What is Web4?

Introduction

Web4, also known as the 'Symbiotic Web,' represents the next generation of the Internet. Through the use of powerful technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence, Web4 promises to establish a deeper connection between humans and machines to provide a safe, secure, and scalable foundation for the future, but what is 'Web4' really? Better yet, what is the Web?

The World Wide Web

To answer this, we need to take a quick step back to the 1960s when the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, or ARPANET, successfully delivered its first message from one computer to another, marking the very beginnings of the Internet. (History) Since then, the Internet has evolved from an ambitious idea to the very fabric of modern society. Today, companies will even add 'www' or '.com' right in their name, but have you ever wondered what 'www' even means?

Well, the truth is, the magical world that you and I instinctively call the 'Internet' is actually the World Wide Web! (www, get it?) Developed in the late 1980s by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the World Wide Web is a platform built on top of the Internet to make it more accessible for us mere mortals. You can think of the Internet as the foundation, plumbing, and electrical, whereas the World Wide Web is the house itself, housing everything from Social Media and Streaming to the infamous 'Cloud' and Cloud Computing. Throughout the development of the World Wide Web, its founders cemented their vision around three fundamental principles:

• Universal Open Standards

• Freedom of Access to Information

• Decentralization and User-Empowerment

As you read this article, I want you to really grasp this vision and what it stands for. The Internet was intended to be a safe, open, equitable, and democratic beacon for connecting, sharing, and collaborating with anyone from anywhere in the world. Its founders believed in these ideals so much that they chose to release the World Wide Web as an open-source platform, free of any licensing fees—ensuring the Internet would remain accessible to anyone forever. (Thanks, Tim!)

Web1: The Static Web

Up until the mid-1990s, the Web was nothing more than static web pages reminiscent of traditional media like newspapers and magazines. Websites were slow, clunky, and lacked any form of interactivity. This is why Web1 is often referred to as the 'Read-only' Web. 

However, the digital landscape soon saw a shift with the introduction of the Mosaic Web Browser in 1993. Mosaic revolutionized the Web by introducing color, multimedia, and graphics with an intuitive interface. The launch of Mosaic was so successful that just a month after its release, the number of Americans using the Web surged over 1,000-fold! (ThePlainBagel) Who knew that adding an IMG tag to HTML would be so monumental? 

While we won't dive too deep into what happened next in this article, the release of Mosiac would prove to be the catalyst for the digital revolution, sparking an era of immense innovation. Products like Netscape Navigator, Java, AJAX, and Adobe quickly followed suit, paving the way toward dynamic and interactive websites. 

Web2: The Dynamic Web

This surge in innovation undoubtedly redefined the way users interacted with the Web, ushering in a new digital era now known as Web2, or the 'Dynamic Web.' Web2 has fundamentally transformed the Internet into a vibrant, interactive canvas ripe with seemingly endless possibilities. E-commerce sites have redefined how we shop. Social media has redefined how we share. Streaming has redefined home entertainment, and Cloud Computing has redefined how we work. Today, the world is literally in the palm of our hands. That's pretty amazing, isnt it?! 

Simply put, Web1 defined the fundamentals of the Web, whereas Web2 defined the user experience built on top of those fundamentals. This shift towards the user experience would prove to be the catalyst to the digital revolution, causing adoption rates to soar to more than 5.3 billion users by 2024. (demandsage.com) 

Source: Statista

There is no doubt that the Web has far exceeded any expectations its founders envisioned a mere 30 years ago. Today, nearly every aspect of our lives depends on an internet connection—a sentiment recently echoed by United States President Joe Biden with the 'Internet for All' initiative, which states that 'reliable, high-speed internet is vital to work, learn, and compete in a 21st-century economy' (White House) 

For many, the thought of life without the Internet is almost unfathomable. A key reason for this growing reliance is the undeniable convenience the Web provides. 

I mean, think about it: What's the first thing that comes to mind when you have a question? 'Just Google it.' How many social media accounts do you have? Better yet, how many Web accounts do you have in general?

The fact is, these platforms know how to draw users in and keep them there. Modern-day algorithms are designed to keep users engaged, giving rise to the infamous' doom scrolling' phenomenon. What's more, most of these services offer at least a basic plan for free, further enticing users to sign up and become hooked on the algorithm. While this may seem harmless at first glance, there is a looming danger lurking in the shadows. 

Web2: Data Security and Privacy

Have you ever wondered how social media digital giants like Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram), Alphabet (Google, YouTube), and Twitter (X) are able to offer their services for free while generating billions of dollars in profit? Well, as the old saying goes, 'If you aren't paying for the product, you are the product.' But what exactly are they after? Data.

Today, data is more valuable than oil, and companies are willing to shell out billions of dollars a year for it. (The Economist) As you can imagine, the more we use the Web, the more data is collected about us. Every post, every search, every 'like,' and every order is a valuable data point that brokers use to create detailed user profiles about you. (AVG) These profiles can contain anything from your name, age, address, email, phone number, family, friends, work, interests, religious beliefs, political beliefs, buying habits, credit score, and so much more. Don't believe me? Google your name and see for yourself just how much information is already available about you.

So, what makes this data so valuable? Well, think about it. Marketers can use this data to better choose who to market to. Personalized advertising is a great example of this, where social media sites like Facebook will tailor ads to specific users based on their web activity. Have you been searching for a new Honda Civic recently? Expect to see ads for the Happy Honda Days Sales Event at your local Honda dealer the next time you log on. 

Given that these services are usually free to use, social media companies often rely on the sale of ad space to generate a profit. Thankfully for them, the more users sign up for the platform, the more data they collect. The more data they collect, the better the accuracy of their personalized ads. The better their personalized ads perform, the more they can charge for the service. While these platforms often hide behind the guise of a 'better user experience' or claim that they don't sell user data, the practice of data collection and exploitation is nothing more than a blatant violation of user security and privacy. 

Aside from the blatant ethical concerns related to user data collection, the practice also poses detrimental security concerns for users around the world. While I may have singled out social media companies, as of 2024, there are over 5,000 data broker companies that collect data from over 1,400 'leading brands' (Techjury). The issue has grown so large that user data is being collected and sold even when users aren't online. 

Have you recently purchased something at a retail store? Odds are that the retail chain, credit card provider, and any applications that were aware of your location have already shared or sold that data. Companies have realized the value of data and have begun to sell it at an increasingly disturbing rate, with some companies earning more profit off of customer data than the products themselves. In fact, the data brokering business as a whole is set to be worth over $400 billion by 2028. (Market Research)

Web2: Centralization

To make matters worse, much of this data is stored on centralized servers. Some of the largest data brokers in the world include Acxiom, Oracle, Experian, and Equifax. Acxiom alone controls over 23,000 servers that continuously collect data on more than 2.5 billion consumers. (MySudo, PrivacyBee) As you can imagine, entrusting one company with such a vast amount of data poses severe risks to user security and privacy, and the issue is only getting worse.

For example, Equifax suffered a massive data breach in September 2017 that exposed the private information of over 56% of Americans (CNBC). This data included highly sensitive information such as social security numbers, credit scores, driver's license numbers, and more. Unfortunately, this is far from an isolated incident. Acxiom, Experian, and Oracle have also suffered data breaches, resulting in billions of records being exposed to cybercriminals. 

While data collection and data brokers present a threat to user data, the growing centralization of the Internet itself does as well. Today, over 65% of all Internet traffic is facilitated by just three companies: AWS (31%), Microsoft (24%), and Google (11%). (Statista) 

Similar to data brokers, users must trust that the data stored by these providers remains safe and secured at all times. While these companies invest heavily in security, the sheer volume of data they manage makes them attractive targets for cyberattacks. As they continue to grow, so does the risk of a massive data breach, highlighting the growing need for significant decentralization.

Today, 44% of data breaches involve sensitive personal information, and the issue is not slowing down. Because of this, roughly 92% of Americans express concerns about their privacy due to these practices. Yet over 60% of users feel powerless, believing that companies will continue to misuse their data. (W3techs)

While governments have begun to fight back against intrusive data collection with new policies, such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the issue remains highly prevalent in the modern world. Americans, in particular, are most at risk, with roughly 19 personal records per person being hacked, leaked, or stolen in 2019. (PrivacyBee)

Why? Because the very infrastructure of the Internet has allowed it to be abused. The issue has grown so out of control that Sir Tim Berners-Lee himself has expressed concerns about the security and privacy of user data. In fact, he recently launched a new initiative in an attempt to right this wrong. (Tech Beacon) The idea is simple: give users control over their data by storing it in online storage entities called Personal Online Data Stores (or Pods). From there, users can choose who and when to share this data, thereby retaining complete control.

While the idea seems like an innovative solution, it poses several risks. For example, storing all your sensitive data in a Pod represents a single point of failure. If the server goes down or is hacked, all of the sensitive information is gone. While I commend Sir Berners-Lee's attempt here, I personally believe the issue lies at the very foundation of the Internet. 

Web2: Censorship

For example, Social media platforms have recently come under fire for restricting user-generated content and censoring content found to violate their acceptable use policies. While this is well within their right as private companies, the issue becomes much more troubling when government entities censor content across entire regions. 

The Internet relies on a system known as location-based addressing, which utilizes IP Addresses, URLs, and the Domain Naming Service (DNS) to send and receive data across the Web. For example, let's say you were feeling a little too confident the other night and told all of your friends that you're the next Gordon Ramsey, promising to cook them whatever they'd like. However, you burnt a piece of toast this morning while trying to make yourself breakfast. Naturally, you turn to your old friend, Google, for some help.

The first step is to type "www.Google.com" into your web browser's search bar. This is known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and it helps make the Internet more accessible for us mortals.

The issue here is that the Internet can't read human text and relies on Internet Protocol Addresses (IP Addresses). You can think of these as a home address for the Internet. Every smartphone, computer, website, etc., is assigned a unique IP address that is used to send data to and from the correct device or website and vice versa. 

So, when you search for "www.Google.com," the Domain Name System (DNS) translates this URL into its corresponding IP Address, such as 142.251.214.142, and sends it back to your device so it can send your recipe request to Google. Once Google receives the request, it collects the information and sends back the results directly to your device via its IP Address. Pretty neat, right?

While location-based addressing has proven an effective way to send and receive data across the Web, it has also introduced several inherent risks. For example, IP Addresses can reveal geolocation information about an individual or their device, potentially exposing sensitive personal details. IP Addresses can also be leveraged by schools, businesses, or even government agencies to restrict or block access to content entirely. 

This is how some countries are able to block access to certain media outlets from within their borders. VPNs can counteract these measures by acting as a mask for users, sending and receiving data through a third-party IP Address in a different location. This not only helps protect the user's sensitive information but also allows some users to circumvent censorship restrictions in some instances.

However, we shouldn't have to rely on VPNs to access information, our data shouldn't be collected and monetized without our consent or control, and we shouldn't have to fear that our data will be compromised in the event of a data breach. We shouldn't have to sacrifice our right to security, privacy, and individual autonomy to use the Web—but what can we do? 

The short answer: Decentralize it! 

Web3: The Decentralized Web

Today, technologies like blockchain and decentralized peer-to-peer networks have the potential to revolutionize the Internet as we know it and re-align it with the original vision of the World Wide Web. This movement is commonly referred to as 'Web3' or the 'Decentralized Web,' a term popularized by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood. 

Rather than rely on centralized entities, Web3 platforms are supported by individual users on decentralized networks, such as blockchain. These users, also referred to as 'nodes,' participate in the network by creating and validating transactions in exchange for cryptocurrency rewards. This decentralized approach eliminates our reliance on centralized entities, addressing several core issues related to Web2, such as finance, data ownership, data security, data privacy, and censorship. 

For example, blockchain technology was created in direct response to the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 with the launch of the Bitcoin network. Today, users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies directly with one another without the need for an intermediary, creating a fully decentralized alternative to traditional banking practices. 

Furthermore, data stored on blockchain networks is immutable by nature and secured by cryptographic algorithms like hashing, which makes it virtually tamper-proof. This level of security ensures that user data remains secure and accessible only to authorized users while quickly alerting the network of any attempts to alter data.

Another benefit of decentralized networks is the ability to utilize Decentralized IDs, which allow users to create secure, censorship-resistant, and anonymous digital identities. These IDs can be used as a Single Sign-on for Decentralized Applications (dApps), to store and verify personal information, and even serve as a reliable form of voter identification in elections. The possibilities of Decentralized IDs are seemingly endless.

Decentralized IDs can also be leveraged to protect user safety and privacy by ensuring individual control over data. Everything from social media posts and photos to other sensitive information can be associated directly with the user's Decentralized ID rather than stored on a centralized server. This way, the user can choose what data to share, who to share it with, and for how long, all determined by Smart Contracts and backed by the blockchain itself. 

Beyond the Internet, blockchain technology can also be used in a variety of other sectors, such as supply chain management, financial institutions, healthcare, voting systems, and digital identity verification. Walmart, for example, leverages blockchain technology to track its food supply chain, allowing real-time tracking of produce from farm to store within seconds. This can be especially useful if a specific crop is making people sick. Rather than throwing out everything, companies can leverage the blockchain and only throw away the produce from the infected crop. The healthcare and finance sectors can make use of blockchain technology to securely store sensitive information and keep it safe from hackers and data breaches.

While blockchain technology is incredibly powerful and holds a lot of promise, it, too, has its limitations. For example, most blockchain networks continue to struggle with bandwidth constraints, high transaction fees, and significant storage costs. These issues affect the efficiency and scalability of blockchain networks, especially when compared to current standards for online data storage and hosting. This means that blockchain networks, as the sole solution to Web2, need to be able to meet the performance and cost-efficiency of legacy systems and infrastructure today. However, there is a way to address these concerns today: Peer-to-peer cloud networks.

Web3: The Decentralized Cloud

Decentralized peer-to-peer storage networks are already equipped to handle the storage and hosting needs of Web3 platforms. These networks function similarly to blockchain networks, relying on the contributions of their users to add storage space and maintain the network integrity. However, these networks are comprised of storage nodes rather than validators, where users can sell excess space on their hard drives directly to the global storage on the Cloud and earn rewards directly from other users, creating a fully decentralized cloud.

These cloud networks serve multiple purposes in the realm of Web3, including:

• Decentralized Storage

• Data Security

• Data Privacy

• Data Availability

• Censorship

Decentralized cloud networks, such as Pensamento Cloud, IPFS, or Ethereum Swarm, work by splitting data into several smaller chunks, encrypting it, and storing each chunk across a network of nodes from around the world. 

For example, let's say you upload a family picture to Pensamento Cloud. Once uploaded, the network splits this image into several 4KB chunks, encrypts each chunk, and then sends each chunk to a different node on the network. This way, even in the unlikely event that an individual node was breached or hacked, any exposed data would be essentially useless by itself as each chunk would only contain a small encrypted piece of the original data set.

While this process significantly increases data security and privacy, it also presents a new challenge regarding the transfer of this data. As we know, the Internet currently relies on location-based addressing. However, due to the decentralized nature of peer-to-peer networks, location-based addressing can't be used in the same way as data chunks are distributed across a network of storage nodes. To address these concerns, peer-to-peer networks utilize content-based addressing, which utilizes content addresses rather than location addresses. 

For example, let's go back to that family picture uploaded to Pensamento Cloud. When the image is uploaded to the network, it will first be split into several 4KB chunks and encrypted. Each chunk will then be assigned a unique Content Address (CID) based on the content itself and hashed with the other chunks to form a Merkle Tree of the entire data set.

