What Web3 Is and Why You Should Care
As the internet has evolved, so too has its terminology. You may have heard of “Web 2.0,” but what about “Web 3.0?” With a new decade comes a new version of the internet, and Web 3.0 is the next stage in its evolution. So, what is Web 3.0, and why should you care?
The Semantic Web
One of the defining characteristics of Web 3.0 is the Semantic Web. The Semantic Web is a way of structuring data on the internet so that computers can more easily understand it. In other words, it’s a way of making the internet more machine-readable.
Why is this important? Well, imagine trying to find a hotel in a city you’ve never been to. In the past, you would have had to comb through thousands of websites, each with its unique format, to find what you’re looking for. But with the Semantic Web, all that information can be queried in one go and delivered back to you in an easily digestible format (think Google Maps).
The Decentralized Internet
Another critical characteristic of Web 3.0 is that it is decentralized. Unlike earlier versions of the web, which a few major corporations largely controlled (think Amazon, Google, Facebook), the new version relies on a distributed network of computers (or “nodes”) to store and manage data.
