Techie Terms Part One

Virtual Assistant Techie Terms

I had a great conversation with someone last week and she made me realize that not everyone knows these common “IT” terms. So here is the first part of a two-part blog post on IT Terms, enjoy!

Affiliates – Website affiliates are what drive Internet Marketing. Companies run affiliate programs to generate leads and sales from other Websites.

API – An application programming interface (API) is a protocol intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other.

Archive – is a single file that contains multiple files and/or folders. Archives may be created by several different file archiving utilities and can be saved in one of several different formats.

Autoresponder – an email message that is sent based on a trigger; i.e. a purchase is completed, a user signs up for an offer, etc.

Backup – a backup, or the process of backing up, refers to the copying and archiving of computer data so it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event.

Bandwidth – the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second). This kind of bandwidth is usually expressed in bits (of data) per second (bps).

Blog – short for “Web Log,” this term refers to a list of journal entries posted on a Web page.

Broadband – refers to high-speed data transmission in which a single cable can carry a large amount of data at once. The most common types of Internet broadband connections are cable modems (which use the same connection as cable TV) and DSL modems (which use your existing phone line).

Buffer – contains data that is stored for a short amount of time, typically in the computer’s memory (RAM). The purpose of a buffer is to hold data right before it is used.

Cache – stores recently-used information in a place where it can be accessed extremely fast. For example, a Web browser like Chrome uses a cache to store the pages, images, and URLs of recently visited websites on your hard drive.

Captcha – is a program used to verify that a human, rather than a computer, is entering data.

Cloud Computing – refers to applications and services offered over the Internet. These services are offered from data centers all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the “cloud.”

CSS – stands for “Cascading Style Sheet.” Cascading style sheets are used to format the layout of Web pages.

Data Transfer Rate – commonly used to measure how fast data is transferred from one location to another.

Database – a data structure that stores organized information. Most databases contain multiple tables, which may include several different fields. For example, a company database may include tables for products, employees, and financial records.

Disk Space (Storage Space) is the total amount of bytes that a disk drive or disc is capable of holding.

Domain Name a specific name that you apply to your website. Once you apply it, users can reach your website by typing this domain name into the browser’s address bar.

Domain Name Registrar is an organization that manages the reservation of Internet domain names.

E-Commerce – (electronic-commerce) refers to business over the Internet.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a common method of transferring files via the Internet from one computer to another.

Firewall limits the data that can pass through it and protects a networked server or client machine from damage by unauthorized users.

Flash Drive is a small data storage device that uses flash memory and has a built-in USB connection.

GUI stands for “Graphical User Interface,” and is pronounced “gooey.” It refers to the graphical interface of a computer that allows users to click and drag objects with a mouse instead of entering text at a command line.

Hashtag is a number symbol (#) used to label keywords in a tweet.

Host a computer that acts as a server for other computers on a network.

HTML stands for “Hyper-Text Markup Language.” This is the language that Web pages are written in.

Interface can refer to either a hardware connection or a user interface.

IMAP stands for “Internet Message Access Protocol” and is pronounced “eye-map.” It is a method of accessing e-mail messages on a server without having to download them to your local hard drive.

IP Address also known as an “IP number” or simply an “IP,” this is a code made up of numbers separated by three dots that identifies a particular computer on the Internet.

ISP stands for “Internet Service Provider.” In order to connect to the Internet, you need an ISP.

I’d love to hear your comments. Please take a moment to leave me a comment and share your thoughts.

Please share if you know someone who might benefit from this information.

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy your day – Susan

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Susan Mershon started The Techie Mentor™ in 2013 to teach Virtual Assistants her no-fluff approach to the systems and skills they need to build and automate a successful business.

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Terminology

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Other Blog Posts You May Be Interested In…

Techie Terms Part Two

by Susan Mershon | Terminology

Virtual Assistant Techie Terms Here is part two of techie terms - enjoy! Kerning refers to the spacing between the characters of a font. Keywords...

Kathy Anderson on September 21, 2013 at 4:42 am

Good one… cant wait for the next batch.
PS you forgot “DOS”. 😉
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Eva on July 7, 2013 at 7:52 am

Great reference list. It’s so easy as an IT person to forget that a lot of people don’t know/haven’t heard these words before. As I make my way into the health and wellness world, I am thankful to have my IT background every day.
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Suzanne on July 4, 2013 at 6:29 pm

Great idea for all of us non techies types. Wish I had seen a list like this years ago.
Suzanne
http://www.reikichicktraining.com
http://www.natural-pet-health.info
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Denise Marie Filmore on July 3, 2013 at 9:04 pm

Thanks for the resource. I shared it on FB, Twitter and Pinned it for my clients.
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Flesché on July 3, 2013 at 7:43 pm

Thanks for this! I will be sure to send my newbie clients here as well.
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Gretchen Duhaime on July 3, 2013 at 5:49 pm

