Thread
1/ Lens Protocol & The Web3 Social Thesis
Lens Protocol is a novel Social Graph protocol built by @StaniKulechov and the @AaveAave team to enable the core protocol layer for Web3 social applications.
This thread will explore Lens architecture and the Web3 Social Thesis.
Lens Protocol is a novel Social Graph protocol built by @StaniKulechov and the @AaveAave team to enable the core protocol layer for Web3 social applications.
This thread will explore Lens architecture and the Web3 Social Thesis.
2/ What is Lens Protocol?
Lens is a social graph representing an Individual user and their network of relations.
The Social Graph is not dependant upon any platform to maintain.
Users own their Profile (messages & content) and their interpersonnel relations (followers).
Lens is a social graph representing an Individual user and their network of relations.
The Social Graph is not dependant upon any platform to maintain.
Users own their Profile (messages & content) and their interpersonnel relations (followers).
3/ Web2 Social Platforms are responsible for maintaining the users social graph.
If an account is banned the social graph is terminated with the account.
A users online Identity can no longer be destroyed by a centralised entity with Lens Protocol.
If an account is banned the social graph is terminated with the account.
A users online Identity can no longer be destroyed by a centralised entity with Lens Protocol.
4/ How does Lens Protocol work?
Lens architecture consists of the following components:
- Profile NFTs
- Follow NFTs
- Publications
- Mirrors
Let's dig in deeper to find out how each component works.
Lens architecture consists of the following components:
- Profile NFTs
- Follow NFTs
- Publications
- Mirrors
Let's dig in deeper to find out how each component works.
5/ Profile NFTs
Profile NFTs represents a users online identity. It contains the history of all posts, mirrors (RTs) and comments produced by a user.
As per the name a NFT with all of the above data is stored in a users wallet.
Users now fully own their online Identity.
Profile NFTs represents a users online identity. It contains the history of all posts, mirrors (RTs) and comments produced by a user.
As per the name a NFT with all of the above data is stored in a users wallet.
Users now fully own their online Identity.
6/ Follow NFTs
Follow NFTs are the basis of the social graph.
When a user follow a profile they receive a follow NFT with an index representing which follower number they are.
Users can implement logic that dictates follower requirements.
What does this mean?
Follow NFTs are the basis of the social graph.
When a user follow a profile they receive a follow NFT with an index representing which follower number they are.
Users can implement logic that dictates follower requirements.
What does this mean?
7/ Follow NFTs Part 2
To prevent bots from following an Individual a user may set follower requirements. For example:
- Payment of 0.01 MATIC
- Follower account no.
- Account activity (no. of publications)
Its a nice deterministic way which returns power back to the users.
To prevent bots from following an Individual a user may set follower requirements. For example:
- Payment of 0.01 MATIC
- Follower account no.
- Account activity (no. of publications)
Its a nice deterministic way which returns power back to the users.
8/ Publications
Publications are of 3 types:
- Posts
- Comments
- Mirrors (content amplification similar to RT)
Publications are posted directly to a users Profile NFT which means all content produced is now user owned.
Publications are of 3 types:
- Posts
- Comments
- Mirrors (content amplification similar to RT)
Publications are posted directly to a users Profile NFT which means all content produced is now user owned.
9/ Mirrors
Mirrors are simply Lens way to allow users to amplify content on a timeline so other users can see it.
Its akin to Twitters retweet mechanic. Similar restrictions on followers, comments and mirrors can have user imposed restrictions.
Mirrors are simply Lens way to allow users to amplify content on a timeline so other users can see it.
Its akin to Twitters retweet mechanic. Similar restrictions on followers, comments and mirrors can have user imposed restrictions.
10/ Collect Feature
Since users now own their Identity and all content produced via that identity that means users can now directly monetize their content.
For example users can take a publication and mint an NFT pointing to the contentURI which can be purchased by a follower.
Since users now own their Identity and all content produced via that identity that means users can now directly monetize their content.
For example users can take a publication and mint an NFT pointing to the contentURI which can be purchased by a follower.
11/ Collect Part 2
There are a whole set of new monetization techniques users can employ for their content creation.
- NFT 1/1
- Set of NFTs
- Set of NFTs only allowing users to mint within 1 hour
The list goes on. Ultimately this allows monetization flexibility.
