Today is World Wide Web Day and it might be the last time we use WWW as an acronym, as Web 3.0 displaces the old platform. It brings about full ownership of content online.
The Internet revolution paved the way for Web 1.0, the web’s early days as invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
Those days were uncomplicated focusing on basic connectivity and informal website design, where communication with content owners was very limited. Various search engines existed and competed to yield results that were often inaccurate and or irrelevant. The internet was slow and a read-only online platform.
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Around 2004, Web 2.0 started to materialize, moving the web from a one-way communication medium into a participatory online environment. Content providers began to cater to user preferences and content creation thrived with people publishing blogs, social media posts, and videos to share experiences.
High-speed internet connectivity became available for billions, not millions, and enabled the sharing of multimedia experiences. This contributed to boosting e-commerce conversions and driving sales via online shopping experiences.
Web 2.0 made the internet indispensable for billions of people and that is essentially what we have today.
The next revolution of the Internet and the web is coming.
Web 3.0
Web 3.0 describes a more connected online ecosystem that enjoys human-like intelligence. It is poised to allow users to own the data and connect all their online information through interlinking across different platforms. Data is stored in personalized data containers for users that enable seamless access, or information sharing. Users need a WebID for identification and authorization to access that data.
Web 3.0 is a version of the internet that’s more decentralized and democratic. It diverges from its current state where a few tech companies exert hegemony over internet use and its infrastructure. It presents a peer-to-peer system based on blockchain technology. This makes it more reliant on users’ contributions to the network than a monopolistic authority of a single dominant entity.
By depending on blockchain-based algorithms rather than corporate decision-making, future web models aim to shift the internet to a model where we trust the technology itself and not the company.
Industry comments on World Wide Web Day
Data: Karim Azar, Regional Vice President of Emerging Marketing – Middle East & Turkey, at Cloudera, told Economy Middle East:
“The rise of data over the past few years has reached unprecedented heights, with the World Wide Web proving to be the backbone of this data revolution. The shift to cloud computing has been one of the most revolutionary changes in recent years. The World Wide Web has accelerated the adoption of cloud services, allowing organizations to store and process data efficiently and securely.”
According to IDC, 49% of data will be kept in public cloud environments by 2025 helping businesses and organizations gain valuable insights and stay competitive in their respective markets.
Security: Ziad Nasr, General Manager, at Acronis Middle East, told Economy Middle East: “The World Wide Web has ushered in a transformative era, reshaping our lives and interactions with unprecedented global connectivity. However, alongside the numerous advantages of this digital age, we must also recognize the escalating cybersecurity challenges that arise from this interconnectivity. Cyber threats, now pervasive and sophisticated, target individuals, businesses, and governments alike.”
Acronis reported a 464% increase in phishing attacks in just the first half of 2023.
“We urge individuals and organizations to use this occasion to reflect on the significance of cybersecurity in today’s hyper-connected world. By staying vigilant, practicing cybersecurity best practices, and investing in reliable cyber protection solutions, we can collectively create a safer and more resilient digital environment,” Nasr added.
The Internet Archive
There will always be a place for Web 2.0 even as Web 3.0 erases our personal memories of it.
For instance, the Internet Archive, a non-profit, has been building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form since 1996. Like a paper library, it provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, people with print disabilities, and the general public.
The Internet Archive today brings 26+ years of web history and makes it accessible through the Wayback Machine, working with 1,000+ libraries and other partners to identify important web pages.
Today the archive contains:
- 735 billion web pages
- 41 million books and texts
- 14.7 million audio recordings (including 240,000 live concerts)
- 8.4 million videos (including 2.4 million Television News programs)
- 4.4 million images
- 890,000 software programs
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