P

Page views: A measure of the number of times an HTML file was requested from the server. Unlike hits, image files aren't counted. Unlike unique visitors or users, one person visiting the same page multiple times may be counted.

PERL: Practical Extraction and Report Language. The most common (and simple) language used on the Internet to add interactivity to a website, such as the processing of form data.

Permission marketing: Using Opt-In lists to send advertising material.

Pixels: A unit of picture measurement. One pixel is about the size of a period (.) in 12-point font. Web banners and other graphics are measured in pixels. A standard banner size would be 468 pixels long and 60 pixels high (468 X 60). Monitor resolution is also measured in pixels. Right now, the most popular monitors display 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels high (800 X 600).

Platform: The operating system used to access the Internet. Windows 98 and 95 are the most popular, but when you're designing your website, that doesn't mean you can ignore Macintosh, Sun, or Linux computers, which are used by significant portions of the internet community (unless your site's content is just for users of one particular platform, like "Windows 98 Annoyances").

Portal: A website where visitors can find what they are looking for. Generally, a search engine or directory. A "vertical portal" specializes in one industry or target market. A "horizontal portal" tries to have something for everyone, like Yahoo! or Looksmart.

Protocol: A set of rules for exchanging data over the Internet. These rules allow computers with different operating systems to communicate with each other.