What are Some of the Benefits of the World Wide Web?

Many people still think that the World Wide Web or WWW and the internet are the same things. While they both are closely interconnected, there are definitely differences between them. The internet can be termed as a huge network of interconnected computers. On the other hand, the World Wide Web can be referred to a collection of web pages that are found on the above-mentioned network of computers. The World Wide Web can be defined as an information system wherein web resources and documents are identified with a Uniform Resource Locator or URL. The resources in the WWW are transferred through the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which can be accessed by anyone using a software application known as the web browser. These resources can be published on the WWW using another software application known as the webserver. The web browser access the World Wide Web through the internet. The World Wide Web is commonly also termed as the Web. Today, every person is connected to the World Wide Web in some or the other way for research, education, work, entertainment, and so on. Therefore, in this article, we will be discussing the benefits and everything else you must be aware of the Web.

The History of the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web or the Web was invented in the year 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee when finding a way for scientists to share data easily. The Internet and Hypertext were already invented during this time but no one had thought of a way to employ them in life for sharing documents using the internet. He had suggested the use of three major technologies, HTML, URL, and HTTP, which are in use even today. Moreover, he also invented the web browser and web server which was the world. Till date, you can see the first web server online.

What is the importance of the World Wide Web?

Although it was intended for the ease of work for scientists, it is now useful for everyone using the internet. It facilitated in connecting the world in a way which was beyond imagination before this. Also, it made it easier for people to communicate, get, and share information. It also allowed people to share their thoughts and works through social networking sites, videos, and blogs. The World Wide Web evolved drastically since its inception. The first websites were made using simple pages that were inclusive of words and images when people were not able to create their own webpage. In order to create a webpage, people had to enter the HTML code manually.

Gradually, with the development of the Web, more and more people started communicating and sharing using the World Wide Web. Moreover, the use of blogs and social networking sites increased. The process to create and share content became easier and this phase of the World Wide Web was termed as Web 2.0. Although there was a drastic change in the way people used the Web, the technologies remained the same. Majority of the technologies that ran the earlier web pages are still in use. The World Wide Web still keeps evolving. There is improvisation in the Search Engines with improved understanding and processing of the information. The Web has now found ways to find the content people want and showcase some additional and relevant content that might be relevant to them.

What are the benefits of the World Wide Web?

You might have already found a few or more benefits of the web from the information provided so far. However, we are penning down a few excerpts of the benefits of the World Wide Web:

1. It is accessible from anywhere around the globe with the availability of the internet.
2. You can get access to information or make information accessible to the world.
3. You can connect to people from anywhere by sitting in your home.
4. You can purchase products online from anywhere sitting in the comfort of your home.
5. You can create a website for your business and do much more using the Web and the internet.
6. You can communicate with anyone around the world through texts, chats, and emails.
7. Online courses can be completed using the World Wide Web.
8. The online marketing and branding of businesses can be facilitated with the WWW.
9. It can facilitate establishing professional contacts in huge volumes.
10. It uses lower costs connecting.
11. Employees can be recruited online.
12. It reduces the cost of divulgation and there are no barriers to it.
13. Information can be distributed to investors.
14. Public relations can be maintained using the internet and the World Wide Web.
15. Employees and other collaborations can use intranet communication.
16. You can use the WWW as an extranet for the integration of Supply Chain and outsourcing.
17. Payment transactions can be facilitated.
18. Sales can be managed and followed up.
19. Online sellers can facilitate sales.
20. There is unlimited access to information from different sources.
21. The sources providing the information is continuously updated.
22. Whoa! Too much of benefits, right? Trust us; these were just the tip of an iceberg.

What are the disadvantages of the World Wide Web?

Does the Web have disadvantages too? Well, yes! There could be many disadvantages of the Web, but, we are listing down a few here:

1. In some cases, you or someone else can post your public information on the World Wide Web including the name, image, address, age, and other personal details.
2. The Web is inclusive of all types of content and this could include some inappropriate content as well, as a user, you need to be cautious of such contents.
3. The more information is shared or used the online, the higher are the risks of data theft and identity theft.
4. There are instances of cyberbullying which is one of the disadvantages of using the Web.
5. Device hacking is another prominent disadvantage people face with the WWW.
6. There is a threat for online virus integration while exchanging information or data which is a threat to the data in the infected device.
7. There is a use of cookies to collect customer information; which can invite many spams which is not useful for the person.
8. There is always a chance of spreading fake news.
9. There is a risk of splinternet which can be referred as the breaking of the web into smaller and regional pieces.

What are some facts you must know about the World Wide Web?

Now that you know almost everything you need to know about the World Wide Web, here’s a bonus from our end. Below are a few facts of the Web you might love to know:

1. The earlier suggestion for the name of the “Web of Notes with Links” by Tim was the Information Mesh.
2. Tim Berners-Lee who invented the Web worked as a software engineer in CERN or the European Organization for Nuclear Research when he found it.
3. It is not essential to use www before typing a URL; it will anyway work with or without its use.
4. The then manage of Lee was not convinced with the idea and had stated it as a “vague yet exciting” one.
5. Your data is been collected by many websites, organizations, and sores on the WWW.
6. You can still access the early web.

This was all about the World Wide Web you must know. If you are an online seller, you can check out the best use of the Web to make businesses accessible to everyone around the globe seamlessly.