Tim Berners-Lee coined the term “Semantic Web” in 1998. The idea was simple: let’s teach computers to distinguish meaning of content posted on web pages, and combine this content into a single semantic web.
The idea was ahead of its time due to the lack of necessary technologies to implement basic conditions of semantic network. Now, more than 20 years later, community is actively preparing for transition to the new model.
First of all, the implementation requires unique identification of resources: semantic relatedness of content will be meaningful only if each online and offline object has a unique identifier for all its copies.
At the same time, of course, identity of content copies must be ensured, that is, possibility of reliable verification of their non-falsification. And it is clear that all content must be quickly accessible.
Recently, we have discovered a comprehensive solution for implementation of global semantic web project — this is technology of distributed ledgers (DLT). Initially, technology was implemented in the form of blockchain networks, and now there are solutions based on directed acyclic graphs.
So, what does the new technology offer us as mandatory architectural solutions? (1) Entries in DLT network initially have a unique identification, (2) are signed with private keys of users who added them to network, (3) are cryptographically protected from falsification, and (4) are decentralized, that is, they are stored on a set of peers in network, which prevents their loss and provides quick search. At the same time, DLT network does not have a single point of failure and a single control center — changes in state of data at all nodes occur as a result of consensus, which ensures its increased resistance to attacks and malicious actions of users.
So, on the one hand, DLT network is seen as basic storage for semantically related data, which ensures their unique identification, immutability and availability, on the other hand, description of data in a single semantic language for network solves problem of realizing truly decentralized interaction of independent DLT applications. In fact, we are talking about the fact that all data on network should be stored as single semantic graph, and network transactions should have unified semantic format, understood by all applications. And it opens up the possibility of writing applications / contracts in a human-readable, semantically defined language. The use of single semantic transaction format is extremely important for the development of Internet of Things, that is, for unification of data from all kinds of sensors, the use of this data by independent applications. And a single format for recording all kinds of data in global graph is just klondike for AI.
Web 3.0 is a semantic decentralized network consisting of many domain-specific clusters, with unified semantic transaction format and unified graph data store. Web 3.0 is new Internet that not only implements storage, exchange and semantic search of any content, but also provides truly decentralized interaction of independent counterparties of any activity.
In the new network, each user is his own site, or rather, a node of one or more clusters of global peer-to-peer network, as well as owner of the content he creates. And browser — now semantic browser — is not used to navigate between millions of pages, but to search and present fragments of single semantic cryptographically protected graph, distributed on the same user nodes.
Why do I believe in The Graph?
Now that we understand in general terms what web 3.0 is, have seen the brilliant mainnet launch of The Graph, we can think about the perspectives.
Subgraphs pull data from blockchain, allow you to analyze it, work with it, pay labor of those who keep the nodes for this. Curators can signal the most interesting subgraphs to indexers. There is an analogy, isn’t it? It’s like The Graph is a blockchain-based Google search engine by importance.
But since this is web 3.0, there are a lot of differences.
Based on the above information, for correct operation of the semantic network, it is highly recommended to have one common graph for storing and processing data. That is, The Graph is vital for web 3.0 for blockchain, while being decentralized — everyone can take part in the development of Google from blockchain world.
The graph should have subgraphs for each project, and divide them into categories, semantically bind them not to the creators, but to projects — so that, having found one subgraph, I can see everything at once. Also, of course, we need to work on the quality of information collected and its processing — copying an event from blockchain alone is not enough. We need UI / UX with the analysis of this data, statistics, so that we can work with it.
I think that if community also thinks out to go beyond the cryptocurrency, to bring everything to mind, we will see analogs of contextual advertising, seo promotion in the future. After all, dApps are not limited to DeFi — everything can be ported to web 3.0, from stores to Wikipedia. Yes, this is a serious expansion of functionality, and it takes a lot of time and effort. But The Graph generously encourages creators and developers, so all that remains is not to be lazy and open up new horizons! We might even see AI helping curators filter data from subgraphs — that would be super cool!
It’s time to add more and more new subgraphs, organize a real ecosystem out of them, add interaction between them and build truly useful applications on their basis. Projects that really care about the comfort of their community simply have to correctly integrate into The Graph. I sincerely hope that soon I will be able to look at all the information I am interested in on one resource.
I am glad to be part of a project with such great prospects.
P.S. waiting for Cronje’s tweet that keep3r will be integrated with The Graph.
Mine twitter.
