In 2021, Web 3.0 became hyped to the skies, with most people being clueless about its definition. And it’s totally understandable - there’s no agreed-upon definition of Web 3.0 whatsoever. All we know for sure is that web 3.0 is an ongoing trend of the World Wide Web moving to a more semantic web and becoming more immersive. The term was coined by Tim Berners-Leein the year 2004, and it will fundamentally change the Internet as we know it today.
Not much, right? So today, we’ll look closer at this news headline-grabber and explore the main differences between web 2.0 vs web 3 if you’re late to this party.
Let’s get started.
The Many Faces of Web: Historical Overview
As the numbers imply, web 2.0 and web 3.0 aren’t the only webs that are used to serve humanity. It all started with web 1.0 back in 1990. Why go that far back in history? It’ll help you to understand the whole family tree of the web, including number 3.
Stop#1: The year 1990
Web 1.0 is the first web, which was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. It's made up of two words: World Wide WEB and "one". The "one" stands for the first version of the internet, and how it applies to everyone.
Most people don't know that the internet wasn't always around. In fact, it only became a reality in 1991! Before then, there was no way to access information from different computers miles apart. Launched in 1990, Web 1.0 was the first major iteration of the World Wide Web. As a result, many people believe that Web 1.0 encompasses all websites during this period of web development. However, it should only refer to sites created using HTML and server technologies that followed Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
These sites were designed primarily for reading, getting information. Apart from hyperlinks, they contained almost no interactive elements, multimedia, as well as did not allow users to interact like we do today or exchange files. All we had back then were forums and online journals (you remember those?)
Therefore, web 1.0 can be considered the read-only version of the World Wide Web.
Stop#2: The Aughts
In the 2000s, the Internet became a much more interesting place to hang out on. Web 2.0 is the name given to the Internet version that aims to make the web more interactive and collaborative, especially in terms of user-generated content and information sharing.
Although the term was first coined in 1999 by Darcy DiNucci, it has taken on new meaning with the advent of social media. Thus, it's no longer enough for a website to have links or pages; users expect sites to be interactive and even immersive.
Today, this form of content creation accounts for a significant share of the WWW, and Web 2.0 sites are used by the majority of Internet users.
With the advent of high-speed Internet access on the World Wide Web, multimedia information (video, music, graphics) has become popular. Therefore, Web 2.0 is marked by the emergence of new web services, the development of web programming, improved design, and the convenience of sites. But it all came with the price.
Why Is Web 2.0 not good enough?
At first, Web 2.0 looks like a perfect place to be online. It comes with an open-source feature-rich user experience, user participation, dynamic content, metadata, Web standards, and scalability.
Just look at this list of goodies:
- Cross-device access to web content (smartphones, tablets, TVs, consoles, etc)
- Dynamic content which looks way better than static web pages in Web 1.0
- User participation in content creation
- APIs that allow for interaction between different programs
But along with these benefits, we get a reduced user ability to be anonymous and a large number of watchdogs that can ban us from any Internet destination on demand. Also, although the technology opens up new possibilities, it is also a virgin territory to malware. The web 2.0 AJAX ( asynchronous JavaScript and XML) allows hackers to invisibly embed some bad JavaScript code - you remember the Yamanner worm, right?
Also, according to a report by McAfee, over half of 1.000 section makers said that Web 2.0 was a dark place. With 6 out of 10 experiencing security breaches, this stigma comes as no surprise.
In order to prevent a problem,
So what’s the point of being interactive and tech-savvy if that exposes additional vulnerabilities to users?
And here’s when Web 3.0 steals the show and comes to rescue our data.
Stop#3: The savior 3.0
So, the biggest gripe of Web 2.0 is the lack of privacy and increasing security issues that largely stem from Web 2.0 being centralized. And that’s where Web 3.0 trails the blaze. This new web iteration relies, among others, on blockchain technology.
Therefore, it presents one formidable answer to setbacks of web 2.0 with an emphasis on security. By using a decentralized network, it allows users to safely exchange data while embedding encryption and distributed ledger technology.
However, the impact of Web 3.0 seems more disruptive than improved security. It aims to upturn the current ad-based values by delivering a fair internet where users control their own data, identity, and destiny.
As there’s still no clear-cut definition of Web 3.0, the latter is mainly used as a catch-all phrase for anything that happens after Web 2.0. Web 3.0 is also often alluded to as a new iteration of the internet that is built with blockchain technology and open-source code.
