The internet, Web 1.0, was the beginning of a technology revolution.
In the 90s, the internet’s primary use was information transmission. Companies, governments, and universities created web addresses to post content. Search engines became invaluable and the potential to access and learn anything was at our fingertips. The Information Economy was born.
In 2004, Web 2.0 surfaced, igniting the concept of online communities, solidifying social media in our daily routine. It was Web 2.0’s software improvements that enabled us to contribute our own content for the first time and made e-commerce transactions easier and more efficient.
But Web 2.0 came at a cost– our privacy. While access to social media was marketed as free, in actuality, the cost was the loss of ownership and control of our information and identity. Tech giants became centralized repositories for our personal data. They sold, and continue to sell, our data for profit. Our data has been used for surveillance, targeted advertising, and even political influence. Consumer targeting became ubiquitous, both good and bad.
As we have become more sensitive about the centralization of our data and information sources, the necessity of Web 3.0 emerged. Web 3.0 is an evolution away from centralized servers offering communications and transactions to a network where the users maintain ownership of their data. Users are enabled to communicate and trade directly with other members of the community without the permission or input of centralized servers or authorities.
According to Tim Berners-Lee, a founder of the internet, “no permission is needed from a central authority to post anything … there is no central controlling node, and so no single point of failure … and no “kill switch”. In other words, the users are gaining power and control as the monopolies of the centralized platforms are diminished.
Welcome Web 3.0
