TOP QUESTIONS;
What is the difference between the Internet and the Web?
The Internet or the net is one computer hooked to another computer, hooked to another computer, hooked to another computer, and so on. The sharing of files and printers between individual computers and people was and still is the bases of the internet. The internet allows direct person to person communication, usually by “ftp” which stands for File Transfer Protocol. You can share music, documents, programs, whatever.
The Web is a collection of Servers, or a group of computers, that store websites. They are most commonly used for businesses, government and universities, because they can handle many visitors, and allow those visitors to interact with the computers programs and files all at once. Most servers allow file transfer by “http” or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. Servers have allowed a new way of shopping that is revolutionizing the way consumers compare prices and the way shoppers communicate with business.
To have a website you need a ‘domain name’. The domain name is part of the DNS, or ‘Domain Name Service”. This is the service that translates this symbolic name into an IP address by looking up the domain name in a database.
WHAT IS AN “IP” ADDRESS?
An IP address is the number that is given to a computer when that computer logs on to the ISP server. Servers control a group of IP addresses.  IP is part of TCP/IP which stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. This is a collection of software that allows the transportation of information across a network, and is sometimes referred to as the “Internet architecture”. So, IP defines the primary protocol of the internet. Your ISP, or Internet Service Provider, assigns your computer an IP address every time you log on.  There is of course much more to this, but that is it in a nutshell.
The address or domain name that you type in, or click on, is called a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, and can represent a web or IP address on a server, or a file on your computer. The server will then download the first page at that address to your browser.
There are not that many web servers out there really, as it is quite expensive and requires many skills to operate. Most of the search engines and servers seem to concentrate on the business community which in some ways is unfortunate, because there is information galore out there in cyberspace. Almost all the universities, governments, and just plain interesting people are still allowing access to their computers via ftp. You can log on and access databases filled with all kinds of information. The thing is, you must know the exact address to get there.
The net is growing at a tremendous rate as more and more people find their way into cyberspace. Bill Gates recently submitted a proposal to launch 310 satellites into orbit around the earth creating a virtual world network. This seems to have thrown many leaders into a tizzy over the future of ground based internet. The problem with Bills’ proposal is the cascade effect. If any of the debris left in orbit starts crashing into these satellites thereby creating more debris which intern crash into more satellites, than the whole mess could blanket the earth in pieces of junk, literally blocking us from launching anything else. To me, it would make more sense to push fiber optic, but that is just me.
Please use a Firewall. Try zonealarm.
George Horton
george@kcnb.ca
www.kcnb.ca