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WEB2 and WEB3

Web2 refers to the version of the Internet that we know today. An internet where services are provided under the control of internet companies to exchange personal data. In the case of Ethernet, Web3 refers to decentralized applications that run on the blockchain. Any user can participate in these applications on PolySmartChain without personal data being sold.

Advantages of WEB3

Many Web3 developers are choosing to build decentralized applications due to the inherent decentralization of Ether.

  • Anyone on the network has permission to use the service - in other words, no permission is required.

  • No one can block you or deny you access to the service.

  • Payments are constructed through a local token, the PSC.

  • PolySmartChain is Turing-complete, which means you can have many programs deployed on it.

Specific Comparison

Web2Web3

TwTwitter can check any account or tweet

Web3 tweets are not censurable because control has been decentralized

Payment services may decide not to allow payments for certain types of work

Web3 payment applications do not require personal data and cannot block payments

Servers for odd-job economy applications may be out of service and affect labor income

Web3 servers don't go offline - they use Ether, a decentralized network of thousands of computers, as their backend

This does not mean that all services need to become dapp. These examples illustrate the main differences between Web2 and Web3 services.

WEB3 Limitations

Web3 now has some limitations:

  • Scalability - Transactions are slow to progress on web3 because they are decentralized. Changing state like payments needs to be processed by miners and propagated throughout the network.

  • UX - Interacting with web3 applications may require additional steps, software and learning. This can be a barrier to adoption.

  • Accessibility - Most users are unable to access web3 due to the lack of a modern web browser.

  • Cost - Because it's so expensive, most successful decentralized applications put only a small portion of their code into the blockchain.

Centralization and Decentralization

In the table below, we provide a rough list of the advantages and disadvantages of centralized and decentralized digital networks.

Centralized SystemDecentralized System

Short network radius (all participants are connected to a centralized organization). Fast information transfer, because it is processed by a centralized organization with a large amount of computing resources.

The most distant participants on the network may be far from each other. It may take a long time for a message broadcast from one side of the network to reach the other.

Performance is typically higher (higher throughput, lower total compute resource consumption) as well as easier to build.

Performance is typically lower (lower throughput, higher total computational resource consumption) and more complex to build.

In the case of conflicting data, the solution is clear and simple: the ultimate trusted source of data is the centralized organization.

A protocol (usually a complex one) is required to resolve a dispute. If other participants make conflicting claims about the state of the data that the participants intend to synchronize.

Single point of failure: malicious actors may be able to target centralized organizations to disrupt the network.

No single point of failure: the network can still function even if a large percentage of participants are attacked or taken offline.

Coordination among participants is much easier and is handled by the centralized organization. The centralized organization can force network participants to accept upgrades, update protocols, etc. with less resistance.

Coordination is often difficult because no single actor has the final say in network-level decisions, protocol upgrades, etc. In the worst case scenario, the network tends to break down when there is disagreement over protocol changes.

Centralized organizations can censor data, potentially cutting off some parts of the network from interacting with other parts of the network.

Censorship is much more difficult because there are multiple ways for information to be disseminated on the Web.

Network access is controlled by the centralized organization.

Anyone can join the network; there are no "gatekeepers". Ideally, the cost of participation is very low.

Please note that these are general patterns and may not apply to every network. In addition, in reality, the degree of network centralization/decentralization depends on a range of factors; no network is completely centralized or completely decentralized.

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