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Web 2.0 vs. Web 3.0: How do they compare?
Review how Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 compare, including their key differences and effects on the World Wide Web.
With the emergence of new technologies -- such as Web 3.0 and the metaverse -- it's important to understand how they work and their origins.
The World Wide Web has gone through many transitions since its inception -- beginning with Web 1.0, which Tim Berners-Lee created in 1989. Web 1.0 focused on basic connectivity and hyperlinks, serving as an information portal rather than an interactive technology.
With the introduction of Web 2.0 in 2004 came interactivity, including video, blogging and social media. Webpages became highly customizable and complex with new technologies, such as Ajax and CSS.
The term Web 3.0 -- also known as Web3 -- was introduced in 2014 and incorporates emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI.
In reviewing the differences between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, centralization and decentralization are key factors. With Web 2.0, application delivery, cloud services and platforms are governed and operated by centralized sources. With Web 3.0, edge computing, peer-to-peer and distributed consensus are increasingly common.
For more information on how Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 compare and their impact, review the video transcript below.
Transcript
Web 3.0 is the new Web 2.0.
We have three generations of the World Wide Web: Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Each generation has stark differences, while building on the features of generations before.
Here, we'll discuss the differences between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, but you can read more about Web 3.0's impact on business by clicking the link above or in the description below.
Web 1.0 was centered around static webpages with hyperlinking. In 2004, Web 2.0 introduced interactivity to the web with new technologies that allowed users to create and use complex websites with features like blogging, social media and video. This is what most of us know and understand as the web.
Web 3.0, commonly referred to as Web3, was originally conceptualized as the Semantic Web in 2006 and given its current name in 2014, but is still an emerging space and not yet clearly defined. Built on consensus algorithms, Web3 introduces the concept of decentralization and integrates technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency.
While Web3 does build upon its predecessor, there are still significant differences between Web2 and Web3.
- Web2 is centralized, meaning applications and platforms are managed and operated by centralized authorities. Web3 is based on decentralization, which incorporates edge computing, peer-to-peer and distributed consensus.
- Web2 works with currency like dollars, euros, pounds or rupees, while Web3 works with cryptocurrencies like Helium, Chainlink and Filecoin.
- Web2 introduced layout technologies like CSS and Ajax, which provide dynamic control of webpages. Web3 will be defined by autonomous technologies, like AI and machine learning.
- Web2 brought in the age of social networking, while Web3 will use metaverse worlds to combine physical, virtual and augmented realities.
How do you think Web3 will change the web as we know it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to like and subscribe too.
