The history of the internet

the history of the internet

Web1

What we now refer to as Web1 existed at first; it was formerly known simply as the web. The first websites, portals, and online services were created at this point, but users were only able to view the content and engage in no direct contact. Due to the fact that users could not interact. Web1 was also known as the "Static Web" because users of the web could only interact with the content that was made accessible in a one-way communication web.

Web2

Web2 progressively emerged along with the development of Web support technologies, social networks, and all the apps like blogs, forums, and podcasts that enabled new forms of participatory communication.

In fact, users started interacting with one another and sharing their own content as a result of the development of these new tools. The user, who had previously been a passive actor, now holds the responsibility for creating and managing online material, creating new interactions and processes. For this reason, Web 2 has been nicknamed the "Collaborative Web."

Web3

Just like the other stages of the web, it is difficult to pinpoint when Web3 was born. This is because Web development is a process and, as such, has no set start date. But, many argue that the idea of Web3 emerged around 2006, although the term Web3 was only coined in 2014 by Gavin Wood. It is supposed to be the next step of the internet. In general, Web3's major objective is to attempt to address Web2's most significant issue: the collecting of personal data by private networks that enables surveillance capitalism, a real market for future behavior.

And in order to address this, Web3 has as its primary area of innovation a web of decentralized networks that are not under the authority of a single entity and are created by platforms that make use of consensus methods that can be trusted by all. In it, open networks would be used as the foundation for decentralized applications (DApps), and no organization would be able to collect data on users without their permission or restrict or censor their access. The goal of Web3 is to establish "a decentralized and fair internet where individuals own their own data, identity, and destiny," to quote the Web3 Foundation's own website.

The second area of innovation promised by the Web3 architects is that these decentralized networks would allow for the direct, middle-man-free transmission of internet value or "money" between user accounts. Decentralization and internet money, two characteristics that are constantly developing, are the keys to understanding Web 3.

However, several detractors have raised issues with the existing Web3, such as its reliance on funding from VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz, which would jeopardize its major innovation—offering users a fully decentralized web—as well as its reliance on this type of funding.

As a result, the most recent version of the World Wide Web, known as Web5, is also eagerly awaited. Its main goal is to make it simpler for developers to create decentralized web apps (DWAs), which employ credentials that can be independently validated and non-centralized web nodes. This method employs decentralized identifiers to restore control and ownership of data, in contrast to the current system where middlemen control identifiers.

>>> Read more: Web 3.0 vs. Web 2.0: The revolution to decentralization

Is Web4 missing?

Has web4 been missed? Let’s get the elephant out of the room! Nope, it hasn't. Web5 was created as a combination of Web2 and Web3 with the intention of combining the best elements of each. And what is Web4?

Some people have theorized that web4 already exists in the era of mobile devices. Web4, commonly referred to as "Mobile Web," has the infrastructure required to adapt to the mobile environment. Imagine a web that instantly connects every mobile device in both the physical and virtual worlds. Users and robots can communicate via speech and mobility thanks to Web4. Web4 is focused on making it possible for users to use and spread information regardless of location via mobile devices, whereas previous websites placed more emphasis on users interacting with the internet when sitting in front of a desktop and computer.

As a result, Web4 modifies how humans and robots communicate, creating a symbiotic relationship. Humans will always have access to robots in this fourth stage of the Web, and machines will play a more prominent role in daily life.

A detailed explanation of Web5

When did the idea for "Web5" first occur? Despite the fact that many people first learned about Web5 when Jack Dorsey's statement made headlines, the concept is not brand-new. In 2009, Tim Berners-Lee alluded to Web5 as the "emotional web" in TED presentations. He defined it as a platform that lets people build digital personas. The ability to commercialize one's data will be completely up to the individual.

But, Web5 is that all? In July 2021, TBD, a division of Block (formerly Square), was established with the intention of establishing "an open platform for developers" with an emphasis on decentralized finance (Defi) and Bitcoin (BTC). Building "Web 5: an Extra Decentralized Web platform", where users will have complete ownership over their own data, is now TBD's top objective.

