I'm often asked what, exactly, the difference between 2G and 3G is. Or Adobe Flex vs. Adobe AIR. Or WiFi vs. WiMAX. In this week's column, I'm offering you the top tech terms that I think everyone working in journalism and communications should know. The list includes an English pronunciation guide as well as an easy-to-understand definition. If you're interested, we've also translated all of these words into Arabic, Russian and Spanish. Please contact me if you'd like a copy of the list in one of these languages.

My hope is that this list will help you as you learn, use and develop technology. There's even a short quiz at the end. Enjoy!

Basic Web Terms

Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
Pronunciation:  \ˈā-ˌjaks\
Ajax is the name of a code that allows programming of a Web site so visitors to the site can grab content little by little as they access it.  Using Ajax can greatly increase the utility of your site for users and decrease the load on servers. It can also make it harder to realize advertising dollars or measure certain types of user behavior than "flat" sites.

Architecture
Pronunciation: \ˈär-kə-ˌtek-chər\
The way a site has been developed and configured - all of the code, the commands, the backend structure - is referred to as the "architecture."

Backend
Pronunciation: \ˈbak-ˌend\
A Web site's "backend" is literally everything that happens behind the graphic interface. It is the architecture, the databases, the archive, the content management system and the other elements that power the Web site.

Blog or Web log
Pronunciation: \ˈblog, ˈbläg\
A blog (short for Web log) is a simple way for you to publish content.  Blog software gives you the ability to deliver new content to the Web and to archive all of your old content.  New stories are typically called "entries" or "posts," and they are usually categorized (or "tagged") by a particular theme or keyword.  Blogs are updated frequently and have been used as personal spaces that reflect the specific ideology or beliefs of the author.  Blogs usually have RSS feeds (see below), allowing others to subscribe to the content and receive alerts about new posts.

Breadcrumb navigation
Pronunciation: \ˈbredˈkrəm na-və-ˈgā-shən\
Some Web sites offer navigation on each page, to show the path the user took to get there.  For example, HOME > FEATURE > TODAY'S STORY.  This is usually displaued beneath the top navigation but above the story content.

Cache
Pronunciation:  \ˈkash\
Typically, when you visit a Web site, your browser will keep a copy of the pages you visit.  It's faster to retrieve a document you've already viewed than to go back to the server to get a new one.  Sometimes, you'll want to clear your cache for privacy, speed or other reasons.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)
Pronunciation: \ˈsē ‘es ‘es\
CSS is used with HTML to set global colors, fonts, sizes and other elements of a site within the templates used as the shells within which all content is written or coded.

Cyberspace
Pronunciation: \ˈsī-bər-ˌspās\
William Gibson in his novel Neuromancer coined the word "cyberspace" to mean the information flowing through and the culture associated with computer networks.

Domain Name
Pronunciation: \dō-ˈmān ˈnām\
This is the name that represents IP addresses and individual Web pages. For example, microsoft.com is a domain name, while there are literally hundreds of pages associated with that domain.  There a a limited number of suffixes that are associated with domain names.  Those are .gov, .com, .edu and so forth.

Feed Reader (also called "aggregator")
Pronunciation:  \ˈfēd ˈrē-dər\
A piece of software that collects the RSS feeds you subscribe to and displays them in a readable format.  MyYahoo, Google Reader, NetNewsWire and Bloglines are popular feed readers.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Pronunciation:  \ˌef-(ˌ)tē-ˈpē\
This protocol allows you to log into an Internet site to send or retrieve files of any kind. Web sites are populated using FTP.   

Internet
Pronunciation:  \ˈin-tər-ˌnet\
All of the computers that connect to networks that connect to each other make up the Internet.  It evolved from the U.S. Defense Department's ARPANET, developed in the 1960s and ‘70s.  The Internet is not necessarily the same thing as the World Wide Web (see below).

Intranet
Pronunciation: \ˈin-trə-ˌnet\
An "intranet" refers to a private network of computers inside a company.  Typically, user names and passwords are required to access intranets.

Java
Pronunciation: \ˈja-və\
Java was developed by Sun Microsystems and is a programming language that enables users to download something from the Internet that will run as soon as the download begins.  Calculators, animations and other small tools on Web sites are typically programmed using Java.

Javascript
Pronunciation: \ˈja-və skript\
Javascript was developed by Netscape and is similar to Java.  It enables dynamic content and interactivity in Web sites and interacts with HTML.

Mashup
Pronunciation:  \ˈmashˈəp\
Content that can be automatically created by combining content from two or more sources. Usually, mashups take advantage of syndicated content, such as a podcast or RSS feed, to do this. Right now, lots of people are creating map mashups using Google Maps.

