WEB 3.0
Published: 2023-06-26 06:02:36



In 1989, computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, a fellow at the CERN research institution, published a proposal for a system that would make data sharing easy and accessible throughout the globe.  After four years of development, Berners-Lee released his source code for Mesh, the world's first web browser. What Berners-Lee dubbed the World Wide Web would stream pages off of his NeXT desktop computer which was the world's first web server.  This revolutionary technology allowed information to be easily found and accessed, but would only serve static web pages. A static page is a web page that cannot be interacted with because the code is fixed. A static web page will not change unless a developer makes changes to its code. This is far from what we know of as the internet today which wouldn't come about until 1999.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rsf2krccgv3qlxpkn9to.jpg)

The term Web 2.0 refers to what we know and love as the internet today. The key difference between the original Web and Web 2.0 is that Web 2.0 serves dynamic web pages, which actively engage the user. Web 2.0 doesn't denote any particular technical improvements that were made to web systems, but rather a shift in the way the web was being used. Around this time, we saw the advent of social media with websites such as SixDegrees and Myspace. Pages were used to complete monetary transactions, communicate with one another, find jobs, and much more than simply accessing data. Web 2.0 is what we currently use now, so what is Web 3.0?

Web 3.0 is the next generation of the internet. The idea for Web 3.0 isn't to change what the internet can do, but rather change the way it does it. The most prominent difference between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 is ownership.  Currently, the majority of websites are owned and operated by private companies. Many people wish to change this to a more communist approach. Instead of websites being owned and operated by private enterprises, websites will be owned and operated by their users. This is called decentralization and is part of what makes cryptocurrencies so special. Many of the envisioned advantages of Web 3.0 are borrowed from cryptocurrencies, so let's talk about crypto for a moment.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y2jvtpjujmd8uimfpr91.jpeg)

As aforementioned, a cryptocurrency is a decentralized currency, where the users not only own currency but are also responsible for validating currency. What does this mean? Users are able to validate what is or isn't fraudulent. This is accomplished with blockchain ledgers. Block Chains are tamper-proof registries made of digital 'blocks' chained in order, as the name implies. Each block has three facets. The first is its data. In a Bitcoin chain, this data would be the owner of the coins, the number of coins, and who the owner got the coins from. Next is the block's hash. A hash is an encrypted identifier used to authenticate the block. For those who may not know much about encryption, I made a great post about encryption which will be linked below. The last part of a block is the hash of the previous block. Since each block has a reference to its preceding block, an entire chain would have to be corrupted to hack and steal. To further security, when purchasing a cryptocurrency, the buyer receives a copy of the chain. Each chain is validated against every other existing chain. This means that 51 percent of chains would need to be corrupted to steal currency. Many feel a sense of security in cryptocurrencies, not only because it's nearly impossible to hack, but also because they play a role in the coin's future. Large corporations, such as banks, don't always act in the best interest of their clients. Since there are no greedy CEOs involved in crypto, many feel there is a risk of being taken advantage of.

Just like with cryptocurrencies, Web 3.0 aims to shift ownership from large corporations to the user, and for the same reasons. Data security is greatly improved using blockchains, and decisions are made in the best interest of the users because decisions are made by the users. Have you ever made a web search about a particular product, and then later saw ads for that same product popping up all over? This happens because many sites will sell user data for a profit. This is an obvious and overt violation of privacy, and it leaves a sour taste in many users' mouths. Since users own a stake in the site, they not only have a say in what is or isn't allowed, but also get a share of profits from the site.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x8rnvsu1hr98q8frtm6p.jpeg)

Web 3.0 has the further advantage of being permissionless. Currently, the web is centralized meaning that for each site, there is a governing body that is in charge of deciding what comes in and what goes out to shield malicious intent. This means that users have to interact through a third party which, for various reasons, may or may not permit usage. Since the users maintain authority, users can interact directly. This not only streamlines connections but also makes them more fair and representative. This means that users would no longer need to accept cookies or provide any form of identification to access a site because of pre-established trust between users.

Since Web 3.0 utilizes blockchain technology, smart contracts can be utilized by sites. Smart contracts are digital contracts that are stored on a blockchain, making them immutable and unable to be changed once initiated. Smart contracts work like any other legal contract, but there is no central authority that enforces them. Say you would like to build a site, but for some arbitrary reason it needs to be done in less than 50 days or you will no longer need the site. You could enter a smart contract with a developer to build the site. You can put the money into the contract in advance and the contract would only pay out of the site is built in less than 50 days. Should the time limit be exceeded, the smart contract would automatically transfer you back the funds. Likewise, if the deadline is met, the site owner will only pass it to the buyer once they have paid up. Not only are smart contracts completely automated, but there is also no central authority that may leave some rules up to interpretation. A regular contract could be reneged upon if one party can afford a better lawyer. There is no discrepancy with smart contracts making their outcome deterministic.

Web 3.0 is already on its way. Many large corporations know this and have been shifting the way their systems work to adapt, such as Apple's digital assistant Siri. Web 3.0 will bring exciting new changes to the internet upon its adaption. 







My post on Encryption
https://dev.to/benjaminklein99/encryption-5h62

Work Cited
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-wide-web-launches-in-public-domain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tZFQs7qBfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyaIppMhuic