How Web 3.

0 Will Work
by Jonathan Strickland

Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/jjaes
Will we view future versions of the Web through devices like this tiny head-mounted display?

You’ve decided to go see a movie and grab a bite to eat afterward. You’re in the mood for a
comedy and some incredibly spicy Mexican ibod. Booting up your PC, you open a Web browser
and head to Google to search for theater, movie and restaurant information. You need to know
which movies are playing in the theaters near you, so you spend some time reading short
descriptions of each film before making your choice. Also, you want to see which Mexican
restaurants are close to each of these theaters. And, you may want to check for customer reviews
for the restaurants. In total, you visit half a dozen Web sites before you’re ready to head out the
door.

Some Internet experts believe the next generation of the Web Web 3.0 will make tasks like
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your search for movies and food faster and easier. Instead of multiple searches, you might type a
complex sentence or two in your Web 3.0 browser, and the Web will do the rest. In our example,
you could type “I want to see a funny movie and then eat at a good Mexican restaurant. What are
my options?” The Web 3.0 browser will analyze your response, search the Internet for all
possible answers, and then organize the results for you.

That’s not all. Many of these experts believe that the Web 3.0 browser will act like a personal
assistant. As you search the Web, the browser learns what you are interested in. The more you
use the Web, the more your browser learns about you and the less specific you’ll need to be with
your questions. Eventually you might be able to ask your browser open questions like “where
should I go for lunch? Your browser would consult its records of what you like and dislike, take
into account your current location and then suggest a list of restaurants.

The Road to Web 3.0

Out of all the Internet buzzwords and jargon that have made the transition to the public
consciousness. “Web 2.0” might be the best known. Even though a lot of people have heard
about it, not many have any idea what Web 2.0 means. Some people claim that the term itself is
nothing more than a marketing pioy designed to convince venture capitalists to invest millions of
dollars into Web sites. It’s true that when Dale Dougherty of O’Reilly Media came up with the
term, there was no clear definition. There wasn’t even any agreement about if there was a Web
.0.

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YouTube is an example of a Web 2.0
site

Other people insist that Web 2.0 is a reality. In brief, the characteristics of Web 2.0 include:

• The ability for visitors to make changes to Web pages: Amazon allows visitors to post product
reviews. Using an online form, a visitor can add information to Amazon’s pages that future
visitors will be able to read.
• Using Web pages to link people to other users: Social networking sites like Facebook and
MySpace are popular in part because they make it easy for users to find each other and keep in
touch.
• Fast and efficient ways to share content: VouTube is the perfect example. A YouTube member
can create a video and upload it to the site for others to watch in less than an hour.
• New ways to get information: Today, Internet surfers can subscribe to a Web page’s Really
Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds and receive notifications of that Web page’s updates as long as
they maintain an Internet connection.
• Expanding access to the Internet beyond the computer: Many people access the Internet
through devices like cell phones or video game consoles; before long, some experts expect that
consumers will access the Internet through television sets and other devices.

Think of Web 1.0 as a library. You can use it as a source of information, but you can’t contribute
to or change the information in any way. Web 2.0 is more like a big group of friends and
acquaintances. You can still use it to receive information, but you also contribute to the
conversation and make it a richer experience.

While there are still many people trying to get a grip on Web 2.0, others are already beginning to
think about what comes next. What will Web 3.0 be like? How different will it be from the Web
we use today? Will it be a revolutionary shift, or will it be so subtle that we won’t even notice the
difference?

What do Internet experts think the next generation of the World Wide Web will be like? Keep
reading to find out.

Web 3.0 Basics

Internet experts think Web 3.0 is going to be like having a personal assistant who knows
practically everything about you and can access all the information on the Internet to answer any
question. Many compare Web 3.0 to a giant database. While Web 2.0 uses the Internet to make
connections between people, Web 3.0 will use the internet to make connections with
information. Some experts see Web 3.0 replacing the current Web while others believe it will
exist as a separate network.