The absence of the "identity" layer, according to TBD's presentation on Web5, is the primary issue with the internet: "In the current Web, identity and personal data are turned into the property of third parties," and as a result, Web5 will put a strong emphasis on decentralizing identity, data storage, and its applications. TBD further asserts that in order to address this issue, a second decentralized Web platform will be developed.

Web5 is merely an ongoing open-source project that is still in its early stages. The team is still working out the specifics of Web5's release date and intended application. TBD's Mike Brock recently reaffirmed that there wouldn't be any tokens to buy into the Web5 ecosystem.

Web5's development team has been at work on this open-source technology for more than ten years, and it shows. The concept is still in its early stages of development, and its designers and early users are still perfecting it. Web5 is more likely to become ingrained in our daily lives as more people utilize it.

How does Web5 work?

How does Web5 work?

The primary core structure of the distributed network for the web nodes that make up a peer-to-peer network of Web5 users is called a Decentralized Web Node (DWN). Users manage DWNs on their own PC or device. As a result, various Web5 users can share, pass, and identify information.

Thus, a mesh datastore without a central server or authority regulating it is created as a result of the spread of DWNs among users. Additionally, it enables users to communicate with one another without the need for intermediaries like Google or Facebook, which frequently have ulterior motives when it comes to privacy concerns.

Users can choose whether to make their data public because they control their DWN. Thus, the user's permission to view the data is required. The information is confidential in any case. Private data will automatically be called by the program.

Verifiable credentials and DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) are also used by Web5. You can utilize this key element to build self-sovereign IDs. Combining the two enables the development of decentralized identity. This implies that users can authenticate themselves independently of any one party. A DID does not necessarily need to be stored on the blockchain; rather, it is only a component that interacts with the public blockchain.

Unique identifiers are DIDs. Since they are user-generated and self-controlled, users can still claim ownership of their identities. Verifiable credentials are used to demonstrate a person's identification in many contexts. They are used to obtain credentials from third parties who vouch for the owners' qualifications, reputation, and integrity. These two ideas can be integrated into a single idea known as "self-sovereign identity services" (SSIS), which enables users to truly claim ownership of their digital identities.

The key features of Web5

Web5 explanation

It's important to keep in mind that Web5 is currently under development, therefore nothing is known about its features. On the other hand, customers can anticipate a wide range of capabilities once the platform has been developed and put into use. The web 5.0 definition's two most critical elements, however, must not be disregarded. Users have complete control over their identities and actual ownership of the data they hold.

Possession of Identity

A summary of the main use cases for web 5.0 would center on giving consumers more control over their identities. Assume you have a digital wallet that makes it easier for you to handle your data, identity credentials, and authorizations for connecting to various apps and external connections.

A decentralized social media app will accept sign-in information from the wallet. You wouldn't need to create a profile as the application already knows who you are. You would use a decentralized web node to store any interactions you have with the app. With your social identity established on the current social media platform, you can now switch to other social media apps.

Data Ownership

The concise explanation of one of the key features of web 5.0 also emphasizes the importance of data ownership. The promise of a decentralized web entailed the availability of actual user data ownership. The apparently "decentralized" web nevertheless raises questions about centralization, though. Web 5.0, on the other hand, intends to give people more control over their data.

To comprehend the features of web 5.0, let the author choose another set of examples. You can't afford to have all of your personal information tied up with just one streaming service because you love movies. You must identify comparable films and create comparable watch lists on each streaming app in order to implement the personal data storage technique. Ryan can benefit from more than just decentralization's advantages with the addition of web 5.0.

You might be able to keep your preferences and settings on a decentralized web node with the use of the web 5.0 features for enabling real user data ownership. Users can now access the preferences and settings on the decentralized web node using the various streaming apps. As a result, watching movies on several devices might be seamless and tailored to your preferences.

Web3 vs. Web5

web3 vs web5

In general, Web5 and Web3 share a similar overall concept, yet each offers distinctive features. Concepts for Web3 apps are implemented as smart contracts on open blockchains like Ethereum. Web3 is frequently referred to as a decentralized application (DApps). On a decentralized network powered by blockchain, its fundamental code is located.

