Why are web protocols designed to have :// suffix?

Question

What is the significances if :// in a web protocol? e.g ftp:// or http://

Is there a reason in the design pattern? why isn't it just http: or a http. or something like http~

Any reference to the documentation of this would be appreciated.

Answer 1

According to Tim Berners-Lee it "seemed like a good idea at the time":

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, has confessed that the // in a web address were actually "unnecessary".

He told the Times newspaper that he could easily have designed URLs not to have the forward slashes.

"There you go, it seemed like a good idea at the time," he said.

He admitted that when he devised the web, almost 20 years ago, he had no idea that the forward slashes in every web address would cause "so much hassle".

^{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8306631.stm}

So no special reason, it seems.