Welcome to the Double Click! This is the weekly blog series that shines a spotlight on emerging technologies, technological concepts, and community projects that enrich the JavaScript Ecosystem!
This week, we're talking about all of the hype and controversy surrounding Web 3, or the future of the web. If you are just hearing about Web 3 for the first time, it is the concept that the "web" as we know it, will eventually be composed largely of decentralized applications and tokenized systems that allow users to engage in peer-to-peer interactions without the use of enterprise sites and services.
I know this might seem vague, but it might make more sense if we consider that "Web 1" was the period of time when the internet consisted of usenets and message boards, and "Web 2" occured as enterprises began digital products to create an interfaceable internet.
"Web 3" now refers to a potential future where most of our web interactions will be facilitated by machines and decentralized protocols rather than centralized services, such as those owned by banks and payment processors.
I am extremely excited about the potential that blockchain technologies have to revolutionize the web as we know it. If you follow any of my recent blog posts, you will know that I am a huge proponent of decentralized applications, and even offer Solidity development services through This Dot Labs.
That being said, developers who are just getting into the industry do not need to worry that all of their hard work learning JavaScript and frameworks was for naught.
Though blockchain will only continue to grow in popularity and expand in functioning, we're not quite on the doorstep of a web revolution that will fundamentally change the sort of skills and expertise needed on the market. We will still need centralized applications, web sites, mobile applications, and more for quite a while.
However, if you are interested in becoming an early blockchain adopter, there are tons of opportunities to become involved. With all of the Web 3 hype, there are hundeds of new projects and companies popping up with opportunities for developers.
But if you aren't quite ready to make the full leap into this pioneering space, you can contribute to blockchain community projects, such as those offered by various networks and tokens, or building your own decentralized application. After all, JavaScript and Solidity use nearly identical syntax!
But what do you think? Do you believe we're on the precipice of a great new web development revolution, or are you not quite buying the hype yet? Be sure to let me know by tweeting me at @ladyleet.
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