The World Wide Web & Web Pages | IGCSE Information and Communication Technology Preparation - Year 11 PDF Download

Introduction

The Internet and the World Wide Web are often confused, but they are distinct entities.

The Internet

• The Internet is the worldwide network of computers and electronic devices interconnected via routers and servers.
• It serves as the infrastructure facilitating the exchange of information, encompassing email, instant messaging, and file transfers.
• Additionally, it grants access to various services like online gaming, video streaming, and cloud computing.

The World Wide Web

• The World Wide Web, often referred to as the Web, is a vast network of interconnected websites and web pages that users access using the internet.
• Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the Web in 1989, envisioned it as a revolutionary tool for sharing and retrieving information on a global scale.
• Within the Web are a plethora of documents and multimedia resources stored on servers worldwide, making information accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
• Users interact with the Web through web browsers, which establish connections with servers to fetch and exhibit content on screens.
• From casual browsing to online shopping, the Web serves diverse purposes such as communication, information dissemination, and entertainment.
• Its benefits are numerous, including facilitating seamless communication, enabling quick access to information, and providing a platform for various online services.
• On the flip side, challenges like privacy breaches, cybercrimes, and the dissemination of false information pose significant concerns within the Web environment.

What can I find online?

• An intranet constitutes a private network confined within an organization, whereas an extranet extends an intranet's accessibility to authorized external users partially.
• Blogs, forums, wikis, and social networks represent categories of web pages employed for sharing information and facilitating social interaction.

Blogs

• A blog, derived from "weblog," represents a website or a section of a website that undergoes regular content updates.
• These platforms typically feature content in a casual, conversational tone, resembling a journal.
• Blogs are commonly arranged in reverse chronological order and are often managed by individuals or small groups.
• They encourage reader engagement through comments, enabling discussions on presented topics.
• Blogs typically revolve around specific themes like food, travel, fashion, technology, or personal experiences.
• Additionally, they serve as avenues for individuals to share their opinions, insights, and experiences with a broader audience.

Forums

• A forum serves as an online platform where individuals engage in discussions through posted messages.
• These platforms are structured around specific themes or subjects, with conversations organized into categories called threads.
• Unlike blogs that are more inclined towards one-to-many communication, forums emphasize peer-to-peer interaction.
• Users might need to register accounts before contributing to forum discussions.
• Forums can either have moderators overseeing discussions or can be unmoderated.

Wikis

• A wiki is a website that enables users to add, edit, or delete content collaboratively.
• Its design fosters collaboration and the sharing of knowledge among a diverse group of contributors.
• Wikis contain information on a wide array of topics, all searchable within the platform.
• Content on wikis is not arranged chronologically but is structured based on the content itself or user input.
• One of the most renowned wikis is Wikipedia, a comprehensive online encyclopedia.
• Changes made on wikis can be tracked, undone if necessary, and typically follow a neutral writing style.

Social Networking Sites

• Social networking sites are platforms that enable users to connect with others and share various types of content.
• These platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, require users to create profiles.
• Users can share text, images, videos, and links on these platforms, fostering interaction and collaboration on a large scale.
• Social networking platforms facilitate interaction, collaboration, and information sharing among users.
• Privacy settings play a crucial role in empowering users to control the visibility of their content.

The Functionality of the Internet

• Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer services for accessing and utilizing the Internet.
• A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) serves as the web page address on the World Wide Web (WWW).

What is a URL?

• The URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is a text-based address that points to the location of a resource on the internet.
• It serves as the address of various online resources such as web pages, images, videos, and more.
• URL Components:
  • A URL consists of several components:
  • Protocol: It specifies how data will be transferred (e.g., HTTP, HTTPS, FTP).
  • Domain Name: Name of the server where the resource is located, which can be a name or an IP address.
  • Web Page/File Name: Indicates the location of the file/resource on the server.
• Example URL Breakdown:
  • Example: Consider the URL https://www.example.com/index.html.
  • Breakdown: HTTPS protocol, domain name "www.example.com," file name "/index.html".

Risks of Using the Internet

• Inappropriate and criminal material: The internet may expose individuals to harmful or unlawful content.
• Data restriction: Parental controls, educational filters, and Internet Service Provider (ISP) limitations can restrict access to specific information or websites.
• A web browser is a software program utilized to find, fetch, and exhibit content on the World Wide Web (WWW), encompassing web pages, images, videos, and other files.
• A hyperlink refers to a word, phrase, or image that links to data the reader can access by clicking or tapping, typically redirecting them to another web page.