A community crafting knowledge of connection, lorecraft, and digital realms.

Member Links: https://linktr.ee/folklore0x

Craft lore.

https://rafael.fyi
@rafathebuilder

The Sequence

Welcome! This is our second Folklore community contribution, written by [Rafa](https://twitter.com/rafathebuilder). Funds from the NFT will be split between Rafa and the Folklore treasury.


---

## Ecosystems, as part of organizations

Our digital ecosystem no longer lingers in the background; instead, it has forced its way to the forefront. It is a moving entity requiring new paths for organizational development.  As a result we can ask: **what new patterns of organizational design are becoming [visible](https://mirror.xyz/herndondryhurst.eth/S-W2ZXRbrcy8bVGrKwMXSou63gWir7RJ9xs6wUn_h-0)?**

Historically, organizational designers like [Galbraith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_R._Galbraith) and [Chandler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Chandler_Jr.) have proposed a series of different models of how organizations deliver **Products**.  Chandler’s seminal work in 1962 outlined how “[structure follows strategy](https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/68/1/158/72234)”(1).  Then, Galbraith built on this thesis by defining the four modern components of organizations: capabilities, service types, geographies, and customer segments(2).  Each component, concatenating on the previous, expanded the variety of organizations possible in an increasingly globalized world.

> *“International expansion leads to organizations of three dimensions: functions, business units, and countries. Customer-focused strategies lead to four-dimensional organizations currently found in global firms such as IBM, Nike, and Procter & Gamble.”*
>
> Galbraith, [The Evolution of Enterprise Organization Designs](https://deliverypdf.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=395120024115023008085110112007002011041045065082089058076118026005078024110067071085102103107025106019053112079117071081074105041072075040036026004028121085113028126006028094072070112028115004121124082011124077090067087115021086007124012031104086006123&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE)


---

Now we’re seeing hints at the next evolution.  Organizations are experiencing another step-change in complexity; new companies, especially in the technology sector, are integrating components of [the](https://cehv.com/cehvs-blockchain-osi-model-thesis/) [blockchain](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2014/11/30/the-blockchain-application-stack/) [stack](https://acdevan.medium.com/the-blockchain-technology-stack-cde66abad791) and extending their functions *into* a thriving and volatile digital **Ecosystem** where their organization lives.

This digital ecosystem has two primary components that an organization can integrate into their strategy.  First, as many have discussed over recent years, is the **Protocol**(3).  This serves as an extension of the logic system on which an organization is built.  Protocols, like L1 blockchains, introduce [legitimacy](https://vitalik.ca/general/2021/03/23/legitimacy.html) through public, verifiable and codified rulesets.

Second, there is a component that’s been relegated to a product feature and overlooked as a design focus: **Community**.  This is the interdependent human relationships of the organization.

**The trifecta of Product, Protocol, and Community forms the cornerstone of every organizational map today, as it navigates survival and growth.**  A complete strategy needs to address all three. Viewed together, the components address internal priorities and a participatory approach to the organization’s ecosystem.  However, tradeoffs exist.  Each founder must choose a **Sequence** of development which will influence their valuation, fundraising and growth strategy.

![Blockchain technology makes our ecosystems visible, demanding intentional rhizomatic structures between organizations. The ecosystem includes codified rulesets, or protocols, and networked relationships, or community. Investing in the ecosystem unlocks composability between organizations and their products. As a result, value is captured by the ecosystem, not the individual organization.](https://images.mirror-media.

Collect Folklore's Early Subscriber NFT

## A Free Collectible

Over the next 2 months, we will be encouraging all readers of our [Telegram Public Drip](https://t.me/+W9-V_Nj_W6wxYzgy) to subscribe with a free token (below!). If you don’t have a crypto wallet, feel free to let me know (@rafathebuilder) and I can help onboard you.

As we continue to grow, this registration process will help us **extend our membership** beyond those that are paying for additional privileges such as the discussion forum, curation, and commissioning essays.

After the 2 months, onboarding will require the token and the Mirror newsletter will become the fully free and public interface.

**→ Curious about the current masterplan?** *Continue reading below.*

<subscriber-edition://0xFF7E4e1Ce8c7c02648e9878026b4493f95E1c881?tokenId=0>

## Membership Structure

It’s been exciting designing the membership model at Folklore. What I’ve settled on is a three tier system:

1. Free, no token (newsletter curation) (Subscribe to this Mirror!)

2. Free, with token, unlimited supply (public TG drip) (Collect Token Above)

3. Paid, with token, limited supply (private forum, events, content voting, and other contributor activities) ([Pay for membership here](https://zora.co/collections/0x30fbfb1416803b3e46d82811ce7aea0a21af12ce))

Token holders will also be able to collect [Badges](https://beta.otterspace.xyz/communities/10:89) for participating. Those that collect badges will receive a discount in renewing their membership. I hope that contributors will have an optional free membership based on their commitment to building Folklore’s Decentralised Autonomous Media Network.

