The power of technology – Web3 as the better, more decentralized Internet?
Everyone is talking about web3 and how it’s changing the internet. But does it really change it? This research article is all about the power of technology, web3 and what it means to us.
A look into the past
To better understand the web3, let's look at the past: web 1 and web2. The initial version of the Internet is called web1. The application was not particularly interactive; the Internet consisted of a collection of links and homepages, so to speak. The technologies that characterize the web1 are HTML(HyperText Markup Language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and URL(Uniform Resource Locator).
The idea: Digital freedom by allowing people to freely exchange data and thoughts from any where in the world.
With the transition to web2, however, this notion has changed. The web2 is clearly more interactive. Social media, cloud computing and mobile use are innovations that characterize this phase. However, a central, economic power oligopoly has emerged from the decentralized technologies. Power over the Internet is in the hands of a few companies - keyword GAMA (Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple).
The bottomline is that the idea of a free Internet disappeared with web2. What can we hope for with web3? Let’s take a look.
Web3 –What’s the difference?
Users can participate directly in the management of Internet protocols instead of using free technical platforms in exchange for their personal data, as is the case with platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
This means that users become participants and shareholders instead of just sources of information. The innovation behind it: Blockchain technology. Decentralization comes with DApps. A decentralized application resembles an app on your smartphone or laptop but uses blockchain technology to keep users' data out of the hands of the companies behind the application.
In theory, then, the web3 is decentralized. At the current state of web3 there are still some problems with the transition from web2 to web3. But still: We are moving step by step towards a decentralized and free Internet.