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Glossary

Above the Fold
This is the first area you see in your browser without needing to scroll. Therefore, it is where the most important information about your site should reside.
Application
An application is software designed to perform specific tasks. RedBottle Design specializes using the Drupal CMS to build Web-based applications.
Aspect Ratio
This is the ratio of an images width relative to its height and needs to be maintained if an image is manipulated to avoid stretching or pixilation.
Branding
Branding consists of the overall identity of your organization and can project a specific personality. Examples of branding can include names, signs, symbols, or slogans.
Cache
This is the temporary storage of recently-used resources such as webpage’s, images, or other documents in a place where they can be accessed fast. A disadvantage to using a cache is the stored resources aren’t always the most recent.
Content Management System
A content management system (CMS) is the collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment.
Content Management System (CMS)
A Content Management System, such as Drupal, is a collaborative system that allows for easy management and display of information on a website. A CMS enables site users to create and edit website content without needing extensive coding knowledge.
Cookie
A cookie is a small text file stored on your computer from a website that can be used for authentication, storing site preferences, shopping cart contents, or as an identifier for a server-based session.
Custom Development
The process of creating entirely new functionality or set of features for a project, custom development enables clients and stakeholders to completely define how a particular feature will function in response to an input. While custom development allows for more control of a feature, it is also more expensive and time consuming than using existing ‘off-the-shelf’ functionality.
Customer Relations Management (CRM)
This is a business strategy often involving the use of technology (usually software) for developing, managing, and maintaining business interactions with customers, vendors, and leads. The main goal behind CRM is to increase the frequency and quality of customer interactions.
Digital Presence (digital footprint or online presence)
Your organizations existence or presence on the internet, most commonly anchored by your website, but can include any and all electronic forms of communication such as social networking sites or blogs.
Domain Name
Identification associated with a website on the internet for addressing purposes. Common types of domain names include commercial (.com), government (.gov), and network (.net).
Drupal
Drupal is a free software package that allows anyone to easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website
Drupal Dream
A new hosting and management service pioneered by RedBottle Design that allows the user to better organize the maintenance, updates, security, and performance of their Drupal website.
Drupal Modules
Additional software components that can be installed into Drupal to extend its built-in features to perform new tasks or add specific functionality.
Dynamic Content
Unlike ‘static’ or non-changing content, websites using dynamic content can change and update based on user interactions or by an administrator making updates.
eCommerce (eBusiness)
Electronic commerce is the buying and selling products and services via the Internet.
Encryption
This is the process of using a mathematical algorithm to transform information to an unreadable form. Encrypted information can only be decoded using the proper decryption key to decipher the message. This process is useful for sensitive data such as user or customer information.
Font (Type Face)
The visual style of textual elements on websites and in printed documents. Fonts are one of the cornerstones to the visual “look and feel” of your website.
Functional Requirement
The required need of a system to perform specific behaviors or functions in response to specific inputs.
GNU General Public License
The General Public License is a free software copyright license. This license specifies an ability for a firm to modify, copy, or redistribute software for a fee. Read more details about the General Public License, visit www.gnu.org.
Google Analytics
A free service provided by Google that allows a site owner to capture and view detailed statistics about visitors to their site, including where visitors come from, what sections of the site they are visiting, and how long they stay there.
Graphic Designer
The professional that creates your visual identity. The role of a graphic designer is to anonymously convey a specific message or concept visually. Designers are commonly tasked with creating logos, advertisements, and overall visual compositions.
Host
A website host is a remote server that stores and serves your website so it is accessible on the Internet.
Hyperlinks
A Hyperlink (or link) is a reference to a website or document. Link text often appears as underlined words or images on a webpage that directs your browser to another screen or page.
Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML)
A webpage coding language that allows for the embedding of static and interactive elements on a webpage. HTML defines the appearance and layout of a website.
Illustrators
The role of an illustrator is to tell a story through drawings, painting or photography.
Inside Access (IA)
RedBottle’s web based collaboration site that provides a wide range of tools intended to keep everyone involved with your project informed to its progress. Common tools used in IA include case trackers, project calendars, notebooks with file sharing and revision control.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company that provides access to the Internet.
