Perhaps this is a somewhat philosophical question, but I would like to know and realize the answer.

I am writing a diploma, I myself am engaged in web development, along the way sometimes I read McConnell's "Perfect Code: 2nd Edition", which writes about the design of software specifically, its stages, etc. In web development, most (if not all) of the stages are present ... But, going to Wikipedia, I was not convinced that the websites are also software. Then what is it, what are they?

  • Sites now are more information resources, but there are also sites such as c9.io for example, which are a shell over the server environment, and this is a full-fledged IDE (ie, software) for development. And there are quite a few. Now most people choose web applications if PC software, as it is easier to maintain and update - Vasily Barbashev
  • It seems to me that you can not define sites as information resources, because gaming portals and browser games do not belong there, but they are implemented + - the same tool. - Anque
  • Why these sites can not be software? Webserver from one file on python - gil9red

2 answers 2

We quote the same wiki - software, this

all or part of the programs, procedures, rules and relevant documentation of the information processing system

Does the site process information?

Vintage Web 1.0 sites, consisting of one page, the program is a stretch - it only explains to the browser how to arrange content on the page. However, even they contained elements of information processing - visitor counters and guest books.

Modern Web 2.0 sites provide the user with the ability to independently manage content on them: perform search, structuring, publishing materials, access control, and so on — that is, processing information.

Conclusion - Web 2.0 - full-fledged software, Web 1.0 - software with a big stretch.

I think that sites themselves are not software, but include its concept. Sites are a collection of content and software. In my opinion, you can hold such an analogy, watching a TV show on TV, you do not call it a TV, but nevertheless say say "I watch TV."