## Our Master Plan

At Folklore, long-form writing and funding is our focus. Essays, such as Finn’s recent one, will be collectible as Writing NFTs.

<https://folklore.mirror.xyz/rGug0n494-NOppi16F-5BBpsu8uCvj36u0viJvMu908>

However, these commissions will only be available to writers who have been curated by Folklore Curators (myself at the moment), to ensure high quality participation in our publishing.

Funds from writing NFT sales and memberships will be gathered in our treasury and distributed to the writers themselves (using on-chain [splits](https://www.0xsplits.xyz/)).

<https://www.0xsplits.xyz/>

**Folklore will create a blueprint for self-funding media entities**.

Our flywheel:

* Sell recurring memberships

* **Curate** long-form content and approve quality writers

* **Commission** new long-form content and sell them as Writing NFTs

* **Distribute** content to the author’s audience

* Sell recurring memberships

This flywheel will help us fund Folklore’s decentralised on-chain infrastructure and automated (AI-supported) collective curation.

In other words, **Folklore is slowly becoming a 21st century digital magazine** — or better known as “Decentralised Autonomous Media Network”.

Want to be part of the Folklore journey? Get our mid season membership today:

<https://zora.co/collections/0x30fbfb1416803b3e46d82811ce7aea0a21af12ce>

A big thanks to [@more_reese](https://twitter.com/more_reese), [@FLobsien](https://twitter.com/FLobsien), [@JoshNuttall](https://twitter.com/JoshNuttall) and [@cryptohun3y](https://twitter.com/cryptohun3y) for the great feedback and encouragement.

If you are a member and curious about onboarding, you can follow the steps in this thread:

<https://twitter.com/rafathebuilder/status/1632909472711704576?s=20>



Crypto is a Religion—Are You a Believer?

*Cover image by [Ian by Design](https://ianbydesign.com/). Stained glass texture by [jojo-ojoj](https://www.deviantart.com/jojo-ojoj).*

Welcome! This is our first Folklore community contribution, written by [Finn Lobsien](https://finn.mirror.xyz). Funds from the NFT will be split between Finn and the Folklore treasury.

![](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/-fSkAoNd2-F5X2dRxteNe.png?height=1080&width=1920)

Carved into marble by the city’s best sculptors, sacred relics once adorned the temple of Athena. Once, they supported Athenian worship of the goddess of battle. Today, the marble figures can testify to Roman marauding, Ottoman conquering and British tourism.

The Parthenon marbles’ involuntary journey from Athens’ Acropolis to the British Museum exemplifies our treatment of ancient religions: Once sacred objects, they now wow history buffs and bore their tired spouses.

The British acquisition of the Parthenon’s marbles is controversial. But Greece doesn’t want them back for the few thousand people who believe in Ancient Greek gods, but to preserve their cultural heritage. History had revealed Ancient Greek gods as weak: When the Turks desecrated the Acropolis by storing ammunition there, not one soldier was reported as being struck by lightning.

As empires collapse, religions decay and deteriorate into mere mythology. People once died, killed and conquered for belief systems now demoted to niche interests for a Sunday afternoon documentary binge. The same way modern European cities sandwich gothic churches between minimalist office towers, ancient religion reverberates in contemporary culture, even if we don’t sacrifice goats to Zeus anymore.

![](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/C8_4bbibTUNfRoH6FMXtK.png?height=1080&width=1920)

I believe religions exist in one of 3 categories: First is your conviction: the truth everyone should embrace to make the world a better place. Another is what others subscribe to: We might consider those religions—they’re of consequence in the world, but not our personal preference. And then there’s mythology: Belief systems practically no one subscribes to anymore.

This is not a hierarchy. All modes of thinking are useful. Mythology might never inspire the enthusiasm conviction does, but conviction doesn’t benefit from sober analysis like mythology:

From a distance of 2000+ years, we can view ancient religious rituals as useful (communal dancing and singing) or harmful (human sacrifices). From there, we can proliferate the useful and discard the harmful.

We rarely extend sober analysis to our convictions. The crypto/web3 industry gets both extolled (wagmi) and ridiculed (crypto bro) for its fervor. That’s because crypto is far more than blockchains, ZK-rollups and other technology: **Crypto is a faith.**

This essay reveals and examines the different elements that make crypto a religion. If you’re in web3, you might ‘react by defining your religion by telling me it’s not merely a faith. Or you might learn how to help shape a healthy culture that strengthens community. That’s the believer’s reaction to their convictions being revealed as other people’s mythology.

> *“Any belief you took in package (ex. Democrat, catholic, American) is suspect and should be re-evaluated from base principles.”*
>
> *\-Naval Ravikant*

This essay aims to elucidate the beliefs, practices and values our industry operates under that make crypto a religion (*your* religion?). From the viewpoint of mythology, we can discover what we should keep and what’s harming this space.

