Web | Internet FAQ
compiled by Ryan Cassano

What is a Web Host?
A Web host is in the business of providing server space, Web services and file maintenance for Web sites controlled by individuals or companies that do not have their own Web servers. Many ISPs, such as America Online, will allow subscribers a small amount of server space to host a personal Web page. Other commercial ISPs will charge the user a fee depending on the complexity of the site being hosted. Source: Webopedia.com

What is an ISP?
Short for Internet Service Provider, this is a company that provides access to the Internet (e.g Oronet, AOL, Earthlink, etc). For a monthly (or annual) fee, the service provider gives you a username, password and access phone number. Using your modem, you can then log on to the Internet and browse the World Wide Web and send and receive e-mails. In many cases, an ISP will also grant a user with a small amount of Web space for Web hosting.

What is HTML?
Short for HyperText Markup Language, the authoring language used to create documents on the World Wide Web.

Is my browser related to my ISP?
No. Your browser is just a program, like your e-mail program or a word processor. Regardless of who your internet provider is, you can use any broswer you like, whether it be Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera etc.

What are file extensions?
At some point or another, you've probably noticed a string of 3-4 characters at the end of your file names*. Your computer uses them to determine what program is used for viewing or reading the file. For example, Microsoft Word uses the.doc extension (e.g filename.doc). When you open this file, your computer reads the file extension and knows that it needs to use Microsoft Word to edit or view it. It's possible for different programs to read the same file extension. For example, a graphic editor program like Photoshop uses any number of standard file types for image files, such as .jpg or .gif. Using a different graphic editor, like Fireworks, you can still edit or view .jpg or .gif files.

*NOTE: The Macintosh platform, by default, doesn't use file extensions. It relies on memory to keep track of file types and associations. This makes Mac files unreadable on a PC platform. You can modify this setting so that it will generate file extentions, allowing you to view or modify files on a PC that were originally created on a Macintosh.

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