Summary

Although the current Internet, Web2, has millions of users, it is not perfect. Issues such as data ownership, censorship, and security continue to plague Web2, giving rise to the concept of a new and improved version of the Internet - Web3. The future Web3 seeks technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and augmented reality (AR). Ideally, the core of Web3 is to provide advantages such as data ownership and confidentiality. Many people have been claiming that Web3 is an improved version of Web2, so what is it and is it better than Web2?

Introduction

The World Wide Web, also known as the Internet or the Web, has changed dramatically since its introduction as Web1. As technology advances and user needs evolve, it’s only natural that the Web should change as well.

Web1 enabled content consumption and simple interactions. The rapid growth of smartphones and mobile internet access led to the formation of Web2, which enabled users to consume and create their own content. Now, a new concept known as the future network, Web3, has emerged. This new iteration of the internet is expected to allow users not only to consume and create content and data, but also to own it.

A brief history of the Internet

Although the Internet has undergone many changes over the years, its two main stages can be divided into Web1 and Web2.

Web1

Web1, also known as Web 1.0, is the original Internet. HTML was the web formatting language at the time, and Web1 consisted of static HTML pages that displayed information online. Web1 runs on a completely decentralized infrastructure, and anyone can host servers, build applications, and publish information on the Internet without any regulator review. Web1 users can search for information online through a web browser.

Disadvantages of Web1

The only drawback is that people cannot change information, and there are few opportunities to interact with others. User communication can only be carried out through simple chat tools and forums. Therefore, when users interact with Web1, they are mainly observers rather than participants.

Web2

Unlike Web1, the current iteration of the Internet is centralized, focused on content creation, and most of that content is monopolized by large, successful tech companies.

In the late 1990s, databases, server-side processing, forms and social media together formed a more interactive Internet Web2, also known as Web2.0. This is the current version of the Internet, which is a platform for content creation. Whether you are an aspiring writer, photographer or influential person, you can easily create your work and display it through Web2.

Service providers such as WordPress and Tumblr provide platforms for people to create content, while social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter allow people to connect and communicate with anyone anywhere in the world. In addition, the prevalence of mobile Internet access and smartphones has made it easy for anyone to consume content.

Web2-centric companies have benefited from this Internet revolution. In addition to profits, they have also built huge user databases. Large companies like Google and Facebook acquire small companies to form a centralized global network composed of users and user data.

Disadvantages of Web2

After the emergence of Web2, large Internet companies discovered that they could use users’ data to keep them in their respective ecosystems. They took measures such as creating targeted ads for consumers or preventing communication between different platforms, which made users tend to continue using their services.

In recent years, many netizens have begun to pay attention to ethical issues such as censorship, data tracking, and data ownership. Ironically, user data seems to belong to companies in Web2, not to the users themselves. There have been cases of unfair data control. Users violated the platform's internal community guidelines without knowing it, and as a result, the users' accounts were closed. In the 2010s, there were reports that Facebook failed to protect user data, and the collection of personal data without user consent caused global outrage.

To solve these problems, some people have proposed a solution that combines the advantages of Web1 and Web2: decentralization and user participation. Although this solution is not yet specific, the core concept of this version of the Internet (also known as Web3) has largely taken shape.

What is Web3?

If we look at the current problems of Web2, it is logical to improve the Internet for users through Web3. The goal of Web3 is to dilute the power of large Internet companies by leveraging peer-to-peer (C2C) technologies such as blockchain, virtual reality (VR), the Internet of Things (IoT), and open source software. Users are expected to take back ownership of content and data through decentralization.

Key Features of Web3

Decentralization: Because decentralization aims to solve the root of Web2's problems, centralization, it is undoubtedly a key factor in the success of Web3. In addition to returning data control to users, companies must pay to access user data. Decentralization allows anyone to make native cryptocurrency payments and eliminates the expensive intermediaries required by traditional Web2 payment infrastructure.

Permissionless: Anyone can freely interact with others in Web3, rather than a few large entities controlling participation or prohibiting inter-platform communication.

De-trust: The network that is the basis of Web3 allows users to participate by only trusting Web3 itself without having to trust anything else.

The realization of these ideals will be largely supported by blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Potential Advantages of Web3

Improved data security

Data stored by tech giants in centralized databases is vulnerable, as hackers only need to access one system to compromise user data security. With decentralized solutions for storing and managing data, saving private information can be safer.

True data ownership

One of the focuses of Web3 is data ownership, where users will be able to take back control of their data and even monetize it if they wish.

Control of the truth

Power is not centralized, and users are not subject to unfair scrutiny. Without the power to censor or remove specific content, it becomes more difficult for large companies to control any disclosure statements.

Web3 also has some potential benefits over Web1 and Web2.

financial freedom

Web3 empowers users by allowing them to consume, create, and own their content and data. Web3 is based on blockchain technology, so users will be able to easily access various ecosystems that promote decentralized finance DeFi and other tools to achieve financial freedom.

Enhanced social interaction

Just like Web1 and Web2, Web3 will continue to integrate various technologies that emerge after blockchain technology. For example, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) can add digital elements to Web3 applications and enhance online social interactions.

A typical example is the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a virtual 3D world that users can explore using virtual avatars. Through immersive spaces like the Metaverse, users can socialize online, buy virtual land, play games, and even work remotely.

Summarize

The relationship between Web2 and Web3 is similar to the long-standing relationship between centralized and decentralized networks. Web3 has not yet been implemented, and its advantages over Web2 are still under discussion. However, Web3 has a decentralized infrastructure and is expected to solve the data scandals of Web2 and return control to users.