For a couple of years now, I've been singing the praises of Publish0x, which isn't exactly a Web3 social media platform. However, I would call it a crypto-monetized platform, and, until now, I thought it was one of the best. Recent events have caused me to rethink my commitment to the platform.
I'll keep this short. Here are the three reasons I will be limiting my content on Publish0x:
Technical issues: For years, I've used Publish0x with no technical issues. Last Wednesday, however, I tried to publish a blog post and it wouldn't publish. I published it yesterday instead. I'd have published it sooner, but I was traveling. Typically, I do not allow technical issues to divert me from running my business. But when there are other issues too, then I have to rethink my commitment to a platform. That brings me to my second point.
Earnings have declined: I've mentioned this before. My earnings have fallen from an average of about $10 per month to $1 or $2 per month. This happened after the Publish0x migration to Optimism. While I appreciate that Publish0x pays the gas fees for monetary transfers from users' accounts to external wallets, I have to ask if it is worth my time to continue playing on the platform for the amount of outtake.
Trolls - I went a long time with no trolls commenting on my posts. Suddenly, trollish comments increased. I've long stated that Publish0x is good for engagement, and I still believe it is. Most of the comments I receive on my posts are from positive contributors. Nevertheless, I have seen an uptick in trollish comments.
Any one of these issues by itself would be a nuisance but not enough for me to say goodbye to a platform. But with so many other alternatives, I must decide if my time is well spent. That's why I have decided to pull back on Publish0x for the time being.
That does not mean I am leaving the platform. It simply means I'll be publishing less.
My typical routine is to publish a blog post on my Paragraph blog first then repurpose it for the various Web3 and crypto-based social media platforms on which I am active. I will continue that routine, but I am not guaranteeing that I will continue publishing to Publish0x. Followers on Publish0x who want to continue reading my content can find me on Paragraph and Hive. Those are the two platforms I can guarantee I will spend the majority of my time on going forward.
Thanks for understanding. If you read this on Publish0x, look me up on Paragraph or Hive to stay in touch.
Allen Taylor is the author of Web3 Social: How Creators Are Changing the World Wide Web (And You Can Too!).