The Difference between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0

If you are familiar with the internet of today, you know what Web2 is: an internet dominated by companies that provide services in exchange for your personal data. On the other hand, Web3 represents the next evolution of the internet. While we still do not have a clear definition of Web3, it is possible to paint a picture of what it will be about thanks to the existence of crypto projects.

Purpose of Web3

Today, the internet or Web2 is controlled by big tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube and Meta, formerly known as Facebook. These companies hold the information, power and all the profits associated with their users’ data. However, Web3 plans to steer us away from this tyranny through decentralization, where we will get a share of the profits. Today, the most viable way to achieve this goal is through blockchain technology and decentralized applications.

Brief History of the Internet

The first generation of the internet (Web1) constituted a stream of information, and existed from 1991-2004. It was known as the read-only web and allowed the broadcast of information to users. Web1 was made up of static web pages and did not feature many content creators. Even though it was revolutionary for its time, interaction and functionality were rather limited.

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Web2 saw a stream of interaction. It is the internet as we know it today, which is less static and more dynamic. This version of the internet became more popular in 2004 when the first Web2 conference took place. The system behind this web aimed to actively engage users, with the content itself becoming more user-generated. Web2 components like blogs, wikis and social media platforms have changed how we share and deliver information. For example, Facebook and Twitter allow users to share their thoughts, perspectives and opinions by liking, sharing, tagging, tweeting, etc. Even though there is a dependency on big tech companies to provide the infrastructure and services needed, Web3 hopes to eliminate this reliance.

Web3 will be a stream of interpretation. The next version of the internet will be more intelligent, autonomous and open. This means that computers will be able to interpret information in a way that is more similar to humans and by using technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), providing users with more personalized content and experiences.

Potential Benefits of Web3

Personalization: Thanks to Web3, the internet experience will likely become more customized for the user, allowing for more efficient search, relevant marketing, better communication, and increased information linking.

Secure peer-to-peer (P2P) network: Web3 will allow users to connect, transact and share data privately without relying on third parties. This is unlike Web2, where every time you interact with the internet, copies of your data get sent to the data servers, and you no longer own it exclusively.

Ownership of information, data and digital assets: By using blockchain technology, Web3 aims to displace tech giants by handing complete ownership of data back to the users. In this Web2 era, big tech companies such as Amazon and Facebook store your data and personal information, mostly to improve their marketing and analytics. However, many privacy concerns have been raised over such one-sided data governance, and many see Web3 as the solution.

Permissionless: Another way Web3 promises to provide a more democratic system is that there will be no restrictions on who can be part of the network. Also, neither users nor suppliers will require authorization from a governing body to participate. This means that services are available to everyone, and individuals can influence the network based on their value.

More democracy and involvement: Web3 will allow users to be more involved in future ecosystem developments. As a result, the ecosystems will not have presidents or CEOs but Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), where token owners have a say in changes and developments.

Censorship resistance: Unlike Web2 platforms that store data on centralized servers, Web3 is decentralized. This means its servers cannot be accessed, altered or removed by any party such as corporations, governments or hackers. Also, these entities cannot deny users access to services since blockchain-related technologies such as IPFS and distributed hash tables can form a content system that is much more difficult to block and takedown.

Digital Identity: Another awesome thing about Web3 is that everyone will have their own digital identity and more control over their privacy. Progress in the development of Web3 means a decentralized digital identity for everyone is becoming a possibility.

All in all, Web3 will be about utilizing blockchain and many other decentralized protocols, such as data oracles, storage, messaging and digital identities. However, technological advancements in decentralized systems will not mean that the internet will look any different. Less technical users might not even see the difference, since web3’s innovation is most noticeable at the “backend” of the internet. Thus, you can expect to see decentralized versions of the same apps you are used to without significant differences.