The internet has come a long way from the days of the read-only web we used to have in the 90s. In place of static web pages with no user interaction or feedback created and moderated by large companies, we now have dynamic user-created content that users can respond to while interacting.

This is the transition from web1 to web2. However, another transition is swiftly taking place in the form of Web3. It is a new type of web that incorporates artificial intelligence and the blockchain to provide a more secure, decentralized, open, and user-tailored foundation.

Impressive as that sounds, you might be wondering, what exactly are the terms; web1, web2, and web3, and how do they differ? In this article, you will find the answers to that, along with some of the opportunities the nascent web3 presents.

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What is Web 1.0? The “Read Only Web”

THE WEB 1.0, also known as the 'Read Only Web,' is the earliest form of the web that came into existence in 1985 and ended around 2004. Web1 is static, involving a few "experts" creating web pages and content for a large audience. This web version focused on providing access to facts and information from the source. Web 1.0 lacked any interactivity between the user and the web page.

It contained no visuals and ultimately no control from the front-end. Furthermore, the internet speed was slow, and there was no way for users to give feedback or reactions.

Features of Web 1.0

• Zero interactivity and feedback
• Few people create content for a broad audience
• HTML forms are forwarded by email
• Contents come directly from the servers’ file network
• Static pages built with Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
• GIFs and graphics
• HTML 3.2 features include Tables, frames, and such

In summary, Web 1.0 users were only consumers. However, by 2004, an upgraded version of the web was developed. It is the form of the web we all know today:

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Web 2.0 “Read and Write”

The advent of web 2.0 introduced the era of user-generated content. Resting on the foundation of interactivity, Web2 encouraged community-building, collaborative exercises, and of course, the most prominent actualization of web2, social media.

Web 2.0 is better known as the ‘read and write’ web. This version of the web saw the users creating more content for a growing audience. It is where social apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter rose. It is the world of WordPress, Wikipedia, and so on.

Features of Web 2.0

• Dynamic web pages and diversified content like podcasting, blogs, and more
• Community-centered activities, e.g., liking and commenting on posts, tagging and sharing, and other interactions on social apps like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• User-created content on spaces like TikTok, Youtube, and the likes.
• Focus on compatibility across various systems and devices.
• Makes use of APIs or Application Programming Interfaces
• Utilizes user profiles to retrieve, sort, and classify collective data.
• Adverts based on users’ search history

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Web 3.0. “Read, Write and Execute”

Web3 is the next step in the evolution process of the web and is tagged "the internet of the future." Built on the foundation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, this version of the web seeks to provide a decentralized, data-guided space tailored to individual needs. In both the first and second versions of the web, large companies made the rules of engagement.

In web 1.0, big companies employed experts to control the websites with zero user input. In web 2.0, these companies built applications like Facebook, which they still regulate. However, Web3 seeks to put the power in the hands of the users themselves.

The full actualization of Web3 remains in the future despite some features of web 3.0 already present in today's world.

A prominent example of the third actualization of the web is blockchain technology which is gaining ground at a stunning rate. Blockchain platforms like Ethereum, Solana, Tezos, and others help users deploy smart contracts that set up DApps (web3 apps), Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), and run DeFi protocols. More usage examples of web3 include 3D graphics, the semantic web, and the Metaverse.

Features of Web 3.0

• Decentralized Applications
• Content focuses on individual utility using behavioral analysis data
• Focuses on content ownership
• Smart web applications

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Web 2 vs. Web 3

Here is a comparison of web2 and web3 in a tabular format.

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Web 3 has been in place since 2012 and is gaining more adoption as more developers discover varied use-cases for the technologies in the space. Additionally, forward-thinking Web 2 companies have begun to find ways to transition into web3. An excellent example is Facebook's Metaverse, an online space that gives you access to the world of Virtual Reality (VR). Other companies dialing into web3.0 include Spotify, Microsoft, Tesla, and many more.

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Opportunities in Web 3 for Marketing, Entertainment, and Web 2 Companies

Although web2 is still very relevant today, it is evident that web3 is quickly taking the stage. It is opening a limitless world of opportunities for those who are sharp enough to identify them.

Web3 provides myriad opportunities for all sectors, from gaming to marketing, entertainment, fashion, and much more.

Below is a list of some of these opportunities for marketing, entertainment professionals, and web2 organizations looking to transition into web3.

1. Marketing Officers: As with every new invention, web3 requires individuals who can market the ideas and products already flooding the market.
2. Community Managers: Web3 companies will need people to handle their relationship with their community, create awareness and manage their online presence on platforms like Telegram, Discord, etc.
3. Decentralized Applications (DApps): DApps are the web3 version of traditional applications. However, these apps run independently using smart contracts that operate on blockchains or distributed ledger systems. Web2 companies can create such apps to provide different utilities for their users.
4. Web3 technologies provide tools such as NFTs that enable artists, musicians, and other content creators and influencers to monetize their content and brands without losing a bulk of it to the infamous intermediaries of web2. Not to mention the absence of interference from a said go-between.
5. Content Creation: From 3D graphic designers to content writers and other content creators will find enough opportunities to flex their skills in the nascent web, on Metaverse, and various blockchain projects.

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Difficulties in Web 3

Web 3.0 bears a host of solutions to the problems facing its predecessor, especially regarding users’ ownership and control of content, Anonymity, and security. On the flip side, the web version is not entirely free from setbacks. We can break down difficulties into three; scalability, Accessibility, and user competence.

• Scalability:  Transactions on the blockchain are typically slow due to their complexity. Unlike web2, web3 involves data encryption and processing across multiple systems, which makes it slow and unwieldy.
• Accessibility: For the most part, web 3 is still out of reach to the everyday user because of its complexity and the unique devices it operates on.
• User Competence: At writing, tech developers make up the majority of people who operate web3. This is because the technologies on it are not yet user-friendly and require special education before the average Joe can understand them.
• Regulation: Decentralization is the central thrust of web3. The nascent space is largely unregulated, which has proved risky to unwary users. Scammers and market manipulators can take advantage of users on web3 without retribution.
• Energy Consumption: Blockchain transactions consume unprecedented amounts of energy that the planet cannot support. For instance, Ethereum, a blockchain platform, is quoted to consume electricity that can power a medium-sized country like Spain.

Room For Improvement

One should expect such difficulties since web3 is a relatively new concept and is still in its development stages. Developers have begun to tackle these issues one after the other, and there is sure to be an improvement as further aspects of web3 are implemented in the future.

Conclusion

Although Web 3.0 still has a long way before its fully operable for everyday users, its rapid adoption rate reveals what to expect when it reaches its full actualization. Its vision of decentralization, security of users’ privacy, transparency, and focus on individual utility portends a future of endless possibilities for the web.

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