There is no Internet encyclopedia verified by the global institute of technology that defines what Web 3.0 is. So this article is going to give a rough definition of what the Internet says web 1.0 is, what a lot of people say web 2.0 is, and then explain this new phenomenon that many call web 3.0.
Web 1.0: where it all began
If you want to learn about web 3.0, you should start with Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Between the years 1991 and 2004, the Internet was mostly a bunch of static pages, meaning when you loaded them, they just showed a few things, and that was it. Some called it “read-only”. There was no login or interaction with posts or viewing of analytics. Most of the early Internet wasn’t even profitable through ads.
Web 1.0 was one way. Corporations and big companies created content for people to read. There was little or no interaction with the data stream. But things were too boring. The content did not talk about people. The websites had long monologues filled with only linear information.
For the most part, it was like one big Wikipedia with hyperlinks. Over time, we slowly made improvements, and things like Flash and Javascript added a lot of different new features.
However, Internet users were consumers during that time, going to the Internet to consume information.
Users could only read the data. Only content curators can edit and write content. So, it was like reading books in a library. Users did not have much right, and they were mere consumers.
Then the plagiarism began. People started copying other people’s content and just pasting it on their websites. Unique contents became rare. It was time for the Internet to evolve. Even the universities, the highest level of education, did not believe in the Internet. He would have to go to libraries for simple information quickly.
There were no social networks. Without a doubt, the Internet got off to a shaky start at first. But things took a turn. The Internet began to grow.
Web 2.0 – The revolution
Next, we have Web 2.0, from around 2004 to now. During this time, the Web evolved a lot, but one of the most significant changes was the interactivity of the Internet. This meant that we not only got information from the Pages, but the Pages started getting information from us. As we looked at Facebook and YouTube and searched Google, these centralized companies began to collect data about us to offer us better content so that we stay on their websites longer.
This meant more money for them, but eventually, they realized they could package up all the data they had about us and sell it to advertisers. Web 2.0 is the era of targeted advertising and a lack of privacy for users.
It refers to the second generation of Internet services, which focused on allowing users to interact with web content. Web 2.0 fostered user-generated content growth and interoperability and usability for end-users. The second-generation Web does not focus on modifying any technical specifications. On the contrary, it emphasizes changing the design of web pages and the ways of using them. Web 2.0 encouraged collaboration and interaction between users in P2P transactions, thus setting the stage for electronic commerce and social media platforms.
In addition to the favorable implications of interoperability, interactivity, and usability, Web 2.0 also encourages interoperability between various services. Another point to note about Web 2.0 in the differences between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 would refer to the technologies of web browsers. AJAX and JavaScript have emerged as formidable tools for creating Web 2.0 websites.
What is Web 3.0? The new age of the Internet
Web 3.0 is the next evolution of the Internet, probably using blockchain technology and decentralization tools. In Web 2.0, you were the product while browsing social media, but in Web 3.0, some believe that you will own your content, the things you post online. This is true, so if you want a post to stay active, it will stay active, but if you want to delete it, they say you can control that, but not really, because as we generally know, when there’s something on the Internet, it’s always on the Internet.
Web 3.0 is about a more transparent and fair network where everyone can participate without fear of loss of privacy and security. The shift from Web 2.0 to 3.0 is evident with the evolution of technology around us.
Technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and others will make it easier to deliver a more personalized web experience than ever before. In addition, web applications will be more intuitive and more accessible for people to use in their daily lives. We now have many examples of Web 3.0 applications which we will discuss in this article.

In Web 3.0, experts say we’ll reach a point on the Internet where every company is run by a decentralized group called the DAO, which stands for Decentralized Autonomous Organization, and if you want to learn more about what those big words mean, we’ve got a full video on that topic and what they are used for. However, DAOs mean that there are no CEOs or presidents to impress, just shareholders and those whom the shareholders decide who to hire to work at the company they own tokens for. Those with the most tokens can vote on how the company changes, without being limited by the government or some family tradition. This means that there is no censorship of social networks like Facebook or Twitter.
One of the biggest things about web 3.0 is that your digital identity is not 100% connected to your real-world identity. This means that I can view pages, download things, make purchases, and do any other activity on the Internet without being traced back to my true self. There are many ways we can anonymize ourselves online.
So these may be long-term ideas from Web 3.0 thinkers, but really what web 3.0 really means to us in this decade is that you can buy Amazon gift cards with Metamask and pay with Ethereum, or anonymously. leave a like on your friends’ posts using one of your hidden wallets, nothing life-changing all at once. It will likely be a series of ideas growing together until centralized companies like Facebook and Google are disarmed by the legislature while decentralized, unregulated DAOs grow to replace them.
