The Internet, the Web, and How They Work
| Site: | Newgate University Minna - Elearning Platform |
| Course: | Introduction to Web Technologies |
| Book: | The Internet, the Web, and How They Work |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 5:21 PM |
1.1 A Brief History: From ARPANET to Your Smartphone
The story of the internet is one of the most remarkable in human history. It began not as a consumer product, but as a defence research project.
|
Year |
Event |
Why It Matters |
|
1969 |
ARPANET — the first network connecting 4 US universities |
The direct ancestor of today's internet |
|
1971 |
First email sent by Ray Tomlinson |
Communication would never be the same |
|
1983 |
TCP/IP becomes the standard protocol suite |
The 'language' all internet devices still use today |
|
1991 |
Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web at CERN |
Gave us websites, links, and browsers |
|
1993 |
Mosaic — the first graphical web browser released |
Made the web accessible to non-programmers |
|
1995 |
Internet reaches Nigeria — first Nigerian ISPs launch |
Nigeria joins the global digital community |
|
1998 |
Google founded |
Changed how we find information forever |
|
2004 |
Facebook launched |
Social media transforms how humans connect |
|
2007 |
iPhone launched |
Mobile web becomes dominant globally |
|
2010 |
Jumia (Africa Internet Group) founded in Lagos |
Nigeria's e-commerce era begins |
|
2011 |
Flutterwave concept emerges (launched 2016) |
Nigerian fintech takes off — built on web tech |
|
2023 |
Nigeria has 100M+ internet users |
Web tech shapes every aspect of Nigerian life |
1.2 Internet vs. World Wide Web: The Key Difference
Many people use 'internet' and 'web' interchangeably, but they are NOT the same thing:
|
|
Internet |
World Wide Web (WWW) |
|
What is it? |
The global network of connected computers and devices |
A collection of documents and resources linked by URLs, delivered via HTTP |
|
Invented by |
Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn (TCP/IP, 1974) |
Tim Berners-Lee (1991) |
|
Think of it as |
The roads and highways |
The cars, shops, and buildings on those roads |
|
Includes |
Email, FTP, VoIP, VPN, IoT devices |
Websites, web apps, web APIs |
|
Requires browser? |
No |
Yes |
|
Nigerian example |
MTN data network infrastructure |
Jumia.com.ng, FIRS portal, Newgate website |
1.3 How a Website Reaches Your Browser
When you type www.jumia.com.ng and press Enter, here is what happens in less than one second:
1. Your browser asks a DNS server: 'What is the IP address of jumia.com.ng?'
2. DNS responds: 'The IP address is 52.28.X.X.'
3. Your browser sends an HTTP GET request to that IP address.
4. Jumia's web server receives the request and finds the requested page.
5. The server sends back an HTTP response containing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
6. Your browser reads the files and renders the page you see on screen.
|
Term |
Definition |
Nigerian Analogy |
|
URL |
Uniform Resource Locator — the address of a web page |
Like a plot number in Minna — e.g., No. 15 Paiko Road |
|
HTTP |
HyperText Transfer Protocol — language browsers and servers use to communicate |
Like Hausa — both sides must know the same language |
|
HTTPS |
HTTP Secure — HTTP with encryption (TLS) |
Like sending a message in a sealed, tamper-proof envelope |
|
DNS |
Domain Name System — translates domain names to IP addresses |
Like contacts in your phone — name maps to a number |
|
IP Address |
Unique numerical address of every device on the internet |
Like a phone number — unique identifier for each device |
|
Web Server |
A computer that stores and delivers website files |
Like a bookshop — you request a book (page); they send it |
|
Web Browser |
Software that reads HTML/CSS/JS and displays it visually |
Like your eyes and brain — interprets the 'language' of pages |
1.4 Exploring the Web with Developer Tools
Every modern browser has built-in Developer Tools that let you see exactly how any website is built. This is one of the most important tools a web developer uses.
How to open Developer Tools:
• Windows/Linux: Press F12 OR right-click anywhere → 'Inspect'
• Mac: Cmd + Option + I
The Most Important Panels:
|
Panel |
What It Shows |
Practical Use |
|
Elements |
The HTML structure of the page in real time |
See how any website is built; edit live |
|
Console |
JavaScript errors and log messages |
Debug your JavaScript code |
|
Network |
Every file the browser downloads to show the page |
See HTTP requests, response codes, load times |
|
Sources |
All JavaScript and CSS files loaded by the page |
Read any website's frontend code |
|
Application |
Cookies, Local Storage, Session Storage |
See how sites remember you |