Internet Technologies

Written by: Jonathan Briggs

March 17, 2005 [3086 views]

To understand the Internet we need to build a mental picture of what is going on inside websites, routers, servers, search engines and online stores. What are the technologies involved and how are these linked together to create a site?

Can you answer these?

1. How does a web server work? What is going on behind the scenes? What about big sites like the BBC?
2. When I buy something online what happens to my credit card payment?
3. How does a search engine like Google work? How does it decide which site to list first?
4. What is the difference between the sites produced by professional web designers and people at home using FrontPage?

How does a web server work? What is going on behind the scenes? What about big sites like the BBC?

• http servers, filing systems
• dns and routers
• links to databases
• scripting languages (client and server side)
• content management systems

When I buy something online what happens to my credit card payment?

• secure servers
• encryption
• sessions
• XML conversations with web services

How does a search engine like Google work? How does it decide which site to list first?

• Indexing and spiders
• Reputation and page rank
• Keyword density, relevance

What is the difference between the sites produced by professional web designers and people at home using FrontPage?

• Big web sites are applications
• Separation of design, business logic and technology
• CSS
• Accessibility

What do you think?

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