It would be unfair to start talking about Web 2.0 and 3.0 without mentioning Web 1.0. It refers to the first stage in what we know as the evolution of the www (World Wide Web). Web 1.0 was known for having a majority of consumers and a minority of creators. Web 2.0 brought more freedom and more possibilities to the internet by breaking almost all the limits of web 1.0.
Web 3.0 on the other hand is promising even more freedom and more possibilities concerning the way the internet can be beneficial to companies and individuals. Let’s get a closer look at the specifications of each of these stages of the World Wide Web.
The Web 2.0
Web 2.0 started to be taken seriously by the internet community in the early 2000s—roundabout 2004. It brought a new way of using the internet by focusing on websites that emphasize user-generated content, usability, and interoperability for end-users. It brought the social participatory aspect of the web that we enjoy today.
Web 2.0 didn’t bring any specific change in technical specification but instead in the design and the use of web pages. Those original Web 2.0 advancements enable interaction and collaboration. They are used in a social media dialogue to create user-generated content in a virtual community.
In Web 2.0 development, Web browser technologies are used. They include languages such as AJAX and Javascript frameworks. This new stage offers a lot of major features such as:
- Free information sorting: it allows users to retrieve and categorize information altogether.
- Dynamic content: a greater reaction to user input.
- Information flow: online rating and commenting have brought better information flow between the site owner and users.
- Development of APIs: they are developed to allow self-use by a software application, for instance.
Web 2.0, also called the social web, won websurfers hearts by giving them a new way to share their perspectives, thoughts, opinions, and experiences. To do so, Web 2.0 contains numerous tools and platforms. The interaction is much oriented to the end-user, which makes him mainly a participant of the application on which he is. Among the most used tools to achieve that freedom of interaction, there are:
- Podcasting
- Blogging
- Tagging
- Curation with RSS
- Social bookmarking
- Social Networking
- Social Media
- Voting on web content
The Web 3.0
Web 3.0 takes all the Web technology and transforms it into a database. This new evolution of the World Wide Web upgrades the back end of the Web after a long focus on the front end with Web 2.0.
This new phase of the internet still allows usage and interaction, but across multiple platforms. With that specification in consideration, data is shared and no longer owned. On the other hand, services offer different views of the same Website and data. This aims to be a decentralized but secure web.
Web 3.0 came with the promise to establish the “information of the way” in a more reasonable way than we know. Contrary to Google’s engine schema, Web 3.0 requires the use of a declarative Web ontology language (OWL) to produce domain-specific ontologies. Therefore, machines can use them to reason about information and draw new conclusions instead of just matching keywords.
Web 3.0 has brought the possibility to dream bigger with the use of the internet and to take advantage of more features like low-code websites. Some of the most used features are:
- The semantic web: it enhances the ability to create, share, and connect content through search and analysis. These in-demand web technologies are based on the capability to understand the meaning of words rather than keywords or numbers.
- Artificial intelligence: combining artificial intelligence and natural language processing gives computers the power to distinguish information like humans. Computers are therefore able to become more intelligent and evolve in order to meet user requirements.
- 3D graphics: Web 3.0 websites have simplified the use of three-dimensional graphics, and many fields are using them efficiently. Some industries using 3D design are museum guides, e-commerce, computer games, geospatial, and so on.
- Connectivity: semantic data allows a better connection to information. The user experience evolves to another level of connectivity; leveraging all available information.
- Ubiquity: another feature highly appreciated through web 3.0 is that content is accessible by multiple applications. On every device connected to the web, all services provided can be used.
If Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 have brought more freedom and features to the use of technologies, they mainly helped many companies get their business going and create the perfect interaction with their audience. In order to support that evolution and make it even easier to deal with, Techmate Labs creates your designs and websites very quickly through a low-code process.