I guess it’s time I establish my “definition” of Web 3.0. I’d like to thank Jason Calacanis for starting this discussion, but, in all honesty, I think he’s full of shit. So, lets start with Jason’s “official” definition of Web 3.0 (you can see the rest here):
Web 3.0 is defined as the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform.
So, what’s wrong with this picture?
Well, for starters, it seems he’s just trying to justify his failing business, Mahalo, the “Human-powered search”, but I’ll get to that later.
He’s a journalist. He’s used to checking the facts, making sure stories are “correct”. It seems like he’s taking a step back in time. He even says, “Web 3.0 is a return to what was great about media and technology before Web 2.0″. What was great about Web 2.0, is that people had the power to express their own voices. In traditional media, highly trained journalists with editors are in control. In Web 2.0, the people are speaking. Take Digg, for example: people, not machines, submit stories they find compelling, and let other people “digg” them. But in Jason’s view, Digg would have a team of editors “fact checking” (who’s creating the facts here?) and editing the stories that are submitted. He would be making social news “better” by taking out the true social aspect. Jason wants “gifted individuals” to have the power.
Jason keeps bringing up “individual excellence”, “experts”, and “accuracy”. Who’s defining what’s accurate? Don’t editors have their own bias? Aren’t editors a layer of censorship? Who trains these experts? What stops these specialists, who are no doubt being paid, from acting on money, not personal beliefs? Nothing. Once you are paid by someone, you are no longer an independent agent. You work for them.
What do I think Web 3.0 is about?
It’s about making “the cloud”, or the Internet, more accessible. It gets people out of their chairs, off their desktop computers and places the Internet in their hands. It makes the cloud more tangible, and ultimately, more human. I’ve been doing some reading on Wikipedia, and I’ve stumbled upon some fascinating things. Nova Spivack believes that Web 3.0 will bring together various technological trends. Here are a few I like:
In short, Web 3.0 makes Internet more available to everyone. In addition, Web 3.0 will make the Internet more tangible, so we can get out of our desk chairs and experience the world. This is already happening. Take the Chumby, or the XO Laptop for example.
Now, here’s what I think about Mahalo. As William Smith says, “Mahalo is something like, Web 1.1. Web indexes maintained by hand is hardly innovative or deserving of being the poster child for what’s next with the web.” I agree. Does Jason Calacanis even know what the Semantic Web is?
I know, it’s long, but it needed to be said.
Kabren Levinson is fist-year student at Bard College. Throughout high school, Kabren has worked in various technological, political, and artistic positions. He has worked as an intern at the MIT Media Lab Computing Culture Group and during his senior year of high school, he developed an Academic Technology program at the Cambridge School of Weston. He has been podcasting for over three years and has been blogging for two. Kabren is a philosopher, technologist, and artist.