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Adulty.org- Internet GlossaryA | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |  |
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ANA (Association of National Advertisers) - the trade association serving the needs of advertisers and marketers by providing leadership in advertising and marketing trends and best practices. See ana.net for more information.
ARF (Advertising Research Foundation) - a nonprofit trade association whose mission is profitable business through effective research and insights. See arfsite.org for more information.
Abort - when a Web server does not successfully transfer a unit of content or ad to a browser. This is usually caused by a user hitting the stop button, the ESC key, or clicking on another link prior to the completion of a download.
Activity audit - independent verification of measured activity for a specified time period. Some of the key metrics validated are ad impressions, page impressions, clicks, total visits and unique users. An activity audit results in a report verifying the metrics. Formerly known as a count audit.
Ad/advertisement - a commercial message targeted to an advertiser’s customer or prospect.
Ad audience - the number of unique users exposed to an ad within a specified time period. Ad banner - a graphic image or other media object used as an advertisement. See iab.net for voluntary guidelines for banner ads. Ad blocker - software on a user’s browser which prevents advertisements from being displayed. Ad campaign audit - an activity audit for a specific ad campaign.
Ad centric measurement - audience measurement derived from a third-party ad server's own server logs.
Ad click - a measurement of the user-initiated action of responding to (such as clicking on) an ad element causing a re-direct to another Web location or another frame or page within the advertisement. There are three types of ad clicks: 1) click-throughs; 2) in-unit clicks; and 3) mouseovers. Ad click-throughs should be tracked and reported as a 302 redirect at the ad server and should filter out robotic activity.
Ad click rate - ratio of ad clicks to ad impressions.
Ad display/Ad delivered - when an ad is successfully displayed on the user's computer screen.
Ad download - when an ad is downloaded by a server to a user’s browser. Ads can be requested, but aborted or abandoned before actually being downloaded to the browser, and hence there would be no opportunity to see the ad by the user.
Address - a unique identifier for a computer or site online, usually a URL for a Web site or marked with an @ for an e-mail address. Literally, it is how one computer finds the location of another computer using the Internet.
Ad impression - 1) an ad which is served to a user’s browser. Ads can be requested by the user’s browser (referred to as pulled ads) or they can be pushed, such as e-mailed ads; 2) a measurement of responses from an ad delivery system to an ad request from the user's browser, which is filtered from robotic activity and is recorded at a point as late as possible in the process of delivery of the creative material to the user's browser -- therefore closest to the actual opportunity to see by the user. Two methods are used to deliver ad content to the user - a) server-initiated and b) client-initiated. Server-initiated ad counting uses the publisher's Web content server for making requests, formatting and re-directing content. Client-initiated ad counting relies on the user's browser to perform these activities. For organizations that use a server-initiated ad counting method, counting should occur subsequent to the ad response at either the publisher's ad server or the Web content server. For organizations using a client-initiated ad counting method, counting should occur at the publisher's ad server or third-party ad server, subsequent to the ad request, or later, in the process. See iab.net for ad campaign measurement guidelines. Ad impression ratio - Click-throughs divided by ad impressions. See click rate.
Ad insertion - when an ad is inserted in a document and recorded by the ad server.
Ad materials - the creative artwork, copy, active URLs and active target sites which are due to the seller prior to the initiation of the ad campaign.
Ad network - an aggregator or broker of advertising inventory for many sites. Ad networks are the sales representatives for the Web sites within the network.
Ad recall - a measure of advertising effectiveness in which a sample of respondents are exposed to an ad and then at a later point in time are asked if they recall the ad. Ad recall can be on an aided or unaided basis. Aided ad recall is when the respondent is told the name of the brand or category being advertised.
Ad request - the request for an advertisement as a direct result of a user's action as recorded by the ad server. Ad requests can come directly from the user’s browser or from an intermediate Internet resource, such as a Web content server.
Ad serving - the delivery of ads by a server to an end user's computer on which the ads are then displayed by a browser and/or cached. Ad serving is normally performed either by a Web publisher, or by a third-party ad server. Ads can be embedded in the page or served separately.
Ad space - the location on a page of a site in which an advertisement can be placed. Each space on a site is uniquely identified. Multiple ad spaces can exist on a single page.
Ad stream- the series of ads displayed by the user during a single visit to a site (also impression stream).
Ad transfers - the successful display of an advertiser's Web site after the user clicked on an ad. When a user clicks on an advertisement, a click-through is recorded and re-directs or "transfers" the user's browser to an advertiser's Web site. If the user successfully displays the advertiser's Web site, an ad transfer is recorded.
Ad view - when the ad is actually seen by the user. Note this is not measurable today. The best approximation today is provided by ad displays.
Ad window - separate from the content window.
Advertiser - the company paying for the advertisement.
Advertising revenue - revenue realized from the sale of advertising. See interactive advertising revenue.
Affiliate marketing - an agreement between two sites in which one site (the affiliate) agrees to feature content or an ad designed to drive traffic to another site. In return, the affiliate receives a percentage of sales or some other form of compensation generated by that traffic.
Affinity marketing - selling products or services to customers on the basis of their established buying patterns. The offer can be communicated by e-mail promotions, online or offline advertising.
Alternate text - a word or phrase that is displayed when a user has image loading disabled in their browser or when a user abandons a page by hitting "stop" in their browser prior to the transfer of all images. Also appears as “balloon text” when a user lets their mouse rest over an image. Animated advertisement - an ad that changes over time. For example, an animated ad is an interactive Java applet or Shockwave or GIF89a file.
Animated GIF - an animation created by combining multiple GIF images in one file. The result is multiple images, displayed one after another, that give the appearance of movement.
Anonymizer - an intermediary which prevents Web sites from seeing a user’s Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Applet - a small, self-contained software application that is most often used by browsers to automatically display animation and/or to perform database queries requested by the user.
Applicable browser - any browser an ad will impact, regardless of whether it will play the ad.
Artifacting - distortion that is introduced into audio or video by the compression algorithm (codec). Compressed images may have stray pixels (often white dots) that were not present in the original image. See codec.
Aspect ratio - the width-to-height ratio of the picture frame. TV broadcasts at a 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio; digital TV will be broadcast with a 16:9 (1.78:1) ratio; and most feature films are shot in at least a 1.85:1 ratio. IMUs have an aspect ratio of 6:5 (330x 250; 336 x 280; and 180 x 150).
Audit - third party validation of log activity and/or measurement process associated with Internet activity/advertising. Activity audits validate measurement counts. Process audits validate internal controls associated with measurement.
Auditor - a third party independent organization that performs audits.
Backbone - a
central network connecting other networks together.
Bandwidth - 1) the
transmission rate of a communications line or system, expressed either as
cycles per second/hertz for analog lines, or as bits (bps) or kilobits per
second (Kbps) for digital systems; 2) line speed; 3) the amount of information
that can be transmitted over communications lines at one time.
Bandwidth
competition -
a
bottleneck, however brief, when two or more files are simultaneously
transmitted over a single line. Unless the system is able to prioritize among
the files, the effect is to slow delivery of each.
Banner - a
graphic image displayed on an HTML page used as an ad. See iab.net for
voluntary guidelines defining specifications of banner ads.
Barter
- the
exchange of goods and services without the use of cash. The value of the barter
is the dollar value of the goods and services being exchanged for advertising.
This is a recognized form of revenue under GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles).
BtoB/B2B
(Business-to-Business)
- businesses
whose customers are other businesses.
