Re: Naming Clash: The W3C Web 3.0 Stack and "Web3"

Melvin,

I am no particular fan of Web3 (to put it mildly), but I don't really
agree with this.

Web3 as a term covers a huge space, and I agree that the
cryptocurrency and NFT stuff don't really have much to do with the
Web. However, there's another strand of work around decentralized data
storage, computation, etc. (the stuff that's often called
"decentralized Web") that actually has a fair bit in common with what
the Web provides. I'm skeptical of the technical feasibility [0]--and
in some cases the desirability--of this work, but if it were in fact
successful, I don't think it would necessarily be accurate to say it's
not the Web.

The substance of the situation aside, I think it would mostly make the
TAG look silly to come down and say "Web3 is not the Web", especially
if it's done in service of defending Semantic Web. Depending on their
overlap with the work of W3C, it might or might not be appropriate for
the TAG to make technical critiques of these technologies, but I
it's the TAG's place, or particularly helpful, to burn energy
trying to defend the brand name "Web".

-Ekr


[0] https://educatedguesswork.org/posts/challenges-web-decentralization/

On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 2:31 AM Melvin Carvalho <melvincarvalho@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Recently the W3C linked data and the semantic web stack, commonly known as
> "Web 3.0" has come into a naming clash with the term "web3"
>
> I was wondering if the W3C TAG could take a more definitive stance on this
> matter, recognizing the nuances, lack of education, and conflicts of
> interest that may exist among W3C members.
>
> In support of this request, I would like to highlight comments I would
> like to highlight recent comments made by Tim Berners-Lee and Roy Fielding
> regarding the term "Web3." Tim (according to CNBC), expressed his view that
> we should "ignore the Web3 stuff" and stated that "Web3 is not the web at
> all." [1]
>
> Similarly, Roy Fielding characterized Web3 as a scam, emphasizing the
> importance of not giving it any form of respectability. [2].
>
> Highly respected former TAG member Alex Russell:
>
> "A few months ago I tried to get current and past members of the @w3ctag
> to sign onto a statement that, in effect, read "'web3' isn't the web;
> please kindly stop web-washing". [3]
>
> Having in-depth knowledge with both W3C linked data effort, and
> distributed payments technology, for over a decade, I couldn't agree more
> with these sentiments.
>
> Furthermore, the term is increasingly creeping into standards discussions
> in multiple W3C groups, so it might be a good opportunity for the TAG to
> weigh in with some opinion a bit more.
>
> Considering the strong viewpoints expressed by these influential figures
> in the web community, it may be an opportune time for the W3C TAG to go
> beyond previous statements and take a more decisive position in rejecting
> the term "Web3." I acknowledge that there may be varying interpretations
> and perspectives surrounding Web3, but it is essential to address any
> potential confusion or misrepresentation to maintain the integrity and
> clarity of the W3C's work.
>
> I suggest the W3C TAG consider this naming clash, and/or engage in an open
> discussion, to provide guidance and education to the web community to
> address any misunderstandings associated with Web3. By doing so, the W3C
> can play a role in ensuring that the web's evolution remains aligned with
> its core principles and values.
>
> tl;dr Web3 isn't the web, could we just come out and say that?
>
> [1]  CNBC - "Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee wants us to ignore 'Web3'" -
> [Link to Article](
> https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/04/web-inventor-tim-berners-lee-wants-us-to-ignore-web3.html
> )
> [2]  IETF URI Review Mail Archive - [Link to Roy Fielding's Comment](
> https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/uri-review/4Sj8k6rLZzqZsGgMEe6fLM-wE4U/
> )
> [3] Twitter - https://twitter.com/slightlylate/status/1478099457304449025
>