One Article to Understand The Past, Present, and Future of Web 3.0
Polkadot Ecology Research Institute is a China-based non-profit organization funded by the Polkadot Treasury to produce research and analysis on Polkadot and the broader Web3 ecosystem for the Chinese community. The following article is the first in a series to be translated for sharing with the English-speaking community.
This article attempts to explain Web 3.0 in clear terms from a comprehensive perspective for those unfamiliar with the concept. Readers already aware of Polkadot might know that its goal is to become the infrastructure platform of Web 3.0. The close link between Web 3.0 and Polkadot is the key to the exciting future of the internet; a fascinating prospect with details worth delving into extensively.
The origin and definition of Web 3.0
The generic term “web” has been widely used for 32 years, yet few know its definition or origin. In 1989, English scientist Tim Berners-Lee shared his vision for a “collaborative medium” for researchers to share and update scientific research and information at CERN (European Institute for Particle Physics). Four years later he created the World Wide Web in 1993 — kicking off a revolutionary internet era.
1. Web 1.0: Users are “consumers of content”
Millions of people joined the scientific researchers and soon benefited from the interconnected computer system; surfing the ‘web’ for information and entertainment skyrocketed. Service providers like AOL, Yahoo, and Google monetized advertising and became the ultimate profiteers during this period which later became known as Web 1.0 (1991 to 2004). According to Graham Cormode and Balachander Krishnamurthy, “content creators were few…with the vast majority of users simply acting as consumers of content.”
2. Web 2.0: Everyone is a content creator
The term Web 1.0 did not exist until Web 2.0 came to fruition in order to provide retroactive clarity in distinguishing the two periods. Web 2.0 was coined by Darcy DiNucci and only became widely accepted after the promotion by Tim O’Reilly and Dale Dougherty at the O’Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Web 2.0 allows any web user to participate in content creation. This occurs when they interact on Facebook with friends, post on blogs, and share videos and pictures on YouTube or Instagram.
This exciting trend in web users’ interactions has made the less adaptive internet companies obsolete. This phenomenon is akin to users searching on social media like YouTube and Twitter for specific topics instead of passively reading articles on AOL and Yahoo.
Though Web 2.0 did not supersede Web 1.0 (nor are they binary divisions) — the latter is still commonly used and characterized as “read-only” — while Web 2.0 offers interactivity and remains mainstream. The materialization of Web 2.0 led to the abundant imagination of Web 3.0.
3. The Web 3.0 projection
Artificial intelligence has matured and is now embedded in every user interaction on web pages. Algorithms analyze and extrapolate the data generated by user interactions to suggest additional articles or merchandise based on their preferences. Tim Berners-Lee envisioned Semantic Web as the Web 3.0 where machines eventually process information like a human brain. In short, messages would be understood contextually and conceptually.
Thus Web 3.0 was fully projected: machines that understood all data (Semantic Web) would solve issues with optimization through machine learning (Artificial Intelligence) providing an ideal premise for a digital ecosystem where data can be shared among devices (Internet of Things). However, the trajectory of Web 3.0 has headed in another direction after the rise of blockchain.
4. Web 3.0 after blockchain
All speculations regarding Web 3.0 formed prior to blockchain were shattered by overestimation of machine learning and the lack of actual implementation. Blockchain, with its original technologies, would go on to reclaim the integrity and value of the internet while simultaneously offering new perspectives for Web 3.0.
Meanwhile, a decisive incident took place in the U.S. during the summer of 2013. Edward Snowden revealed highly classified information about the global surveillance programs (PRISM) run by the U.S. National Security Agency to The Guardian and The Washington Post. Snowden immediately flew to Hong Kong and sought asylum in Russia. Shortly after his arrival, he disclosed more details about the surveillance program(s) in the U.K..
The PRISM scandal exposed a stark reality in which both the U.S. and the U.K. were secretly invading citizens’ privacy by unconstitutionally monitoring their communication at a large scale. The vulnerability in protecting users’ privacy by strictly relying on the government or businesses proved that the Cypherpunk movement (an act of advocating cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies voluntarily by a group of individuals) was visionary.
Dr. Gavin Wood, Polkadot founder and co-founder of Ethereum, recognized the shortcomings of the current internet environment and introduced his own vision of Web 3.0 while building Ethereum. Wood originally expressed his vision of Web 3.0 as follows:
“Web 3.0 is an inclusive set of protocols to provide building blocks for application makers. These building blocks take the place of traditional web technologies like HTTP, AJAX and MySQL, but present a whole new way of creating applications. These technologies give the user strong and verifiable guarantees about the information they are receiving, what information they are giving away, what they are paying and what they are receiving in return. By empowering users to act for themselves within low-barrier markets, we can ensure censorship and monopolization have fewer places to hide. Consider Web 3.0 to be an executable Magna Carta — the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot.”
