World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (also known as WWW, W3, or simply the Web) is a public interconnected information system that enables content sharing over the Internet. It allows people to access documents and other web resources using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

The Web was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee while at CERN in 1989 and opened to the public in 1993. It was designed as a "universal linked information system." Documents and media are made available through web servers and can be viewed using programs called web browsers. Servers and resources on the Web are identified by a special string called a uniform resource locator (URL).

The most common type of document on the Web is a web page written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML supports plain text, images, embedded video and audio, and scripts that allow interactive features. It also includes hyperlinks, which let users jump quickly to other web resources. The practice of moving from one webpage to another by clicking these links is called web navigation or web surfing.

Today, the World Wide Web has become the world's dominant information systems platform. It is the main way billions of people around the globe interact with the Internet, accessing a vast range of educational, entertainment, commercial, and government information provided by companies, organizations, agencies, and individual users.

History

Main article: History of the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee while working at CERN. He created it to help store and share documents and data more easily in a large organization. His idea used a special way to connect documents through links, which made finding information much simpler.

The Web became available to the public in 1993. It grew quickly as more people started using it to share information online. Browsers like Mosaic and Navigator made it easier to view images and use forms, helping the Web become popular. Today, the World Wide Web is a key part of how billions of people interact on the Internet.

Nomenclature

Tim Berners-Lee says that "World Wide Web" should be written with three separate words, each starting with a capital letter, and no hyphens between them. The "www" prefix is used less often now, especially as web applications wanted to make their names easier to say. Popular services like Gmail.com, Outlook.com, Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and Twitter.com are usually mentioned without "www." or even ".com."

In English, people usually say "www" as "double-u double-u double-u." Some say it as "dub-dub-dub," especially in New Zealand. Writer Douglas Adams once joked that the World Wide Web's short form takes three times longer to say than the full name.

Function

Main articles: HTTP and HTML

The terms Internet and World Wide Web are often used without much distinction. However, the two terms do not mean the same thing. The Internet is a global system of computer networks interconnected through telecommunications and optical networking. In contrast, the World Wide Web is a global collection of documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URIs. Web resources are accessed using HTTP or HTTPS, which are application-level Internet protocols that use the Internet transport protocols.

Viewing a web page on the World Wide Web normally begins either by typing the URL of the page into a web browser or by following a hyperlink to that page or resource. The web browser then initiates a series of background communication messages to fetch and display the requested page. In the 1990s, using a browser to view web pages—and to move from one web page to another through hyperlinks—came to be known as 'browsing,' 'web surfing' (after channel surfing), or 'navigating the Web'.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. With Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript, it forms a triad of cornerstone technologies for the World Wide Web.

Most web pages contain hyperlinks to other related pages and perhaps to downloadable files, source documents, or other web resources. Such a collection of useful, related resources interconnected via hypertext links is dubbed a web of information. Publication on the Internet created what Tim Berners-Lee first called the WorldWideWeb in November 1990.

A web page is a document that is suitable for the World Wide Web and web browsers. A web browser displays a web page on a monitor or mobile device.

A website is a collection of related web resources including web pages, multimedia content, typically identified with a common domain name, and published on at least one web server. Notable examples are wikipedia.org, google.com, and amazon.com.

A web browser is a software user agent for accessing information on the World Wide Web. To connect to a website's server and display its pages, a user needs to have a web browser program.

A Web server is server software, or hardware dedicated to running said software, that can satisfy World Wide Web client requests. A web server can, in general, contain one or more websites. A web server processes incoming network requests over HTTP and several other related protocols.

Security

The Web has become a place where criminals can spread harmful software and commit various online crimes. These include stealing personal information, tricking people for money, spying, and gathering secret data. Many of these attacks happen on real websites, with common threats like tricking users through fake websites.

To protect against these threats, big security companies create tools to help keep data safe. Some experts believe that everyone should share the responsibility for keeping the Internet secure, rather than trying to lock it down completely.

Privacy

Main article: Internet privacy

When you visit a website, the server can see your computer's unique address, called an IP address. Most websites keep records of who visits and what pages are viewed. If the website doesn't use special security, anyone along the way might see what you're doing online.

Sometimes, websites ask for your name, address, or email. They might remember your visits and learn about your interests. This information can be used by companies for advertising or by others in different ways. Social networking sites often ask for real names and locations, which can sometimes lead to unwanted attention or problems. It's important to think carefully about what you share online.

Standards

Main article: Web standards

Web standards are important rules that help websites work well together and be easy for everyone to use. These standards are created by many different groups, such as the World Wide Web Consortium and the Internet Engineering Task Force, to make sure websites are safe, accessible, and work properly for all users.

These standards keep changing as new technologies develop, ensuring that the web remains a useful and open space for everyone.

Accessibility

Main article: Web accessibility

The Web can be used by people with different kinds of disabilities, such as visual, auditory, or physical challenges. Special features help make the Web easier to use for everyone, including those with temporary injuries or older users. The World Wide Web Consortium believes it's important for the Web to be accessible so that all people, no matter their abilities, can use it equally. Many countries have rules requiring websites to include these accessibility features. Guidelines from the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative help website creators and software developers make the Web usable for everyone, even those using special tools to assist them.

Internationalisation

The W3C Internationalisation Activity works to make sure that web technology supports all languages, scripts, and cultures. Starting around 2004 or 2005, Unicode became more common on the web. By December 2007, it was used more often than older systems like ASCII and Western European. New rules now allow web addresses to include characters from any language in the world.