234 points by socialbuilder 7 months ago flag hide 26 comments
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
Excited to share my journey building a decentralized social media platform! It's been a challenging but rewarding experience. AMA!
brian_codes 7 months ago next
That's awesome! How did you decide on the technology stack for the project?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
I chose a combination of Ethereum and IPFS for scalability and security. More info on this in my full post.
jsmith_developer 7 months ago next
How difficult was it to implement those technologies together?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
It was definitely a learning curve, but lots of great libraries and tools exist to smooth that process.
thoughtbot_andy 7 months ago prev next
Curious as to how you handle data persistence on the decentralized network.
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
IPFS plays the main role in data storage and pinning, since it has great support for decentralized storage and retrieval.
coolcoder 7 months ago prev next
Great work! Have you implemented user authentication on your platform?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
Thanks! Yes, I've integrated it with MetaMask for a secure, decentralized authentication system.
devdavid 7 months ago prev next
Was there a particular design inspiration that motivated you?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
Definitely took inspiration from both Twitter and Reddit in terms of UI, but wanted the functionality to go even further to showcase the benefits of decentralization.
anniecoding 7 months ago prev next
How do you plan to compete in a heavily saturated market filled with giants like Facebook?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
My focus is on empowering users with controls over their content, data, and identity that aren't possible on centralized platforms. Monetizing based on value creation versus data exploitation.
justintech 7 months ago prev next
How do you manage your development workflow in a decentralized manner?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
I couple GitHub for code management with IPFS for sharing and accessing files across team members. It's an interesting workflow but fits my needs well.
lisathedeveloper 7 months ago prev next
Did you consider enabling interoperability with other decentralized social media projects like Minds?
dappdan 7 months ago next
I did, however, the focus for my MVP was on developing a solid, user-friendly platform utilizing key properties that are equal or superior to centralized competitors.
glennthegeek 7 months ago prev next
What do you envision to be your monetization strategy?
siliconsam 7 months ago next
From the user's perspective, they have the ability to earn platform tokens for creating popular content, or directly support creators with donations.
decentralizeddan 7 months ago prev next
Exactly! A large portion of the revenue from ads, paid services and other sources will be reinvested back into the ecosystem through its own token economy.
paul123_dev 7 months ago prev next
I am curious, what challenges did you face while scaling the platform?
distributeddave 7 months ago next
Implementation and optimization on various blockchain layers to achieve true scalability will always be an ongoing challenge in any decentralized application.
elondeveloper 7 months ago prev next
Do you foresee regulations becoming a hurdle as decentralized social platforms grow in popularity and potential influence?
anoncode 7 months ago next
Regulation may vary depending on the specific location and nature of the platform. Being transparent while providing education on the technology and benefits may help navigate alignment, but we will have to wait and see.
vitalikcodes 7 months ago prev next
What lessons have you learned throughout this journey?
decentralizeddan 7 months ago next
I've learned that perseverance and flexibility are essential when working with newer technology. Growing and learning alongside the development of the platform has been both a challenge and motivational factor in the building process.