There was a time when people got crazy for the 2nd generation of the World Wide Web. The charm and utility of just turning your computer on and having access to all the information you need were great.
But there’s a catch to that. “What catch?”, you might be wondering. The 2nd generation of the web is totally centralized, and they are controlled by a few tech giants. On the flip side, the 3rd generation of the web has a different nature. It is decentralized, controlled by the community, and transparent. This might get confusing at this point, but let me explain.
Web3 Explained
Consider a new form of internet that you yourself manage and own. How does that happen? Through blockchain technology. Blockchain is a decentralized technology that is run and managed by communities. It is essentially a network comprising multiple nodes, with each node representing a piece of information.
When a node is changed, new information is added to the ledger, and that can be viewed by the whole network, making it highly transparent. Similarly, Web 3.0 is operated. Users will control it, and it will be secure (more on that coming up).
That’s Web3, now let us head on to its use cases, and how it can benefit the end users.
Why Web3 Should Be Used
Since it is based on the distributed ledger and smart contracts, it is decentralized, and that decentralized nature is why it should be used. Let me elaborate a bit more.
The problem with Web 2.0 is that it needs multiple parties to be involved for a smooth operation. Thus, multiple middlemen come in and take their chunk, further pushing the cost. On the flip side, it doesn’t happen like that with Web3. Since it is decentralized in nature, it doesn’t need middlemen like it does with the 2nd generation of the web. So, it is less costly to operate.
Also, another great benefit of Web 3 is that it doesn’t have to be manually adjusted to an individual user’s behavior, as it can automatically adjust and adapt to their pattern.
There is so much more to be covered, so let me explain below:
Better Search Capabilities
When was the last time you made a Google search? You included some keywords for the search to be relevant, right?
Even though that sounds okay but it is a problem with Web 2.0. You need some keywords to make the search relevant, or you will end up with some trash results. This will change with Web3.
Search engines built on Web3 will have capabilities to understand natural language to a large extent. This means that you can just verbally communicate what you need, and that would be it. It will become fairly easy to do your search.
That said, I have been using some applications that are based on blockchain, and they are internet-heavy. This means you need a fast internet connection to operate them smoothly. I don’t run into such problems because I have high-speed Spectrum Internet at home. It is one of the best internet providers in the US, with great Spectrum customer service and affordable plans.
Custom Browsing
With Web3, you will have a nice custom experience. How? Web3 is a highly adaptable technology, and it can quickly adapt to a user’s preferences. For example, you are not a casual shopper and you need to quickly get to the thing you want. With Web2, you’d be scrolling through multiple pages and dodging multiple ads and pop-ups only to end up with a terrible product.
Web 3 can help you not only skip the ads, but it will also help you quickly get to what you need the most. As a user, I yearn for that, and that will soon be possible with Web3.
Improved App Interfaces
Web3 isn’t just limited to providing custom browsing and better search capabilities; it can fundamentally change the functionalities of apps like Google Maps.
Web 2.0 was just limited to some user interaction and real-time updates, but with Web3, it will change the game – Google Maps will become highly interactive, and it can literally push updates every second through satellite. If a chosen path is congested because of traffic, the app will reroute you to a new route that has less traffic.
Not just that, it can be used in multiple medical applications to quickly update a patient’s guardians about the patient’s situation in the operating theatre.
The benefits that Web 3 offers go far beyond what I have mentioned above. There will be more applications that will amaze you in the future. Till then, let us wait and see what ease this new technology brings to our lives.