You might use this knowledge to improve your marketing messages, evolve your own beliefs or simply augment your viewpoint.

## II

![](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/sQRZfD79M1VaRaak3trfB.png?height=1080&width=1920)

During the NFT mania, people loved to hate NFTs (and anything blockchain) because of high energy consumption. Whenever I mentioned I work with NFTs, some people looked at me 

Folklore Update (February 2023)

> **“What’s culturally relevant is valuable to own”**
>
> Finn, Folklore Member

Welcome back! It’s been a long few months and we continue to read and discuss together about online culture, communities, and how they are influencing our lives.

### Community Updates

As of today, we’ve curated 200 pieces of content. [The running list is available here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R7VAZ1i2jzRHZ6W6_FOgO2pBQPvebBiQ0DdDdlyvll0/edit#gid=0) in a google spreadsheet

If you are a Season 1 Member:

* Collect a [Genesis member badge](https://beta.otterspace.xyz/badges/10:bafyreifawzbjrkz3xgfksb3hvdyomngkwadxgrz6xdedbztu7ljrths7ne)

* Curate with us at [OnPulse](https://www.onpulse.xyz/folklore)

***A reminder that our [linktree](https://linktr.ee/folklore0x) has all our community links.***

### Upcoming Events

* Join us at ETHDenver for [Breakfast on March 5th](https://gatekeep.it/f28b222500)

  * You can [get a token to join the event ](https://zora.co/personalize/collections/0x57e0acc04691bc5f56fa34a1211d2a25e591074e)here (free for members)

* This week we will publish our first essay by our own community member Finn. Funds from the Writing NFTs will be split between Finn and the Folklore Community Treasury

### Other News

* I’m working on a new project called “LOCAL” helping bridge physical makers to the emerging on-chain economy. [Learn more here](https://local.mirror.xyz/gsel6I3oc6jDRMGTIPoUbgHUgihMNxDNFb5ClWFcwNw).

<subscribe://>

Overall, a note of gratitude to everyone helping build the Folklore space. If you feel lost or confused, read first about [decentralised media networks](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XhBuSOup-Xfh3aqvJ99rcEdSYbeQ71Jirq3rgOddClw) and then about [Folklore’s participation process](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/Y5MkNBZBtErq-8_Ed1YBseIffcap7IQQEXXDyJXDgMc).

## Not a member? Join us.

We’ve spent 6 months exploring our current technology. We invite you to purchase a mid-season membership if you’d like to join our journey. The price includes the rest of Season 1, likely until the summer, and Season 2.

<https://zora.co/collections/0x30fbfb1416803b3e46d82811ce7aea0a21af12ce>


---

## A piece of our collective mind

Our community has curated over 200 pieces of content over the past 6 months. And in the Forum, we’ve had the opportunity to learn together. Here are a few choice quotes from our dialogue. 

**If a quote is yours, message @rafathebuilder on Telegram to [claim a special badge](https://beta.otterspace.xyz/badges/10:bafyreibf66g7lrq6zyfygiqhypdmhdzrxnn3mwxkvmtizmornuxyufcygu).**

> *labyrinths never go anywhere. the labyrinth is always exactly where it is and how it is, and there's only one entry and it's also the exit. no matter where you go in a labyrinth, you always end the journey exactly where the journey started.*
>
> *Cathedrals are more dynamic. there are various rooms, interconnected hallways, and multiple entries and exits. there are options, which is very much... like... the interior of a labyrinth... right? a lot of decisions.*
>
> *Entering a room in a cathedral though? only one entry/exit. so that's a labyrinth. whatever story is told in that room has to return to how it began…*

> *Tactics are what works in the meta, but might not work tomorrow—i.e. tips on running Facebook Ads or how to launch a PFP NFT collection. And the meta creates imitation because it works quickly.*
>
> *Principles are timeless, i.e. focusing your startup on a hyper-specific use case before scaling it. Use of principles can create a meta and let you reap big rewards from that innovation…*

> *One way to maintain a common purpose and group cohesion in larger groups is by defining a strong sense of shared identity with a clear and reiterated purpose, or even a collective mythology…*

> *Beauty in a digital is more about the bones than the skin, more about structure and less about facades, more about content than styles…*

> *Everything online has some stamp of human on it. In a similar way cities are full of

Folklore Update (October 2022)

> *We will feast on excellent content, explore new theories, and nurture opportunities to craft, decorate and garden.*

We continue on our journey to learn about digital cultures and how the internet is shaping our world. A few updates:

* By ***next week***, we’ll likely hit [100 curated articles](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R7VAZ1i2jzRHZ6W6_FOgO2pBQPvebBiQ0DdDdlyvll0/edit#gid=0) (currently at 96!)

* A shout out to the **77** Folks participating in the Forum conversation. This is >50% of token holders.

