Welcome to Webmaster Preschool!

Preschool is all about getting some key concepts and terminology down before we jump right into it.

For starters, what is the Internet? Simply put, the Internet is a massive collection of web servers (computers) that are all connected. These web servers can communicate and share with one another. Each web server has files or webpages on it that make up what is THE INTERNET.

What is a Webpage?

A webpage is just a document or text file that is formatted for the World Wide Web.

If you right click on any open space on any webpage and select -> View Source (or View Page Source), a new window or tab will appear. You are now viewing the source code of the webpage you are viewing. The reason you don’t see this when you are browsing the web is because your Web Browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari) translates this source code into what you actually see, which is much easier on the eyes! – Demo

So what exactly is taking place when I’m surfing the web?

It’s important that you have a solid understanding of the relationship between the following components, that together, deliver web pages to the user:

  • Home computer (for example, a DELL, HP or Mac)
  • Operating system (for example, Windows or Apple OSX)
  • Web browser (for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari)
  • Web server (for example, an Apache web server)
  • Domain name (for example, www.babywebmaster.com)
  • Hosting company (for example, HostGator or BlueHost)
  • FTP program (for example, Filezilla or SmartFTP)

Below is a simplified, “behind the scenes” example of the relationship between these components, and what takes place when a user requests a webpage from their web browser:

Software Relationships
HostGator

Webpage Request

  • 1. A laptop running a Windows 7 operating system launches the web browser, Internet Explorer.
  • 2. The user wishes to visit www.babywebmaster.com and so s/he types in the domain name “www.babywebmaster.com” into the web browser’s address bar.
  • 3. The domain name, www.babywebmaster.com, points to a web server containing all the files necessary to run babywebmaster.com.
  • 4. These files are then analyzed and displayed by your web browser.

The Hosting Company

  • 5. The hosting company registers the domain name on your behalf.
  • 6. The hosting company rents out space on their web servers to you.

The Webmaster

  • 7. The webmaster (you) uploads files from a computer onto the web server using an FTP program.

Hopefully the above example clarifies the relationships between each of the terms listed above. If something is not clear, not to worry, we will re-visit these terms and processes throughout Webmaster School. Let’s continue…