We are beginning to see signs of the emergence of a #decentralized internet. But, many people are still unaware of what this new internet will act like. No one knows for sure exactly how #web3’s development will eventually unfold, but the signs are clear as to what users will be able to do with it.
Throughout the 21st century, data has been at the forefront of discussion when discussing the legacy web 2.0 internet. Whereby, large private organizations have been harvesting massive amounts of data from the public and selling it to other organizations without compensating the owners at all.
In a web3 architecture, the keyword that’s buzzing around is ‘ownership’, and this ultimately means that users/individuals will have full control, I.e "ownership", over all their data and content. Let’s break this down into how exactly this will be done.
A new communications network, owned by the people
Digital messaging is an aspect that many cannot live without. Over the years many messaging applications have revealed privacy flaws that leave many user accounts vulnerable.
Currently, a centralized architecture usually stores and records all of an individual’s messages. How this works is, person A sends a message to person B. But that message doesn’t travel directly from person A to B. It instead travels from person A to the service provider, whether that be Facebook, Tencent, or other service providers, and then gets sent to person B. This information is stored on a centralized server that can access your history at any time.
What a decentralized communications network can do is, open a direct line between person A and person B, to allow direct messaging, completely removing the storage aspect of a service provider. Not only is the message completely private, but no one can see any information between the two parties.
Although web 2.0 is dominated by companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook, a web3 decentralized internet will not push the attention away from these organizations but instead creates an opportunity for them to work with a web3 architecture.
As data will still be an important aspect for these companies, there could be a hybrid model whereby these organizations pay individual users monthly for access to their data.
There are numerous obstacles that stand in the way of a decentralized internet, but one main concern will be access to the information we see today. This poses a challenge for #Dapp developers to create a system that enables similar information to be categorized and stored among numerous nodes within a decentralized network.
Currently, decentralized storage is slowly becoming more popular, but, blockchain projects have still yet to solve the access to content sharing and streaming model that we see in a web 2.0 network.
This is an aspect that many fans of the new internet must take into account. The internet is basically one huge library of information, and so, in order for a decentralized internet to offer similar information, there must be mass adoption of content creators all contributing similar content as they did on the web 2.0 to the web3.
Individual identification management systems on a web3 network
A people’s-owned internet can also break down the barriers of identity management systems. Something that big-name companies have been unable to achieve. Not through lack of trying, but the liability would be too great if they were to be hacked.
A decentralized internet can actually be used to enable an identity method that enables users to access any type of content, Dapps, and services without having to create numerous accounts to do so. Instead, have one account to access all.
This can be achieved, as a decentralized internet architecture will be used in parallel with blockchain technology that uses systematic consensus mechanisms that can authenticate a person’s identity without actually revealing any information about that person.
Although this system will have numerous issues when implemented on a government level, daily use of accessing the internet can be a viable solution that not only protects private information about an individual but also makes access smoother and more simple than what we see today.
The decentralized internet will not be an easy transition
The transition from a web 2.0-based internet infrastructure to a web3-based one will be accessed differently from what’s being used today. A decentralized internet will ultimately be shaped by numerous distributed nodes across the globe.
Accessing these nodes’ content will need touchpoints in the form of some type of portal. As many blockchain networks are designed to solve different issues, it will be hard for users to continually cross between different platforms to access the content they’re looking for.
This means companies need to create a cross-chain solution that will enable users to move seamlessly across different networks and access the services provided on those platforms. The next generation of the internet seems to be moving in the direction that will be comprised of numerous blockchains all connected together through a bridging protocol.
Although there are not many chains dedicated to acting as a foundational layer for web3. There are multiple chains attempting to build the underlying network that will support the entirety of the new internet.
As these chains have set out to solve specific problems, A network such as NetFlowCoin’s protocol can act as the communications layer that will enable users to interact with the web3 similar to how users currently interact with the web 2.0.
Through a bridging protocol, NetFlowCoin’s network could be integrated alongside other chains within the industry, generating the glue needed to combine and expand the new internet into what everyone is envisioning it to be.
In conclusion: Decentralization is the future, and no one can stop it
Although there is hype around the novelties that we are seeing today, in terms of #NFT (non-fungible tokens), virtual real estate, and #cryptocurrencies. The bigger picture is more than what is being spoken about on the surface.
We are part of a digital evolutionary stage that has unlocked a path for people to control what is seen, used, and shared online. The way in which we can communicate can be changed, and no longer be confined by the keyhole that so many companies are forcing us to only see through.
Governments, media, and conglomerates will now need to adapt and change their digital strategy to be a part of this people-first decentralized internet and give value instead of blockades for what is to come, and for what is deemed the future.