What is Web3? A Comprehensive Guide

What exactly is Web3 and how does it compare to Web2 and Web1 in terms of functionality? In this article, we'll talk about how the web has changed over time and how its goal is for a decentralized future.

Key Takeaways

• Web1 (1989–2004), often known as the "static web," was decentralized and "read-only."

• Web2 (2005-present) is a centralized but interactive platform.

• In Web3, data privacy and security will be prioritized, and the network's decentralized architecture will be restored, making it seem more human.

The Evolution of the Web

Since its debut in 1989, the Internet has seen tremendous change. In general, its past, present, and future growth can be divided into three stages: Web1, Web2, and Web3.

From approximately 1989 to 2004, the initial generation of the web, known as Web1, consisted mostly of static web pages that straightforwardly presented information. This was then succeeded by the considerably more dynamic and user-friendly Web2 platform, which is the version of the Internet that is in use today. Web2 is dominated by centralized platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The Internet is now in the process of transitioning to a new generation known as Web3, which is generating a lot of excitement among users.

In 2021, the idea of Web3 first began to gain popularity, attributable, in large part, to the widespread use of rapidly developing technologies such as blockchain. Web3, also known as the "decentralized web," is an initiative that was created with the goal of resolving many of the issues that existed in Web2, particularly those concerning privacy, security, and centralization.Even though Web3 is just starting out, it will put a lot of emphasis on decentralized protocols to give power back to its users.

In this section, we look into each phase of the web, discussing everything from the contrasts between them to the specific difficulties each encounters.

Web1

The first stage in the development of the Internet is often referred to as Web1. The Internet, in its infancy, was the seed from which the dot-com industry sprang, and it was also the cause of the boom. In contrast to today's highly interactive web, Web1 was more of a passive experience focused mostly on reading and taking in information. Because of this, the World Wide Web is sometimes referred to as the "read-only" web.

Web1 in Short

• Decentralised.

• The only purpose of websites is to provide information.

• Communication was made easier in a single direction, from the network to the users.

• Sites provided static rather than dynamic HTML for their visitors.

• It is mostly made up of web pages connected to one another through hyperlinks.

• Pages that were constructed using server-side includes (SSI) or the common gateway interface (CGI)

• AOL, Yahoo!, Craigslist, Ask Jeeves, and WebMD are all websites that are considered to be part of Web1.

What was Web1?

This first edition lasted roughly from the year 1989 through the year 2004. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, is credited with developing what is now commonly known as the World Wide Web (WWW). Web1 was an extremely primitive version of the internet that consisted mostly of a directory of static material that was connected together. There were no cascading style sheets present on Web1 (CSS).

Websites were commonly built using Server Side Includes (SSI) or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and hosted on web servers operated by Internet service providers (ISPs) or free web-hosting services.When compared to what we are used to today, information and products on Web1 were simply presented (much like you would see in a catalogue or brochure), and there was no opportunity for users to interact (like, share, or comment) or contribute. This is in contrast to what we have become accustomed to today. Only a small number of participants made the content, while most users did nothing but read it.

Web2

In contrast to Web1, which was primarily focused on information retrieval, Web2 emphasizes creation and participation. It has become the cornerstone of commercializing the Internet, and at this stage, e-commerce, social networking, and other types of virtual communication platforms have seen explosive growth.

This second generation of online services significantly emphasizes engagement, interoperability, and connectedness. It is often referred to as the participative (or participatory) web, the social web, or the "read/write" web. This is the form of the Internet that we are familiar with today, which was mostly driven by the emergence of mobile, social, and cloud technology.

Web2 in Short

• Centralized.

• Content that is both responsive and dynamic.

• Wide social usage.

• Based on interaction, using technologies such as ajax, javascript, html5, and css3.

• High engagement rates from users and a large amount of user material created.

• Interoperability between the various types of services

• enhanced usefulness for the final customers.

• Unbroken communication.

• It is dominated by businesses that provide a variety of services in return for users' personal information.

• Instagram, youtube, facebook, and google maps are all examples of platforms that fall within the web2 category.

• Examples of applications include social media, blogging, voting, tagging, social bookmarking, and podcasting.

What is Web2?

Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty are credited with popularizing the phrase "Web2" during the very first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 Conference, which took place in late 2004. The age of user-generated content began with Web 2, which is both more user-friendly and more dynamic than its predecessor. This has changed the way we fundamentally communicate with each other.

At the time of their launches, websites like Wikipedia, MySpace, and WordPress made it possible for anybody with access to the internet to engage and share their information, thoughts, and experiences with one another for the very first time. They could create complete companies on Etsy and Depop, submit reviews on Amazon and TripAdvisor, share photographs on Flickr or Pinterest, upload films to YouTube, and advertise their houses on Airbnb; the list goes on and on.

