What is World Wide Web (WWW)?
The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly referred to as the web, is an extensive information system that allows users to access and share content over the Internet. It comprises a vast collection of interconnected documents and resources that can be accessed through web browsers using hyperlinks. The WWW is not synonymous with the Internet itself; rather, it is a subset of the Internet that focuses on the retrieval and display of information.
Key Components of the World Wide Web
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): This protocol is fundamental to how data is transmitted over the web. It standardizes communication between clients (like web browsers) and servers, allowing users to request and receive web pages.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): Most web pages are created using HTML, which provides a structured way to format text, images, audio, video, and other multimedia content. HTML uses tags to define elements within a document, enabling browsers to render these elements correctly.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): Each resource on the web has a unique identifier known as a URL. This address allows users to locate specific web pages or resources by entering it into their browser.
Web Pages and Websites: A web page is a single document accessible via the WWW, while a website consists of multiple related web pages hosted under a common domain name. For example, “www.example.com” represents a website that may contain various pages linked together.
Interconnectedness: One of the defining features of the WWW is its use of hyperlinks—clickable links embedded in documents that allow users to navigate from one page to another seamlessly. This interconnected structure facilitates easy access to vast amounts of information across different domains.
History of the World Wide Web
The concept of the World Wide Web was invented by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while he was working at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). Berners-Lee aimed to create an efficient way for researchers to share information across different systems and locations. He developed key technologies such as HTTP for data transfer, HTML for document formatting, and URLs for resource identification.
The first successful communication between a client and server via HTTP occurred in 1990, leading to the launch of the first website in 1991. The WWW quickly gained popularity among academic institutions before expanding into broader public use in subsequent years.
Today, the World Wide Web serves as an essential platform for billions of users worldwide, providing access to an immense array of educational resources, entertainment options, commercial services, and government information.
In summary, the World Wide Web is an integral part of modern life that enables global communication and information sharing through interconnected documents accessed via standard protocols like HTTP, formatted primarily with HTML.