BtoC (Business-to-Consumer) - businesses
whose major customers are consumers.
BBS (Bulletin Board System) - software
that enables users to log into e-mail, usenet and chat groups via modem. Beacon - a snippet of code placed in an ad, on a Web page, or in an email which helps
measure whether the ad, page or email was delivered to the browser and to
track actions in general. Also known as a clear GIF or pixel tag.
Beta - a test
version of a product, such as a Web site or software, prior to final release.
Beyond-the-banner - a term
referring to any advertisement that is not a banner, e.g. an interstitial,
streaming video ads, etc.
Bit - the
smallest unit of data in a computer.
A bit has a single binary value of either 0 or 1. There are eight bits in a byte.
Bit
rate - a
measure of bandwidth which tells you how fast data is traveling from one place
to another on a computer network.
Bit rate is usually expressed in kilobits (100 bits) per second or Kbps.
Bonus impressions - additional
ad impressions above the commitments outlined in the approved insertion order.
Bot - short
for robot. See intelligent agent, robot.
Bounce - what
happens when e-mails are returned to the mail server as undeliverable.
Broadband
- an
Internet connection that delivers a relatively high bit rate - any bit
rate at or above 100 Kbps. Cable
modems, DSL and ISDN all offer broadband connections.
Browser - a
software program that can request, download, cache and display documents
available on the World Wide Web. Browsers can be either text-based or
graphical.
Browser
sniffer - see
sniffer.
Buffering
- when a
streaming media player saves portions of a streaming media file until there is
enough information for the stream to begin playing.
Button - 1)
clickable graphic that contains certain functionality, such as taking one someplace or executing a program; 2)
buttons can also be ads. See iab.net for voluntary guidelines
defining specifications of button ads.
Cable
modem - a device
that permits one-way or two-way high speed data communication over a cable
television system for purposes such as Internet access .
Cache - memory
used to temporarily store the most frequently requested content/files/pages in
order to speed its delivery to the user. Cache can be local (i.e. on a browser)
or on a network. In the case of local cache, most computers have both memory
(RAM), and disk (hard drive) cache. Today, Web browsers cause virtually all
data viewed to be cached on a user's computer.
Cache
busting - the
process by which sites or servers serve content or HTML in such a manner as to
minimize or prevent browsers or proxies from serving content from their
cache. This forces the user or
proxy to fetch a fresh copy for each request. Among other reasons, cache busting is used to provide a more
accurate count of the number of requests from users.
Cached
ad impressions
- the
delivery of an advertisement to a browser from local cache or a proxy
server’s cache. When a user requests a page that contains a cached ad,
the ad is obtained from the cache and displayed.
Caching - the
process of copying a Web element (page or ad) for later reuse. On the Web, this
copying is normally done in two places: in the user's browser and on proxy
servers. When a user makes a request for a Web element, the browser looks into
its own cache for the element; then a proxy, if any; followed by the intended
server. Caching is done to reduce redundant network traffic, resulting in
increased overall efficiency of the Internet.
CARU (The Children's Advertising Review
Unit) - division
of the Council of Better Business Bureaus that reviews advertising
and promotional material directed at children in all media. See caru.org for more information.
CGI
script (Common
Gateway Interface) - CGI’s
are used to allow a user to pass data to a Web server, most commonly in a
Web-based form. Specifically, CGI
scripts are used with forms such as pull-down menus or text-entry areas with an
accompanying submit button. The input from the form is processed by a program
(the CGI script itself) on a remote Web server.
Channel - 1) a
band of similar content; 2) a type of sales outlet (also known as channel of
distribution), for example retail, catalogue, or e-commerce.
Chat - online
interactive communication between two or more people on the Web. One can “talk” in real time
with other people in a chat room, but the words are typed instead of spoken.
Chat
room - an area
online where you can chat with other people in real-time. Click
down - the
action of clicking on an element within an ad and having another file displayed
on the user’s screen, normally below or above the initial ad. Click down ads allow the user to stay
on the same Web page and provide the advertiser a larger pallet to communicate
their message.
Click
rate - ratio of
ad clicks to ad impressions.
Clicks - 1)
metric which measures the reaction of a user to an Internet ad. There are three types of clicks:
click-throughs; in-unit clicks; and mouseovers; 2) the opportunity for a user
to download another file by clicking on an advertisement, as recorded by the
server; 3) the result of a measurable interaction with an advertisement or key
word that links to the advertiser’s intended Web site or another page or
frame within the Web site; 4) metric which measures the reaction of a user to
hot-linked editorial content. See
iab.net for ad campaign measurement guidelines. See also ad click, click-through, in-unit clicks and
mouseover.
Click-stream - 1) the
electronic path a user takes while navigating from site to site, and from page
to page within a site; 2) a comprehensive body of data describing the sequence
of activity between a user’s browser and any other Internet resource,
such as a Web site or third party ad server.
Click-through - the
action of following a hyperlink within an advertisement or editorial content to
another Web site or another page or frame within the Web site. Ad click-throughs should be tracked and
reported as a 302 redirect at the ad server and should filter out robotic
activity.
Click-within
- similar
to click down or click. But more
commonly, click-withins are ads that allow the user to “drill down”
and click, while remaining in the advertisement, not leaving the site on which
they are residing.
Client - a
computer that submits an information request to a server on behalf of a user or
proxy. Client-initiated ad impression - one of the two methods used for ad counting. Ad content is delivered to the user via two methods - server-initiated and client-initiated. Client-initiated ad counting relies on the user’s browser for making requests, formatting and re-directing content. For organizations using a client-initiated ad counting method, counting should occur at the publisher’s ad server or third-party ad server, subsequent to the ad request, or later, in the process. See server-initiated ad impression.
Codec - short for compressor/decompressor. Codecs are computer algorithms that are used to compress the size of audio, video, and image files. Because these compressed files are much smaller, they do not require as much bandwidth when they are streamed or stored on a computer. The same codec that originally compressed the file must be used to decompress and open the file.
Communication error - the failure of a Web browser/Web server to successfully request/transfer a document.
Content integration - advertising woven into editorial content or placed in a contextual envelope. Also known as "Web advertorial".
Cookie - a file on the user’s browser that uniquely identifies the user’s browser. There are two types of cookies: persistent cookies and session cookies. Session cookies are temporary and are erased when the browser exits. Persistent cookies remain on the user’s hard drive until the user erases them or until they expire.
Cookie buster - software that blocks the placement of cookies on a user’s browser.
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) - Congress
enacted the COPPA in 1998 to prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or COPPR (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule) - issued by the FTC in October 1999 the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule went into effect on April 21, 2000, and implements the requirements of the COPPA by requiring operators of websites or online services directed to children and operators of Web sites or online services who have actual knowledge that the person from whom they seek information is a child (1) to post prominent links on their Web sites to a notice of how they collect, use, and/or disclose personal information from children; (2) with certain exceptions, to notify parents that they wish to collect information from their children and obtain parental consent prior to collecting, using, and/or disclosing such information; (3) not to condition a child's participation in online activities on the provision of more personal information than is reasonably necessary to participate in the activity; (4) to allow parents the opportunity to review and/or have their children's information deleted from the operator's database and to prohibit further collection from the child; and (5) to establish procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of personal information they collect from children. As directed by the COPPA, the Rule also provides a safe harbor for operators following Commission-approved self-regulatory guidelines. See www.caru.org for more information.