Navigation
Pronunciation:  \ˌna-və-ˈgā-shən\
"Navigation" refers to the way the menus, buttons and toolbars work on a Web site.

Permalink
Pronunciation:  \ˈpərmäˈliŋk\
Blogs have several posts within a single page with a general URL.  Once that content is archived, the URL changes.  Each blog post has a "permanent link."

RSS or RSS feeds
Pronunciation: \ˈär,ˈes,ˈes\
RSS stands for "really simple syndication."  Blogs and podcasts use this format in order to deliver their content to Web sites outside the one they're hosted on.  Any Web site can have RSS enabled.  RSS is what differentiates an mp3 (audio file) from a podcast.

Podcast, Podcasting
Pronunciation:  \ˈpäd-ˌkast\
A "podcast" is basically an audio or video file attached to an RSS feed.  It is a way of distributing audio or video content using the Internet.   You do not need an iPod to create or listen to a podcast.

Portal
Pronunciation:  \ˈpor-təl\
A "portal" is a Web site that offers multiple areas of content.  In the late 1990s, search engines such as Yahoo offered a portal - you could browse or "surf" certain subjects for content.  Portal sites are making a comeback, as news organizations are offering their newspaper content as only one part of their main site, with other areas including citizen journalism Web sites, search engines, digital applications, personalized calendars, etc.

Script
Pronunciation: \skript\
In simple terms, a "script" is an instruction that commands a Web page to do something.  It is a programming language that is used to create all or part of a Web page.  Scripts tell Web crawlers and search engines what to do.

Spider
Pronunciation:  \ˈspī-dər\
A "spider" is a program that is used by a search engine to roam the Internet.  Spiders collect information on Web sites and databases along the way, and they report that information (a site is dead, site updates, etc.) back to the search engines.

SQL (Structured Query Language)
Pronunciation: \'es ˈkyü ‘el\
SQL is a programming language that sends queries to databases to crunch data.  Lots of sites and applications use SQL behind the scenes:  blogs, widgets, Web sites.

Taxonomy
Pronunciation: \tak-ˈsä-nə-mē\
This refers to the way a broad set of material has been classified.  A good taxonomy will help to ensure that search engines are able to find and index content on a Web site. Taxonomy includes keywords, HTML code and text used on the site.

Toolbar
Pronunciation:  \ˈtül-ˌbär\
A toolbar lives within the browser window.  It collects and displays the URL to various Web site addresses, documents, mp3s and any other content available online.  Toolbars can be customized for content areas.

URL
Pronunciation: \ˌyü-(ˌ)är-ˈel, ˈər(-ə)l\
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator or Universal Resource Locator.  The URL is the address of a document, file or Web site on the Internet. A URL is not the same thing as the domain (see above), though the domain is part of the URL.

Vlog or Video Blog
Pronunciation:  \ˈv ˈlog\
A "vlog" is a blog that has been created using only video, or video with some text.  It is updated regularly and is syndicated by RSS (see above).  Vlogs can be published to Web sites, iTunes or via other tools such as YouTube.

Widget
Pronunciation:  \ˈwi-jət\
A "widget" refers to a stand-alone mini-application that lives on a Web site.  Widgets can do just about anything:  they can display advertisements, list other Web sites, display photos and applications like the weather or email or maps, and more.

Wiki
Pronunciation:  \ˈwi-kē\
A "wiki" is used for members of a group to create, develop, edit and modify a Web page collaboratively.  They tend to be open in nature.  Wikipedia is a famous wiki.

New Web Terms

Geospatial Web
Pronunciation:  \geoˈspā-shəl\
This is a relatively new term. The "geospatial Web" merges geographical information with other data available on the Internet. It was likely introduced by Dr. Charles Herring, of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Location Aware Services
Pronunciation:  \lō-ˈkā-shən  ə-ˈwer ˈsər-vəs\
Location aware services use the GPS function and other technology of a modern mobile phone to determine where a user is, and then deliver content that's geographically relevant.  For example, there are numerous shopping applications for mobile phones that use location aware services.  Someone might search for a particular brand of shoes, and after both pinpointing your exact position on a map and querying a product database, a location aware service would tell you the closest store carying the shoes you want.

Push vs. Pull (email)
Pronunciation:  \ˈpush\   \ˈpul\
On a mobile device that can receive email, the service is described either as "push" or "pull."  If email is automatically sent to and synched with a mobile device, it is "pushed."  If the user must manually check for his/her email, it is being "pulled."

