The goal of a web server is to serve information to anyone who requests it; the web pages stored on the server are made publically available. It's possible to restrict access to certain parts of the Internet, or to those who have usernames and passwords, but it's not usual - most web sites are open for all to read their contents. The use of the web as a public space to provoke discussion or to provide otherwise difficult-to-publish information has been instrumental in its popularity. Examples of this range from the subversive (terrorists or political groups publishing propaganda) to the more mundane (businesses publishing time-critical data such as stock information or market prices).