The Major Difference Between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0
Web 3…?
Just like every normal day, you were strolling on the streets of twitter and you can see the words WEB 3.0, WEB 2.0, Blockchain, NFTs flying around. Everyone seem to have something to say except you. Well, you are not alone. This article should give a basic understanding.
WEB 101
The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators (URLs, such as https://example.com/), which may be interlinked by hyperlinks, and are accessible over the Internet. The resources of the Web are transferred via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), may be accessed by users by a software application called a web browser, and are published by a software application called a web server. The World Wide Web is built on top of the Internet, which pre-dated the Web by over two decades.
Yes, I know what the web is. But the web had versions? who knew that? who started it?
In 1989, an English scientist Tim Berners-Lee co-invented the World Wide Web with Robert Cailliau. The browser was released outside CERN to other research institutions starting in January 1991, and then to the general public in August 1991. The Web began to enter everyday use in 1993–1994, when websites for general use started to become available. The World Wide Web has been central to the development of the Information Age and is the primary tool billions of people use to interact on the Internet.
WEB 1.0 (World Wide Web) had very few content creators with the vast majority of users simply acting as consumers if the contents. Unlike WEB 2.0, where users can interact on the web, WEB 1.0 consist mainly of static pages.
Evolution of the Web
Over the years, the web has been evolved with newer features associated with different versions of the web i.e. WEB 2.0 and WEB 3.0.
In recent times, we have had web pages that allow users to interact and collaborate with each other through social media unlike WEB 1.0 where users are limited to viewing content passively. This can functionalities can only be linked to WEB 2.0.
Web 2.0 (also known as participative (or participatory) web and social web) refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability (i.e., compatibility with other products, systems, and devices) for end users.
Unlike Web 2.0, Web 3.0 is based on decentralization. Web 3.0 is an idea for a new iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology, which incorporates concepts including decentralization and token-based economics.
Defining Features of Web 3.0
While there is as yet no standardized definition of Web 3.0, it does have a few defining features:
Decentralization: This is a core tenet of Web 3.0. In Web 2.0, computers use HTTP in the form of unique web addresses to find information, which is stored at a fixed location, generally on a single server. With Web 3.0, because information would be found based on its content, it could be stored in multiple locations simultaneously and hence be decentralized.
Trustless and permission-less: In addition to decentralization and being based upon open source software, Web 3.0 will also be trustless (i.e., the network will allow participants to interact directly without going through a trusted intermediary) and permission-less (meaning that anyone can participate without authorization from a governing body). As a result, Web 3.0 applications will run on blockchains or decentralized peer-to-peer networks, or a combination thereof — such decentralized apps are referred to as dApps.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning: In Web 3.0, computers will be able to understand information similarly to humans, through technologies based upon Semantic Web concepts and natural language processing. Web 3.0 will also use machine learning, which is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses data and algorithms to imitate how humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. These capabilities will enable computers to produce faster and more relevant results in a host of areas like drug development and new materials, as opposed to merely targeted advertising that forms the bulk of current efforts.
Connectivity and ubiquity: With Web 3.0, information and content are more connected and ubiquitous, accessed by multiple applications and with an increasing number of everyday devices connected to the web — an example being the Internet of Things.
Web 3.0 is the future and that future is now. With access to do more, we can build more reliable and trusted systems. If you made it this far, I am sure you have a basic understanding of the web evolution and it versions. However, there is still so much to learn and thanks to the good people at Blockgames I’d be learning and sharing a lot more about Web 3.0.
Blockgames is a program that teaches you to solve problems using blockchain initiated by Nestcoin and Zuriteam.
