OntoSearch

There are a lot of definitions of Web 3.0 going around. As can be expected, everyone defines it from their own perspective. It occurred to me that defining it from your own perspective is a pretty darned good way to describe what Web 3.0 is because it will connect information for us based on its knowledge of us. Supposedly it will allow applications to work intelligently to understand the meaning (semantics) of information and then connect us with this information based on its knowledge of us. Web 3.0 will be defined by each of us based on the main benefit it is providing us. I think of it as providing efficiency to the vast amount of information available on the internet in web pages, social networks, forums, etc. Connecting and combining information we need and want and saving us all the time we spend doing it manually.

Amiad Solomon in his keynote “Semantic Web: Making Advertising More Relevant to Consumers” at the Web 3.0 Conference & Expo provided his definition of Web 3.0.  He said “I believe the simplest definition of Web 3.0 is the monetization and commercialization of Web 2.0″. This is a definition from his perspective, a definition from someone running a semantic marketing firm. Not that I don’t think advertising will quickly adapt to Web 3.0 technologies. I think se-mantic marketing has the potential to offer both the user and the advertiser needed benefits.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt defines Web 3.0 as “a different way of building applications. Applications are pieced together and are relatively small, the data is in a cloud and can run on any device, very fast and very customizable and distributed virally through social networks, email, etc.” These applications will make the user generated content that Web 2.0.created able to be personalized and managed more efficiently. Think of it as a personalized mashup of information coming from multiple places provided by applications that are intelligent enough to sift through it knowing our interests, history, etc. and presented to us in the format we prefer.

I guess we should figure out what Web 3.0 means to us and for us. It would be nice to understand Web 3.0 when it is happening, in real time, instead of not really getting it until Web 4.0 comes along and maybe not even then.  Sometimes the light comes on and I think I get it but I know I am far from really getting it.