With the Internet and World Wibe Web evolving as fast as it is most of us have a
hard time keeping up with all the new technologies, terms and those acronymns
that keep appearing.
This is a collection of answers to questions a web site owner might think about
when starting out on the Internet.
What is a Website?
A website is a colletive term that may mean a single static html page, or a dynamic database driven web application. The internet is a subset of the world wide
web over which information is shared via web browsers such as Internet Explorer
and Mozilla Firefox. The medium these browsers use are webpages, and website is
the collective term for all webpages belonging to that site. A website usually has
it's own domain.
What is Web Development?
Web Development is the practice of creating a website. This always goes hand
in hand with Web Design. Development usually refers to the functionalities of a
site, especially the back end programming, and database programming and db
design.
What is Web Design?
Web Design is an integral part in the creation of a website. Web Design has
conflicting interpretations but a web designer will mostly be responsible for the
layout, look and feel of a website, colours, logo's, graphics, flash movies,
multimedia, etc. Both web development and web design contain elements that are of
the same nature, as they are elements used in the same creation process.
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
Search Enginge Optimisation is the dark art, mad science and crazy sport of achieving
high rankings in Google, Yahoo, Msn and other top search engines. This 'free' online
advertising connects you as website owner to a global or specialised audience and
it's a 24 hour, 7 days a week, all year round service that works for you non stop.
What is a domain?
A domain is a name that points to the IP (Internet Protocol) address which
in turn points to the physical server where your website can be found on one of
the server's harddrives.
An example of a IP address is 127.0.0.1 and hence a more effective way of pointing
to a website is needed. When you type in a website address for example http://webdev4u.net
the browser retrieves the IP Address linked to that domain (webdev4u.net) and sends
a request to that specific server for that websites' content.
What is Web Hosting?
Web Hosting is the actual hardware needed by a website to run on the internet.
the physical disk space where the site's files is stored, and the software needed
to serve the webpage to the world.
Most new standard home pc's today can be turned into a web server with the right
software and a static IP Address. A web server is a computer being used for serving
web pages. There are specialised servers that yields the best results and webspace
on these servers are selled more and more as resselling accounts, where the reseller
can resell the space at customised prices.
Then web hosting also has a software side, security being the biggest concern. An
example of web server software is Micosoft Internet Information Server on which
the .Net platform runs.