What is Web3 and why do you want to know about it?

The Web3 concept has gained relevance in recent months, since it is a new paradigm where interaction is more personalized and, consequently, navigation is adapted to the tastes and preferences of users. Surely at company dinners or Christmas this year someone will mention it. If you are already up to date with concepts such as metaverse or blockchain, it is time to find out what Web3 is about.

The Web3 refers to the evolution of the Internet that we know and its main characteristic is that it will be decentralized. But before we get into the matter, it is convenient to go back a bit in time to know what the two previous versions refer to.

What is Web3

History of the Web

The web in its beginnings, called 1.0 , is one where it was only allowed to read and display information , but it was not possible to have an interaction with the content that was displayed. Instead, Web 2.0 is tied to services that allow data sharing and interaction with great ease. Social networks or collaboration platforms constitute the basis of this phase in the evolution of the Internet.

In Web 2.0 users can contribute their knowledge and comments. For some reason it has been called the “Social Web”, since the improvement of online connections, Internet access and also among users, facilitated its explosion and has allowed an immense amount of content to be able to reach to large audiences. As we have already said previously, much of this content has been centralized on specific platforms such as Facebook, through Google, YouTube and Instagram among many others.

Everything seemed to be in order until it has been shown that there is a huge dependence of large companies and their servers on the current web. If the big platforms go down, users cannot access the content or communicate with each other. A clear example was the historical fall of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram last October for 7 hours in which we could not use their services. Web3 aims to solve the problems of both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 by creating a decentralized Internet that is accessible to all.

What is Web3

The concept of Web3 seeks the decentralization of information through the use of the blockchain , very similar to what happens with cryptocurrencies today. One of the barriers that Web3 is trying to break down is the need for human operators to evaluate and manage content on the Internet. This is not a new topic, since several companies, including Google, have been researching and developing artificial intelligence technologies for years to make navigation more fluid and enriching.

The Web3 aims at enabling all of us to access the Internet from a myriad of devices to enjoy the information and Internet tools in a flexible and versatile way that overcomes the current format and structure barriers.

As we have already advanced previously, the Web3 is based on blockchain technology. This blockchain is a decentralized network built on peer-to-peer connections . The blockchain is so far best known for powering cryptocurrencies and NFTs . On the other hand, surely the most ambitious project on Web3 is the Metaverse . A general idea that has existed in science fiction and that has jumped into the “real” world after the announcement of Mark Zuckerberg and the name change of Facebook to Meta. 3D virtual spaces where users would interact in real time in environments created with virtual or augmented reality.

Web3

Characteristics

Among the advantages offered by this paradigm is the classification of web pages according to the interests of the user, which means a faster and free search for information.

Web3 has more data traceability , which means that the searches we do have more personalized and therefore closer responses. In addition, it helps users to connect from more devices such as watches, tablets, voice assistants and not only from a smartphone or a computer.

We will have to wait to see where Web3 advances and if the initial objective of a website that returns control to the user does not end up becoming another and more advanced form of business.