Server Hat

A server is just a computer (or software) that gets requests and sends back answers.

Every time you:
Visit a website 🌐
Write an email 📧
Play a game online. 🎮
Watch Netflix online 🎥
…a server is working behind the scenes to make it happen.

The Restaurant Analogy
Imagine the internet as a restaurant:
You (the customer) = your computer or phone.
Menu = the websites or apps you look at.
Your order is the request you make, like "Show me my Instagram feed."
The chef in the kitchen is the server who is making what you asked for.
The server sending the data back to you is like the waiter bringing you food.
You don't see servers, just like you don't see the chef cooking in the kitchen.

Servers You Use Every Day

Web Server: This shows you websites.
When you type google.com, a web server sends you to Google's homepage.

Email Server: Sends and saves your emails.
For example, Gmail's servers keep your inbox safe and ready to go at all times.

File Server: Stores files that a group can use.
For example, people who work for a company can open reports from the same file server.

Game Server: Makes sure that everyone is playing the same online games.
For example, Call of Duty and Fortnite run on game servers so that everyone sees the same game world.

Media Server: Plays music, videos, and pictures.
Netflix and Spotify, for example, use media servers to send shows and music.

Optional Extras (For Those Who Want to Know)

The DNS server is like the internet's phone book. Helps your browser find Google's "home."
A proxy server is a middleman that adds privacy, speed, or filters.

An FTP server is like a moving truck that moves files from one computer to another.

A server is like a chef and a waiter on the internet.
You place an order (request), the server cooks (processes data), and the server serves (sends back info).
There would be no websites, emails, Netflix, or online games without servers.