The Ever Evolving Web

MY VIEW OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB

The internet is an ever changing landscape. I look back on how things were when I was younger and how the web has evolved into the influential engine it has become. Our lives are so consumed by the internet and the abilities it has evolved into. When I was a kid, the internet was mostly just a source of information. You could get email, check news and obtain information. That was pretty much it. It was a static environment that wasn't constantly changing but just a resource. It was simple to access information and move on.  Let's call that Web 1.0.

Now let's look at the Web nowadays, the web is a part of every move we make. Whether it's checking in our social media, "googling information" or simply posting a picture on our Instagram of some activity we are partaking in. This is what we call Web 2.0. The modern day Web is a social Web that allows us as participants, not only obtain information, but also be influential in what information is being obtained and how it is viewed. We now have a voice on the internet and allows us a platform to voice our thoughts and opinions to whoever wants to listen. We are consumed by this every second of everyday. We are addicted to voicing our thoughts for the world to see. There are positives and negatives to the evolution of Web 2.0.  Positively, it has connected us with people around the world and has influenced positive global change. It has allowed us to take action and organize around causes to better the world. Negatively, it has allowed for people to be influenced by untrue facts and to be consumed by social media. It has influenced and negatively hurt how people interact with each other face to face. 

The truth is that the Web will continue to evolve and we have just begun to see it in what is called Web 3.0. The idea that information will become easier to obtain and accessible is already unfathomable to me. I believe it will allow us easier accessibility to the information we want to find and help remove the garbage we come across that is not wanted. I also know there is a good chance we will become more dependent and addicted to the technology and continue to slip into a reality far more diluted with what is real. I do know that for all the positive the evolution of the Web will continue to build off of, there will be equal amount of negative effects that we will continue to evolve with as well.

THE FACTS OF THE WEB 

Like most things nothing ever stays the same. We don't have to look too far to see this practice at work. If we take a look at the creation of the Internet and the World Wide Web, we can see the transformation in front of our very own eyes.

When the Web was first introduced, it allowed for the ability to share information in the speed of light across great distances. It was revolutionary. This was what is called Web 1.0. It allowed people access to information but the ability to interact with it and manipulate the information was very limited. It connected Web pages through hyperlinks. It was unorganized and accessibility was limited. Once that technology was mastered, the real understanding of what the Web could do was understood. 

The invention of Web 2.0 allowed organizations and people to interact in a way that was never realized before. Web 2.0 instantly became known as the "Social Web" because it allowed for people to share their own information and to interact with Web content. It allowed people to connect to each other and to share their ideas.  The creation of Wikipedia, social media sights like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter allowed normal individuals the opportunities to voice their opinions and connect with others all around the world. It isn't known when the evolution from 1.0 to 2.0 occurred. Most believe the change happened when web activity become more about social networking then other uses. 

In looking at what the future has in store, the idea of Web 3.0 has already come to light. The idea of 3.0 is of a "Semantic Web."  The idea of this is a Web that is more structured around databases and making the connection of information easier to obtain and more organized. Web 2.0 is a collection of documents that are organized and contained into search engines. The idea behind 3.0 is to put information within databases and then connect those databases to a larger network of databases to allow us a faster more efficient way of locating the information that we desire, filtering out unwanted information. 

The evolution of the Web is one that will continue to evolve in ways we have yet to understand. Easier accessibility, connecting to people faster, more creative ways to share thoughts and opinions and greater influence on internet content is a sign of things to come.