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The most recent Internet technology, known as Web 3.0, uses blockchain, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to enable real-world human contact. The cherry on top of web 3.0 is that users will get paid for their online time in addition to being able to control their data.
Difference Between Web 1.0 Web 2.0 and Web 3.0
We must first understand how web 1.0 and web 2.0 helped us get here before moving on to web 3.0.
Here is a synopsis of the Internet's history:
- Web 1.0 is a read-only web where users may only view content that has been posted on websites.
- People may read and create material on websites and applications in the read-write web known as Web 2.0.
- Web 3.0 is a read-write-interact web that allows users to read, write, and interact with material, including 3D visuals, on websites and applications. It is driven by artificial intelligence.
Web 1.0 (1989-2005)
Web 1.0 was operational from 1989 till 2005.
While employed by CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or European Organization for Nuclear Research), Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web in 1989.
Web 1.0's main technologies included the following:
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
- HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
- URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
To locate information was the main goal of web 1.0. Significantly, because it was "read-only," web users could not freely communicate; hence, any debate took place offline.
In addition, using the World Wide Web (WWW) was not at all as straightforward as it is now because there were no search engines accessible at the time. Any website you intend to visit requires that you know the URL. Back in the day, according to one tech writer, "browsing" the Internet required scrolling through FTP file folders in the hopes that the file we were looking for was somewhere in there."
However, by the middle of the 1990s, Netscape Navigator had become the first (or at least the first successful) web browser, and it also invented a number of modern browser capabilities.
- showing an online page as it loads
- Creating forms and interactive content with Javascript
- Cookies are used to store session data
Unfortunately, Microsoft completely destroyed Netscape during the so-called "browser wars."
Web 2.0 (1999-2012)
The phrase "web 2.0" was originally used by Darcy DiNucci in her 1999 piece "Fragmented Future."
Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty popularized it, nonetheless, in the later part of 2004.
The majority of us are familiar with this era of the internet. By 1999, social media platforms, content blogs, and other services were enabling individuals to interact with one another online. Smartphones were eventually developed, and mobile computing was introduced.
People started communicating in online forums and producing information that was accessible to other Internet users who may like, comment on, or share it. Social proof, Yelp reviews, and Instagram influencers were/are popular at this time. The read-only mode was no longer relevant, and web 2.0 was now marketed as an interactive platform.
The advent of Web 2.0, as it was known between 1999 and 2004, saw a change away from static desktop web pages produced for information consumption via pricey servers and toward dynamic interactions and user-generated content.
The web 2.0 era saw the emergence of businesses like Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
Web 2.0 Core Layers of Innovation
Three primary layers of innovation served as the key forces behind the development of web 2.0:
- Mobile
- Social
- Cloud
Mobile
With the 2007 release of the iPhone, mobile access to the Internet expanded, enabling users to remain online constantly. Web 2.0, however, has another use than just absorbing the data we contribute to the internet: It also independently gathers information about us for analysis and addition to the internet. It can keep tabs on our whereabouts, spending patterns, financial transactions, and other things.
Social
The Internet was mostly anonymous and dark until the introduction of Friendster, MySpace, and then Facebook in 2004.These social networks persuaded us to post images with certain friend groups online, trust strangers with our homes on Airbnb, and even drive into strangers' cars with Uber. They also encouraged users to create specific types of content, including recommendations and referrals.
Cloud
Internet site and application development and maintenance become commodities thanks to the cloud. The world's many enormous data centers housed the mass-produced individual computer gear that was combined and improved by new cloud providers.
Companies were able to switch from upfront infrastructure investment and upkeep to on-demand rental of storage space, processing power, and management tools. Millions of business owners benefited from free resources that multiplied as their companies expanded.
There is no doubting that throughout this time, the Internet grew in worth, participation, and importance to our lives. The web did, however, end up becoming more centralised as a result of this.
By offering novel approaches to planning and interacting with others, it fostered more cooperation. However, it also increased opportunities for online abuse, such as identity theft, cyberbullying, doxing, and other types of harassment.
The Death of Web 2.0 and the Need for Web 3.0
In the end, Web 2.0 started to become less relevant at the end of 2012, while Web 3.0 was becoming more well known.
There have been some criticisms because the vast majority of currently utilized services are controlled by giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon. Customers had little control over how much data they used, and this led to a slew of accusations against these huge organizations and the countless smaller ones that proliferate online.
Businesses are accused of treating customers unjustly, using their data, and seriously endangering democracy and free expression, according to the accusations.Data designer and scientist Frances Haugen, who was a product manager, exposed Facebook's wrongdoing.