JPEG
A digital compression standard developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. Images using JPEG are smaller and faster to download than other formats such as GIF files.
Lightbox
A web-based image and video viewer which opens over a web page to allow a visitor to a webpage to view content without leaving the current page.
Logo
A graphical representation of a company or an organization.
Mission
In most cases, a mission is a goal or overall direction of a company that is something achievable.
Node
A node is piece of pre-defined content in the Drupal Content Management System (CMS). Nodes can become any piece of content including pages, contact forms, blogs, etc.
Off-the-Shelf Software Component
A term for a piece of software that has already been developed and tested. Off-the-shelf software is ideal when a project that has a short schedule or small budget because it provides required functionality without the need for custom development.
Open-Source
Software produced and maintained by a community of people and is available for free use. Open-Source software is most commonly released under the GNU License.
Operating Environment
The hardware and software environment in which a system will need to run. For example, Drupal uses a Host as its operating environment.
Operational Workflow
A procedural series of steps or tasks that work in sequence to accomplish a larger process or goal.
Operations Management
The development and implementation of efficient business processes and policies used to produce goods or services.
Portable Document Format (PDF)
Developed by Adobe, a PDF allows for a digital document to be universally viewable across platforms while preserving its visual appearance and formatting. PDF is an ideal format for offering downloadable documents on your website.
Print Materials
Any document that can be distributed in a non-digital form. Typical examples include: business cards, flyers, coupons and letterhead.
Release
The movement of software from the internal development and testing environment to being externally accessible for users and stakeholders.
Release Schedule
A tentative time table for the distribution of software under development.
Release-Based Methodology
The philosophy that a large project should be broken down into multiple smaller segments which build on each other until the final completed project is achieved.
Search Engine Optimization
The practice of following certain conventions in an effort to try to ensure a Web site obtains a high rank in search engine listings. Also called search engine positioning, search engine placement, etc.
Secure Server
A Web server that uses special software, protocols or techniques to protect against third-party tampering. Making purchases from a secure server ensures that a user's payment or personal information is translated into a code so that it is difficult to steal (see encryption).
Slogan
A memorable motto or phrase associated with a company.
Software Architecture
The blueprint or plan that software will follow during development and implementation.
Software Developers
The people who write the code that drives the software. If we were building a house, the software developers would be equivalent to the construction workers who actually assemble the house, build walls and install plumbing.
Software Engineers
The people who design the software’s blueprint for how it will function. If we were building a house, the software engineers would be equivalent to the architect who says where walls should go and how things should be installed.
Software Requirements Specification
A Document written by RedBottle design that outlines all of the technical expectations for the various features and any custom development for a website. The SRS becomes the basis for the programmers to code your site.
Stakeholders
A person or group of people who have an interest in a project’s success.
Style Sheet
A guide for all of the common visual elements of a website appearance including fonts, images and layout.
System Administration
The management and maintenance of computer systems and or networking. System Administration includes server setup, support, monitoring and security.
Thumbnail Image
A reduced-scale preview image of a larger image or video.
Traffic/Hits/Visits
The number of visitors is the specific number of individual people that have visited your site. Hits is the number of times each page of your website has been visited in total by all of your visitors.
User Classes
The distinct categories of users (sometimes referred to as user roles) who will use a website and is organized based on how they will interact with the system.
Vision
A vision is a long-term goal that (usually) is something that will never be or will take a long time to accomplish. For example, “Google’s mission is to organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” "Company." Google. Web. 16 Apr. 2011. <http://www.google.com/corporate/>.
Vision and Scope (V&S)
An initial non-binding document that defines the overall features is expected to be needed in a software project. Defining the scope at the beginning of a project helps orient all stakeholders toward a common goal, reducing “feature creep” – the tendency to add many additional, unnecessary features toward the middle of a software project. The document goes into great detail attempting to identify features, their relationships, releases and the desired end goal.
Wireframe
A simple graphical representation of where certain elements will appear on a webpage. It is an intermediary tool to help plan basic site layout.

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