What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?

Getting on the computer and looking up something seems so easy but most people never stopped to think about what they're using. While the simple answers seem to be the internet or the World Wide Web, most people think the internet and the World Wide Web are the same. While partially this is true the two are quite different. In this essay, we will look at what is the definition of the internet and the World Wide Web and the difference between the two.

What is the internet in its simplest terms? The definition would be, “The internet is the physical connection of all the computers that are joined together across the world” (Computerphile,2016,0:27)? Now, what does this look like in the real world, well it would be the internet or fiber cables that cities put in the ground that connect from the Internet service provider’s servers to anyone’s devices. On the individual side, it would be the ethernet cables plugged in from one computer to another or to the router and or modem itself. However, as technology has progressed so too have the connections between computers themselves, as such with networks. One such example of a network connecting multiple computers would be Wi-Fi. However, this is not to be confused with the World Wide Web.

What is the World Wide Web, to put it simply “The web is, uh, the software that runs on the physical internet so it's a software layer essentially” (Computerphile,2016,2:14). For example, to get the information on a cooking recipe The search would begin on a computer or device and then the search quarry would go out on the web. It would then go through multiple servers before finding the location of the IP address or URL where that server physically stored the information of the recipe. Once then the information would be directed back to the original device that made the search quarry and the information would be delivered or in this case the cooking recipe. So why are the two often confused for one and another?

Put it simply the internet and the World Wide Web are two halves of the Coin. However, while both work in tandem to achieve the end result of widespread communication of ideas there is one stark difference between the two. That is, the internet is the physical hardware while the World Wide Web is the software that uses that hardware. So, while most people go online and use search engines to navigate the world wide web and help them find a specific server that has that information they want. What most people either take for granted or don't even think about all the Is the distance and speed in which the internet and World Wide Web achieves all this. Thus, because the Internet and world wide web work together to achieve the same end goal it makes it seem like they're one and the same but they actually or not.

In summary, what is the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web? The internet is the physical hardware we connect our devices to whether it be by the cables from one device to another or the network that can wirelessly connect multiple devices. As to the World Wide Web which is the collection of servers and devices that store and access information, that any person can use to look up any information they desire. So, while it's easy to see why the two can be mistaken as the same with these clear definitions between the two it is easy to see what truly is the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web.