World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (commonly abbreviated "Web" or "WWW") is an information system for storing and accessing documents and other resources via the internet. Each document has a unique address (URL) and is connected by clickable links known as hyperlinks. Users access the Web through a software application called a browser.

The Web and the internet are not the same. The internet is the physical network of connected computers and its fundamental protocols. The Web is one service running on that network, alongside email, file transfer, and others.

History

The concept of the Web was proposed by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee while working at CERN, the atomic research laboratory, in the late 1980s. The original purpose was to enable scientists to share documents easily. In the early 1990s the Web opened to general use and spread rapidly after browsers capable of displaying images were created.

Core technologies

Three components form the foundation of the Web. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the language used to write the structure of pages. HTTP is the protocol that transmits requests and responses between browser and server; the secure version is HTTPS. The URL is the address that identifies each resource. Pages are also styled with CSS, and functionality is added with JavaScript.

How it works

When a user enters an address, the browser translates the domain name to a numerical address (IP) using the DNS system. It then sends a request to the server, which returns the page files. The browser interprets those files and displays them on screen. Search engines automatically collect pages for indexing.

Development and related issues

Early pages were static and text-heavy. Over time came interactive sites, social platforms, and cloud services. This shift raised questions about data privacy, copyright protection, misinformation, and the power of small numbers of companies controlling large portions of web traffic. Bodies like the W3C set technical standards for the Web.