In recent times, there has been a lot of hype and noise about Web 3.0. What exactly does this mean for the future of internet, and how does it affect your average Joe? Let’s find out.

Currently, most of us use a second-generation internet called Web 2.0. It which is characterized by greater social interactivity, and user-generated content, than the original catalogue of static web pages. Web 2.0 is an upgrade from the initial web 1.0 which allowed users only to read documents on the web.

Web 2.0 was created to improve user interaction with contents on the web page. To simply put users now had the privilege to read and write contents on the web. Web 2.0 was also referred to as participative social web. It began to gain popularity in the mid-2000s and it grew exponentially with the rise of sophisticated CSS, JavaScript, and HTML applications. Technological innovations such as smartphones, mobile Internet access, social networks as well mobile devices contributed immensely to the rise of web 2.0.

Amidst the rise of Web 2.0 came the Tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google (FAANG). They were responsible for the delivery of contents to users, and had access to user data. They determine who had access to their platform and reserve the right to censor contents consumers interacted with. rights. A notable example was seen recently when Twitter and other social media platforms restricted Donald Trump’s accounts.

Despite the advantages technology brought, on several occasions, some of these big tech companies have been found culpable of harvesting user’s data for financials gains. All these shortcomings and more are addressed by web 3.0 the next generation of the internet.

One of the main sellout of web3.0 is decentralization; no central authority or body controls its activities. It seeks to put power in the hands of the consumers, giving them read, write and own privileges.

Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 differ from each other in many ways. A few of the differences are;

• Decentralization: This is a core tenet of Web 3.0. In Web 2.0, computers use HTTP in the form of unique web addresses to find information, which is stored at a fixed location (generally on a single server). With Web 3.0, information storage would be decentralized. Information would be found based on content and stored in multiple locations simultaneously. This would break down the massive databases currently held by Internet giants like Facebook (now Meta) and Google, and would hand greater control to users.

• Immutability: This feature of web 3.0 due to its usage of blockchain technology. Unlike Web 2.0, immutability prevents the deleting or removal of contents posted by a user. A good example is during the US general elections when Twitter deleted tweets from the former president.

• Trustless and Permission-less: In addition to decentralization and being based upon open source software, Web 3.0 will also be trustless and permission-less. It will be trustless because the network will allow participants to interact directly without going through a “trusted intermediary”. Likewise, Web 3.0 will not require permission to operate. Anyone can participate without authorization from a governing body. As a result, Web 3.0 applications will run on blockchain, a decentralized peer-to-peer networks, or a combination of both. These decentralized apps are referred to as dApps.

All these upgrades and features of web 3.0 have been put in place to give users more control, or in this context freedom. However, how far is too far with freedom?

Social vices like cyber bullying, hate speech, misinformation, etc. were characteristic of web 2.0 regardless of the form of control companies exerted. With the changes that Web 3.0 is introducing to control, is it possible that some of these social vices may spin out of control?

As the saying goes ‘Where there is no law there is no sin’. We are still in the early days of Web 3.0, and there is no telling of what the future may bring. I guess we would have to wait to find out for ourselves.

I am currently exploring this “Future of web” that is making waves around the tech world right now and would put up more articles as I progress. Special thanks to the Zuri team, NestCoin and BlockGames as they’re helping me in my journey.