What is a web page?
Purpose
This web page attempts to describe what a web page is.
The implications of a web page, and the web in general, are also considered.
This brief document
is intended for the non-technical reader. Technical issues
relating to web pages can be found in the HTML specifications.
It is assumed the reader has a basic vocabulary in web terminology and
knows what a browser is.
What a web page is
A web page is the representation of a document
which resides at a remote site. This is key
to understanding what the web itself is
and the implications. If a "web" document
resides on the machine you are working from, the document
is called an HTML document.
A web page has the wonderful feature of allowing embeded references
to other pages.
Please, let me explain by example. The page you
are reading right now resides in Alexandria Virginia, the USA.
The author (thats me) edits the page from a dingy apartment
5 minutes north of the nations capitol. In fact, I work
in DC at NASA HQ. Stop by if you are ever on capitol hill.
When you "visit" this web page you are instructing your browser
to go get a copy of of this page from Virginia.
The computer then uses the telephone wires to request a copy
from the machine in Virginia. The machine in Virginia
sends back the copy and viola, there it is on your screen.
If the page were to be modified this evening and you
came back tomorrow you would see the new web page (ignore caches for now).
So what?
So... in essence you are "looking over my shoulder".
When I make a change here in DC you can see it as soon as you
load the page. Because of this, web pages are often called
"live documents". Wouldn't it be neat if documents (books, magazines etc..)
with time sensitive material could update at any time?
It *is* neat and its called a web page.
Implications
You should be excited right about now if this is
the first time you are realizing this. Each web page
puts you in contact with the author. So if you
visit the
Database of China Law and Taiwan Law (Li & Partners) page you are getting a page from a machine in Taiwan.
That is what the "tw" means in the URL of the page (http://www.law.com.tw). The Law web page is maintained by folks who *live* in Taiwan. No middle
man to interpret for you. No news anchor to tell you what Taiwan Law is..
hear it is from Taiwan itself.
And because of the availability of "cyberspace" virtually
anyone can put up a page saying anything. A soap box
to the world if you will. I certainly enjoy it.
Send me mail .. let me know you stopped by.. I love
to keep all the nice letters folks send me from
all over the world. I may even add yours to this web page!
Makes the world seem cozy and warm doesn't it?
Applications
- A weather page - updated every hour with current
weather reports.
- Stock tickers - stock prices which are updated every
15 mintues.
- Store fronts - go to Amazon
and buy a book from the largest book store I know
of (2.5 million titles) without having
to go to Washington state (USA). Oh and you
don't have to browse if you don't want to. Just type
in the name of the book you want on the Amazon page and
they will tell you the price.
Opinionated Conclusions
The web, and specifically, web pages provide
a new medium where anyone, anywhere, can publish.
The web allows particpants to interact
with one another and contribute via e-mail, chat rooms
and store fronts. I humbly believe this medium
will change social interaction of folks everywhere.
Imagine a medium where you could send the author
a message if you like the document. Or didn't.
Please do, I would like to continue this conversation.
Perhaps *you* could help refine this document.
Send the author email
This page is maintained by
Patrick Amato
URL
http://www.erols.com/amato1/Web/
Established
June 1997
Last modified
Jun 25 14:28:58 EST 1997
Comments?
Copyright (C) Patrick Amato 1997.
All rights reserved.