Semantic Web
Pronunciation:  \si-ˈman-tik\
This is the next iteration of the World Wide Web.  Some refer to it as "Web 3.0," while others define it as the "natural language Web."  The semantic Web makes it possible for machines to make connections without explicit human involvement.  In 1999, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, one of the Internet's inventors, described the semantic Web as follows: "I have a dream for the Web [in which computers] become capable of analyzing all the data on the Web - the content, links, and transactions between people and computers. A ‘Semantic Web', which should make this possible, has yet to emerge, but when it does, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines. The ‘intelligent agents' people have touted for ages will finally materialize."

SSL
Pronunciation: \ˈes, ˈes, ˈel \
"SSL" stands for Secure Sockets Layer.  It is now referred to as "TLS," or "Transport Layer Security."  Both are protocoly that insure the integrity and safety of data on the Internet.

UI
Pronunciation: \ˈyüˈī\
"UI" stands for "user interface," or what the user sees and interacts with on his/her screen.

Social Web Terms

Crowdsourcing
Pronunciation: \ˈkrau̇dsȯrsiŋ\
This refers to relying on the wisdom of a crowd to help answer a question or learn more about a particular topic.  Typically, a user of a social network will "crowdsource" a subject by asking all of his/her friends and then responding to replies.

Delicious
Pronunciation:  \di-ˈli-shəs\
Delicious.com is a Web site that enables users to save Web pages or sites as bookmarks, and then share those bookmarks with others.

Digg
Pronunciation: \ˈdig\
Digg.com is a social network enabling users to post links to stories they find on the Web, and then allowing others to post comments or react to those stories.  If a user likes a story, s/he can "digg it," by giving it a high rating.  The more a story is "dug" the higher it rises in the overall rankings for other users to discover and share.

DM (Direct Message)
Pronunciation:  \ˈdē ,'em\
Various social networks allow users to send a direct message, or to "DM," their friends/ followers. A user can only send and receive a DM to someone who both he follows and who follows him.

IM (Instant Message)
Pronunciation: \ˈī,'em\
Instant messaging preceeded social networks.  Using a client, such as iChat, Google Talk, ICQ or many others, a user can send a quick message to a friend and continue a conversation in real time.  Today, it is possible to use text, audio and video via IM.

Ping
Pronunciation: \ˈpiŋ\
Ping is a tool that tests whether another computer is reachable across a network.  It is possible to test the speed of a computer, the safety of a computer and even the IP to determine the health of a network or computer connection. Because sending a ping takes seconds, people now use "ping" as a shorthand way to mean "get in touch with" or "contact."  For example, Fred: "Are you available for lunch tomorrow?"  Mary: "I'm not sure.  Why don't you ping me around noon to see if I'm free?"

RT (or Retweet)
Pronunciation:  \rēˈtwēt\
Using Twitter, a popular social networking service, someone's post can be sent again.  A user "retweets," or sending out someone's post throughout your own network.

Tweet
Pronunciation: \twēt\
A post on Twitter is referred to as a "tweet."

Mobile Terms

2G
Pronunciation: \ˈtü ˈjē\
This refers to the second generation of wireless technology standards that were developed.

3G
Pronunciation: \ˈthrē ˈjē\
This refers to the third generation of wireless technology standards that were developed. 3G networks are faster than 2G for data (Web, email).

Accelerometer
Pronunciation: \ik-ˌse-lə-ˈrä-mə-tər\
If a mobile phone has an accelerometer, it can detect movements, direction and speed. iPhones are built with accelerometers, so that when the phone is shaken it controls the direction of mapping, gaming and other applications.

Bluetooth
Pronunciation: \ˈblüˈtüth\
Bluetooth is short-range wireless technology that connects devices, such as a mobile phone and headset, together.

EDGE
Pronunciation:\ˈej\
The EDGE network is an upgrade to the GSM/ GPRS network.  It is not as fast as 3G technology.  EDGE literally stands for "Enhanced Data for Global Evolution."

GSM
Pronunciation: \jē ˈes ˈem\
GMS stands for "Global System for Mobile Communication," and is the 2G mobile phone standard used around the world.

Mobile WiMax
Pronunciation: \ˈmō-bəl ‘wī ˈmaks\
WiMax is a long range, high speed wireless network.  Mobile WiMax enables that network for mobile phones.  It is emerging throughout the world as a new technical standard.

OLED
Pronunciation:  \ˈō ˈel ˈē ˈdē\
OLED stands for "Organic Light-Emitting Diode," and is the next-generation of display technology.  It is currently being used in Japanese handsets, making screens thinner, lighter, brighter and easier to read.