Main features of Web 3.0
Instead of bickering over the right definition of Web 3.0, let’s articulate its main differentiators that make this web version so innovative:
- The extensive use of cutting-edge technologies
First and foremost, Web 3.0 accrues benefits from a whole wealth of technologies. The latter include Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 3D Graphics, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. This powerful combo is targeted at making our virtual experience more immersive and user-friendly.
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Blockchain for removing intermediaries and ensuring public verifiability
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Cryptocurrency for eliminating the ad-based model and rewarding users for sharing valuable content
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3D graphics, VR, and AR for making our digital experiences much like our physical world
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Artificial intelligence for enabling computers to better understand human input
- The concept of semantic web aka the linked data web
Semantic Web is something of a holy grail for the internet — a way to organize information that doesn’t rely on human-created tags or taxonomies. Instead, it relies on meaning, which can be derived from relationships between entities and their attributes.
‘The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better-enabling computers and people to work in cooperation.’[1]
In simple words, search engines won’t rely on a simple keyword search. Instead, they will look into a true understanding of conceptual information, based on machine-interpretable metadata.
- Artificial intelligence becoming virtual intelligence
Artificial intelligence, being one of the salient building blocks of consciousness, contributes to an inclusive digital virtual world where users can experience real-like interaction with machines. In particular, AI will ensure the seamless fusion of human language and machines, thus enabling computers to gain a high-level understanding.
Virtual intelligence (which is a type of AI that lives in the virtual world) will be responsible for generating avatars that offer information, role-playing, and social interactions. Moreover, with AI, we can better understand and interpret the content on the web.
- Connectivity and ubiquity
Within the Web 3.0 continuum, information and content are all interconnected, creating a seamless chain of data. Thus, we’ll be able to access information through multiple applications - at any time. An early example of this concept is a foundation for the Internet of Things.
Looking at these differences, it seems like Web 2.0 has them all as well (except for decentralization, of course). So what are the core differences between Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0? Let’s see.
Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0: What’s the difference?
There are quite a few, otherwise, Web 3.0 wouldn’t be heralded as a new iteration. For example, web 2.0 emphasizes read and write operations while web 3.0 will focus on the semantic web. Below you’ll find some other differentiators:
- Mission
The goal of Web 2.0 was to allow people to engage with content on the internet. Web 3.0, on the other hand, encourages users to become active contributors. Web 3.0 aspires to link knowledge, as opposed to web 2.0's goal of connecting people.
- Application types
The nature of the application is also different for the two. Web 2.0 sites on podcasts, blogs, and video sites, while Web 3.0 steps up the game and offers AI and ML-powered applications (dApps). The latter may include multi-user virtual environments, 3D portals, and integrated games.
- Data ownership
The principle of data ownership is also crucial for differentiating between the two. Within Web 2.0, the network takes ownership of the data. In web 3.0, the data belongs to the user who can share it across the network.
- User acquisition paths
Web 2.0 relies on interactive advertising, the third iteration is based on behavioral advertising. In the second case, brands will serve targeted ads or content based on a user's past actions and behaviors. It means that ads will be more relevant to the user.
- Tech background
Although Web 2.0 seems to reach a tech equilibrium, it still greatly relies on the combo of AJAX and JavaScript, CSS3, and HTML5. But to promote the exchange of content, we need a different set of software. Web 3.0., for example, will ensure content quality and security by implementing AU at scale. Thus, the core tech stack behind Web 3.0 includes meta-universe machine learning, deep learning, semantic web, and decentralized protocols.
Are We There Yet?
So, we can compare the evolution of webs with movies. Web 1.0 would represent the era of black and white cinema, Web 2.0 would be the era of color/basic 3D, while Web 3.0 would be an immersive experience in a meta-universe.
Also, Web 2.0 is considered to be the current version of the Internet, while Web 3.0 represents the next frontier, which will be decentralized, open, and more useful.
Addressing the question, we’re not there yet but are certainly on the track to Web 3.0 (let’s take Decentraland as an example). However, before we make it to a bright, decentralized future, we have to get to grips with the legal and regulatory risks that decentralization brings. Technological limitations are also a huge layer of stumbling blocks on the way to the third web iteration. Right now, Web 2.0 and early-stage Web 3.0 are comfortably coexisting together, with the former dominating the landscape.
[1] Berners-Lee, Tim et al “The Semantic Web” Scientific American: Feature Article, May 2001: page 1. https://www-sop.inria.fr/acacia/cours/essi2006/Scientific American_ Feature Article_ The Semantic Web_ May 2001.pdf.