The early days of the world wide web was characterized by users accessing and consuming (read) information and contents without any form of input (writing on the content) . This form of the web was the web that we called read-only. Over the years there has been a progressive evolution of the web where we have added features that have made the web different from what it started as. The flow of information in this form of the web was limited as the form of response to information was not quick.
Web 2.0
The form of the web over the years has transitioned from the read-only state of the web to a form we can interact and write on. Which is the prevalent form of web as we know it now being Web 2.0. In this form of the web there is a free flow of information, media and contents between the sender and the receiver. This form of the web allows every user to easily create and interact with the web content as content creator in the form of blogging, vlogging, social media interactions and posts etc. We have companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube leading the line in this form of the web because of the platform they've built over the years. Technically, this form of web was built on Technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP etc. These Technologies were used to build on the client and server of this state of the web.
The Design Features of Web 2.0:
User interaction and communication on the web platforms. Easy content creation. API based platforms that interact amongst the web applications.
Web 3.0
Web 3.0 this is the current direction/phase of the web of the web/Internet and it's currently in its foundational stage and promises to be the next normal for the web. Web 3.0 is built upon the core concepts of decentralization, openness, community, and promises more users privacy.
The Design Features of Web 3.0:
There are some fundamental features of Web 3.0 that make it unique. These features are the building blocks of Web 3.0.
Decentralization:
This is the core of Web 3.0. Web 2.0 as we know is a single interaction between the client and the server where the client sends a request which the server processes and sends back a response. In Web 3.0, the flow of information is based on the content of the data and interaction of the nodes in the network communicating and allowing the flow of the data. The data in Web 3.0 is not centralized but shared in different devices(nodes) that interact together allowing the flow of the information on an established terms.
Trustless and permissionless:
In Web 3.0 the intermediary that provides platform for our data storage, communication, syncing and access is eliminated this means that the system is open for anyone to join in the network without any authorization by an central control unit also with this there are no intermediary that needs to be trusted in the transaction between the network participants. This makes the network Decentralized and self-governing established on network terms called consensus mechanisms.
No Censorship:
In the Decentralized Web no single organization has control over individuals data or digital space. No single organization can make changes on the network on their own accord.
Connectivity and ubiquity:
With Web 3.0, information and content are more connected and ubiquitous, accessed by multiple applications and with an increasing number of everyday devices connected to the web, an example being the Internet of Things.
In Conclusion, we have it currently that Web 3.0 is an upgrade to the previous Web paradigm with the mode of data storage being the major difference between the two web paradigms.