Web2 opened up the doors for people to interact with each other worldwide via the internet. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google became the go-to platforms to initiate various forms of expression, commerce, and marketing through social posts.
While these providers made a huge splash on how our society and people live, Web2 created a dim reality. These sites weren’t just the arenas where people hung out and spoke with one another; they also acted as gatekeepers.
Gatekeeper Problem with Web2 Platforms
In recent years, Web2 platforms have banned controversial topics and personalities based on “fake news” or “inaccurate” content. In some of these cases, the language expressed could’ve been accurate all along; however, the “gatekeepers” deemed it incorrect.
Cancel culture has become a divisive aspect of all of our lives. While it’s clear and sane not to threaten people or make discriminatory remarks to one another, we should all be free to say what’s on our minds and let the world hear our authentic voices.
All these platforms mentioned above are run by corporations, third parties, and companies that may or may not have political ties to specific groups. These affiliations start to curate and tamper with user-generated content. Suddenly it’s “okay” or “not okay” to post certain thoughts. Why, because the gatekeepers said so?
Places like Facebook and Twitter also take 100% of all the profits given by the advertisers. It’s been a common theme for the users to generate all the content while the actual platforms monetize on all of the material.
A Solution for Free Expression and Monetization
Feeds offers a place that allows people to freely post their opinions and users own their material outright. Feeds flips the economic model to enable the users to monetize on their thoughts via tipping ELA to one another. It’s also a next-generation Web3 dApp that offers a plethora of different features for users to utilize on a daily basis. Users can create specific channels to tap into different interests with the ability to share content to many of the popular Web2 platforms. People can tap into the ability to monetize their posts within Feeds. All these features are designed to empower users on social media.
Content is Immutable and Resistant
One of the big selling points for Feeds is that it’s completely uncensorable. No central authority or government can censor or take down posts on this next-generation Web3 dApp. It was almost commonplace to see people getting banned from platforms because someone disagreed with the posts they were creating.
It wasn’t rare to witness specific content getting taken down that was misconstrued as incorrect information or didn’t line up with the status quo. Feeds will not ban people or have their content erased based on external forces.
Own Your Own Data on Feeds
Any content that’s produced on a Web2 platform is owned by that respective subsidiary. Yes, content creators have access to their accounts via their passwords. However, any material that’s posted on those platforms is the property of the website itself. Users don’t have the tools to facilitate when and where data and content can be used or posted.
Feeds doesn’t have this data problem. With Elastos, users are equipped with their own DIDs. DID, short for Decentralized Identifier, is a tool that gives users the ability to own, share, and monetize their own data. With DID, users can safeguard their data and be their own vault.
Basics Functions of Feeds
The premise of Feeds is simple. Users can access the dApp to post about their favorite topics. There is no character limit. In addition, there’s no “Twitter Blue” subscription needed for others to see your content.
Users are empowered to create up to five channels on their profile. Say you are interested in AI, Crypto, Chess, Dogs, and Traveling. These are five different channels you can post content on. Explore other channels on Feeds and subscribe to those you are interested in. Browse your timeline to check in on your favorite personalities on the platform! Users are able to share and monetize the posts they create from Feeds in a seamless fashion.
Getting Started
Download the dApp on the Apple or Google Play stores to get Feeds on your phone. Once Feeds is downloaded, log into the dApp with your DID. Learn how to create a permanent or temporary DID in order to get ready to create/follow different channels and post your content!
DID and Publisher Accounts onto Feeds
DID is one of the central technologies utilized in the Feeds dApp. The need to verify your identity and authenticate content is the essence of Web3 social media ethos. When creating or importing a wallet onto Essentials, a DID is created in the process. When entering Feeds, simply login with your wallet and your DID will be imported into the dApp. If you are logging into the Feeds off the Apple or Google Play app store, there’s a process for creating your own temporary DID in the dApp itself via starting a new Publisher account.
