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Web 3.0

What is web 3.0?

This is the 3rd generation of internet services for websites and applications that will focus on using a machine-based understanding of data to provide a data-driven and Semantic Web and is the founding block of cryptocurrency and blockchain. The main goals of web 3.0 is to be autonomous, and intelligent. Data in web 3.0 is to be interconnected in a decentralized way.

Evolution of the web

Web 1.0(1989-2005)

This was the first iteration of the internet. This was the age of static webpages retrieved from servers. It offered accesss to little information and user interaction was little to none. Creating user pages or commenting was not possible at the time.

Web 2.0(2005-date)

This is the social web and the current iteration of the internet currently in use. This was made possible due to advancements in web technologies like javascript, HTML5, among others thus enabling development of interactive web platforms. In this iteration data is distributed and shared between various platforms.

Web 3.0(yet to come)

This the next stage of the web evolution that would make the internet more intelligent or process information with near-human-like intelligence through the power of AI systems that could run smart programs to assist users. The Semantic Web is meant to "automatically" interface with systems, people and home devices. As such, content creation and decision-making processes will involve both humans and machines.

Features of Web 3.0

Though there is as yet no standardized definition of Web 3.0, it does have a few defining features:

  1. Decentralization- 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, because information would be found based on its content, it could be stored in multiple locations simultaneously and hence be decentralized. With Web 3.0, the data generated by disparate and increasingly powerful computing resources, including mobile phones, desktops, appliances, vehicles, and sensors, will be sold by users through decentralized data networks, ensuring that users retain ownership control.

  2. Ubiquity- This is having the capacity to be everywhere at the same time. Web 3.0 simply takes this a step further by making the internet accessible to everyone anywhere, at any time. At some point, internet-connected devices will no longer be concentrated on computers and smartphones like in Web 2.0 since IoT (Internet of Things) technology will bring forth a plethora of new types of smart devices.

  3. Semantic web- the Semantic Web, according to Berners-Lee, enables computers to analyze loads of data from the Web, which includes content, transactions and links between persons. Applying semantics in the Web would enable machines to decode meaning and emotions by analyzing data. Consequently, internet users will have a better experience driven by enhanced data connectivity.

  4. Artificial Intelligence- In Web 3.0, computers will be able to understand information similarly to humans, through technologies based upon Semantic Web concepts and natural language processing. Web 3.0 will also use machine learning, which is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses data and algorithms to imitate how humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. These capabilities will enable computers to produce faster and more relevant results in a host of areas like drug development and new materials, as opposed to merely targeted advertising that forms the bulk of current efforts.

  5. 3D graphics- Some futurists also call Web 3.0 the Spatial Web as it aims to blur the line between the physical and the digital by revolutionizing graphics technology, bringing into clear focus three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds.

Web 3.0 Applications

Web 3.0 application is the ability to digest large-scale information and turn it into factual knowledge and useful executions for users. Some of the existing applications of web 3.0 are:

Siri

This is Apple’s voice-controlled AI assistant which has grown more intelligent and has expanded its abilities since its first appearance in the iPhone 4S model. Siri uses speech recognition, along with artificial intelligence, to be able to perform complex and personalized commands. Today, Siri and other AI assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Samsung’s Bixby can understand requests such as “where is the nearest burger joint” and immediately come up with the right information or action.

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is a “computational knowledge engine” that answers your questions directly by computation, as opposed to giving you a list of webpages like search engines do. If you want a practical comparison, search “england vs brazil” on both Wolfram Alpha and Google and see the difference. Google gives the results of the World Cup even if you didn’t include “football” as a keyword, since it is the most popular search. Alpha, on the other hand, would give you a detailed comparison of the two countries, like you asked. That’s the key difference between Web 2.0 and 3.0.

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