Web 3.0, also known as the decentralized web, is the third generation or the latest phase of the internet. It is built on peer-to-peer networks of computers that talk to each other without an intermediary. It integrates data decentralized to provide a more tailored and faster user experience. The three major technological foundations on top of which Web 3.0 is built are blockchain which will help achieve decentralized data storage and foster faith in the virtual world. Artificial Intelligence helps decode and filter online data and offer the most appropriate choices to users. IoT enables the interoperability layer of Web 3.0 to connect the internet to smart devices. Web 3.0’s ultimate goal is to make websites more intelligent, connected, and open.

Evolution of Web 1.0 to 3.0

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a network of interconnected hypertext documents that can be accessed over the internet. A web browser allows you to see online pages with text, photos, videos, and other multimedia and move between them via hyperlinks. In 1990, Berners-Lee and Belgian computer scientist Robert Cailliau suggested using hypertext “to link and access diverse types of information as a web of nodes in which the user may traverse at whim.” The first web service was built and tested and was later confined to the World Wide Web.

WEB 1.0

Web 1.0 is the first stage of the World Wide Web’s evolution. There were only a few content creators on Web 1.0, and the great majority of users were content consumers. Personal websites were standard, and most of them were static pages hosted on ISP-owned web servers or free web hosting services.

Web 1.0 made it illegal to view advertisements on websites while using the internet. On Web 1.0, Ofoto was a digital photography website where users could save, share, browse, and print photographs. Web 1.0 refers to a content delivery network (CDN) that allows data to be displayed on websites. It’s a good choice for a personal website where the users are charged based on the number of pages seen. It features directories that allow users to search for specific information.

The first version of the internet was essentially a read-only environment, largely static and one-way. To sell their products, companies may make catalogs or brochures available on the internet, which anyone can read and contact the companies. Most eCommerce website owners used shopping cart apps in various formats, and catalogs and brochures were identical to the ads in newspapers and magazines. The websites offered static HTML pages with infrequent updates. The website’s main goals were to make information available to anybody and establish an online presence.

Web 1.0 characteristics:

• It’s made up of static pages connected to a system via hyperlinks
• It has HTML 3.2 elements like frames and tables
• HTML forms get sent through e-mail
• The content comes from the server’s filesystem, not a relational database management system
• It features GIF buttons and graphics

WEB 2.0

Web 2.0 refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, usability, and interoperability for end-users worldwide. The participatory social web is another name for Web 2.0. It does not relate to a change in a technical definition but rather to a change in how Web pages are built and used. The transition is advantageous, although it does not appear to be the case when the changes occur.

Web 2.0 allows users to interact and collaborate in social media discourse as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community. People use numerous online tools and platforms to convey their ideas, opinions, thoughts, and experiences on the social web. End-users are more inclined to interact with Web 2.0 apps. Web 2.0 is defined by wisdom web, people-centric web, participatory web, and read-write web. If the web allows for both reading and writing then it is called bidirectional web.

Web 2.0 is a Web platform that enables users to break free from many of the limitations of Web 1.0. To put it another way, Web 2.0 consumers have more engagement with less control. Web 2.0 isn’t only a new version of Web 1.0. It also allows for more flexible web design, creative reuse, upgrades, and collaborative content production and modification. Instead of Web 1.0, one of the most notable qualities of Web 2.0 is that it encourages cooperation and assists in gathering collective Intelligence.

Web 2.0 characteristics:

·It offers free information sorting, allowing users to retrieve and classify data collectively

• It contains dynamic content that responds to the user’s input
• It employs Developed Application Programming Interfaces (API)
• It encourages self-usage and allows forms of interaction like: Podcasting, Social media, Tagging, Blogging, Commenting, Curating with RSS, Social networking, Web content voting

It’s used by society at large and not limited to specific communities.

WEB 3.0

Web 3.0, also referred to as web3, is built on a foundation consisting of the core ideas of decentralization, openness, and excellent user utility. Web 1.0 is the “read-only” web, Web 2.0 is the participative social web, and Web 3.0 is the read, write, and execute web.

This Web interaction and utilization stage moves users away from centralized platforms like Facebook, Google, or Twitter and towards decentralized, nearly anonymous platforms.

World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee initially called Web 3.0 the Semantic web and envisioned an intelligent, autonomous, and open Internet that used Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to act as a “global brain” and process content conceptually and contextually. Web 3.0 allows people to engage, exchange information, and securely perform financial transactions without a single authority or coordinator. As a result, each user becomes a content owner instead of a content user.

