A "website" is a collection of computer files that you build using your computer. In order for people throughout the world to view your website, those files must be copied or "uploaded" onto a special computer that is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day called a web server. Web servers are complex, powerful and highly reliable computers that have special high speed connections to the Internet to allow the transfer of files and e-mails along with special firewall software to protect hackers from accessing your files. When you buy a hosting package, you are renting webspace on a server in order to avoid all of the expense and technical aspects of doing it yourself.