The world of SEO and Internet Marketing has gained considerable popularity in the last few years, and has its own language and dictionary of terms. We have compiled a list of some of the most used words in Search Engine Optimization and other Internet related terms to help you.
Select a letter to see the terms starting with this letter.
| # |
Term and Description |
| 1. | DatabaseA file composed of records, each containing fields together with a set of operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and other functions. |
| 2. | Database AdministratorOne who manages a database. The administrator determines the content, internal structure, and access strategy for a database, defines security and integrity, and monitors performance. |
| 3. | Database Management SystemA software interface between the database and the user. A database management system handles user requests for database actions and allows for control of security and data integrity requirements. |
| 4. | DBDatabase |
| 5. | DBADatabase Administrator |
| 6. | DBMSDatabase Management System |
| 7. | dbXMLDatabase XML. A native XML database server designed to manage large collections of XML documents. dbXML may be embedded in custom applications or run as a stand-alone database. |
| 8. | DDoSDistributed Denial of Service Attack. A form of denial of service attack (DoS) originating from several computers that seeks to disrupt Web access by overwhelming a target with connection requests that cannot be completed. A DDoS attack involves cracking into a number of computers and planting programs that lie dormant until sent a signal to attack. At that point the computers send a steady stream of data packets to the targeted Web site, overwhelming the ability of the Web server to respond. Because the attack is coming from many computers, security features that might otherwise recognize the attack and stop accepting data packets from a single source are unable to shut down connections to all the attackers. |
| 9. | Denial of Service AttackSee DoS |
| 10. | Desktop ConferencingThe use of computers for simultaneous communication among geographically separated participants in a meeting. This communication may include input to and display from application programs as well as audio and video communication. |
| 11. | DHTMLDynamic HTML |
| 12. | Dictionary AttackOriginally a method of guessing a user’s password or PIN by trying every word in the dictionary until successful. Currently used to identify any attack that tries known words or alphanumeric character strings to break a simple password. |
| 13. | Digest1. An article in a moderated newsgroup that summarizes multiple posts submitted to the moderator. See also moderator, newsgroup. 2. A message in a mailing list that is sent to subscribers in place of the multiple individual posts that the digest contains. If the mailing list is moderated, the digest may be edited. |
| 14. | Digicashe-money |
| 15. | Digital Cashe-money |
| 16. | Digital CertificateAn assurance that software downloaded from the Internet comes from a reputable source. A digital certificate provides information about the softwareósuch as the identity of the author and the date on which the software was registered with a certificate authority (CA), as well as a measure of tamper-resistance. |
| 17. | Digital FingerprintingDigital watermark. |
| 18. | Digital SignatureA security mechanism used on the Internet that relies on two keys, one public and one private, that are used to encrypt messages before transmission and to decrypt them on receipt. |
| 19. | Digital WatermarkA unique identifier embedded in a file to deter piracy and prove file ownership and quality. Digital watermarking is often used with graphics and audio files to identify the owner’s rights to these works. |
| 20. | Discussion GroupAny of a variety of online forums in which people communicate about subjects of common interest. Forums for discussion groups include electronic mailing lists, Internet newsgroups, and IRC channels. |
| 21. | Distributed Denial of Service AttackDDoS |
| 22. | Distribution GroupA group that is used solely for e-mail distribution and that is not securityenabled. Distribution groups cannot be listed in discretionary access control lists (DACLs) used to define permissions on resources and objects.