In summary, Wood’s notions targeted all the issues associated with the drawbacks of Web 2.0 and exposed by the PRISM scandal — including centralization, data privacy, and tech giants’ monopolization. He defined Web 3.0 as a series of scalable technological frameworks that granted an unprecedented approach to building new applications.These solutions secure a transparent network through data decentralization, empowering individuals to regain control of their own digital identity, assets, and data privacy. Hence, Wood also described Web 3.0 as “the post-Snowden web.”
5. Reasons to pay attention to Web 3.0 after blockchain
As previously mentioned, the Semantic Web version of Web 3.0 describes a promising future for the internet but does not fix the existing problems created by Web 2.0. Web 3.0 with blockchain technology (as suggested by Wood) would mitigate the drawbacks in the current internet and be compatible with the Semantic Web at the same time.
Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 are predetermined, while Web 3.0 is still being defined. It serves as a beacon guiding the future of the internet one stage at a time. In addition to Ethereum and Polkadot, many projects with blockchain technology such as Filecoin and Blockstack have sprung up after Wood conceptualized Web 3.0. The annual Web 3.0 events are also growing in popularity every year.
Why we need Web 3.0
The fantasy of cyberspace is cognitively necessary to acknowledge what is missing in the modern digital world. The transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 manifested infinite possibilities in cyberspace by giving users the option to be both content consumers and content creators. This collective content exchange laid bare the imperfections within us that galvanize our search for the “perfect internet.”
1. Inherent flaws of Web 2.0
The most significant accomplishment of Web 2.0 was moving the majority of tasks in the real world online. This notion helped achieve a substantial transformation of the internet that made our society more efficient and connected. Nevertheless, the social structures of the global economy remain the same online; the unfair distribution of wealth and power persists. Issues in centralization remain unresolved; instead, they are getting worse as more data is generated day by day. Mismanagement of user data by major tech companies allowed for the misuse of that data by illegal entities. Therefore, data security and privacy protection have become problems that need to be solved urgently.
2. What Web 3.0 can bring us
As Wood mentioned, the difference between Web 2.0 and 3.0 will appear nuanced from the user’s perspective in its early stages. The web browsers may look the same but would be called different names like “wallets” and “key stores.” These new web aspects would serve as our online IDs with our asset information. They could conveniently identify individuals for fund transfer, asset exchange, and payment over the internet without involving other identity services. Trusted parties, insurance outfits, and backup services will compete globally in this new open and transparent market. Users are freed from price-gouging or rent-seeking and protected from data breaches.
Web 3.0 will redefine “the Digital Age.” We do not yet know how incredible the new internet world will evolve to be. Still, we firmly believe that it will lead us one step closer to an internet that features efficiency, fairness, integrity, and value. It also leads us to ask questions like “What will be the subsequent developments for Web 3.0?” and “What new form will Web 3.0 take?” These questions will require us to ruminate on a much higher level.
The Current Web 3.0 and The Road Ahead
Blockchain inevitably becomes the center of focus when it comes to the development of Web 3.0 since its priorities of decentralization, trustworthiness, and tamper-proofing align with the goal of Web 3.0 — a new internet generation where everyone is in control of their data, identity, and destiny. Besides blockchain, there is artificial intelligence, decentralized data storage protocols, and highly secure cryptography, all illuminating the path towards the Web 3.0 blueprint.
The first obstacle on this path to the blueprint are issues related to data storage and transfer, which are the foundations of Web 3.0. These two practices are also the basic framework for some blockchain applications. A second obstacle to consider is the feasibility of embedding digital identity into these applications. At last, we would need to present the web browser and user interfaces in ways that are familiar to the public. These obstacles delineate the path to Web 3.0.
1. Zero/low trust interaction protocol (blockchain)
Blockchain technologies confirm the value of the product and integrity of all parties online, a critical feature to actualize Web 3.0. But Web 3.0 lacks a credible and decentralized interaction protocol that communicates the functions within. As a result, numerous industry professionals are constructing the basic underlying protocol to support Web 3.0 targeting to fill this void, and Polkadot is that solution built by Wood.
2. Decentralized Storage
We have mentioned the importance of data on various occasions. Many countries have implemented laws on internet data privacy which has brought awareness to data security. An attempt to secure data usage and its storage within the current internet system without lawful regulation would be in vain. This realization led to several decentralized data storage technologies, including IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). It is still uncertain whether IPFS will be widely used, but at least we have realized the possible data breach vulnerabilities with using centralized servers. Facebook’s major data breach incidents further corroborate this potential outcome.
3. Decentralized communication and computing
Polkadot’s goal is to become the primary platform for data transferring and asset exchange in Web 3.0. To accomplish this, Polkadot will need to develop a user-friendly paradigm to serve as its foundation. This foundation will support the efficient blockchain development tool (Substrate) and accommodate multiple economies by facilitating all transactions in the ecosystem.
Only when such a decentralized framework is assembled can we further consider implementing decentralized communication and computing. After all, the most excellent idea is worth nothing without solid groundwork; this applies to projects like Polkadot and Ethereum. In April 2014, Wood published the following: “The Web 3.0 projection published in the Ethereum community is to have peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols shape the internet from the basis of the software to the final build of the network — with decentralization and privacy protection as the main features.”
