CGI bin
Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a protocol that allows a Web page to run a program on a Web server. A CGI-bin is where you would store CGI scripts. These scripts are used to generate online order forms, guestbooks, shopping carts, counters, and more! YES, every account comes with a local CGI-bin! Forms, counters, and guestbooks are common examples of CGI programs. You will have access to your own cgi-local bin in which you may place your own custom CGI scripts. We offer several pre-written scripts, available free for your use.

Data Traffic (Transfer)
Any outward-bound traffic from your Web site is considered data transfer. For example, each time an HTML file, image, or other element on your Web page is loaded, data transfer is generated.

Disk Space
Disk space refers to the amount of server disk storage your account is allocated. This space is used to store your html files, graphics, audio clips, POP mail messages, and all other files that make up your Web site. Each of our shared servers includes a specified allotment of disk storage space, but additional space can be purchased for any account.

Domain Parking/Pointers
Domain name pointers resolve to the root level of your shared server just like your original domain name. Additional domain pointers are an excellent way to drive more traffic to your Web site! (Additional domain names cannot point to a subdirectory of your shared server.) For example, say we have mary.com parked to your main account at steve.com. This would mean that anyone who goes to mary.com would automatically go to steve.com. There is no actual hosting involved with mary.com. Mary.com merely acts as a nickname to steve.com

eMail Auto Responders
Autoresponders may be used to send automated responses to incoming email sent to a specific address. For example, if you had an order form which your customers email to you, you can set up an autoresponder to email the customer a confirmation message. There are many other uses for autoresponders, such as giving information to people who don't have access to the Internet but still have an email account such as Juno.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol; method used to upload our Web site files to your shared server. You have unlimited access to your shared server via FTP 24-hours a day to set up and maintain your Web site. You can work on HTML documents, graphics, and scripts locally, then upload files to your Web site when ready.

Full Tape Backup
Comprehensive backups of your data. In the event of permanent data loss, a restoration may occur that will recover your lost files.

Mail Forwarders
When you sign up for your hosting plan, you'll receive a domain email account (you@yourname.com). You might also have an email address provided by your local ISP. With mail forwarding, all email addressed to you@yourname.com will be sent to your "real" email address. Additional mail forwarding options include the ability to forward different yourname.com email to specific addresses on the Internet. For example, email addressed to webmaster@yourname.com could forward to your "real" email address (provided by your ISP), while sales@yourname.com could forward to a different email address.

Mailing List
A group discussion conducted through email messages, specific to a topic or common interest. When a message is sent to a mailing list, each list subscriber receives a copy.

Microsoft® FrontPage® Extensions
FrontPage is a Microsoft page creation tool that requires special server extensions to fuction properly. In order to use FrontPage to create and maintain your Web site, your hosting service must install "extensions" (CGI programs that provide the server side implementation of FrontPage) for your account. We offer FrontPage 2000 extensions for all of our accounts.

PHP4
PHP is an open-source, server-side HTML embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. A dynamic Web page is a page that interacts with the user, so that each user visiting the page sees customized information. PHP is freely available and used primarily on Linux (UNIX) Web servers, and as an alternative to Microsoft's Active Server Pages technology. As with ASP, the PHP script is embedded within a Web page along with its HTML. Before the page resolves, the Web server calls PHP to interpret and perform the operations called for in the PHP script. An HTML page with PHP script is typically given a file name suffix of ".php," ".php4," or ".phtml."

POP3 eMail
Post Office Protocol - or - Point Of Presence: Post Office Protocol is a method of retrieving email from a server. Point Of Presence is a telephone number that provides dial-up Internet access. Each of our hosting packages comes with unique POP3 eMail accounts, in addition to eMail forwarding. You have the option to retrieve eMail directly from POP3 mailboxes on the mail server using an eMail program such as Eudora. Your POP eMail accounts can be instantly created from the H-shpere control panel included with all shared server packages. Each of our shared servers includes a specific number of POP3 eMail boxes, but additional boxes can be purchased for any account.

Server Side Includes
Add the convenience and flexibility of embedding CGI capability into your Web pages.

Shopping Cart
Add the convenience and power of our integrated shopping cart system for eCommerce Web hosting!

SSL Encryption
Secure Sockets Layer: A protocol designed by Netscape to enable encrypted communications across the Internet. It provides privacy, authentication, and message integrity. SSL is often used in communications between browsers and servers. A URL that begins with "https" is a clue that an SSL connection will be used on the Web site. During an SSL connection, each side sends a Security Certificate to the other. Both sides then encrypt what they send, ensuring that only the intended recipient can decode it.

Web Mail
A method used to access e-mail messages through a web browser using HTTP. You can conveniently access your domain email from any browser around the world!

Web-Based Control Panel
An administration utility accessed via any Web browser for instant control and complete management of your Web site. Allows the easy setup of mailboxes, aliases, password protection, statistical reporting, FTP through your Web browser to your account, and much more!