The terms World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet are so often used interchangeably that the fundamental difference between the two is easily forgotten.
In simple words, WWW is just a common point of connectivity for information sharing that is facilitated by a global network of computers.
The internet, on the other hand, is a connection between computers and countless other devices that form a huge network of systems.
This article will further highlight the differences between WWW and the Internet within the context of the IAS Exam.
Differences between WWW and Internet
| WWW (World Wide Web) | Internet |
| The World Wide Web is the common system for navigating the internet. It is not the only system that can be used for such access, but it is by far the most common one. | The internet is a public network of network with a maze of wired and wireless connections between separate groups of servers computers and countless devices from around the world |
| The World Wide Web is distinguished from other systems through its use of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It can be safely said that the HTTP is the language of the World Wide Web | Along with Internters, there also exist the Intranets, which is the same type of information network but more privatized in order to control access. |
| WWW is more software-oriented as compared to the Internet | Internet is primarily hardware-based. |
| The HTTP along with being the language of the World Wide Web also governs it by dealing with linking of files, documents and other resources | The internet is governed by a set of rules and regulations collectively known as Internet Protocol (IP). The IP deals with data transmitted through the internet. |
| The invention of the World Wide Web can be credited to Sir Tim Berners Lee. During his work at the European Organization for Nuclear Research in 1989, he had developed the basic idea of the WWW to merge the evolving technologies of computers, data networks and hypertext into a powerful and easy to use global information system. | The first workable prototype of the Internet was the ARPANET (Advanced Research Project Agency Network) in the late 1960s. After its adoption on January 1st 1983, researchers began to develop a “network of networks” which evolved into the modern form of the Internet |
Both the World Wide Web and the Internet are concepts covered under the Science and Technology Segment of the UPSC IAS Exam. Aspirants can study this segment through the links given below
- Science and Technology Notes for UPSC
- How to Tackle Science and Technology for UPSC
- General Science Preparation for UPSC
- Science and Technology MCQs for UPSC
- Difference Between Hardware and Software
Aspirants can find more Difference Between Articles, by visiting the linked page
Difference Between WWW and Internet – Download PDF Here
FAQ about WWW and Internet
Q1
What are the uses of the internet?
A few benefits of using internet include cashless transactions, online banking and trading, research, e-mail, job search, social networking, entertainment, e-commerce, navigation, advertising, real-time updates and so on.
Q2
What are the other technologies proposed by Sir Tim?
Along with WWW, he also proposed three main technologies which include HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). These are all still used today.
Become familiar with the general pattern of the IAS Exam by visiting the IAS Syllabus page. For more exam-related preparation materials, refer to the links given in the table below:
Related Links
| NCERT Books Free Download | UPSC Exam Pattern | NCERT Notes for UPSC 2021 |
| Intangible Cultural Heritage | Indian Personalities | PIB Summary and Analysis |
| Biological Weathering | Safety Valve Theory | WPI Index |
