.swf
swf is the file format for the Macromedia Flash software.

Scripting Language
A programming language in which programs are the series of commands that are interpreted and then executed one by one. Doesn't require the compilation phase, for the price of lower performance.

Search engine
An Internet service that stores a vast number of web pages and allows for fast searching among them. Also, a piece of software that implements a website search functionality.

Search Indexer
A search engine uses search indexer to provide faster search.

Secondary Server
The name server will be used as a backup for the primary name server in the event that the primary server becomes unavailable.

Second Level Domain
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the next lower level of the hierarchy underneath the top level domains. In a domain name, that portion of the domain name that appears immediately to the left of the .com, .net, .org, etc...) For example, the top10cheapwebhosting.com would be the second level domain for this web site. The top-level domain is .com.

Security Certificate
A chunk of information (often stored as a text file) that is used by the SSL protocol to establish a secure connection. Security Certificates contain information about who it belongs to, who it was issued by, a unique serial number or other unique identification, valid dates, and an encrypted “fingerprint” that can be used to verify the contents of the certificate. In order for an SSL connection to be created both sides must have a valid Security Certificate.

Server
A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software, such as a WWW server, or to the machine on which the software is running, e.g.Our mail server is down today, that's why e-mail isn't getting out. A single server machine could have several different server software packages running on it, thus providing many different servers to clients on the network.

Setup Fee
Some hosting companies charge a one time setup fee to set up your hosting account. It is worth to also take this into account when looking at the monthly fee.

Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the oppisite of a dedicated server. The hosting provider allows for X amount of shared hosting accounts for every dedicated server they have. Each shared account has thier own web space and domain name. Shared hosting is less expensive and suited mainly for low traffic sites.

Shockwave
Shockwave, produced by Macromedia, allows you to view new forms of entertainment on the Web, such as games, music, rich-media chat, interactive product demos, and e-merchandising applications

Shopping Cart Software
A software program which acts as a "virtual store front". Such software typically allows a web site user to create and manage a virtual shopping cart to which items can be added or removed. Once a customer is ready to "check out", this same Shopping Cart Software typically includes interfaces to allow customers to pay with their credit card directly on the site. Shopping Cart Software is critical for those web sites that intend to sell products and services directly over the Internet without human intervention.

Signature
A few lines of text that are automatically attached at the end of each email message by the email client. Usually it's some personal identification or an (un)interesting quote.

Signed applet
An applet that has a digital signature to confirm that it originates from the legitimate server.

SLA
SLA refers to Service Level Agreement. Most web hosting companies have a SLA stating their uptime and downtime policies .

For example, a good SLA should specify that the host will ensure a uptime of above 99.0%. In addition, it should have also clearly state the compensation available to clients if the service level falls below the SLA figures.

SLIP
Serial Line Internet Protocol. A standard for using a regular telephone line (a serial line) and a modem to connect a computer as a real Internet site. SLIP is gradually being replaced by PPP.

SMDS
Switched Multimegabit Data Service. A new standard for very high-speed data transfer.

S/MIME
Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A way of making email messages more secure. S/MIME uses digital certificates to attest the message origin and encryption to ensure that message could not be read while in transit.

SMTP
Simple Mail Transport Protocol. The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the Internet.

SMTP consists of a set of rules for how a program sending mail and a program receiving mail should interact.

Almost all Internet email is sent and received by clients and servers using SMTP, thus if one wanted to set up an email server on the Internet one would look for email server software that supports SMTP.

SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol. A set of standards for communication with devices connected to a TCP/IP network. Examples of these devices include routers, hubs, and switches.
A device is said to be 'SNMP compatible' if it can be monitored and/or controlled using SNMP messages. SNMP messages are known as 'PDU's' - Protocol Data Units.

Devices that are SNMP compatible contain SNMP 'agent' software to receive, send, and act upon SNMP messages.

Software for managing devices via SNMP are available for every kind of commonly used computer and are often bundled along with the device they are designed to manage. Some SNMP software is designed to handle a wide variety of devices.

Spam (or Spamming)
An inappropriate attempt to use a mailing list, or USENET or other networked communications facility as if it was a broadcast medium (which it is not) by sending the same message to a large number of people who didn't ask for it. The term probably comes from a famous Monty Python skit which featured the word spam repeated over and over.

Spider
An automated software that retrieves webpages and follows the hyperlinks contained in them. Used to generate indexes used by search engines.

SPX
Sequenced Packet Exchange. A proprietary Novell network protocol used in conjunction with IPX.

SSH
Secure Shell. Developed by SSH Communications Security, it is a standard for encrypted terminal Internet connections. SSH programs provide strong authentication and encrypted communications, replacing less secure access methods like telnet.

SSI
Server Side Includes. Commands that can be included in web pages that are processed by the web server when a user requests a file. The command takes th form . For example, a common use for SSI commands is to insert the date or last modified date on a file.

SSL
Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet.
SSL used mostly (but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web servers. URL's that begin with 'https' indicate that an SSL connection will be used.

SSL provides 3 important things: Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity.

In an SSL connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which each side's software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends using information from both its own and the other side's Certificate, ensuring that only the intended recipient can de-crypt it, and that the other side can be sure the data came from the place it claims to have come from, and that the message has not been tampered with.

Static (or dedicated) IP
If a host offers a static IP, it means that your site will be assigned a unique and unchanging IP address. See the FAQ for some possible advantages of using a static IP.

Subdomain
Subdomain is a way to divide your site into sections with short and easy to remember names. For example, a section of this site for new users could be at newbies.webhostingratings.com.

Other use of subdomains might be to let somebody else use your account (but this may not be allowed by your host's terms of use). Large websites might make their subdomains point to another server to reduce load on the main www site.

Switch
A switch is a network device that forwards packets. Switches are more intelligent than hubs in a sense that they forward packets only to the necessary ports and not to all the ports.

Sysop
System Operator. Anyone responsible for the physical operations of a computer system or network resource. A System Administrator decides how often backups and maintenance should be performed and the System Operator performs those tasks.