Text on a web page which is visible to search engine spiders but not visible to human visitors. This is sometimes because the text has been set the same colour as the background, because multiple TITLE tags have been used or because the text is an HTML comment. Hidden text is often used for spamdexing. Many search engines can now detect the use of hidden text, and often remove offending pages from their database or lower such pages' positioning. Text can also be hidden using agent name delivery or IP delivery either to present different text to different search engine spiders or to hide the real HTML source from competitors. The Stealth META Tag CGI Script probably uses this technique and is available at http://www.OutRank.com/stealth.shtml. Another software product which hides HTML source is called Psyral Phobia and is available at http://www.merlesworld.com/software.htm.

In the context of visitors to web pages, a hit (or site hit) is a single access request made to the server for either a text file or a graphic. If, for example, a web page contains ten buttons constructed from separate images, a single visit from someone using a web browser with graphics switched on (a "page view") will involve eleven hits on the server. (Often the accesses will not get as far as your server because the page will have been cached by a local internet service provider). In the context of a search engine query, a hit is a measure of the number of web pages matching a query returned by a search engine or directory. The sending of a single file, whether text, graphic, audio or other type of file. When a page request is made, all elements or files that comprise the page are recorded as hits on a servers log file. While there is no accurate formula for determining the number of visitors to a page or site based on the number of hits -- one visitor could go Back and forth twenty times or twenty people could visit a single time each -- a hit at least indicates somebody was there. Thus, hits can be far more valuable than the tracking devices in any other media.

One of the largest search engines, indexing 110 million pages. Powered by Inktomi, new submissions appear to be taking two weeks or longer to appear. The URL is http://www.hotbot.com. A popular search portal that is part of the Terra Lycos Network, but operates as a separate search engine in its own right. Online: http://www.hotbot.com

HyperText Transfer Protocol - the (main) protocol used to communicate between web servers and web browsers (clients). Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, the format of the World Wide Web. When a browser sees "HTTP" at the beginning of an address, it knows that it is viewing a WWW page.

This term refers to software programs that run along with browser programs enabling them to perform additional functions. Good examples are Shockwave for downloading and viewing moving images and Real Audio for hearing sounds and music online.

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 the lower-level pages of the site. In business terms, it's the grabber. If your home page downloads too slowly, or it's unclear or uninteresting, you will probably lose a customer.