How the Worldwide Web Works

The World Wide Web (commonly known as ‘The Web’ and abbreviated as WWW or W3) is a way of accessing information over the internet. Typically these two terms are used interchangeably, but there is a very real and significant difference between them.

The Internet is a medium which consists of a network of computers connected on a global level. Any computer can communicate with any other as long as they are both connected to the network.

The World Wide Web, however, is an information centric model built on top of the Internet and is based on the principle of universal readership. It was developed by Sir Tim Berners Lee at CERN (European Laboratory for Particle Physics). It consists of a number of documents which refer to each other through links. The HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol used for retrieving interlinked resources known as hypertext documents. It is a request/response model as is typical in client-server computing. This model basically consists of a program (the client) which connects to a remote machine (the server), where the data is stored. Clients (browsers, spiders etc) know how to present data but not what its origin is, and servers, know how to extract it, but are ignorant of how it will be presented to the user.

Every document on the Web has a unique address or URL (Universal Resource Locator). URL’s point to particular documents residing in servers spread across the world. Clients use URL’s to retrieve documents from the servers on which they reside.
The primary organization responsible for the development of Web standards is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) founded by Sir Tim Berners Lee. The W3C is responsible for developing protocols and guidelines to ensure the long-term growth and success of the World Wide Web.

The worldwide web has afforded us many capabilities and has given us access to a large stockpile of information. Be it in communication, research, business, or entertainment, there is no doubt that the worldwide web has expanded our functionality as a species. Almost everyone uses the worldwide web and the Internet on a daily basis but not that many people really understand how the worldwide web works. In this article, we will explore the many aspects of the worldwide web and provide clear definitions on terms that you may have previously encountered but did not understand.

Web Servers

A web server is both a physical device and a virtual location that stores information and allows the user to access that information from anywhere in the world. Think of a web server as a large hard drive that has been specifically built to allow others from all over the world to store their data and access it via the Internet. Web servers are most commonly used to store files for websites and backup data from your computer. Since storing public data on your personal computer can overwhelm your storage capacities and encounter downtime due to poor Internet connection, storing your data on a web server ensures that your data is always available.

Web Browsers

A web browser is a program that allows the user to access the worldwide web. Web browsers are usually free and there are dozens to choose from. Some of the most popular web browsers are Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox. These programs each have their own styles and options, but any of these programs will allow you to access the Internet from your computer. While Internet Explorer is usually the default web browser that comes with your computer, you can easily download an alternative web browser from the Internet and make that software your default web browser.

HTTP

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and is an underlying system that connects your web browser to the server of the website that your are trying to access. You may have noticed that when you type in a domain name or URL, HTTP appears before the web address. For example, if you are trying to access Google’s website, the web address in your browser’s address bar will appear as http://www.google.com/ .

HTML

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is the default programming language that many webpages are designed in. HTML allows the user to display information in various ways and gives the user much control over how the information is displayed. There are many other programming languages that web designers can use but HTML is the most basic form of web-based programming and all other languages use HTML.

URLs

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator and it is how computers identify where you want to go. The most popular form of a URL is the web address that you type into your browser’s address bar to access a website. The URL includes the full address including the protocol (http:// for web addresses) and the actual domain name that is used for the website that you are trying to access. The URL may also include any subfolders are pages that you are specifically looking for.

IP Addresses

An IP address refers to the address of a specific device. Any device that connects to the Internet must have an IP address in order to communicate with the worldwide web. On the worldwide web, we don’t usually see IP addresses because many people who own devices or websites have replaced the IP address with a domain name to make things easier for the user. Sometimes, however, we still use IP addresses to find certain user-specific sources. For example, if you are using a wireless connection, you can access your own router’s control panel by typing in 192.168.1.1 into your browser’s address bar.

Hypertext and Hyperlinks

Hypertext refers to any page that contains hyperlinks to other hypertext pages. The majority of webpages that are available on the worldwide web are hypertext pages as they contain links to other webpages. A hyperlink is the actual web address written in the hypertext page that takes you to another webpage. For example, Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia based on the principle of hypertext pages and hyperlinks that take you to other pages. While hyperlinks can be hidden in pictures, videos, or in plain text, you can always see the hyperlink’s web address by scrolling over the link and looking at the bottom of your browser.