The evolution of the web and how Web3 is changing the internet as we know it.

mo·nop·o·ly

1.the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.

Currently Web 2.0 operates much like a monopoly with companies like google, amazon and facebook controlling the majority of traffic, ads, and most importantly consumer data. In order to use the internet you must de facto sign dotted line to exchange your personal data for use of the web.

Enter Web 3 where everyone can get to participate in the digital economy with their privacy ensured through blockchain bringing content and data back into the hands of the original user, influencer, or creator. To understand Web 3 better lets first dive into the history of the web.

Web 1.0 - Static web (read-only) (1989 to 2004)

Web 1 is stage zero of the internet, starting in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lee at CERN hosted a read only static website over the internet. Early, there were only a few content creators in Web 1 with a majority of users who are consumers. Personal web pages were common, consisting mainly of static pages hosted on ISP-run web servers.?

In Web 1.0 advertisements on websites while surfing the internet are banned. Web 1 is a content delivery network (CDN) that enables the showcase of the piece of information on the websites. It can be used as a personal website. It costs the user as per pages viewed. It has directories that enable users to retrieve a particular piece of information.?

Three design essentials of a Web 1.0 site include:

1. Static pages.
2. Pages built using Server Side Includes or Common Gateway Interface (CGI).
3. Frames and Tables are used to position and align the elements on a page.

Web 2.0 - Interactive web (dynamic) (2004 to present )

Starting in 2004, we saw an increase in user participation and the evolution of social media with sites like MySpace, Facebook, Youtube. These new sites were powered by a powerful evolution in the underlying web tech of Java script and AJAX which allowed the free sorting and recall of information by users and dynamically classify and interact with the content.

Web2 led to more people in the world becoming creators. Because of its scope and simplicity, people started sharing their creativity with the world and the amount of UGC (user generate content) production and consumption increased over the years leading to what we know today as the influencer economy.

The downside is obvious; the content which the users create on a particular platform (eg Youtube, Instagram, Twitter) are not owned by the creators and they have to abide the platform’s terms & service which can change at any time. These platforms are not only low balling the creators on their platforms but also monetizing over their users’ personal data. This then expounds as we move into e-commerce, interactions with brands, and all digital advertising.

?Four major features of Web 2.0:

1. Dynamic content that is responsive to user input.
2. Information flows between the site owner and site users by means of evaluation & online commenting.
3. Developed APIs to allow self-usage, such as by a software application.
4. Web access leads to concern different, from the traditional Internet user base to a wider variety of users.

Web 3.0 The next revolution

So what is Web 3? To put it simply it finally allows us to upgrade the backend framework underlying the entire internet. For the last 2 decades the world at large focused on upgrading the front end experience of the web at great expense to privacy, ownership, and permission.

Otherwise known as the (semantic web) it will organize “the world’s information” in a more efficient way than Google can ever attain with their existing back end schema. The semantic web improves web technologies in demand to create, share and connect content through search and analysis based on the capability to comprehend the meaning of words, rather than on keywords or numbers.

Four Major Features of Web 3

1. Artificial Intelligence?-In Web 3.0, computers can distinguish information like humans in order to provide faster and more relevant results.
2. 3D Graphics?- The three-dimensional design is being used widely in websites and services in Web 3.0. Museum guides, computer games, e-commerce, geospatial contexts, etc. are all examples that use 3D graphics. This is where the meta-verse comes into play with truly immersable digital experinces.
3. Connectivity? - With Web 3.0, information is more connected thanks to metadata. As a result, the user experience evolves to another level of connectivity that leverages all the available information.
4. Ubiquity? - Content is accessible by multiple applications, every device is connected to the web, the services can be used everywhere.

What it means for the future of the web

I will explore this in greater detail in the next installment but at a high level web3 powered by blockchains such as Ethereum, Polygon, Solona, etc will allow us to build a completely connected, secure, create oriented ecosystem around the web. In the near future brands and consumers should look to emerging technologies, such as metaverse experiences, nfts, dynamic loyalty programs, and token based interaction and rewards to start shifting the web 2 into web 3. At this point it is key for brands, technologists, and marketers to begin working with Web 3 to build a vision for the future and not risk being left behind or scrambling to continue to market in a world without third party data and cookies.