Is Web 3 and Web 3.0 different?

Web 3 and Web 3.0 sounds the same, isn't it? Well, it might just sound similar, suggesting a successor to Web 2 but they don't mean the same.?

While Web 3 is considered the future of the internet, where data is centralised, Web 3.0 is the read-write-execute web that can be viewed, interacted with, and programmed as well.?

WEB 3:

It conceptualises a read-write-own website which lets a user not only read and write but also own the website. The aim is to give the power back to the users, diminishing the need for intermediaries.?

Key features-

• Data Ownership- With Web3, you would be the owner of your data. This contrasts with Web 2.0, where companies like Facebook and Google own your data.
• Decentralised Applications — Also known as dapps, these programs run on a decentralised network. Dapps are resistant to censorship and downtime.
• Permissionless- Anyone can build applications on Web 3 with no hassle of requiring permissions from a central authority.
• No third-party interference- It is referred to as a trustless system where you wouldn't have to rely on a third party to facilitate transactions. Hence, would be made possible with blockchain technology as Web 3 is still in the early stage of development.

On the other hand, Web 3.0 is driven to unlock the potential of the web by connecting everything at the data level. Currently, information gets stored in silos on the internet. For instance, if you update your job status on LinkedIn, it does not get updated on Facebook automatically. This is a gap that Web 3.0 aims to overcome. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web wants to connect all that info so that one needs to update information just once. Accordingly, there would be higher accuracy since the same information will appear everywhere. Web 3.0 will also bring in more intelligence.

While you might conclude that Web 3 and Web 3.0 might be changed interchangeably, a line of difference still exists between the two.?

Semantic Vs Decentralised Web

The main difference between Web3 and Web 3.0 is that Web3 is decentralized while Web 3.0 supports decentralization while still having data controlled in solid pods. In other words, Web3 focuses on giving power back to the user while Web 3.0 focuses on making the web smarter. Web3 is a read-write-own model while Web 3.0 is a read-write-execute model. While the decentralized web or Web3 focuses on empowering users by giving them control over their data, the semantic web or Web 3.0 focuses on efficiency and intelligence, by enabling the reuse and linkage of data across websites/applications.

Technology Used

The technology used between Web3 and Web 3.0 is also different. Web3 is majorly built on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is what supports the immutability and spreading of user data across different nodes.

On the other hand, Web 3.0 uses several data interchange technology such as JSON-LD, RDF, and SPARQL. These technologies help to make the web smarter by making it easier for data to be linked.

Ownership Control

Another difference is that with Web3, individuals have full control over their data. This is because it focuses on giving users ownership of their data. On the other hand, Web 3.0 does not focus on data ownership. Instead, there's still a centralized entity that controls the data. However, users can have control over third parties who have access to their data.

Data Access

As data in Web 3.0 is stored in solid pods, users are assigned a specific WebID that they can use to access their data. The data can also be accessed through different applications connected to the solid network.

On the other hand, on Web3, users can access their data through a decentralised application or dapp. The user's data is stored on the blockchain, and they would need to use a private key to access it.

Though according to popular opinion, the future of the web will be an integration of important Web3 elements like blockchain and elements of Web 3.0 like machine readability, currently Web3 is gaining the spotlight.