World Wide Web (WWW)

The World Wide Web (WWW or Web) is a decentralized information system of interlinked hypertext documents and multimedia, accessible via the Internet using browsers. Invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 at CERN and opened to the public in 1993, it uses HTTP, HTML, and URLs to connect web pages.

Key aspects of the World Wide Web include:

• Functionality: The Web allows users to navigate information using hyperlinks (clickable text/images) that connect documents and media.
• Structure: It operates on a client-server model. Web servers store information, while browsers (clients) retrieve and display it.

Key Components:

• HTML (HyperText Markup Language): Used to structure web pages.
• HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): Governs data transfer.
• URL (Uniform Resource Locator): Unique addresses for web resources.

Distinction from Internet: The Web is not the same as the Internet. The internet is the infrastructure of networked computers, while the Web is the service that runs on top of it.

The Web has evolved from a static, read-only system into a dynamic, interactive, and mobile-friendly platform, supporting billions of users worldwide.