Web 3.0 characteristics:

• It’s a semantic web, where the web technology evolves into a tool that lets users create, share, and connect content via search and analysis. It is based on comprehension of words instead of numbers and keywords.
• It incorporates Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. If these concepts are combined with Natural Language Processing (NLP), a computer can use Web 3.0 to become more innovative and more responsive to user needs.
• It facilitates participation without needing authorization from a governing body. It’s permission less.
• It presents the connectivity of multiple devices and applications through the Internet of Things (IoT). Semantic metadata makes this process possible, allowing all available information to be effectively leveraged. In addition, people can connect to the internet anytime, anywhere, without needing a computer or smart device.
• It offers users the freedom to interact publicly or privately without having an intermediary expose them to risks, offering people “trustless” data.

Advantages of WEB 3.0 for End-Users

Many technologists have mentioned that Web 3.0 is a potential solution to the domination of the web by the so-called big tech companies. There are also other benefits associated with Web 3.0 in terms of better online security, increased data privacy, and protection against data breaches which are the current issues users face on Web 2.0.

Many technologists have mentioned that Web 3.0 is a potential solution to the domination of the web by the so-called big tech companies. There are also other benefits associated with Web 3.0 in terms of better online security, increased data privacy, and protection against data breaches which are the current issues users face on Web 2.0.

Ownership of Data

Tech giants in Web 2.0 built their service offerings in a centralized manner to take control over the user-generated data. In a blockchain-powered web3, end-users take full ownership of the data. The end-user will have full authority over the data they generate. They will be able to choose what information they want to share with businesses and advertising companies and make money from it. Also, Web 3.0 will not be controlled by a single entity. As a result, decentralized apps (dApps) will not be censored, nor will their access be restricted.

Transparency

Thanks to the decentralized web, users will be able to trace their data and inspect the source code of the platforms they choose to use. All stakeholders will be aware of the value and commerce they are associated with. Users won’t have to rely on an intermediary to get this information.

Improved information Linking for better search results

Web 3.0 will help the end-user to search for information more efficiently. When the user searches for something on a search engine, it will show them more relevant search results instead of showing the most popular pages that people click. This is possible because of the semantic web, which will help better connect online data. It will help the user save more time searching for the information and be more productive.

Personalized Internet Surfing Experience

Web 3.0 will offer a more personalized internet surfing experience as websites will be better able to recognize our preferences. Web applications analyze our internet usage and habits to customize themselves to fit best with our device, location, etc.

Uninterrupted Services

In web3, data will be stored on distributed nodes. Thus, the users will not need to think about the suspension of a particular account or service disruptions due to technical or other reasons.

Opportunities Presented by WEB 3.0 to Businesses

Let us explore some of the ways the latest Web 3.0 technology can benefit businesses.

Improved Transparency and Trust:

Web 3.0 technologies can help to improve transparency and trust between businesses and their customers. The use of blockchain technology, for example, can help to create a tamper-proof record of transactions. This would allow companies to build more trust with their customers by providing a transparent view of their business dealings.

Blockchain will be used to provide customers with a real-time view of a company’s supply chain. Customers can track their products at every stage of the manufacturing process, ensuring that they receive exactly what they paid for.

Increased Security:

Nothing is more critical to a company’s success than its users’ data security. By decentralizing your data, Web 3.0 technologies can help to increase its security. All of your data is stored in one place in a centralized system. As a result, it is vulnerable to attack. Your data is spread throughout a secure ledger in a decentralized system. Hackers will have a considerably harder time accessing and manipulating your data due to this.

Affordable Infrastructure:

The infrastructure required to run a Web 3.0 application is significantly less expensive than running a regular web application. Because Web 3.0 applications are decentralized, this is the case. They do not need the use of expensive servers or data centers. Instead, they can be run on a volunteer-run network of computers. This makes developing and maintaining Web 3.0 apps considerably more economical.

Improved User Experience:

Web 3.0 technologies can improve the user experience by providing a more personalized web. AI and machine learning algorithms can assist in providing each user with a personalized experience that is suited to their specific demands. As a result, the web is more user-friendly and simple to navigate. Customer happiness and loyalty will improve as a result of this.

Eliminate Third-Party Intermediaries:

Dealing with third-party intermediaries can be costly and time-consuming for business owners. However, there is some good news. Businesses can make transactions directly with their customers via Web 3.0, eliminating the need for an intermediary. This means businesses can save money on transaction fees while also getting their products and services to market faster, resulting in stronger customer ties.

Conclusion

The web was invented by a man named Tim Berners-Lee in the 1990s and originally used HTML as its operating language.

The web has been divided into two different generations: Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Web 1.0 is the original web, invented by Berners-Lee. Web 2.0 is an upgrade of Web 1.0 and the addition of social networking sites to the internet domain. Web 3.0, also known as the semantic web, is the next logical progression in the growth of the internet.

The advantages of Web 3.0 are that it will make the internet much faster, more secure, and easier to search for information.