April 6, 2011 by MSI
First it was Web 1.0, or was it? Did we even speak of Web 1.0 in
the non-tech world prior to the coining or ‘invention’ of the term Web 2.0 by
Tim O’Reilly at his conference in late 2004? I know that prior to Web 2.0 I was
just speaking of the Web or ‘back in the day’, the World Wide Web. So, now as I
glance through several technology blogs and see the term Web 3.0, I am curious
as to what is next, or if we’re already there. Amazingly when I begin to dig a bit
online, I see references to Web 3.0 as far back as 2006. Honestly, I was barely
aware of Web 2.0 then. For all of us non-techies, what is the difference and
are we already in the Web 3.0 world?
Let’s start with Web 1.0, which is commonly referred to as one-way,
static and closed. If you think back it was the beginning of the public Web,
when sites were primarily read-only, written by editors and most were personal
or corporate websites. As we approached the mid-2000s, we began to see a
transition to Web 2.0, which is reflected through both collaboration and
two-way communication. Web 2.0 is described as active, dynamic and even
democratic. When you think of Web 2.0 you think of websites such as Facebook,
Google Maps, Twitter and RSS feeds. Blogging, Crowdsourcing, and Microblogging
(Twitter) are just a few key elements of Web 2.0.
From what I read, Web 3.0 will bring technology to an entirely new
level. Often referred to as a Semantic Web, it involves even faster processing
and the ability for computers to handle complex queries. In simpler terms,
think of it as a computer being able to process information in a like manner to
a human. And, it involves constant connectivity; the idea that people are never
disconnected.
As I wrote that last sentence I was a bit frightened and reflected
back briefly on the book 1984, but when I really think about it, we’re nearly
there. Considering the amount of personal information on the Web and the level
of sophistication of queries today, we’re likely not far away from being in a
completely Web 3.0 world. After all, our new vehicles today are coming with
computers, over 42 of Americans currently use a Smartphone and over 80 percent
of Americans have a computer at home.
Like others, I will sit and wait, although probably not for long,
with my iPad, iPhone and laptop I am sure I will be immersed in Web 3.0 before
I even know it. Just think of what lies ahead in Web 4.0 and Web 5.0.
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