* We’ve launched a new **community curation** process, details below.

* We will be launching a new **free-tier membership NFT** soon.

* We have a new [linktree](https://linktr.ee/folklore0x) gathering all our community links. In our next update, we will share an update on how to contribute.

<subscribe://>

**Overall, a note of gratitude to everyone helping build the Folklore space.** If you feel lost or confused, read first about [decentralised media networks](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XhBuSOup-Xfh3aqvJ99rcEdSYbeQ71Jirq3rgOddClw) and then about [Folklore’s participation process](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/Y5MkNBZBtErq-8_Ed1YBseIffcap7IQQEXXDyJXDgMc).


---

## Welcome to OnPulse, our community curation tool

Last week, Forefront invited us to participate in an experiment. Moving forward, ***everyone with a Folklore token*** will be able to participate in communal curation of articles that will surface in our "DRIP".

![via: https://www.onpulse.xyz/folklore](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/HvvZjF2U3litSPBZmJlGW.png?height=1518&width=2940)

How to get started:

1. Download the [chrome extension here](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pulse/fgnondfomnmehmnjbaehclemjcjhodnd)

2. Sign-in with the wallet where you have the Folklore Member Token

3. Visit any website, and you can "bookmark" to our community curated library - make sure to be on the website when you click the extension.

4. Visit our curated library here (<https://www.onpulse.xyz/folklore>) (You'll need to sign-in with the same wallet)

![Example of Curation](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/tG9GOEgrrI5WqQXe9ti09.png?height=1298&width=2038)

The curated library also allows you to **upvote** and **add comments** to articles that you read, so you can have gentle, long-term conversations about the articles we curate together.

This experiment will continue through the first 2 seasons at Folklore.

<collect://>


---

## In Focus: Identities and Interactions

<https://sambleckley.com/writing/church-of-interruption.html>

<https://www.metalabel.xyz/magazine/features/how-culture-is-made>

<https://humanparts.medium.com/how-to-internet-6c379e75c8e0#.7x48lygqf>

<https://dirt.substack.com/p/dirt-worldbuilding-pt-1>

<https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/the-private-life-of-generation-z>

<https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/tik-tok-comedy/>

<https://open.spotify.com/episode/4yYdCMNKI83j0fhtHCOfCp?si=e9HtwmanQDK4-BGo-mJ7TA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4P86ZzHf7EOlRG7do9LkKZ>


---

*All earnings from collection of this post will be split 50-50 between the non-profit I support ([Obras del País](https://obrasdelpais.com/)) and Folklore’s community treasury. Treasury funds will be fully utilized to commission new essays related to our new digital realms.*

Folklore Update (September 2022)

> *We will feast on excellent content, explore new theories, and nurture opportunities to craft, decorate and garden.*

Our journey preparations are complete, and the adventure through these strange digital realms has begun. [Onward](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/zrXXiTHAT2NkMvwksDnAYBoOiyD34ezVoVsK87tgkX8):

* As of ***last week***, we’ve shared 59 long-form articles in the Folklore Drip and welcomed 150 members to the community. We are **sold-out.**

* As of ***today***, Folklore is a community of members with shared interests; it was “an extended dinner conversation” on Telegram discussing online culture and how media is evolving.

* As of ***tomorrow***, we will move one step towards becoming a decentralized autonomous media network. It is time to begin work towards our second milestone: **commissioned writing.** (👀 New post coming soon 👀)

**Beforehand, some community updates.**  If you feel lost or confused, read first about [decentralised media networks](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XhBuSOup-Xfh3aqvJ99rcEdSYbeQ71Jirq3rgOddClw) and then about [Folklore’s participation process](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/Y5MkNBZBtErq-8_Ed1YBseIffcap7IQQEXXDyJXDgMc).


---

### Community Member Reminders

Once again, I hope you are enjoying the ride. Some quick reminders:

* **IMPORTANT:** If you have a membership token, make sure to join our guild by (1) [navigating to this link](https://guild.xyz/folklore) and (2) joining the [right telegram groups](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/Y5MkNBZBtErq-8_Ed1YBseIffcap7IQQEXXDyJXDgMc).

* **OPTIONAL:** If you want to become a contributor, join the planning google doc by (1) [navigating to this link](https://guild.xyz/folklore-roadmap-development) and (2) reviewing the token-gated [google document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lY1Db5LTS_CUk1Ugm5Mx4pOfg0GGFgjY8JvfRAn1i1M/edit#heading=h.4ndhtzr5es96).

* **NOT A MEMBER?** If you didn’t get the chance to participate in this season, you can:

  * Buy a token on the [secondary market](https://qx.app/collection/0xdA8EC3ae2e929FfF8f9aAB3845a1E15358e90B72) (HINT: find someone on Twitter with the token by looking at the collectors of the membership token [here](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XqJRfNna3l8AGSxYnE-mylPw-0MIFV-4b92n4tKuSQk)).