Additionally, companies have benefited from it. Increased connectivity has made it easier for businesses to engage and communicate more effectively with their consumers, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and increased revenue. Additionally, it has shortened the amount of time needed to get items to market while simultaneously lowering the cost of communication, travel, and operations. Marketing has reached new heights in terms of its ability to be targeted and measured, and it is now as easy as clicking a mouse button to get information about competitors outside of an organization.

On the other hand, all of this empowerment and access has come at a price, and the most infamous of these prices is the loss of users' personal privacy.

Problems with Web2

These platforms, on which we have all grown to rely (both in our personal and professional lives), are centralized on servers that are controlled by a limited number of huge businesses. This implies that a vast amount of power and control is concentrated in the hands of only a select few people, which is a reality that has raised a great deal of worry in recent years.

This ability has the potential to compromise the privacy of users. Users will ultimately have to "pay" to utilize these platforms by ceding control of their personal data to the company. It is possible for an individual's name, birthdate, and IP address to be gathered, saved, and then sold to advertisers. Also, a user's device, browsing history, and buying habits could be taken, stored, and sold in this way, and the user might not even know it.

Why? Because each data point is an essential piece of marketing information that businesses can put to use and benefit from: According to Statista, Facebook (Meta) brought in a remarkable 114.93 billion U.S. dollars in advertising income in 2021, while Google brought in almost double that amount, totaling 209.5 billion U.S. dollars.

In a nutshell, while in Web1, users were the ones doing the purchasing, some people believe that in Web2, users are the thing that is being sold.

Users as the Product

In addition, users of these sites run the risk of having their content banned or being removed entirely from the platform. If a user submits a picture or remark that the platform finds offensive, they run the danger of having it deleted or, in certain situations, having their account terminated permanently. This risk is increased if the platform finds that the user is abusing the platform. Also, this ban wouldn't just apply to that platform; it would apply to all platforms that the parent company owns.

Then why do consumers stay on these sites when they can easily leave? because there weren't a lot of choices available for a considerable amount of time. As was just discussed, a few firms control today's technological landscape (think Alphabet [Google], Meta, Amazon, Apple). It has been stated that these behemoths have an unfair edge over their competitors due to their enormous access to data, which, when combined with their almost endless resources, makes it nearly impossible for small enterprises to get a foot in the door.

These corporations have constructed closed ecosystems, often known as "walled gardens," which are meant to keep users on their platform by making it more difficult for them to utilize alternatives. The term "walled gardens" comes from the term "garden wall," which refers to a wall around the ecosystem. Readers who are interested may learn more about Apple's ecosystem and how it works by reading this in-depth article.

It's possible that a user may stop using Facebook for one or more of the reasons that were outlined above; but, if they do so, they might not be able to use certain other websites or applications since those services need Facebook integration. They may even switch to a platform without their knowledge that the same parent firm owns as their current one. Also, if someone leaves a platform like Facebook, they won't be able to access their information, which could include photos, conversations, and contacts they didn't even know they wanted to keep.

However, as a result of developments in technology, things are going through a period of transition. This gets us to the Web3 platform.

Web3

Reading, writing, and taking ownership of content are the three pillars around which Web3 is built. The Semantic Web is another name for Web3.

Many people have been searching for Web 2.0 alternatives due to widespread worries about data mining, online spying, algorithm manipulation, exploitative advertising, and subjective banning. These issues are all related to Web 2. Because these alternatives can get around content silos and monopolies on the internet and emphasize individual data ownership, they have become the foundations of Web 3.

If Web3 is successful in its mission to redistribute power using blockchain and other related technologies, users will be able to take ownership of their portion of the web rather than merely being users or consumers. This will allow Web3 users to become more than just users or consumers of the internet.

Web3 in Short

Even though Web3 isn't done yet, it is based on a number of philosophical ideas that, according to most commentators, serve as the platform's foundation:

• Decentralised.

• Without trust and without permission,

• Uncensored.

• self-governing.

• enhanced degrees of personal privacy and safety.

• more user control.

• Silo-less

• Readability in search engines has been improved.

• payments that are natively integrated.

What is Web3?

Berners-Lee originally presented the idea that would later become known as Web3 in a paper that was published in 2001 in Scientific American. In the article, he pointed out that there was a significant communication gap between people and computer programs. He admitted that computers could not grasp the semantics of language, which meant that they could not determine meaning or context from data presented to them. He suggested the creation of a website that might one day be viewable not just by people but also by machines.

Other parts of his plan, especially those that have to do with decentralization, have come true, even though technology hasn't caught up to the point where this part of his plan can be fully realized.

Berners-Lee's goal for the World Wide Web was one in which "no authorization is required from a central authority to publish anything," and Web3 aims to realize this vision via the deployment of decentralization technology.

