I wanted to share my thoughts on the definition and concept behind Web 3.0. Just a few years ago, technologies and services like blockchain, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and the metaverse were gaining attention together with Web 3.0, but it seemed to fade from the overall tech trend. However, with the advent of generative AI like ChatGPT, Web 3.0 is coming back into the spotlight and predictions indicate it may become mainstream.
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Web 3.0 Concept and Background |
1. The Definition and Concept of Web 3.0
The concept of Web 3.0 emerged from Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, pointing out current problems saying "The web was designed to be decentralized so everyone could participate by having their own domain and web server, but we failed. We need to decentralize the web now to keep it functional."
Web 3.0 is a concept first proposed in 2014 by computer scientist Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum, to indicate an advanced next generation web compared to Web 2.0. It is an intelligent, personalized web technology, also called the Semantic Web, where computers (including AI) understand the content (natural language) on webpages and provide personalized information and data fitting for the situation and context.
It is also based on the core philosophies of openness, autonomy and transparency where web users fully own all their data including personal information, and can freely participate without major governing bodies.
For example, it refers to a new web model where service participants share profits using decentralized technologies like blockchain, so that user content (data, information) does not depend on centralized platforms (e.g. Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Apple etc.), but rather represents a decentralized web where individuals own and protect their data.
In summary, Web 3.0 means "A web where user data and personal information are not dependent on platforms, but sovereignty over data lies with the user". In other words, it can be understood as "A decentralized distributed web where individuals are interconnected on the network without huge administrators, with all information and data distributed".
2. The Emergence and Evolution of Web 3.0
1) History of the Web's Development
The World Wide Web (WWW) was created in 1989 to enable efficient, swift sharing of information between research institutions and universities. Based on HTML, it provided a limited environment where users could simply read information provided by operators through directory searches and hypertext. This is referred to as Web 1.0.
- One-way communication where users could not interact beyond clicking - information producers → information consumers
Web 2.0 emerged to overcome Web 1.0 limitations (one-way information delivery) based on the philosophies of participation, sharing and openness. It enabled two-way communication between producers and consumers as users directly participated in the web environment to produce and share content like text, images and video, and express diverse opinions through mediums like forums, commentary and blogs.
- Information consumers directly produce and share content (data/information) and actively participate
- Distinctions between producers and consumers disappear as all users become prosumers
- Platform-based two-way communication enabled between prosumers
However, as platform businesses centralized information provision grew dominant, various problems materialized from monopolization and abuse of data/content leverage, profit siphoning, platform dependence through restrictive policies, and large-scale leaks of concentrated information.
The advent of blockchain based on decentralized technologies subsequently brought concrete realizations of Web 3.0. Alongside addressing Web 2.0 problems, Web 3.0 evolved into a new web ecosystem delivering personalized content optimized for the big data and AI era atop semantic web technologies. It also enabled decentralized individual (small platform) ownership of content (data/information) and active revenue generation (NFTs, token economies) through blockchain, edge computing and data encryption.
- Frees from centralized governance and operations of large platform enterprises based on decentralized technologies
- Leverages big data and AI to provide personalized content
- Individuals or small platforms produce/own content to actively generate revenue

2) Characteristics by Web Generation
- Web 1.0 - Static Web
- Early internet simply provided webpages with necessary information from producers (companies, schools, governments, personal site owners) to consumers (individual users) without user interactivity or limited accessible information
- As broadband internet proliferation increased post-2000s alongside growing internet users, demand rose beyond simple information search/browsing to active utilization (shopping, banking, forums etc.)
- Web 2.0 - Social Web
- With increasing participation and openness, distinctions between producers and consumers blurred as users freely leveraged information and networks. The volume of data and information grew exponentially alongside qualitative improvements.
- Data distribution and sharing between diverse platforms and applications established the foundation for social networks and user-generated content
- Web 3.0 - Decentralized Web
- Represents evolution towards a Next Internet defined by decentralization and user sovereignty
- Formed on openness, reliability in data exchange and protection built on blockchain's transparent data transactions and record-keeping. Also an anti-monopoly, interoperable, pro-privacy and collaborative web
In this post, I shared the concept, background and developmental history of Web 3.0. Next, I will introduce key characteristics of Web 3.0.