The Internet is a decentralization machine.
That might sound a bit counterintuitive considering the fact that Web 2.0 is highly centralized. When we look at Meta, X, Google, Amazon, and PayPal, these are a few of the couple dozen companies that dominate this landscape.
However, when we think about it, this is a major shift from 40 years ago.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the fragmentation of media. Here is a topic we covered in many other articles, discussing the decline of Hollywood. The situation is a crisis for them even before Web 3.0 gets rolling.
In addition to entertainment, we are also going to see this occur in the news. While the Internet did provide this in the past, the next transition will be even on a grander scale.
This is what Web 3.0 is doing.
Image generated by Ideogram
Citizen Journalism
The "news" changed a great deal.
Many focus upon the broadcast content, which is certainly applicable. However, when it comes to the distribution, this was only the beginning.
In fact, we can look to the likes of Instagram and TikTok in this manner.
Journalism tends to convey the idea of a written article or interview. This is naturally part of it but it can extend a great deal further. Investigative research can take on many forms, including documentaries, a photo series, or podcasts.
For the sake of this article, we will simply convey the idea as "news".
If we think back 40 years ago, the nightly news is where people got their information. This was in addition to perhaps getting the local newspaper delivered. Here was the basis for the information flow to most people.
The Internet obviously changed this, especially Web 2.0.
Prior to this, to see photos of an event, we had to hope the newspaper had them or, maybe, the newscast put a few forth.
Facebook and other social media platforms changed this. Instagram became a fantastic platform for this, whereby users could post photos instantly. Since smartphones were common, everyone because a "journalist" in this regard.
Current events were captured in real time. It was no longer the exclusive domain of news agencies. As things unfolds, people were snapping pictures. After all, that is worth 1,000 words.
This was moved to another level with the ability to film a short video. TikTok because a major distribution center for this, allowing these video clips to be uploaded.
Again, for those who chose to, they quickly because purveyors of the news.
The Growth of Web 3.0
We are going to see many opportunities arising.
So far, we showed how content creation is near unlimited. Anyone with a mobile phone can do it. The distribution channels have expanded yet are still basically controlled by a few entities.
How does Web 3.0 change this?
At its foundation, Web 3.0 is a world of abundant networks. Unlike Web 2.0, which is based upon the client-server architecture, blockchain networks keep expanding. The ability to fork the software means that those with the technical know-how only need to find other infrastructure providers. This is done through the incentivization system that is coded in.
We already saw Ethereum forks a number of time. This is going to continue as people experiment with new ideas regarding incentivization and governance.
In addition, these are permissionless networks. That means anyone can set up an application that is tied to the database. Whatever is posted becomes part of the public domain. There is no censoring or banning since the key system is the entryway.
Here is where we will likely see the fragmentation following the same path as entertainment. For now, most are "broadcasting" on YouTube or another video platform. On the text site, many are using sites such as Medium. Here again, we see the centralization, at least on a platform basis.
That all changes with Web 3.0. People are going to be free to choose what networks they are involved with. If something is not to their liking, they can opt for another.
When networks are abundant, everything changes. This means that people have a low barrier to mobility. In many instances, changing a network simply means getting another wallet address.
Of course, with the interoperability that is taking place, many are starting to build in Ethereum wallets, as an example, as an point of access.
The Danger of Government
The United States is leading the way in government control of social media. Unfortunately, this was done in a way which was hidden.
It is one thing if laws are passed regarding these platforms. While there might be grounds for dispute, at least it is on the open and everyone can see what is taking place.
When government agencies are dictating to social media platforms what can or cannot be posted, especially without being public, then we entered an entirely new realm.
Controlling of the message has always been the foundation of tyranny. One of the first moves, historically, was to always take over the media. When the media is nothing more than government propaganda, we know who benefits.
Web 3.0 is going to be the death of governments as we know them. This is just another example of how the thirst for power and control is not going to happen. Politicians and bureaucrats seem to think they have the ability to operate like it is 1980. Sadly, for them, this is not the case.
This is something that is difficult for many to see. The tendency is slowly, slowly, then rocket ship.
In my view, governments all over the world are going to face this. The explosiveness of technology, especially with the number of permissionless networks already in operation, means there is no turning back. Consider, for a moment, the estimation that maybe 1% of the storage space on Web 3.0 is being utilized. Even by today's standards, a lot more data can still be housed.
As we know, this is the foundation for AI. That is another area where we are already seeing fragmentation, as new models (albeit smaller than LLMs) are emerging. Data is also being spread out, showing up on different sites such as Hugging Face.
Like most things in the digital world, Web 3.0 is going to alter journalism and the news. There was already a huge shift in the last 40 years. We are about to embark upon another one.