Learn About The Future Of The Internet: Web 3.0

Most of us refer to the Internet as, well, the Internet. However, it is currently in a phase called Web 2.0, the second stage in a series of web innovations. The transition to the next stage, called Web 3.0, will be as inevitable as the shift from Web 1.0 technology. After all, the Internet is where the world comes together – communicating, working, shopping, learning, sharing information and a lot more can be achieved online! So, if you’re an Internet-savvy user and want to know what’s coming next, you need to know all about Web 3.0 technologies.

Gavin Wood, the inventor of the Polkadot cryptocurrency and a co-founder of Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency project, first used the phrase "Web 3.0" in 2014. He used it to describe a "decentralized online ecosystem based on blockchain." Yet, the concept of Web 3.0 only gained traction after 2021. The core principle of Web 3.0 is that it will be based on the fundamental ideas of decentralization, openness and increased user utility.

So, let’s see what he meant by that!
 

What The Heck Is Web 3.0?

Web 3.0, commonly known as Web3, is the third generation of the World Wide Web. It is a concept for a decentralized, open web that would be more beneficial and accessible to its users. It is currently a work in progress, with many businesses and individual developers creating the base for it. This new version of the World Wide Web was conceptualized as an integration of ideas such as decentralization, blockchain and crypto-based finances. All of them would together set the stage for a decentralized, inter-connected Internet.

Journalists and tech experts have welcomed it as they claim that information in Web 2.0 is consolidated to a limited number of firms, commonly referred to as Big Tech or MAANG. In Web 3.0, there will be a greater emphasis on ownership of data and trust, so that each user has more control over the online information they create, share and access.

Naturally, the call for Web 3.0 gained steam over some time – let’s see how it all unfolded.
 

Evolution And Origins Of Web 3.0

To date, the evolution of the web can be sliced into two sections: Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.

Web 1.0: In general, Web 1.0 refers to the years between 1991 and 2004 when the bulk of the internet was websites with static pages and the vast majority of users were customers. Web 1.0, the first phase of the web, could be characterized by how its users interacted with it: one-way interaction.

As the vast majority of participants were content consumers and there were hardly any content providers, Web 1.0 was dubbed as a "read-only web." The minority of creators were essentially web designers and programmers who created websites that housed data and information. These existed primarily in the form of text and images. You remember those boring, static HTML pages in the form of websites, blogs, or databases that existed in the early 2000s, right?

Web 2.0: Web 2.0 (or the internet as we know it today!) was all about being social and interactive. The Big Tech corporations created Web 2.0, which completely changed the online landscape. Web 2.0 is thought to have started in 2004 and is still going strong today. With the introduction of content-generating and sharing websites such as Facebook, YouTube, blogging platforms, etc., the entire web landscape was dramatically altered. Web 2.0 was founded on the concept of "web as a platform" and users could submit various types of content to forums, social media networking services, blogs, directories and similar sites. This ushered in a new era where the web allowed networking, data access and collaborative abilities like never before.

However, due to its centralized nature of operations, Web 2.0 was vulnerable to the exploitation of user data. Web 2.0 frequently had data breaches as users had little consent regarding who could access and use their data. This was the driving force for Web 3.0.

Web 3.0: will be the next generation of the internet. Users will not only engage with a website or online services but see be able to leverage intelligent features. Apps created and deployed on Web 3.0 (called dApps or decentralized apps) won't utilize a single server or store user data in a single database. Web 3.0 applications will use blockchain for data storage, decentralized shared hubs for servers and cryptocurrency protocols for transactions. Moreover, users will be “immersed” in the Internet through Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies, rather than accessing it on a laptop screen!

So, how does this all come together, you ask? Read on to learn how Web 3.0 will work!
 

How Will The Web 3.0 Operate?

Although the framework for Web 3.0 does not exist yet, we have a fair understanding of how it would work.

Web 3.0 will build a decentralized internet that will be based on blockchain networks. These networks will not be owned or controlled by large entities, as is the case now. As Big tech offers services to millions of users, they can influence user behavior and control large amounts of user data. Web 3.0 aims to change that. #GoodGuyWeb3

Moreover, Web 3.0 sites and apps will be able to process and analyze information in a much more human-like way by leveraging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Big Data, Decentralized Ledger Technology (DLT) and Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Since Web 3.0 is aiming to be decentralized and trustless, blockchain-powered applications will be key to its success. Using improved Big Data techniques, information will be interconnected in a decentralized way. This will be a huge leap forward from our current generation of the internet where most data are stored in centralized repositories. This will also enable better, more tailored web searches.

Furthermore, users and machines will be able to interact with each other as web programs will understand information both conceptually and contextually. Hence, the two cornerstones of Web 3.0's user experience will be the semantic web and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies which will help it become a personalized, automated online interface.

Is that all you had hoped for from the future of the web? We sure did! However, Web 3.0 will also boast some distinct improvements over Web 2.0.
Let’s take a look!
 

Why Is The Development Of Web 3.0 Important?

Web 3.0 will be critical to the future of business and everything that is currently hosted online. This is because it has some unique features and advantages over Web 2.0, which include:
 

Decentralization Of The Internet

A fundamental tenet of Web 3.0 is the decentralization of resources. With the advent of Web 3.0, data generated from various sources such as users' smartphones, business systems, computers, home appliances, cars, industrial sensors, etc., will be stored in decentralized blockchain networks to guarantee that the data's original creator maintains ownership and control.

Additionally, in Web 2.0, computers used specific web addresses to store data at a specified location on a server. With Web 3.0, information could be decentralized by being stored simultaneously in multiple places. This would give users more control over their personal data and dismantle the enormous databases that Big Tech companies currently maintain.

Trustless And Permissionless

In addition to decentralization, Web 3.0 will be "trustless". That is, Web 3.0 will allow users to interact directly with one another, without needing a trusted intermediary or third party. Sounds similar to blockchain, right? That's because blockchain will be key in creating a permissionless environment where anyone can participate without authorization from a governing body. Hence, Web 3.0 applications, called decentralized apps or dApps, will run on blockchains or decentralized peer-to-peer networks. This will also encourage users to build their own Web 3.0-hosted sites using open-source tools.

Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) And Machine Learning (ML) 

In Web 3.0, computers and connected devices will be able to understand information the way humans do. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies will help create a "Semantic Web" that will use Natural Language Processing to bridge the gap in human-machine communication. Web 3.0 will also leverage Machine Learning to analyze content and algorithms will gradually improve their accuracy over time. These capabilities will enable computers to produce faster, more relevant results across functions such as web searches to recommendations. You may even have assistants like Alexa on every web page!

Connectivity And User Utility 

So, What Does The Future Of Web 3.0 Look Like?

The web of the future, although decades away, will not be controlled by a single entity. Web 3.0 will hand ownership to its users as they will be able to create rules and policies to restrict who can use their data with consensus protocols. Web 3.0 promises a verifiable, self-governing, trustless, permissionless network that spans platforms.

The creation and deployment of dApps will require developers' full attention if the shift from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 is to be successful. The non-technical user base will be the main obstacle to dApp and Web 3.0 adoption. Hence, simple and intuitive dApps must be developed soon for Web 3.0 to succeed. It won't be shocking if, within the next decade, most users on the internet start transitioning from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 applications. We can’t wait!
 

To Sum Up

Web 3.0 has the potential to offer a much more individualized, connected and secure online experience. Soon, websites will be able to automatically adjust to our preferences, devices, locations, accessibility needs, etc. while enabling us to retain our data. Web 3.0 will also drive the adoption of the Metaverse, blockchain and crypto technologies. We have our fingers crossed for this one!