MeWe on blockchain?

[mellowtigger]

I've logged into MeWe only once or twice since I moved to Mastodon about half a year ago. I wasn't sure MeWe was still around, but then I saw this recent news that it's incorporating some new blockchain technology from Frequency.

Read announcements about the Polkadot parachain being incorporated into MeWe...

Blockchains make it possible to deliver a new era of social networking apps in which people, for the first time, can interact in digital spaces while retaining direct control over their data. However, until now, when blockchain technology has been applied to social networks – which entail high-volume transactions with low individual value – costs overwhelm a business model before an app reaches even a million users. Frequency enables apps to overcome this barrier with a revolutionary pricing model, allowing builders to reserve replenishing transaction capacity at a predictable, low cost.

"Frequency breaks the price barrier so blockchain technology can be used to decentralize social at massive scale," said Braxton Woodham, president of Amplica Labs, the team that was the initial technical contributor to Frequency. "This breakthrough enables a bridge for Web 2.0 apps to connect their existing user bases to Web3 value, and opens blockchain for use cases that go far beyond DeFi."
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frequency-blockchain-to-deliver-decentralized-social-experience-to-mewes-20-million-users-301807957.html

Um... what? That's gobbledegook. It sounds like obfuscation meant to separate idiots from their wealth via venture capital.

According to the announcement, the integration between MeWe and Frequency is based on the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), which Woodham worked on as part of Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty. McCourt allocated $100 million to that project in June 2021.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/mewe-social-network-with-20m-users-to-integrate-with-polkadot-parachain

Yeah. Like that.

So who here is still on MeWe? Have you noticed anything different lately as part of this programming conversion? I hope Mastodon and Dreamwidth don't follow the blockchain bandwagon. I'm willing to believe that the technology could provide some theoretical utility in specific circumstances, but this MeWe conversion (I am stating without understanding it fully) is nonsense.

Comments

[brian_bogue]

I'm still on MeWe. In fact it is my primary social media platform, not that I am particularly social at any time. The only change I have noticed recently is that the little window that gives you a preview of what images have been posted by my friends has been very slow to load, in fact I frequently have to reload the page to get them to load at all.

[mellowtigger]

Have you noticed any changes in battery life for your smartphone? I'm concerned that they'll use the MeWe app to "mine Bitcoin", even when you're not using it. I can't tell what their marketing verbiage means, so it may mean that the app just helps keep their blockchain working by processing tokens for the financial network, letting them reap the profits of that work. If so, it is possible to limit battery use, so the app is running only when you have it open and browing MeWe rather than fulltime.

[brian_bogue]

Not really, I rarely use my cell phone for social media, particularly since I retired, no reason to as I am at my computer at home. My current phone is only about 3 months old so I don't have much to compare it to

[zipperbear]

I've got MeWe in my laptop's bookmarks that I typically check once a day. I mostly deleted social media apps on my phone to save battery (esp. Facebook), and I've never been much of a poster, but I comment when I think I've got something to add.

[foeclan]

I'm still on MeWe, but haven't really noticed any changes.

[bitterlawngnome]

Rarely there, but haven't noticed anything particular.