Get on Web 3.0

Web 3.0 is the newest iteration of the Internet.

Web 2.0 is what most people are used to.  Client (their computer or phone) connections to a server (web server) to download data (webpages, pictures, video).

Web 3.0 offers this instead:

1. Decentralized and Distributed: servers are more of a thing of the past.  Users (clients) connect to one another in a peer-to-peer fashion for the bulk of data.  This protects against points of failure/attack, and allows websites/data to scale - the more people accessing the information the more people are also sharing and providing it.
2. Peer-to-Peer: as mentioned above, we as peers connect to one another instead of having to connect to a central server that could be taken offline, attacked, fail, or otherwise be inaccessible.  It's hard to take information down and censor when dozens or millions of people are hosting that information 🤡
3. Local: download websites and data from people near you quickly and efficiently, saving Internet traffic and energy everywhere!
4. Secure and censor-resistent: information is access based on a cryptographic hash - so you know you're getting the real information to the very bit - it hasn't been tampered with.  As aforementioned it's really hard to censor!!!
5. Voluntary filtering: web-of-trust technology allows users to filter out spam, hate, porn, and other things they don't want including criminal things.  Voluntarily by establishing trust relationships with people like-minded you can filter out just what you want without corporate actors and algorithms and money deciding what reality you see on the Internet!!!  Filtering is also part of data democracy.
6. Data Democracy: similar to the above filtering, IPFS also allows you to promote information that you like.  Good websites (like this one!), videos, images, etc - whatever data you like and think is important for people whether it's serious or for fun, you can "pin" which means you help host it for everyone else to access.  This is a form of voting, really, by promoting good information.
7. IPFS is Open-Source: Free and open-source software doesn't cost you money, allows you and the world to see the source code (the programming) and even participate and help code it!  Just like Bitcoin, IPFS is open source and free!!!  No corporation hiding data-mining, censoring, algorithms, surveillance, or anything else inside.

So how do you get started?

1. Get IPFS: IPFS is the "interplanetary file system" - a funny name for a very brilliant and powerful platform to distribute data.  This allows you to download info from other users and then cache (temporarily store and share with others) that same information.  If you're not an expert computer user, get IPFS Desktop.
2. Get the Chrome/Firefox/etc browser plugins: - this hooks IPFS up into your web browser for easier seemless use.  IPFS Companion
3. Get a VPN (optional): this step is optional and not needed.  It can, however, allow you to use the web with more privacy and security.  IPFS already (for now) helps stop ISPs from seeing what you're doing and selling your data even without a VPN!  You can take it a step further with a good VPN.  I recommend Mullvad (I don't get money for this) because you don't have to give them your name or info, they accept Bitcoin/crypto as payment as well as credit/debit, allow you to forward 5 ports, and offer the best speeds versus other VPNs.  They are the best for many reasons!
4. Now you can access AND be a part of the new web helping other people to access it.

Want to get even deeper into the "dark web"?

There is a a platform called Freenet.  www.freenetproject.org.  It has some similarities with the above system, but is harder to use but even more powerful when it comes to anonymity.  If you really want to be able to publish or view websites and want to protect your identity, Freenet is probably the best.  Use with a VPN, and then link up with people you know in real life.  This platform has been used by persecuted people in China, for instance, and much more.  Very much freedom on the platform.  Supposedly there is some nasty/criminal stuff as well, but you can filter that out with web of trust.  I haven't learned how to use this yet, but dabbling with it, it looks very powerful and useful for privacy.