What does 'HTTP' and 'WWW' actually stand for?
I type 'http://www' before websites all the time but I have no idea what those letters mean. What does HTTP stand for and what does it do? What about WWW? Do I even need to type them anymore? What's the difference between a site that has 'www' and one that doesn't?
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I've been using computers since the early 90s and the answer to this has changed dramatically over the years. Right now, the best approach is to use open source alternatives when possible — they're usually free and often better than commercial products.
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I've been using computers since the early 90s and the answer to this has changed dramatically over the years. Right now, the best approach is to use open source alternatives when possible — they're usually free and often better than commercial products.
I posted this exact question on a newsgroup a while back and got a ton of helpful replies. Don't sleep on Usenet — comp.* groups are full of people who actually know what they're talking about, way more than some web forums full of script kiddies.
This is actually a really common misconception. The technology works differently than most people think. I'd recommend reading HowStuffWorks.com for a good beginner explanation before diving into the technical details.
Be REALLY careful what you download to fix this. Half the 'free fix-it' programs you find are spyware in disguise. Stick to known-good stuff like the tools from major sites, and always scan downloads with your antivirus before running them.
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