The World Wide Web

A distributed network of interconnected hypertext pages built on top of the Internet. These pages are viewed using a hypertext browser such as Mosaic or Netscape. The World Wide Web allows users to see and manipulate text, pictures, video and sound. By using hypertext links, the World Wide Web enables users to view information in a non-linear format. Information may be located on one computer or anywhere in the world.

Why Educators should care about the Web

The World Wide Web provides educators the ability to make valuable information available to students and scholars anywhere in the world. This information could include class notes, student assignments and projects, research material, or even scholarly journals. The Web can also provide an interactive space for students and teachers to create new intellectual and artistic works, as well as discuss issues of concern. The cost of producing and mounting web pages is relatively low, and requires only basic programing skills. Examples of what educators can do with the web include:
• American Theological Library Association
• Literacy & Adult Basic Education
• Higher Education

HTTP and HTML

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the software that allows hypertext documents to be transferred between Web servers and Web browsers across the Internet. HTTP runs on top of the Internet TCP/IP protocol.

HTML stands for HyperText Mark-up Language. HTML is a DTD (Document Type Definition) of SGML (Standard General Mark-up Language). This means that the HTML structure and tags were produced from SGML. SGML can be used to produce any DTD that an author wishes to produce. TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) was produced from SGML. TEI is a very sophisticated markup language that allows an author to produce complex texts with cataloging embeULed in the document itself.
• Text Encoding Initiative--Complete information on the Text Encoding Initiative, including ordering information for TEI Guidelines
• A Gentle Introduction to SGML

Unlike TEI, HTML is a relatively simple markup language. It has a limited but growing tag set. The current HTML standard is 2.0. Netscape has aULed tags of its own (many of which only work on a Netscape browser). Some of the Netscape extensions have been adopted by HTML editors, these extensions are referred to as HTML 2.0+. HTML 3.0 is in development and will be the next standard. For more information on HTML standards see: HTML Standards and Documentation

What HTML does:

• Allows for the creation of document structures
• Allows documents to be ported to various platforms
• Allows users to change the appearance of documents using their browser

More Definitions: A few more terms and concepts that are be helpful to know.


Web (HTTP) Server:

A computer devoted to managing and distributing HTML documents. The HTTP server runs Web management software which is designed for a specific operating system. The most common operating systems used for web servers are Unix, Windows NT and Macintosh, although Windows 95 and even Windows 3.11 have web server software written for them. CERN and NCSA have Unix web server software available free of charge. Commercial web server software can be compared here.

Web Pages (HTML Documents):

Electronic documents written in HyperText Mark-up Language, stored on an HTTP server, and read by a Web browser. HTML documents contain text only--graphics, video, and sound displayed on web pages are actually separate files which are linked to the web page via the HTML image element.

Home Page:

The web page designated as the entry point to a collection of HTML documents. There should be a home page for each unique set of HTML documents located on a web server.