Great list and reference! I don’t know if I’m proud or ashamed to say I knew all of them on the list. My knowledge is definitely a barrier to getting the VA and tech help I need! Hard to turn it over when I know what I’m doing, but it’s not enough to know. I don’t have passion for it and am fine with things working 95{118470d0f4f3718dfdd0f3eeb2eb014ae26d46ca78c59b6a979d3ffc612de011} which can be a problem!
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Toni Nelson on July 3, 2013 at 5:13 pm

Very good list:) i have many clients who are starting a business and don’t know these terms until we start going over them.
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Pam McCall on July 3, 2013 at 5:09 pm

I hope everyone pins this to their pinterest boards this is a great tool to hang onto.
Pam McCall
Time Engagement Expert and
Women’s Small Business Resource
http://www.pammccall.com
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Jen Jones on July 3, 2013 at 4:14 pm

I find that I believe that if I know it, everyone else does too…and then I’m surprised that they don’t. Great job getting your knowledge out to us lay-people 🙂
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:09 pm
  
  Thanks Jen!
  Reply
Cathy Severson on July 3, 2013 at 3:09 pm

As I reading the list, I was thinking about terms I was wondering about a few days ago. I can’t remember, but saved your link so I know where to go to find out.
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:09 pm
  
  Thanks Cathy!
  Reply
Lisa Rothstein on July 3, 2013 at 2:54 pm

Finally — all the techie words I’ve always wanted to know what they meant but was afraid to ask!! This one is going straight to the printer 🙂
Lisa
Too many half-done passion projects in your life? Free ebook “How to Accomplish ANYTHING in an Hour a Day”
http://gifts.davincidilemma.com/houraday
Reply
- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm
  
  Lisa – love your enthusiasm 🙂
  Reply
Stacy Harshman on July 3, 2013 at 2:47 pm

This is a very helpful list, thank you for sharing!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm
  
  My pleasure Stacy!
  Reply
Chris Babcock on July 3, 2013 at 2:46 pm

I consider myself to be pretty techie, but I have to admit I always wondered about API.
Great list!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm
  
  Thanks Chris!
  Reply
Jennifer on July 3, 2013 at 2:44 pm

Very nice list!
“Backup” — what I should’ve done more recently before updating my WP site. “Crash” — what I’m afraid I did.
A helpful list and I may share it. Nicely done site!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm
  
  Thank you Jennifer – sorry to hear about your website! I know that is now fun. I hope everything is fixed.
  Reply
Diana Ennen on July 3, 2013 at 2:35 pm

Love it Susan! I’ve been enjoying your tips so much on LinkedIn, but really find this a great resource. There were a few there that I didn’t realize. Yikes!
So look forward to connecting more.
Diana Ennen
Author / Speaker / Coach / Publicist
Sign up for our free PR informational Package at http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:07 pm
  
  Thank you Diana!
  Reply
Karen Wyatt, MD on July 3, 2013 at 2:29 pm

This is so helpful Susan! I need to print it and post it on my bulletin board for those times when I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what’s going on! Thank you!
Karen
http://www.karenwyattmd.com/apps/blog/show/24509829-heal-yourself-and-heal-the-world
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:07 pm
  
  Great idea to put it on the bulletin board, Karen. Thank you!
  Reply
Peggy Lusk on July 3, 2013 at 2:23 pm

Great job, Susan. 🙂
Like you, I hadn’t thought of creating a list of terms either. This is a good reference to send people to.
Peggy Lusk
Financial Coach – The Geek with a CPA
http://Abundance-by-Design.com
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:06 pm
  
  Thank you Peggy 🙂
  Reply
Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist on July 3, 2013 at 2:14 pm

What a great idea to share these! I was a computer program/business analyst in my past life so I forget some people don’t get all this. And I forget how lucky I am that it really helps me in this fun world of internet marketing.
I have another site http://www.writeyourbookgrowyourbiz.com/ and would love to feature this as a guest post!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:06 pm
  
  Trudy – I have that same problem – I forget not everyone worked in IT and need to understand terms we “techie” use constantly.
  I’d love to be a guest – I’ll reach out to you for more details.
  Reply
Janelle Alex on July 3, 2013 at 2:10 pm

This is a great list. Wonderful resource for so many who don’t know these terms!
Great work!
Janelle Alex – Co-Founder of Sexy Challenges
http://www.sexychallenges.com
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:05 pm
  
  Thank you Janelle, glad it is helpful!
  Reply
Candy Messer on July 3, 2013 at 1:48 pm

Great information. Many of them I know, but there were a few I hadn’t heard of!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:04 pm
  
  Thanks Candy!
  Reply
Beth Frede on July 3, 2013 at 1:21 pm

Very helpful, Susan! I’ve wondered for years about some of these! Thanks, great post!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:04 pm
  
  Thank you Beth, so glad you’ve found it informative.
  Reply
Marlys Arnold on July 3, 2013 at 11:53 am

What a great resource – I’ll be sharing this with my Twitter followers! Even when a company outsources to an expert to handle the tech issues, it’s important that everyone speaks the same language.
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:04 pm
  