  * Wait until after we finish commissioning the new work. We’ll open membership based on voting participation (capped at 150 active members). Priority will be determined by amount of Folklore Writing NFTs collected on Mirror (like this one).

<collect://>

If you have any issues, reach out on Twitter (@rafathebuilder).


---

### In Focus: Digital Products

<https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/12/07/social-objects-notes-on-knitting-in-america/>

<https://andjelicaaa.substack.com/p/cortiez-goods>

<https://hipcityreg.substack.com/p/developing-my-personal-product-language>

<https://towardsdatascience.com/machine-thinking-conveyance-and-the-future-of-design-be2af8c7533c>

<https://blog.gnosis.pm/inventories-not-identities-7da9a4ec5a3e>

<https://subpixel.space/entries/life-after-lifestyle/>

<https://stratechery.com/2020/never-ending-niches/>

<https://gubsheep.substack.com/p/the-strongest-crypto-gaming-thesis>

<https://holly.mirror.xyz/54ds2IiOnvthjGFkokFCoaI4EabytH9xjAYy1irHy94>


---

### In Focus: Community Contributions

<https://www.atlasofplaces.com/essays/on-the-phenomenon-of-bullshit-jobs/>

<https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1572217871803256832>

<https://twitter.com/chaserchapman/status/1571495577237463041?s=20&t=WCRcJAjFy_ufx1StgoK5LQ>

<https://www.are.na/jayislate-_____/future-currents>


---

*All earnings from collection of this post will be split 50-50 between the non-profit I support ([Obras del País](https://obrasdelpais.com/)) and Folklore’s community treasury. Treasury funds will be fully utilized to commission new essays related to our new digital realms.*

Participating in Folklore: Curate, Connect, Reflect

Today marks 2-weeks since the initial launch. Some structure is beginning to emerge and we should make sure to document it. After all, writing is sensemaking.

Folklore has three primary gathering spaces as of today: The Drip, The Forum, and The Journal. Together, they form a larger, single space of exploration and connection. It’s important to note that this space is not for marketing. There will be no KPIs or OKRs.

Instead, we can imagine the Folklore space as an extended dinner conversation. We will feast on excellent content, explore new theories, and nurture opportunities to craft, decorate and garden.

**In this post we will talk through this space and how you can best participate today.** This planning template should also help others building their own community spaces. If you find this guide useful, make sure to collect it. Want to join Folklore? Head over to our [launch announcement here](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XqJRfNna3l8AGSxYnE-mylPw-0MIFV-4b92n4tKuSQk).

![A bright and vibrant roman mosaic of a group of artisans at a dinner table crafting ornate and delicate art. Created via beta.dreamstudio.ai](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/SU1Qe-DGHkosVaXHPfv8-.png?height=512&width=1024)

[collect://](collect://)


---

### The way we gather matters

Each part of Folklore has slightly different purposes. Together, they serve to support the process of **deep reading** (as our member Gokhan astutely described). Calm observation and thoughtful interaction is what we’re trying to build.

It’s still not clear how the experience will evolve over time, but below you can find a description of the space today, the rituals, and recommendations for participation.


---

> ***Spaces**** aren't about getting a clear goal accomplished. A space is a place for non-goal directed, exploratory activity. Like jazz jam sessions, art studios, or conversations with friends… What do I mean by non-goal directed activity? In spaces, instead of looking for actions that advance a goal, we follow **paths of attention** that lead somewhere interesting… You combine these paths of attention like a painter combines colors, to uncover possibilities.*
>
> \-- Value-Based Social Design, Scale and Space Decay


---

### The Drip

* **Purpose**: A gentle stream of inspiration.

* **Audience**: Public.

* **Ritual:** The Drip is a ritual of **curation**. It includes high-quality content that stimulates imagination, conversation, and curiosity.

* **Technology**: It is built on Telegram today as a broadcast feed.

* **Participation:** React to each article using emojis. Token holders can also comment in The Forum.

* **Outcome:** Articles with the most reactions (and comments) will be included in The Journal (this Mirror Blog)

Our commitment: ***“We will focus calmly on quality content”***

[https://t.me/+W9-V_Nj_W6wxYzgy](https://t.me/+W9-V_Nj_W6wxYzgy)

### The Forum

* **Purpose**: A welcoming, honest, supportive conversation.

* **Audience**: Private. (token-gated)

* **Ritual:** The Forum is a ritual of **connection**, with each other and with the content itself. A place to learn more, share more, and inquire more.

* **Technology**: It is built on Telegram today as a group chat.

* **Participation:** The Forum is intended to be a conversation, not a chat. Use fewer, longer messages and responses. It is asynchronous and responses should not be expected immediately. Take time to reflect and share the reflection with others.

* **Outcome:** Additional resources (e.g. related links) and selected comments will be shared in The Journal. Any quotes should not be shared publicly without consent of the author.

