Glossary – W

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W3C

World Wide Web Consortium.

WAI

Web accessibility initiative.

Waiver

A written acceptance of a part that is found not to meet defined requirements, but can be used “as is” or after repair. See also deviation.

Walkthrough

An analysis and review technique in which a team of subject matter experts review a segment of documentation, ask questions, and make comments about possible errors, violation of standards, and other problems. See also code walkthrough.

WAN

Wide-area network.

WAP

Wireless application protocol.

Wasting assets

Fixed assets, such as mines or oil wells, which diminish in value over time.

Waterfall model

A methodology in which development moves through concept, design, implementation, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and operation and maintenance. Each phase of development proceeds in strict order, without any overlapping or iterative steps. See also project management methodologies.

Watermark

A translucent logo, design, or text (such as “DRAFT”) that displays as the background of pages within a document.

Wayfinding

How people orient themselves and navigate in a physical or virtual environment.

WBS

Work breakdown structure.

WBT

Web-based training.

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group.

Web

Short for World Wide Web.

Web 2.0

Web development and design that facilitates interactive communication and collaboration.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C’s) commitment to promote a high degree of web usability for people with disabilities.

Web bug

Software that can detect whether the recipient has opened an e-mail or advertisement and can provide information regarding the recipient’s connection and browser.

Web Bundle (Adobe)

Software that provides an array of web design tools, including development tools, graphics applications, and online multimedia software.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group—which consists of representatives from industry, accessibility consultancies, universities, organizations that represent end users, and other accessibility experts—produces guidelines, techniques, and other support to improve the accessibility of Web content.

Web feed

A function that allows online users to subscribe to web sites that change or add content regularly.

Web feed formats

See atom, extensible markup language, outline processor markup language, photofeed, really simple syndication, resource description framework.

Web log

See blog.

Web-based Help

A product’s online help system accessed from a web site.

Web-based training (WBT)

See e-learning.

Weblog

An online dated diary that provides periodic thoughts on a specific topic.

Web site publishing

The process of building a web site and posting content to it.

WebTV

See interactive television.

Weight

In typography, the relative darkness of the characters; for example, thin, light, bold.

What-if analysis

The process of evaluating alternative strategies by changing certain variables and assumptions to predict the outcome of considering such changes.

White Paper

A detailed or authoritative report on a specific subject.

White space

The blank areas on a page. Also called positive space. See also negative space.

White-box testing

Testing that is based on an analysis of the internal workings and structure of a piece of software. Includes techniques such as branch testing and path testing. Also called glass-box testing, structural testing. See also black-box testing.

Wide-area network (WAN)

A telecommunications network that covers a broad geographic area.

Widow

The last line of a paragraph that appears by itself at the top of a column or page. See also orphan.

Wiki

A collection of web pages that anyone can edit.

Willingness to pay

The maximum amount an individual would be willing to give up to secure a change in the provision of a good or service.

Window of opportunity

The time period during which factors are favorable for success.

Win-lose negotiation

The outcome of conflict resolution that results in at least one party not being better off than before. See also lose-lose negotiation, win-win negotiation.

Win-win negotiation

The outcome of conflict resolution that results in both parties being better off than before. See also lose-lose negotiation, win-lose negotiation.

WinZip (WinZip Computing)

Software used to quickly and securely compress (zip) and uncompress (unzip) files to conserve storage space, speed up email transmission, and reduce download times.

Wire binding

A type of document binding that uses a wire coil to hold the pages together. See also binding types.

Wireframe

A rough outline of the navigation and content elements of a user interface. See also prototype.

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

The connection standard for wireless devices, such as mobile phones and PDAs.

With the grain

Parallel to the grain direction of the paper. See also against the grain, grain direction.

Wizard

Software used to perform a particular computer task, usually by giving the user options from which to select.

Wizard of Oz

Testing in which a user interacts with a prototype or model without necessarily knowing that a human, not a computer, is generating the responses.

WMF

Windows metafile file format. A Windows operating system graphics file format. WMF files can be either bitmap or vector in format.

Word count

The number of words in the source or target language, used as one method of assessing the cost of translation.

Word spacing

In typography, manually adjusting the average space between words in a text block. See also character spacing, kerning.

Word wrap

In a text display, a feature that automatically continues text on a new line when a line is full, eliminating the need for horizontal scrolling.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A product-oriented listing, in family tree order, of the hardware, software, services, and other work tasks, that completely defines a product or program. The listing results from project engineering during the development and production of a material item. A WBS relates the elements of work to be accomplished to each other and to the end product. See also contract work breakdown structure, project work breakdown structure.

Work package

A deliverable at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure.

Workflow

A defined sequence of events to manage a set of tasks.

Workflow automation

Use of email to better coordinate of the activities of the people who participate in the process, helping to ensure that the right person at the right time gets the right information about what tasks they need to perform and the order in which they must perform the tasks.

Workflow design

Defining workflow processes and providing graphical representation of a process.

Workforce planning

Assessing the current workforce to predict future needs.

Workload

The sum total of work that a person, group, or organization is responsible for completing within a given time period.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

An organization created to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols.

WPG

WordPerfect/Drawperfect graphic file format. See also bitmap graphics file formats.

WYSIWYG

(Pronounced whiz-e-wig) What you see is what you get. Text and graphics that will print exactly as they appear on the computer screen.

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