summary
While Web2 is currently home to millions of users, it’s not flawless. Issues such as data ownership, censorship, and security continue to plague Web2, giving rise to a new, improved version of the Internet concept – Web3. The future of Web3 requires technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and augmented reality (AR). Ideally, Web3 is at its core about providing data ownership and confidentiality. Many people have been claiming that Web3 is an improved version of Web2, so what exactly is it and is it better than Web2?
Introduction
The Vanvil Web, also known simply as the Internet or the Internet, has undergone drastic changes since its inception as Web1. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous development of user demand, it is only natural that the network will change in line with the trend.
Through Web1, content consumption and simple interaction can be carried out. The rapid development of smartphones and mobile Internet access has contributed to the formation of Web2, which allows users to consume and create their own content. Now, the future network that everyone is familiar withWeb3A new concept has emerged. This new generation of the Internet is expected not only to allow users to consume and create content and data, but also to own content and data.
A brief history of the development of the Internet
Although the Internet has undergone many changes over the years, its two main phases can be divided into Web1 and Web2.
Web1
Web 1, also known as Web 1.0, was the original Internet. HTML was the formatting language of the web at the time, and Web1 consisted of static HTML pages that displayed information online. Web1 runs on a fully decentralized infrastructure, where anyone can host servers, build applications, and publish information on the Internet, all without censorship. Web1 users can search for information online through web browsers.
Disadvantages of Web1
The fly in the ointment is that people can’t change information, and there are very few opportunities to interact with others. User communication can only be carried out through simple chat tools and forums. As a result, users interact with Web1 primarily as observers rather than participants.
Web2
Unlike Web1, the current generation of the Internet is:Centralization, it focuses on content creation, and most of the content is monopolized by successful big tech companies.
At the end of the 90s of the 20th century, data databases, server processing, lists, and social media came together to form a more interactive Internet Web2, also known as Web2.0. That is, the current version of the Internet, which is a platform for content creation. Writers, photographers, and influencers can easily create and showcase their work through Web2.
Service providers like WordPress and Tumblr provide content creation platforms for people, while social media companies like Facebook and Twitter allow people to connect and communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world. In addition, the popularity of mobile Internet access and smartphones has made it easy for anyone to consume content.
Web2-centric companies have reaped the benefits of this Internet revolution. In addition to profits, they have also built a huge user database. Large companies like Google and Facebook buy up small companies to form a centralized global network of users and user data.
Disadvantages of Web2
After the advent of Web2, large Internet companies discovered that they could use their users’ data to keep users in their respective ecosystems. They have taken measures such as creating targeted advertisements for consumers or blocking communication between different platforms, which have made users inclined to continue using their services.
In recent years, many netizens have begun to focus on ethical issues such as censorship, data tracking, and data ownership. Ironically, user data seems to belong to the companies in Web2, not the users themselves. There have been cases of unfair data control. The user unknowingly violated the platform’s internal community rules, and as a result, the user closed the account. In the decade of the 21st century, there were reports of Facebook failing to protect user data, and the collection of individual data without user consent sparked global outrage.
To solve these problems, some have proposed solutions that combine the advantages of Web1 and Web2: decentralization and user participation. Although this solution is not yet concrete, the core concept of this version of the Internet, also known as Web3, has largely taken shape.
What is Web3?
If we sort out the current problems of Web2, we will find that it is logical to improve the Internet for users through Web3 in the future. The goal of Web3 is to be leveragedPoint-to-Point (C2C)Techniques such as blockchain, virtual reality (VR),Internet of Things (IoT)and開源軟件, dilute the power of large network companies. Users are expected to reclaim ownership of content and data through decentralization.
Key Features of Web3
Decentralization: Since decentralization aims to solve the root cause of Web2’s problem, i.e., centralization, decentralization is undoubtedly a key factor in the success of Web3. In addition to data control, the transfer is returned to the user, and the company must pay a fee to obtain the user’s data. Decentralization makes native cryptocurrency payments accessible to anyone, eliminating the need for expensive intermediaries for traditional Web2 payment infrastructures.
No permission: Anyone can freely interact with others in Web3, rather than a few large entities controlling or disabling inter-platform communication.
Trustlessness: As a Web3-based network, users are allowed to trust Web3 itself and not any other things to participate.
The realization of these ideals will largely be supported by blockchain and cryptocurrency.
The potential advantages of Web3
Improved data security
The data that tech giants hold in centralized data repositories is fragile because hackers can compromise users’ data security by simply having access to a single system. With a decentralized solution for storing and managing data, it can be safer to keep private information.
Real data ownership
One of the focal points of Web3 is data ownership, where users will be able to take back control of the data that belongs to them, and even monetize the data if they want to.
Truth control
Authority is not centralized, and users are not subject to unfair scrutiny. Without the right of review or the ability to remove specific content, it becomes more difficult for large companies to control any disclosure statement.
Web3 also has some advantagesWeb1 and Web2The potential is good.
Financial freedom
Web3 allows users to consume, create, and own their content and data by empowering users in this way. Web3 is based on blockchain technology, so users will be able to easily access decentralized financeDeFiand other tools of various ecosystems to achieve financial freedom.
Social interaction has been strengthened
Like Web1 and Web2, Web3 will continue to integrate the various technologies that will emerge after the blockchain technology. To cite examples,Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI)can add digital elements to Web3 applications to enhance online social interactions.
A typical example is:Metaverse。 The metaverse is a virtual 3D world that users can explore in the metaverse using virtual avatars. Users can socialize online, buy virtual land, play games, and even work remotely through immersive spaces like the metaverse.
summarize
The relationship between Web2 and Web3 is much the same as the long-standing relationship between centralized and decentralized networks. Web3 has not yet materialized, and its advantages over Web2 are up for debate. However, Web3 has a decentralized infrastructure that promises to resolve Web2’s data scandals and return control to users.