Internet and WWW
Internet and WWW tests the network and the web: connections, browsers, URLs, search techniques, protocols and basic safety. CCC asks you to identify URL parts, choose the right browser action, or explain why HTTPS matters.
Core rules
- The Internet is the global network of networks; the WWW is a service on it made of linked web pages.
- A URL has a scheme, host, optional port, path and query:
https://www.example.com:443/page?q=1. - HTTP transfers web pages; HTTPS adds encryption. A padlock indicates HTTPS, not that the site is trustworthy in every sense.
- A browser renders pages; cookies store small site data; cache stores copies of resources to speed loading.
- Search operators:
site:limits to a domain,filetype:limits to a file type, quotes force an exact phrase, minus excludes a term.
Worked example
https://www.example.com/page?q=ccc means: scheme https, host www.example.com, path /page, query q=ccc. The ? starts the query string. If you change https to http, the request is no longer encrypted in transit. If you type example.com without a scheme, the browser usually tries HTTPS first or completes the URL; this is browser behaviour, not a guarantee.
Traps
Do not treat “Internet” and “WWW” as synonyms. www.example.com is a host name, not an email address. Incognito/private mode does not make you anonymous to your ISP or websites; it mainly avoids local history. Clearing cache may fix stale pages but also signs you out of some sites. Downloading a file is not the same as installing it.