She recently charged the internet giant with ignoring the propagation of hatred and misinformation on its social media platforms in an interview with CBS:
What I often observed at Facebook was that there were conflicts of interest between what was best for the general public and what was best for Facebook. And Facebook repeatedly made the decision to optimize for its own objectives, such as increasing its revenue.
Facebook has denied Haugen's claims, but this isn't the first time that a major internet company has been called out for improper behavior.
Stories regarding Facebook's privacy violations, Google's data privacy problems, and Amazon's aggressive commercial methods have all come to light, raising major concerns about the safety of web 2.0.
Because of this, many blockchain experts consider web 3.0 to be a safer version.
Web 3.0 (2006-ongoing)
The phrase "web 3.0" was first used by The New York Times reporter John Markoff in 2006:
Web 3.0 is, in many aspects, a return to Berners-original Lee's Semantic Web vision, which did not require clearance from a central authority and did not have a central controlling node.
Layers of Web 3.0
Web 3.0 is propelled by three new layers of technical innovation, whereas Web 2.0 was largely driven by the advent of mobile, social, and cloud technologies:
edge computing.
decentralization.
artificial intelligence & machine learning.
blockchain.
1) Edge Computing
Web 2.0 saw data centers modify the presently commoditized personal computer technology, but as web 3.0 takes hold, edge computing is pushing the data center out to the edge and occasionally right into our hands.
In addition to data centers, there are a variety of cutting-edge computing resources scattered among smartphones, laptops, appliances, sensors, and automobiles. In 2025, there will be 160 times as much data produced and consumed as there was in 2010.
2) Decentralized Data Network
Different data producers can sell or trade their data via decentralized data networks without giving up ownership, endangering privacy, or depending on middlemen. Decentralized data networks will consequently have a wide range of data suppliers in the expanding "data economy."
For instance, internet giants like Google and Facebook track and monitor your activity when you check in to an app using your email address and password, whether you enjoy a video or ask Alexa a question in order to better target their adverts.
Data is decentralised in web 3.0, which means that consumers will control their data. Different data producers can sell or trade their data via decentralised data networks without giving up ownership, endangering privacy, or depending on middlemen. Using Internet Identity, it allows you to log in securely while avoiding being monitored.
3) Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Algorithms for artificial intelligence and machine learning have progressed to produce useful, and occasionally life-saving, predictions and actions.
The potential uses go well beyond targeted advertising into fields like:
precision materials
medication creation
climate modeling
Web 2.0 is still mostly focused on humans, allowing for corrupt behaviors like biased product assessments, manipulated ratings, human mistakes, etc. while having similar capabilities.
Customers may post reviews on any product or service using websites like Trustpilot, for instance. Unfortunately, a company may pay a lot of individuals to post fantastic reviews for its goods or services.
As a result, for the Internet to give reliable data, AI must learn how to distinguish between the legitimate and the fake.
In response to the Gamestop trading event, Google's AI system recently removed around 100,000 unfavorable reviews of the Robinhood app from the Play Store after seeing deliberate attempts to manipulate the app's rating:
This is an example of artificial intelligence (AI) at action, which will soon be incorporated into Internet 3.0 and enable blogs and other online platforms to sort through data and tailor it to the tastes of each user.
4) Blockchain
Simply said, blockchain is an additional technological layer that supports web 3.0. It redefines the data structures in the semantic web's backend, making it the basis of web3 more explicitly.
Intelligent contracts are used by the decentralized state machine known as blockchain. These smart contracts specify how a web 3.0 application should function. Therefore, everyone who wants to create a blockchain application must deploy it on the shared state machine. (See below for more on web 3.0 and blockchain.)
How Does Web 3.0 Work?
Web 3.0 aims to make Internet searches significantly quicker, simpler, and more effective so that even complicated search words may be processed quickly.
A user must engage with a web 2.0 application's frontend, which connects with its backend, which in turn communicates with its database. Centralized servers that are accessible to consumers only through an Internet browser house the whole code.
Web 3.0 lacks centralized web servers and databases for storing application state and backend logic, respectively. Instead, there is a blockchain that can be used to create apps with a decentralized state system that is run by anonymous web nodes.
Developer-written smart contracts that are installed on the decentralized state machine describe the logic of your applications:
On this shared state machine, anyone wishing to create a blockchain application publishes their code. The front end is essentially unchanged from web 2.0.
Here is a diagram showing how a web 3.0 application functions:
Web 3.0 Architecture
The architecture of web 3.0 is essentially made up of four components:
Ethereum Blockchain – These are peer-to-peer state machines that are available from anywhere in the world. The state machine is reachable by everybody in the globe, and anyone may update it. In essence, it is owned jointly by everyone in the network rather than by a single corporation. The Ethereum Blockchain allows users to write, but they can never change already-existing data.