Copy - printed text in an advertisement.
Count audit - see activity audit.
CPA (Cost-per-Action) - cost of advertising based on a visitor taking some specifically defined action in response to an ad. "Actions" include such things as a sales transaction, a customer acquisition, or a click.
CPC (Cost-per-Customer) - the cost an advertiser pays to acquire a customer.
CPC (Cost-per-click) - cost of advertising based on the number of clicks received.
CPL (Cost-per-lead) - cost of advertising based on the number of database files (leads) received.
CPM (Cost-per-thousand) - media term describing the cost of 1,000 impressions. For example, a Web site that charges $1,500 per ad and reports 100,000 visits has a CPM of $15 ($1,500 divided by 100).
CPM pricing model - pricing model based on the cost of delivering ad impressions. See CPM and Pay-per- Impression.
CPO (Cost-per-Order) - cost of advertising based on the number of orders received. Also called Cost-per-Transaction.
CPS (Cost-per-Sale) - the advertiser's cost to generate one sales transaction. If this is being used in conjunction with a media buy, a cookie can be offered on the content site and read on the advertiser's site after the successful completion of an online sale.
CPT (Cost-per-Transaction) - see CPO (Cost-per-Order).
CPTM (Cost per Targeted Thousand Impressions) - implying that the audience one is trying to reach is defined by particular demographics or other specific characteristics, such as male golfers age 18-25.The difference between CPM and CPTM is that CPM is for gross impressions, while CPTM is for targeted impressions.
Crawler - a software program which visits virtually all pages of the Web to create indexes for search engines. They are more interested in text files than graphic files. See also spider, bot, and intelligent agent.
CRM - customer relationship marketing. Marketing specifically targeted to increasing brand loyalty.
Cyber Cafe - a place which contains computers with access to the Internet and which is available to the public.
Daughter
window - an ad
that runs in a separate ad window associated with a concurrently displayed
banner. In normal practice, the content and banner are rendered first and the
daughter window appears thereafter.
Demographics - common
characteristics used for population or audience segmentation, such as age,
gender, household income, etc.
Digital
signatures - signatures
for electronic documents. They establish identity and therefore can be used to
establish legal responsibility and the complete authenticity of whatever they
are affixed to -- in effect, creating a tamper-proof seal.
Digital Video Server - a
robust, dedicated computer at a central location that receives command requests
from the television viewer through a video-on-demand application. Once it
receives this request, it then instantly broadcasts specific digital video
streams to that viewer.
Display - successful
download giving the user an opportunity to see.
DHTML
(Dynamic Hypertext
Markup Language) - Domain
name - the
unique name that identifies an Internet site. Every domain name consists of one
top or high-level and one or more lower-level designators. Top-level domains (TLDs) are either
generic or geographic. Generic top-level domains include .com (commercial),
.net (network), .edu (educational), .org (organizational, public or
non-commercial), .gov (governmental), .mil (military); .biz (business), .info
(informational),.name (personal), .pro (professional), .aero (air transport and
civil aviation), .coop (business cooperatives such as credit unions) and
.museum. Geographic domains
designate countries of origin, such as .us (United States), .fr (France), .uk
(United Kingdom), etc.
DPO (Distinct Point of Origin) - a unique
address from which a browser connects to a Web site on the Internet.
Drill
down - when an
online user accesses more and more pages of the Web site, i.e., he or she goes
deeper into the content of the site.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - a
high-speed dedicated digital circuit from a given location to the telephone
company's central office, using normal copper telephone lines. DSL provides a
separate channel for voice and fax, which means that phone calls and faxes can
be carried at the same time high-speed data is flowing across the line. DSL is
a general term that includes several variations: ADSL (Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line), ranging up to 1.5 Mbps; HDSL (High-bit-rate Digital
Subscriber Line), 1.5 Mbps; SDSL (Single-line Digital Subscriber Line), 1.5
Mbps; VDSL (Very high-data-rate Digital Subscriber Line), ranging up to 2.3
Mbps; and RDSL (Rate Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line), various speeds. DVR (Digital
Video Recorder) - a high capacity hard drive that is embedded in a set-top
box, which records video programming from a television set. These DVRs are
operated by personal video recording software, which enables the viewer to
pause, fast forward, and manage all sorts of other functions and special applications.
Dynamic
ad placement
- the
process by which an ad is inserted into a page in response to a user's request.
Dynamic ad placement allows alteration of specific ads placed on a page based
on any data available to the placement program. At its simplest, dynamic ad
placement allows for multiple ads to be rotated through one or more spaces. In
more sophisticated examples, the ad placement could be affected by demographic
data or usage history for the current user.
Dynamic
IP address - an IP
address that changes every time a user logs on to the Internet.
Dynamic
rotation - delivery
of ads on a rotating, random basis so that users are exposed to different ads
and ads are served in different pages of the site.
E-commerce - the
process of selling products or services via the Web.
E-mail - electronic
mail. Text files that are sent from one person to another over the Internet.
E-mail
campaign - advertising
campaign distributed via e-mail.
Encoding
- the
process of compressing and separating a file into packets so that it can be
delivered over a network.
Encoder
- a
hardware or software application used to compress audio and video signals for
the purpose of streaming.
Encryption
- the
scrambling of digital information so that it is unreadable without the use of
digital keys.
EPG (Electronic Programming Guide)
- an
application that allows the viewer to interactively select his/her television
programming.
Ethernet
- a
networking technology that links computers together.
ETV (Enhanced Television) - a type
of interactive television technology which allows content producers to send
HTML data and graphical "enhancements" through a small part of the
regular analog broadcast signal called the Vertical Blanking Interval. These
enhancements appear as overlays on the video and allow viewers to click on them
if they are watching TV via special set-top box/software services.
Expandable
banners - a banner
ad which can expand to as large as 468 x 240 after a user clicks on it or after
a user moves his/her cursor over the banner. See iab.net for the IAB IMU guidelines.
Extranet
- an
intranet that is partially accessible to authorized outsiders via a valid
username and password.
Eyeballs - reference
to the number of people who view, or "lay their eyes on," a certain
advertisement.
Failure
to transfer -
content
requested by a browser can fail to transfer if the page is abandoned by the
browser which requested it (see abandon) or if the server is unable to send the
complete page, including the ads (known as an error or a communications error).
Family/Ad
family - a
collection of one or more ad creatives. Also called ad campaign.
FAQ - frequently
asked questions.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - Internet
protocol which facilitates transfer of files.
Filtering - the
process of removing robotic activity and error codes from measurement records
to make the remaining records representative of valid human Internet actions.
Filtration
guidelines - IAB
voluntary guidelines for removing non-human activity in the reported
measurement of ad impressions, page impressions, unique visitors and
clicks. See iab.net for ad
campaign measurement guidelines.
Finger - an
Internet software tool for locating people on other Internet sites. A finger is
also sometimes used to give access to non-personal information, but the most
common use is to see if a person has an account at a particular Internet site.
Not all sites allow incoming finger requests.
Firewall - a
security barrier placed between an organization's internal computer network and
the Internet. A firewall is based
on rules which allow and disallow traffic to pass, based on the level of
security and filtering a network administrator wishes to employ.
Flame - an
inflammatory opinion or criticism distributed by e-mail or posted on a
newsgroup.
Flash™
- Macromedia’s
vector-based graphics file format which is used to display interactive
animations on a Web page. This
form of rich media technology is available via a plug-in.
