Previous

web3 Starter Pack

Next

How A Blockchain Works

<aside> đź’ˇ In this section, we are going to learn about web3 & why it matters.

Web3 represents the new era of the Internet which is powered by ~the blockchain.~

</aside>

Let’s start with an example (inspiration from Nic Carter).

Let’s say Bob has his own website. He uses it to express his opinions & write educational content for his passionate fans. Since it’s his website, he can do anything he wants. Right?

No. Bob doesn’t really own his website. Why?

He relies on AWS for storage, WordPress for hosting, & NameCheap for domains. Each of those third parties can deplatform Bob if he expresses the wrong opinions because he is using their service to use the internet. If he were to use Twitter or Instagram, he would take on even more risk for being deplatformed. And, if that happens, he loses all of the followers that he worked hard to gain.

Definitely not ideal.

This theme of relying on platforms for internet access stretches across more than just censorship & social media.

Most people use cloud service providers like Apple to store their personal photos. They use Google to search things up. And, a big bank like Chase to handle their finances. When you look under the hood, a lot your internet activity functions on top of big tech platforms - namely Apple, Amazon, Facebook, or Google.

Buuut, these platforms benefit their user’s lives. What’s the issue?

  1. When someone relies on a company’s platform, they also agree to play by that company’s rules (which can change at any second).
  2. They have to live with the result of that company’s decisions (even if it hurts them).

Let’s be honest, these platforms are incredible resources. They are a playground that allow you to do all types of magical internet things, like connect with people from around the world.

But, wouldn’t it be cooler to play in your own playground? A playground where you have a say in the rules & can benefit the most from using it.

Many of the aforementioned platforms & applications can be addressed by a more decentralized approach. This approach primarily benefits the person using it, rather than the company that created it.

Granted, there’s a long way to go for building tools for users to interact online without relying on big tech intermediaries. But, that user-centeredness is the overarching mission of web3.

web3 is an improvement of our current web.