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WORLD WIDE WEB WORLD WIDE WEB: A system of hyperlinked HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
documents. The
World Wide Web was developed in the early 1990s as a multi-media way of
accessing files on the Internet. Two
important innovations played key roles in making the Internet easier to use
and more accessible – HYPERTEXT and GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES
(GUIs). HYPERTEXT
– this is a system in which text on one page links to text on other pages. HYPERTEXT SERVER is a computer that stores files written in the HTML and
lets other computers connect to it and read those files. HTML
is a language that includes a set of codes (or tags) attached to text. These
codes describe the relationships among text elements. HTML includes tags that indicate which text
is part of a header element, which text is part of a paragraph element, and
which text is part of a numbered list element. A
HYPERLINK points to another location in the same or another
HTML document. Most
people use a Web Browser such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR or INTERNET
EXPLORER. A Web browser is
software that lets users read HTML documents and move from one document to
another by clicking on the hypertext links. Once you connect to the Internet,
you can use a Web browser to move from an HTML document on one computer to an
HTML document on any other computer on the Internet. An
HTML document differs from a word-processing document because it does not
specify HOW a particular text element will appear. Each program that reads an
HTML document recognizes the heading tag and displays the text in whatever
manner that program normally displays headers. It’s
the browser that enables us to view pictures on the Internet. A Web browser
presents an HTML document in an easy-to-read format in its graphical user
interface. A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) is a way of presenting output to
users that uses pictures, icons, and other graphical elements instead of just
text. In
1993 the first GUI program that could read HTML (Mosaic) was written. This
was the first browser and it enabled navigation from page to page on
computers anywhere on the internet. The
World Wide Web is a section of the Internet through which you can send
e-mails, hear music, and watch animations. It is a giant Anyone
can use, or misuse, the Web. They can publish information and swear to its
validity and truth. The
concept of the word “infinity” has always intrigued me – something without a
beginning or an end. The Internet, and therefore, the Web is similar to an
infinite spider-web. It has no beginning and no end. The
word metamorphic is also descriptive of the Web. It grows, and grows without
any controls or rules. There
is no government, corporation or organization that controls what is put on
the Web. Granted there are “cyber-cops” and some organizations that attempt
to censor certain materials – but, unfortunately there is no actual Higher
Authority. The Internet’s structure and lack of control has become
mind-boggling. What
this means to you is that when you locate what you feel is a “terrific” site,
with earth-shattering information – take a deep breath – and think about what
you are reading, and try to analyze where the information is actually coming
from. If
you look, you find hints – such as: a “designed by” or year, or corporation’s
name at the bottom of the page. Reread the page to see if what you are
reading is really informative or is an advertisement – is it advocating a
certain political, religious, or legal position? Just
as you would not go to a magazine stand and believe the news-worthiness of
every flashing headline – don’t be naive when reading a Web page – even if it
has beautiful graphics – it still may not be giving to the whole truth. Later
in the course, we will conduct some exercises where we will evaluate some Web
pages, but, for now – let’s talk about just finding the pages you will need
for your class project. – REMEMBER – finding is not evaluating!!! The
number of WEB SITES (computers connected to the Internet that store HTML
documents) has grown even more rapidly than the Internet itself to nearly 8
million sites. Each Web Site might have hundreds, or even thousands, of
individual Web pages. The amount of information on the Web is astounding. The
door to all that information is through your BROWSER. |