Flash
downloading - the
ability to automatically send software upgrades to a set-top box network.
Floating ads - an ad or
ads that appear within the main browser window on top of the Web page's
normal content, thereby appearing to "float" over the top of the page.
Fold - an ad or
content that is viewable as soon as the Web page arrives. One does not have to
scroll down (or sideways) to see it. Since screen resolution can affect what is
immediately viewable, it is good to know whether the Web site's audience tends
to set their resolution at 640 x 480 pixels or at 800 x 600 (or higher).
Frames - multiple,
independent sections used to create a single Web page. Each frame is built as a
separate HTML file but with one "master" file to control the
placement of each section. When a user requests a page with frames, several
files will be displayed as panes. Sites using frames report one page request
with several panes as multiple page requests. IAB ad campaign measurement guidelines call for the counting
of one file per frame set as a page impression.
Frame
rate - the
number of frames of video displayed during a given time. The higher the frame rate, the more
high-quality the image will be.
Frequency - the
number of times an ad is delivered to the same browser in a single session or
time period. A site can use cookies in order to manage ad frequency.
Gigabyte
- one
gigabyte equals 1000 megabytes.
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)
- a
graphic format which uses compression to store and display images.
GIF89a/Animated
GIF - an
extension of the .gif format which creates animation through a sequence of
images being stored in a single image.
A delay is customizable between “frames” to render the
appearance of animation, much like a flappable picturebook.
Gross
exposures - the
total number of times an ad is served, including duplicate downloads to the
same person.
GSM (Global System for Mobile) - the
wireless telephone standard in Europe.
GUI (Graphical Interchange Format)
- a way of
enabling users to interact with the computer using visual icons and a mouse
rather than a command-like prompt/interpreter.
HDTV (High-Definition Television) - a higher
quality signal resolution using a digital format for the transmission and
reception of TV signals. HDTV provides about five times more picture
information (picture elements or pixels) than conventional television, creating
clarity, wider aspect ratio, and digital quality sound.
Head
end - the site
in a cable system or broadband coaxial network where the programming originates
and the distribution network starts.
Signals are usually received off the air from satellites, microwave
relays, or fiber-optic cables at the head end for distribution.
Heuristic - a way to
measure a user's unique identity. This measure uses deduction or inference
based on a rule or algorithm which is valid for that server. For example, the combination of IP
address and user agent can be used to identify a user in some cases. If a server receives a new request from
the same client within 30 minutes, it is inferred that a new request comes from
the same user and the time since the last page request was spent viewing the
last page. Also referred to as an inference.
History
lists - a
pull-down menu which displays the sites you've recently visited so you can
return to the site instantly or view your latest session. The same mechanism
makes it possible for servers to track where you were before visiting a
particular site.
Hit - when
users access a Web site, their computer sends a request to the site's server to
begin downloading a page. Each element of a requested page (including graphics,
text, interactive items) is recorded by the site's Web server log file as a
"hit." If a page containing two graphics is accessed by a user, those
hits will be recorded once for the page itself and once for each of the
graphics. Webmasters use hits to measure their servers' workload. Because page
designs and visit patterns vary from site to site, the number of hits bears no
relationship to the number of pages downloaded, and is therefore a poor guide
for traffic measurement.
Home
page - the page
designated as the main point of entry of a Web site (or main page) or the
starting point when a browser first connects to the Internet. Typically, it welcomes
you and introduces the purpose of the site, or the organization sponsoring it,
and then provides links to other pages within the site.
Host -
any computer on a network
that offers services or connectivity to other computers on the network. A host
has an IP address associated with it.
Hotlists - pull-down
or pop-up menus often displayed on browsers or search engines that contain new
or popular sites.
Hot
spot - see
Hyperlink.
House
ads - ads for
a product or service from the same company. “Revenues” from house
ads should not be included in reported revenues.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) -
a set of
codes called markup tags in a plain text (*.txt) file that determine what
information is retrieved and how it is rendered by a browser. There are two kinds of markup tags:
anchor and format. Anchor tags determine what is retrieved, and format tags
determine how it is rendered.
HTML
page - a
HyperText Markup Language document stored in a directory on a Web server and/or
created dynamically at the time of the request for the purpose of satisfying
that request. In addition to text,
an HTML page may include graphics, video, audio, and other files.
HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol)
- the
format most commonly used to transfer documents on the World Wide Web.
Hybrid
pricing - pricing
model which is based on a combination of a CPM pricing model and a
performance-based pricing model.
See CPM pricing model and performance-based pricing model.
Hyperlink - HTML
programming which redirects the user to a new URL when the individual clicks on
hypertext.
Hypertext - text or
graphical elements on a page which activates a hyperlink when clicked.
IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) - IAB is a
non-profit trade association devoted exclusively to maximizing the use and
effectiveness of interactive advertising and marketing. See iab.net for more
information.
iFrame (inline frame) - a floating frame inserted within a Web page which is not bound to the side
of a browser window.
Image
map - a GIF or
JPEG image with more than one linking hyperlink. Each hyperlink or hot spot can
lead to a different destination page.
Impression - a
measurement of responses from a Web server to a page request from the user
browser, which is filtered from robotic activity and error codes, and is
recorded at a point as close as possible to opportunity to see the page by the
user.
IMU (Interactive Marketing Unit)
- the
standard ad unit sizes endorsed by IAB.
See iab.net for more information.
Inference - an
assumption. See heuristic.
Insertion - actual
placement of an ad in a document, as recorded by the ad server.
Insertion
order - purchase
order between a seller of interactive advertising and a buyer (usually an
advertiser or its agency).
Instant
messaging - a method
of users communicating one-to-one or in groups over the standard IP
protocol. Users can assemble
“buddy lists” and chat with friends, family and colleagues.
Intelligent
agents - software
tools which help the user find information of specific interest to him/her. The
user’s profile is continually refined and improved based on the user's
acceptance or rejection of recommendations over time.
Interactive
advertising - all
forms of online, wireless and interactive television advertising, including
banners, sponsorships, e-mail, keyword searches, referrals, slotting fees,
classified ads and interactive television commercials.
Interactive
advertising revenues - revenues
realized from the sale of interactive advertising.
Internal
page impressions
- Web site
activity that is generated by individuals with IP addresses known to be
affiliated with the Web site owner. Internal activity that is associated with
administration and maintenance of the site should be excluded from the traffic
or measurement report.
Internet
- a
worldwide system of computer networks providing reliable and redundant
connectivity between disparate computers and systems by using common transport
and data protocols.
Interstitial
ads - ads that
appear between two content pages.
Also known as transition ads, intermercial ads, splash pages and Flash
pages.
Intranet
- a
network based on TCP/IP protocols that belongs to an organization, usually a
corporation, and is accessible
only by the organization’s members, employees or others with
authorization.
In-unit
click - a
measurement of a user-initiated action of responding to an ad element which
generally causes an intra-site redirect or content change. In-unit clicks are usually tracked via
a 302 redirect. Also known as
click-downs, click-ups and click-withins.
See ad click; 302 redirect.
Inventory - the
number of ads available for sale on a Web site.
IP (Internet Protocol) - a
protocol telling the network how packets are addressed and routed.
