The World Wide Web is now the primary tool used by billions of people to share, read, write, and communicate. The Internet has changed dramatically over the years and its evolution is often divided into three stages: Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.
Many countries are now trying to accelerate the implementation of Web 3.0, in particular Japan.
The earliest version of the Internet was known as Web 1.0. Web 1.0 is a read-only syntax web. Most participants were consumers of content, while creators were primarily web developers who created websites with content presented primarily in text or graphical format. Web 1.0 existed from approximately 1991 to 2004.
Websites provided static material rather than the dynamic hypertext markup language (HTML) of Web 1.0. Data and content were delivered from a static file system rather than a database, and there was little interaction within web pages.
It was replaced by Web 2.0, an interactive read-write network. This is the second generation of Internet network services that allow you to create and use information resources online. YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and other social networks are just a few examples of Web 2.0 applications. It uses HTML5, CSS3 technologies, Javascript platforms such as ReactJ, AngularJs, VueJs and others, allowing you to develop new applications.
Today, the Internet used by the majority is dominated and controlled by a few large players in various industries. Centralization now affects all layers of Web 2.0.
The physical layer of Web 2.0 (the wires and devices that connect everything) is more centralized than you might think. Millions of people could lose access to the Internet just because of one company's mistake. It doesn't matter where you are physically when you visit websites or what kind of internet connection you have. What matters is where the computer or mobile device connecting to the web page is located. If the server goes down, the website usually doesn't work either.
According to Statista, the number of Internet users exceeded 5 billion in July 2022. In 2000, the figure was about 738 million. This is an unfathomable amount of data that is a valuable asset, and is collected by only a small number of servers. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, they can stop working at any time.
Website domain names are also affected. The DNS, which allows you to enter a domain name and access a website, is controlled by one group: ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). This could help governments censor online content by disabling or redirecting DNS queries.
What is Web 3.0?
Web 3.0 is a concept focused on the development of Internet technologies, formulated by J. Calacanis. From his point of view, Web 3.0 is defined as the creation of high-quality content and services produced by talented people using Web 2.0 technology as a supporting platform.
Tim Berners-Lee, the developer who created the World Wide Web, called Web 3.0 the semantic web and envisioned an intelligent, self-sufficient and open Internet in which artificial intelligence and machine learning functioned as the “global brain.”
Tim O'Reilly proposed to define Web 3.0 as the interaction of the Internet with the physical world.
Jeffrey Zeldman, one of the original developers of Web 1.0 and 2.0, wrote a blog post back in 2006 about his support for Web 3.0.
We can say that Web 3.0 is an attempt to fundamentally change the world information system and the principles of interaction between people, create new rules for companies and build a new world.
What are the main features of Web 3.0
It has several distinctive characteristics.
Decentralization: a fundamental principle of Web 3.0. With Web 3.0, users will be able to sell their own data through decentralized data networks while ensuring that they retain control over it. This data will be generated by a variety of powerful computing resources such as mobile phones, desktop computers, home appliances, automobiles, and sensors.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
Using the semantic web and natural language processing technologies, Web 3.0 will enable machines to perceive information in the same way humans do. Web 3.0 will also use machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that imitates human learning using data and algorithms, gradually increasing its accuracy.
Openness: The software will be predominantly open source, allowing for a thorough understanding of how the tools are designed and how they interact with users.
Semantic Web: Machines do not understand natural language queries well and still make mistakes frequently. To improve this process, they plan to use semantic web technology, when from the Web it is possible to obtain information of the form “subject - type of relationship - another subject” and build logical connections using this data.
Web 3.0 levels
At the heart of Web 3.0 are several new levels of technological innovation:
Edge computing.
While Web 2.0 changed the current technology of personal computers in data centers, Web 3.0 pushes data centers to the edge (ie, edge computing) at the disposal of users.
Decentralized data network.
Users will own their data in Web 3.0 because data is decentralized. Various data generators can sell or share their data without losing ownership or relying on intermediaries using decentralized data networks.
Blockchain.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology that uses smart contracts to carry out transactions. These smart contracts define the semantics of a Web 3.0 application. IN
Advantages
Thanks to decentralized data storage, users will be able to access data in any situation, and have multiple backup copies to help them in case of server failure.
Reducing the risk of hacking and leakage of “data banks” - centralized data storage.
Applications will be easily customizable and adapt to all devices, working on smartphones, TVs, smart home devices, etc.
Uninterrupted access. Anyone can create an address and interact with the network.
Uninterrupted service. Suspension and denial of service are significantly reduced. Since there is no single point of failure, service disruptions will be minimal.
Flaws
There may be an increase in cybercrime.
There may be even more misleading content and provocations.
Not all devices will be compatible with Web 3.0.
We need a privacy policy more than in previous versions.
It will be easier to find personal information about users online.
Examples of Web 3.0 products
Companies that are building or already have Internet 3.0 products include Amazon, Apple and Google. Well-known applications that use technology include Siri and Wolfram Alpha.
Siri
Since its introduction in the iPhone 4S, Apple's voice AI assistant has become smarter and has significantly expanded its capabilities. Siri uses speech recognition along with artificial intelligence to be able to carry out complex and personalized commands.
Today, Siri and other voice assistants such as Amazon's Alexa and Samsung's Bixby can understand complex queries such as "where is the nearest burger joint" and respond with the desired information or action.
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is a knowledge base and set of computational algorithms that answers questions directly and provides results of calculations, rather than giving you a list of web pages like search engines do. If you want a practical comparison, search for "england vs brazil" in Wolfram Alpha and Google and see the difference.
Results
Web 3.0 is a vision for the next generation of the Internet, in which the majority of users will be connected through a decentralized network and have access to their own data.
Intelligent systems, the semantic web, decentralization, metaverse, digital assets and other new technologies will be part of Web 3.0. When it becomes part of society, the world will face another digital revolution. Let's see what its results will be! This moment is already close.