Distribution groups can be used only with e-mail applications (such as Microsoft Exchange) to send e-mail messages to collections of users. If you do not need a group for security purposes, create a distribution group instead of a security group. |
| 23. | Distribution ListA list of recipients on an e-mail mailing list. This can be in the form of either a mailing list program, such as LISTSERV, or an alias in an e-mail program for all recipients of an e-mail message. |
| 24. | DNSDomain Name Server |
| 25. | DNS serverShort for Domain Name System server, a computer that can answer Domain Name System (DNS) queries. The DNS server keeps a database of host computers and their corresponding IP addresses. Presented with the name apex.com, for example, the DNS server would return the IP address of the hypothetical company Apex. |
| 26. | Document Object ModelA World Wide Web Consortium specification that describes the structure of dynamic HTML and XML documents in a way that allows them to be manipulated through a Web browser. In the Document Object Model, or DOM, a document is presented as a logical structure rather than as a collection of tagged words. In essence, DOM is a means of defining a document as a treelike hierarchy of nodes in which the document is an object containing other objects, such as images and forms. Through DOM, programs and scripts can access these objects in order to change aspects such as their appearance or behavior. DOM is a vehicle for adding depth and interactivity to what would otherwise be a static Web page. |
| 27. | Document SourceThe plain-text HTML form of a World Wide Web document, with all tags and other markup displayed as such rather than being formatted. Also called: source, source document. |
| 28. | Domain NameAn address of a network connection that identifies the owner of that address in a hierarchical format: server.organization.type. |
| 29. | Domain SlammingThe practice of transferring ownership of domain names from one customer to another without the permission of the first customer. |
| 30. | Doorway PageA Web page that functions as a doorway into a Web site. Usually a doorway page contains keywords, which Internet search engines seek when they scan the Internet. Placing the correct keywords on a doorway page can increase the number of viewers visiting a site. |
| 31. | DoSDenial of Service Attack. A computerized assault, usually planned, that seeks to disrupt Web access. A denial of service attack can occur in a number of forms. The most common form of attack is to overwhelm an Internet server with connection requests that cannot be completed. This causes the server to become so busy attempting to respond to the attack that it ignores legitimate requests for connections. One example of this type of attack, known as a SYN flood, inundates the server's entry ports with false connection messages. Another, known as the Ping of Death, sends a ping command with an oversized IP packet that causes the server to freeze, crash, or restart. Other forms of denial of service attacks include the destruction or alteration of a server's configuration data, such as router information; unauthorized access to physical components of a system; and the sending of large or invalid data that causes a system to crash or freeze. |
| 32. | Dot AddressAn IP address in dotted quad form. |
| 33. | dot-bombAn Internet-based company or organization that has failed or downsized significantly. |
| 34. | dot-comA company doing business primarily or entirely on the Internet. The term is derived from the top-level domain, .com, at the end of the Web addresses of commercial Web sites. |
| 35. | dot-commedLosing a job because of the downsizing or failure of an Internet-based company or organization. |
| 36. | Double PostingIn newsgroup discussions, the practice of replying to one's own posts. Because it may be seen as the digital equivalent to talking to one’s self, double posting is considered an undesirable practice. |
| 37. | DownloadIn communications, to transfer a copy of a file from a remote computer to the requesting computer by means of a modem or network. |
| 38. | DowntimeThe amount or percentage of time a computer system or associated hardware remains nonfunctional. Although downtime can occur because hardware fails unexpectedly, it can also be a scheduled event, as when a network is shut down to allow time for maintenance. |
| 39. | Drill DownTo start at a top-level menu, directory, or Web page and pass through several intermediate menus, directories, or linked pages, until the file, page, menu command, or other item being sought is reached. Drilling down is common practice in searching for files or information on the Internet, where high-level Gopher menus and World Wide Web pages are frequently very general and become more specific at each lower level. |
| 40. | DSSSLDocument Style Semantics and Specification Language |
| 41. | Dynamic HTMLA technology designed to add richness, interactivity, and graphical interest to Web pages by providing those pages with the ability to change and update themselves dynamicallyóthat is, in response to user actions, without the need for repeated downloads from a server. This is done by enabling the interaction of HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. Examples of dynamic HTML actions include moving graphics on the page and displaying information, such as menus or tables, in response to mouse movements or clicks. Interoperability is governed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Document Object Model (DOM) specification, a platformand language-neutral interface to ensure that programs and scripts can dynamically access and update the content, structure, and style of documents. |
| 42. | Dynamic PageAn HTML document that contains animated GIFs, Java applets, or ActiveX controls. |
| 43. | Dynamic Web PageWeb page that has fixed form but variable content, allowing it to be
tailored to a customer's search criteria. |
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