The modern internet is centralized in many ways. It is dominated by a handful of tech conglomerates who serve as the gatekeepers and curators of information access. This gave rise to many vulnerabilities such as information Leakage, Injection flaws, Information Integrity. Consequently, this led to the need to reshape the Internet in the interest of security, privacy, and reliability. A need for a more human-centric internet that empowers individuals. This gave birth to Web 3.0.
Introduction
Web 3.0 is the upcoming stage of web evolution. It would make the internet more intelligent to process information with human-like intelligence through the power of AI systems providing a decentralized, user-focused, and immersive online experience. It is aimed at being a more autonomous, intelligent, and open internet.
The modern internet is centralized in many ways. However, in Web 3.0 there is no central authority overseeing its development. Web3 Foundation mainly focused on establishing guidelines for the overall Web 3.0 system.
Evolution of the Web
The web as we know it has evolved over time. To understand in what direction the Web is heading, it is necessary to understand where it is coming from.
Web 1.0 (Static Web)
The first iteration of the internet was called the static web. It portrayed an environment where information and data were static, and no interaction between the information and the consumer. In other words, content could be viewed, but not created by users.
Web 2.0
The second iteration of the web brought a shift in paradigm. Web 2.0 introduced user-driven feedback. It gave people the ability to create, share and interact with content on the Web. Some Web 2.0 companies are Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Uber, Airbnb, Upwork,
Features of Web 3.0
Semantic Web: The term was coined by Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web(www). The semantic web makes the internet more intelligent by giving it the ability to understand the meaning of words, rather than on keywords or numbers. The goal of the Semantic Web is to make Internet data machine-readable.
Artificial Intelligence: Although Web 2.0 presents similar capabilities, it is still largely human-based, which opens up room for bias and other corrupt behaviors. Web 3.0’s semantic web will be enabled by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capable of decrypting natural language and understanding user intention. These AI will also play a central role in maintaining the integrity of Web 3.0’s content by separating information that is reliable from information that isn't.
Ubiquity: Ubiquity means being or having the capacity to be everywhere especially at the same time. While Web 2.0 is already ubiquitous, Web 3.0 will harken to a new era of interconnected Internet of Things (IoT) devices and multiplatform interoperability. This will be made possible through Web 3.0’s decentralized network infrastructure.
Web 3.0 and The Blockchain Technology
Web 3.0 networks will operate through the interconnection and decentralization of data across networks that operate through the use of distributed ledger technologies; the founding blocks of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology.
Blockchain technology is essential to the formation of Web 3.0 because it is Open, Trustless, Permissionless. Open in that they are built from open-source software built by an open and accessible community. Trustless in that the network itself allows participants to interact publicly or privately without a trusted third party. Permissionless in that anyone, both users and suppliers, can participate without authorization from a governing body.
Opportunities created by Web 3.0
It's no news that Web 3.0 is a game-changer. It presents new opportunities for businesses and organizations alike. The following are some opportunities created by Web 3.0:
- Web 3.0 will create the opportunity for more effective and collaborative research.
- In a world where data is everything, Web 3.0 ensures the reliability of the resources, and the relevancy of the information found
- They will overcome the shortcoming of traditional search engines that lack coherence in two major areas, namely.
Conclusion
Web 3.0 is the upcoming third generation of the internet where apps will be able to process information in a human-like manner through technologies such as ML, Big data. Web 3.0 is more than just a change in paradigm. It is a technological revolution unlike any other because it is specifically engineered to empower individuals.