Our commitment: ***“We will share and listen generously and humbly”***

[https://guild.xyz/folklore](https://guild.xyz/folklore)

### The Journal

* **Purpose**: An open invitation to support Folklore.

* **Audience**: Public.

* **Ritual:** The Journal is a ritual of **reflection.** The process of reflection invites others to contribut

Onward, Folklore.

Since launch, we’ve distributed 105 totems to 105 souls on our digital anthropological expedition. You may be one of them. If not, fear not, [you can still join us.](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XqJRfNna3l8AGSxYnE-mylPw-0MIFV-4b92n4tKuSQk)

For those that have joined, it seems like we have a few outstanding travel preparations  as we start our journey into our strange online realms.

![A dream of a caravan travelling to a distant digital realm. Created via beta.dreamstudio.ai](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/SkXUiRuN00HvtySbeRvt1.png?height=512&width=1024&size=medium)

### Wayfinding

To start, we should ask: what do we include in our digital knapsack? We have our [initial totem](https://optimistic.etherscan.io/address/0xdA8EC3ae2e929FfF8f9aAB3845a1E15358e90B72) but there is definitely much more:

1. We’ve prepared our [conversational caravan](https://guild.xyz/folklore), via guild. Make sure to stop by and present your totem, which serves as your community pass.

2. We’ve collected initial entries on our [central journal](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/subscribe) here. Make sure to register for ongoing news of our journey.

3. We’ve started our explorations with a [daily drip of discoveries](https://t.me/+W9-V_Nj_W6wxYzgy). Make sure to join, for a gentle stream of interesting long-form articles.

4. We’ve collected >3 ETH in our [treasury of resources](https://optimistic.etherscan.io/address/0x22fdecaa6cd937fdb989614b6c879261f0104adb), which you are welcome to send some fun memorabilia (maybe some odd, misshapen tokens to be transformed into stories?) (0x22fdecaa6cd937fdb989614b6c879261f0104adb)

5. We’ve crafted a [public message box](https://twitter.com/Folklore_0x). Make sure to follow the account, tag it (@) or send a message if you want something included in this communal journal. We already received our [first message](https://twitter.com/nelsontjordan/status/1562463027467014145?s=21&t=us2SLPXz_M03CGu5RvA9KQ).

Once you’ve completed these steps, it’s time to sit back, watch, and allow the network winds to part the digital sea before us.

> **Are those just illusions on the horizon? There seems to be structures emerging.**

![A dream of a caravan sailing to a distant digital realm. Created via beta.dreamstudio.ai](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/sos4kDKVFT4nXFhEf8-ff.png?height=512&width=1024&size=medium)

### In Focus: Top Artifacts

[https://vbsd.super.site/introduction-for-culture-shifters](https://vbsd.super.site/introduction-for-culture-shifters)

[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-internet-has-become-the-external-hard-drive-for-our-memories/](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-internet-has-become-the-external-hard-drive-for-our-memories/)

[https://www.gamedeveloper.com/blogs/what-is-depth-and-how-do-you-add-it-to-your-game-](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/blogs/what-is-depth-and-how-do-you-add-it-to-your-game-)

[https://aaronzlewis.com/blog/2020/07/07/the-garden-of-forking-memes/](https://aaronzlewis.com/blog/2020/07/07/the-garden-of-forking-memes/)

### In Focus: Digital Parietal Art

![via Twitter: @visakanv](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/CNWqWHqu8RtQ9f6dVJzvT.png?height=747&width=1139&size=medium)

### In Focus: Community Contributions

[https://mirror.xyz/avenueplace.eth/ETDXG1NCYUytex3G3G_3DxnVwA70qJ9z2U-d2xdZZUs](https://mirror.xyz/avenueplace.eth/ETDXG1NCYUytex3G3G_3DxnVwA70qJ9z2U-d2xdZZUs)

[https://markmanson.net/social-media-isnt-the-problem](https://markmanson.net/social-media-isnt-the-problem)

[https://vgulibguide.wordpress.com/info-literacy-skills/big6-model/](https://vgulibguide.wordpress.com/info-literacy-skills/big6-model/)

[https://www.google.com/amp/s/carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2020/03/19/carl-jung-on-ancestral-anthology/amp/](https://www.google.com/amp/s/carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2020/03/19/carl-jung-on-ancestral-anthology/amp/)

*All earnings from collection of this post will be split 50-50 between t

Focus, Form, Flow

> *Welcome to the Folklore blog. If you are a token holder and member, please register here: [guild.xyz/folklore](https://guild.xyz/folklore). Otherwise, you can join the adventure at the [launch announcement link](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XqJRfNna3l8AGSxYnE-mylPw-0MIFV-4b92n4tKuSQk).*

It’s useful to map out how a community is set up at its inception. The documentation process clarifies the intention of the design while helping others gain inspiration to try out variations themselves.