Smart Contracts – These apps are ones that utilize the Ethereum Blockchain. These are created by the app developers to specify the reasoning behind state changes in high-level languages like Solidity or Vyper.
Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) –These devices' main function is to carry out the smart contracts' established logic. They handle the state modifications occurring on the state machine.
Front End – The front-end determines the UI logic, much like any other programme. It also collaborates with smart contracts that specify application logic, though.
Advantages of Web 3.0
Web 3.0 will improve the web's intelligence, security, and transparency, enabling more effective machine-human interaction and more efficient surfing.
The following are the principal benefits of the semantic web or web 3.0:
1) Data Privacy and Control
Data encryption will provide the greatest benefit to end users by keeping their information private.
In every situation, the encryption will be impenetrable. Large corporations like Google and Apple won't be able to manage or use peoples' private information for their own purposes.
As a result, consumers will have full control and privacy over their data.
2) Seamless Services
Users will always have access to the data thanks to decentralized data storage. Multiple backups will be provided to users, benefiting them even in the case of server failure.
Furthermore, no person, group, or government agency will be able to halt any services or websites. As a result, there will be less chance of account suspension and distribution of services being denied.
3) Transparency
End users will track their data and examine the site's code regardless of whatever blockchain platform they choose.
The majority of blockchain systems are created by nonprofit organisations, which implies that they offer an open-source blockchain platform that permits open design and development procedures. Users will no longer be dependent on the company creating the platform thanks to this.
4) Open Accessibility to Data
The information will be available on any device and from any location. By enabling smartphones and other connected devices to access computer data when synchronised, the goal is to improve data gathering and consumers' access to it worldwide.
Web 3.0 will significantly broaden the scope of engagement, including secure data transfers, richer information flows, and frictionless payments. This will occur as a result of web3, which will allow us to communicate directly with any computer without using intermediaries that charge fees.
5) Restrictionless Platform
Users can build their own addresses or engage with the network because everyone has access to the blockchain network.
On this network, users cannot be excluded because of their social makeup, gender, income, or geography. Users will find it much simpler to quickly move their wealth or assets anywhere in the globe thanks to this capability.
6) Single Profile Creation
Users no longer need to build unique personal profiles for various platforms with web 3.0. Any platform can use a single profile, and the user retains full control of all provided information.
No company can access a user's data or confirm its correctness without that user's authorization. Users may choose whether to sell their data to advertising or companies and whether to disclose their profiles.
7) Enhanced Data Processing
Problem-solving and labor-intensive knowledge generation tasks benefit from Web 3.0. It makes use of artificial intelligence to weed out important facts from a vast amount of data.
Its capacity for client demand forecasting and individualized customer care, both essential for successful enterprises, will also be advantageous to users.
Disadvantages of Web 3.0
The deployment of web 3.0 is likewise fraught with a number of difficulties. Issues with managing personal information and reputation will be more important than ever.
The following are the main difficulties in using and implementing web3:
1) Requires Advanced Devices
The advantages of web 3.0 won't be available on less sophisticated PCs. It will be necessary to expand the features and capabilities of the devices to make the technology available to more people worldwide. Given the current situation, only a small number of individuals will have access to web 3.0.
2) Web 1.0 Websites Will Become Obsolete
Any websites built using web 1.0 technology will be rendered useless if web 3.0 takes over the Internet in its entirety. The outdated technology is unable to upgrade its features to correspond with the new ones. These sites will thus be significantly more out-of-date and lose ground to more recent ones in the marketplace.
3) Not Ready for Widespread Adoption
Web3 technology is more sophisticated, effective, and available. However, the technology is not quite prepared for general use. To meet user requirements, significant work is required in the areas of technical progress, privacy legislation, and data use.
4) Demand for Reputation Management Will Increase
Reputation management will be a worry more than ever as a result of web 3.0's simple access to user information and decreased anonymity. In other words, brands and businesses will need to keep up their online presence, repute, and image.
To keep ahead of the competition, businesses will need to assist consumers in acquiring crucial market knowledge, priceless business insights, appealing content, and cutting edge internet marketing. Reputation management will therefore become more important than ever.
5) Complicated Functionality
Any new user is afraid to adopt Web 3.0 since it is a complex technology to learn. It combines dated online tools with cutting-edge innovations like blockchain and artificial intelligence, as well as consumer connectivity and rising Internet usage.
