Breaking Down Language Barriers: Communicating the Importance and Potential of Web3

Web3 is a space for everyone.

Written by: ETHAN LYLE, ROBERT LEDNICZKY

Compilation: Deep Tide TechFlow

To us, Web3 is a dynamic and innovative field, but to outsiders, Web3 is always associated with bad words like "scam". Therefore, we need to explain encryption to newcomers without scaring them away, and help them understand the importance and potential of this field.

Imagine this scenario: You go to a friend's party and find yourself talking to some people from the financial world. They talk about specialized concepts like EBITDA, asset amortization, and tax capital gains. Or the doctors were talking about the lectin pathway and actin filaments. Or engineers, talking about superheterodyne and adiabatic expansion.

How do you get into their conversation?

Difficult to get in.

Mostly you can just nod your head, make an excuse to grab a drink, and then think about how to get out as soon as possible.

Language is a key tool we use to make connections. It builds community and fosters a sense of belonging. But language can also be exclusive, and it can feel excluded.

For Web3, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, etc., not having a suitable, externally popular language is undermining industry success.

Language issues

For the Web3 party, what started as a small party has spread, but the road to mass adoption is fraught with challenges.

Today, much of the "mainstream" public pays attention to Web3, but doesn't like what they see. According to a recent CNBC survey, 43% of Americans have a negative view of cryptocurrencies. Only 8% were positive.

Few of the popular languages for Web3 have so far been able to overcome these misgivings.

The industry is littered with technical jargon that hides the remarkable innovative and transformative power of Web3. But when Web3 is put into plain language, the stories are often negative. "Fraud" is a word everyone knows, and SBF's story brings to mind that word.

What is Web3?

Simply put, Web3 faces a language crisis. Even the name itself creates a barrier. Understanding "Web3" requires viewers to first know what we mean by Web1 and Web2. Isn't this our problem?

The technologies are new and the language is shaped by developers and evangelists. But now, the Web3 world must have a convincing dialogue with newcomers. That means explaining, in the simplest terms possible, what the technology can do and, most importantly, why people should care about it.

OK, so what's next?

A simpler, more engaging language is the first step, but it's not enough. Influential Web3 words must be real. Not about our magic technology, but about users. Let's show people that we really care about solving their problems. Appealing to curiosity is key to welcoming the mainstream.

When we speak to newcomers, we have to ask questions like, what do you think the Internet lacks? They might talk about privacy — that Google knows everything about them, or that Facebook sells their data.

What would you change about banking? They might talk about how difficult and expensive it is still to transfer money between people and accounts, or they worry about security.

What aspects of online shopping would you change? They may complain that they can't get Beyoncé tickets, despite being huge fans, hundreds of tickets have been resold on StubHub for 5 times the initial price.

We have to understand where our audience is coming from and what is important to them. Put the audience at the center. Assess whether Web3 is legitimately doing something to help improve that person's life, rather than just throwing jargon at them. Only in this way can we have a chance to break through.

In our Web3 writing - in marketing, product descriptions, or other communications - let's keep this in mind. Rather than educating the ignorant or showing off technologically impressive feats, we can do a better job of starting and ending with their needs, Web3 connecting the dots in between. If Web3 can't connect the dots, then the problem is ourselves...

This sounds simple, but it is very difficult to implement. Just look at most of the Web3 content today, look at how we communicate with the public as an industry, and the results are not good.

Conclusion

Web3 is moving incredibly fast. We're still learning what all these technologies can do, let alone how to describe them. As professional communicators, we believe in the power of Web3, and we can strive to be humble, curious, and gracious. Web3 is a space for everyone.

The Web3 party is here to stay. Time to find better words, open the doors, and let everyone come and party.