archive – Web pages on which older weblog entries are saved onto. Each time a new entry is posted, the oldest one on the main weblog page will be transferred to the archive.

blog – An abbreviation of weblog. Also refers to the act of maintaining and updating a weblog. (i.e. I blog for fun.)

Blogger – A free weblog publishing tool developed by Pyra Labs.

blogger – An individual who maintains a weblog.

blogosphere - The members of the blogging population and their writing as a collective whole.

CMS (Content Management System) – Software that automates the publishing of information on the Internet.

cyberspace -

discussion lists - (assychronous communication) Discussion Lists are the most basic and easiest form of online gathering places to participate in assuming that each group member has access to email. Users do not have to "check in" somewhere to take part in the conversation, they simply read and reply to group emails.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) – A protocol for transferring files over the Internet.
hosting – Hosting refers to having an application installed on a machine other than the one that is accessing it.

Guestbook - One of the most basic forms of community - the guest book is a great place to leave a messages for others to view.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) – A markup language that uses tags to define the structure and appearance of webpages.

ICQ – A popular instant messaging tool that allows online users to chat and exchange files.

internet -

link – An abbreviation for hyperlink, and refers to tags which point to other online addresses.

message board - (assychronous communication) Message Boards offer additional features over a mailing list that give you more community building power including a sense of place, the context of each message, images, and the community's evolving history.

micromuse -

Multi-User Domains or Dungeons (MUDS) - (sychronous communication) "MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeons - imaginary worlds in comuter databases where people use words and programming languages to improvise melodramas, build worlds and all the objects in them, solve puzzles, invent amusements and tools, compete for prestige and power, gain wisdom, seek revenge, indulge greed and lust and violent impulses" (Rheingold 149).

RSS (Rich Site Summary) – A publishing format that uses XML to display a summary of the content found on a website.

server-side – Refers to applications which are installed on a user’s own server, as opposed to one that is hosted. (See hosting).

sidebar – A separate section on a webpage that runs in alignment with the main content, and usually contains links.

spider – A program that retrieves webpages and information by iteratively following links.

The Well - The WELL is an online gathering place like no other -- remarkably uninhibited, intelligent, and iconoclastic. For more than seventeen years, it's been a literate watering hole for thinkers from all walks of life, be they artists, journalists, programmers, educators or activists. These WELL members return to The WELL, often daily, to engage in discussion, swap information, express their convictions and greet their friends in online forums known as WELL Conferences.

text chat - (sychronous communication) Text Chat or Internet Relay Chat (IRC) allows the user to communicate in real time - anyone who is connected to the system has the ability to correspond instantly with any other participant. "IRC is a dynamic form of communication: new comments appear at the bottom of your screen as you watch, and older comments scroll off the top of your screen" (Rheingold 181).

time-stamp – A line of text that indicates the date and time at which an entry was posted.

usenet -

web blog - A website with frequent, dated entries listed in reverse chronological order. The entries have links and commentary and often an opportunity for others to comment.

webring – A group of commonly-themed websites which are connected by links.

World Wide Web - (assychronous and sychronous communication) The World Wide Web can host asynchronous message boards and discussion lists as well as real time chat.

XML (Extensible Markup Language) – A metalanguage that allows developers to define markup languages.