Internet Evolution from Web 1 to Web 4

Friends and followers,

In this article, I will cover how the internet has evolved and what I foresee for its future. The evolution of the internet or "World Wide Web", from its inception to the present day, is a fascinating journey through technology, society, and commerce.

This journey, often segmented into the phases of Web 1.0, Web 2.0, Web 3.0, and the emerging Web 4.0, illustrates the dynamic nature of the internet and how it has become an integral part of human life.

Web 1.0: The Grandpa of the Internet

And I do not describe the original internet a.k.a. "world wide web" or in short "www," in a derogatory way. Having handled 33.6kbps analog telephone line-based modems and the extinct Bulletin Board System ("BBS"), I loved every bit of Web 1.0, which was in those days a miracle.

It was a loving Grandpa in the 1990s until the mid-2000s when we all felt it had lived a great life. The websites were basic, with static content. Basically, someone created webpages, and the rest of the world clicked and read things they wrote. By the way, Web 1.0 is not dead - in the modern world, we call those 'Brochureware' sites.

Web 2.0: The Death of Privacy Due to Social Media Addiction

I am not going to judge you if your life is consumed by TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and all kinds of click-baity things. In Web 2.0, we saw the democratisation of content creation, and everybody was entitled to publish and write and sing and make videos.... all those things that were the privilege of the few in Web 1.0 - became available to the masses. Knowledge sharing via Investopedia, Wikipedia, and partial free releases of contents from Reuters, Bloomberg, etc., was the blessing I enjoyed as a finance professional.

The development of technology such as content distribution networks and cloud brought closer content creators and receivers. Unfortunately, all those vultures who senselessly destroy your privacy and that of your family's children, grew in power. They are even today far more powerful than any Government, Political Party, or authority.

In response, there was a need for organisations such as EFF, who have tried to protect our privacy and anonymity, which will have its own place in the world. The biggest obstacles in privacy and anonymity have been the User Interface, User Experience, and Slow Connectivity. So don't tell me that Tor helps everything - it is frustratingly useless for almost everything. I use Tor only because I need to access the Darknet for my cybersecurity research.

Web 2.0 will continue to grow, supported by faster connectivity and protocols. I do not foresee the emergence of criminal laws against data harvesters and data brokers. The civil laws to protect data privacy are just useless, and as an individual, I get no protection whatsoever. Therefore, I have stopped using Facebook, Instagram, and anything of that nature. Maybe one day, I will get rid of LinkedIn too (followers: is that a good idea? DM!).

Web 3.0: The Value of Decentralisation, Despite Fraud and Deceit

I do not think many of you will know exactly what Web 3.0 means. But by now, everyone, including my non-tech family members, has heard of cryptocurrency and NFTs. I should not have used the two in the same sentence, and for that, I am sorry. Cryptocurrency has a future and requires stronger infrastructure and accountability. NFTs, on the other hand, I am allergic to. That complete nonsense BS in which I would not invest a single dollar. Maybe my dollar will not become 75,000 dollars like Bitcoin did; but I am not going to take pride in owning one square millimeter of Van Gogh's digital painting. YMMV.

Web 3.0 will continue to grow for the next decade. I suggest learning more about it, as there are excellent free sources out there. But whatever you do, be cautious of fraud and deceit. Do not think you can engage in pump-and-dump schemes and always find a bigger fool. I am not a teacher of morality; make your own decisions.

Web 4.0: Here is My Guess

As of the date of writing this article, there is no Wikipedia page on the next evolution of Web 4. Answers from ChatGPT, Claude, Bard/Gemini are weird. So, I am going to share with you what I expect from Web 4.0:

a) Convergence:

Everything from Web 1, 2, and 3 is going to come together and much more. I foresee biometrics, biological sensors, identity, physical and digital asset ownership, liabilities, communication, transport, and healthcare all converging over the next decade.

b) Rebirth of Privacy:

There is a possibility that privacy, which has been burnt to ashes by data scavengers, may partially rise again through analytical tokens.

c) End-to-end quantum-safe encryption:

There is a lot of BS surrounding end-to-end encryption in Web 2.0, and almost all of those claims can be subject to exposure due to backdoors and MITM attacks. Quantum-safe algorithms need to be established as your personal finances become fully digitalised.

d) AI:

This will lead to efficiency gains, and some human decisions will be delegated to AI tools (e.g., dynamic portfolio allocation and management).

All of the above views are strictly my own, and I do not expect you to agree with me. However, I do expect you to independently think about the good, the bad, and the lines of morality that you would set for yourself. Only in that manner can we hope for our collective bright future. DMs are always open.

Santosh

23.3.2024