Preface

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The evolution of our physical form is an important aspect of how we got to where we are today, but it is not the only factor. The development of tools and technology has also played a major role in our history, as has the evolution of our collective understanding and agreements about the nature of reality. This includes the development of science, religion, and other ways of understanding the world. These factors are often overlooked, but they are equally important in shaping our history and determining where we are headed. Our understanding of the world is not static, but rather it is constantly evolving and refining, which allows us to do more and more things. 

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One example of this is our understanding of the earth as being round, rather than flat. In the past, many people believed that the Earth was flat because that was their direct experience of the world. It would have been difficult for them to imagine that the Earth was anything other than flat. However, when the Greek philosopher Pythagoras suggested that the Earth was actually spherical, it opened the door to many new possibilities and advances in travel. Today, it is clear to most people that the Earth is a sphere, thanks in part to photographs of the Earth taken from space. While a small number of people still believe in the flat earth theory, they have little evidence to back up their claims and they do not challenge the advances in astronomy and our understanding of the world.

The way we currently think about the Web is based on our limited experience of it as a flat, two-dimensional space. But the Web is not actually flat; it is a complex, multi-dimensional space that is constantly evolving. The tools we use to access the Web, such as web browsers, give us the impression that it is flat and static, but the truth is that the Web is much more than that. In the future, our understanding of the Web will evolve and we will see it as a multi-dimensional space, just as we now understand the Earth to be a sphere. Our current understanding of the Web as a flat space will seem as limited and outdated as the belief in a flat Earth.

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The fact that this book exists and people are already reading it and working with its ideas suggests that a shift in our understanding of the Web is inevitable. This shift is being driven by growing movements for decentralization, privacy, data sovereignty, safety, and free speech. In order to address the existential threats facing our society, we must move beyond our current limited understanding of the Web as a flat, two-dimensional space and embrace a more multi-dimensional view of the Web. This will allow us to collectively and democratically tackle the challenges we face and secure a democratic future.

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This book proposes a shift in our understanding of the Web, from a flat, two-dimensional space to a multi-dimensional, hyper-dimensional space. This shift in paradigm will not change the essence of the Web, which has always been hyper-dimensional, but it will change the way we interact with the Web. This shift will help us to solve many of the problems that plague the Web today, such as scams, abuse, and false information. It will also enable us to create and fairly distribute value, and to connect, communicate, and collaborate in new and powerful ways. The move to a hyper-dimensional Web will allow us to address the global challenges we face in a collective and democratic manner.

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This book introduces the concept of the Metaweb, a meta-layer on top of the existing Web that creates safe, decentralized public spaces. The Metaweb is anchored by a map of the online information ecology and is accessible through browser extensions, website code libraries, and browsers that implement Metaweb protocols. It operates as a trust layer on top of the existing webpage, providing a more secure and decentralized way to access the Web. The Metaweb is a new way of thinking about the Web, moving beyond the flat, two-dimensional model to a multi-dimensional, hyper-dimensional space.

The future of the Web is vast and complex, but the concepts introduced in this book are simple and easy to understand. The Web of the future is not flat, but rather multi-layered, like a layer cake. This book will help you explore this complex and exciting territory and discover the many possibilities of the hyper-dimensional Web. It is a guide to navigating the vast, multi-layered space of the future Web, and it will help you to understand and enjoy the many layers of this fascinating new world.