Web2 Was Built Using JavaScript, and Web3 Should Be Too

We have heard a lot about Web3 over the last few months, however, there is still an element of mystery as to what it is and how we can operate on it. The latest market downturn in the crypto industry has led to further scepticism among both users and developers but we must separate the infrastructure of Web3 from the volatility that can erupt from the crypto market. By focusing on building and improving the underlying foundation of Web3, we will begin to uncover the true potential of this technology. To do so, we first need to encourage more developers to take part in this new era of the web. JavaScript is the key to accomplishing this. 

 If we think about the inception of the internet as we know it, we were faced with the same scepticism then as we are now. However, with the help of developers who both believed in the technology and had the tools at hand to help craft our current online experience, we have seen the widespread adoption of Web2. But why stop there? Why not continue to grow alongside continuously expanding and emerging technologies? 

JavaScript and Web2

Believe it or not, the journey to build Web2 is eerily similar to that of Web3. In its early stages, Web2 infrastructure relied on developers to learn multiple coding languages. JavaScript, in particular, became one of the most widely used programming languages and core technologies of the World Wide Web as developers leveraged these to build robust and engaging websites for users. However, in its early stages, developers needed to run an HTTP server (Apache Server /Apache tomcat) to run the server code written in Java/PHP etc, and as a result of this, it was incredibly difficult to scale efficiently.

At that time, Node.js became increasingly popular because of its architecture, making it easier to run and scale horizontally. This event-driven asynchronous architecture was well suited for handling heavy IO which the HTTP servers mostly are. With this in mind, the introduction of Node.js, server-side JavaScript which is well suited for asynchronous programming, allowed developers to write web servers with ease and adapt these servers to work at a significant scale.

JavaScript acted as a universal coding language that unified several aspects of web development making the process that much easier for developers to expand and improve upon, and in turn, that much more seamless for users to navigate. If we compare the early stages of Web2 with that of Web3, JavaScript has the power to not only shape the future of the internet but to give a voice to mainstream developers on what this new web will look like. Allowing developers to build Web3 using JavaScript opens the sector up to a whole new array of ideas.

The dominance of JavaScript as a programming language is well documented, with over 13.8M developers according to a recent study by SlashData. In order to attract these developers to the blockchain, we need to empower them to explore the technology and input their thoughts on how the sector should evolve - all while leveraging their native coding language. 

Why Care About Web3

While there are many reasons why developers may be hesitant to get involved in Web3, it is worth noting that this same hesitancy was also seen in the early stages of Web development. The dot-com bubble crash of 2001 caused sentiment towards the internet to change with many believing this new technology was overhyped and unreliable. What this shows us is that market crashes and shakeouts appear to be common occurrences for all technological revolutions. 

These market bursts or industry downturns present the perfect opportunity for us to put our heads down and focus on building. Building robust Web3 infrastructure and disruptive, decentralized applications that will empower users to take control of their own online experiences is key to the mainstream adoption of this technology. 

Web3 is still in its infancy and what it is capable of achieving has not yet been realized. Building new innovations, we can collectively shape Web3 to encapsulate all of the aspects we love about the internet we operate on today, with the added benefits of decentralization and privacy. Having built the internet as we know it today, mainstream developers understand what it is that users expect from their online experience. By allowing these developers to take part in the creation of Web3, alongside blockchain developers, we can build an internet for everyone.

We have worked hard to build the current iteration of the Web as a globally connected tool to enrich the lives of users and empower them politically and financially, however, we are not quite there yet. Web3 gives users a voice in how the protocols they care about most are run, enabling them to take an active role in furthering their vision of a decentralized web. It also gives users back the power over their own data, to own, sell or rent as they see fit, and removes the ability of a handful of tech giants to line their pockets from private data. 

Achieving these Web3 values is not going to take place overnight. It will take time and hard work for us to reach the same level of performance that people have become accustomed to from the internet over the last few decades. However, with the addition of a widely-known coding language such as JavaScript, developers of all kinds of skill sets can work together to make this the greatest iteration of the internet yet. An internet that is built not just for crypto enthusiasts, but an internet built for the layperson - an internet built for you.