IP
address - Internet
protocol numerical address assigned to each computer on the network so that its
location and activities can be distinguished from other computers. The format is ##.##.##.## with each
number ranging from 0 through 255 (e.g. 125.45.87.204)
IRC - (Internet Relay Chat) - 1) a
facility that allows people to chat in real time. The chats, or forums, are
typed remarks, and they can be either public or private; 2) a protocol that
allows users to converse with others in real time. IRC is structured as a
network of servers, each of which accepts connections from client programs.
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) - high-speed
dial-up connections to the Internet over ordinary copper phone wires. DSL has in large part replaced ISDN.
See DSL.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) - an
organization that provides access to the Internet. An ISP can be a commercial
provider, a corporate computer network, a school, college, university, or the
government.
ITI (Information Technology Industry
Council) - represents
the leading U.S. providers of information technology products and services. It
advocates growing the economy through innovation and supports free-market
policies. See itic.org for more information.
iTV (Interactive Television) - any
technology that allows for two-way communication between the audience and the
service provider (such as the broadcaster, cable operator, set-top box
manufacturer) via standard or enhanced television appliance.
Java® - a
programming language designed for building applications on the Internet. It
allows for advanced features, increased animation detail and real-time updates.
Small applications called Java applets can be downloaded from a server and
executed by Java-compatible browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer and
Netscape Navigator.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
- file
format that uses a compression technique to reduce the size (number of bytes)
of graphic files.
Jump
page ad - microsite
which is reached via click-through from button or banner ad. The jump page itself can list several
topics, which are linked to either the advertiser's site or the publisher's
site.
Key
word - specific
word(s) entered into a search engine by the user that result(s) in a list of
Web sites related to the key word. The key word can be purchased by advertisers
in order to direct the hyperlink opportunity to the advertiser's site or to
serve an ad related to the user’s search.
Keyword
search revenues - fees
advertisers pay to retrieve the hyperlink opportunity to the advertiser’s
site or to serve an ad related to the user’s search.
Lag - the
amount of time between making an online request or command and receiving a
response. See latency.
LAN (Local Area Network) - a group
of computers connected together (a network) which are at one physical location.
Large
rectangle - an IMU
size. The IAB’s voluntary
guidelines include seven Interactive Marketing Unit (IMU) ad formats; two
vertical units and five large rectangular units. See iab.net for more
information Latency - 1) time
it takes for a data packet to move across a network connection; 2) visible
delay between request and display of content and ad. Latency sometimes leads to
the user leaving the site prior to the opportunity to see. In streaming media, latency can create
stream degradation if it causes the packets, which must be received and played
in order, to arrive out of order.
Link - an
electronic connection between two Web sites. Also called "hot link"
and hyperlink.
Listserv - a
mailing list comprised of e-mail addresses.
Listserver - a
program that automatically sends e-mail to a list of subscribers or listserv.
Load - usually
used with up-load or down-load, it means to transfer files or software from one
computer or server to another computer or server. In other words, it is the
movement of information online.
Log - a file
that keeps track of network connections.
Log
file - a file
that records transactions that have occurred on the Web server. Some of the types of data which are
collected are: date/time stamp, URL served, IP address of requestor, status
code of request, user agent string, previous URL of requestor, etc. Use of the extended log file format is
preferable.
Login - the
identification or name used to access a computer, network or site.
Mailing
list - an
automatically distributed e-mail message on a particular topic going to certain
individuals.
Makegoods - additional
ad impressions which are negotiated in order to make up for the shortfall of
ads delivered versus the commitments outlined in the approved insertion order.
M-commerce - a term
referring to mobile commerce which is the ability to conduct monetary transactions
via a mobile device, such as a WAP-enabled cell phone.
Media
objects - files,
other than HTML documents, which can be displayed or executed within HTML
documents, or in a stand-alone fashion. Examples currently include GIFs, JPEGs,
video, audio, Flash objects (SWF), PDF, Java applets, and other objects which
can be viewed through a browser or using a “plug-in” (see plug-in).
Megabyte
- a
million bytes.
Metcalfe's
Law - the
value of a network increases geometrically with the number of people who use it.
Micro-sites - multi-page
ads accessed via click-through from initial ad. User stays on the
publisher’s Web site, but has access to more information from the
advertiser than a standard ad format allows.
MIME (Multi-purpose Internet Mail
Extensions) - a method
of encoding a file for delivery over the Internet.
MIP (Mobile Internet Provider) - ISPs
dedicated to providing wireless service.
.MP3 - a
computer file format that compresses audio files by a factor of 12 from a .wav
file.
Modem
speeds - the
speed at which one connects to the Internet through his/her computer's modem.
There are dial-up and cable modems. The dial-up modem speeds include 14.4,
28.8, 33.6, 56K and ISDN. Cable modem speeds range between 500 K and 2.5 Mbps.
T1 and T3 are high-speed connections that do not require a modem. See also DSL.
Modem - device
which transfers digital signals to analog signals and vice versa suitable for
sending across phone or cable lines.
Moore's
Law - the
speed of computing doubles every 18 months.
Mouseover
- the
process by which a user places his/her mouse over a media object, without
clicking. The mouse may need to
remain still for a specified amount of time to initiate some actions.
MPEG - 1) the
file format that is used to compress and transmit movies or video clips online;
2) standards set by the Motion Picture Exports Group for video media.
MRC (Media Rating Council) - a
non-profit trade association dedicated to assuring valid, reliable and
effective syndicated audience research.
The MRC performs audits of Internet measurements as well as traditional
media measurements.
Multi-camera angle or individualized television - a technology that allows viewers to control camera angles
during live events, select which commercials they want to watch, and generally
control a selection of choices content producers provide as part of the
broadcast. E-commerce and interaction with those commercials is possible. In
the backend, servers collect choice information and offer viewers further
selections based on those choices.
NAI (Network Advertising Initiative) - a
cooperative group of network advertisers which has developed
a set of privacy principles in conjunction with the Federal Trade
Commission. The NAI provides consumers with explanations of Internet
advertising practices and how they affect both consumers and the Internet. See networkadvertising.org for more
information.
Net TV - televisions
which have the ability to dial up to the Internet. Often, a manufacturer has
integrated or offers a special set-top which permits the viewer to connect
online over telephone wires.
Netiquette - a term
that is used to describe the informal rules of conduct ("do's and
don'ts") of online behavior.
Newsgroup - an
electronic bulletin board devoted to talking about a specific topic and open to
everybody. Only a handful of newsgroups permit the posting of advertising.
Non-registered
user - someone
who visits a Web site and elects not to, or is not required to, provide certain
information, and hence may be denied access to part(s) of the site.
Nonqualifying
page impressions
- page
impressions which should be excluded from traffic or measurement reports, such
as unsuccessful transfers of requested documents, successful transfers of
requested documents to a robot or spider, and/or pages in a frame set. See frames.
Off-site
measurement -
when a
site forwards its log files to an off-site Web research service for analysis.
On-demand - the
ability to request video, audio, or information to be sent to the screen immediately
by clicking something on the screen referring to that choice.
On-site
measurement -
when a
server has an appropriate software program to measure and analyze traffic
received on its own site.
OPA (Online Privacy Alliance) - a group
of corporations and associations who have come together to introduce and
promote business-wide actions that create an environment of trust and foster
the protection of individuals' privacy online. See privacyalliance.org for more
information.
OPA (Online Publishers’ Association)
- trade
association representing a segment of online publishers. See online-publishers.org for more
information.
Opt-in - refers
to an individual giving a company permission to use data collected from or
about the individual for a particular reason, such as to market the company's
products and services. See permission marketing.
