The Web vs. the Internet

The Web vs. the Internet

• The Web (World Wide Web) is a network of interconnected web pages accessed via link addresses. It uses hypertext and hypermedia links.
• The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers, forming a system for communication between them. It includes physical cables (copper, fiber optic) and wireless connections (Wi-Fi, 3G/4G).

Brief History of the Web

• Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web in 1989.
• The first web page went live on August 6, 1991, at http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html.
• By 1993, user-friendly browsers for PCs and Macs significantly impacted the web's growth.

Brief History of the Internet

• The idea for a global computer network began in the 1960s with Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider.
• ARPANET, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, was a pioneering wide-area computer network.
• The 1980s saw the development of PhoneNet, a commercial network connecting to ARPANET, and the Domain Name System (DNS). Symbolics.com was the first registered domain in 1984.
• ARPANET was decommissioned in the 1990s.

The 1990s

• Tim Berners-Lee and colleagues developed HTML and URLs, creating the first World Wide Web.
• Windows 95 launched in 1995, alongside the rise of online businesses (Amazon, Yahoo!, eBay) and Java.

The 2000s

• The dot-com bubble (1995-2000) saw significant investment in internet startups, followed by a collapse by 2001.
• Google rose to prominence as a search engine.
• Wi-Fi and mobile internet devices (smartphones) emerged.

How the Web and the Internet Changed the World

• Communication: Instant communication via email and social media, but also risks of miscommunication and impulsive messaging.
• Information: Increased access to information (books, research), but also the spread of misinformation and "fake news."
• Entertainment: Digitalization of media, streaming services, online gaming, and social media platforms, leading to increased consumption and potential for unhealthy habits.
• Education: Online learning platforms and video conferencing tools became crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating both opportunities and challenges for students.

The First Website

• It was launched on August 6, 1991, and contained information about the WWW project and linked to other servers.