Could we survive an internet apocalypse? On Monday a tiny mistake shut down a swathe of the world’s biggest websites. Some say it might point to a future that is not too far away.
The tiny error that took out Snapchat
Swirling into the void: The apps and websites that stopped working this week all used Amazon Web Services. Glossary
Pandemic - An outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region.
Amazon Web Services - Known as AWS, a part of Amazon which provides computing platforms to other businesses.
Data centre - A building or dedicated space which house computer systems storing and organising large amounts of data.
Virginia - A state on the east coast of the US.
Domain Name System - Often called "the internet's phonebook" — it translates website names (such as theday.co.uk) into machine readable Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. They allow your computer to connect to the right server and load the right webpage.
Server - A computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its users.
Market share - The portion of a market controlled by a particular company or product, as opposed to its competitors.
Socialise - Spend time enjoying yourself talking to other people.
Starvation - Death or suffering caused by having a lack of food.