4. Decentralized applications
Data protection and data privacy are heavily discussed topics when it comes to applications, especially the unauthorized data collection employed by some mobile applications. These issues are caused by the dichotomy between the system and the software, making decentralization applications (dapps) the solution for this inherent, systemic flaw.
The second-quarter report shows more than 2400 dapps on Ethereum, the most extensive dapp network at this moment. It is not comparable to the number of applications on the current internet, but enough for us to see the trend of blockchain technologies becoming mature. We are one day closer to the future where our network is reliable, and its applications no longer allow unauthorized data collection and usage.
5. Decentralized identity
Data collection occurs when we sign up to use a new application on mobile devices in Web 2.0. Companies can disclose users’ data to third parties voluntarily or involuntarily via unintentional data leaks in a centralized internet network. Even Facebook, one of the tech giants known for its robust data protection protocol, did not avoid becoming a victim of multiple major data breaches. It is mandatory to secure users’ digital identities and information when their rights are constantly in danger of being violated.
Decentralized Identity (DID) is the solution to this problem in Web 3.0. DID is a set of entirely decentralized identities that allow individuals or entities to fully own their digital identities and the proprietary of related data. The simple definition of this is that we have the absolute ownership of our digital identity. When users sign up for applications using DID, they can use these applications and protect their data privacy without any interference from centralized entities.
Two mainstream standards of DID are set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF), respectively. In addition to these two standards, Software, ArcBlock, uPort, lifeID, Sovrin, Blockstack, and several other companies all have their own DID definitions and protocols.
6. User interface optimization
Another stellar project in Web 3.0, Blockstack, is a blockchain browser application that integrates decentralized data, decentralized applications, and user data. The decentralized internet is where users own various identities, their related data streams, and their proprietary data. Users can store data on their own devices or in the cloud, claiming independence from third-party entities. Meanwhile, developers can build locally run decentralized applications using users’ API (Application programming interface). This allows users to visit their information without data storage concerns.
Users retrieve their data ownership back by using this technology from Blockstack. This blockchain application facilitates user data security and cannot be breached without permission. Users then gain the freedom to transfer their proprietary data in any form they prefer without platform restrictions.
Many similar platforms and applications are burgeoning as well. This includes the plug-in wallet Metamask on Ethereum, permitting users to directly use their wallets on PC browsers, even visiting dapps. For context. There were more than 1 million active users on Metamask in the past year. Meanwhile, popular games through DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) and Web 3.0 act as further advocates for user gain.
The Future Roadmap
The features of blockchain enable digitalization in all aspects of everyday life via its unique technologies. This transition is inevitable and makes us wonder what the future iterations of the digital world will look like. Imagine when real life and the digital world are equally important to us in the future — a checkpoint will be needed to verify all users when they sign up to enter that digital domain.
Our interaction in the future digital world will not be limited to two dimensional approaches like QR codes, text, sounds or videos. Users will be able to explore the 3-dimensional digital world in the form of an avatar. These same users will be able to log into applications, participate in social activities anonymously online, and attend gatherings with hidden identities (unless they introduce themselves). Users will trade as if they are in real life without identifying themselves or disclosing their asset information.
Anonymity will no longer be a hotbed of crime — instead it will protect user privacy. For example, the system could evaluate all activities that would potentially affect the user’s credit score when malicious activity is spotted since the identity would be paired with a credit system. Anyone with a low credit score would be banned from using the application. Users could repair credit scores by paying penalties and other remedial measures, but bad credit records could not be tampered with and could be reviewed at any time. Anonymous identities will correspond to digital identities and real life identities in a decentralized KYC (Know Your Customer — a standard to the fight against the laundering of illicit money flowing) to prevent any possible ill will.
Besides having virtual identities in the digital world, it is possible to have our digital assets, such as “users’ own tools” or real estate in games. The tenure and value of the house is verified by decentralized storage and decentralized computing. Blockchain technology ensures these digital assets are decentralized. Algorithms in alliance with decentralized governance safeguard purchasers’ proprietary rights to the property.
Epilogue
The internet has been through all the vicissitudes of the past 30 years. Mostly it has been through rapid growth which in turn provided the perfect stage for tech giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Tencent, and Alibaba to rise. Whether or not the internet can keep this momentum up before the public loses trust in cybersecurity online remains to be seen for now.
The legendary Silicon Valley figure Tim O’Reilly (who led the open-source movement and Web 2.0) mentioned in his book that, “simple and decentralized systems make it easier to breed new possibilities when compared to complex and centralized systems because they can evolve faster. Within the framework of simple rules, each decentralized component can find its own fitness function. Those underlying protocols that perform better will upgrade while those that perform poorly will be eliminated.”
The prospect of this new internet will be an adventurous journey full of thrilling events. The future internet will completely change either with blockchain, artificial intelligence, or other unknown technologies while also bringing more value to Web 3.0. We do not know if the upcoming change will be a cognitive awakening or simply an inexorable progression of the current internet — but a new radical movement is beginning to surge beneath the tranquil water.
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