The Future of the Internet: Web 3.0 and The Semantic Web

For those of you who don’t know, we are currently interacting with the second version of the World Wide Web, more formally known as Web 2.0.  But what about Web 1.0?

Web 1.0, or the beginning of the Internet, offered websites with little or no user interaction. Remember the days of AOL or CompuServe.  Basically, when you viewed a website, you would get static information embedded on three or four webpages, such as a home, about, or contact page. There was no option to post a comment, tag a picture, or rate a seller, buyer, or a hotel room.

Anyway, this brings in Web 2.0, or the current state of the Internet. Web 2.0 builds on the information offered in Web 1.0, but allows users to share information with others (Facebook, Twitter), to submit information to systems that serve to predict wants and needs based on input or purchases (amazon.com, Pandora.com), to run software programs through the browser (Facebook Games), and thus promotes an overall user-centric, content driven web experience. For example, Facebook would not exist without users supplying content.

Web 3.0, or the Semantic Web, however, is based on the concept that the meaning of words (semantics) will be defined so that computer systems will “know” what we want when searching. With the Semantic Web, a user may to enter a complex sentence and search engines should know exactly what a searcher is talking about.

For example, if planning a night out, a user will be able to enter “I want to go to a restaurant for under $50 and then go to a jazz club near the restaurant until 2:00am. I also want information on taxis. What are my options?” The search engine will provide the user with information on cheaper restaurants, jazz clubs, directions to the clubs and restaurants, cab numbers, as well as organize the information.

It’s basically the adult version of iPhone 4S’ Siri.

Experts also say that browsers will act like a personal assistant for a user. Browsers will essentially learn as you surf, storing information about what you like and dislike. Once the browser learns more about you, the less specific your search engine requests will need to be.

How will search engines “know” what we want? (It’s about to get technical….try to keep up).

Currently, search engines look for what is know as metadata to interpret a search request from a user. Metadata consists of specific keywords, descriptions, and titles. This is why when searching for information on where to go for lunch, a user will likely enter something like “lunch restaurants Houston.”

For Web 3.0 to understand our complex sentencing, computer software agents will sort through websites using what is known as an ontology program, or a file that defines the relationships among a group of terms. This basically means understanding how certain words of a sentence are associated with each other.

An ontology program works kind of like a family tree. For example, if I talk to someone about my brother, he or she understands that my brother and I are products of the same parents. Similarly, an ontology program will be set up to identify the sentence structure of how specific words relate to one another. Certain words will relate to the subject of a sentence, and the browser or search engines will recognize these words and split them into specific classes and relationships. The browsers and search engines will then be able to place the words or a complex sentence together and will appear to be “all knowing.”

So, is the Semantic Web possible?

Well much of the initial technology already exists, however there are a few problems associated with Semantic Web development. Different software development challenges arise. For example, the vagueness of user requests such as subjective concepts and some logical inconsistencies of sentence structuring. Another major problem is security. Because browsers will learn daily, will they store credit card numbers? SSNs? Addresses? And who will have access to this information?

That said, there is tons of additional information available on semantic web and Web 3.0 possibilities. I encourage you to check it out! It’s interesting stuff.

Also, check out the video below.  It may blow your mind.

[VIDEO] Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

Too Much Information?

Recently there have been numerous debates about privacy and free speech regulations on the Internet.  These debates have arisen because the growth of social media outlets has facilitated free speech in ways we never imagined.

In the past protests and opinions were spread exclusively by word of mouth and printed fliers – now movements spread online.  Facebook offers apps (like the Washington Post Social Reader) that allow friends to share what news articles they read online.  Due to apps like these people worry about the death of print, wondering if the era of good old fashioned news is over.  That may not be entirely the case.

Although print media has suffered blows in the past few years the sentiments are still the same.  People still want access to news articles and opinions without worrying about censorship.  The average American has the ability to publicly express their opinion in nearly a dozen ways on a daily basis.  The modes of voicing beliefs have changed over the years, but citizens still cling to the thought of free speech.

It used to be that people fought for free speech in order to protest wars or acts of racism, but free speech encompasses so much more now.  We could not have dreamed that we would want to share every single aspect of our daily lives online, but since that is now the norm we cannot think of any other way of living.

Spreading information is easier than ever now that all of our friends and coworkers are online.  Any information we want to share can be published with the click of a button, but all that information can be blocked just as simply.  With every new technological improvement we gain the ability to share more of our lives and opinions – but every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The threat of over sharing now extends beyond awkward stories at office parties.  Just as quickly as relatives can post embarrassing baby photos, a radical across the world can launch a political movement.  While many movements can be seen as threats, just as many can be greatly beneficial to society.  News travels at incredible speeds, and social and political activists take advantage of that speed.  Nations struggle to keep up with the amount of information that is put online on a daily basis and censorship gets more challenging with each passing day.  The easier it is to spread information, the harder it becomes to stop it.

The force at which activists used to protest can now be magnified with online news reports and social media posts.  While the fear of censorship and the battle for free speech may never end, our ability to voice our opinions only grows.