Clear Your Cache and Other Foreign Language Phrases You Should Know

Website designers and computer techies speak in a language that is not always comprehensible to normal folk. And unfortunately, when purchased computers don't come with a vocabulary list. Wouldn't it be nice it they did!

So just like it's good to know how to say s'il vous plait and danke schön in several different languages, here is a brief glossary of terms that every website owner should keep handy for talking to your designer or tech support person.

Browser

The browser is the software program that you use to surf the internet. If you have a Windows computer, the default browser is either Internet Explorer or Edge, depending on how new the computer is. Or you might be using Google Chrome or Mozilla FireFox if you have downloaded one of those browsers instead -- and I recommend that you do. (I use Chrome for almost everything). If you have a Mac, your browser is probably some version of Safari.

The internet can look slightly different on different browsers, so your website designer is likely to ask which browser you are using if what they see is different from what you see. Tech support will also want to know which browser you are using when something isn't working right.

Refresh Your Browser

This is a phrase you could hear a lot from your website designer. Whenever a change is made to your website, the change is saved, and site is re-published. But your computer might tend to access old versions of the site because old versions are likely living in the browser's cache, and the browser is lazy -- it will show you the easiest thing to retrieve, which is often the last version you saw of whatever it is that you want to look at.

To refresh the browser, look for an almost circular arrow near the top of the screen, usually just to the left or right of the field that displays the URL address of the page you are on.

URL vs Domain Name

The URL is the long and whole address for a specific page within a website. A Domain Name is the short address for the entire site. Here are examples of the site you are on when reading this, and this particular blog post:

Domain: https://www.DeWriteSites.com

URL: https://www.dewritesites.com/single-post/2018/03/04/Clear-Your-Cache-and-Other-Foreign-Language-Phrases-You-Should-Know

By the way, the distinction between a domain name and a URL is the reason that it is incorrect to refer to your website as a webpage, unless you mean to indicate a specific url such as the About page, or the FAQ page. It is also incorrect to refer to your profile page on Psychology Today or your business page on Facebook as your website. Those are merely single pages of larger sites.

Cache

This has nothing to do with BitCoin (and neither should you, IMHO). The cache is your browser's version of a storage bin. Everything you do on the internet gets stored somewhere inside the machine so it can be retrieved by your browser. Even the unintentional things you don't think of a second time like the news reports you opened when scanning Facebook are likely in the cache. (Browsing history and download history are why the FBI confiscates hard drives from the bad guys.)

Clear Your Cache

When your Wix editor or any other online tool is acting wonky, the first fix to try is to clear your cache. Clearing the cache helps your computer run more smoothly. You can clear the cache through your browser's settings. This should be done once a week for normal internet users, and once a day if you are a heavy user.

Cookies

The term cookies refers to bits of computer code that help analytics programs like StatCounter and Google Analytics see what country and state you are from, which device you've used to look at a website, how long you stayed on the site, which pages you looked at, and other pieces of your browsing habits. Cookies also let your computer auto-fill forms, such as when you order from Amazon and your name and address automatically show up, or when your login and password instantly appear when you go to open your Wix or Twitter accounts.

Cookies are inserted into your computer through your browser and can be removed by clearing them when you clear your cache. But before you do that, know that it will remove that nice auto-fill feature too, which is another reason to write down your logins and passwords for all important accounts.

Account, Login and Password

It's amazing but many people don't keep track of the numerous online accounts, logins, and passwords they need to access various tools, including their own website. Even if you use password manager software like Last Pass, at some point a tech support person is going to need to know your login and password to help with your computer or website.

The Chrome browser often prompts us to allow it to store logins and passwords when opening new online accounts. It's a good idea for everything except access to financial accounts, I think. But I also recommend keeping your own record in a little notebook offline. And as a website designer, I believe your login and password for getting into all accounts related to your website should be indelibly emblazoned in your memory, just like your home address and social security number.

Web Host and Domain Registrar

The term web host refers to the specific platform on which your website has been built. If I have built your website, your web host is Wix. Other platforms include HostGator, Weebly, SquareSpace, and so on. The web host provides the server (magic mechanism) by which your website can be viewed on the internet. However, you need a second thing in addition to a web host and that is a domain registrar.

The domain registrar -- such as GoDaddy -- grants permission for you to use the domain address you want everyone to use to find your website. You have to buy that permission, which won't be granted if the domain you want is already in use by someone else.

Sometimes the registrar is the same company as the web host. You could build a website with GoDaddy as the web host if you wanted to, but I don't recommend that as their website builder is cumbersome and difficult to use. Likewise, you can register your domain with Wix, in the same process of upgrading your Wix website. Some of us keep these two things separate. It's really just a matter of convenience and perception of safety whether you should have everything in one place, or not.

Email Address and Platform

Email addresses are commonly used as the user or login name for many online sites because most people don't forget their email address. But if you are like me, you might have more than one address -- one for family use, one for client user, one for social media, one for when you want to try to have a little anonymity. So I say again, write down which login email address you use for all your online accounts.

I refer to "email platforms" when the more proper techie term may be "email client." As a solopreneur whose clients are people, it's weird to me to call a tech tool like email a "client." But Geek Squad techie might ask who your email client is, so that's why I'm mentioning it.

Email platforms are things like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Hushmail, etc. Note that you email address is not complete without adding the @gmail.com piece. You'd be surprised how many people I've talked to try to convince me that their email address is just JaneDoe. Nope, it has to be JaneDoe@Outlook.com, and so on, for it to actually work.