People call the current phase Web 2.0, although most people just think of some nice (but boring) looking beta moving and blinking web interface. Is it more? Well sure, you get to spend unlimited amount of time reviewing user-generated content on the social network Facebook, checking peoples creditworthiness, sharing useless pictures, calling friends on Skype, searching Google or reading and commenting blogs of wannabe-writers (like myself).
It’s been already about 6 years since the dot com hype. You must be wondering what will happen next? Will a similar (2001) stage of extreme overvaluation end in a bubble and burst?
In my opinion, Web 3.0 (as you may call it) will be all about efficient interaction and no, not about local content. Think of Google building an incredible suite of online Office tools (Word and Excel as of today) with collaboration features. It’s a step towards centralization (remember Terminal apps?) in a decentralized world (P2P).
The interaction of humans with an automated digital world demands smart tools. AI needs to bring forward smart ways of mastering the unlimited amount of information content. It all seems to be about structure, indexing and delivery.
I expect the new Web to span the globe, meaning globalisation will be taken one step further on the internet. As I see it now regions around the globe (such as we westerners and asians) live in locked up cells on the same net. Is it the lack of a common Web language, government restrictions (especially if you go further east) or the stage of economic development? In order for a global web to function, physical bottle-necks need to be eliminated. The discourse on freedom of speech and censorship needs to show immediate results, although we all know it won’t be easy in non-democratic societies.
From a technical point of view the excessive use of Javascript and CSS hacking made it clear, the web needs an up-to-date markup language (or xHTML2?) and more standards. I also think that concerning distribution decentralized systems will play a huge role in the next big thing. Technologies and applications such as BitTorrent, Skype or Joost balance the load and eliminate certain bottle-necks (although especially Switzerland offers huge down-stream capacities and no upload bandwidth..). But what about the lack of security and tools such as Tor? People seem to have forgotten anonymity and security issues?
It seems to be en vogue to offer a platform (Facebook, YouTube, Google Gears and Maps, Yahoo, eBay and technorati API’s) to developers and let users contribute yet another useful app. I do like the concept and it does offer great flexibility and scalability, but will it pay off in the long-run?
Think of this post as an aggregation of thoughts and wishes. We will see what the future has to offer, but shape it!
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