Glossary

Banner - A graphic that appears on a web page that is usually hyperlinked to an advertisers web site. May be in a variety of formats including GIF, JPEG, Flash, HTML, Java, JavaScript & more.

Blogs - (short for web logs) are websites that typically feature post, by an individual or group, which readers can comment upon. Blogs vary widely in nature, but tend to be popular as they often provide an unvarnished, insider perspective on a particular topic.

Cache - Memory used to temporarily store the most frequently requested content/files/pages in order to speed its delivery to the user. A cache file can be saved locally, on the user's browser or on the user's network.

Content communities are sites that allow users to post anything from videos and photos to stories and links. Some of these sites include voting functions that allow the community to determine the relevance of content.

CPM - Cost per thousand banner displays. A $9/cpm rate means that a sponsor will be charged $9 for every 1,000 times their banner is shown.

Dynamic Rotation - The process where advertisement units are delivered based on a rotating or random basis so that users are exposed to different ads and ads are served in different pages of the site.

E-Newsletter - An electronic newsletter or magazine, delivered via a Web site.

General Rotation or Run Of Site (ROS) - This form of banner advertising is the most untargeted of all but it's also the least expensive! It implies that the sponsor's ads will be run in circulation randomly around the search engine's various pages without targeting any particular section of the site.

HTML banner - A banner ad using HTML elements, often including interactive forms, instead of (or in addition to) standard graphical elements.

Impressions - Each time an advertiser's banner is displayed, one "impression" is counted.

Interactive Advertising - Refers to all types of advertising through the Web, wireless and interactive television advertising. Interactive advertising can include banners, site sponsorships, e-mail campaigns, search engine marketing, classified ads and interactive television commercials

Rich media - A term used to describe enhanced technology online ad format that usually incorporates animation, sound, video, and/or interactivity.

ROI - Stands for "return on investment."

Search Engine – A web site that indexes many of the pages on the Internet and provides the ability for users to research web pages that contain information they seek. Engines are really a very powerful database that are built by programs called spiders, or robots, that read web pages all day long (crawling). Search results, and the order they are shown, are determined by intricate proprietary algorithms calculated by the engine. A search engine is to the Internet as an index is to a book.

Social networks are virtual communities that allow users to connect with others. Some of these
venues appeal to broad groups (i.e. Facebook) whereas others are built around particular niches and demographics (i.e. LinkedIn).

Sponsorship - is when an advertisers pays to sponsor either content, usually within a section of a Web site or within an e-mail newsletter. Sponsorships are usually involving beyond-the-banner placements. When associated with specific content, sponsorship can provide a more targeted audience than run-of-site ad buys.

Virtual worlds represent one of the most novel areas on the web, in which users can engage in
immersive worlds. Some of these spaces closely mirror real-world notions such as community and
economics.

Web Server – The software that runs on the server (computer) to display your web site. Also the name of the physical server(s) that hosts your web site (using the web server software).

Wikis are community-generated documents and databases. Approved users can create content and augment that of others in the interests of creating better resources. Wikipedia is arguably the best known wiki, with over 2 million4 articles in the English edition alone.