World Wide Web

Definition

The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents and multimedia content that is accessed via the internet using web browsers. It allows users to navigate between pages through hyperlinks and access a vast amount of information and services, fundamentally transforming how we communicate, share information, and consume media.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while he was working at CERN, originally intended to facilitate information sharing among scientists.
2. The introduction of graphical web browsers in the early 1990s, such as Mosaic, significantly increased public access to the web and helped spur its rapid growth.
3. The World Wide Web operates on a client-server model, where users (clients) access resources from servers hosting web content.
4. Search engines like Google emerged as critical tools for navigating the vast amount of information available on the World Wide Web, shaping how people find and use content online.
5. E-commerce has been revolutionized by the World Wide Web, enabling businesses to reach global audiences and transform traditional retail through online shopping.

Review Questions

• How did the invention of the World Wide Web change communication and information sharing?
  • The invention of the World Wide Web dramatically changed communication by enabling instantaneous access to vast amounts of information and facilitating real-time interactions across the globe. It allowed people to share ideas, news, and media effortlessly through hyperlinks and multimedia content. This interconnectedness has fostered a new culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing that transcends geographical boundaries.
• Evaluate the impact of graphical web browsers on the accessibility and growth of the World Wide Web.
  • Graphical web browsers transformed the accessibility of the World Wide Web by providing an intuitive interface for users to navigate online content visually rather than through text-based commands. This change made it easier for everyday users to engage with web content, leading to exponential growth in website creation and consumption. The ease of use contributed to the democratization of information, allowing a broader audience to participate in the digital landscape.
• Assess how the emergence of e-commerce through the World Wide Web has reshaped traditional retail businesses and consumer behavior.
  • The rise of e-commerce via the World Wide Web has significantly reshaped traditional retail by creating new business models that prioritize online sales over physical storefronts. Retailers have adapted to this shift by developing user-friendly websites and leveraging digital marketing strategies to reach consumers directly. This transformation has changed consumer behavior as shoppers increasingly prefer the convenience of browsing and purchasing products from home, leading to a decline in foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores and prompting retailers to innovate their services.

Related terms

HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web to transmit data over the internet.

Web Browser: A software application used to access and view websites on the World Wide Web, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language is the standard markup language used for creating web pages and applications on the World Wide Web.