Sit back, close your eyes and imagine for a moment the world today, which was suddenly left without the Internet. Scary? Difficult? Okay, let's do something less intimidating. Imagine the Internet, where your data is only yours and not the property of large corporations, the state, and the censorship apparatus. Top developers have dreamed of this kind of network over the past years – free, convenient, and decentralized. And, apparently, soon, their dream can become a reality.
As experts predict, very soon, the Internet version of Web 2.0 familiar to us (there was also a version of Web 1.0, that we’re going to discuss a bit later) is slowly moving to a new stage of Web 3.0. Below we will figure out why this is happening and how it will affect our lives.
Web 1.0 — the first stage of Internet evolution
Clumsy, rude, little functional – this is how users remember the Internet from 1991 to 2004. Web 1.0 provided only one-way access to information in the "look, but don’t touch" style. Specially trained web admins were editing and delivering content to the yet unspoiled users. This means there were no comments, no reposts, no complaints or suggestions, just revolutionary emails, and Reading-only mode.
However, even with such meager functionality, the Internet brought enormous benefits to society. Yes, it was created, as we would now put it, by geeks and for geeks – it was not for everyone. But, by 2004, users had a clear desire to take part in creating content themselves, and the Internet stepped confidently into a new digital era, becoming Web 2.0.
Web 2.0: freedom without restrictions or restrictions without liberty?
In 2005, American activist and publisher Tim O'Reilly, in his article "What Is Web 2.0", defined the nature of the "next generation web" and explained the eras of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. The new Internet gave users unprecedented freedom – it became possible to register on sites, publish original content, create their own unique profiles, and easily exchange tons of information. Website designs have become more attractive, more pleasant, convenient to use.
Gradually, advertising began to penetrate the rapidly growing network, and existence on the Internet began to look more and more like trade and market relations. Some big companies, for instance, wanted to keep the clients on the platform in order to show them more ads and their services. Sonclients, who were trying to find interesting content, often paid for this desire with their personal information. For this reason, the recommender system flourished.
At some point, the Internet suddenly switched from the format "limited capacity" to "everything is possible." The era of Web 2.0 would have thrived further if it wasn’t for one "but": today, everything is possible only for those who have power. Regulators and big corporations have begun to shut off oxygen to users: there is censorship, and there are bans. So it no longer satisfies the mass audience as it was before. That’s why a big update is coming.
What will the new era of Web 3.0 look like?
What does it look like, the Internet of the future? Experts would say "decentralized." In other words, if user data belongs to the users themselves, then it should be stored with them and not on some distant servers.
Secondly, there’s democratization. In the future, the utility of the published content will not be able to be determined by some higher editor but by the user himself or herself, who has joined the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO).
And lastly there is an idea of a single authorization. One account will become the key not only to any site (as, for example, Google or Facebook) but also to a wallet or a banking application.
The era of Web 3.0 should be an ideal environment for the development of NFT technology and the popularization of cryptocurrencies. By the way, you can buy crypto right now here – no need to wait for Web 3.0). One of the most convenient ways to conduct transactions – working with consumers without intermediaries will increase the speed of trading, and the already mentioned decentralization will allow users to independently control the process of conducting financial transactions.
In general, the current Internet version of Web 2.0, frankly, is not bad. As some would say, it’s a little obsolete. The modern Internet community has just entered the "teenage stage" and actively resists any attempts to control it. Well, web developers are ready to allow the Internet to "live" independently. Let's see what happens – Web 3.0 is just around the corner.
Here you can read about top Web 3.0 projects that SimpleSwap recommends to follow.
