Web 3.0

Previous versions of Internet Era

Web 1.0: The first version of the web was started with the development of the web browser in 1991. It consisted of static websites with content written by a few people and organizations. Other people can only read the content, they cannot comment or provide new information, so it is just one-way communication. It worked very well but had one big problem there was no way to make money off it. For instance, a Web 1.0 startup called Google had heavy traffic, but couldn’t encash it.

Web 2.0: The next version of the web, which is web 2.0 was started approximately from 2004. It allowed consumers to add content through comments, blogs etc. People began creating a lot of content on social media websites as well. So, people can read and write on this version of the web, which allowed two-way communication.

What is Web 3.0 ?

Any innovation starts with a vision. So, many people had different version on how the next version of the web should be. The majority of them wanted a web that ensured data privacy and free speech. The invention of Blockchain technology, which enables peer-to-peer online payment transfers without the interference of banks, gave hopes of creating the decentralized web, where user privacy and free speech are guaranteed. The latest technologies, such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, are being used to create Web 3.0.

Web 3.0 is defined as a decentralized web, where content does not lie in the hands of big corporations. Instead, it uses peer-to-peer infrastructure, so the information cannot be censored by corporations or the government. So, it can ensure free speech.

However, the reality may or may not match the vision. It may change somewhat from the vision or take a whole different direction.

The vision of web 3.0

• Web 3.0 will most likely be a decentralized internet. Now there are already so many Decentralized applications (dApps), which are based on blockchain technology to give more control to users over their data and finances.

• As the data is not controlled by big companies, user privacy will be guaranteed.

• The accuracy of the information may also be improved by making Artificial intelligence learn to distinguish between good and bad data. AI is already being used to accomplish this goal. Google, for example, uses Artificial Intelligence to delete millions of fake reviews.

• Web 3.0 allows 3D graphics in apps. Big tech companies have already begun to invest metaverse – virtual environments. Some of the most popular metaverses include Decentraland, Sandbox, and CryptoVoxels. Metaverses are made possible with the help of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. We may use our digital avatars to interact, shop, and play games in the virtual world. There, we can use cryptocurrencies for financial transactions.

• Web 3.0 is already being included by several websites and apps. According to some experts, web 3.0 will not be able to totally replace web 2.0 in the near future. Instead, both will run simultaneously.

Challenges with Web 3.0

• Vastness: The internet is huge and it contains billions of pages and the SNOMED CT medical terminology ontology alone includes 370,000 class names, and existing technology has not yet been able to eliminate all semantically duplicated terms.

• Vagueness: User queries are not really specific and can be extremely vague at the best of times. Fuzzy logic is used to deal with vagueness.

• Uncertainty: The internet deals with scores of uncertain values. For example, a patient might present a set of symptoms that correspond to many different distinct diagnoses each with a different probability. Probabilistic reasoning techniques are generally employed to address uncertainty.

• Inconsistency: Inconsistent data can lead to logical contradiction and unpredictive analysis.

Conclusion

Web 3.0 is the next step in the internet’s evolution, and its foundations have already been set. According to current standards, web 3.0 will be a huge advance in network technology since it will be a hyper-intelligent network capable of understanding information like a human. Aside from the technological marvels proposed by web 3.0, it also proposes the application of certain ideas that will drastically alter existing mode of operation of today’s networks.  And we as the end-users will usher into a new era of networking, one that will further blur the lines between the physical and the digital space.