Linux
Free or very low-cost operating system that is similar to the more expensive UNIX systems.
list server
A program that manages email mailing lists and distributes new messages, newsletters, or other postings from the members of the list to the entire list of subscribers.
long domain name
A domain name that contains more than 26 characters. A limit of 67 characters, including the extension (.com, .net, etc.), is allowed.
LookSmart
LookSmart is a pay per click web directory consisting only of commercial websites.
log file
Record of all the requests for individual files that have been requested from a website.
login
Process of gaining access to a service by identifying yourself, often with a username and password.
Lycos
Lycos is a web portal and part of the Terra Lycos Network.
M
mail server
Computer on the internet that provides email services.
mailing list
List of people who receive periodic email on a particular topic, or a discussion forum distributed by email.
Mamma
Mamma is a popular metasearch engine.
manual submission
Submitting a site to the search engines by hand.
MB (megabyte)
A measure of computer memory. One megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes or 8,388,608 bits.
Mbps (megabits per second)
In data communications, megabits per second (millions of bits per second) is the measure of how fast data flows on a given transmission path, such as an internet connection.
m-commerce / mcommerce (mobile commerce)
Business transactions conducted via a mobile device, such as a WAP enabled phone.
media broker
Person or company that brokers ad space between site owners and media planners and buyers.
media buy
The buying of advertising.
media buyer
A person who places advertising orders by requesting proposals and negotiating the final cost.
media kit
An information file about a business or product.
media planner
A person who deals with the planning of ad campaigns.
mega-
Prefix meaning one million (1,000,000).
megabit
In data communications, a megabit is one million (1,000,000) bits.
merchant
A retailer that agrees to accept credit cards, and has signed an agreement obliging them to meet several requirements to do so.
merchant account
Account associated with a merchant. This account holds the money obtained through credit card sales until you transfer it to a different account. A merchant account is necessary for you to process credit cards.
Merchant Identification Number (MIDS)
Unique number that identifies a merchant for reference and billing purposes.
merchant agreement
Contract between a merchant and a merchant account provider.
meta refresh
Coding on a webpage that automatically redirects a visitor to a new page after a specified number of seconds.
meta tag
Meta tags are HTML tags in a webpage that describes some aspect of the contents of the webpage.
meta tag generator
Software or online service that creates meta tags based on input information.
MetaCrawler
MetaCrawler is a popular metasearch engine.
metasearch engine
Metasearch engines searches other search engines simultaneously, compiles the results, and displays results either by search engine employed, or clustering results together after eliminating duplicates.
metaspy search engine
Metaspy search engines give you a glimpse of what other people are searching for, in real time.
MHz (Megahertz)
MHz is commonly used to express microprocessor clock speed. Most computers currently in use fall between 200 and 2000 MHz (2Ghz). In comparison, the first IBM PC operated at 4.77Mhz.
MIME (Multi-Purpose internet Mail Extensions)
A system which allows a user to send audio, video, images, application programs, and other non-text information via email.
mirror site
Exact copy of the original site on another computer server in order to reduce network traffic and is usually updated frequently to ensure that it reflects the content of the original site.
moderator
Someone who presides over an online discussion forum.
Moore's Law
A theory that states computer-processing power doubles every 18 months.
MOTO (Mail Order/Telephone Order)
A card transaction where a merchant cannot see the card, for example, by telephone, by mail or on the Web. This is also known as a 'card not present' scenario.
mousetrapping
The use of browser tricks in an effort to keep a visitor captive at a site, often by disabling the "Back" button or generated repeated pop-up windows.
MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)
Common file format for video files on the Web. Files in this format end in ".mpg" or ".mpeg".
MSN Search
MSN Search is part of the MSN (Microsoft Network) web portal.
MySQL
MySQL [www.mysql.com] is a free relational database management system (RDBMS) that uses Structured Query Language (SQL), the most popular language for adding, accessing, and processing data in a database.
