Web 3.0 is coming. What could it mean for you?
MAINE, USA — 207’s tech guy, Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media, spends a lot of time following trends in technology, watching to see what might catch on with millions of users, and what might fizzle out to end up in the Silicon Valley ash heap.
He doesn’t pretend to be even anything close to a perfect crystal ball, but he does have a pretty good feel for the big technological waves that are likely coming.
Brooks joined us on 207 to talk about two developments he believes will be particularly significant. Here are the talking points he provided:
Technology is always moving forward, and although no one can predict the future, we turn to our tech guru to tell us what he sees coming. So what’s on the horizon?
“What’s going to be driving a lot of innovation and changes in our lives, is Web 3.0 and the metaverse.”
“First came Web 1.0, where websites were static and we consumed the information. Then came Web 2.0, where we were more collaborative, updating Wikis, blogging, and the advent of ‘social media.’
“With Web 3.0, since it’s still currently evolving, there’s no one definition. However, some of the key elements of what it will ultimately become include AI (artificial intelligence), decentralized applications, blockchain technology, and the semantic web.”
Sounds very futuristic, but what does that mean to the average person? How will our lives change?
“Websites should become more helpful as AI and machine learning can tap into lakes of data to answer our questions. Semantic technologies help AI understand language like humans do, helping them understand our intent when we ask questions like ‘What’s playing tonight at the drive-in,’ or ‘Where can I get rid of my broken computer?’
“We’re already seeing this in our interactions with Siri or Alexa.”
So, better websites? What else?
“Because there’s a big push to decentralize information, there’s also going to be a need for a way to verify information. Who created something, who sold something, who bought it, who owns it now? That’s where blockchain comes in. Blockchain is what cryptocurrency and NFTs are built on.
“Now, even if you haven’t invested in cryptocurrency or purchased any NFTs, blockchain will still impact your life. It can enable an ‘immutable ledger’ of transactions and activity, helping to authenticate transactions in a decentralized world.
“However, even if you haven’t been using cryptocurrency, it is a key element of Web 3.0, so it’s likely you will be using it in the future.”
How does this all connect to the “metaverse?”
“Like Web 3.0, the metaverse is an evolving definition. Depending on who you ask, the metaverse is a shared space that includes VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and XR (extended reality), which combines the two. A good example of VR is when you put on an Oculus headset. A good example of AR is when you hold your phone camera up and information is layered on top of what you already see.
“Where Web 3.0 is about what the internet is evolving into, the metaverse may be one way in which we experience it. I can put on my Oculus headset and enter the metaverse, play games, watch VR YouTube videos, take meetings, or just surf the web.”
“If you’re curious and want to dip your toe in Web 3.0 or the metaverse, there are plenty of resources online to learn more. If you want to dive into the deep end, you might want to pick up a VR headset and start playing around, and even invest in some cryptocurrency or NFTs. And if you want to avoid this entirely, you can do that as well. The underlying forces of AI and blockchain will likely impact you on some level, but it won’t stop you from grabbing a book and sitting under a tree for a good read, working in your garden, or going for a bike ride.”