A "platform" refers to the operating system used to access the internet. Examples include Windows, Macintosh, Sun, or Linux. Most web development experts agree that a website should be tested on all platforms to ensure consistency of the presentation and operation of the site.

The classic System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process involves the following sequential activities: information and data modeling, software requirements analysis, systems analysis and design, code and program generation, testing, and maintenance. This process of software engineering was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense and has been in use for decades.

"Link buying" is a search engine optimization method where website owners in need of high quality inbound links purchase a link to their website on another website in the hopes of improving search engine results. Websites that are of high quality monetize their websites be offering a section of their website for link buyers.

"Link buying" is a search engine optimization method where website owners in need high quality inbound links purchase a link to their website on another website in the hopes of improving search engine results. Websites that are of high quality monetize their websites be offering a section of their website for link buyers.

Cable Internet access is a broadband Internet connection that works by using TV channel space for data transmission. Cable provides relatively high bandwidth with coaxial cable and can achieve extremely fast access to the web. Cable Internet access is roughly fifty-times faster than a dial up modem connection.

The term "digerati" refers to the cyber elite that have tremendous influence on the emerging computer and communication revolution. This knowledgeable and hip group of thinkers includes famous computer scientists, tech magazine writers and well-known bloggers. Upside magazine writer George Gilder introduced this term to the masses in 1992.

The term "organic traffic" refers to website traffic that comes from unpaid listings at search engines or directories. Organic traffic can be generated by including the web site in directories such as Yahoo and DMOZ, search engines such as Google and Inktomi, guides such as yellow pages and restaurant guides, and award sites.

A web hosting service hosts websites for individuals and organizations. When deciding on a web hosting partner, evaluate each one based on the following criteria: do they offer enough disk space; provide enough email addresses; provide sufficient data transfer rates, offer ecommerce capabilities, provide database and scripting support; offer a suitable operating system; and provide good customer support.

In terms of web site usage, a "page views" is the total number of pages with extensions such as .htm, .html, .asp, etc. that have been requested from a web server. The number of page views does not include supporting graphic image files such as GIF or JPEG files that reside on a web page.

Red Hat Linux is released in October 1994. In need of new open source software products to sell, the ACC Corporation agrees to market and distribute Marc Ewing's Red Hat Linux product. As sales take off, the ACC Corp changes its name to Red Hat Software, Inc. Red Hat subsequently becomes the most popular brand of Linux in the world.

The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard for interfacing external applications with information servers, such as HTTP or web servers. A CGI program is executed in real-time, so that it can output dynamic information. For example, a web page designed to perform a query of a database to render results could be constructed to pass query parameters to a CGI program that performs the query and formats the results.

In terms of ecommerce, a "conversion" is when a website turns a raw user into a buyer of a product or service. The following are some tips for increasing your rate of conversions: explain your product in detail; include your phone number; price your products or services accordingly; make sure your website is attractive; and provide multiple payment methods.

Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers strong support for integration with other languages and tools, and comes with extensive standard libraries. Python runs on Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS X, OS/2, Amiga, Palm Handhelds, and Nokia mobile phones. Python has also been ported to the Java and .NET platforms.

Dr. F.C. Williams develops the first computer memory storage system in the mid 1940s. In November 1946, he demonstrates the use of a cathode ray tube to store a single binary digit. By autumn 1947, working with Tom Kilburn, they are able to store 2,048 bits over a period of a few hours. The Williams tube becomes the first random-access memory device for a modern computer.

Sybex is one of the worlds oldest and most respected publishers of computer books. Their books range from the reputable "Mastering" best-sellers, used by millions to gain in-depth understanding of the latest computer topics, to certification study guides that help students prepare for challenging exams. Sybex offers more than a dozen unique series of computer books. See www.sybex.com.

Founded in 1998, PayPal enables any individual or business with an email address to securely, easily and quickly send and receive payments online. PayPal's service builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards and utilizes the world's most advanced proprietary fraud prevention systems to create a safe, global, real-time payment solution. See PayPal.com.

Blog Action Day - Today is Blog Action Day. Bloggers around the web are uniting to put a single important issue on everyone's mind - the environment ...

Environmental Resources

Use the power of Yahoo! Search on your website. Yahoo's free Search Builder program allows webmasters to add a customized search experience for their website. Use Yahoo's search engine technology to add a simple search box, or build and tailor a customized search experience. Personalize the results, analyze user data, and manage multiple experiences. See builder.search.yahoo.com.

The Webmaster's Library offers articles, interviews, books, and links for webmasters. This highly recommended website offers a large array of free webmaster articles, webmaster interviews, tutorials, tips and reviews. All content is hand-picked to assist in designing and maintaining a successful website. Bookmark this site at www.webmasterslibrary.com.

Test your website management skills. Naper Solutions, an Internet marketing solutions provider, offers an online quiz designed to test a job applicant's website skills. The questions help determine an applicant's knowledge and scope, the programming environment they feel the most comfortable, and what approach they might take to solve problems. Take the quiz at www.napersolutions.com/webmaster_quiz.htm.

Website design rule of thumb says the eye normally follows the path of a Z when reading a web page. Place important items or those you want the reader to see first along the top of the Z.

Technorati.com is an Internet search engine that indexes and searches blogs. The search engine's tag line is "Who's saying what. Right now." Technorati is set up to search, surface, and organize blogs and the other forms of user-generated content such as photos, videos, etc. Technorati's search domain is increasingly referred to as citizen media.

The terms "Internet" and "World Wide Web", sometimes used interchangeably, are in fact two separate but related things, according to web publisher Webopedia. The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. The World Wide Web is a method for accessing information over the Internet. In other words, the Internet represents the physical layer while the web represents the logical layer.

It is important to remember that some web site visitors will be individuals with disabilities. There are tools to determine how browsers designed for people with disabilities will interpret web pages. A recommended tool is WebXACT. WebXACT is a free online service that lets you test single pages of web content for quality, accessibility, and privacy issues. Try WebXACT at webxact.watchfire.com.

The editors at FreeWebmasterTips.com suggest the following techniques to speed up the loading time of web pages: take out multimedia effects unless absolutely necessary; reuse cached images from the site's home page on its other pages; always use height and width tags on images; use GIFs over JPEGs; and do nest HTML tables inside other tables.

The inevitable occurred in October 1994: the first banner ad appears on a World Wide Web page. HotWired, an early and prolific website content creator, is credited with inventing the banner ad motif. The first banner ad was a 320 by 40 pixel graphic stating "Have you ever clicked your mouse here?" The ad appeared on HotWired.com and was linked to the AT&T website.

TradePub.com offers free trade magazine subscriptions and technical document downloads. Browse through an extensive list of trade publications in categories such as computers, Internet, information technology, software, data management, and security. Publications are absolutely free to professionals who qualify.

Every page on a website has a title attribute that is read by web users and search engines. Use the page title to its fullest capacity by making the title up to 100 characters long, including as many relevant keywords and phrases from the page as possible. Use informative titles for each web page and do not duplicate your titles across pages on a website.

Web site optimization is the process of reducing website size and complexity to maximize performance, search engine optimization, pay per click optimization, and conversion rate optimization as part of your overall site design process. WebsiteOptimization.com is an excellent webmaster resource for this purpose, providing an array of free tools, services, and publications aimed at improving and optimizing your website.