But I love the thoughts of being social
The disconnect between those two points is one of my biggest frustrations. Recently I have deleted every social media account I own. I want to show my friends and family the adventures I get on and give them a window to life events they otherwise wouldn?t participate in, but I don?t want to sell my soul to an advertisement machine designed to hijack my attention and exploit me.
I hate everything social media has grown to become
The intrusion of privacy it demands for access, the algorithmic timeline which serves up whatever the platform deems to be profitable for them, the way adverts follow you all over the web no matter where you try and hide.
To be useful, social interactions require a multi-sided conversation between at least 2 people
This is why it no longer works. Instead of a platform which encourages community interactions, posts act as standalone boasts which your network likes or ignores. Participation is at an all-time low and this leads to isolation.
Instead of it fostering an open dialogue it has evolved to become a platform where people project their unchanging biased views on other people, which acts as a cycle of reinforcement. There is no discussion, no conversation, and no progress. There is an erosion of hope and an eradication of connection.
What could social media become if it migrated back to its roots
If it devolves from the stream of vitriol it has become and emerges in an educational guise where each participant gains value and insight. Where you are encouraged to participate in a conversation instead of being offered the opportunity to put your life on a pedestal.
I?ll admit it, I feel alone
In a world which has never offered so many opportunities to connect I find myself worrying about who?d like to hear from me. Instead of picking up the phone or sending a message I consumed a newsfeed full of empty platitudes. In other words garbage. I encounter nobody new and am increasingly disconnected from people I know. I consume a steady stream of nonsense from untrustworthy sources, paying to influence my thoughts and behaviors.
Garbage in garbage out
The internet can and should be more ? we must demand the change
I believe we all possess the capacity to contribute to a better world. We can craft a new world but only if we are brave enough to embrace those who share alternative views. We must accept that our beliefs and principals are only one thread in the rich tapestry of human history. We need to begin talking again.
Web 3.0 ? Group chats are the new Social Network
It must become a hyperfocused version of what already exists
I couldn?t care less about what the majority of people post online. Almost all of it is worthless and creates nothing of value.
What could emerge is a platform which rewards people who post engaging content ? charging people a small % of their CPU usage while using the service used to mine tokens ? redistributing them to those creating content that people find valuable.
What would start as local forums would evolve to promote appreciated contributors to elevated groups where they can connect with similar parties from other regions and eventually globally
This new social network would be a series of group chats where individual are elevated based on the perceptions of other users, and how their content is perceived. As you interact you are allowed the opportunity to progress into new group chats on the same subject but with new participants who have been equally revered in alternative regions. The value of your contributions grows exponentially as you meet and connect with users who are equally more value than their previous group.
You can choose to remain in the group chat you have emerged from or leave and begin interacting with the new users in the new chat. Group chats would be organized like subreddits but the information would be more private enabling people to share more freely. You would initially encounter individuals interested in the same thing locally, while eventually progressing to a global chat which enables you to share and consume content from other users ? if you have offered enough value to others.
Your group chat becomes a blockchain of Data
Which can exist through history as a decentralized record of everything that was discussed. Your posts remain once you have been promoted to another group ? while anonymizing the user that said it ? while the group you pass into?s entire history exists there for you to explore, interact with and challenge.
Each message offers a direct link to a previous poster who you can begin a conversation with even if they have left the Group you are now in ? but crucially they wouldn?t know who you are unless you chose to revel it.
The whole network becomes a fluid platform of communication connecting people for exploration of every topic imaginable
The future Social Network ? Progressive Group Chats
The above works on the basis of progression according to contribution
The more value you bring to other users the faster you progress to more engaging users.
The outer ring is the most local groups
These would be organized in such a manner that diversity, age, and gender were considered and reflect society in its full spectrum. The group would be no larger than 16 users as this has proven to be the optimum number of users to ensure engagement throughout.
The second ring is national groups
Here the most appreciated local contributors would be offered the chance to connect with similarly revered contemporaries.
The middle group is the chat of masters
Here every member?s value has been recognized across multiple groups. They have created the most valuable content for other users who have elevated them to this position
This is the Social Network I Dream of
It guarantees value while incentivizing participation. It uses the network to complete proof of work calculations and mine cryptocurrency while distributing tokens to the individuals who deserve it most.
