The Web is a really cool place. It offers us an environment of collaboration, ingenuity and development. It allows us to participate and collaborate on a global level, providing profound simplicity through cunning complexity.
One of the greatest things about the Web is that it is constantly evolving. From the slow, not-so-user-friendly Web 1.0 to where we are now has been a massive leap.
And seeing that the growth and investment in technology is pushing past the trillion £ mark, it’s safe to say that the Internet will keep to a path of digital Darwinism.
Yes. The Web is shifting. Web 3.0 is creating a space filled with unconquered territory and unfathomable opportunity. And it’s on a one-way mission to change the way that we communicate, exchange and own our information.
The bottom line? There is much to be excited for as we move into a world of edge computing, decentralised data networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A Brief History of the Web
Back in 1990, a CERN computer scientist by the name of Tim Berners-Lee wrote three of the key technologies that would lay the foundation of the World Wide Web we know today.
In fact, these technologies are terms that most of us have come across:
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language): the markup or formatting language that makes up the Web.
- HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): allows for the retrieval of data or information from the user to the server.
- URI or URL (Uniform Resource Identifier or Locator): the unique address that’s used to identify each resource on the Web.
So thanks to Berners-Lee, these technologies, along with the introduction of web browsers, would become what we know as Web 1.0. And eventually the web we know today.
This “read-only web” became a ground-breaking environment where we could all have better access to information.
But it was pretty boring and linear. It only allowed us to search for information and read it with very little freedom to interact with, or easily generate content.
Fast forward to the early 2000s and the advent of cloud, mobile internet connectivity, as well as social networking would change the face of the internet forever.
With the introduction of Web 2.0, the internet couldn’t remain a linear, dull space.
Now everybody has the ability to interact and engage seamlessly on a global level, view and create content with the potential to reach millions of people around the world and even find utility in disruptive apps like Maps, Uber and WhatsApp.
It has completely changed our entire way of living.
So if it is the case that the World Wide Web has been steadily growing, evolving, improving, then it’s time to prepare for the next stage in it’s evolution. Web 3.0.
How Web 3.0 is Changing Everything
Web 3.0 is set to be quite different in numerous ways. However, it’s main focus is on empowering each individual user. Forming a place where decentralisation, freedom of 3rd parties and ubiquitous connectivity all act to improve our lives for the better.
It’s already coming to fruition with technologies such as the blockchain and the Metaverse making their grand introduction into society.
Things like NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and Virtual Reality are already huge proponents of this new paradigm shift.
While it seems like a digitised version of the very first tweet selling for £2,18 million is ridiculous, these exchanges are key to building momentum towards a new Web. With regulations, standards and compliance now to be set in place, Web 3.0 starts to take on more form.
But what does it intend to change? What makes it so different from web 2.0?
Web 3.0 promises to offer more “open, trustless and permissionless networks”:
“Open in that they are built from open source software built by an open and accessible community of developers and executed in full view of the world. Trustless in that the network itself allows participants to interact publicly or privately without a trusted third party. Permissionless in that anyone, both users and suppliers,can participate without authorisation from a governing body”.
What it allows for is better utility to users. With AI, decentralisation and Machine Learning at the center of Web 3.0, users will:
- Have better control of their personal data – helping curb the data extraction practices of tech giants.
- Interact and collaborate in more effective ways – using the Internet of Things and seamless integration across a democratised platform.
- Have more freedom for human touch – concepts like machine learning and natural language processing will improve automation and thus make tasks easier for the user.
Start Embracing Web 3.0
While still in its infancy, Web 3.0 shows great promise to the future of the internet and business as a whole.
And so there lies a goldmine of opportunity sitting in this new paradigm of the Web, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.
Newer, bluer oceans of opportunity, free of greedy sharks and third parties. A world where data democratisation can flourish and bring with it better decision-making and accelerated agility in your workforce.
The question now becomes “How do I gain the competitive advantage to embrace all that Web3.0 has to offer?”.
It’s simple. We have the exact expertise any business would require to make an entry into this space. Whether it’s engineering your data, optimising your infrastructure for Machine Learning and APIs – we can get you there.
