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The original definition of Web 3.0 (or Semantic Web) was conceived by Tim Berners-Lee and meant something completely different, it referred to a web that had al

The original definition of Web 3.0 (or Semantic Web) was conceived by Tim Berners-Lee and meant something completely different, it referred to a web that had all information assembled into an open graph that was easily accessible and machine readable with the goal of leading to an AI revolution. AFAICT the "web3" moniker was co-opted by Ethereum developers to refer to something which is almost entirely opposed to that, it's about locking everything up on the internet behind paywalls. But somehow this is supposed to be revolutionary because technically anyone can set up a paywall, as if they somehow couldn't do that before, as if web businesses haven't been a thing since the early 90s.

enduser384729 4y ago
Yes, and it is pretty typical of blockchain cheerleaders to imagine ideas that have already been imagined as revolutionary
slowmovintarget 4y ago
This. The Semantic Web produced some interesting technologies that lost their cool factor and dissolved into the background (SPARQL, graph DBs... etc.). Ontology everywhere simply never caught on because it wasn't worth it. This co-opting of term by blockchain-backed everything is for something actively dangerous as opposed to simply too little bang for too much buck.
- cynusx 4y ago
  To be fair, the semantic web was also very much bullshit It completely ignored "trivial" things like the cost and benefits of maintaining machine-readable general compatibility with unknown consumers of said data. Companies and people are rational in their self-interest and the semantic web is just an academic utopia that was never meant to be. I personally think it's very fitting that web3 is now hijacked by crypto, another utopia dream that tries to deny the benefits of government and human judgement in the rule of law
  - tremon 4y ago
    Aren't most new technologies academic utopias until we find a way to make them affordable/monetize them?
    - nurettin 4y ago
      Aren't most new technologies discarded once we realize that they are just a waste of time and money unless they deal directly with the financial system, sports, religion or the law in which case we cherish and protect them with great zeal?
mattwilsonn888 4y ago
I guess you were wise to use a throwaway to gamble on the theory that crypto currency is paywall-centric; as you very clearly missed the hoop.
- throwaway82652 4y ago
  I've looked at a ton of these "web3" startups and basically all of them are trying to build some form of payment system or financial service via smart contracts. Either that or they're making a less efficient version of a "web 2.0" company by forcing everyone who uses it to go through a blockchain first. If that's not true then please enlighten me as to what I missed. If you were trying to do something else then why even bother with blockchains? They don't bring anything of value if you're not trying to "keep score" and then make decisions based on that.
  - mattwilsonn888 4y ago
    You took a sample of startup-land with people using the latest buzzwords and came away thinking that the meaning of those buzzwords is actually "scam." I mean how naive do you have to be to not realize how these people advertise? You basically have the same level of nuance as the suckers but with a different predisposition - there is actual tech and progress being done by teams not spending all their money on marketing; I don't suspect your cursory glance capable of finding any.

enduser384729 4y ago

Yes, and it is pretty typical of blockchain cheerleaders to imagine ideas that have already been imagined as revolutionary

slowmovintarget 4y ago

This. The Semantic Web produced some interesting technologies that lost their cool factor and dissolved into the background (SPARQL, graph DBs... etc.). Ontology everywhere simply never caught on because it wasn't worth it. This co-opting of term by blockchain-backed everything is for something actively dangerous as opposed to simply too little bang for too much buck.

cynusx 4y ago
To be fair, the semantic web was also very much bullshit It completely ignored "trivial" things like the cost and benefits of maintaining machine-readable general compatibility with unknown consumers of said data. Companies and people are rational in their self-interest and the semantic web is just an academic utopia that was never meant to be. I personally think it's very fitting that web3 is now hijacked by crypto, another utopia dream that tries to deny the benefits of government and human judgement in the rule of law
- tremon 4y ago
  Aren't most new technologies academic utopias until we find a way to make them affordable/monetize them?
  - nurettin 4y ago
    Aren't most new technologies discarded once we realize that they are just a waste of time and money unless they deal directly with the financial system, sports, religion or the law in which case we cherish and protect them with great zeal?

mattwilsonn888 4y ago

I guess you were wise to use a throwaway to gamble on the theory that crypto currency is paywall-centric; as you very clearly missed the hoop.

throwaway82652 4y ago
I've looked at a ton of these "web3" startups and basically all of them are trying to build some form of payment system or financial service via smart contracts. Either that or they're making a less efficient version of a "web 2.0" company by forcing everyone who uses it to go through a blockchain first. If that's not true then please enlighten me as to what I missed. If you were trying to do something else then why even bother with blockchains? They don't bring anything of value if you're not trying to "keep score" and then make decisions based on that.
- mattwilsonn888 4y ago
  You took a sample of startup-land with people using the latest buzzwords and came away thinking that the meaning of those buzzwords is actually "scam." I mean how naive do you have to be to not realize how these people advertise? You basically have the same level of nuance as the suckers but with a different predisposition - there is actual tech and progress being done by teams not spending all their money on marketing; I don't suspect your cursory glance capable of finding any.