What is WWW?

The "World Wide Web" or "Web," is a compendium of web pages and sites that are stored in web servers and linked to local devices via the internet. The contents of these sites are varied and include text, images, audio, and video files. Using their personal computing devices such as cell phones, laptops, and computers, people can access these web pages from anywhere in the world. The WWW, along with the internet, allows for the retrieval and display of both text and media to a multitude of devices.

The fundamental elements of the Web are web pages that are constructed using the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and linked together through "hypertext" or hyperlinks that are accessible through HTTP. These links serve as electronic connectors that join related information, allowing users to quickly access the information they desire. Hypertext has the added benefit of allowing users to select a word or phrase from the text, providing access to other pages that offer additional information about that particular word or phrase.

Each web page is assigned a unique online address, known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A collection of web pages that share the same URL constitutes a website, such as popular sites like www.facebook.com and www.google.com. Essentially, the World Wide Web can be compared to an enormous electronic tome, with its pages being stored on numerous servers distributed throughout the world.

Smaller websites usually keep all of their web pages on a single server, while larger websites or organizations disperse their web pages across multiple servers located in various countries. This arrangement enables users to access the desired information more quickly from the nearest server when searching for a site in their country.

In essence, the Web serves as a means of communication through which users can retrieve and exchange information over the internet. Unlike reading a book, where one progresses from one page to the next in a linear sequence, navigating the World Wide Web entails following a network of hypertext links to visit one web page and then proceed to other pages from there. To access the Web, a browser installed on your computer is required.

Difference between World Wide Web and Internet:

As the world continues to evolve, so does the technology that we use on a daily basis. Among these technological advances, the terms "World Wide Web" and "Internet" are often used interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing. Understanding the difference between these two terms is important for anyone who uses technology in their daily life. We will explore the key differences between the World Wide Web and the Internet.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a global network of networks. It is a vast infrastructure that connects millions of computers and other devices across the world. It is a massive collection of interconnected networks that use standardized communication protocols to communicate with each other. It was developed in the 1960s by the US Department of Defense as a means of communication in case of a nuclear attack.

The Internet's Infrastructure

The Internet's infrastructure is made up of a variety of technologies, including fiber-optic cables, routers, and switches. It also includes various protocols that allow devices to communicate with each other, such as TCP/IP, DNS, and HTTP.

The Internet's Functionality

The Internet's primary function is to allow devices to communicate with each other. It allows users to send and receive data, including text, images, audio, and video, across the globe. The Internet is used for a variety of purposes, including email, online gaming, social media, and e-commerce.

What is the World Wide Web?

The World Wide Web, also known as the Web, is a subset of the Internet. It is a collection of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs. The Web was invented in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, while working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

The Web's Infrastructure

The Web's infrastructure is built on top of the Internet. It uses protocols such as HTTP and HTTPS to communicate between web servers and web clients. Web servers store web pages and other resources, while web clients, such as web browsers, display those resources to the user.

The Web's Functionality

The Web's primary function is to provide access to information. It allows users to access a vast array of information, including news, entertainment, education, and more. The Web also allows users to interact with each other through social media, online forums, and other interactive websites.

Key Differences Between the World Wide Web and the Internet

Now that we have explored what the Internet and the World Wide Web are, let's take a closer look at their key differences:

Infrastructure

The Internet is the physical network infrastructure that connects devices across the globe. The World Wide Web, on the other hand, is a subset of the Internet that is built on top of it.

Functionality

The Internet's primary function is to allow devices to communicate with each other. The World Wide Web's primary function is to provide access to information.

Communication Protocols

The Internet uses a variety of standardized communication protocols, such as TCP/IP, DNS, and HTTP. The World Wide Web uses HTTP and HTTPS to communicate between web servers and web clients.

Resources

The Internet is a vast collection of interconnected networks and devices. The World Wide Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs.