Web5 on the other hand consists of decentralized web apps (DWAs), which are not based on blockchain but can speak to DWNs. As a result, a peer-to-peer relaying network is created that is separate from any existing public blockchain.

With Web5, people have control of their data, which they can save on DWNs. On the other hand, Web3 stores data on the decentralized network or distributed file system with IPFS capable of distributing and storing data in a peer-to-peer network system.

Why is Web3 adoption not widely available but has come to web5?

Many of the things that Web3 detractors dismissively refer to as "false promises" appear to be far more difficult to do with Bitcoin alone — at least right now. Although the improvements brought about by the Lightning Network are encouraging, Bitcoin's decentralization and commitment to cybersecurity come at the sacrifice of storage capacity and, most all, transaction speed.

Additionally, several Web3 functionalities appear to be already feasible thanks to layers constructed on top of Bitcoin. Using Bitcoin, Hiro is creating smart contracts. To support Defi, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), apps, and smart contracts in Bitcoin, Stacks was developed. Not to mention that colored coins, which serve as the Bitcoin blockchain's counterpart of NFTs and ERC-20 tokens, have existed there since 2012.

Decentralized identity solutions based on decentralized identifiers (DIDs) are already now available on Web3, such as the Identity Overlay Network (ION), which was developed and is based on the Sidetree Protocol on top of the Bitcoin blockchain. Add to this the ambiguity around the alternate finance and construction methods Dorsey will employ for his new version of Web3.

Will the current worries about Web3 be allayed by TBD's new attempt to build a decentralized layer atop the Web using the Bitcoin blockchain?

Of a certainty, users will benefit more from efforts aimed at building a decentralized web. However, what is crucial in this situation is that these projects can unite all the technical, financial, and intelligent individuals who are dedicated to the hard work and effort needed to make the decentralized web a reality.

Is Web5 an outbreaking version of the Internet?

Web 5.0 is currently being developed, thus there is still a long way to go before people become accustomed to using cases for it in everyday situations. Nobody can not but wonder what potential advantages it would bring to users, though. However, it's also critical to be aware of web 5.0's drawbacks, which may affect user experiences. Here is a list of the web 5.0 platform's standout value advantages.

Web 5.0's emotional intelligence component would offer the perfect environment for users to develop their creativity.
The emotional intelligence component of web 5.0 can be used by the e-commerce industry to build the foundation for in-the-moment user communication. The e-commerce industry can benefit from web 5.0 by placing a specific emphasis on reading user emotions in order to enhance the value of user experiences.
An explanation of web 5.0 underlines the advantages of having control over your own identity and data as one of its key and recurrent points of emphasis. The existing web technologies are centralized, and those that promise better decentralization fall short of their promises. You might pick how to utilize your data and have complete control over it using Web 5.0. Additionally, users can safely access different applications and services using their digital identity.
Speaking of security, Web 5.0's foundations will be built using Bitcoin as an example. According to Jack Dorsey, Bitcoin is the most secure decentralized network and dispels any concerns about the Web5 blockchain equation. With the use of blockchain, Web 5.0 would provide users with the advantages of decentralization and cryptographic security.

Despite the fact that web 5.0 has some real benefits, there are also some serious drawbacks. First of all, the web 5.0 project is still in development, and its final form is unknown. In addition, widespread acceptance would be crucial for web 5.0's advantages.

Author’s note: With no defined strategy in place, the future of web 5.0 is now fairly unclear. The goal of Web5 is to create entirely decentralized systems that support social interaction and financial transactions. In addition, a key challenge for web 5.0 is the requirement for maintaining control over user data and identity. Currently, The Block Head or TBD concentrates on creating four crucial elements of web 5.0. Decentralized IDs and a decentralized web node are among the components. A self-sovereign identification service and an SDK for self-sovereign identity are the additional web 5.0 components.

Disclaimer:
This article is intended for and only to be used for reference purposes only. No such information provided constitutes advice or a recommendation that any investment or trading strategy is suitable for any specific name.

Web5 - What to expect from the latest version of the internet