The A to Z Guide to the Internet

N

Navigate- The act of moving around the Web by clicking on the links that take you from one Web page to another. As you navigate, you move from one server to another without realizing it.

Newbie- Any person who is new to the online world, or a specific forum or chat room. Some people use newbie as a derogatory term, although it does not necessarily have that meaning. At some point, everyone online was a newbie.

Netizen- A combination of the words “citizen” and “Internet.” The term refers to someone who spends a significant amount of time or is an experienced user of the Internet.

Niche and Niche marketing- A niche is a focused and target-able portion of the market. A business that focuses on a niche market is attending to the need for a product or service that is not being addressed by the mainstream market. The niche market narrowly defines a group of potential customers.

One of the advantages of dealing in niche markets is the ability to be one of the only suppliers meeting that need. The key is to find an untapped niche market whose customers are accessible.

Niche marketing is the process of finding and serving one or more small yet profitable markets. Niche marketers design custom-made products or services for the markets that meet specific needs. 

Netiquette- This is the code of conduct and unofficial rules that govern all forms of online communication. The word is derived from a combination of “net” and “etiquette.” Understanding the basics of netiquette will go a long way toward getting along with other Internet users and getting help when you need it.

Although there are slightly different rules depending on the newsgroup, forum or mailing list, there are some basic guidelines that are followed everywhere.

Some of the important do’s and don’ts of Netiquette include:

·        Think before you post to a group. If what you are going to post will not make a positive contribution to the newsgroup, forum or e-mail list…don’t post it! Use private e-mail for more personal conversations, off the list.

·        Re-read and edit your posts and e-mail carefully before sending them. Make sure to check your spelling, grammar and capitalization.

·        Don’t send spam or other non-necessary messages.

·        Use proper capitalization. Using all caps is considered YELLING online, and all lower case is too casual.