.

Human Factors
Study of how humans behave psychologically and physically in relation to particular products, services, or environments.

hybrid pricing
Pricing model based on a combination of a CPM pricing model and a performance based pricing model.

hypermedia
Hypermedia is an extension of the hypertext to include links to pictures, sound, video, and virtual reality.

hypertext
System of organizing information that enables the text to be linked in different ways. The web is hypertext, since it is nothing more than an enormous amount of information content connected by an enormous number of hypertext links.

I

IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
Organization that fosters the growth of advertising on the internet and recommends a set of standard size banner ads for webpages.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
ICANN is a private non-profit corporation responsible for issuing IP address space allocation, domain name system management (.com, .net and .org).
http://www.icann.org

ICQ ("I Seek You")
ICQ is a popular instant messaging system that lets users exchange instant messages.
http://www.icq.com

IFrame (inline frame)
Floating frame that is inserted into a webpage.

IM (Instant Messaging)
System that allows users exchange instant messages electronically (Internet, cell phones, WebTV, PDAs, etc.).

image map
Graphic image that has separate clickable areas.

incentivized traffic / clicks
Site visitors who have received some form of compensation for visiting a site.