What is Web 3 and how can it change the Internet?
Web 3 is a set of new technologies that aims to offer a better version of the Internet , more private and personalized. To do this, major changes will be introduced to the way we navigate and communicate, leaving behind the current version of a network in the hands of a few companies and moving closer to the concept of a decentralized Internet.
Web 3 will be closely linked to the block chain , since it will be thanks to this technology that it can be decentralized, public and favor user privacy.
As happens with major changes, its application will not be easy and, surely, it will be opposed by large corporations who see in it an enemy that can take away control over user data. Also, a lot of people still do not understand or are skeptical about blockchain technology and its potential.
The history of the World Wide Web
The first Internet-accessible hypertext document distribution system was developed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee more than thirty years ago. Now, more than three decades after its creation, the “Father of the Internet” (who has sold the Internet’s source code as NFT), is not satisfied with the current state of the web and has started a project, called Solid, with he seeks to move towards the web 3 .
But let’s see, step by step, how the history of the Internet has been.
Web 1.0 or Static Web
This is the original version of the Internet, “Web 1” or “Static Web” was a very simple version, since it only showed us information. There was no type of interaction between the user and the web pages they visited. Simply put, it was like an extensive library.
It was the Internet model of the 90s and, at that time, the Internet connection was not available to everyone. There were very few who published content on the Internet, since the servers where the web pages were hosted were very expensive, as well as the designs of the pages.
Web 2.0 or Social Web
However, as the Internet democratized and Internet connections reached more homes, the user demanded more interaction. People wanted to leave comments and express their opinion in a medium that they conceived as free.
This is where Web 2.0 or Social Web arrived, which is what we have now. A large part of the improvements that have been introduced in this new version have been thanks to companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, which have put the creation of content in the hands of all users, thanks to the introduction of social networks and platforms of content generation.
However, with this ease of creating content and connecting with others, several problems have arisen. Centralization is one of them, since most of the information on the Internet is in the hands of a few companies such as Google or Facebook.
At the same time, these companies have taken control of user data and commercialized it, which has led to several scandals and a great lack of transparency.
Web 3.0 or Semantic Web
And this is where Web 3.0 comes in, whose main goal is decentralization . In other words, Web 3.0 intends to take control of data and information away from these large companies, to return it to the hands of users. In addition, a decentralized website will be more accessible, since it will not be necessary to depend on expensive servers to create content.
And why semantics? Very simple, because it will work with artificial intelligence systems . Thanks to these complex algorithms, we no longer have to do several searches if, for example, we want to order a pizza and watch a movie. It will be enough to write “I want a pepperoni pizza and I want to watch a horror movie”, the search engine will be able to understand what we want and will take care of it.
In this sense, we could say that Web 3 search engines will work more like a personal assistant than a search engine. Also, since AI systems are capable of learning, they will know what we like without us telling them! This will allow them to offer us personalized content on a daily basis, adding value to each search we make.
How does Web 3 work?
As we have noted above, Web 3 is based on blockchain technology . Basically, it is a decentralized network built on peer to peer connections. Each device connected to the network is responsible for managing a small part of the computation and the communication originates through an online network, without the need to use servers.
An example of this type of P2P networks are the ones we have had for years in applications to download bittorrent , which do not use centralized servers, since it is the computers of each user that are responsible for storing “pieces” of data.
In this sense, if Web 3 were implemented on a global scale, the need to use centralized servers would be completely eliminated.
What is Web 3 for?
Blockchain technology, on which Web 3 is built, is already being used by, for example, cryptocurrencies and NFTs . Both cryptocurrencies and NFTs have proven to have thousands of use cases and have become popular among private users and institutions.
However, the most ambitious project of Web 3 will be the construction of a decentralized metaverse. It is a 3D virtual space where users can interact in real time with each other and carry out daily actions such as going to work or having a work meeting.
The wait is yet to come, as Web 3 is still in a very early stage of development and is already facing fear from big corporations. However, its possibilities are many, the main one being the possibility of returning control to the user, so we can’t help but be very excited about what’s to come.
