The Internet’s Evolution: Read to Read-Write to Own
By Rob Frasca
The evolution of the internet mirrors our journey from passive consumers to active participants and now, to digital owners. When I started my first company on the web in the early 90s, it was a vastly different landscape – a read-only universe of static web pages where users could only consume information posted by the technically savvy few.
Web2.0 ushered in the read-write era, democratizing content creation through social media and user-generated platforms. Suddenly, anyone could become a creator, sharing their thoughts, photos, and videos with the world. This transformation gave birth to digital giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which built enormous value by aggregating user data and attention.
However, this model came with hidden costs. While we could create content, we didn’t truly own our digital presence. Our data, relationships, and digital identities became corporate assets, locked within proprietary platforms that could change rules at will or monetize our information without our consent.
Enter Web3 and the read-write-own paradigm. This new phase represents a fundamental power shift, enabling users to truly own their digital assets, data, and online identities through blockchain technology. Smart contracts and tokens are creating new models for collaboration and value sharing, where communities – not corporations – capture the value they create.
The implications are profound. We’re moving from an internet of platforms to an internet of protocols, where transparency and community governance replace centralized control. This shift isn’t just technological – it’s a reimagining of how value and power flow through our digital world.
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