There is not a single point of failure since there is no central controlling node...

and there is no "kill switch."

How Decentralisation Works in Practice

It is a new iteration of the Internet that will be superior to those that came before it in terms of its degree of intelligence, autonomy, and openness. Users of Web3, which is built on blockchain technology, will be able to communicate with any person or computer in the world without having to depend on or trust any third-party intermediaries since the goal of Web3 is to eliminate the need for centralized authority. In contrast to Web2, in which the network retains ownership of the data, the data in Web3 is shared. In theory, users will be able to take part in the management of Internet protocols and will (finally) own the data they create.

Web3 will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, machine learning (ML), augmented reality (AR), and 3D graphics, some of the prominent technologies that will power Web3.

Some examples of Web3 applications are decentralized protocols like Bitcoin and the blockchain-based social network Steemit, non-fungible token markets like OpenSea, and cryptocurrency exchanges like Crypto.com.

The Paradigm Shift to Decentralisation

A significant part of this updated version of the web focuses on giving end consumers more control over their data and shifting that power away from giant companies. Decentralized social networks aim to make it possible for content producers to communicate with audiences in a peer-to-peer (P2P) way and have the last say on their material without worrying about being banned or kicked off the site.

For example, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) currently provide artists with greater and more equal pay by enabling them to directly benefit from their work via the use of built-in royalties. This makes NFTs one kind of digital asset that fulfills this need.

Tokens, which are based on cryptocurrencies, will be distributed to users as a financial incentive for them to take part in the governance of the third generation of the web. Token holders can come together to establish communities referred to as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and vote on how a decentralized app (dapp) will distribute its revenues. Play-to-earn (P2E) games, which are games built on blockchain technology, are an excellent illustration of how this system works in practice.

P2E games are those in which players are paid for their time and involvement with virtual currency or non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which may afterwards be exchanged on decentralized markets (DEXs). Many gamers can now earn tokens for activities they would have participated in regardless of the availability of such incentives as a result of games such as Axie Infinity. In certain games, such as Idle Mystic, players have the opportunity to have a say in how the game is run by casting votes for various decisions using the tokens they have been given.

Moreover, users won't need to depend on centralized, third-party electronic payment systems anymore since crypto wallets will do the job for them. These systems require users to supply sensitive information and personal data. Since decentralized services don't depend on traditional credit ratings, many people in this field think this will help people who don't have access to regular banking services get access to money.

Challenges of Web3

Concerns have been raised over whether or not Web3 will be possible. Some people doubt that it will ever be possible to achieve complete decentralization. They say that centralization is inevitable since individuals and businesses simply do not wish to operate their own servers. This is due to the fact that operating a server is not only costly but also labor-intensive and requires a significant amount of energy.

Consequently, the functionality of many decentralized applications (dapps) depends on conventional, centralized web servers at least as much as it does on blockchains. In point of fact, the majority of decentralized applications (dapps) in use today communicate with the blockchain via the use of either Infura or Alchemy, both of which are dependent on third-party cloud servers that are maintained by centralized firms (like Amazon in the case of Infura).

Many people are worried about the scalability and sustainability of blockchain technology due to the fact that it is both incredibly expensive and energy-intensive. Also, the speed of transactions in decentralized protocols is noticeably slower than in their centralized counterparts, which is still a big reason why people don't use them.

What About Regulation?

In addition to this, decentralization raises fresh problems pertaining to legal and regulatory frameworks. Who is accountable for the regulation of online criminal activity, harassment, and false information if there is no overarching authority to do so?

The last obstacle to entrance is one that pertains to the technical aspect. This includes aspects such as usability and security, which will be far more difficult for the typical user to traverse. When working with Web3, a certain level of familiarity with technology is essential. Users will need to know a lot about blockchains, smart contracts, wallets, protocols, and other topics, as well as be able to keep up with new information, if they want to be a part of this sector changing quickly.

This high learning curve is further aggravated by the frequently somewhat lackluster user experience of many Web3 goods and services, since the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design processes often arrive at a much later stage of the development cycle; the lack of integration in current web browsers makes Web3 less accessible to many consumers.

Final Thoughts

It should come as no surprise that the internet has dramatically altered the ways in which people communicate and conduct business around the world, and for the most part, these changes have been beneficial. It is impossible to determine how far away we are from Web3, yet aspects of it are already being incorporated into our existing Internet infrastructure. The consensus among industry professionals is that Web3 technologies will coexist with Web2 for at least the foreseeable future, but will not completely supersede it. Regardless of whether or not you've already joined the Web3 bandwagon, you have to agree that the whole thing is very exciting.

That's all for today, see ya tomorrow! If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@croxroadnews)

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