Categories | Web 1.0 | Web 2.0 | Web 3.0 |
---|---|---|---|
Websites | Static | Dynamic | Semantic |
Website Type | Simple | Social | Semantic |
user capacity | Millions | Thousands of millions | trillions |
Time frame | 1990-2000 | 2000-2015 | 2015-unknown |
search engines | Domain name speculation | SEO | AI-based search engines |
Purpose | Information Connection | Connecting People | connecting knowledge |
precedence sequence | 1st | 2nd | Third |
network type | centralized | centralized | decentralized |
file interaction | Read-only | Read and write | Read, write and execute |
Content | Curated only by experts | Blogging and social networks | More personalized transmissions |
Artificial intelligence | Not available | Not available | Available |
Web 3.0 is a whole new era: the era of decentralization where applications using the decentralized network will reign supreme. Also, no traditional business model will not be affected by this change. You will see new types of blockchain business models slowly gain popularity. Almost everything can be improved and visualized with new technologies, especially blockchain.
The benefit of Web 3.0
Antitrust and pro-privacy
Web 3.0 will bring a pro-privacy and antitrust structure to the Web. It will not incentivize centralized platforms.
In short, we will see a complete change where the central theme will be privacy and decentralization. The intermediary will not know the business or the need for this type of platform. This movement will be facilitated with the help of blockchains like Ethereum, Hyperledger, Corda, and others.
The government, on the other hand, will also see decentralization. It is in the best interest of corporations to adapt to the new Web 3.0 standards by providing decentralized services that focus on privacy and security rather than control.
secure network
Web 3.0 features will be more secure than its predecessors. This is possible thanks to two factors: distributed nature and decentralization. Hackers or exploiters will find it difficult to penetrate the network. Furthermore, each of their trades can be tracked and retracted within the network if they can do so.
Without centralization, it will also be difficult for hackers to take full control of an organization. However, blockchain platforms do suffer from some kind of exploits, such as a 51% attack, but most blockchain applications and platforms can be quickly patched to protect against these kinds of threats.
Data Ownership
Users will find it easy to trust Web 3.0. Until now, large corporations stored and used the data generated by users. With Web 3.0 capabilities, end-users will have full ownership of the data. The data that is transferred over the network will be fully encrypted.
In addition, users will be able to decide what information they want to share with third-party advertising companies or platforms. However, the current trend is completely different.
With the features of Web 3.0, users can now sell their data to corporations and make money from it.
Interoperability
Interoperability is one of the key features of Web 3.0. It will be easy for applications to work on different devices and platforms, such as TVs, smartphones, smart roads, etc.
Developers will also find it easy to develop Web 3.0 applications.
No service interruption
Distributed systems are less prone to service interruption. As there is no central entity for the operation, it is difficult for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or other forms of service malfunction to attempt to have an impact. This makes Web 3 a great place to share critical data and services without worrying about service interruption.
Blockchains without permission
The idea behind Web 3.0 is to power blockchains that don’t need a central authority. This means that anyone can join the blockchain and participate by creating an address. Permissionless blockchains open up a new range of possibilities, including access to people who are discriminated against from the start due to their gender, income, geography, etc. It means that there will be no restrictions in Web 3.0.
semantic Web
Web 3.0 will also house the properties of a semantic web. The Semantic Web is an improvement over the latest set of technologies used for Web 2.0. It allows data to be shared across multiple systems, platforms, and community boundaries. It will act as a bridge between different data formats and platforms.
By using the Semantic Web, we will be able to connect better, share and enjoy the Internet like never before.
Ubiquity
Ubiquity is the result of interoperability. With Web 3.0, we can access data and information across multiple applications without the need for a particular device. This means you don’t have to worry about getting a particular device to access Web 3.0. If a device has basic Internet connectivity and functionality, it will be able to access the Web.
All in all, our lives will be completely changed as we will be connected through a better set of technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and much more.
Web 3.0 dApps
The transition has already started with Web 3.0 dApps. To understand it better, we will break it down into different categories and discuss the dApps that will replace traditional services and apps. With dApps, business models of decentralized organizations can also be easily created. The transition is inevitable, and it is only time for mass adoption of these applications to occur. To have a clear idea of what Web 3.0 is, it is necessary to understand dApps in depth.
To make it easy for you to follow, we will list the different categories. They are the following.
- Social networks
- exchange services
- Messenger service
- Storage
- Insurance and Banking
- Streaming (video and music)
- remote work
- Browser
Summary of the Web 3.0 project
Verdict
The role of blockchain in web 3.0 is quite clear from basic observations about the third generation of the Web. Blockchain came as a formidable force and transformed conventional business processes with its distinctive features. However, the most significant feature of blockchain that presents an ideal foundation for web 3.0 is decentralization. The salient issues identified with Web 2.0, especially centralized control and data integrity concerns, present the need for a new variation of the Internet. With the third iteration of the Web, users could gain access to an autonomous and open Internet. At the same time, it is also important to point out how machine learning, artificial intelligence, and IoT would support the rise of the third generation of the Web.