What Internet is
The most important technological innovation of our generation, the Internet is actually a network of networks. Originally designed by the U.S. Department of Defense so that a communication signal could withstand nuclear war and serve military institutions worldwide, the Internet was first known as the ARPANet, the most robust communication technology. It is a system of linked computer networks, international in scope, that facilitates data transfer and communication services, such as remote login, file transfer (FTP), electronic mail (e-mail), newsgroups, and the World Wide Web. The Internet greatly extends the reach of each connected computer network (see: network effect, IP).
When you see "internet" written with a lowercase "i," it usually refers to a group of local area networks (LANs) that have been connected by means of a common communications protocol. Many internets exist besides the Internet, including many TCP/IP-based networks that are not linked to the Internet (the Defense Data Network is a case in point).
The meaning of Web site
A place on the World Wide Web that's comprised of files organized into a hierarchy. Each file or document contains text or graphics that appear as digital information on a computer screen. A site can contain a combination of graphics, text, audio, video, and other dynamic or static materials. As a form of media, Web sites are similar to motion pictures, television, or print magazines, which also create and manipulate digital pictures and text. But a Web site is also a communications medium.
The main difference between a Web site and traditional media is that a Web site is on a computer network (the Internet) and is coded in such as way that allows users to interact with it. Once you're on a site, you can make purchases, do searches, send messages, and other interactive activities.
As is the case with many Net terms, "Web site" is often used interchangeably with other words, such as homepage and Web page. For example, you may hear someone refer to their "homepage" when in fact they are talking about an entire Web site. (A homepage is usually a vanity page.) Like homepage, "Web site" is often spelled as one word and not capitalized, as in, "website."
It is important for Web developers to establish a style guide for consistency, which among other things should state whether the preferred usage is the single-word or two-word form. We feel that the two-word form is more grammatically correct; the single-word form is rarely used outside of marketing campaigns. At its bare minimum, a Web site is simply any computer hooked up to the Internet and available via a host name, domain name, or URL.
Choose a category: