
Hello friends, your friendly neighborhood tervo here. It’s been 10 months or so since I last wrote on my own newsletter - it’s nice to be back. Tolks and Boffin have done a great job typing words in the meantime.
I return to you today to ponder the vision and values of /replyguys, the Farcaster channel I started a few weeks ago, by reflecting on the vision and values that helped me build Page One. Bare with me - you know I like to yap, and this whole unstructured thing is new to me.
While I could give you a whole Farcaster basics spiel myself (and will likely ramble about other Farcaster-related topics in future writings), that isn't my goal today. Several others have done so recently - give these a read if you need to get up to speed and feel free to leave any other questions in the comments.
Canonical Page One Lore
I started what many now know as Page One back in January ‘22 by going to MoonOverlord with a simple idea. His discord, The One, was the first server I joined when I first got onchain in August and I’d sat there every day all day since. Open for anyone to join and unaffiliated with any tokens, the server was constantly buzzing at the peak of the NFT bull when I got my start. Hundreds of ants brought crumbs of information to the chat every day, with nearly every big winner making an early appearance - if you could notice it amongst the piles of trash. Months of sifting through with the other ants in #nft-general led to my first real friendships in crypto - you end up cracking a lot of jokes when you’re all staring at the same computer screens 12 hours a day. Most importantly, these friendships were not formed in some WAGMI NFT server over a mutual financial interest, but over debates, disagreements and authentic expression.
A dozen things were happening every day, a hundred every week. If you checked out, you’d come back to the chat and have no idea what anyone was talking about. So in January ‘22 I proposed I’d write a recap of the happenings in NFT land. Moon graciously gave me a soapbox in his arena and the first few issues of Page One NFT Recap were written in a channel in The One discord. Shortly after, I moved to Substack for better presentation and wider distribution. Moon introduced me to Tolks, who’s Round Tripping articles perfectly complimented my NFT recaps. Then we added Boffin, our ever-forgotten esoteric essayist (who also did a great series of artist spotlights we should get back to).
With three consistent writers and the Overlord's megaphone, we grew Page One into - in my humble opinion - one of the most reputable independent crypto newsletters out there. Not through growth hacks and bait headlines and an overflow of fluffy content, but through authenticity, quality and respect. There were no giveaways, no partnerships, no interviews, no tagging people under our tweets to help spread the word, no DMing big accounts to beg for a retweet.
There were no incentives given to readers and no favors given to writers. There was just quality information about what was going on across crypto. On these values, Page One has grown to over 12,000 subscribers - I’d give you a laundry list of who they work for like many newsletters do, but that’s exactly the type of thing we’ve shown we don’t need to do to win readers. Sticking to those values is the reason we will continue to grow.
Being Nice is the Easiest Edge in Crypto
As we grew, I gained a 𝕏 audience and began to figure out the social landscape on a level above that of the glassy-eyed doe. Everybody knows somebody who knows everybody and it’s served me well to simply try to be nice to everybody. Win a friend wherever you can. After I stopped writing in April ‘23 (I was simply burnt out), I found myself tweeting way too much, which has continued until now. Some of you might not even know I used to larp as an NFT reporter.
As luck would have it, I’ve made a lot of friends on 𝕏 - big CT stars, tiny noobs and everyone in between. I’ve said before that I just tweet like I’m texting a best friend that doesn’t exist. Unfiltered thoughts on whatever I’m thinking. Nowadays, I feel like I’m a pretty well-defined character on CT. I drink white monster. I tweet some music. I cheer for the Arsenal. I post the Racer airdrop screenshot. I’m a normal person. While there are certainly other lanes to create your online persona, it’s usually easiest to just be yourself.
