Decentralized Social vs. Web3 Social: Key Insights from ETHCC 2024 Panel

At
the
ETHCC
2024
side
event,
Web3
Social
Day,
a
panel
discussion
titled
“Decentralized
Social
vs
Web3
Social”
took
center
stage.
Organized
by
Mask
Network,
Lens
Protocol,
and
SendingMe,
the
event
on
July
9th
brought
together
leading
figures
in
decentralized
social
platforms
to
discuss
their
distinct
approaches
and
the
challenges
they
face.

Executive
Summary

The
panel
highlighted
the
importance
of
censorship-resistant
data
storage,
user
data
ownership,
and
the
need
for
interoperability
to
avoid
centralization.
While
decentralized
social
networks
are
still
in
their
infancy,
there
is
optimism
for
significant
growth
and
adoption
in
the
coming
years.
The
discussions
underscored
the
necessity
of
building
robust
infrastructure
and
user-friendly
applications
to
drive
the
next
phase
of
Web3
social
evolution.

Key
Takeaways
from
the
Panel
Discussion

Background
of
Protocols
and
Products,
and
the
Impact
of
VC
Backing

Suji
Yan,
founder
of
Mask
Network,
moderated
the
discussion
and
introduced
the
background
of
each
protocol
and
application.
Nostr,
created
by
Fiatjaf,
is
notable
for
receiving
donations
from
Jack
Dorsey
and
other
key
Bitcoin
contributors.
Codex
focuses
on
building
a
data
storage
network
emphasizing
data
durability,
censorship
resistance,
and
privacy.
Limone.eth
discussed
his
work
on
Farcaster,
an
app
built
on
a
protocol
he
admires
despite
its
VC
backing.
Sending.me,
an
all-in-one
messenger
supporting
Ethereum
and
Bitcoin
networks,
aims
to
create
a
platform
immune
to
centralization
constraints.

Core
Problems
Addressed
by
Decentralized
Social
Platforms

The
panelists
addressed
the
fundamental
issues
their
platforms
aim
to
solve.
Codex
emphasized
the
necessity
of
censorship-resistant
data
storage
for
decentralized
applications.
Shane
Gaffney
from
Sending.me
stressed
the
importance
of
user
data
ownership,
arguing
against
both
government
and
corporate
exploitation
of
personal
data.
Users
should
have
control
over
their
data
and
the
choice
to
monetize
it
if
they
wish.

Handling
Government
Regulation
and
Service
Provider
Interference

Addressing
the
challenge
of
potential
government
regulation
and
service
provider
interference,
the
panelists
provided
a
variety
of
perspectives.
Limone.eth
suggested
accepting
compromises
while
ensuring
that
critical
communication
nodes
can
operate
independently
if
mainstream
services
are
disrupted.
Fiatjaf
of
Nostr
argued
that
striving
for
absolute
content
availability
leads
to
a
controlled
environment
contrary
to
decentralization
principles.
Instead,
Nostr
focuses
on
avoiding
centralized
control.
Wouter
Constant
discussed
the
need
for
interoperability
rather
than
creating
a
centralized
global
state.
He
pointed
out
that
complex
protocols
could
inadvertently
lead
to
centralization
by
making
it
difficult
for
multiple
parties
to
implement
them
independently.

User
Base
and
Infrastructure
Development
in
Decentralized
Social
Apps

The
discussion
also
touched
on
the
user
base
of
decentralized
social
apps.
Eric
from
Codex
highlighted
the
misconception
that
data
stored
on
IPFS
is
inherently
permanent,
stressing
the
need
for
incentives
to
maintain
data.
Limone.eth
observed
that
while
many
are
building
infrastructure,
the
focus
should
shift
to
simple
applications
that
attract
users.
Starting
with
end-user
applications
can
guide
the
development
of
practical
infrastructure.
Shane
Gaffney
emphasized
the
importance
of
seamless
and
accessible
applications.
The
functionality
and
user
experience
of
decentralized
apps
should
be
prioritized
to
ensure
broader
adoption.
Wouter
Constant
cautioned
against
the
complexity
of
protocols,
which
can
lead
to
a
single
party
dominating
implementation.
Simplicity
is
essential
to
maintain
true
openness
and
decentralization.

Current
Stage
of
Decentralized
and
Web3
Social
Networks

The
panelists
assessed
the
current
stage
of
decentralized
and
Web3
social
networks
on
a
scale
from
1
to
10.
Wouter
Constant
rated
it
as
1,
emphasizing
that
we
are
at
the
beginning
of
a
significant
paradigm
shift.
Integrating
public-private
keys
into
society
will
take
generations.
Eric
suggested
a
rating
of
2
or
3,
noting
that
substantial
investment
and
infrastructure
development
are
needed
to
accelerate
progress.
Once
the
core
layers
are
established,
development
will
likely
speed
up
exponentially.
Limone.eth
rated
adoption
as
1
or
2
but
acknowledged
technological
advancements
at
a
3
or
4.
He
anticipates
more
inspiration
and
motivation
to
build
on
existing
protocols.
Shane
Gaffney
agreed,
rating
it
3
or
4.
He
predicted
significant
growth
over
the
next
decade
and
expected
a
much
higher
rating
five
years
from
now.

For
more
information,
visit
the
original
source
on

Mask
Network.

Image
source:
Shutterstock