What technology benefits over 3 billion people every day for 80 percent of their waking hours? Web 2 (Web 2.0). Get ready, because Web3 (Web 3.0) is already here and it’s slowly taking over.
What is Web3 (Web 3.0)?
Since its conception, the Internet has evolved considerably. It has evolved from Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to modern social media to become an important aspect of human interactions.
Web3 (Web 3.0) is the next generation of Internet technology that largely relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI). Its goal is to develop more open, connected, and intelligent websites and web apps that rely on machine learning to analyze data. Web3 (Web 3.0) intends to give more tailored and relevant content at a faster rate by utilizing AI and advanced machine learning algorithms. This can be accomplished through the development of smarter search algorithms and Big Data analytics.
Static information or user-generated content, such as forums and social media, are common features on today’s websites. While this permits information to be distributed to a large number of individuals, it may not meet the needs of a given user. Similar to the dynamic of real-world human communication, a website should be able to adjust the information it gives to each particular user.
In 1999, Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, articulated the concept of a Semantic Web:
I have a dream for the Web [in which computers] become capable of analyzing all the data on the Web – the content, links, and transactions between people and computers. A “Semantic Web,” which makes this possible, has yet to emerge, but when it does, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy, and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines.
Websites and applications will have access to an ocean of data in Web3 (Web 3.0), and they will be able to comprehend and apply that data in a way that is meaningful to the particular user.
A brief overview of the Internet’s development
Over the previous few decades, websites and web apps have evolved considerably. They’ve progressed from static websites to data-driven websites that users can edit and interact with.
Web1 (Web 1.0) – The Past
What is now known as Web1 (Web 1.0) was the foundation of the original Internet. Darci DiNucci, an author and web designer, invented the word in 1999 to distinguish between Web1 and Web2. Websites were created in the early 1990s using static HTML pages that only allowed users to view information – there was no method for them to edit the material.
Web2 (Web 2.0) – Present
That all changed in the late 1990s when the Internet began to trend toward being more interactive. Users could interact with websites using databases, server-side processing, forms, and social media as part of Web2 (Web 2.0). This resulted in a shift from a static to a dynamic web. User-generated content and interoperability between different sites and applications have become more important as a result of Web2. Web2 was more about involvement than it was about observation. Most websites already made the shift to Web2 (Web 2.0) by the mid-2000s.
Web3 (Web 3.0) – The Future
The growth of a more semantically intelligent web makes sense when looking at the history of the Internet. Users were first presented with data in a static format. The data could then be dynamically interacted with by users. Algorithms will now use all of that data to improve the user experience and make the Web more personalized and familiar. While not yet fully defined, Web3 (Web 3.0) could make use of peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies such as blockchain, open-source software, virtual reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), and others.
Many apps are now confined to running on a single operating system. Web3 (Web 3.0) could make apps more device-agnostic, allowing them to function on a wider range of hardware and software without incurring additional development expenditures.
Web3 (Web 3.0) aspires to free up and decentralize the Internet. Users must currently rely on network and cellular providers to monitor the information passing through their systems. With the introduction of distributed ledger technology, this may change in the near future, allowing consumers to reclaim control of their data.
What distinguishes Web3 (Web 3.0) from its predecessors?
- There is no single point of control: Because middlemen are no longer involved, user data will no longer be under their control. This minimizes the likelihood of government or corporate censorship, as well as the effectiveness of Denial-of-Service (DoS) assaults.
- Interconnectivity of information will increase: Larger data sets supply algorithms with more information to evaluate as more products become connected to the Internet. This will allow them to deliver more accurate information that is tailored to the individual user’s demands.
- Improved browsing efficiency: Finding the finest result on search engines used to be a difficult task. They have, however, improved their ability to discover semantically relevant results based on search context and information over time. As a result, web browsing becomes more convenient, allowing everyone to get the specific information they require with relative ease. Social tagging systems were also introduced as part of Web2 (Web 2.0), however they can be misused. Artificial intelligence can filter manipulated results using improved algorithms.
- Improved marketing and advertising: Nobody enjoys being bombarded with online advertisements. However, if the advertisements are relevant to one’s interests and needs, they may be beneficial rather than annoying. By employing sharper AI algorithms and targeting specialized audiences based on consumer data, Web3 (Web 3.0) intends to improve advertising.
- Improved customer service: Customer service is critical for a positive user experience on websites and web applications. However, many successful web firms are unable to scale their customer support operations as a result of the high expenses. Users can have a better experience engaging with support personnel by using intelligent chatbots that can talk to several consumers at the same time.
Final thoughts
The evolution of the Internet has been a long one, and it will undoubtedly continue to evolve in the future. Websites and applications have the ability to migrate to a web that gives a significantly better experience to an expanding number of users throughout the world, thanks to the tremendous growth of available data. While there is no specific definition for Web3 (Web 3.0) yet, it has already been triggered by technical advancements in other domains.