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Web 3.0: Dystopia or Utopia?

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The other day I wrote an article that discussed Web 3.0 and what it is really about.

In it, I covered the fact that we are not just looking at the tokenization of the Internet. Instead, we are looking at the convergence of our physical, digital, and biological worlds. Everything is going to be linked together. We are going to see a digital duplicate of everything meaning that search extends to much more than just online.

https://steempeak.com/technology/@taskmaster4450/web-3-0-what-it-truly-is-and-the-enormous-potential

Obviously, we are looking at some very powerful things coming down the road. This, of course, brings up the potential for abuse. Many question what our future will be like with so many powerful technologies at our disposal. Will we end up creating a utopian society or will it be dystopia?

The answer to this question depends upon us. Believe it or not, we have the ability to influence the answer. This is where seeing things in the proper context really can help.

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Blockchain and cryptocurrency are going to be at the core of this paradigm shift. They are not the only technologies that will be involved yet they do provide a couple key pieces that were missing from the original Internet protocols.

Security is added through blockchain. It is fairly easy to see how this point was overlooked to a great degree the first go around. At the same time, cryptocurrency handles the issue of e-commerce. We know that the present Internet, for the most part, relies on the advertising model. This did not work out so well for most who are involved.

Web 3.0 will change that.

The question of utopia versus dystopia comes down to one of control. If we allow the technologies that I mentioned to be in the hands of a few powerful companies and governments, then I would say we are certainly not going to like the outcome. However, if we can shift things in the other direction, then a step towards utopia is in the cards.

Fortunately, this is something that is already underway. Being pieces in the foundation, what we are doing with blockchain and cryptocurrency now is paving the way for a better future. Few look at it in this light yet that is exactly what happens. That is why all the bickering over stuff that really isn't going to matter in a few years is ridiculous along with frustrating.

The tools that are being developed are very powerful. Fortunately, for the moment, they are available to most. If we embrace what is out there, the shift can happen at a more rapid pace.

There are roughly 4.3B people on the Internet. Somewhere around 4.295B are using the centralized applications without much knowledge outside of that. It is only a small handful of the total global population that has any idea an alternative is being constructed. This shows how early in the game things really are.

It is shows how important each person is in this movement. Each time someone is pushed away because of the behavior by someone else, we are playing right into the hands of those who want the control. Large amounts of people can be controlled if the majority of them are kept in one big pen. This is where centralization provides enormous power. With everyone basically located in a few places, we see a small group able to assert near total control.

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Of course, this starts to bring us down the path to an outcome that few want. Look at the situation in China. The Chinese government is using the technological tools at its disposal to create a society that is completely controlled. It seeks to block everything in an effort to have all forced into submission. Technology does make this a lot easier.

The flip side is many of the same tools are becoming available to most of us. Blockchain is out there for anyone to build upon. Anyone who is online is free to access applications which can earn cryptocurrency. Businesses can be constructed using these two technologies that place one outside much of the control system.

Web 3.0 can offer an Internet where one is in control of his or her own data. It is a place where privacy is ensured. The mistakes of the present Internet can be corrected. For this to take place, however, it requires people seeing the bigger picture and altering behavior in a way that makes things expand and grow.

We have to realize the power that we are wielding. Each time we behave in a manner that sends someone away, it is moving us one step closer to our kids thoughts being amassed by the government. Think is a bit of a stretch? Think again. Brain-to-computer interfaces are on the way. Who do you think is going to control that data if left unchecked?

Like all technologies, there are a lot of growing pains. That does not mean, however, that it is all shot. Yes, we need to make improvements and expand the technology. In fact, this has to happen at a rather rapid pace. There are powerful forces seeking to get their hands in the middle of everything. We already saw the blowback when they were threatened by cryptocurrency.

Ultimately, humanity has always trended towards good in spite of itself. This situation should be no different. It is not a guarantee though which means we all are responsible for the progress forward.

So which do you want in the future, Utopia or Dystopia? What are you doing to help assist in the outcome you favor?

These are questions we all have to ask ourselves.


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