A-Z of how the web works: #1 Introduction

"I'm online." Two simple words. You probably don't think twice before saying them. In fact, there's a good chance you are online right now. But what does "online" actually mean? It means you can send a message to someone thousands of kilometres away and have them receive it almost instantly. It means you can watch a movie stored on a computer somewhere in another part of the world. It means you can make a payment without physically handing money to another person. It means you can open your browser, type a website address and, within seconds, have information from a computer somewhere else displayed on your screen. Being online has become so normal that we've stopped noticing how remarkable it is. The internet has become woven into our everyday lives. We use it to communicate, learn, work, entertain ourselves, shop, make transactions and connect with people. But have you ever wondered what actually happens when you do any of these things? What happens when your computer communica