Opt-in
e-mail - lists of
Internet users who have voluntarily signed up to receive commercial e-mail
about topics of interest.
Opt-out - when a
company states that it plans to market its products and services to an
individual unless the individual asks to be removed from the company's mailing
list.
OTS (Opportunity to See) - same as
page display - when a page is successfully displayed on the user's computer
screen.
P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences
Project) - browser
feature that will analyze privacy policies and allow a user to control their
privacy needs.
Packet
sniffer - a
program used to monitor and record activity and to detect problems with Web
transactions on a network.
Page - a
document having a specific URL and comprised of a set of associated files. A
page may contain text, images, and other online elements. It may be static or
dynamically generated. It may be made up of multiple frames or screens, but
should contain a designated primary object which, when loaded, is counted as
the entire page.
Page
display - when a
page is successfully displayed on the user's computer screen.
Page
impression - a
measurement of responses from a Web server to a page request from the
user’s browser, which is filtered from robotic activity and error codes,
and is recorded at a point as close as possible to the opportunity to see the
page by the user.See iab.net for
ad campaign measurement guidelines.
Page
request - the
opportunity for an HTML document to appear on a browser window as a direct
result of a user's interaction with a Web site. Page
view - when the
page is actually seen by the user. Note: this is not measurable today; the best
approximation today is provided by page displays.
Password
- a group
of letters and/or numbers which allow a unique user access to a secured Web
site and/or a secure area of a Web site.
Pay-per-Click - an
advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay agencies and/or media
companies based on how many users clicked on an online ad or e-mail message.
Pay-per-Impression - an
advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay based on how many users were
served their ads. See CPM pricing model.
Pay-per-Lead - an
advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay for each "sales
lead" generated. For example, an advertiser might pay for every visitor
that clicked on an ad or site and successfully completed a form. See CPL. Pay-per-Sale - an
advertising pricing model in which advertisers pay agencies and/or media
companies based on how many sales transactions were generated as a direct
result of the ad. See CPS.
PDF
files (Portable
Document Format) - a
translation format developed by Adobe used primarily for distributing files
across a network, or on a Web site. Files with a .pdf extension have been
created in another application and then translated into .pdf files so they can
be viewed by anyone, regardless of platform.
Performance
pricing model - an
advertising model in which advertisers pay based on a set of agreed upon
performance criteria, such as a percentage of online revenues or delivery of
new sales leads. See CPA, CPC,
CPL, CPO, CPS, CPT. Permission
marketing - when an
individual has given a company permission to market its products and services
to the individual. See opt-in.
Persistent
cookie - a cookie
which remains on the user’s hard drive until the user erases it.
PII (Personally Identifiable
Information) - refers
to information such as an individual’s name, mailing address, phone
number or e-mail address.
PIN (Personal Identification Number)
a group of numbers which allow a unique user access to a secured Web site
and/or a secure area of a Web site. See password.
PIT (Page Information Transfer) -
the
successful transfer of the text of a Web page to a browser.
Pixel
- picture
element (single illuminated dot) on a computer monitor.
The metric used to indicate the size of
Internet ads.
Platform - the type
of computer or operating system on which a software application runs, e.g., PC,
Macintosh, Unix or WebTV.
PLI (Privacy Leadership Initiative)
- a
partnership of CEOs from 15 corporations and 9 business associations using
research to create a climate of trust that will accelerate acceptance of the
Internet and the emerging Information Economy, both online and offline, as a
safe and secure marketplace. See
understandingprivacy.org
Plug-in - a
program application that can easily be installed and used as part of a Web
browser. Once installed, plug-in applications are recognized by the browser and
their function integrated into the main HTML file being presented.
Pop-under
ad - ad that
appears in a separate window beneath an open window. Pop-under ads are concealed until the top window is closed,
moved, resized or minimized.
Pop-up
ad - ad that
appears in a separate window on top of content already on-screen. Similar to a
daughter window, but without an associated banner.
Pop-up
transitional
- initiates
play in a separate ad window during the transition between content pages.
Continues while content is simultaneously being rendered. Depending primarily
on line-speed, play of a transitional ad may finish before or after content
rendering is completed.
Portal - a Web
site that often serves as a starting point for a Web user’s session. It
typically provides services such as search, directory of Web sites, news,
weather, e-mail, homepage space, stock quotes, sports news, entertainment,
telephone directory information, area maps, and chat or message boards.
Pre-caching - storing advertising or content in a computer's RAM or hard disk memory before it is displayed on the user's screen, rather than at the time that it plays, to reduce delays in rendering. See cache, caching.
Privacy policy - a statement about what information is being collected; how the information being collected is being used; how an individual can access his/her own data collected; how the individual can opt-out; and what security measures are being taken by the parties collecting the data.
Privacy seal program - a program that certifies the Web site owner complies with the site’s proposed policy. Examples include TRUSTe and BBBOnline.
Profiling - the practice of tracking information about consumers' interests by monitoring their movements online. This can be done without using any personal information, but simply by analyzing the content, URL’s, and other information about a user’s browsing path/click-stream.
Process audit - third party validation of internal control processes associated with measurement. See audit.
Protocol - a uniform set of rules that enable two devices to connect and transmit data to one another. Protocols determine how data are transmitted between computing devices and over networks. They define issues such as error control and data compression methods. The protocol determines the following: type of error checking to be used, data compression method (if any), how the sending device will indicate that it has finished a message and how the receiving device will indicate that it has received the message. Internet protocols include TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). Proxy servers - intermediaries between end users and Web sites such as ISPs, commercial online services, and corporate networks. Proxy servers hold the most commonly and recently used content from the Web for users in order to provide quicker access and to increase server security.
Push advertising - pro-active, partial screen, dynamic advertisement which comes in various formats.
PVR (Personal Video Recorder) - set-top box that stores up to 30 hours of TV programming and works with cable and satellite systems. Viewers can pause or rewind live TV shows, record a season's worth of episodes, and skip past commercials.
Query - a
request for information, usually to a search engine.
Rate
card - the list
of prices and products and packages offered by a media company.
Re-direct - when
used in reference to online advertising, one server assigning an ad-serving or
ad-targeting function to another server, often operated by a third company. For
instance, a Web publisher's ad management server might re-direct to a
third-party hired by an advertiser to distribute its ads to target customers;
and then another re-direct to a "rich media" provider might also
occur if streaming video were involved before the ad is finally delivered to
the consumer. In some cases, the process of re-directs can produce latency. See
ad serving, latency.
Reach - 1)
unique users that visited the site over the course of the reporting period,
expressed as a percent of the universe for the demographic category; also
called unduplicated audience; 2) the total number of unique users who will be
served a given ad.
RealAudio® - a
software program that downloads and plays streaming audio files.
Real
time - events
that happen in real time are happening virtually at that particular moment.
When one chats in a chat room, or sends an instant message, one is interacting
in real time since it is immediate.
Referral
link - the
referring page, or referral link is a place from which the user clicked to get
to the current page. In other words, since a hyperlink connects one URL to
another, in clicking on a link the browser moves from the referring URL to the
destination URL. Also known as source of a visit.
Referral
fees - fees
paid by advertisers for delivering a qualified sales lead or purchase inquiry.
Registration - a
process for site visitors to enter information about themselves. Sites use
registration data to enable or enhance targeting of content and ads. Registration
can be required or voluntary.