Back in 2021, I wrote my first How-To article with [Cabin](https://www.creatorcabins.com/). Specifically, I wrote my first article, here on Mirror, about [how Cabin set-up their initial DAO](https://creators.mirror.xyz/862A5rBtKX3BC8eEircDnGwPIJJTJ33hn-MvnukByPc). Unbeknownst to me, this article helped many other communities blossom. Moreover, this framework is the same one that has been used to design Folklore.

Unlike Cabin, Folklore is much smaller and limited in scope. While Cabin is building a decentralized city, Folklore is building a single-purpose discussion forum. At least initially. As a result, I wanted to share an updated how-to framework.

**This guide is for the individual creators and curators who are looking to [create cozy spaces](https://studio.ribbonfarm.com/p/the-extended-internet-universe) with peers. It is an untested playbook which we can revisit together in 6-months to a year.** I hope that many others that have built similar spaces also share what they’ve learned. Maybe we can even find a name for whatever this type of community becomes.

Enjoy!

\-Rafa


---

## Focus, Form, Flow

Folklore will be set-up in three phases: (1) Focus, (2) Form, and (3) Flow. Each phase builds on the previous to create a **:: niche--content--experience ::**

1. **(Niche) Focus:** Create a community for a single topic of interest. The focus requires the genesis members to pick the topic, a totem (e.g. token, badge), and design a gate or portal of entry.
2. **(Content) Form:** Create a space for curated consumption and discussion. The form, or space, requires the community to have a digital meeting place, a broadcasting channel (e.g. publication), and a ritual of connection (e.g. forum).
3. **(Experience) Flow:** Create a rhythm for co-creation and sharing. Nurturing the community is about pathways to legitimate participation from new members. Governance and distribution as play is fundamental infrastructure.

![via StableDiffusion: Film Photograph, kodak portra film, matte, grainy photograph, iso 800, 1980s, artisans at work, a group of Artisans crafting images and texts from various materials, images on the wall, text on the wall, futuristic digital studio, digital workers, cybernetics](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/UdH8sCbB5BLzR1T9Mr2oz.png?height=512&width=1024)


---

## Is it divergence from the status-quo?

Social media today is obsessed with growth. What would it look like to design a space focused on leisure instead? That’s part of this experiment. For example:

* Membership is capped to 150 (we have >60 already!)
* All content is limited to a narrow focus of interests
* Funding is limited

The hope is that Folklore becomes an **intimate social-media community**, a naïve design in an imaginary world:

* where ads were never part of product development.
* where preserving and evolving context together is possible.
* where human relationships take priority over dopamine hits.

All in all, this looks more like the intersection of a book club and a group chat, although designed for a post-digital world; Folklore is online, async, and simply assumes perfect memory and composable access.


---

***→*** *Like Facebook, the network is curated. But unlike Facebook, the network is built from interests, not “friends and family”.*

***→*** *Like Substack, members can connect to discuss. But unlike Substack, discussion is like a dinner table, and not limited to the footer of a post.*

***→*** *Like Twitter, content is sha

DAMN. It has begun.

> *Welcome to the Folklore blog. If you are a token holder and member, please register here: [guild.xyz/folklore](https://guild.xyz/folklore). Otherwise, you can join the adventure at the [launch announcement link](https://folklore.mirror.xyz/XqJRfNna3l8AGSxYnE-mylPw-0MIFV-4b92n4tKuSQk).*


---

A few pieces of technology are consolidating into a new form of participatory media, blurring the lines between curation, consumption, and creation.

Historically, these functions have been perceived as [separate](https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2019/01/29/creators-or-consumers-the-new-divide/) agents. Creators create and consumers consume. Meanwhile, algorithms control curation and embed advertising [non-consensually](https://ana.mirror.xyz/XhSTOgQvG9gBMGsyPgnGnUqvCGysrQBf2pz-KGDev9U) as the price of participation. **Both creators and consumers are left [below the API](https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/08/17/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial/).**

This isolation meets in the infamous Feed. Consumers engage in [parasocial relationships](https://every.to/cybernaut/the-blurred-lines-of-parasocial-relationships),  yearn indefinitely for attention from their admired creators, and pay platform taxes through advertising and contextual collapse.

It’s clear why we hope web3 provides another path.