Packet
Pronunciation: \ˈpa-kət\
A packet is binary digits, data and other information that is transmitted during a mobile phone call.

SIM (Card)
Pronunciation: \sim\
SIM stands for "subscriber identity module." Mobile phones often contain SIM cards, which enclose tiny microchips that store address book, personal and other data for that phone's user. SIM cards also encrypt calls so that others may not easily listen in. On many phones, SIM cards can be easily removed and changed.

SMS
Pronunciation: \ ˈes ˈem ˈes\
SMS stands for "short messaging service," and it allows users to send and receive very short (160 characters or less) text messages via their mobile phones.

Tethering
Pronunciation: \ˈte-thər\
"Tethering" refers to pairing the data connection in a mobile phone with a computer to enable the computer to go online.

VoIP
Pronunciation: \ˈvoip\
VoIP, or "voice over Internet protocol," is a technology to transmit voice via the Internet. It can be an inexpensive method of making long-distance phone calls.

WAP
Pronunciation:  \ˈwap\
WAP stands for "Wireless Access Protocol" and is a technology that enables mobile phones to access the Internet.

Analytics - Measuring a site's effectiveness

Hit
Pronunciation: \ˈhit\
A "hit" means a single request from a Web browser for a single item on a Web page.  If a newspaper homepage has 20 graphics, it will record 21 "hits" every time someone visits:  20 for the graphics and one for the HTML page containing text and other elements.

Pageviews
Pronunciation: \ˈpājˈvyüs\
The number of times you load a particular page on a Web site is called the "pageview."  This includes all the graphics, links, and everything else on the page under a single URL.

Unique
Pronunciation:  \yu-ˈnēk\
Each time you visit a site and your cache is empty, you are counted as a "unique" visitor.  If you visit a Web site multiple times within the same day, you will only count once as a "unique" for that day, or multiple times in a month if monthly uniques are being measured, and so on.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Pronunciation: \'es ˈē ˈō\
Sites are "optimized" to ensure that they rank as high as possible in search results.

Traffic
Pronunciation: \ˈtra-fik\
Traffic refers to the amount of people visiting a Web site and with what frequency.

Socialitics - What's happening to your content

Engagement
Pronunciation: \in-ˈgāj-mənt\
The measurement of what users are clicking on, how long they stay, how they forward content and in general how they interact with a Web site is called "engagement."

Socialitics
Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shəlˈli-tiks\
"Socialitics" is a term coined by Webbmedia Group and is a measurement of how content is being used, shared and absorbed throughout social networks.

QUIZ
How much do you remember?  Try taking this quiz!
This is a short set of questions to see how much you know.  Answers are at the bottom.
1.  What's the difference between a hit and a pageview?  What about a pageview and a unique?

2.  Let's say that you're working with a developer who wants to know if you need any SSL certificates for your website.  What would she be talking about, exactly?

3.  What's it called when you connect your mobile phone to your computer to access the Internet?  Bonus: Take a look at your own laptop, if you have one, and your mobile phone.  Would you know how to connect them to get online?)

4.  If you want to combine a map with a dataset, what is that activity called?

5.  How do you syndicate content from your website or blog?  What's the three letter term, and what do each of those letters represent?

Answers:
1.  A "hit" refers to a single request from a Web browser for a single item on a Web page.  A "pageview" is the number of times you load a particular page on a Web site.  A "unique" is visitor who has arrived to a website for the first time after clearing her cache, or for the first time ever. Why do these terms matter?  They're all references made when determining a Web site's traffic, or overall number of users.

2.  She'd be asking you whether you need secured areas of your Web site. If you plan to accept payments or protect certain parts (or all) of your data, an SSL certificate may be necessary.

3.  That's called "tethering." Tethering your mobile phone to your computer depends entirely on the equipment you use and your mobile carrier.  If you'd like to learn more about tethering, we recommend that you start by looking at the Web site of your mobile provider.  Those that allow tethering most often have instructions on how to connect your equipment as well as any additional charges you may incur.

4.  You'd be creating a "mashup."

5.  RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication."

To read all of Amy Webb's columns, click here.

Amy Webb is a digital media consultant and head of Webbmedia Group, LLC. She has also launched Knowledgewebb, a new website for multimedia training. You can also follow Amy on Twitter and delicious. Webbmedia Group is a vendor-neutral company. Any opinions expressed about products or services are formed after testing, research and interviews. Neither Amy Webb nor Webbmedia Group or its employees receives any financial or other benefits from vendors.

Note: The terms and definitions above are copyright Webbmedia Group and Knowledgewebb 2009. They may not be republished or reused without express written permission.