Web1
Web3 Infrastructure • Tools • Interfaces
static read-only internet era
Web1, or the first generation of the internet, refers to the early stage of the World Wide Web, spanning roughly from the 1990s to the early 2000s. It was a static, read-only environment where websites displayed fixed content and user interaction was minimal. Web1 was decentralized in structure but lacked dynamic features, user-generated content, and social connectivity found in later web generations.
Use Case: A user in the late 1990s visits a company’s website to read product information or browse static pages—but cannot comment, share, or interact with the content in any meaningful way beyond clicking hyperlinks to navigate between pages.
Key Concepts:
- Static Content — Fixed HTML pages with no dynamic updates or user input.
- Read-Only Experience — Users consumed information but could not contribute or interact.
- Decentralized Structure — Early internet infrastructure was distributed across independent servers.
- Web2 — The interactive evolution that followed Web1 with user-generated content.
Summary: Web1 laid the foundation for the modern internet by establishing basic connectivity and information sharing. While limited in interactivity, it introduced the concept of hyperlinked documents and global information access—principles that continue to underpin Web2 and Web3 evolution.