Replying your way to the top is not a joke - when you put it simply, it's how I and many others got to where we are. Show up. Be respectful. Have a sense of humor. Contribute something of value. That is genuinely all it takes. These are things I’ve talked about in different ways for years now:

Rolling a Snowball Down a Quiet Hill
Three or four weeks ago, I started hearing more chatter about Farcaster. I’d managed to leverage my experience larping as an NFT reporter into an invite in late 2022 (FID 5034 tyvm), but didn’t ever use it much. At that time, and for some time after, the average Farcaster user was firmly on the builder side of the degen-builder spectrum. Dan and the team cultivated an environment of productivity by spending months manually onboarding users, allowing curation at a personal level. VCs, devs, founders and other people who are in crypto for something besides hyperfinancialized gambling formed the culture. There is nothing wrong with this - I believe Farcaster is better off for it today. But to people like me and mine, it made the app a bit like a library - sit next to your friends, do your work and don’t cause a ruckus, please.
By late January ‘24, though, recents events had peaked interest in my corners: $degen was making its way to the main stage and frames were taking over mindshare. The protocol was open to everybody and DAUs were hitting new highs. I began poking my head into the purple app a few times a day but encountered the same issue that had caused me to shy away in ‘22 - I was lonely.

Some familiar faces from my social circles were surely already on Farcaster, but I had no good way to find them. More than a few echoed my feeling of uncertainty regarding what to post and how. So I did what any rational person would do - I made a channel for my friends to come hang out in. And I told my friends to come hang out, and they told their friends. On the same day, February 2nd, ciniz started /wearesoearly. The combination was a lot like rolling a snowball down a hill. We just gave it a push. The serendipitous confluence of various factors took care of the rest. Friends began to show up in droves. A cozy place to post was all that was needed. We built it, and they came. One week later, /replyguys and /wearesoearly combined for over 11,000 followers, today ~18,000.
These users didn’t show up because there was financial incentive, they just followed their friends. This is a key factor. You are not here because WAGMI our token go up. You are here because you want to participate. This remains top of mind for me as dictator. I did not make this channel to sell you something. If I wanted to sell you garbage, I would have done it a long time ago.
The Full Degen-Builder Spectrum
Last week, a sub250 FID Farcaster user asked me if I could provide some feedback on a project they’re working on. We jumped on a short call and chatted for 45 minutes or so. Somewhere in the conversation, they mentioned feeling a renewed sense of excitement for Farcaster over the past month or so. Without new users from yet-to-be-introduced social circles, they feared the purple app may never grow into more than a quite library for the onchain intelligentsia. I smiled. Farcaster already had the builders, I said. Now it has the users.

Imagine a bell curve from 0 to 100 - degen to builder. 0 is the guy who pumps out memecoin rugs for 10 hours a day. 100 is some crazy laser-eyes maxi type who hates anybody who has ever speculated on anything in their life. Those above 50 will frequently tell you they’re in crypto to support some Big Idea. Those below 50 will tell you they’re here for profits. I’m probably somewhere around 45. It feels safe to say that in November, the average Farcaster user was somewhere above 50, firmly in the builder range. I can tell you anecdotally that many of those who joined Farcaster to join /replyguys is firmly below 50.
These groups can butt heads on occasion. I read plenty of casts from OG users (most of whom I’d place above 80 degen-builder) that were all but naming and shaming me and Ciniz for dragging our silly little friends across the purple bridge. And I empathize, truly. Timelines were disrupted. Etiquette is still a work in progress. But there is a necessary mutualism here - without builders, degens have nothing to speculate on, and without degens, builders have far fewer users.
Considering the integration has gone (in my humble opinion) quite well so far, this is just a preemptive observation. I am extremely grateful for the OGs who have made their way into /replyguys, many from the first or second day. And for all the new users who have yet to get me into any trouble (yet).
The full degen-builder spectrum is now in attendance. If you build it, /replyguys will come.
Notes on Dictatorial Curation

Dictatorial content curation is another long-standing tervo motif. The internet is full of misanthropes and misinformation. If you do not purposefully get out of the way, you will be run over by them, whether you realize it or not.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent dozens, maybe a hundred hours on Farcaster, mostly in /replyguys. There aren’t really rules besides “don’t annoy me too much.” In general, the only way to do that is by engagement farming for followers or tips. I basically treat /replyguys like my 𝕏 timeline, which is filled with memes, charts, jokes, market commentary, relevant events, my friends and their myriad interests. Anything goes, as long as it in some way shows me that you are an actual person with actual thoughts.
