The internet is a constantly changing landscape, and keeping pace with its evolution can be a challenge. There’s a lot of buzz around the concept of Web3, with many companies and marketers eager to promote it. But what does Web3 truly entail? Is it a genuine breakthrough or merely a marketing gimmick? This article aims to shed light on the misconceptions surrounding Web3.
Understanding the Evolution: From Web 1.0 To Web 2.0
The internet has undergone significant transformations since its inception. Initially, the web, or Web 1.0, consisted of static HTML pages linked by hyperlinks, serving mainly as a platform for information dissemination. This era lacked search engines and social media, offering instead a mix of forums and chat rooms. It presented a unique browsing experience, reminiscent of an escape game with limited connectivity, where users paid by the minute.
The early 2000s marked the transition to Web 2.0, introducing more interactive and user-friendly web applications. Tim O’Reilly popularized the term “Web 2.0” in 2004, highlighting the shift towards better interoperability, dynamic content, and learning applications. This era witnessed the rise of major platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the launch of the iPhone, reshaping the web into a social and participatory medium.
Although Web 2.0 initially referred to technical advancements, it eventually became synonymous with the social web. This concept drastically moved from its original definition.
The Begining Of Web 3.0
The concept of Web 3.0 was first introduced by John Markoff in 2006, envisioning a more intelligent and responsive web powered by the semantic web, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This new web was expected to interpret and understand web content, providing users with personalized and relevant information.
Technically speaking, Web 3.0 required a different way of code structuring, using the semantic web to provide context to data. For example, a person’s birthplace could be defined as a place with a specific name, such as Dresden. This structured data could be represented in HTML using the following code snippet:
<div vocab="https://schema.org/" typeof="Person">
<span property="name">Paul Schuster</span> was born in
<span property="birthPlace" typeof="Place" href="https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1731">
<span property="name">Dresden</span>.
</span>
</div>
So, this new way of coding would need to rebuild all the existing web pages to be compatible with the new web. Thus we would have some websites compatible with Web 3.0 and others not, which would have made the transition to Web 3.0 very difficult. Despite its potential, Web 3.0 failed to gain widespread adoption, remaining a niche interest among tech enthusiasts.
The Confusion Between Web 3.0 and Web3
Web3 emerged as a distinct concept in early 2022, fueled by the growing popularity of NFTs and the metaverse. It combined blockchain technology, virtual reality, and decentralization to create a new form of web experience. This new term overshadowed the original Web 3.0 concept, leading to a surge in public interest.
The rise of Web3 reignited discussions around Web 3.0, despite the two concepts being fundamentally different. The renewed interest in Web 3.0 was largely driven by the buzz surrounding Web3, highlighting the power of marketing in shaping public discourse.
However, most people are still confused about the distinction between Web 3.0 and Web3.
Thus, the two terms are often used interchangeably, further complicating the conversation around the future of the web.
The rise of NFTs played a significant role in propelling the “Web3” concept, making “Web3” the new buzzword in the tech industry.
Web 3.0 or Web3: Real Innovation or Marketing Hype?
Interest in “Web3” has waned in 2023, but the hype around Bitcoin’s record-breaking value might rekindle it in 2024. The concept of the metaverse has lost its appeal, with major companies like Apple and Meta shifting their focus towards other technologies.
At the moment in 2024, Web3 is more of a marketing buzzword than a tangible innovation. Web 3.0 remains a niche concept, and is not yet deployed on a large scale. At the moment, their is not yet any change in the way we develop web applications, and the web is still based on the Web 2.0 principles.
If there is a new concept that will revolutionize the web, it is not yet known. It will also take time to be adopted by the general public, as it will require a complete overhaul of the existing web infrastructure.
Conclusion
The discussions around Web 3.0 in 2006 and Web3 in 2022 may have been premature. It’s essential to appreciate the current state of the web while staying open to future developments. Whether Web 3.0, Web3, or an entirely different concept represents the future of the internet remains to be seen.
Perhaps it’s time to leapfrog the debate and look forward to Web 5.0.