Because only sophisticated equipment will be able to operate web 3.0, it will be challenging for any person or organisation that cannot buy such gadgets. Because technically savvy users will benefit the most from this technology, web 3.0's complexity is probably going to hinder its widespread adoption.
Why Web 3.0 Is Important for the Future
Web 3.0 is a system created by users for users in the form of platforms that are creator-driven.
The main causes for why web3 will be significant in the upcoming years are listed below:
Less reliance on centralized repositories:In order to prevent hackers, leaks, and dependency on centralized repositories, Web 3.0 aims to make the Internet a varied source. Users may be able to own their own data and digital footprints via certified data scarcity and tokenized digital assets. There would be no accountability for data consumption on any platform.
More personalized interactions:WWeb 3.0 will be more crucial in 2022 as long as most consumers continue to value personalized and unique online surfing experiences.
Better search assistance powered by AI:Humanized digital search assistants that are significantly more intelligent, widespread, and driven by semantics, blockchain, and AI will be in high demand.
Reduced dependency on intermediaries:It will aid in the disintermediation of enterprises, the removal of rent-seeking intermediaries, and the direct transfer of value to customers and suppliers in a network. Network users will collaborate to solve previously intractable challenges through common ownership and governance of these new decentralized intelligence structures.
Rise in peer-to-peer connectivity:The link between members and organizations will stay inherently resilient through new Internet technologies in order to keep up with more adaptive peer-peer interaction and governance. Humans, organizations, and robots will be able to exchange more data while retaining more privacy and security thanks to peer-to-peer networking.
Enhanced trust:We can future-proof entrepreneurial and investment activities by reducing reliance on individual platforms with knowledge about the next Internet generation.
Examples of Web 3.0 in Real Life
Web 3.0 is already being used in a variety of fields such as virtual support, education, social networking, messaging, exchange services, surfing, and so on.
For example, if you want to check the availability of goods in your home while you're at work, you may ask your digital assistant to analyse the contents of your fridge by connecting with the interconnected smart gadgets in your home.
Furthermore, you may utilise your omnipresent Internet-connected gadgets at home to coordinate your holiday plans, work travel, weekend party, housekeeping duties, and even secure your home security. The tailored recommendations of the virtual assistant aid you in planning the perfect weekend, from ordering discounted tickets to discovering fascinating new locations to visit to reserving lodgings.
Examples of Web 3.0 Applications
Here are some popular examples of web 3.0 apps that demonstrate the breadth of its application:
Apple’s Siri
Siri is an excellent example of speech recognition software as a critical component of web 3.0. Siri and other personal assistants employ this technology to interact, share information (through connected blocks), and present users with more useful search results for every relevant inquiry, including how to, why, and what. Previously, Siri could only perform simple tasks such as reminders and directions to the nearest grocery shop using pre-programmed algorithms.
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is a platform for computational intelligence that now makes use of web3. The software can compute responses from users in several domains such as mathematics, nutrition, and science. It instantly interacts with other applications to acquire data from their databases and simplifies it for end users. As a result, it is now speedier and produces more accurate results than web 2.0. Siri frequently consults Wolfram Alpha.
e-Chat
e-Chat is a decentralized blockchain-powered web 3.0 app. It is primarily a secure messenger, but it is also the fastest-growing social network. Users may share any info without worry of it being stolen. As a result, it is commonly used to transmit cryptocurrencies. App Store and Play Market users may get an e-Chat app.
Web 3.0 and Blockchain
Blockchain is frequently connected with web 3.0, and it might be difficult to distinguish between the two.
In layman's terms, blockchain is the technology that powers web 3.0 (together with IoT and AI). More precisely, blockchain is the backbone of web3, as it redefines data structures in the semantic web's backend.
Blockchain, often known as the Ethereum blockchain,
is a decentralised state machine that uses intelligent contracts to operate. These smart contracts outline the logic of a web 3.0 application. As a result, anyone wishing to create a blockchain application must deploy their application code on the shared state machine.
All application data and codes are saved and controlled on the blockchain, which is owned and maintained collaboratively by a peer-to-peer network of nodes. The norms of agreement among network peers govern the state changes on the state machine or blockchain:
All data in this location is globally available, however current data cannot be altered or changed. Users can transmit files in a copy-protected manner, enabling direct P2P transactions without the use of middlemen. This implies that files and data are encrypted before being shared and are completely safe on web 3.0.
When a user interacts with a web 3.0 app, AI and machine language/natural language processing are used to interpret the queries and deliver the relevant data or information directly from the blockchain, which is available from anywhere in the world.
