In 2007 at the Seoul Digital Forum, Eric Schmidt, then president of Google, presented his vision of Web 3.0. He described a future composed of modular, fast, and customizable applications, distributed virally and accessible everywhere. This vision emphasized the importance of interoperability, mobile technologies, and simplified software development. In retrospect, this perspective already foreshadowed the emergence of Chrome OS.
Google thus offers its own definition of Web 3.0 as "the future of the Web." But can we define this concept more objectively? A review of publications on the subject reveals that each expert, columnist, and Web observer develops their own interpretation of this notion.
The history of the Web is generally divided into three phases: Web 1.0 in the early 90s, Web 2.0 starting from 2004, and Web 3.0 to come. These divisions, although artificial, reflect an interweaving of technological developments, social and cultural practices, and economic issues that shape the modern Internet.
From a chronological perspective, the boundaries between these three stages remain blurry. The dates serve as markers but should not simplify a complex reality. Like 1492 for the Renaissance, which alone cannot explain this period of cultural renewal in Europe, just as the fall of Constantinople or the invention of printing played decisive roles.
The concept of Web 2.0 emerged in 2004 under the impetus of Tim O'Reilly, during his eponymous conference. In a post-speculative bubble context, he breathed a new vision of the Web centered on collective intelligence, giving birth to the social Web.
Technologies like Java, RSS, and CSS have increased interactivity, made sites more dynamic, and created new forms of collaboration via social networks.
Today, the Web offers unprecedented access to information and online services, from e-commerce to social networks to administrative services. However, this abundance poses the risk of growing "information obesity."
Technical challenges persist: multiplication of formats, accessibility issues, compartmentalization of databases. The explosion of content complicates information search, requiring rigorous indexing and classification, despite standardization efforts by the W3C.
The World Wide Web Consortium promotes the development of the semantic Web, often associated with Web 3.0. The objective: to make the Web more intelligent through better indexing of information, based on strict standards and the creation of interconnected data ecosystems.
This evolution implies considerable work restructuring existing content. As long as current search engines are satisfactory, few actors engage in this transformation. Nevertheless, growing competition, notably from Bing, is pushing Google to reconsider its position.
Web 3.0 is not limited to the semantic Web. Like its predecessor, it will emerge from the convergence of multiple technologies: high-speed mobility, geolocation, cloud computing. If Web 2.0 places the user at the center, Web 3.0 will prioritize data.
While awaiting this mutation, some experts propose an intermediate concept: the squared Web ("Web squared"), a transition toward this long-awaited semantic Web.