Net inventor Tim Berners-Lee needs to rescue his creation from centralization. However does he align himself with Web3’s promise of salvation?
At TNW Conference, the pc scientist gave a one-word reply:
“Nope.”
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That snub could appear to conflict with Berners-Lee’s latest actions. The 67-year-old now campaigns to avoid wasting his “dysfunctional” brainchild from the clutches of Large Tech.
He’s also made a cool $5.4million by promoting an NFT — one among Web3’s supposed pillars.
However the Brit has his personal imaginative and prescient for the online’s successor: a decentralized structure that provides customers management of their data.
Berners-Lee wish to construct it on a platform he calls Solid — however you’ll be able to name it Net 3.0.
“We did discuss it as Net 3.0 at one level, as a result of Net 2.0 was a time period used for the dysfunction of what occurs with user-generated content material on the big platforms,” he mentioned.
“Individuals have known as that Net 2.0, so if you wish to name this Net 3.0, then okay.”
On the blockchain, it simply doesn’t work.
Berners-Lee shares Web3’s purported mission of transferring knowledge from Large Tech to the individuals. However he’s taking a distinct path to the goal.
Whereas Web3 is predicated on blockchain, Strong is constructed with commonplace net instruments and open specs.
Personal data is saved in decentralized knowledge shops known as “pods,” which could be hosted wherever the consumer needs. They will then select which apps can entry their knowledge.
This strategy goals to supply interoperability, velocity, scalability, and privateness.
“If you attempt to construct that stuff on the blockchain, it simply doesn’t work,” mentioned Berners-Lee.
Berners-Lee says Strong serves two separate functions. One is stopping corporations from misusing our knowledge for unsolicited functions, from manipulating voters to producing clickbait.
The opposite is offering alternatives to profit from our data.
Healthcare knowledge, as an example, may very well be shared throughout trusted providers to enhance our remedy and help medical analysis.
Our photographs, in the meantime, may very well be provided to Fb buddies, LinkedIn colleagues, and Flickr followers with out having to add the images to every platform.
This evokes Berners-Lee’s unique intention to make the online a collaborative instrument.
“I needed to have the ability to remedy issues when a part of the answer is in my head and a part of the answer is in your head, and also you’re on the opposite aspect of the planet — linked by the web,” he mentioned.
“That was the form of factor I needed the online for. It took off extra as a publishing medium — however all isn’t misplaced.”
Strong is but to show an efficient treatment, however the net’s father nonetheless believes his wayward youngster can get again heading in the right direction.
