[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #800: Web3 is here. Get off my lawn.

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OPLIN 4Cast #800: Web3 is here. Get off my lawn.
April 27th, 2022

[image: web3] Less than 2 decades ago, I was doing a lot of presentations
about the new, shiny concept of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 marked a significant
turning point for digital culture, specifically because it *allowed* for
the development of that culture: it made it possible for people to interact
directly online. While it could be initially onerous to explain to the
layperson, most people understood it as some kind of seismic shift in the
zeitgeist. Here we are in 2022, and we've eliminated the decimal point and
the next version is simply being called "web3" (no capitalization often,
either).

The emergence of the next version of the web reminds me strongly of its
predecessor; web3 is also somewhat nebulous as a concept and generating a
lot of interest and hype. A large number of seemingly-disparate innovations
claim to be part of the new web, including the metaverse, NFTs, crypto, and
a lot more. Personally, I think a lot of these developments are overdue,
but I'm much more immune to the hype this time around. I'm less likely to
drink the Kool-Aid...I've seen this pattern before. But here are some
posts, to get you up to speed.

   -
   - What is ‘Web3’? Here’s the vision for the future of the internet from
   the man who coined the phrase
   <https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/20/what-is-web3-gavin-wood-who-invented-the-word-gives-his-vision.html>
   [CNBC] "For Wood, Web3 is truly decentralized and a more democratic version
   of the current internet — one that is not dominated by a handful of huge
   players like Amazon and Microsoft as it is today."
   - Why decentralized telecommunications is necessary to make Web3 a
   reality
   <https://cointelegraph.com/news/why-decentralized-telecommunications-is-necessary-to-make-web3-a-reality>
   [Coin Telegraph] "Soon, every major company, industry and consumer
   experience will be shaped by the metaverse and accompanying technologies.
   One of the biggest gaps still yet to be filled is a network that can
   support the requirements. After all, the centralized infrastructure the
   internet depends on is not public or trustless, direct violations of what
   the blockchain-led digital realm is hoping to achieve."
   - How Web3 could disrupt existing institutions and bring about societal
   transformation
   <https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/04/25/opinion/how-web3-could-disrupt-existing-institutions-and-bring-about-societal>
   [National Observer] "Web3 provides users agency over content, data and
   assets and is built on models of co-ownership and decentralization of
   decision-making and control. Him Gajria captured this concept simply in a
   2020 tweet: “Web 1: Read, Web2: Read-Write, Web3: Read-Write-Own.”
   - How Web3 Proponents Plan to Oust Web2
   <https://www.coinspeaker.com/web3-proponents-plan-oust-web2/>[Coinspeaker]
   "The problem with this strategy is that it could be time-intensive. The
   world as we know it needs Web3 for different reasons, and simply waiting
   for this generation to pass seems like a gamble that might end up not even
   paying off. So, builders have to build – and they need to build now."

*From the Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - Web3 is a fantasy, but it can still hurt you
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sch&AN=155519059&site=ehost-live>(Newitz,
   A. (2022). Web3 is a fantasy, but it can still hurt you. *New Scientist*,
   *253*(3376), 28.)
   - Web3 Law Center One of the First Web3, Crypto, NFT, and Blockchain Law
   Firms
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=202203151125PR.NEWS.USPR.UN92677&site=ehost-live>
   (PR Newswire. (2022, March 15). Web3 Law Center One of the First Web3,
   Crypto, NFT, and Blockchain Law Firms. *PR Newswire US*.)
   - Web3 Is Useless If It's Not User-Friendly
   <https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=156270196&site=ehost-live>
   (Olson, P. (2022). Web3 Is Useless If It’s Not User-Friendly.
   *Bloomberg.Com*, N.PAG.)

------------------------------
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