Web 5.0 Made Simple for Non-Techies

Welcome to Web 5.0 – think of it as my own digital wonderland, where I'm the boss of my data, the master of my online universe. It's like having a vault filled with digital goodies, and I get to decide who gets a sneak peek. But hey, don't worry about the tech jargon – this guide is my trusty sidekick, making Web 5.0 feel like a thrilling and fun digital rollercoaster designed just for you!

Let's get started!

Web 5.0 is a special kind of web that lets you take full control of your data—total decentralization, if you will. You're the boss of your data, deciding who gets access based on trust. Think of it like having a ton of gold. Instead of relying on a bank with uncertain security, you build your personal vault, giving access only to those you trust. That's the essence of Web 5.0.

After setting up this digital realm, let's talk about how you and I fit into the decentralized web. First things first, we need to get identified on this web by getting our DIDs, or decentralized identifiers. It's like sharing your social media handle, enabling us to connect. With our DIDs, we can collaborate. Your DID is like your ID card—your representation on the decentralized web. Through this, I can access your vault (called DWN-Decentralized Web Node). Web 5.0 aims to allow a select group access to your vault because of the trust you have in them. As the vault controller, you decide when and how to share access.

DIDs and Security Measures:

Our DIDs aren't just for identification; they also play a role in authentication, verification, and authorization. For instance, did:key is a quick method to create DIDs, while did:ion uses a protocol to log DID actions on decentralized systems.

Now, let's talk about DID documents. These are like small digital ID cards storing our DIDs. In the Web 5.0 context, a DID document is a tiny JSON object with a field for your DID called "id." Imagine that you want your kids to have access to your digital vault when they're older. You can get them their own DIDs or use your DID on their behalf, similar to using your parent NINs to register kids in Nigeria. To keep the vault secure, guard your ID carefully.

Decentralized Web Nodes (DWNs):

Now, let's dive into DWNs. In Web 5.0, we have something called a decentralized web node (DWN), which acts as a data vault and message relay mechanism. It's your vault for the gold—it allows you to own, back up, send, and receive data. For messages to flow, both parties' DIDs must be resolved on each other's nodes (i.e., your DID is resolved on my end before my message can get to you, and my DID is resolved on your end before I get your message). DWNs use mechanisms like permissions and protocols to control access and define data types.

User-Defined Schemas and Encryption:

Talking about data, Web 5.0 structures it in a way that applications can easily agree on models for collaboration. Unlike traditional platforms, Web 5.0 allows users to create their own data structures, called "user-defined schemas." The data is encrypted, but checking if it follows a specific schema is tricky because the encryption system lacks the key to decrypt and validate. The decision to validate the data based on the user-defined schema is left to the application layer.

Messaging in Web 5.0:

Lastly, let's discuss messaging. Our information exchange is done through simple JSON objects called messages. These messages find their way to you after resolving your DID and getting the address of your DWN. Message installation involves protocols that grant permissions for actions like reading, writing, updating, querying, or deleting a record.

I hope you get the concept now? Thanks for reading!