The World Wide Web (WWW)

 

The WWW has its own specific jargon. A "homepage" is a "virtual" or computer home. Often times a homepage will contain links to useful other "pages" containing text or graphic files. These pages are connected by "hypertext," a highlighted word or icon that allows one to switch to a new page, irrespective of whether that page is on the same computer, in the same ci ty, or across the world. In this way, the WWW can link a variety of information on a single topic from different information sources around the world. The name or location of a page is called its "URL", or Uniform Resource Locator. Although these generally consist of almost unmanageably long lists of letters, most Web browsers have "bookmark" features that allow one to save URLs of interest for reference. In addition to the multimedia and hypertext features, another use of the Web involves its capacity for interaction: the reader can fill out forms, respond to questions, and run searches for specific information.