WWW Full Form

WWW is commonly called the WEB. English engineer and computer scientist Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee founded the World Wide Web in 1989. He wrote his first web browser in 1990 while being employed at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. The browser was excluded from CERN in 1991, first in other research centers in January 1991 and then in the general public in August 1991.

What is the Full Form of WWW?

The full form of www is World Wide Web. It is a system that is used to store documents and is accessed using URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) which are accessible through the Internet. These documents are transferred using HTTP requests and can be viewed using software called WEB browser.

History of WWW

• Tim Berners-Lee and his colleagues at CERN, an international scientific organization, in Switzerland, began developing the World Wide Web in 1989. Created the HTTP protocol which standardized server-client communication.
• In January 1992, their text-based Web browser was made available for publication.
• The initial launch was made between 1991-1994.
• The World Wide Web(www) quickly gained recognition with the development of a web browser called Mosaic, set up by Marc Andreessen and others at the National Center.
• In 1995, Microsoft Corporation established its own Internet Explorer (IE) browser.
• In 1996 IE was incorporated into the Windows operating system and IE shortly became a popular Web browser.
• Google launched Chrome in 2008. Compared to IE and Firefox, Chrome had become a more powerful browser.
• In 2015, Microsoft discontinued IE replacing it with Edge.

As soon as we enter the URL in the search bar WWW comes into play and locates the web page.

Protocols Used by the World Wide Web

Studying the currents of the World Wide Web, it could be stated that it works according to specific protocols that allow the effective transfer and exchange of information between the servers and clients. The key protocols include:

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

The most influential method of communicating world wide web documents from server to browser is termed as HTTP. They dictate how messages should be coded and sent to the other side and how the server and browsers should behave to a received command.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)

A newer protocol which is HTTP over SSL/TLS that helps in encryption of data between the client and server.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

Refers to a technique of moving data or files from one computer especially a client to another that is a server in a computer network.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

• TCP: Ensures reliable transmission of data packets between computers.
• IP: Handles addressing and routing of packets to ensure they reach the correct destination.

DNS (Domain Name System)

Translates the easily recognizable addresses that are the domain names into numerical addresses that are in the form of the IP address system so that users can type the easily recognizable domain names instead of the complex IP addresses in order to be connected to the desired website.

Functions of WWW

The World Wide Web serves several critical functions:

• Information Retrieval: The main purpose of the WWW is to enable anyone to obtain information in the form of documents stored on World Wide web servers.
• Hypertext Navigation: WWW forms a network of interlinked documents which user can browse by just clicking on hyperlinks on the documents.
• Multimedia Integration: Web enables the interactivity of different multimedia components such as texts, images, audio and video hence enriching the media.
• E-Commerce: Internet has become an important medium for business especially for the selling of products across the world through Windows of World Wide Web.
• Communication: With regards to communications, the Web comprises of email, Internal and external messaging services, social networks and many others.

Future of WWW

The future of the World Wide Web is expected to be shaped by several emerging technologies and trends:

• Web 3. 0 (Semantic Web): The new generation of Web which integrates the information and makes machines have better ability to understand the query provided by the users.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Applying AI in the Web will improve the users’ experience since the Web will be able to adapt to the needs of the user and provide them with the resource they need in the shortest possible time period.
• Blockchain Technology: Such decentralization through the use of blockchain may make web interactions more secure and transparent as is seen in decentralized finance and other web services.
• Internet of Things (IoT): The evolution of the hyperlinking domain to include ordinary physical objects in order to make the technology transparent and easily incorporated into people’s lives.
• Enhanced Privacy and Security: Future of Web in subsequent years will definitely address the major concern of data security in the cyberspace.

Facts about WWW

1. World's first website is still online: http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html
2. Before named as “Web” Berners-Lee thought of names “Information Mesh”, “The Information Mine”, and “Mine of Information”.
3. The system on which program code was written was NeXt which was developed by Steve Jobs.
4. The WWW was made available to everyone for free in 1993.

Features of WWW

1. It is a cross-platform system that is compatible with various devices.
2. It is a system that stores hypertext (Hypertext is a text which contains "links" to other texts) information.
3. It is a distributed system spread among various websites.
4. It is open source.

Difference between WWW and Internet

Conclusion

The creation by Tim Berners-Lee which entails the World Wide Web has completely changed the way we can access and process the information we need. From being started at CERN to form an essential aspect of our lives, the Web is yet to reach the peak since new prospects are still being developed.