I simply have nothing in common with the somebody who shows up to go “follower for follower” or “give 100 $degen to all replies!” I don’t care if you’re giving away - checks notes - $0.17 to a replyguy, I don’t enjoy reading it and it contributes nothing. Tipping at the scale it is currently seen on Farcaster is a rather new phenomenon in text-based social media (as far as I know). Allowing the channel to become inundated by engagement baiters not only annoys me, but makes it much harder for genuinely inventive ideas to make their way to the top of the algorithm.
I will continue exercising dictatorial control over channel curation. I am the first to acknowledge that this may eventually lead to situations some find unfair. The nice part about dictatorial control is that it doesn’t matter what you think is unfair. My interest lies with the channel as a whole.
If I had to synopsize how to be a good /replyguys member, I’d go back to the well with this one:
Show up. Be respectful. Have a sense of humor. Contribute something of value.
The Unpredictable Nature of Revolutions
Now for everybody’s favorite question: what comes next?

History was the first thing I ever “studied” on my own. Mike Duncan’s Revolutions podcast is a personal favorite. He’ll tell you the best laid plans do you no good in a revolution, which is what I believe this has the potential to become. Like a good profiteer, a good revolutionary is not predisposed to any bias, but simply prepared to react as the events in question play out.
As I’ve mentioned on 𝕏, I try to position myself in places where I believe opportunities will appear. Farcaster is a place I see opportunities appearing. If freedom from Elon’s wallet-drainers isn’t enough to catch your eye, the ability to bring questions and concerns directly to the Farcaster team might be. The simple but powerful possibilities created by frames and $degen tipping has given the community enough sand to iterate in the sandbox for months. Tying this all together through an onchain social map gives my mind enough runway to rattle off different ideas for hours. Farcaster may not become the crypto everything app, but I’m quite confident it won’t be fading into nothingness anytime soon.
I wrote about NFTs for 16 months straight. Nearly all of them have gone to zero by now. Watching this time and again, I came to define a successful project not by its monetary value, but by whether or not it tried something new. Each collection serves as an experiment. Good ones give the next experimenter something fresh to iterate on. One project’s demise becomes the jumping-off point for the next case study. Minting an NFT directly in your social media feed without leaving the app is one of the biggest “wow” moments I’ve had in crypto. It will be iterated on. Quickly. This applies to frames as well. One developer makes a cool frame, the next one has a template to build off. Give that six months and see what kind of silliness we can get into.
As for /replyguys? More of the same. I’ll be getting the ball rolling on a few fun plans this week, but in general I tend to cross bridges when I come to them. Until then, we do what we came here to do: hang out, make some friends, crack some jokes, try some fun new stuff on the blockchain. Wander outside our safe space of a channel and into one that interests you. Talk to somebody big and important about something you’re passionate about (they can actually hear you on the purple app). Remain prepared to react when the next opportunity surfaces. I think there will be more.
Thank You for Replying
I could continue rambling (and probably will another day), but I think this covers most of my immediate thoughts. I wear a lot of different hats, but most of them somehow result in being a connector, an introducer, an “I got a guy for that” guy. It brings me joy to help others. And the many kind words I’ve received from replyguys over the past two weeks have brought me much joy.
I was an unknown, inexperienced, unproven replyguy a very short time ago. I would not be anywhere close to where I am without the gracious support of hundreds of anons I’ve never met. I would be remiss if I did not do my best to extend the favor.
Hopefully somebody actually reads all this, but regardless, thank you for hanging out with me in /replyguys. I’m proud of what we’ve built here so far and grateful for the opportunity to steward it into whatever it may become.
/replyguys together strong.
I keep hearing about the /replyguy gospel and this was very informative. Great article!
Cheers for this, its nice to have some context to what the heck is going on within the channels in WC outside of the memes, mint mania and tips. It was cool to hear your thoughts, I especially found the degen to builder spectrum breakdown very insightful and overall, I'm liking your friendancial philosophy.
