The web is changing at a very fast pace, and we are about to witness another big change called Web 4.0. This advanced level is going to dramatically increase how things used to be with unalterable pages to a clever, interlinked digital ecosystem that would deeply transform our online engagements.
The internet journey began with Web 1.0, a read-only internet with basic and static pages that merely presented the data. Users could only consume content, thus the experience was passive with hardly any functionality. Imagine the websites of the past where you were able to read but not interact - like digital brochures that were unchanged forever. Though it set the stage for what was to follow, the restrictions were quite apparent.
The next phase, Web 2.0, led to the social revolution, exposing the feature of interactivity and allowing users to generate content. The rise of blogs, social media accounts, and collaborative tools not only changed the internet into a place where users could consume but also create content. This period opened the gates for content creation to anyone and the digital communities that we are now familiar with were born..
Right now, we are going through Web 3.0, also called the Semantic Web. This stage improved the interoperability of the data and gave rise to the decentralization ideas. The emphasis was on creating data that was more significant and more interconnected, which meant that machines could understand and handle information more efficiently.
The anticipated Web 4.0 will be way further than this by mixing advanced machine learning that is able to develop the ultra individual experiences of users. It is AI that will sift through oceans of data to get user preferences and change in real-time. In other words, digital experiences will be more easy, and more capable to meet individuals needs, resulting in a more natural interaction between human beings and machines.
Web 4.0 would, perhaps, be characterized by the flawless integration of the two worlds; the physical and the digital. IoT (internet of things) will create an up-to-the-minute flow of communication between inter-connected gadgets, while AR will lure users through spectacular experiences. The intelligent machines of the future will flawlessly work together to meet your needs and simplify your day-to-day activities in the ways that we used to see only in sci-fi films.
Another feature that will be part of Web 4.0 is that it will be as decentralized as ever and it will give the users that much more authority over their data and privacy. With blockchain there will be total security and transactions will be both, transparent and without intermediaries. This move towards user empowerment is noticeably different from the current internet models in which large corporations are predominant controllers of user data.
The brain-computer interfaces will certainly be amongst the most groundbreaking aspects of Web 4.0. This innovative tech would be the bridge for communication between human minds and digital platforms, flooding with opportunities the human-computer interaction domain. Although it is still a work in progress, this technology could totally revamp our engagement with digital devices and platforms.
The consequences of these for business and people are enormous. Businesses will have to implement strategies that are more customer-centric and that utilize technology AI to serve the customers better. Content creators will have some new tools in order to attract and keep their followers interested. eLearning will be more learner-centric and will take more into account each person's way of learning.
We are currently in the early days of the web 4.0 era. The technology is not fully developed yet but the steps are already taken towards building an internet that is more intelligent, responsive and user-centric. Unlike previous versions of the web, this one will be about making the devices that are connected smarter and more user-friendly so the users will get all the benefits in real-time.
The internet of the future is going to be more than just a device that helps us. The Web 4 internet is going to be an intelligent companion that understands and adapts to our needs thus creating a digital experience which is more natural and seamless for everyone. Although we cannot foretell with absolute accuracy how Web 4.0 will turn out to be, it is, however, very clear that it is the next big thing in taking the internet close to human intelligence, personalization, and needs.
Posted Using INLEO