Phenquestions
Facebook is getting annoying with more videos in the feeds than friends activities. Twitter, on the other hand, is generating too much noise, especially if you do not follow the right set of people. I have uninstalled the Facebook app and unfollowed almost everyone on Twitter to start over again. Apart from these issues, there is a lot of concern when it comes to privacy, and who owns your data. In this post, I am sharing some of the top blockchain based decentralized social networks which are a great alternative to both Facebook and Twitter.
Decentralized Social Networks
While at some point we have always thought of quitting Facebook, but then there is no real alternative. Most of our family members are hooked to the platform, and we are addicted to all shares, likes, and show-offs. If you are ready to leave all that and want to try some other social network which can offer real value, value your privacy, here are our suggestions.
1] Diaspora (diasporafoundation.org)
You will be surprised that there are a million users already using this platform. The platform not only lets you own your data, but also offers you to be who you want. It makes keeping one's identity a secret possible. Here you:
- Choose where your data is saved, i.e., could be in a country where privacy is given priority, or you can choose to host it on your computer.
- Discover conversation based on hashtags.
- Organize your contacts according to their role in your life. You can choose to share with only a set of people.
It offers to post to other social networks like Twitter and Facebook right from Diaspora. That way if you are not ready to quit, you can always keep posting what is important.
2] SocialX (socialx.network)
This platform is very similar to Facebook and Instagram except that it is based on decentralized blockchain platform. Not only you can connect with everyone but also earn cryptocurrency SOCX token rewards. Right now it's based on invite system, but looking at the roadmap, it sounds promising. The team is working on Voice & Video Calls, Media License Management, Blockchain Solution, and Reward System (Pool, Super likes, Voting), and so on.
3] Minds (wefunder.com/minds)
Over 2 million users on their network, and no censorship, the platform is one of its kind. Just like SocialX, users can earn crypto tokens, and then use to boost their views and reach. The social network focuses on news, feeds, blogs, etc. It uses peer-to-peer advertising and allows you to monetize your content. It gives users a chance to make money while using the social network.
4] Memo (memo.cash)
The memo is based on bitcoin to create a decentralized network. Not only do blocks store financial data, but they can also store other information too. It allows users to control their data in a permanent and uncensorable way. Once you signup, the rest of the interface is similar to Facebook and Twitter. They also have mobile apps which makes it easy to use daily.
5] Sola (sola.ai)
This social network is different from others. Instead of one following the other, AI & user reaction spread information. Based on the user, it tries to match quality content with people who would be interested in it. Apart from being immune to blocking and censorship, Sola also splits money from ads, payments, etc. with other users.
6] Steemit (steemit.com)
Powered by Steem blockchain, and Steem cryptocurrency, it stores all data on the Steem blockchain. The users are rewarded with digital tokens called STEEM. The interface looks similar to Reddit or a forum where you can track all latest threads, trending, add a comment and so on.
7] Mastodon (joinmastodon.org)
Mastodon can be called a Twitter clone, except that it is an open source social network, build on a decentralized system, and you have a 500 character limit. It essentially means that you can host your server, and nobody else owns anybody's data. Communities can create their version of Mastodon and have their set of rules. These communities can choose to follow each other just like how individual follow each other.
8] Manyverse (manyver.se)
It is a social network which only available on mobile. Instead of storing data on servers, all the user data is stored on the consumer's phone. It makes it possible to read all your posts and content you liked even when offline. When the phone is back online, it syncs the latest updates directly with your friends' phones. Syncing even over WiFi is possible. As of now, the social network offers
- SSB (Scuttlebutt) communications
- Sync via Bluetooth, LAN, or internet
- Posts and comments
- Blocks and mutes
- Profiles and Likes
There is one thing about the crypto-based social network. You get your unique ID or private key. If you lose it, you lose your account as well. There is no password recovery or email here to get your social identity back.
I am sure there are many more such social networks but are you ready to switch? Let us know in the comments.
