Sep 22, 2022
Where might Web3 lead?
I have been meaning to do this for some time! It’s a space that I am deeply passionate about and have been exploring for the last year and a bit. It’s introduced me to some incredible people right around the globe. This is a public space, where I will share some of my thinking around what web3 might mean as we navigate this shifting paradigm. If you have anything to add or any questions, feel free to reach out on twitter — joshnuttall
Web3 is the new era of the internet that is emerging into the world. The foundations of this new paradigm are decentralisation, ownership, composability and intreoprebility.
When the internet it was invented, it was done so with an open source architecture in mind. This meant that users of the web could build on the work of others, however as the web evolved there was increased centralisation (to allow efficiencies to be controlled and grown) that occured due to the resources that were needed to build applications and businesses on the web. Thus, we lost out on many of the promises that the founding principles of the internet offered as centralisation meant that access became exclusionary and ownership was held by businesses that were able invest in building resoruces to service their needs.
Here’s a useful summary that will help to get your mind around the different era’s of the web:
- Web1 — read
- Web2 — read and write
- Web 3 — read, write and own
*Here are a few useful threads and links from Chris Dixon — Collected web3 twitter threads, why web3 matters
Something to keep in mind with all of this is that this paradigm is being built off the work and learnings done in the previous era’s of the web. While some of the projects are advocating for the next version of the web to be built on completely new rails this is an enormous undertaking, one that we need to think through and understand how we might bridge into the new not just rebuild things for the sake of it. The technology, computing power, and infrastructure to make web3 possible is thanks to the previous developments in the age of the internet.
It’s a shift that I find difficult to explain in a few lines and will share some more resources publicly as well as continually improving the way that I describe it. You can also let me know how deep you would like to go by challenging me publicly to be a better curator.
Lastly, and this may take it a big far… but imagine a world where we as the users of the platforms, systems we are co-owners of the space rather than just being the participant or the product.
Here is one of the highest quality Web3 starter packs out there. It was compiled by a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO) known as Crypto Culture and Society that is seeking to create a liberal arts space to address many of the questions crypto is asking us to consider. I am fortunate enough to have discovered it through a little corner of the internet in mid 2021.
Enjoy the journey and welcome!
