Difference between Web 2 & Web 3

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Coinmonks

5 min readMar 2, 2022

WWW (World Wide Web) since its introduction to the world has gone through various changes and the latest revolution is Web 3.0 or as its popularly known Web3.

What is Web 3.0 and how is it different from the current internet version, Web 2.0?

Before we discuss Web 2.0 or Web 3.0, we need to understand Web 1.0.

Web 1.0 was the introduction of the internet. It was designed to be more consumer-focused. Content creators were mostly scientists, lecturers, etc and these contents came from the server's file system. Generally, Web 1 content was static. Internet users at that period used the web for email and news reading. A good example is Britannica online.

Web 2.0 is the internet we know and use today, which is more interactive, contains more user-generated content, and bridges social connectivity. It was introduced in 1999, during the dot-com boom. The web moved towards a system that encouraged users to create, share content and promote collaboration. This paradigm shift improved the way we accessed and consumed content.

The advancement of Web 2.0 created opportunities for the development of key innovations like Social media platforms, mobile phones, mobile internet, etc. Also, we see tech giants like Meta(Facebook), Twitter, Google, Airbnb, etc become dominant powers in the business world today.

Advantages of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 helped users share opinions, comments, and thoughts on various content.
Improvement in the way of life, people began to earn more money working part-time or full-time.
It helped make the world feel smaller, through connection and collaboration.

Disadvantages of Web 2

With the rise in social media, we see a lot of cyber-bullying, fake news, and misinformation.
Data mismanagement through server breaches.

The internet as we know it today is more or less broken, our personal data are not controlled by us. Every time we use the internet, our data is stored and managed by a central server and sent or received by a client. Over the years, we have heard allegations about Facebook using our data for things we have no knowledge of. Furthermore, with the reoccurring breach in servers, data are not safe. This raises the issue of TRUST.

These are the solutions Web 3.0 is solving. Web 3.0 is built on the same concept of Blockchain technology, where the data is decentralized and runs on a token-based economy. This simply means, data is not controlled or saved in a central server but by various inter-connected servers unlike Web 2.0.

The token-based economy simply means rewarding users for completing work with either cryptocurrencies or utilities. A perfect example is Nestcoin, users are paid cryptocurrencies when they play games in the metaverse or create content. Also, Nestcoin in partnership with the Zuri team is currently holding block games, where Blockchain enthusiasts are taught how to develop smart contracts, Dapps, etc. They use this knowledge to play games and get rewarded.

Advantages of Web 3.0

Data is decentralized, therefore it’s difficult to get hacked.
Users are able to control the usage of their data and can earn from it.
Users are able to interact uninterrupted without a middle-man (trusted)and authorization (permissionless). Therefore, Web 3 apps will run on blockchains or P2P networks, or Dapps.
Web 3.0 content is more connected and can be accessed using multiple applications.

Disadvantages of Web 3.0

As progressive as Web 3.0 is, it still has some faults. These are some major problems with Web 3.0 that needs to be tackled:

It would be more difficult to manage hate speech, cyberbullying, and misinformation.
Regulation and enforcement of laws would be difficult to control.

Difference between Web 2.0 & Web 3.0

These are the major differences between both innovations:

Web 2.0 participation in the network is controlled by a central server/authority while in Web 3.0 network is decentralized, meaning anyone can participate in the network without permission.
Web 2.0 authorities can restrict part of the network from interacting with the rest of the network while in Web 3.0 restriction is more difficult to achieve since the content has various ways to be circulated.
Web 2.0 a malicious breach can take down the network while Web 3.0 networks can still function even if a large part of its network is under attack. A good example is a breach in Meta (Facebook)server in late 2021, this breach affected all Meta (Facebook) products.
Web 2.0, when there is a situation in data conflicting, getting answers and resolving the situation is easy, while in Web 3.0 there is usually an arrangement for this sort of situation and if there are conflicting claims amongst peers. This would take a longer period to decide.
Web 2.0 is community-focused, this simply means Web 2.0 goal which was the unification of people based on data they were interested in, while Web 3.0 is individual-focused, such that it disintegrates this community data to personalized information and goes on to expand opportunities and rights.
Web 2.0 application types like videos, blogs, etc are self-produced content and user communication, while Web 3.0 applications will be A. I and ML-powered applications such that they would be multi-user virtual environments, integrated games, and 3D portals.
Lastly, Web 2.0 makes use of collective knowledge to generate important information, while Web 3.0 recognizes user's behavior through the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in order to interact and provide information.

Web 3.0 is obviously the future of the internet, but it is still far from perfect. Developers, Content creators, even tech giants like Meta (Facebook) early adoption is evidence that it is picking up a lot of heat and you don’t want to be left out.

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Difference between Web 2 & Web 3

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Written by Alokam Chinenye Augusta