![The Feed Highway, via Kiran and Gaby on DAMNs](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/rRlU3WpKBlkotxpWuC-Nc.png?height=662&width=1754)

In late 2021, Kiran and Gaby described a new form of possible organization called DAMNs:

> *The next step-function innovation in consumer crypto will be DAMNs: decentralized autonomous media networks. If DAOs represent the next evolution of the corporation, DAMNs represent the next evolution of networked media.*
>
> *[Kiran and Gaby, DAMNs](https://neuroswish.mirror.xyz/crowdfunds/0xcf7f28d4c06f81Efc273a78446735C19B21C94C6)*

In their proposal, Kiran and Gaby share three core characteristics of these networks:

* A tokenized network owned by its users
* Built-in incentives for users to coordinate in adding value to the network
* Singular utility: create and distribute media

**These entities enable ownership for creators and consumers, ideally providing a path to the middle-class, or even the crypto-bourgeois.**

However, I speculate that there’s another web3 media entity emerging. Hints of its essence are appearing across selected communities: [JokeDAO](https://www.jokedao.io/), [Rehash Podcast](https://rehash.mirror.xyz/crowdfunds/0xa3659D161757C6c88e667CC022B93bcCfa01dB27), [Foster](https://foster.mirror.xyz/ddfkagY3rPMCgdQnKBuMgF48vaQSvlbHzDd0RKsPZi4). **Maybe it is a proto-form of the DAMN.**


---

Similar to DAMNs, they have a token and a utility focused on content creation and distribution. That being said, it may be foolish to try and project what they should be named, or what they may become. **Unlike DAMNs, we know in practice that these new entities have some divergent behaviors**:

* They are not automated, they are human managed.
* They use non-speculative coordination mechanics.
* They accrue value to the creation, not the coordination mechanic or treasury.
* They use governance as entertainment, not as management.

Furthermore, they may or may not be autonomous – they are heavily dependent on web2 platform infrastructure for distribution, messaging, and interaction. And I’m not sure they mind it.

[collect://](collect://)

In other words, while DAMNs intrinsically trend towards efficient autonomous growth due to its automated design, economic goals, and governance minimization principles, **these new entities trend towards sustainability, optimizing for engagement and creator satisfaction regardless of their tech cyber-politics.**

As a result, it seems like the new entities are converging towards *good-enough* [curation as creation](https://gaby.mirror.xyz/LGrzJJbwV9ewhYAa7gcFYa2nxYlTWRH-SxmSuViEWA4):

* Smaller networks (constrained by human-to-human coordination)
* Deeper rel

Welcome to Folklore

***UPDATE: We are currently sold out. Thank you everyone for your support. If you’d like to get involved, please subscribe to this publication. In addition, feel free to get in touch directly on Twitter @rafathebuilder if you’d like to make a contribution and participate.***


---

People often ask about my reading habits. Over time, I’ve come to realise that I’ve found a unique intersection of content combining community, internet lorecraft, and human relationships in the digital realm. It’s hard to pin down exactly what the theme is, although [Toby](https://twitter.com/tobyshorin) mentioned that [Aaron](https://twitter.com/aaronzlewis) called it “media theology”. Seems about right.

![AI Generated Image; Via @fabianstelzer](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/5jCk-eZEaj4fWAa-WJvgc.png?height=466&width=1488&size=medium)

Instead of providing an answer through some structured framework, I will instead invite you to join a digital adventure.

Starting next week, I’ll be sharing links to a curated set of long-form articles on a  telegram feed, which you can [access here](https://t.me/+W9-V_Nj_W6wxYzgy). Paired with this, I’ll be creating a token-gated discussion forum (We will see if it works!).

**You can obtain the token to participate in the discussion forum by collecting this  entry as a Writing NFT.**

[collect://](collect://)

The price is set at 0.03 ETH, approximately $50 at the moment of publication.

**Half of the earnings in this community gathering phase (Season 0) will be donated to [Obras del País](https://www.obrasdelpais.com/)**, the non-profit I support. The organisation’s mission is to complete an anthropological study of modern Puerto Rico artisans, and then create pathways towards artisan financial independence.

**The other half of the funds will go into a community treasury, which will be used commission the essays we feel like we’re missing.**

Authors will be sought from within the community and from other adjacent communities. **Quality of imagination will be the north star.** Earnings from these new essays will be split between the writing team (authors, visual artists, etc.) and Folklore. Funds which come back to Folklore will be reinvested into additional commissions.

Some additional notes:

* There is a limit of 150 spaces for this initial experiment.

* If we don’t hit the minimum required to commission at least one essay (around 50% of 1 ETH), funds will be donated in full to the non-profit.

* This token will be valid for a participation period of 6-months. However,  emergence is the name of the game.

* Purchasing the token will give you (as an individual) rights to vote on future topics. (1 person, 1 vote). Ideally we’ll get to know each other.

![Photo by Obras del País; The craft of "mundillo" centers around detailed and meticulous embroidery.](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/o6yBfUIUXGFz-nNeupIbx.png?height=560&width=1760&size=medium)

If you don’t have enough funds but are still passionate about the topic, feel free to send me an email at rafael@rafael.fyi with your formal request to join (e.g. including at least 200 words on why you want to join and how you plan to contribute). I’ll review any requests monthly, so it may be some time before I get back to you.

I look forward to reading together, furthering the research, and exploring how we are all changing in the emerging digital realm.

For ongoing updates from Folklore, please subscribe to this publication:

[subscribe://](subscribe://)

