The living ontology uses the term web service or "web-based" service, e.g. web-based email?, to replace "web site" or "website" which confuses a physical site? or location with an online service? - see spatial metaphor.

It also uses the bald term web to mean the content, links, and weak ontology implied by same. Increasingly such services are independent of HTTP but continue to rely on HTTP methods.

The term: website comes from early web use and implies a narrower range of services than a typical organization offers using signal infrastructure. For instance, to refer to eBay? and to a simple static HTML? web as both being "web site"s is quite misleading.

Another problem with this spatial metaphor is that it implies that a person is "getting in to" or "entering" a space, whereas an increasing number of transactions are on the mobile web? where someone is actually accessing information relevant to a real world location or at least subject to constraints of that location. There are already numerous cartoon or comical representations of people using BlackBerrys or other devices so intensely that they forget they are in a real physical location and do harm to themselves or others. This is a serious problem, as much or more than phone use while driving?, and the term "site" tends to encourage assumptions that a person is actually only focusing on that presentation, which again tends to become dangerous.

While most dictionaries list "website" or "web site" and not web service, they follow usage that is simply not accurate in a great many cases.

Cambridge
Dictionary.com
Mirriam-Webster

still kicking for static web services (only)

The term:website is ubiquitous, so where it causes no confusion and refers to information that cannot or would never be accessed while mobile, an OP:editor? may use website.

The more accurate web service should be used for any complex service or any use of the World Wide Web to control other services, e.g. web-based email?, and certainly any web API?s such as those of Amazon.com?.

The term web-based or web-based service is also acceptable for all purposes. When referring to a wiki, use tikiwiki-based service or mediawiki-based service as "web" is redundant - these services only run over HTTP.