Web 3.0 and Digital Marketing
Web 3.0 will have an influence on digital marketing in the following ways:
Less focus on keywords:Keyword optimization will be less important in web 3.0. Instead of relying on keywords, marketers must generate multimedia content that addresses the wants and questions of users.
Reduction in “near me” queries: There will be a significant decline in "near me" inquiries since consumers understand that the results will be relevant to their location automatically. As a result, they no longer include "near me" or zip codes in their search. Web 3.0 takes into account the user's geo-location and activity data and displays relevant results that fit their interests.
Increase in voice search:Web 3.0 will boost the use of voice search, and consumers will begin to rely more on digital assistants. As a result, optimizing for more precise and long-tail inquiries will be critical.
More significance on Microdata and of Schema:Understanding data is more important in web 3.0. To stay ahead of the competition, all marketers should adopt Microdata and Schema markup, which assist the web3 application in understanding the concept and context and structuring the data. It will guarantee that your material is presented to the user for relevant inquiries if you have a clear knowledge.
Growth of question-keywords optimization, featured snippet optimization, and PAA
(People Also Ask) section:Question-keyword optimization, highlighted snippet optimization, and PAA optimization will all be enhanced in Web 3.0. Marketers must provide content that appropriately answers users' inquiries.
Rise of hyper-personalized experiences:Web 3.0 will also do away with the concept of static websites in favor of hyper-personalized experiences that modify their messaging and media formats for each visitor. Speaking with search engines in natural language and getting correct information provides a seamless user experience; web 3.0's capacity to learn and think will highlight this rich experience for users.
Web 3.0 and Metaverse
Since Facebook unveiled its new moniker, 'Meta,' the term "metaverse" has become increasingly popular. The goal is to demonstrate that the firm is rapidly approaching a Metaverse. However, the Metaverse is not yet a reality, but it may soon be the next development of the Internet.
Metaverse In general, it refers to shared virtual world settings or a computer-generated environment that people may access over the Internet. It is a digital world that is intended to be more lifelike through the use of "extended reality," which is a blend of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality.
People currently communicate with one another via social media sites or messaging apps. Users will have their own "character" in the virtual area who may wander about and communicate with other users. They can converse through avatars, text messages, noises, music videos, video games, and so on.
This means that individuals will be able to interact in 3D over the Internet. They may communicate, play, work, or participate in digital surroundings as if they were there in person, rather than merely seeing the information.
The role of web 3.0 is critical in making Metaverse a reality, especially if blockchain technology is used. In other words, web3 will make the virtual world available online and accessible via a web browser.
The Metaverse is currently linked with virtual gaming, however this is not confined to games. The Web 3.0 Metaverse has a much greater scope that encompasses the education industry. In an education Metaverse, for example, users can attend an immersive classroom and engage with their teacher and fellow pupils.
Web 3.0 and the Metaverse will coexist in all facets of civilization in the future.
Final Thoughts on Web 3.0
We are moving toward an Internet in which consumers have total control over their data and privacy while still allowing firms to utilize their data (or not). Blockchain will power all of this.
As a result, web 3.0 will hasten the honest and transparent use of user data, from tailored search results to cross-platform development tools and 3D visuals. The internet will become more interactive and immersive.
The new Internet will be available very shortly! Let us welcome web 3.0 with open arms.
Web 3.0 FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the semantic web:
How long will it take for web 3.0 to be fully implemented?
Many technologies required for web 3.0 have been created, and some are already in use. Because the notion of web 3.0, or the semantic web, is complicated and has significant technological issues, fully moving from web 2.0 will take some time, if not years.
Is web 3.0 the same as the semantic web?
Although these two phrases are frequently used interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Web 3.0 employs semantic technologies, as well as machine intelligence and blockchain, to improve user engagement.
Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, invented the phrase "semantic web" and paired it with web 3.0. In that sense, they are the same because the semantic web is one of the core aspects of web 3.0. It enables robots to interpret data rapidly and respond to human requests with reliable responses.
Is web 3.0 user-friendly?
Yes, web 3.0 is user-friendly because it uses big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to evaluate user data and behavior in order to create a tailored experience. To obtain information from the web in the web 3.0 age, you may communicate with gadgets like Alexa, Google Echo, Apple Siri, and others as effortlessly as you would with another person.
How will web 3.0 make your web experience better?
Web 3.0 will improve your web experience in three ways:
Personalized browsing experience- Everyone may enjoy a more tailored browsing experience with Web 3.0. Websites will adjust to your device, location, and accessibility requirements automatically.
Better search – The use of machine learning and AI allows you to communicate with the search engine in your own language. It achieves the best outcomes by combining big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.