  Amen Marlys I agree 100{118470d0f4f3718dfdd0f3eeb2eb014ae26d46ca78c59b6a979d3ffc612de011}.
  Reply
Fern Weis, Parent Coach on July 3, 2013 at 11:50 am

This is very helpful. As a non-techie, it’s good to have a cheat sheet like this.
Fern Weis, Parent Coach
http://www.yourfamilymatterscoach.com
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:03 pm
  
  Love the idea of cheat sheet Fern!
  Reply
Megan on July 3, 2013 at 11:38 am

Thanks for the list, as a techie I am often looking for ways to explain something and this will help.
Megan
Founder
Photorelli – Mobile Phone Photography Tips
http://photorelli.com/
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:03 pm
  
  My pleasure Megan 🙂
  Reply
Kathleen on July 3, 2013 at 10:50 am

Susan-
Thanks for sharing this! Even with it defined, I have a hard time getting my mind around some of these terms! The more that I read what they mean, the better!
Kathleen
>Family Nurse Practitioner, Health Coach and Yoga Instructor
>www.kathleenloucks.com
>www.facebook.com/KathleenLoucksWellness
>www.twitter.com/kaloucks
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:25 am
  
  Great – so happy it’s helpful Kathleen!
  Reply
Heather Craik on July 3, 2013 at 10:41 am

Great idea Susan!
It’s important that clients understand some of the basic terms (especially if they’re asking for them!) although it’s equally important that web designers and internet professionals take the time to explain what they’re doing with as little jargon as possible.
My clients absolutely love me for that and it makes the whole process much easier on both parties.
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:25 am
  
  Heather – so true!
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- Arthur Coddington on July 3, 2013 at 5:41 pm
  
  It’s a great exercise to think about what’s jargon and what’s understandable to most people. We techies get messy with language so often. One of my favorite tech conferences has a jargon policy that demands minimizing the use of jargon AND asking for definitions when jargon does get used. This is a nice list to help folks when we aren’t communicating clearly.
  Reply
Mara on July 3, 2013 at 10:41 am

Thanks for sharing your knowledge in such a simple accessible way. It really helps solo-preneurs like myself.
—
Mara Jeffress, Ph.D.
Career Coach | Life Coach | Business Coach | Consultant
Fulfillment Life Coaching
Are you ready to lead a fulfilling life?
http://fulfillmentlifecoaching.com
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Tracy Brown RD,LD/N on July 3, 2013 at 10:28 am

Wow, thanks Susan. Really appreciate the “101” as I did not know what most of the terms meant and need to if I want to make use of the internet for business.
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:19 am
  
  My pleasure Tracy!
  Reply
Mara on July 3, 2013 at 10:28 am

Thanks for this straightforward and simple explanation. As a solo-prenuer, I do all my own tech work and appreciate your straightforward style. Thanks for sharing!
—
Mara Jeffress, Ph.D.
Career Coach | Life Coach | Business Coach | Consultant
Fulfillment Life Coaching
Are you ready to lead a fulfilling life?
http://fulfillmentlifecoaching.com
Reply
- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:03 pm
  
  My pleasure Mara glad it is helpful!
  Reply
Lisa MacDonald | Transcribble Virtual Assistance on July 3, 2013 at 10:12 am

What a great resource for the techie-challenged!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:19 am
  
  Lisa – thank you!
  Reply
Sarah Arrow on July 3, 2013 at 9:50 am

I love the idea of a list of techie terms. I have a blogging glossary and one for internet marketing terms but never dreamed of a techie list. Love it!
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:19 am
  
  Thank you Sarah, being from the IT world I was reminded by a friend that not everyone knows these “techie terms”
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Bobbi Anderson on July 3, 2013 at 9:45 am

Thanks for sharing – for me as a non-techi this is really valuable info!! Thanks again!
Bobbi
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 11:11 am
  
  Thank you Bobbi!
  Reply
Krista on July 3, 2013 at 9:30 am

uh..hello! This is awesome. Thank you for putting this comprehensive list together. So many terms that I’ve used (incorrectly) before 🙂
Krista Martin, Business Strategist + Coach
http://www.kristamartin.com
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:02 pm
  
  Thank you Krista – love your enthusiasm!
  Reply
internet marketing virginia on July 2, 2013 at 5:30 am

Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your post.
I like to write a little comment to support you.
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- Susan Mershon on July 3, 2013 at 5:01 pm
  
  Thank you!
  Reply
Joann Snell on May 21, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Good idea! I have clients that ask for the techie terms to be explained when I meet with them.
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- Susan Mershon on May 21, 2013 at 1:10 pm
  
  Thanks Joann!
  Reply
Ellen Taylor on May 20, 2013 at 9:22 pm

Posting this list was a great idea, Susan! So many clients and average computer users don’t understand a lot of these techie terms.
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- Susan Mershon on May 20, 2013 at 9:28 pm
  
  Thanks Ellen! I had a call with someone last week and she helped me realize that most people don’t know these terms….and I thought great blog topics!
  Reply