The Wild Wild Web

The Ever-Changing World Wide Web

          The Web today is a growing universe of interconnected Web pages and Web apps that are joined together with videos, photos, and content. Web technologies and browsers are what make surfing the Internet so easy and accessible. Since the introduction of the Internet, there have been three major versions of the Web, each thoroughly impressive. Each improved version of the Web impacts humans everyday lives. I am currently able to communicate with friends and family worldwide within seconds, which is simply amazing. The Web has come a long way and I am eager to see what the Web will be like in a few years. 

       Web 2.0 was the start of the computers being used as a tool to connect, not just as a tool used for research. Web 2.0 represented a remarkable shift in the way digital information is created, shared, stored, and distributed. Web 2.0 was the discovery of networks, power of links, and the power of collaboration. An example of collaboration is Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, created and edited by users around the world. With Wikipedia came wikiHow, an online community consisting of how-to guides, founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick. The idea of the website is to create helpful how-to instructions to allow people worldwide to learn how to do just about everything imaginable. 

       Web 1.0 lacked technology, therefore lacked human interaction, but excelled at storing and relaying information. The shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 was a next-generation step for Internet technologies. It encouraged users to interact and connect with different users in new ways. Web-based applications became faster and dynamic, instead of having to install applications strictly on your own computer, one could just use the Internet for free and access from anywhere. Social Tools such as YouTube, Flickr, and MySpace came about after Web 2.0 was introduced. Most Internet users would agree that Web 2.0 lived up to its hype.

        Web 3.0 is being seen as the semantic Web, the data driven Web. Users are now able to access data from anywhere at anytime, usually on their smart phones. Web 3.0 created a collection of databases that can be connected on demand; it’s a fast, consistent broadband connection to the Internet. Web 3.0 is taking users into a very fast paced direction, for a very fast paced world. Everything users need is so easily accessible and interconnected.
        The only downfall over Web 3.0 is the obsession over social media. The most noticeable change is how personal people have become on the Internet. Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate, behave, and interact with one another. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have dominated the social media world, and tend to be used as a diary. Users get over dramatic and personal with posts concerning their life or their views on how others should live theirs. The active use of social media has made users egocentric. Social media sites and services allow us to socialize with others, but mainly they provide us with ways in which we can freely express ourselves and publicize who we are to others. Social media has given self-expression a whole new name. We are the generation of "selfies," self-portrait photos that are posted to receive public attention. Social media is alluring because it is amazing to be able to keep so up to date with others, but it is also highly addicting and causes one to become rather self absorbed.

          Social media has forever changed the way humans interact with one another. It's interesting to think that not even a decade ago there were no forms of social media platforms or services. The evolution of the Web has enabled humans to be able to connect and engage with people and information anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The ever-changing Web has changed how people do just about everything. Attending college online is now an option; one can receive college degrees from the comfort of their own home. The dating scene on the Internet has been one of the most noticeable changes; online dating has become a popular trend that people of all ages are using.

           The new and improved Web 3.0 is also making its users too reliable on the Internet. It has to make one question, is Google making us dumb? Instead of finding an answer out through research, one simply Googles it and a specific answer is given within seconds.

          Although each update of the Web is different from the last, they are all interconnected. Web 2.0 stemmed from Web 1.0, Web 3.0 stemmed from both Web 1.0 and 2.0,

Data Developments

         Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 stand for a range of developments. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. According to Berners-Lee, Web 1.0 is to be considered the "read-only Web," a Web that allowed users to search for information and read it, but not interact or contribute. Where as Web 2.0 is to be considered the "read-write" Web. The ability to contribute and interact with other Web users majorly impacted the works of the Web. Tim O'Reilly is generally credited for the development of Web 2.0; he defined it as the Web being used as a platform. Lastly, Web 3.0 is to be described as the "read-write-execute" Web. Each progression of the Web occurs and interconnects the previous progression. The Web continues to rapidly develop because we live in such a fast pace world that is constantly changing and expanding. Humans today love to add their two cents and express their opinions, which is why Web 3.0 allows its users to easily do so.

        The World Wide Web has come a very long way since its introduction to society in 1989. The Web is incredibly beneficial to its users, especially its means of communication. Without the web people wouldn't be able to keep in such close contact.  Just like the world, the Web is constantly changing, so I am eager to see what technological future of the Web holds. The Web will be considered a staple in history because it is so intriguing to learn about and to live through.