There are a whole set of new monetization techniques users can employ for their content creation.
- NFT 1/1
- Set of NFTs
- Set of NFTs only allowing users to mint within 1 hour
The list goes on. Ultimately this allows monetization flexibility.
12/ Lens Protocol Statistics
As of now Lens Protocol requires governance whitelisting to generate a .lens account handle.
There are currently around 87k unique Lens Profile owners w/ 150k publications per month.
Expect this to explode once Lens removes governance whitelisting.
As of now Lens Protocol requires governance whitelisting to generate a .lens account handle.
There are currently around 87k unique Lens Profile owners w/ 150k publications per month.
Expect this to explode once Lens removes governance whitelisting.
13/ Lens Protocol Summary
- Lens allows users to own their online Identity and associated publications.
- Social Graphs are separated from platforms allowing users to fully own their connections.
- Users have direct ways to monetize content to their audience.
- Lens allows users to own their online Identity and associated publications.
- Social Graphs are separated from platforms allowing users to fully own their connections.
- Users have direct ways to monetize content to their audience.
14/ This takes the censorship power away from Web2 Social Media platforms.
No longer can those who control the servers destroy someones online Identity.
In Web3 that Identity is yours and cannot be destroyed retaining your social capital.
No longer can those who control the servers destroy someones online Identity.
In Web3 that Identity is yours and cannot be destroyed retaining your social capital.
15/ The Web3 Social Thesis
What are the current problems with Web2 Social Media?
1 - Platforms plagued with fake accounts posting unwanted content.
2 - The client-server model allows the censorship of speech via banning users from the platform.
What are the current problems with Web2 Social Media?
1 - Platforms plagued with fake accounts posting unwanted content.
2 - The client-server model allows the censorship of speech via banning users from the platform.
16/ Web3 Social Thesis Part 2
3 - Web2 Social is value extractive. They farm user data, employ ML algos to derive conclusions of user behaviour and sell it to companies without users profiting (Surveillance Capitalism).
4 - The user are not rewarded for content creation.
3 - Web2 Social is value extractive. They farm user data, employ ML algos to derive conclusions of user behaviour and sell it to companies without users profiting (Surveillance Capitalism).
4 - The user are not rewarded for content creation.
17/ How does Web3 Social solve Web2 problems?
1 - On-chain identity are harder to fake than generating an email account for Identity generation. Users are able to set the parameters required for an audience to gain access to their content.
1 - On-chain identity are harder to fake than generating an email account for Identity generation. Users are able to set the parameters required for an audience to gain access to their content.
18/
2 - Web3 Social takes online identities away from the social platforms and give them completely to the user. Identity and social graph are no longer dependant upon a centralised entity.
2 - Web3 Social takes online identities away from the social platforms and give them completely to the user. Identity and social graph are no longer dependant upon a centralised entity.
19/
3 - Algorithms will be completely open source and optional for users via a marketplace of Algorithms.
Users will be able to choose to sell their data to third party providers so they can extract useful information on user behaviour.
3 - Algorithms will be completely open source and optional for users via a marketplace of Algorithms.
Users will be able to choose to sell their data to third party providers so they can extract useful information on user behaviour.
20/
4 - Since all content is stored in a users Profile NFT that means users have a direct way to monetize their content for Individuals in their social graph.
4 - Since all content is stored in a users Profile NFT that means users have a direct way to monetize their content for Individuals in their social graph.
21/ The client-server model has plagued Finance, Social Media and other networks we use daily since the birth of Web2.
The censorship properties have become apparent to the collective and now the arc of power is being bent back to Individuals instead of corporations.
The censorship properties have become apparent to the collective and now the arc of power is being bent back to Individuals instead of corporations.
22/ This is an absolutely necessity to persevere the Individual right to free speech and to engage in open respectful discourse with others.
Speech and its expression is the only way we will solve the problems of the modern day.
Speech and its expression is the only way we will solve the problems of the modern day.
23/ Web3 Social is an inevitability and the Lens Protocol will play a core role in creating the ecosystem of Social Applications we can pick and choose from.
There are other protocols such as Farcaster and Blue Sky but I will leave that for another thread.
Thanks for reading
There are other protocols such as Farcaster and Blue Sky but I will leave that for another thread.
Thanks for reading
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Aylo @alpha_pls
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Nov 4, 2022
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