From Web2 to Web3: How I Embarked on a Thrilling Journey of Decentralized App Building!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to transition from the centralized world of Web 2.0 to the decentralized world of Web 3.0? Or signed up for a platform you didn’t understand at that time and came back after a year to start actually using it?

So join me on a thrilling journey of discovery, as I share my experience of building apps with decentralization in mind since discovering Web 3.0 almost two years from there to now.

So whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, or simply curious about this story, stay tuned and you won't miss a thing.

Discovery

The story of how I discovered Web 2.0 is quite an exciting one.

I was a student at Regional Maritime University, and in my first year, on my way to my room, so I can pack things and head to class, I stumbled upon a poster advertising a course on CSS and HTML for 150 Cedis, equivalent to 12.58 USD.

For some reason, I found myself drawn to it and decided to inquire further; after talking over the phone, we agreed to meet at the hostel cafe room.

During our meeting, he showed me some fascinating things, such as how to open a webcam using code and explained why this field was so amazing. Then we began the learning process.

Once he had covered the basics, he gave me projects to work on and provided supervision as I completed them. I have been on this path ever since.

So Jan 12, 2022, was the day I discovered something about Web 3.0. I remember that day because it was the very first ever project I completed; a tutorial on YouTube after learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React.js.

Everything was new to me at that time, and I didn’t understand anything; I was just forcing myself to understand language (JavaScript) and framework (React.js) at that time.

So, after a little search, I found a video on YouTube titled “Build Modern Cryptopunk Clone with React.js & Web 3.0“, and it was from Clever Programmer.

As someone new to React.js myself, I wondered what Web 3.0 was and how it works, who uses it, and what impact it has on the web. When, after being a little curious, I googled around and found that its main focus was making the internet decentralized.

At that time, I could barely wrap my head around React.js and JavaScript which was too much for me but wanted to at least know how to build decentralized applications because it was very interesting. So, I followed the tutorial by Clever Programmer and I built the dApp.

Things I’d Learned

After I built the dApp, I realized I didn’t know anything and got to know at least some concepts and how they worked.

But, I asked myself if it was right to jump into Web 3.0 without having a solid foundation on Web 2.0; this now became a topic I wouldn’t just decide on my own, and I checked on YouTube like everyone does, right?

To my surprise, I learned that while it's possible to start with Web3 without prior knowledge of Web2, it can be challenging.

Most developers recommended having a solid understanding of HTTP requests, database storage, APIs, servers, and building complex web applications with these concepts.

So, despite my initial reluctance to learn Web2, I knew it was necessary to fully comprehend Web3. Without anyone to consult with, I had to rely on information from the internet, as there was no ChatGPT to provide guidance at that time, and no human to talk about this with.

Journey to Web 2.0

At this point, I knew I had to up my game and really delve into the world of Web 2.0 in order to master the concepts necessary to understand Web3.

So, I started my search and stumbled upon FreeCodeCamp, a completely free platform where I could re-learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React.js.

What really set FCC apart was that its structured program felt like a game, where completing one level motivated you to move to the next. This allowed me to learn a lot and do more research on my own. You can even check out my FCC account.

After mastering the basics, I turned to YouTube to learn about APIs, HTTP requests, and servers, JavaScript libraries, frameworks, and state management, to mention a few.

That's when I discovered Node.js, a JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside of a web browser.

I spent a solid eight hours learning everything I could about Node.js and its capabilities.

At the time, I was working and schooling at the same time, so I couldn’t spend 4 hours straight on learning and building projects.

I got interrupted a lot of the time, had to run some errands and other stuff, and also do assignments and project works in school, but at the end of the day, I made sure to spend more than five hours learning or following a tutorial to gain knowledge and understanding of some concepts.

And over the course of time, I was able to fully understand a lot of technologies, libraries, and frameworks used in building complex web applications.

These are: React.js, Next.js, Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, RESTful API, Postman, AWS EC2 & S3, Redux, Sanity CMS, Python, Rust, Tailwind, and TypeScript. And how the web actually works.

The Journey on Web 3.0

Now, remember what I said about signing up for a platform you don’t know how to use, and coming back a year, then things finally make sense? That’s how it felt when I started learning web3 just these last 3 weeks.

And when I hear technical jargon, I’m like, “The old me would have paused the video and searched what he meant by that.“ But I didn’t; to be honest, it was smooth.

But when I discovered Web 3.0, I researched but didn’t do so well, or should I say, I wasn’t specific; so three weeks ago, I started googling about web3 databases, libraries, frameworks, third-party tools, and other learning resources.

That’s something I ignored at that time.

As I delved deeper into the world of Web 3.0, I found it to be a fascinating and exciting journey. The more I learned, the more I realized the potential of this technology to revolutionize the internet and the way we interact with it.

And there were some things about Web 3.0 that make it so interesting; specifically, the concept of decentralization. Unlike traditional Web 2.0 applications where data is stored in centralized servers such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix, to name a few, Web 3.0 uses blockchain technology to store data in a decentralized manner.

This means that there is no central authority controlling the data, and users have more control and privacy over their data.

After spending some time learning, I got to understand that web3 and blockchain technology go beyond the realm of cryptocurrency since it has the utmost potential to revolutionize numerous industries including healthcare, supply chain management, and social networking among others.

It was fascinating to see how blockchain technology could be used to solve real-world problems and create more transparent and efficient systems.

Web 3.0 has opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities and inspired me to keep learning and exploring this cutting-edge technology. And I’m only three weeks in. So, let’s see how it plays out.

And here are the things I am currently learning.

Language: Solidity

Database for Web 3.0: IPFS (InterPlanetary File System)

Frameworks: Thirdweb

Third-Party tools: MetaMask (browser extension), Remix IDE (web-based Solidity IDE), Infura (web3 provider)

Conclusion

So, to summarize, this is my journey from nothing knowing anything to now being in the process of achieving my long-time goal of mastering Web 3.0, and there is so much I want to talk about, like the metaverse, and NFTs, to mention a few. And here is a dApp I’m working on.

Thank you to those that found my story interesting.