Repeat
visitor - unique
visitor who has accessed a Web site more than once over a specific time period.
Return
visits - the
average number of times a user returns to a site over a specific time period. Rich
media - a method
of communication that incorporates animation, sound, video, and/or
interactivity. It can be used either singularly or in combination with the
following technologies: streaming media, sound, Flash, and with programming
languages such as Java, Javascript, and DHTML. It is deployed via standard Web
and wireless applications including e-mail, Web design, banners, buttons, and
interstitials.
Robot
- a
program that runs automatically without human intervention. Typically, a robot
is endowed with some artificial intelligence so that it can react to different
situations it may encounter. Two
common types of robots are agents and spiders. Commercial robots are programs that are used to fetch Web
pages, but the user never has an opportunity to see the content of the
requested documents. Personal
robots provide the user with the opportunity to see the requested Web pages,
usually in an offline mode. Also
known as bots.
ROI (Return on Investment) - Net
profit divided by investment.
RON (Run-of-Network) - the
scheduling of Internet advertising whereby an ad network positions ads across
the sites it represents at its own discretion, according to available
inventor. The advertiser usually
forgoes premium positioning in exchange for more advertising weight at a lower
CPM.
ROS (Run-of-Site) - the
scheduling of Internet advertising whereby ads run across an entire site, often
at a lower cost to the advertiser than the purchase of specific site
sub-sections. Router
- a device
that connects any number of LANs. Routers use headers and a forwarding table to
determine where packets go, and they communicate with each other to configure
the best route between any two hosts.
Sample - a subset
of a universe whose properties are studied to gain information about that
universe.
Sampling
frame - the
source from which the sample is drawn.
Scripts - files
that initiate routines like generating Web pages dynamically in response to
user input.
SDSL (Symmetrical Digital Subscriber
Line)- a type of DSL that uses only one of the two cable pairs for
transmission. SDSL allows residential or small office users to share the same
telephone for data transmission and voice or fax telephony.
Search
engine - a
program that helps Web users find information on the Internet. The method for finding this information
is usually done by maintaining an index of Web resources that can be queried
for the keywords or concepts entered by the user.
Sell-through
rate - the
percentage of ad inventory sold as opposed to traded or bartered.
Server - a
computer which distributes files which are shared across a LAN, WAN or the
Internet. Also known as a "host".
Server
centric measurement
- audience
measurement derived from server logs.
Server-initiated
ad impression -
one of
the two methods used for ad counting.
Ad content is delivered to the user via two methods -
server-initiated and client-initiated. Server-initiated ad counting uses the
publisher’s Web content server for making requests, formatting and
re-directing content. For
organizations using a server-initiated ad counting method, counting should
occur subsequent to the ad response at either the publisher's ad server
or the Web content server, or later in the process. See client-initiated ad
impression.
Server pull - a process whereby a user's browser maintains an
automated or customized connection or profile with a Web server. The browser
usually sets up a unique request that is recorded and stored electronically for
future reference. Examples are: requests for the automated delivery of e-mail
newsletters, the request for Web content based on a specific search criteria
determined by the user, or setting up a personalized Web page that customizes
the information delivered to the user based on pre-determined self selections. Server push - a process whereby a server maintains an open connection with
a browser after the initial request for a page. Through this open connection
the server continues to provide updated pages and content even though the
visitor has made no further direct requests for such information.
Session - 1) a
sequence of Internet activity made by one user at one site. If a user makes no request from a site
during a 30 minute period of time, the next content or ad request would then
constitute the beginning of a new visit; 2) a series of transactions performed
by a user that can be tracked across successive Web sites. For example, in a
single session, a user may start on a publisher's Web site, click on an
advertisement and then go to an advertiser's Web site and make a purchase. See
visit. Session cookies - cookies which are loaded into a computer’s RAM, and only work during that browser session. When the browser exits, these cookies are erased. They are “temporary cookies”, and no cookie is written to a user’s hard drive. See cookie.
Set-top box - an electronic device that sits on top of one’s TV set and allows it to connect to the Internet, game systems, or cable systems.
SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) - the parent language for HTML. Shockwave - a browser plug-in developed by Macromedia which allows multimedia objects to appear on the Web (animation, audio and video).
Shop bot - intelligent agent which searches for the best price.
Site-centric measurement - audience measurement derived from a Web site's own server logs.
Skins - customized and interchangeable sets of graphics, which allow Internet users to continually change the look of their desktops or browsers, without changing their settings or functionality. Skins are a type of marketing tool.
Skyscraper - a tall, thin online ad unit. The IAB guidelines recommend two sizes of skyscrapers: 120 X 600 and 160 x 600.
Slotting fee - a fee charged to advertisers by media companies to get premium positioning on their site, category exclusivity or some other special treatment. It is similar to slotting allowances charged by retailers.
Smart Card - identical in size and feel to credit cards, smart cards store information on an integrated microprocessor chip located within the body of the card. These chips hold a variety of information, from stored (monetary)-value used for retail and vending machines, to secure information and applications for higher-end operations such as medical/healthcare records. The different types of cards being used today are contact, contactless and combination cards. Contact smart cards must be inserted into a smart card reader. These cards have a contact plate on the face which makes an electrical connector for reads and writes to and from the chip when inserted into the reader. Contactless smart cards have an antenna coil, as well as a chip embedded within the card. The internal antenna allows for communication and power with a receiving antenna at the transaction point to transfer information. Close proximity is required for such transactions, which can decrease transaction time while increasing convenience. A combination card functions as both a contact and contactless smart card. Specific to interactive television, the viewer can insert smart cards into the set-top box to trigger the box to decrypt contact programming. SMPT (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - the protocol used to transfer e-mail.
Sniffer - software that detects capabilities of the user's browser (looking for such things as Java capabilities, plug-ins, screen resolution, and bandwidth).
Space - location on a page of a site in which an ad can be placed. Each space on a site is uniquely identified. There can be multiple spaces on a single page.
Spam - slang term describing unsolicited e-mail.
Spider - a program that automatically fetches Web pages. Spiders are used to feed pages to search engines. It is called a spider because it crawls over the Web. Because most Web pages contain links to other pages, a spider can start almost anywhere. As soon as it sees a link to another page, it goes off and fetches it. Large search engines have many spiders working in parallel. See robot. Splash page - a preliminary page that precedes the user-requested page of a Web site that usually promotes a particular site feature or provides advertising. A splash page is timed to move on to the requested page after a short period of time or a click. Also known as an interstitial. Splash pages are not considered qualified page impressions under current industry guidelines, but they are considered qualified ad impressions.
Sponsor - 1) a sponsor is an advertiser who has sponsored an ad and, by doing so, has also helped sponsor or sustain the Web site itself; 2) an advertiser that has a special relationship with the Web site and supports a specific feature of a Web site, such as a writer's column or a collection of articles on a particular subject.
Sponsorship - an association with a Web site in some way that gives an advertiser some particular visibility and advantage above that of run-of-site advertising. When associated with specific content, sponsorship can provide a more targeted audience than run-of-site ad buys.
Static ad placement/Static rotation - 1) ads that remain on a Web page for a specified period of time; 2) embedded ads.
Stickiness - a measure used to gauge the effectiveness of a site in retaining individual users. Stickiness is usually measured by the duration of the visit.
Streaming - 1) technology that permits continuous audio and video delivered to a computer from a remote Web site; 2) an Internet data transfer technique that allows the user to see and hear audio and video files. The host or source compresses, then "streams" small packets of information over the Internet to the user, who can access the content as it is received.