Once the Merkle Tree is formed, the chunks are allocated to storage nodes with the CID that most resembles the individual chunks CID. For example, if a chunk has a CID of "10011" and there are two storage nodes available on the network: "10111" and "20123," the network will allocate the chunk to the first storage node as its address more resembles the chunk's CID. 

This way, when an object is called, the network can utilize the Merkle Tree to identify the CID of each data chunk and relay the request through the network until it finds each host node. This is a high-level overview of how content-based addressing works in decentralized networks. For a more detailed explanation of this process, please refer to the Pensamento Whitepaper.

Through this approach, users can store data, host websites, and even support dApps without ever relying on a centralized entity. Furthermore, due to its decentralized nature, these networks are inherently protected against hacking, data loss, and censorship while safeguarding user security and privacy. Paired with blockchain technology, decentralized networks hold the potential to revolutionize the Web and place the power back into the hands of the individual. However, these tools don't come without their fair share of issues.

Web3: The Issues

While the idea of Web3 may seem inevitable at first glance, decentralized tools still face an uphill battle. Despite its potential, the idea of Web3 is still met with skepticism from the likes of Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, and Stephen Diehl, and for good reason. In its current form, Web3 platforms face several fundamental issues, including:

• Computational Limitations

• Bandwidth Limitations

• Storage Limitations

• Centralization Risks

• Poor User Experience

Decentralized platforms are in their infancy. While these technologies hold tremendous promise for a decentralized Web, their limitations continue to prevent widespread adoption. Blockchain networks, for example, are renowned for their security, transparency, and immutability. However, they struggle in regard to efficiency and scalability when compared to traditional Web2 models. As of 2024, the Ethereum network averages just 11.75 transactions per second, a stark contrast to the 65,000 transactions we see from industry giants like VISA. (VISA) 

In relation to decentralized peer-to-peer cloud networks like IPFS and Ethereum Swarm, these platforms are often much slower than their Web2 counterparts as a result of low usage rates, leading to a sub-par user experience. To be considered a viable alternative to the current centralized approach of Web2, we must find a way to increase scalability and efficiency and streamline the user experience without compromising user security, privacy, and individual autonomy. 

Aside from the technical limitations, there is also the issue of centralization in 'decentralized' projects, as highlighted by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. For example, developing a new decentralized project requires a lot of capital. As a result, most projects opt for traditional fundraising approaches, securing funds through venture capitalists and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), where investors can purchase a portion of the project's total circulating supply of cryptocurrency before its official release to the public.

While this practice is effective in raising funds for newer projects quickly, it also results in greater centralization of power as venture capitalists may control a disproportionate amount of the underlying cryptocurrency before it is ever even made available to the public, contradicting the project's original purpose.

With the rise of Web3, we see history beginning to repeat itself. Throughout the early days of Web1, developers were focused on establishing the foundation of the Web, focusing on establishing universal standards like HTML, URL, and HTTP. As a result, the user experience was put on the back burner until the launch of the Mosaic Web Browser, which launched adoption rates to over 1000x within the first week of its release. As a result, we saw the focus shift from the fundamental technology to the user experience itself, catapulting the Web into the modern epicenter it is today.

Now, we are witnessing the same thing happen with Web3, as developers are hyper-focused on establishing new, decentralized standards and trying to achieve as much throughput and efficiency as possible. As a result, we are left with tools that are slow, clunky, lacking any universal standards or interoperability, and generally just a pain in the…

So, where do we go from here? Thankfully, the team over at Pensamento has identified the problem and proposed a solution—Web4. 

Web4: The Symbiotic Web

Web4, or the 'Symbiotic Web,' is the next generation of the Internet—focused on innovation, collaboration, and universal freedom. These platforms will revolutionize the Internet as we know it and consist of seven key characteristics:

• Universal open standards

• Freedom of access to information

• True decentralization

• Safeguards to protect user security, privacy, and autonomy

• Streamlined user experience

• A symbiotic relationship between users and machines

• Impact that transcends into the physical world
  

First, Web4 platforms must establish universal open standards to ensure interoperability with other decentralized networks. This will not only provide a seamless transfer of data across different platforms but also foster a more inclusive and accessible global ecosystem where innovation can thrive without the burden of entry barriers or proprietary software restraints.

