Many people think that the words web and internet mean the same thing but they’re quite different. The WWW or world wide web, or web for short, are the pages you see on your computer screen when you’re online. But the internet we use is the network of connected computers that the world wide web runs on. It is also the network in which emails and files travel across and reach us. It is an electronic connection that connects us and our activities together.
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In short, WWW is just a common point or platform of connectivity for information sharing that is facilitated by a global network of computers and the internet is a connection between computers and innumerable other computers that make up a huge network of systems.
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Take a look at table below to know the difference between the world wide web and the internet.
WWW (World Wide Web) | Internet |
The World Wide Web is the common system for navigating the internet. Fact: It is not the only system that can be used for such access, but it is by far the most common one. | The Internet is a mammoth of a public network of networks, a maze of hardwired and wireless connections between disparate drives on countless devices from around the world. Fact: Ethernet, the most commonly used wired Internet, was invented almost half a century ago in the early 1970’s, by Bob Metcalfe. |
WWW is more software-oriented as compared to the Internet | Internet is more of a hardware-based technology. |
The World Wide Web can be differentiated from other systems through its use of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It can be said that HTTP is the language of the World Wide Web. | Besides Internet, there are also Intranet, which is the same type of information network but more privatized in order to control access. |
Besides being the language of the World Wide Web, HTTP also controls it by linking of files, documents and other useful resources. | The internet is governed by a set of rules and regulations collectively known as Internet Protocol (IP). The IP deals with data transmitted through the internet. |
The World Wide Web was invented by a British scientist named Sir Tim Berners Lee, while working at CERN. He developed the basic idea of the WWW during his work at the European Organization for Nuclear Research in 1989, to merge the evolving technologies of computers, data networks and hypertext into a powerful and easy to use global information system. Initially, it was conceived and developed for automated information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the globe. Also read: Computer Awareness Part-2: Most Imp. Computer Terms for Bank Exams | The first workable prototype of the Internet emerged with the creation of ARPANET, or the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, in late 1960s. Originally funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, ARPANET used packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network. After its adoption on January 1st 1983, researchers developed a “network of networks” which have evolved into the modern form of the Internet we use today. Also read: Computer Awareness Part-2: Imp. Computer Languages for All Bank Exams |
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Differences between WWW and Internet
Both the World Wide Web and the Internet are concepts covered under the Science and Technology Segment of the UPSC IAS Exam. Aspirants can study this segment through the links given below
FAQS-FAQ about WWW and Internet
Q. What are the main benefits of using the internet?
Some of the main benefits of using internet include online banking, cashless transactions, online trading, research, e-mail, job search, social networking, entertainment, e-commerce, navigation, advertising, and real-time updates.
Q. What are the other technologies proposed by Sir Tim?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. Along with WWW, he also proposed three main technologies which include HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). These are all still used today.
Q. Who invented the word WI FI?
Interbrand invented the term Wi-Fi’. It was derived playfully from the words High Fidelity.
Q. What is a firewall?
A firewall is a combination of hardware and software that separates a Local Area Network (LAN) into two or more parts for security purposes. Users accessing the network from outside the LAN can only reach information on the outside of the firewall, while local users can access any information.
q. What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web is a collection of pages that can be published by anyone and viewed by millions of Internet users from around the World. Web pages include text, graphics, sound, files and programs. The Web is the most popular method of distributing information on the Internet.
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