Keep rambling so I can get a chance to make new friends in crypto. Good work Big T!
love this genuine article - came across this from kiwi n immediately found so many good contents here :D biggest alph i've discover in this bull market!!
awesome g
👀
how am i the 2nd reply guy to actually reply to this post great read terv
you are not a /replyguy if you are not directly replying under the post on Paragraph.
channel stats for the past week via @ilemi's dune dash (link below). /replyguys has 4th most casts of all channels. yet we are uniquely lacking a defined purpose. which gives us great purpose. everything we do matters all the time. for if it doesnt, nothing matters at all
https://dune.com/ilemi/farcaster-explorer
200 $DEGEN
The purpose is to reply
very true 420 $degen
Let’s sit down and write the reply guys guide to the cryptoverse
this def forms the base of it, i need to do more rambling (and then people have to actually read it, which is the hard part) https://paragraph.xyz/@pageone/replyguys-manifesto
We have a purpose, to be here for the others. It's a closed circle of good vibes.
I still find joy that the Number one word trending word not directly related to crypto or token is: « Beautiful ». 🥰
Top influential caster? Sassal? I have literally never seen a post of his here lmao
Not having a purpose is having a purpose, and this purpose is the most valuable purpose in warpcast. Makes sense to me
I just love /replyguys it is probably the best community I’ve ever been part of (and yes, it is a community, not a simple channel) ❤️
we move with a purpose what a magnificent purpose https://open.spotify.com/track/3VRR4cKNiHC3CzY4iGj9XX
I thought the point was ✨replying to the homies✨
considering my great purpose in this place
Don't we have a defined purpose of supporting one another through likes recasts and replying
imo thought it a fun channel for small accounts to connect with other small accounts but gating it counters that purpose Understand it was getting pretty spammy though and deleting giveaway meta is definitely the right direction
I live to reply to the reply guys?
be the purpose (or lackthereof) you wish to see (or not see) in the world
back to basics innit. this was written 6 weeks ago or so. it’s the same shit im still yelling about
i will just keep reposting until everyone gets it https://paragraph.xyz/@pageone/replyguys-manifesto
Yeah the problem is people don't read
always has been lmao
hahahah seriously
make reply guys great again
guiltyyyy i repent 420 $degen 🙏
this is so true
Oh man I did it word for word 😭 I repent 5000 $degen
hahahhahaha im dead ☠️
ok ok ok what if..........nvm
LFG. this is the wei
Ya I think one thing i'll do is just start doing much larger tips to people who actually do cool shit and jettison my allowance quickly every day instead of letting it dripple out to maximize engagement. Fuck it.
"Show up. Be respectful. Have a sense of humor. Contribute something of value." Not just for /replyguys but good for life too. Tervo doing a little philosophication too. What can the homie not do?
Fair enough, I agree on this, will do my best to avoid these post
Love it! This is what it’s all about
🐐
gm @tervo 🫡 69 $DEGEN
gm ser tyfys
i have an album
No giveaway? Didn’t read the cast
I agree and that was the reason it took me so long to come over here.
given the ranting on etiquette, we will retrieve the weekend reading assignment from the archives. replyguy units have doubled since it was written, so pls do read if you need more context on where im yapping from https://paragraph.xyz/@pageone/replyguys-manifesto
Great read, thank you 🤝 Subscribed
Tiny noobs, OH, I read tiny boobs. jeez never read shit before first coffee. Anyway 10 months?! That can’t be right feel like I’d had just read you 2 months ago. 777 $degen To /replyguys:
Great read on the ethos of the channel. Thanks for creating the channel and the article. The definition of project success as trying something new really resonates with me. Let's have some fun in this crazy new sandbox ❤️🔥 69 $DEGEN
Let's the culture begin
50 $DEGEN for providing a guide on d-etiquette
just as good as the first time i read it
im ngl tervo if i was running this i wouldve banned 90% already youre real for how understanding you are
i like the read inline function thats dope
studying the teachers syllabus rn
Great read and thank you for building such a welcoming community here! As someone who enjoys being more of a replyguy than og caster, love the ethos behind this. 40 $degen
@tervo 🌟 Your shift from NFT reporter to FC influencer showcases authenticity, community, & kindness in crypto. Creating /replyguys 🚀 proves spaces for real talk foster the truest value, connection & contribution 🌐💎
"Being Nice is the Easiest Edge in Crypto" Yes please. Also thank you for this, it's nice to not have to piece together the basis for a community. I appreciate it as a new replier.
