Web 1.0 was static. Pages filled with information, but no interaction.
Web 2.0 brought dynamism. Commerce, social feeds, user-generated content. But it also brought centralization. A handful of platforms owned the data, controlled the algorithms, dictated the rules.
Web 3.0 promises decentralization. Blockchain-based, trustless, free from authority. But in practice, it’s slow, complex, and often just another way for speculators to profit.
There’s room for something else.
Web 2.5.
The interactivity of Web 2.0, but with data ownership. Web apps that feel familiar, but store data locally or on personal servers. Collaboration without platform lock-in. The web as a network of peers, not a set of walled gardens.
It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.
Web 2.5 isn’t a revolution. It’s an evolution. One that puts control back in the hands of users—without sacrificing usability.