Web2, Web3, Web4 and now Web5 – technology is changing very fast. If you’re a fan of blockchain, you’ve certainly kept up with it all. If not – that’s what you have us for.
The Web3 internet concept has been around for seven years. Is it fully fleshed out? It’s not for us to judge. However – there goes a new one. Jack Dorsey has shared his new idea – the Web5 Internet. What is it, and how does it differ from Web3? We invite you to read on!
The evolution of the ‘Web’
To begin with, a bit of history. Or rather, the history of the evolution of the Internet. Most of us remember very well the first steps taken by Google and the World Wide Web. “The Internet of those days” was characterised by simplicity. Over time, it began to enter the world of more complex technologies and laid the foundations of the web as we have it today.
After the era of the simple Internet came Web2, a term first used in 1999. It was invented by Darcy DiNucci. The main features of Web2 include:
∙ Web user-generated content.
∙ Ease of use.
∙ Connecting people through social networks (remember our classroom days).
∙ Real-time sharing of information.
∙ A specific culture of online participation.
After this period, we went one step further – Web3. That is to say, a decentralised network in which its participants have full control over their data. People discover new content, communicate, without fear that the platform they use will reveal their data. Web3 provides complete privacy. The term emerged in 2014 and was used by none other than Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood.
Later we have the turn off Web4, which is also known as the ‘Mobile Web‘. It has the necessary infrastructure and adapts it to the mobile environment. It allows users the necessary mobility and voice interactions. In the Web4 era, the system user can access and disseminate publicly available information. Regardless of the location they are in. In addition, an interesting aspect of this era of the Internet is the introduction of robots and machines on which everyday life will depend.
Web5 – the concept
Web5 will be the next version of the www. Dorsey’s concept is to focus on regaining ownership of data and control of the web. Furthermore, web5 is directed largely at developers. The concept is to make it easier for them to create DWA (decentralised web applications). They use credentials and web nodes that are decentralised and independent. Furthermore, web5 ensures that users will be given full ownership over their personal information and data. We will manage our identities and our data with ease.
How does the new network work?
Its main structure is the DWN (Decentralised Web Nodes). It is this that creates the distributed network for the web nodes. These in turn build a peer-to-peer network for all users of the next-generation network, Web5.
Interestingly, it is the user who is responsible for running the DWN on their device. As a result, there is no possibility of a central server or authority being set up to control the databases. Everything works fully decentralised. This approach is followed by another plus of the new concept – users will be forced to interact with each other.
Privacy. Another concept of the new Internet dimension. As you know, Google or even Facebook have their programmes that take care of the privacy issue of a given user. On Web5 it is a little different. Since it is the users themselves who control their DWN, they are the ones who decide whether to make their data public.
Web5 is supposed to work through Decentralised Identifiers (DIDs). These are unique identifiers that are generated and controlled by users. As a result, web consumers retain full control over their property. And the data they share. However – that’s not all. DIDs are perfect for creating so-called self-sovereign – fully decentralised identities.
Web3 vs Web5
In our opinion, the two concepts cannot be compared to each other. Web3 is mainly smart contracts that are implemented on public blockchains (e.g. Ethereum). In the crypto world, this branch of the internet is often compared to dApps.
Web5 focuses mainly on decentralised web applications (DWAs). These are not blockchain-based. As a result, here we have a peer-to-peer network that exists independently.
What is another difference? Web5 ensures that the user will have full control over their data, which they store in the DWN. Web3 stores this data in a decentralised network or distributed file system with IPFS.
Summary
Well, this is the next version of the Internet. It is sure to come with new browsers, web services and the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies. Currently, web5 is a pipe dream and ideas. An open-source project that is still a work in progress. The creators and originators are still fine-tuning it.
Your favorite tokens on Kanga Exchange