The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is what most people mean when they think about The Internet. But the two are not the same thing.

Is the Web the Same as The Internet?

No. The Internet is basically just a bunch of computer networks that are interconnected by cables and satellites. It can be used for any sort of electronic data transfer. But by itself, it's just a bunch of machines and wires.

The World Wide Web, on the other hand, is... well, let's ask the guy who invented it:

"The Web is an abstract (imaginary) space of information. On the Net, you find computers -- on the Web, you find document, sounds, videos, .... information. On the Net, the connections are cables between computers; on the Web, connections are hypertext links. The Web exists because of programs which communicate between computers on the Net. The Web could not be without the Net. The Web made the net useful because people are really interested in information (not to mention knowledge and wisdom!) and don't really want to have know about computers and cables."

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, quoted from his page .

The World Wide Web is about information. It places history, philosophy, religion, and science at our fingertips, along with pictures, videos, music, and pretty much anything else that can be reduced to a digital stream.

And all you need to know in order to use this vast resource is how to read and click a mouse.

Web Browsers

Of course, you'll also need an Internet-connected computer and something called a Web browser. A web browser in a program that can interpret the languages of the Web, present Web pages in a format that is appealing and useful to humans, and accept input by way of users clicking on hyperlinks.

Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) is, by far, the most widely used Web browser, mainly because it is included with Microsoft Windows, which is the most widely used operating system. But there are other browsers out there for those who use different operating systems (or who just don't like MSIE). These include:

• Netscape, which was one of the first graphical Web browsers and still enjoys a loyal following. It is available for a wide variety of operating systems.

• Mozilla, the open-source Web browser upon which Netscape is largely based. Like Netscape, Mozilla is available for many operating systems.

• Opera, which is noted for its speed and unique interface. It's available for many different operating systems.

• Konqueror, which is used primarily on Linux systems running the KDE desktop.

• Safari, used on Apple MacIntosh computers.

• Proprietary browsers, such as those used by AOL and MSN.

And there are others.

How to Use a Web Browser

To use a web browser, you connect to the Internet if you are not already connected and start up the browser. It will open up to a default home page (which you can change if you like).

To visit other sites, you can either type the site name (and, if you desire, the individual page on the site) into the browser's address bar, click on a link on the page that is currently displayed, or select a "favorite" or "bookmark" (depending on the browser) from a drop-down menu somewhere on the toolbar at the top of the browser window.

If you are very new to the Web and really have no idea where you want to go, then we suggest you visit the following sites:

• Google, the Web's most popular search engine. Just type what you want to know about in the box, click "Google Search," and instantly find the Web's most relevant sites dealing with that content.

• Yahoo, another of the Web's most popular portals. News, financial information, and many other useful features.

• The University of Albany (New York) Internet Tutorials page, which is one of the very best introductions to the Internet that we have ever come across.