What's in a Name?
The Deep Web is sometimes referred to as the "Dark Web," because the illicit nature of much of its content. This term is somewhat erroneous however, as it is very similar and sometimes considered interchangeable with Dark Internet or Darknet, two very different things. Dark Internet refers to any Internet resource that can no longer be reached by conventional means, usually due to technical difficulties. Darknet refers to anonymous peer-to-peer filesharing networks that obscure the IP addresses of all connected users. While Dark Web may seem appropriate, Deep Web is more commonly used and less confusing. BrightPlanet founder Michael Bergman is credited with coining the term in a 2001 paper published in the Journal of Electronic Publishing.