Every day we use the Internet, but often we don’t think about what technologies are behind the simple and easy process of finding the right information and communication. And can you accurately answer the question of what websites are? Or what kind of species are there and due to what they are equally displayed, what is on a monitor with a diagonal of 21 inches, what is on a 7-inch smartphone? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
Definition
Web sites are collections of documents known as web pages (or pages for short). They contain some information: images, text, video, audio, and more. Website homepage, so-called the start file is called home, you can go to all the other pages from it. They are linked by hyperlinks, which are highlighted with a special type of font or represented using images. When moving the cursor on them, it takes the form of a hand with an extended index finger. After clicking on such elements, the user moves to a new place. It could be another page, another place on the same page, or a different website.
Web pages are written in a language called HTML hypertext markup language. Browsers (programs used for surfing the Internet, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Google Chrome, etc.), read it and display the necessary information.
How did it all start?
The earliest documented idea of a network that connects computers around the world was born in 1962. However, the first website was launched only after almost 30 years - August 6, 1991. It was a page created by Tim Berners-Lee, dedicated to invented by him two years earlier. World wide web concepts. The site was owned by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), which is the world's largest center for the study of high-energy physics. Unfortunately, the very first version of the page is no longer available. But by entering the first website in the browser’s search bar, you can get to its 1992 version, which gives a good idea of how the history of websites began. Some elements of the content are clickable, but mostly navigation is carried out by entering commands from the keyboard.
Where is the website physically located?
It is clear that the Internet is a worldwide network, but this does not mean that the information in it is in the air or in the wires. All web pages are located on specific servers, which are a network of powerful computers that store information about websites. This means that they all have a specific geographical location. For example, if the site server is located in Moscow, and electricity is disconnected in this area, then the site will be unavailable from anywhere in the world. A place to host web pages is sold and maintained by the hosting provider. If the site is very large, then it can be located on several servers, geographically located in different places.
Everything is in its place
The amount of information on the Internet is growing at an alarming rate, so how to ensure order in this chaos? The answer is simple - everything should have its own specific place, for which you need a unique website address. What it is? This is a combination of letters (Latin or Cyrillic) and numbers, which we enter in the corresponding line of the browser and get to the desired site. Some people are confused by the unfamiliar term “website url”. What it is? It's simple, it's the same as the address. It consists of several parts:
- the prefix http: // - means the type of information transfer protocol;
- www. - at the dawn of the Internet, all sites began with this famous abbreviation, but now it is used only as a tribute to the habit: you can open the desired page by entering this prefix, without it;
- site name is a unique name that is acquired from the registrar company. It consists of two parts separated by a dot. For example, fb. - this is the name itself, and ru is the designation of the domain zone in which it is located, in this case it is the domain of Russia.
Site classification
Depending on the functions performed, there are these types of web resources:
- Information site - used to post articles and materials of a certain direction or on a general topic. These are news portals, blogs, encyclopedias, etc.
- A corporate website is the site of an enterprise or organization. It can have two functions:
- communication between employees of departments and branches to coordinate their activities;
- providing information about the company to potential customers. For existing buyers, a personal account can be provided in which you can track the status of purchases, the level of discounts, etc.
The development of such a resource is a long and laborious task, therefore only large companies can afford them. Small businesses use business card sites and portfolios in their activities. They are made fairly simple, but provide all the necessary information about the company.
Commercial websites are online stores of various kinds: from multi-page hypermarkets to single-page websites that provide only one or more items to order. Their main goal is the sale or receipt of an application for the implementation of services.
Communication sites are forums, social networks. As a rule, only registered users can perform actions on them.
Service websites are search engines, mail, hosting. This also includes online bulletin boards.
Always beautiful and neat
Sometimes we take it for granted that the same site looks the same on the screen of a personal computer, on a tablet or smartphone. And grimacing with displeasure when, when changing the resolution of the monitor, the speakers “run over” each other, the pictures cover the text, etc.
In order to avoid these inconveniences, a responsive website design has been developed. This means that the resource was designed so that it looks the same on different devices. This is achieved due to the fact that the site at startup receives information about the conditions in which it will be displayed: platform, screen resolution, its orientation.
Today, a huge number of different devices are used, and to create a separate version of the site for each would be difficult and expensive. But thanks to the technology of the "rubber" grid layout and the capabilities of modern programming languages, this task can be automated.
What is website support?
This is a system of measures to ensure the stable operation of the site and the implementation of its functions, which is carried out by the site administration or provided by third parties for a fee. It happens of such types:
- Technical - checking the site’s health, protecting against virus attacks, timely renewal of the domain name and hosting, monitoring the operation of mailboxes, troubleshooting. It also includes the regular creation of backup databases.
- Information - filling the site, creating relevant content, updating data.
- Marketing - includes work to promote the site in search engines, advertising on the Internet.
- Design support - is responsible for the appearance of the site, its correct display, selection or drawing of the necessary pictures.