Studying 🤓
@tervo the The Replyguys Manifesto is gold. I love how Crypto counter culture is just to be a genuine, solid bro. Apart from /replyguys are there any other channels that have a similar vibe to The One?
Thanks mate. I’ve got a 7 hour flight to New York so will try and get through at least the start of this massive tome in that time… although I did want to read War and Peace at least once in my lifetime and I don’t know if I’ve time for both. I like the vibe here. Keep it up. Will try and stay true to the form
Love it!
I keep hearing about the /replyguy gospel, great article!
Thanks for articulating such a humanistic narrative around technology. It tells the notions instead of the motions, the cause rather than the effect. Old human lore feels rare yet familiar; it is the story of every beneficial turn that spreads progress across the world. Many happy returns!!! 📄1️
good
My dude! Great read. Love the recap of your story and how it merged with FC. Could not agree more that showing up and being kind is a tremendous part of being in the space. Go get ‘em!
Thanks for sharing this. 80 $degen
congratulations on the article. it was a pleasure to read and I discovered many useful ideas.
Culture is here 🫡
Will be reading shortly
Love it when tervo is yapping
reminder to the many new people here that i will prob just straight ban you if you find a way to ask for followers or tips posts mentioning it are already automatically hidden by @automod so if you find a way to annoy me past that see ya later kid study up on the etiquette or risk facing dictatorial wrath
read https://paragraph.xyz/@pageone/replyguys-manifesto
this is a great read
manifested rn 150 $degen
I say use the ban hammer with complete and utter jurisprudence.
200 $degen for the use of jurisprudence
Agree!
Tervo running things around here and that’s a fact JACK
my replying king
🍖x1000
the existence of the automod explains why this channel remains so based
good way :) Love to see it.
🫡
Rewarding normal humans creating real connections with other normal humans >>>
We stay for the vibes
Mfw when the checkout staff turns the tablet around looking for 20% tips
lmao 420 $degen
and what is /replyguys ? without digging in, i know it’s popular and everywhere, but would love to hear your words
they just reply
replyguys is the idea that everyone deserves their very own personal replyguy no cast or tweet should go unliked or uncommented on we are simply the friends everyone deserves - gotta be there for each other perhaps @tervo may put it more eloquently as he brought us all together but this is how i view it
My favorite reply I’ve had: In replies we trust because reply we must.
333 $degen
Okay, I’m in. 🫡
nothing worse than shouting into the void when you just want to connect with people friends by mutual interest instead of friends by proximity
followed /replyguys 🫡
based and friend pilled
based and friend pilled 6969 $degen
we love the bitflooor, a culmination of vibes for the lil fellas 500 $degen
1000 $degen
what a perfect reply
I love that - “everyone deserves a reply guy” at some point during the bear I got frustrated that I had so few meaningful comments on my art, so I started leaving them for others made new friends, got closer with old ones, and even started getting those same responses!! being a reply guy is good 250 $DEGEN
Well said
We keepin it stack here. We’re all bros/friends here. We respect each other and always replying back
my ramblings from few weeks ago https://paragraph.xyz/@pageone/replyguys-manifesto
to me, a reply is the basis for carrying on the conversation, adding flavor into food for thought, acknowledging and admiring rad works of art, and just jiving with friends 🫡🎩🍖 tl;dr imagery of reply guys:
Always here to reply:) no matter what
My dawgs my men my family
please return to your seats and open your textbooks to @pageone. use this in-class reading time to your advantage - anything you don't finish will be homework. you may work in groups, but trust me, i will know if you use ai. i can tell.
