A global, virtual-network based hypertext information system that uses the Internet as its transport mechanism to display computer screens (or Web pages) of graphical, video, textual, and even audio information. Note: In a hypertext system, one navigates by clicking hyperlinks, which display another document which also contains hyperlinks. In Web navigation, the next document seen could be housed on a computer next door or half-way around the world. Created in 1989 at a research institute in Switzerland, the Web relies upon browsers and the hypertext transport protocol (http,) an Internet standard that specifies how an application can locate and acquire resources stored on another computer on the Internet. Most Web documents are created using hypertext markup language (html,) a coding system for WWW documents. Incorporating hypermedia (graphics, sounds, animations, video,) the Web has become a popular medium for publishing information on the Internet. With the development of secured server protocol (https,) the Web is now a commercial medium whereby consumers can browse on-line catalogs and purchase merchandise using secure, encrypted credit card information that is protected from interception. Synonym yyWeb.