Definitions

Content Owner - The organization that is responsible for the content on a Web page.

Department of Commerce organization - Any Commerce agency, line office, operating unit, office (including staff offices) or any committee or working group composed of Department of Commerce employees.

Extranet - A Web server that uses the Internet to securely share part of an organization's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other organizations. An extranet can be viewed as part of an organization's intranet that is extended to users outside the organization.

Home page - The Web page that is the highest level of a hierarchy of electronic documents accessible by the user with a Web browser. This is sometimes referred to as the "Front Page" or "Welcome Page."

[Examples: See the URLs listed under the policy on linking to the DOC Home Page]

Intranet - A Web server that is accessible only by an organization's members, employees, or others with authorization. An intranet's Web site looks and acts just like any other Web Site, but the Firewall and other security protocals surrounding an intranet fend off unauthorized access.

Major point of entry - A "major point of entry" to a Web site is a page created by a Department of Commerce organization primarily to assist users in navigating the site. This includes all home pages. "Major points of entry" are not necessarily the most requested documents or Web pages.

Major Web Site - (for DOC Required Administrative Links Policy). The following list defines the DOC Major Web Sites:

Department of Commerce: http://www.doc.gov/
Bureau of the Census: http://www.census.gov/
National Institute of Standards and Technology: http://www.nist.gov/
Bureau of Economic Analysis: http://www.bea.gov/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov/
Bureau of Industry and Security: http://www.bis.doc.gov/
National Telecommunications and Information Administration: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/
Economic Development Administration: http://www.eda.gov/
National Technical Information Service: http://www.ntis.gov/
Economics and Statistics Administration: http://www.esa.doc.gov/
Office of the Inspector General: http://www.oig.doc.gov/
Office of the General Council: http://www.ogc.doc.gov/
International Trade Administration: http://www.trade.gov
Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/
Minority Business Development Administration: http://www.mbda.gov/
NOAA National Weather Service home page: http://www.weather.gov
NOAA National Ocean Service: http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/
NOAA Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/
NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations: http://www.omao.noaa.gov/
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: http://www.oar.noaa.gov/

Web page - Any computer file, document, or grouping of electronic text which can be addressed by a hypertext link and rendered for a user on his/her computer monitor. This includes any grouping of electronic text, graphical material, or data generated by a software application and displayed through the use of a Web browser.

Web site - A collection of Web pages with a home page, managed as a unit.

Web site owner - The organization that manages a Web site. For a Department of Commerce Web site the Web site owner is always a Department of Commerce organization.

Department of Commerce Web Advisory Council (WAC)
U.S. Department of Commerce

Send questions and comments about this page to WAC@doc.gov
Page last updated October 12, 2010