Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0

After sending a perspective employer my resume for an open job opportunity, they responded by asking me to answer a few questions via email. This seems to be more common these days as it's happened to me a few times. The next step after sending a resume to an employer used to be a phone interview, but now there seems to be an "email question" phase between the "initial resume" and "phone interview" phases.

Most of the time, the employer is asking for more information about your experience pertaining to the position - however, they sometimes throw in a curve ball question. One employer asked me for a funny story. Another asked me what I've been reading lately. And today I am faced with another curve ball question, one that I have enjoyed thinking about and answering: How would you describe Web2.0 and what is your vision of Web3.0?

Before giving my answer, I of course did some research to see how other people have answered. Of course, there is a lot out there on Web2.0 as it is now a pretty widely used term. To my surprise though, there are not a lot of people (after a quick and simple search) who have tried to define Web3.0. Here is my shot at a definition:

Web 2.0 is the proliferation of interaction between user and web app. Prior to Web 2.0, web applications were a one way street. Web apps posted content for users to view, but there was no way for the user to interact with what they were viewing. People have used Web 2.0 capabilities to build communities and to become more transparent over the Internet.

Web 3.0 is commonly thought to be the process of using the information already provided by users in Web 2.0 applications to create new information. However, I see Web 3.0 differently. I see Web 3.0 as the proliferation of mobile Internet technology. Web 3.0 will be the ability to use the Internet from any location reliably and for this ability to become more accessible to the public.

Part of what has made Web 2.0 applications (for example; Twitter) so popular is the ability to use it from a mobile device. Mobile Internet technology, though, is still “clunky”. It is expensive, it is not available everywhere, it is slow and unreliable, it requires special hardware, and the capabilities are limited compared to that of a laptop or a desktop computer. Web 3.0 will be the widespread availability of the Internet from any location, and where the lines between using the Internet from a mobile device or a “fixed” device are blurred.

I know I dream of a world where I don't have to wait until I get home to my desktop computer and my Internet connection (or walk around looking for wifi with my latop) to do what I need to do. The iPhone doesn't always cut it.

Web 2.0 Map image courtesy of Markus Angermeier (11/11/2005) based on the article "What is Web2.0" written by Tim O'Reilly (9/30/2005).

Update 1/8/10:
Great Web 3.0 slideshows here:
Web 3.0 Concepts Explained in Plain English