Are Web2 developers good enough for Web3?

Way back in the 90s, when Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the internet, the public immediately assumed that it was a gimmick that would never work.

Three decades on, the internet is a cornerstone of our lives and we cannot imagine existing without it.

However, the internet we see today is not the internet that Sir Tim invented way back when — we use Web 2.0.

Web3 is an emerging concept — one with the power to shake and transform our internet-dependent world.

What are Web 2.0 and Web 3.0?

As I said, the internet was not always the way we know it today. To better comprehend this concept, we split the life cycle of the internet so far into three different “ages”: web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0.

These lasted as follows:

● Web 1.0: 1990–2004

● Web 2.0: 2005 — Present Day

● Web 3.0: Approximately 2024

Let us get a little more in-depth about these.

Web 1.0

Web 1.0 was the “read-only” internet, wherein companies would use the internet to push their own content to users, and users would consume this content. Web 1.0 lasted from 1990 to roughly 2004–2005.

During this time, groups like Alphabet Incorporated (Google) and Youtube took off and marked the shift into Web 2.0.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 was the bigger, better, broader version of Web 1.0. It is also called the “Read Write” web.

In Web 2.0, companies stopped pushing their own content on users, and instead focused on making and monetizing platforms where users could make their own content to be consumed by other users.

Web 2.0 is the internet that we are all familiar with, and the one that we use on a daily basis. It is propped up by the users, but a few large corporations control most of our data on Web 2.0.

Another feature of the modern internet (2.0) is the fact that it is trust-based: we trust these large corporations to make decisions and do what is in the public’s interest.

Web 3.0

The term “Web 3.0” was coined by the cofounder of the cryptocurrency called Ethereum (ETH) in 2014.

It proposes a “read-write-own web” model of the internet, that is trustless, co-owned by all users (like a blockchain), has native payments through cryptocurrencies, and that is permissionless.

Web 3.0 aims to take back privacy for the users, and to remove the power that single large entities within the web wield over the common man.

Can Web 2.0 Developers Handle Web 3.0?

No matter how much we promote the new and renewed Web 3.0, all will be in vain if we do not have developers who can take advantage of the things that Web 3.0 has to offer.

Web 3.0 is projected to be the next revolution in terms of the internet and how we use it, with all power shifting to the users.

Sure, Web2 developers may have the know-how to do some things in Web3, but if they do not adapt, they might find themselves left in the dust.

While most Web2 developers will already be familiar with the current Web 2.0 technology such as JavaScript, React, Angular, HTML5 and CSS3 and a bunch of other scripting languages, this will not be enough to carry them through the Web 3.0 switch.

Web 3.0 is going to be powered by technologies and tools like Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Semantic Web, and other such decentralized technologies.[1]

These have already started to creep into mainstream web development, even today.

For example, Amazon Web Services’ CdeWhisperer and Github’s CoPilot are AI-based tools that analyze your code constantly and then suggest code that you can add on.

This veritably helps fly through their code, by writing the mundane code for them, leaving developers free to actually enjoy their job and innovate.

Thus, we can already see the first shoots of the positive benefits that the Web3 tree is about to bring us.

Can Web2 Developers Build Web3 Applications?

Let me give you an analogy: a taxi driver has the same basic skills as a Formula 1 race driver, but the two are still drastically different from the other.

Similarly, a Web2 developer indeed does have the skills that a Web3 developer should have — these skills just need to be built upon.

Blockchain development is poised to be at the heart of Web3 development and is going to play a big part in the “transfer power back to the user” theme that is so central to Web3.

If you want to understand how you can better your skills as a Web2 developer in order to be ready for Web3 when it gets adopted by the masses, check out these resources:

● The Web3 University — The Basics Of Web 3.0.

● The Odyssey Project — Everything from blockchains, to DeFi, to NFTs.

● The Use Web3 Initiative — Has everything from courses and articles to tutorials and starter kits. Also has a directory of new Web 3.0 sites that are already live.

● The Third Web Community — Has pre-made Software Development Kits (SDKs) that can be used to kickstart a Web3 project, or to add-on to an existing one. Has loads of reading material too.

● The Alchemy University — The totally free early access is open for applications now, and is promising to be a one size fits all solution to the transition from Web2 to Web3.

● The Moralis.Io Academy — Loads of free courses in skill building with languages like Solana and Rust. Also has tutorials on DeFi, Blockchain, Bitcoin BTC/ Ethereum ETH deployment and Supply-chain management with Web3.

● Infura — Infura is said to be “The most powerful suite of Blockchain resources for Web3” on the internet. If you have two or three years’ worth of experience under your belt, it will definitely be worth your time to check out Infura.Io’s blog page. It has a frequently updated blog that features Web3 updates and news, among development tips and resources.

● Learn Web3: The final link in this section, this community-driven project has four “tracks” that a new learner can take when beginning to delve into Web3. These are Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior.

Thus, skills like Blockchain deployment, experience with languages like Rust, and to some degree, Python, Machine Learning, Privacy Solutions, Neural Engines, Artificial Intelligence, and deployment with the IoT (Internet Of Things) are some of the few top-level web2 skills that are proving to be extremely valuable in Web3 designing.

Web2 developers do possess the skills required for Web3 development, but the way in which these skills are used is vastly different between Web2 and Web3.

Thus, we can conclude by saying that yes, Web2 developers are indeed good enough for web3, if they are adaptable and learn how to use their skillset effectively.

How Can Web2 Developers Improve?

To get themselves ready for Web 3.0, there are plenty of things that Web2 developers can do, such as:

Learning the concept of decentralization: the main pillar of Web3 is that it is going to be decentralized, just like the cryptocurrencies that we use today.

Educating themselves about how a blockchain works and is formed — blockchains are not only on the up and up, but they are also starting to be used across all spheres of life.

While Web2 content will still be going strong as the world transitions into Web3, the developers need to familiarize themselves with the concept of the metaverse and digital reality, as chances are astronomically high that metaverses will be a big part of Web 3.0.

Caveat: A common misconception that I have come across is that people tend to assume that the metaverse and Web 3.0 are the same, but this is not the case.

The metaverse is simply the user base interacting with and triggering one particular layer of Web3, whereas Web 3.0 is the entire architecture of the internet that has been broadened to include Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and much more, with a trustless architecture and a decentralized build.

That said, Web3 is rather close, but at the same time, it is also rather far away at this point in time.

Web3: What’s Next?

Web2 developers are certainly competent enough to make it through the initial transition from Web2 to Web3, but as time goes on, they will need to adapt to new technologies.

The downsides of Web3 also need attention, such as the increased anonymity of persons on a tool as powerful as the internet, the scope for illegal activities, and so on.

However, there is zero doubt that whenever Web 3.0 comes into being, it will revolutionize the internet, and the new influx of content will require completely new channels to be built.

This is good news, because it means that as more and more things need to be built, more developers will be needed to build the Web3 framework.

In a nutshell: yes, Web2 developers are good enough for Web3, but that might not be for long.

Developers who stay static during this transition run the risk of getting dragged under the Web3 bus wheels unless they choose to hop on that bus.

I am working on an interesting new web3 initiative and would love to hear from you and share ideas on what’s possible. This is being called the neuroweb3 initiative.

some of the technologies of web 2.0 are the ones that are being used to write web3 solutions but its the difference in how to use them and to build something that conceptually different from a architecture standpoint