Deyner´s Notes!

❤ Share via: Twitter | Facebook

⌛ Reading time: 10 minutes

From the very beginning of social networks in the Internet, the idea behind such kind of sites was(and is) to attract and connect people(friends, family, clients, customers) no matter the social purpose circumscribed to family and friends relationships or business affairs.

When we thought about social media sites first thing that comes to our minds are sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and other big players long established in their bussiness arena. Those sites running under the shadowd of big corporations like Google, Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. were almost the first ones or the most funded and widespreaded of all. Many people love them and use them on a daily basis to connect with other people sharing images, text, videos....sharing their lifes even.

Over time, with the discoveries of new and incredible ways to communicate, protocols, storage formats, blockchain systems among others; new and improved social media sites have been stablished or created allowing people some other perks beyond the proper way to communicate their feelings to other. Some social sites built over blockchains systems, as an example, allow even to monetize content, to store for the eternity our words and some other has proven to be censorship resistant even.

But those sites(most of them) are facing today some kind of problems related to the community or communities created around, problems that old sites like Facebook and Twitter do not have: those sites are too focused on some kind of content or some kind of technology, and that could be the downside over the winning ground. **:(**

Old social ways...still good today! **:)**

And that´s a fact! Old social sites like Facebook and Twitter, who implanted role models followed by other winners in the complex world of social media sites, are still the prefered sites to share info and gather together on the Internet for friends, family and even for strangers.

Fig 1. The concept of “being fully social” was the cornerstone where all award-winning social networking sites were built(Image by Gordon Johnson en Pixabay)

Those sites were built with the concept of “being social no matter what”. They provide a set of tools allowing people to fulfill that promise. Despite known problems and disadvantages like spamming or posting limits in the case of Twitter and personal data leaks in the case of Facebook, still today many people trust their time, efforts and knowledge trying to build a community around and gain social visibility to let many more people to know about what and how they fell about something.

Some successful keys used by old social media sites when they were growing are applied today by emerging social media sites built upon systems like blockchain:

*❶* Be being one of the earliest players in their space, helped them to define they own space.

*❷* They started small but once the gates were opened for everyone out there they were pretty well-prepared technologically for the onslaught, investing in growing/tech teams and technological infrastructure to secure success and stability on the service.

*❸* All of them started with a very niche area instead of targeting the broad area of social networking but once alive and secured their user base, some of them diversify their bussiness reaching a wide area of social networking ground.

*❹* They aged well, growing steady, learning their users habit what allowed them to offer what their users want according to their users needs.

*❺* Have pioneered many of the things we all now “take for granted” on social networks (profiles, friends, updates, etc.)

There are many many success keys used by old and now, well stablished social network sites, that are used today(in their own way) by new social media sites. We could be speaking for hours regarding this matter but the truth is that those sites were pioneers on their bussiness and that added to the fact that they had a war chest of cash allow them to settle comfortably settle comfortably in the chairs they now occupy.

But one key factor on their way to success was “diversification”. And when we talk about “diversification”, we mean diversification in almost everything. They started small, a well defined niche, a small user base but, on time, they grow up using an open mind trying to be inclusive no matter the technology or their initial user base: everyone had a place to be, to express themselves, every single person found their utility use case regarding the use of those platforms: from a gardener or a school teacher to a country president or even anarchists...If somebody asks to me: that was the real key to success and the fact why still most people around the world prefer those platforms over others, as their general niche is linked to be socia, well, they are social at 100% with all that word implies: centric concepts had no place here!

That's the point many new social media sites are missing out!!! **:(**

A failure around the corner!

As blochain systems spread around the Internet, many people and companies have seized the opportunity to build social network systems based on the goods those systems provide. Those social sites have tried to take the flag from where those other sites left it and add something valuable and really innovative that makes them stand out in a crowd of new choices.

Fig 2. *Many people and companies have seized blockchains developments goods to empower new social networking sites(https://www.trecebits.com)*

Some of them have added cryptocurrency wallets, micropayments powered paywalls, inner exchanges to ease the task to get cryptocurrency from fiat money and some of them have given us the possibility even to capture forever in a given blockchain the messages users leave so users can own their own content making it censorship resistant. Quite impressive indeed! But where the opportunity is, danger is also seen if you are not careful enough to realize that what makes you stronger makes you weak at the same time.

Man of the new social sites developed over or using blockchain services focus their services or content on one thing and only on one thing. That allows them to start small, attracting a closed community of people who believe in “that thing” and that´s ok as long as control of the situation doesn't get out of hands.

