What the World Wide Web Is

If you ask a dozen people this question, you will get a dozen different answers, possibly all of them correct. The World Wide Web is so difficult to pin down because it exists on so many levels.

On one level is the physical Internet infrastructure upon which the World Wide Web operates…What the Web is.

On another level is the more nebulous conceptual World Wide Web…What the Web does.

To understand what the Web does, it is helpful to understand what the Web is. That is where you will start your exploration.

Start with a quick look at the visualizations of the web found at the "Atlas of Cyberspace" link. Read the required articles (marked with *) which will provide a brief overview of the history of the internet and world wide web as well as an introduction to the internet infrastructure which supports this world wide web.

Online Exploration: What the Web Is