History of the World Wide Web:

The genesis of the World Wide Web can be traced back to the year 1989, when a learned scholar hailing from the United Kingdom, Tim Berners-Lee, who was gainfully employed by CERN, pioneered this concept.

CERN, the stomping ground of Tim Berners-Lee, is a closely-knit community, comprising more than 1700 scholars from over 100 different countries. These scholars are known to work on CERN premises for a certain duration of time, while they devote the rest of their time to their respective universities and national laboratories in their motherland. Given the circumstances, there was a pressing need to develop trustworthy channels of communication to enable the exchange of invaluable information. The primary objective of this system was to establish an automated mechanism to facilitate seamless dissemination of vital data and research findings among scientists, thereby engendering a more collaborative scientific research community.

During that era, both the internet and hypertext were in existence, yet nobody had ventured into the realm of exploring how to employ the internet for the purpose of linking or sharing documents with one another. Tim Berners-Lee identified three core technologies that could potentially bridge the gap between various computers, namely HTML, URL, and HTTP. The underlying motive behind the creation of the World Wide Web was to integrate modern computer technologies, data networks, and hypertext into a seamless and easy-to-use global information system.

How the World Wide Web Works?

The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is a vast collection of information accessible via the internet. It has revolutionized the way we share and consume information, and it continues to evolve rapidly. We will discuss how the Web works and the essential components that make it possible.

The Client-Server Model:

The Web works on the client-server model, where the client is the user's computer, and the server is a computer that stores and serves web pages. The client sends a request to the server, and the server responds by sending the requested web page to the client. This process is possible through the use of specific software programs known as web browsers and web servers.

Web Browsers:

Web browsers are software programs that allow users to access the Web and view web pages. They translate the web page's code and render it into a human-readable format. Popular web browsers include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

Web Servers:

Web servers are software programs that store and serve web pages. They receive requests from web browsers and respond by sending the requested web page to the client. Web servers use a protocol called HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to communicate with web browsers. Apache and Nginx are popular web server software programs.

Web Pages:

Web pages are the fundamental building blocks of the Web. They consist of text, images, videos, and other multimedia content. Web pages are created using markup languages such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript. These languages allow web developers to create visually appealing and interactive web pages.

Hyperlinks:

Hyperlinks are clickable links that allow users to navigate between web pages. They are created using HTML and provide a way to connect web pages and create a web of interconnected information.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML):

HTML represents a standardized markup dialect utilized for generating web pages, whose layout is described through HTML tags or elements. These tags are employed to systematize various components, including but not limited to, 'heading,' 'paragraph,' 'table,' 'image,' and many more. The end-user, however, does not perceive HTML tags while opening a web page, as browsers merely use these tags to interpret the content of web pages. Succinctly, HTML is leveraged for displaying diverse multimedia resources, such as text, images, and more, through a web browser.

Web Browser:

A web browser, also known as a browser, is a computer program that presents an array of multimedia content, such as text, data, images, videos, animations, and many others. It provides a software interface that facilitates the clicking of hyperlinks to online resources available on the World Wide Web. Upon double-clicking the browser icon installed on your computer, you gain access to the internet and can conduct web searches on Google or enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the address bar.

Initially, browsers were used primarily for web browsing because of their limited functionality. However, modern-day browsers are more sophisticated, and users can perform a wide range of activities using them, including sending emails, transferring multimedia files, utilizing social media platforms, participating in online discussion groups, and much more. Some commonly used web browsers are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and many others.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP):

The Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a protocol used at the application layer to facilitate smooth and efficient functioning of the World Wide Web (WWW). HTTP operates in a client-server model where the client, which is a web browser, communicates with the web server hosting the website. The protocol specifies the format and transmission of messages and the actions the web server and browser should take when given certain commands.

When you input a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in the browser, an HTTP command is sent to the web server via the internet. This transmission takes place using TCP/IP, and the web server processes the request from the browser and sends back a response. After the response is sent, the connection is closed, and the browser retrieves the content from the server, allowing the user to view the requested web page.