At the dawn of the Internet, Web 1.0 ruled all of cyberspace. It was a dull time filled with static, boring and read-only type webpages. The evolution of web 2.0 around 2002 gave the web some much needed flare. It encouraged two-way interaction through blogs (TMZ), wiki’s (Wikipedia) and social networks (Facebook). We are now entering yet another revolution of the Internet called web 3.0. This time, the web will transform into one massive database of information. For example, if you wanted to buy a used car today you would probably visit cars.com or autotrader.com to begin your search. With web 3.0, the databases from all of the used car websites would be combined into one massive search engine.
Web 3.0 will be a place where computers “read” and understand the context of a page just like humans do. It will streamline every type of electronic media into one massive pipeline. There will be no more phone lines, cable lines or radio waves once this evolution is complete. Everything will run off of just one single source, the Internet.
Linkedin founder Reid Hoffman explains it like this: Web 1.0 involved going to search and receiving data, Web 2.0 involved developing relationships and collecting data from real identities, Web 3.0 involves using real identities to generate massive amounts of data and organizing it in way so that it can be discovered without any keywords.
Why Will Mobile Devices Prevail in This Revolution?
Simple, they will be the batteries that make it run. 90% of the world is predicted to own a mobile phone capable of accessing the Internet in 2014. Instead of turning on the T.V. and picking a channel, your mobile device will suggest what to watch for you and stream it instantly through a television monitor. Radio will work in a similar fashion and desktops will be completely converted to mobile devices. Virtually all transmittable services will be stored on one single handheld mobile device. Nearly everything electronic will be connected via Wi-Fi and everything will be working together synergistically to create what is presently being called “The Semantic Web.” Searches will be so defined that all we will need is a tiny mobile screen to get the information we need.
There are conflicting opinions as to what Web 3.0 actually is. Some say it is the expansion of virtual worlds like Second Life, where virtual malls and virtual play dates become a reality. Others say it is the development of massive networks that will be tailored towards machines rather than users for the first time in history. Almost all the theorists agree that mobile technology will be at the forefront of any new Internet technological push.