©jt2/dstepher,s
Planning a tropical getaway? Web 3.0 might help simplify your travel plans.

It’s easier to get the concept with an example. Let’s say that you’re thinking about going on a
vacation. You want to go someplace warm and tropical. You have set aside a budget of $3,000
for your trip. You want a nice place to stay, but you don’t want it to take up too much of your
budget. You also want a good deal on a flight.

With the Web technology currently available to you, you’d have to do a lot of research to find the
best vacation options. You’d need to research potential destinations and decide which one is right
for you. You might visit two or three discount travel sites and compare rates for flights and hotel
rooms. You’d spend a lot of your time looking through results on various search engine results
pages. The entire process could take several hours.

Your Life on the Web

If your Web 3.0 browser retrieves information for you based on
your likes and dislikes, could other people learn things about you
that you’d rather keep private by looking at your results? What if
someone performs an Internet search on you? Will your activities
on the Internet become public knowledge? Some people worry
that by the time we have answers to these questions, it’ll be too
late to do anything about it.

According to some Internet experts, with Web 3.0 you’ll be able to sit back and let the Internet
do all the work for you. You could use a search service and narrow the parameters of your
search. The browser program then gathers, analyzes and presents the data to you in a way that
makes comparison a snap. It can do this because Web 3.0 will be able to understand information
on the Web.

Right now, when you use a Web search engine, the engine isn’t able to really understand your
search. It looks for Web pages that contain the keywords found in your search terms. The search
engine can’t tell if the Web page is actually relevant for your search. It can only tell that the
keyword appears on the Web page. For example, if you searched for the term “Saturn,” you’d end
up with results for Web pages about the planet and others about the car manufacturer.

A Web 3.0 search engine could find not only the keywords in your search, but also interpret the
context of your request. It would return relevant results and suggest other content related to your
search terms. In our vacation example, if you typed “tropical vacation destinations under $3,000”
as a search request, the Web 3.0 browser might include a list of fun activities or great restaurants
related to the search results. It would treat the entire Internet as a massive database of
information available for any query.

How might Web 3.0 do this? Read on to find out.

Web 3.0 Approaches

You never know how future technology will eventually turn out. In the case of Web 3.0, most
Internet experts agree about its general traits. They believe that Web 3.0 will provide users with
richer and more relevant experiences. Many also believe that with Web 3.0, every user will have
a unique Internet profile based on that user’s browsing history. Web 3.0 will use this profile to
tailor the browsing experience to each individual. That means that if two different people each
performed an Internet search with the same keywords using the same service, they’d receive
different results determined by their individual profiles.
 ©jcjjotoktsmage
Web 30 will likely plug into your individual tastes and browsing habits.

The technologies and software required for this kind of application aren’t yet mature. Services
like TiVO and Pandora provide individualized content based on user input, but they both rely on
a trial-and-error approach that isn’t as efficient as what the experts say Web 3.0 will be. More
importantly, both TIVO and Pandora have a limited scope television shows and music.
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respectively whereas Web 3.0 will involve all the information on the Internet.
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Some experts believe that the foundation for Web 3.0 will be application programming
interfaces (APIs). An APT is an interface designed to allow developers to create applications
that take advantage of a certain set of resources. Many Web 2.0 sites include APIs that give
programmers access to the sites’ unique data and capabilities. For example, Facehook’s API
allows developers to create programs that use Facebook as a staging ground for games, quizzes,
product reviews and more.

One Web 2.0 trend that could help the development of Web 3.0 is the mashup. A mashup is the
combination of two or more applications into a single application. For example, a developer
might combine a program that lets users review restaurants with qqg1e Maps. The new mashup
application could show not only restaurant reviews, but also map them out so that the user could
see the restaurants’ locations. Some Internet experts believe that creating mashups will be so easy
in Web 3.0 that anyone will be able to do it.