Streaming media player - a software program which decompresses audio and/or video files so the user can hear and/or see the video or audio file. Some examples are Real Player™, Windows Media and Quick Time Player.
Superstitials® - an interstitial format developed by Unicast which is fully pre-cached before playing. Specs are 550 x 480 pixels (2/3 of screen), up to 100K file size and up to 20 seconds in length.
Surfing - exploring the World Wide Web.
T-commerce
- electronic
commerce on interactive television.
T-1 - a
high-speed (1.54 megabits/second) Internet connection.
T-3 - a very
high-speed (45 megabits/second or higher) Internet connection.
TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - a software standard used by the Internet to understand all
computer languages and most computers.
Target
audience - the
intended audience for an ad, usually defined in terms of specific demographics
(age, sex, income, etc.) product purchase behavior, product usage or media
usage.
Terms
& Conditions - the
details of the contract accompanying an insertion order. See iab.net for voluntary guidelines
for standard terms & conditions for Internet advertising for media buys. Textual
ad impressions
- the
delivery of a text-based advertisement to a browser. To compensate for slow
Internet connections, visitors may disable "auto load images" in
their graphical browser. When they reach a page that contains an advertisement,
they see a marker and the advertiser's message in text format in place of the
graphical ad. Additionally, if a user has a text-only browser, only textual ads
are delivered and recorded as textual ad impressions.
Third-party
ad server - independent
outsourced companies that specialize in managing, maintaining, serving,
tracking, and analyzing the results of online ad campaigns. They deliver
targeted advertising that can be tailored to consumers' declared or predicted
characteristics or preferences.
302
Redirect - the
process of a server sending a browser the location of a requested ad, rather
than sending the ad itself. Ad
servers use 302 redirects to allow them to track activities such as ad requests
or ad clicks.
Throughput - the
amount of data transmitted through Internet connectors in response to a given
request.
Token - tracer
or tag which is attached by the receiving server to the address (URL) of a page
requested by a user. A token lasts only through a continuous series of requests
by a user, regardless of the length of the interval between requests. Tokens
can be used to count unique users.
Total
ad impressions
- the
total of all graphical and textual ad impressions delivered, regardless of the
source. See ad impression.
Total
unique users - see
unique user.
Total
visits - total
number of browsers accessing a Web site within a specific time period. Total visits should filter robotic
activity, but can include visits from repeat visitors.
Total
visitors - total
number of browsers or individuals which have accessed a site within a specific
time period.
TGP - thumbnail gallery post.
Traffic - the
number of visits and/or visitors who come to a Web site.
Transfer - the
successful response to a page request; also when a browser receives a complete
page of content from a Web server. Transitional
ad - an ad
that is displayed between Web pages. In other words, the user sees an
advertisement as he/she navigates between page ‘a’ and page
‘b.’ Also known as an
interstitial.
Transitional
pop up - an ad
that pops up in a separate ad window between content pages.
Triggers
- a
command from the host server that notifies the viewer's set-top box that
interactive content is available at this point. The viewer is notified about
the available interactive content via an icon or clickable text. Once clicked by using the remote
control, the trigger disappears and more content or a new interface appears on
the TV screen.
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System) - broadband,
packet-based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia at
data rates up to and possibly higher than 2 megabits per second, offering a set
of services to mobile computer and phone users no matter where they are located
in the world.
Unduplicated
audience - the
number of unique individuals exposed to a specified domain, page or ad in a
specified time period.
Unique
user - unique
individual or browser which has either accessed a site (see unique visitor) or
which has been served unique content and/or ads such as e-mail, newsletters,
interstitials and pop-under ads. Unique users can be identified by user
registration or cookies. Reported
unique users should filter out robots.
See iab.net for ad campaign measurement guidelines.
Unique
visitor - a unique
user who accesses a Web site within a specific time period. See unique user.
Universe - total
population of audience being measured.
Unresolved
IP addresses
- IP
addresses that do not identify their 1st or 2nd level domain. Unresolved IP
addresses should be aggregated and reported as such. See also domain.
Upload
- to send
data from a computer to a network.
An example of uploading data is sending e-mail.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - the
unique identifying address of any particular page on the Web. It contains all
the information required to locate a resource, including its protocol (usually
HTTP), server domain name (or IP address), file path (directory and name) and
format (usually HTML or CGI). URL
tagging - the
process of embedding unique identifiers into URLs contained in HTML content.
These identifiers are recognized by Web servers on subsequent browser requests.
Identifying visitors through information in the URLs should also allow for an
acceptable calculation of visits, if caching is avoided.
Usenet - Internet
bulletin-board application.
User - an
individual with access to the World Wide Web.
User
agent string - a field
in the server log file which identifies the specific browser software and
computer operating system making the request.
User
centric measurement
- Web
audience measurement based on the behavior of a sample of Web users.
User
registration
- information
contributed by an individual which usually includes characteristics such as the
person's age, gender, zip code and often much more. A site’s registration
system is usually based on an ID code or password to allow the site to
determine the number of unique visitors and to track a visitor's behavior
within that site.
Viewer - person
viewing content or ads on the Web.
There is currently no way to measure viewers.
Viral
marketing - 1) any
advertising that propagates itself; 2) advertising and/or marketing techniques
that "spread" like a virus by getting passed on from consumer to
consumer and market to market.
Visit - measurement
which has been filtered for robotic activity of one or more text and/or
graphics downloads from a site without 30 consecutive minutes of inactivity and
which can be reasonably attributed to a single browser for a single session. See iab.net for ad campaign measurement
guidelines. Visit
duration - the
length of time the visitor is exposed to a specific ad, Web page or Web site
during a single session.
Visitor - individual
or browser which accesses a Web site within a specific time period.
VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)
- programming
language designed to be a 3D analog to HTML.
WAA (Wireless Advertising Association)
- trade
association promoting wireless advertising. Members include: hand held device
manufacturers, software providers, carriers and operators, agencies, retailers,
and advertisers. See waaglobal.org
for more information.
WAN (Wide Area Network) - a group
of computers connected together (a network) which are not located at the same
physical location.
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
- a
specification for a set of communication protocols to standardize the way that
wireless devices, such as cellular mobile telephones, PDAs and others can be
used for Internet-based access.
WAP
device - any device
(e.g., mobile phone, PDA, or simulator) that allows access to wireless content.
WAP
phones - mobile
phones which utilize wireless application protocol technology to access the
Internet. The screen on a WAP phone can be used to deliver ads.
WASP (Wireless Applications Service
Provider) - an
organization that provides content and applications for wireless devices.
Web
beacon - a line
of code which is used by a Web site or third party ad server to track a
user’s activity, such as a registration or conversion. A Web beacon is often invisible because
it is only 1 x 1 pixel in size with no color. Also known as Web bug, 1 by 1 GIF, invisible GIF and tracker
GIF.
Web
site - the
virtual location (domain) for an organization's or individual's presence on the
World Wide Web. Web
bug - see Web
beacon.
Webcasting - real-time
or pre-recorded delivery of a live event’s audio, video, or animation
over the Internet.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
- a richer
more dynamic successor to HTML utilizing SGML or HTML type tags to structure
information. XLM is used for
transferring data and creating applications on the Web. See SGML and HTML.
Yield - the
percentage of clicks vs. impressions on an ad within a specific page. Also
called ad click rate. |
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