Web 3.0 is the buzzword amongst a community of decentralized devoted people. The current state of the internet is web 2.0 – one largely restricted in terms of creation and control. Still, there is more usability for end-users and more user-generated content. Two examples are websites like WordPress and social media sites like Facebook, which allow users to have creative control. Before this, you guessed it, it was Web 1.0, which was very much a what you see is what you get web.
Web 3.0 is expected to be the most dramatic overhaul of the traditional web that we know and maybe even love. Below, we’ll explore what web 3.0 means, why it’ll be primarily open-source coded, and how it’ll impact anyone who uses the internet.
What’s Web 3.0?
Web 3.0 is the third generation of the internet. You might not have noticed that there have been two previous generations because, by and large, changes are subtle. They’re not changes in the sense of a business rebrand, for example, where everything about it is different. Web 3.0, however, might deliver some powerful changes that every user will feel. The architecture of the emerging web 3.0 is still unknown, but there’s a wealth of information about what it’ll mean for the future of the internet.
The primary difference between web 2.0 and 3.0 will be who controls it. Web 2.0 is absolutely dominated by tech conglomerates Google and Apple. You might feel free to browse openly, but your information is constantly stored and shared across multiple networks, thanks to the cookies we’re forced to agree to if we want to enter a website. Web 3.0 aims to remove that problem by creating a new and truly open internet. Web 3.0 will be using decentralized technology and open-source coding that gives more users access to the open space that’s truly open to interpretation. Checkout Web3 onboarding tools.
Why Will It Use Open-Source Coding?
As stated previously, the architecture of web 3.0 is yet to be released – but it’s assumed and documented that open-source coding and software will be the coding of choice for web 3.0 as it’s the most versatile and easily manipulated – making it perfect for the new web 3.0. Naturally, that presents security risks that SAST tools can mitigate. The curators of web 3.0 must consider the security risks of open-source coding and software to protect users from an internet that’s already riddled with hackers.
Why is open-source coding and software such a risk? Code vulnerabilities. One study found that software or applications built using open-source coding contain an average of seven vulnerabilities that open the door to major security breaches.
What About Decentralized Technology?
Decentralized technology is becoming increasingly popular. Cryptocurrencies and the new metaverse brought this new buzzword onto the scene – so how is it now transpiring to be the front-running technology for web 3.0? In the same way that open-source coding is more flexible and open to the masses rather than one organization, decentralized technology focuses on multiple ownership rather than an individual.
It’s expected that web 3.0 will use similar tactics as found in cryptocurrency. Multiple people will be assigned the task of authorization and control rather than a trusted intermediary. Thus, web 3.0 will technically be trustless – but rather, the trust lies in the network and those assigned to be the gatekeeper. Essentially, web 3.0 will use decentralized apps that take the place of centralized social networks.
Web 3.0 won’t officially launch for many years. The development is staged, ensuring security, open access, and the ability for users to have control over their data are included in the foundation of the project. Interestingly, the first web 3.0 protocol did launch in 2021 called Fellow. Some say it’s a taster of what’s to come for web 3.0.