Let´s take a look at some examples, so you dear reader, can understand better. :)

Twetch defines itself as a “decentralized social network where you own your data and earn money for your content”. It is a Twitter clone that is a centralised social media platform which pushes all data — twetches (tweets), likes, follows, branches (retweets) — to the BSV(Bitcoin SV) chain. BSV blockchain is plenty of blockspace so is kinda cheap enough to do this. As Twetch is build upon BSV services it is normal that most people using it are BSV maximalists which is fine as a start. Twetch is in closed beta still you can apply is you havee some BSV and a Moneybutton Wallet account.

Fig 3. *Social networking app Twetch runs on BSV blockchain.(https://coingeek.com)*

Maybe because of being in closed beta and most users being BSV supporters the highest percentage of what is talked about deals directly with BSV or things related to that. We can say that Twetch is “owned” by some kind of BSV army where all the content not related to that world is almost transparent for everybody. As a start it is ok but what will happen when onboarding new users not interested in BSV world? They will find for sure a wall and a closed community ready to take down people they do not like. Being BSV centric in it´s inception can help Twetch to arise fast among BSV supporters but could be a barrier for general adoption later.

Another examples of a social networks built upon BSV blockchain services are WeiBlock, MemoSV and Yours. They all follow the same concept as Twetch: BSV centric; so their initial user base is linked somehow to BSV world. At the end they could believe that they own the platform because of being the first ones on using it and because the exchange media there is BSV after all.

Flote is a community-driven social network with a focus on user privacy and monetization where all forms of content can be shared and monetized. All payments are p2p and based on BTC(Bitcoin). Every account comes with an easy to use Flote crypto wallet allowing you to deposit or send BTC.

Fig 4. A screenshot of web version of Flote.app showing user last posts and Trending and Recommended panels

I personally found Flote easy to use with a very active community. But because of Flote definig itself as a “censorship resistant platform”, you will find there many people linked to cryptocurrency, free speech and anarcho world. Posts outside free speech and what some people define as “what really happens now in the world in the voice of unbiased news media sites” will get almost no traction in the platform. That happens because their user base it is mainly made up of people who belong to that world. Once again the initial purpose helping a platform to grow up, could become a barrier to a wider adoption later because of new members not directly linked to that world could feel isolated or in a rarefied atmosphere.

The initial load of users is a very important fact those platforms need to be aware to secure somehow a wider adoption later and some degree of success: they need to be built to be fully social...from the very beginning. And if the niche or the technology used secure an initial centric user base, then those teams need to have a mid-long term plan to go fully open or they will fail for sure.

It is my take that somebody building a social platform wants to be fully adopted even though at first they only focus on restricted areas, technologies or users. It could happen that the platform itself wants to be used only by certain groups of people and nothing more...that's fine, but in a world so competitive as today world, if you want to success in long term you need to grow up and to grow up you need to be inclusive all the way, otherwise: it is a failure around the corner!

A farewell idea and a couple of thoughts :)

“Centric concepts are long term misconceptions”...if you want more than a couple of eyes over you or your project. The idea behind successful social networking sites lies down in the possibility to get a wider adoption in some point of the road.

New social websites need to be aware of this and they need to care their user base from the very beginning by not allowing a full take over of the platform, implementing control mechanisms allowing

for a balanced and even increase in the initial user base: inclusivity is the key...education on the technology they use to bring fresh blood to the platform while keeping the old blood pumping all the way!

Be the first one implementing something or seizing an opportunity does not grants you the success: you need to be smart enough to realize yourself about your weakness and turns that weakness into strengths! :)

❝In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king❞, Erasmus (1466-1536)

If you are an enthusiast of historical photograph and amazing discoveries do not forget to follow me at https://coil.com/u/deyner1984 because i will be releasing soon new and impressive contents about it!!!

...and if you valuate our work and want to support good and amazing content exclusively for you, do not forget to get a Coil subscription...it is a small fee to get great content for you and learn a lot!!!

─────────────

Related Articles:

─────────────

*✰* Premiun Content: a personal choice!

*✰* Increasing engagement with content..not only for Coil

*✰* Weird use cases for blockchain technology!

*✰* QunQun...the social network who pays you crypto by being social

❤ Share via: Twitter | Facebook

Did i mention Flote.app? Sure i did! **:)** As i said before i personally found Flote easy to use and a good source of incoming traffic for our articles. It is true that most users worship everything related to free speech and things like that but there is a way you can reach to the full user base giving them the possibility to know what you think whether they are followers or not: you can use crypto and a tool this platform offers to everybody!

Want to know how? :o

Continue reading with a Coil membership.