Page 9 - e book 256_Neat

2. World Wide Web Concepts

What is the World Wide Web?

Essentially, the World Wide Web (WWW) is made up of a
lot of interconnected computers (via phone lines, cables, or
satellites). Some of these computers are designed to serve
out webpages. These computers are called web servers,
which are usually running 24/7. Other computers, like the
one you are using to read this text, are called clients. Client
computers make requests to server computers, like asking
for a web page and its associated graphics. The server
computer responds by feeding (or serving) the web page
data back to the client.

The Internet is often confused with the World Wide Web. The Internet consists of a wide
range of technologies including email, file data transfer, protocols (communications
infrastructure) as well as the Web. The World Wide Web is just one component of the
Internet.

Web Browsers

Web browsers are computer programs that are installed on client computers to request web
page files from server computers. It’s the program you’re using to access this website and
read this text. Once a request is made via the browser (by clicking a link or entering a web
address in the “address bar”), the web server sever sends the requested data back to the
browser. The browser then interprets the data and displays it on the screen.

Popular web browsers include Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, Edge. Each of these browsers
differ somewhat in terms of features, but their purpose is the same. They’re all meant to
request and present web pages to the user.

“Mobile browsers” are web browsers designed for use on a mobile devices like PDAs and
cell phones.

8