Widgets
Widgets are small applications that people can insert into Web
pages by copying and embedding lines of code into a Web pages
code. They can be games, news feeds, video players or just about
 anything else. Some Internet prognosticators believe that Web 3.0
will let users combine widgets together to make mashups by just
clicking and dragging a couple of icons into a box on a Web page.
Want an application that shows you where news stories are
happening? Combine a news feed icon with a Google Earth icon
and Web 3.0 does the rest. How? Well, no one has quite figured
that part out yet.

Other experts think that Web 3.0 will start fresh. Instead of using HTML as the basic coding
language, it will rely on some new and unnamed language. These experts suggest it might be
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easier to start from scratch rather than try to change the current Web. However, this version of
Web 3.0 is so theoretical that it’s practically impossible to say how it will work.

The man responsible for the World Wide Web has his own theory of what the future of the Web
will be. He calls it the Semantic Web, and many Internet experts borrow heavily from his work
when talking about Web 3.0. What exactly is the Semantic Web? Keep reading to find out.

Making a Semantic Web

Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. He created it as an interface for the
Internet and a way for people to share information with one another. Berners-Lee disputes the
existence of Web 2.0, calling it nothing more than meaningless jargon [source: Reisterj.
Berners-Lee maintains that he intended the World Wide Web to do all the things that Web 2.0 is
supposed to do.
 Catrina Genovese/Getty maes
Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web

Berners-Lee’s vision of the future Web is similar to the concept of Web 3.0. It’s called the
Semantic Web. Right now, the Web’s structure is geared for humans. It’s easy for us to visit a
Web page and understand what it’s all about. Computers can’t do that. A search engine might be
able to scan for keywords, but it can’t understand how those keywords are used in the context of
the page.

With the Semantic Web. computers will scan and interpret information on Web pages using
software agents. These software agents will be programs that crawl through the Web, searching
for relevant information. They’ll be able to do that because the Semantic Web will have
collections of information called ontologies. In terms of the Internet. an ontology is a file that
defines the relationships among a group of terms. For example, the term “cousin” refers to the
familial relationship between two people who share one set of grandparents. A Semantic Web
ontology might define each familial role like this:

• Grandparent: A direct ancestor two generations removed from the subject

• Parent: A direct ancestor one generation removed from the subject
• Brother or sister: Someone who shares the same parent as the subject
• Nephew or niece: Child of the brother or sister of the subject
• Aunt or uncle: Sister or brother to a parent of the subject
• Cousin: child of an aunt or uncle of the subject
For the Semantic Web to be effective, ontologies have to be detailed and comprehensive. In
Berners-Lee’s concept, they would exist in the form of metadata. Metadata is information
included in the code for Web pages that is invisible to humans, but readable by computers.

Constructing ontologies takes a lot of work. In fact, that’s one of the big obstacles the Semantic
Web faces. Will people be willing to put in the effort required to make comprehensive ontologies
for their Web sites? Will they maintain them as the Web sites change? Critics suggest that the
task of creating and maintaining such complex files is too much work for most people.

On the other hand, some people really enjoy labeling or tagging Web objects and information.
Web tags categorize the tagged object or information. Several blogs include a tag option, making
it easy to classify journal entries under specific topics. Photo sharing sites like Flickr allow users
to tag pictures. Google even has turned it into a game: Google Image Labeler pits two people
against each other in a labeling contest. Each player tries to create the largest number of relevant
tags for a series of images. According to some experts, Web 3.0 will be able to search tags and
labels and return the most relevant results back to the user. Perhaps Web 3.0 will combine
Berners-Lee’s concept of the Semantic Web with Web 2.0’s tagging culture.

Even though Web 3.0 is more theory than reality, that hasn’t stopped people from guessing what
will come next. Keep reading to learn about the far-flung future of the Web.

Beyond Web 3.0

Whatever we call the next generation of the Web, what will come after it? Theories range from
conservative predictions to guesses that sound more like science fiction films.