In order to start creating channels on Feeds, the user needs to create a Publisher Account. Go to the home page and click the “+” sign to create a new Feeds Publisher account. Once the account is confirmed, the user can then create/import a DID tied to the publisher account. This account can then be published on the DID sidechain.
Feeds team is working on a DID management tool to allow users to create their own DID and manage it independent of Essentials wallet.
Select a Hive Node Provider
As stated above, users have the right to own and monetize their own data and content. The vehicle that allows Feeds to execute on this promise is the flagship Elastos storage technology, Hive.
Before using the Feeds dApp, open the Essentials wallet, navigate to the third page, and click on the Hive storage manager feature. Choose one of the three storage provider vault options and click “Accept and Publish” to finalize the selection. This provider stores the user’s content.
Navigate back into the Feeds, and the Hive Storage provider node will connect to the dApp. Data and content will then automatically be safely stored in the selected node.
As with the DIDs, the Feeds team plans to add a Hive storage management tool within Feeds, eliminating the need for users to navigate in and out of the Essentials wallet to manage storage providers.
Add and Subscribe to Channels
To start your first feed, navigate to the Profile page and select “Add Channel.” Once the channel is created, click the “+” icon at the bottom of the page to post your first piece of content.
Next, add people and creators you’d like to follow on Feeds. Use the “Explore” option located at the bottom right side of the user interface to browse through all users on the platform. Click “Subscribe” to follow their posts. Afterward, select the “Home” button on the bottom left of Feeds to view your “Timeline,” which displays an accumulation of all posts created by the people you subscribe to.
The Feeds team has been actively testing DID in Nostr apps and will deploy two Nostr relay nodes for Feeds to allow more efficient updates and load time in the Timeline feature.
Share Content to Multiple Platforms
Consider Feeds as the ultimate safe haven for content creation, where you never have to worry about your content being removed or deleted. Feeds enables users to create posts and share them across various platforms.
To share your favorite post on Feeds, click the three dots next to the user’s name. Feeds will generate a link that can be shared on numerous platforms, including social media apps like LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Additionally, you can forward Feeds posts to email services such as Outlook or Gmail, as well as directly send them to storage services like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive.
Monetize Your Posts
Web2 has mostly been a place where users don’t get the benefit of monetizing their posts. Influencers can garner thousands or millions of interactions and not receive monetary compensation for their work. Recently a few applications have implemented a tipping service. Users can tip the BAT token to influencers on Twitter, while Bitcoin sats can be tipped on Nostr.
Elastos aims to enable individuals to monetize their data, and the Feeds platform embraces this philopshy by allowing users to send ELA to their favorite influencers. To do so, connect your wallet on the Profile page, then find a post you appreciate and wish to support. Click on the dollar icon at the bottom of the post, and select the amount of ELA you’d like to send to the Feeds user.
Feeds Channels are NFTs
Feeds has a unique infrastructure tying its users’ channels to NFTs. Whenever a user creates a channel, it instantly turns into an NFT. This channel can be viewed in the “Collections” section of the Pasar NFT Marketplace.
In the future, channels created on Feeds can be tradable on Pasar. If users create a popular channel that garners a lot of attention and engagement, they can then be able to monetize their likeness and brand on the marketplace. In other Web2 social media realms, there are accounts sold offline. This function gives users a decentralized marketplace that can facilitate these transactions more seamlessly.
As currently constituted, DID is tied to the original channel’s user. Because the corresponding DID with the channel is unable to be transferred, these NFT transactions cannot be made. However, the Feeds team is working hard to enable customizable DIDs which will allow users to transact channels with one another, and DIDs would then be transferable.
Conclusion
Feeds is the one-stop shop for all your social media needs. Combat impersonation and manipulation of data with the proprietary DID technology integrated into the dApp. Come to a safe space allowing you to post your unpopular opinions without getting penalized for it.
Join like-minded Web3 dreamers and establish relationships with them on an inclusive platform open to new thoughts. Feeds is the Web3 social media dApp for people that will never be controlled or canceled. Freely share your content throughout the internet and start monetizing your thoughts today.
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