Copyright & Internet Law Glossary

Aggregator

Software that gathers and manages several different information sources.

AJAX

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. A method for developing Web-based applications that allows the management of queries to the server without having to refresh the Web page.

API

Application programming interface. An interface provided by an application program that allows data exchange or the creation of other computer programs.

Asynchronous

A method for transmitting data to or from Web servers that eliminates the need to transmit the data of the whole page.

Blog

From “Web log.” An online collection of commentary offered by the author, usually published in chronological order. Basically, an online journal that is updated frequently.

Creative Commons License

Licenses that allow people to create and distribute software under specific conditions, one of which is usually that the work not be made part of any commercial venture. Sort of an intermediate “some rights reserved” position between full copyright (where no use is permitted without permission) and public domain (where the work can be used without restriction). The idea started at Harvard Law School and then migrated to Stanford Law School.

Mashup

A website created by combining content from different sources.

Open Source

Source code that is made available for use and modification by users or other developers as a kind of public collaboration. Open source licenses, however, are not without restrictions or conditions and, therefore, should be distinguished from “free” software. Linux is an example of open source software.

RSS

Really simple syndication, or sometimes “rich site summary.” An XML-based system for sharing content among different websites. A Web publisher can post links to RSS feeds so that users can read the distributed content. RSS information is directly sent to users.

Semantic Web

A set of formats and languages that analyze data on the World Wide Web. The goal is to enhance the usefulness of and the ability to search for online information.

Tags

Key words added to articles appearing in a blog or on a website. Basically, bait for search engines.

Web 2.0

A constantly-evolving concept. The term is used to describe the ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of essentially passive websites to a collection of websites that offer full-fledged computing platforms. The vision is that “the network is the platform” and that Web 2.0 services could replace desktop or “client-based” applications for many purposes. Some have called it an “architecture of participation.”

Wiki

A piece of server software that allows users to create and edit freely Web page content. An “open editing” concept that promotes content composition by non-technical users. Its most famous application is Wikipedia.