Return of the king! Good read
Replyguys together strong! Great work @tervo Many folks found a home here - including me. We need more ambassadors for FC like you.
👑 2000 $DEGEN
we like the manifesto 25000 $DEGEN
We like the writing 20000 $DEGEN
Count me as one who wasn't familiar with the history of reply guys. Appreciate the write-up.
i cannot collect this. i ain't reading any thing that does not cost 1 whole ETH.
Read this entirely in frame, & did a little subscribing. Appreciate your authenticity and sharing your experience as a replyguy This particularly stuck out to me, and I wanted to add to it. Now that artist are here, both degens and devs have something to spend their money natively on that brings them joy
i was pretty surprised how well it read directly in frame bc i didn’t do anything special to try to get it to fit. will def be playing around with that more in future, it works really well artists and creators are def the third point in the triangle, could do a whole other triangle rant tbh lol
They’ve definitely improved the “out of the box” functionality since I first read inline for sure Count on a reply if you do so ✍️. They most definitely are, and are the main reason crypto “clicked” for me My hesitation before joining was always “great, what do I spend these coins on tho?”
i was always in same boat, i had an awareness of crypto starting in like ‘16 but didn’t get into it myself until nfts became hot in ‘21 bc i was like ok cool i don’t want to look at charts all day lmao
this is my attestation denoting that I have read the provided documentation and it was indeed bussin as expected
Great read my dude love it
And if you can’t read your homework, listen to it. 💙 (Pocket App)
very nice 999 $DEGEN
/replyguys together strong. revolutions are malleable. fun plans in the works this week. another classic, terv.
Awesome read, and glad to pick up a new history podcast (been crushing history that doesn't suck by Greg Jackson of late). Idk what my balance is but 10,000 $DEGEN should suffice.
1000 $DEGEN
finally got around to reading the entire thing, always been a fan of tervos words let the revolution begin /replyguys together strong.
Great read! Making this my home channel now, need a base on this sprawling network. 420 $degen
Feeling this reply guy manifesto. Do you get data on inline reading? How long people dwell on or click through?
legend, great read
Thanks for being a Donor with /mememe 1000 $DEGEN
Great read. Even better attitude and approach to Farcaster!
pencils down everyone
1111 $DEGEN
i have done my homework cher
326 $DEGEN
5000 $DEGEN 🗣️🎩
Did you mean “quiet” in this line? “they feared the purple app may never grow into more than a quite library for the onchain intelligentsia” - that confused me. I’m still reading through and enjoying it. It’s interesting and I appreciate you sharing your journey!
yes lmao i blame the editor @ninjaboffin
i'm 99% sure I changed that because I remember reading this. That being said, my bad boo
(i prob changed it back whoops)
Oh captain my captain
494 $DEGEN
Good frogs 🐸
Good frogs 🐸
Good frogs 🐸
Subscribed🫡
Great read but also I really enjoy the read inline on frame! IMO much better UI then a thread
yea i didn’t know how it would look before casting but it works really well and that’s like 2500 words
This was great, thanks @tervo.
oh missed this okay will read probably tomorrow morning lol 200 $degen
Being nice is the type of wagmi alpha that people ignore regardless of how true and easy to verify it is
You spend a lot of time writing this. I spend a lot of time reading this. Worth it.
Great read, as usual. Kindness/being normal > *
/replyguys together strong - you’re a great writer, good reminders on being a value-adder here and that long-term it’s a winning strat 100 $DEGEN
frfr!!!
Great read 100 $degen
good read, appreciate you taking the time i realized today ive been in the one discord for years just wasnt tapped in 💀
Read in line is awesome! Well done
oh lesss gooo
was bored and read the whole post. @tervo is great!!
Subscribed
we do lil reading 🤓
In a new blog update, @tervo reflects on the journey of building Page One - a reputable independent crypto newsletter, and shares insights about Farcaster. Highlights include the integral relationship between builders and users in the space.
waow are these ai lmao
Yup, ChatGPT 4 summary
that’s awesome i was like dang this guys fast