Growing up in such a fast-paced
evolution of the World Wide Web has influenced the way that I do pretty much
everything. Whether it be doing research for a paper, finding a good recipe, or
sharing thoughts and ideas with friends, the World Wide Web has touched and
influenced all of these things and many more. One of my first experiences with
the World Wide Web was playing a sandwich
stacking game on disneychannel.com. This differs greatly from the ways that
even my mom and dad first interacted with the web, or the way that they played,
or the way that they shared ideas. “My grandmother’s recipe” has evolved into,
“I found it on Pinterest!”
The Tangled Webs
This is what Web 2.0 is, and is
what Web 3.0 has become. 2.0 is about the sharing of information, while 3.0 is
how that information has been filtered to pertain to us more and more as users
of the Web. Anytime I might look at a pin on Pinterest, my account remembers
this; it shows me similar pins that I might be interested, therefore allowing
my knowledge basis to grow and expand surrounding topics that I am interested
in.
That being said, I think it is
important to note how interconnected all of the different aspects of Web 1.0,
2.0, and 3.0 are. Web 1.0 laid the groundwork for 2.0. While 2.0 is very much
about connecting with others, it also is about sharing information. 1.0 focused
on one way communication and what essentially was digitized pamphlets as
opposed to 2.0, and the importance of individualized thoughts. Web 3.0 uses our
sharing to collect information about us, and share it with us. Diversifying our
interests while building and learning about our current obsessions. Each of the
developments of the Web had its place in the world, and they continue to tangle
up and weave within each other to create the Web environment that is presently
available to us all.
Web 1.0 provided the
entrepreneurial user with many valuable resources. While the communication
wavelength was very much a one-way street in the beginning, it is definitely a
multi-lane highway now, following that analogy. Web 2.0 and 3.0 are intimately
connected. However, whenever something grows and changes, there are always
disadvantages to come along with all the great new features. A downside to 2.0
and 3.0 in my opinion is how little privacy we have online, and the impact it
has on our lives. Anytime you sign up for a new website or social media
platform, the terms and conditions give the companies who run that site
information about you, and continues to collect information about you. From
there, these 2.0 developers merge with 3.0 to create targeted ads to market
more and more relevant products to you. This is a good thing for companies, but
a bad thing for your wallet and privacy.
WEBvolution
The
evolution of the Web has been a dynamic process. When the World Wide Web
started, Web 1.0, it was primarily a source of information, like a very archaic
database, accessible from anywhere where there was dial up. From there, as
technology progressed, people adapted and changed the way that the world
communicates.
As part of
a natural progression, the Web took the information that was accessible and
made it possible for everyday people to create content and post it: Web 2.0.
This evolution of the Web is characterized by involvement and interacting with
the user. Users create content that other users could view and react to. Some
of the examples
of Web 2.0 are free web-based email, online banking, and mapping services, to
mention a few.
These
changes from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 evolve around personalization. While data was
available in 1.0, its sole purpose was to transmit information, while the user
received it. Now it is a two-way information highway. Many people use the Web
as a means to obtain news and information, as well as share news and
information about their own lives.
Interfaces
such as MySpace and Facebook revolutionized the way that we use the Web. Making
a place for individuals to put information out there to others connected people
across the world, and therefore created the World Wide Web. The Web spanned
across oceans and surpassed borders. It put people in the driver’s seat: they
could control what information they put out and what kind of information they
took in – they could be friends with or connect with whomever they wanted,
while leaving those they chose not to interact with out there with the rest of
the world. This is the beauty of the World Wide Web.
Web 3.0 has
also emerged as a key component of the way that we use the Web. While 2.0 saw
the advent of social media and social networking, Web 3.0 perfected the online
database aspects of 1.0 that were trailing behind. History is within anyone’s
grasp: searchable newspapers from a hundred years ago and other primary source
documents are readily available on the Internet.
While we
ascend the digital ladder and begin to explore Web 4.0, one has to wonder where
the Web will take us as the information super highway gains more and more
momentum. Devices such as Google Home and Amazon’s Echo create new meaning for
the words “Digital Assistant,” being able to play music or search information
at a moment’s notice, or even tell jokes. The Web has always entertained its
users, but always at the discretion of the user searching content. With these
Web-enabled devices, the Web has become full service.
With the
rapid evolving of the Web and technology, I believe that the way we access the
Web will revolutionize its interface. With accessories that have internet
access such as Apple Watch and other wearable gadgets, the way that we use the
Web is changing.
Will we let
it change us?
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