Internet vs. World Wide Web

Often, many people have misconceptions when it comes to the differences between the internet and the World Wide Web even though they may use both every day. Many believe that the Internet and World Wide Web are synonyms. In reality, they are both separate but related concepts. The internet consists of a network of computers that share the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP is a protocol that is built into the UNIX operating system and is a standard for transmitting data over the internet. The internet allows computers from various locations to communicate with each other. It can be thought of as the telephone cables that connect households around the world. The cables do not hold or store information but allow information to flow through. One unique features of the internet is that it is decentralized by design. This means that each host computer is independent and can be controlled by server technicians.

The World Wide Web consists of a system of internet servers that support specially formatted documents. These specially formatted documents are in the programming language known as hyper text markup language or HTML. HTML and various other programming imbedded into HTML make hypertext possible. Hypertext is the ability to add links to a webpage. One can use these links to travel from one document to other using hotspots.

The World Wide Web consists of a system of internet servers that support specially formatted documents. These specially formatted documents are in the programming language known as hyper text markup language or HTML. HTML and various other programming imbedded into HTML make hypertext possible. Hypertext is the ability to add links to a webpage. One can use these links to travel from one document to another using hotspots.