web

The World Wide Web, or the Web, is a system of interlinked hypertext documents and resources accessed via the Internet. It uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to transfer data and relies on web browsers to render content. Web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and are stored on web servers around the world. The Web is a layer built on top of the Internet, distinct from other Internet services such as email or file transfer.

The Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee and a team at CERN, beginning in 1989. In 1990 the first web browser and server were developed, and the first website appeared at info.cern.ch. The early Web adopted HTML for markup, URIs for addressing, and HTTP for retrieval. The release of Mosaic in 1993 helped popularize the Web and led to rapid growth of sites and services.

Web pages are files stored on servers and linked through hyperlinks. A browser requests a resource by its URL using HTTP(S); the server responds with a document in HTML, which the browser renders. Web pages may include images, CSS, and JavaScript, enabling layout, presentation, and interactivity. Dynamic content is generated by server-side applications or client-side scripts.

The Web is governed by standards maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and WHATWG. Core technologies include HTML for structure, CSS for presentation, and JavaScript for behavior. Accessibility, security, and privacy considerations guide ongoing development.

Today the Web is a global information space supporting communication, commerce, education, and entertainment. Its growth has transformed publishing, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, while raising challenges such as digital divide, data privacy, and threats like misinformation and malware.