I’ve been exploring several decentralized social networking initiatives. The experience, at first, may seem similar to traditional ones, but the key difference is that they run on peer-to-peer networks, on a blockchain using smart contracts. That is, there is no consortium, Big Tech company, or intermediary figure behind it to appropriate your data and base their business model on exploiting it. You are the sovereign custodian of all that information, and only you can monetize it.
Of all of them, the networks that have caught my attention the most are those being built on the Layer-1 blockchain called DeSo. The concept behind Layer 1 is the need for the underlying technology to be robust enough to support, as in the case of DeSo, up to one billion users, and the truth is that traditional blockchains can hardly host social apps of the aforementioned magnitude. This is the challenge of blockchain scalability, and why new blockchains designed specifically for this purpose are being created. DeSo is one of them.
DeSo is 100% open source, comprised of more than 100,000 nodes that validate transactions (of an approximate volume of >$1.4 million) with an average cost per post of just <$0.000017. Yes, you read that right: the cost of publishing a post, to promote a content creator and his works, and to acquire any kind of assets, such as NFTs.
Its native crypto is $DESO, which drives the dynamics of the social networks built on it, and that you also use to manage and promote your account, content, recognition and exchanges in these spaces. As of today, 1 $DESO is worth $10.11 USD.
By creating your profile in DeSo you will have access to up to 200 networks supported by this blockchain, each one of them designed to deliver a different social experience, with portability across all of them of: your identity, followers, data, NFTs and funds ($DESO).
A single ID contains your public code (in DeSo it is 55 characters; mine is BC1YLgadwR2pH35EKpty3mPSLtqAzSvHj7FQ7DsbMrBvB2FKKKuTjSCW) and your private code is in your own wallet, with which you will be able to operate on the networks of your choice in DeSo.
It would be a bit tedious to talk here about all the ones I’m checking out in order to learn about and understand these sites: SupernovasDAO, DiamondApp, NFTZone, OverClout, Gemstori, DeSocialWorld, OpenProsper, etc.
So, in this post I’m going to focus on just one: Entre, a professional social network for entrepreneurs that hosts many profiles and conversations in the Web3 sphere. It has been recently launched and I think it is worth paying attention to. It is available in a mobile app (not all DeSo networks have an app for smartphones or tablet) and a desktop version.
Entre is positioned as the next-generation site for business networking, clearly poised to compete with today’s LinkedIn.
The community is currently made up of more than 30,000 professional entrepreneurs and businesspeople from all over the world. In a way, it is a kind of exclusive ecosystem for those who want to be actors or be the first to know about everything happening related to the shift towards the decentralized Web3. The platform exudes a spirit of enthusiasm and passion for transformation through technology, and its members project this in their content and interactions.
Here are some of Entre’s distinctive characteristics:
- There are no contact requests, as on LinkedIn. You simply follow and are followed, just like on other networks. such as Twitter.
- The network itself encourages its use through a system of points awarded to users based on their activity. The more points in your profile, the higher your prestige in the network.
- Your profile in Entre is part of your public address in DeSo, housed in your wallet, from which you can send $DESO to other users, and also receive crypto from them as a reward for valuable content created and shared, and as a way to reinforce the ties between peers.
- When you configure it, you choose the topics you are interested in. These subjects, those chosen by other users, and the content generated, fuel the algorithms, which show you a personalized timeline, recommended people to follow, and content. In other words, the user takes control of the algorithm.
- You can enjoy free membership, or subscribe to a Premium one for an annual fee of $119, which gives you access to more features.
- You can interact with other users’ content by using: Upvote (a kind of like), Repost on the Entre network itself, commenting or sharing on traditional social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, FB), by email, or directly with the URL generated by the post. Direct messages can also be sent between users who follow each other.
- Content creators or facilitators of initiatives of value to the community can be rewarded for their quality and efforts. This is done through support, a feature that is, so far, only available in the desktop version and involves sending “diamonds” – monetization with $DESO crypto – from user to user.
- On the main interface – Home – you can also find at-a-glance information on the stock and crypto markets in real time, as well as the most relevant news on the topics of interest with which you have set up your account.
Other Entre features that I find noteworthy:
- You can organize audio or video meetings or master classes open to the community within the network itself.
- You can also use it to schedule private meetings
- There is a calendar for publicizing virtual or IRL (in real life – in person) events.
- You can also post jobs to recruit and so that candidates can apply from the Entre network itself. By the way, most of the jobs – for highly qualified professionals ― are for remote workers.
- You can also find mentors or investors for your project.
- You have the option to share your Entre content on your other DeSo networks at the same time…with a transaction cost in their native crypto.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, intra-entrepreneur, businessperson, dreamer, techie, geek, or curious about and an avid follower of everything that is brewing in the Web3 movement, this is your place to create a professional community beyond LinkedIn and to tell the world that you also want to contribute to and be part of this revolution. I recommend it.
Check out Entre.
By Ángel González
Ideagoras
