Hey there!

We're back with the 9th edition of our weekly digest, highlighting a few hand-selected pieces of writing over the past month or so.

This week's collection features a few posts from the First Draft Club, a program that brings writers together and holds each other accountable for publishing at least once a week. Hosted by Mark Fishman, First Draft is an amazing program for writers, especially if you're looking to turn writing into a habit. If you're interested in joining the next cohort, fill out this form.

Now onto this week's picks!

A View from Far(caster) Afield

@mazmhussain shares his unexpected journey into using Farcaster and his early reflections. Initially skeptical, he quickly grew to appreciate Farcaster's community, ease of use, and the financial rewards from participating, ultimately finding it a refreshing alternative to traditional social media platforms.

/firstdraft: love letters

@ted writes a love letter to handwritten letters. She shares her experience stumbling across a treasure chest of 400 handwritten letters on the internet, then her journey through her own 400 letter project.

When I was sixteen, I was in love with reading. Reading always inspired me to write — pen to paper — and writing always inspired me to love.

The Bed-Stuy Aquarium: A Model of Emergent Urbanism

@miawintam writes about a goldfish pond that formed under a leaky fire hydrant in Bed-Stuy. The pond has become an indispensable, vibrant community gathering point, serving as an example of the emergent urbanism needed to adapt in dynamic, complex urban environments.

The Warpcast Algorithm

@ccarella.eth shares thoughts on the pros and cons of algorithm-driven feeds compared to reverse chronological feeds, and how our preferences may shift over time or as a platform grows.

When a social app introduces an algorithm, it shifts from being a social network, where you make genuine connections, to social media, where you find great content. You think you want a social network, but you probably want social media.

Surprise me.

@darkstar emphasizes the element of surprise in delighting consumers and how it serves as a catalyst for community discourse.

I’ve always felt that the best products aren’t judged by what they do, but how they make you feel. Evoke feeling from a product and experience, and people will crave it. The more crypto can push on an element of surprise, the more we’ll find reasons why people can’t help but come back.

Protocols That Were Temporarily Companies

@androidsixteen.eth dives into the evolution of protocols replacing companies, pointing to Farcaster as a trailblazer building the final form of Twitter/Reddit, and how other projects will do the same to YouTube, Shopify, and other large consumer products.

It’s app szn and the time has come to begin transmuting essential digital services that are currently companies into their final and best form — protocols.

That's all we have this week — what did we miss?

Let us know what you think!