Second, Web4 platforms must ensure freedom of access to information. This standard is crucial to ensure that the next generation of the Internet remains open and accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location. While private companies should still retain the right to moderate content on their platforms, Web4 networks must implement mechanisms that safeguard against undue censorship. These efforts are designed to create a more informed and engaged society where freedom of expression and access to information are inherently protected. 

Third, Web4 platforms must achieve and maintain true and uncompromising decentralization. For example, the Pensamento Ecosystem consists of four core products: 

• Pensamento Blockchain - A fully decentralized proof-of-stake network focused on efficiency, scalability, security, and privacy.

• Pensamento Cloud - A fully decentralized, peer-to-peer network designed to redefine the 'Cloud' and the way we store, connect and share online.

• Pensamento Exchange - A fully decentralized cryptocurrency exchange designed to give users a 'centralized' user experience while ensuring security, privacy, and true asset ownership.

• Pensamento IDs - Native smart accounts that act as a Wallet, Decentralized ID, and key to the ecosystem. The secret ingredient to Web4.
  

Fourth, Web4 platforms must be designed to safeguard user security, privacy, and individual autonomy inherently. For example, every product within the Pensamento Ecosystem is built to be inherently safe and decentralized through the use of decentralized networks, cryptographic techniques, and native smart accounts. The Pensamento Ecosystem aims to provide the blueprint for future networks to build upon, defining a new standard for future networks. 

Fifth, Web4 networks, similar to their Web2 counterparts, will be defined by the user experience. As we've covered in this text, the story of the Web can be broken into four segments:

• Web1 defined the foundational principles of the Internet.

• Web2 defined the user experience built upon these fundamentals.

• Web3 aims to redefine the fundamentals, focusing on decentralization.

• Web4 aims to redefine the user experience built upon this decentralized foundation.

Sixth, Web4 platforms must strive to achieve a more symbiotic relationship between users and machines. Through the use of advanced technologies like AI and machine-learning algorithms, Web4 platforms can create an immersive and curated experience for users by automating redundant tasks, anticipating needs, providing real-time feedback and warnings, real-time verification, etc. However, implementing these types of algorithms must be done carefully. Given that Web4 platforms are open-sourced, implementing an open-source AI algorithm on top of it can lead to several unintended consequences, such as the service inadvertently sharing sensitive information or being used maliciously to target individuals, source data, or manipulate outputs. This is an area of focus for us here at Pensamento, and we will have more to share on this front soon.

Lastly, Web4 platforms must ensure that their impact transcends beyond our screens to drive real change in the physical world. The team at Pensamento, for example, plans to utilize its platform to power a number of innovative initiatives through the Pensamento Foundation. The Pensamento Foundation currently includes three core products:

• Pensamento Hubs

• Pensamento Tech

• Pensamento Academy
  

Pensamento Hubs are designed to provide local communities with renewable energy, organic food, and conservation efforts while also providing additional validators, storage providers, and distribution centers to the Pensamento Ecosystem—creating a self-sustaining model to drive global change from local roots.

Pensamento Tech is designed to fuel future innovation by sponsoring the research and development of new and exciting technologies at campuses around the world. From blockchain innovation to renewable energy, Pensamento Tech will help lead the charge toward a better tomorrow.

Pensamento Academy is a fully decentralized learning platform where students and educators can host or enroll in community-created courses, leave ratings and reviews, and securely store certifications directly on your Pensamento ID, making education accessible to billions of users around the world.

As you can see, there is so much to be excited about when discussing the potential for Web4 platforms. With the ultimate goal of realizing the original vision of the Web, Web4 is poised to revolutionize the way we use the Internet, secure our data, and maintain our privacy forever. To learn more about Pensamento and its mission to bring Web4 to fruition, please visit www.Pensamento.io!