David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Paul Otellini, CEO and President of Intel, discusses the increasing importance of mobile devices on the Web at
the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show.

Here are just a few:

 • According to technology expert and entrepreneur Nova Spivack, the development of the Web
moves in 10-year cycles. In the Webs first decade, most of the development focused on the
back end, or infrastructure, of the Web. Programmers created the protocols and code languages
we use to make Web pages. In the second decade, focus shifted to the front end and the era of
Web 2.0 began. Now people use Web pages as platforms for other applications. They also create
mashups and experiment with ways to make Web experiences more interactive. We’re at the
end of the Web 2.0 cycle now. The next cycle will be Web 3.0, and the focus will shift back to the
back end. Programmers will refine the Internet’s infrastructure to support the advanced
capabilities of Web 3.0 browsers. Once that phase ends, we’ll enter the era of Web 4.0. Focus
will return to the front end, and we’ll see thousands of new programs that use Web 3.0 as a
foundation [source: Nova Spivack].

• The Web will evolve into a three-dimensional environment. Rather than a Web 3.0, we’ll see a
Web 3D. Combining virtual reality elements with the persistent online worlds of massively
multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), the Web could become a digital landscape
that incorporates the illusion of depth. You’d navigate the Web either from a first-person
perspective or through a digital representation of yourself called an avatar (to learn more about
an avatar’s perspective, read How the Avatar Machine Works>.

• The Web will build on developments in distributed computing and lead to true artificial
intelligence. In distributed computing, several computers tackle a large processing job. Each
computer handles a small part of the overall task. Some people believe the Web will be able to
think by distributing the workload across thousands of computers and referencing deep
ontologies. The Web will become a giant brain capable of analyzing data and extrapolating new
ideas based off of that information.

• The Web will extend far beyond c !ute!:s and cell phones. Everything from watches to
television sets to clothing will connect to the Internet. Users will have a constant connection to
the Web, and vice versa. Each user’s software agent will learn more about its respective user by
electronically observing his or her activities. This might lead to debates about the balance
between individual privacy and the benefit of having a personalized Web browsing experience.

• The Web will merge with other forms of entertainment until all distinctions between the forms
of media are lost. Radio programs, television shows and feature films will rely on the Web as a
delivery system.

It’s too early to tell which (if any) of these future versions of the Web will come true. It may be
that the real future of the Web is even more extravagant than the most extreme predictions. We
can only hope that by the time the future of the Web gets here, we can all agree on what to call it.

To learn more about Web 3.0 and other topics, take a gander at the links on the next page.

Sources

• Baker, Stephen. “Web 3.0. BusinessWeek. October 24, 2006.

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/
blogspotting/archives/2006/10/web3o.html
• Berners-Lee, Tim, Hendler, James and Lassila, Ora. ‘The Semantic Web.” Scientific American. May, 2001.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articlelD=
00048144-10D2-1C70-84A9809EC588EF2 1
• Calacanis, Jason. “Web 3.0, the ‘official’ definition.” Calacanis.com. October 3, 2007.
http://www.calacanis.com/2007/1O/03/web-3-O-the-official-definition/
• Carr, Nicholas. “Welcome Web 3.0!” Rough Type. November 11, 2006.
http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2006/11/weIcome_web_30.php
• Clarke, Gavin. “Berners-Lee calls for Web 2.0 calm.” The Register. August 30, 2006.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/30/web20bernerslee/
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• Metz, Cade. “Web 3.0.” PC Magazine. March 14, 2007.
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• “Nova Spivack: The Third-Generation Web Web 3.0.” intentBlog. February 7, 2007.
--

http://www.intentblog.com/archives/2007/02/novaspivackth.html
• Richards, Jonathan. “Web 3.0 and beyond: the next 20 years of the internet.” Times Online. October 24,
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• “Web 3.0 You Ain’t Seen Nothing yet!” android tech. November 18, 2006.
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http://www.androidtech.com/knowledge-blog/
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