It must be said that the latest technological advances, such as blockchain or artificial intelligence, have largely made it possible to think about the Web differently . Why? To always better meet the needs of users, obviously!
This is one of the reasons why Web 3.0 relies heavily on data decentralization. Indeed, currently, most Internet applications are controlled (storage and use of end-user data) by centralized entities. However, Web 3.0 intends to give control of this data back to end users .
However, it would be reductive to summarize Web 3.0 only with this notion. Let's go into more detail.
The photo shows part of a computer keyboard with one of the keys written: web 3.0 in white on a red background.
What is Web 3.0 or Web3?
To fully understand what Web 3.0 is, it is necessary to take a little step back and discover or rediscover the history of the Web, at least in part.
From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0
First of all, know that the Internet existed long before the Web.
The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers that allows the exchange of data and information using a set of communication protocols, the main one being TCP/IP. This information circulates through various equipment such as routers or servers. In other words, the Internet is the infrastructure.
The Web (World Wide Web, WWW) is an application that uses the Internet to function. Its operation is based on a system of hypertext links that connect different resources together (web pages, images, videos, etc.). Access to these resources is possible using a web browser.
The Web is therefore only one part of the Internet. Indeed, there are many other applications or services that use the Internet without being linked to the Web: sending emails via SMTP or IMAP protocols, sharing files via FTP, etc.
To put it simply, the Web is, in a way, a means of accessing information present in the infrastructure that is the Internet.
In the beginning, Web 1.0 consisted only of read-only static text and images. It was not possible to interact with websites.
Then, in the 2000s, Web 2.0 arrived, namely the one we ios database still know today. This second participatory generation mainly took shape with the arrival of the very first social networks, ancestors of those we use today. Unlike its elder, Web 2.0 was therefore designed to promote interaction with the creation of sharing spaces and the two-way circulation of information (Web forums or online stores, for example).
From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0
For a few years now, we have been hearing about Web 3.0 , an evolution that aims to be open to all (with a bottom-up design), decentralized and immersive . The idea is in particular to use blockchain and Semantic Web technologies to become a network of meaningfully linked data.
Without going into detail, because we will come back to it, the semantic web allows to generate, share and connect content via a search based on the analysis of the meaning of the language and no longer by simple keywords. The expansion of voice search by Google users and the mobile Internet is the perfect example.
As for blockchain technology (known mainly for its involvement in cryptocurrency), it is what allows the decentralization of data , thanks to a base shared simultaneously with all users.
Concretely, the decentralization of Web 3.0 aims to transfer to users the control of data previously devolved to large companies ( GAFAM , for example) or centralized governments. In addition, if Web 2.0 is based on the creation of content and interaction with websites, Web 3.0 aims for maximum immersion in the digital experience (individual control of personal data, payment in cryptocurrencies, etc.).
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What are the characteristics of Web 3.0?
We have already covered some of the features of Web 3.0 above (artificial intelligence, blockchain, semantic web), but there are many more.
Blockchain and Web 3.0
Since blockchain is one of the great innovations of Web 3.0, let's start with it. It will be easier for you to understand the concept of data decentralization of Web 3.0.
Blockchain is a technology that allows data to be stored, secured and exchanged in a decentralized manner. In other words, it is independent and without a control body.
Each transaction constitutes a block of the chain, which is distributed across a large network of users around the world. Each change is verified and recorded by each person without the possibility of modification. Thus, this technology is based on transparency , security and incorruptibility .
Blockchain technology is mainly known for its connection to cryptocurrencies, digital currencies that are decentralized and not controlled by central banks.
Although its original purpose was to facilitate transactions between two people, without going through banks, its use is much more varied today. After all, transactions are only digital data. The blockchain principle can therefore be used for any digital data . And that's good, because the Web is full of them!
The involvement of blockchain in Web 3.0 makes it possible to transfer and secure personal data, create a digital identity, or conclude a smart contract to ensure autonomous interactions between people and machines.
Decentralization of Web 3.0
Now that you have a better understanding of how blockchain works, let's focus on decentralization, the main characteristic of Web 3.0.
As you will have understood, the decentralization of Web 3.0 is made possible thanks to blockchain technology. Thus, the data is split and hosted by users' computers (peer-to-peer or peer-to-peer, meaning from user to user). In this context, Web 3.0 is no longer powered by the data centers of large multinationals such as GAFAM.
This independence and individual control of data by users forms what is called decentralized digital identity , or augmented identity.
