Friday, 26 September 2014

Gems: Taking Back Social Networks

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Last week I discovered a peer-to-peer messaging system that could hold real promise for the future of social networking -- Gems. According to the white paper information being released during the project's beta phase, Gems is a gateway to cryptocurrency, via the protocol of Bitcoin, and the Counterparty asset system, providing what could be a seamless slide into the world of shared success.


Taking Back Social Networks. "No blockchain knowledge is required," says Daniel Peled, who leads the Gems development team. The Gems success structure opens the door to a model that upsets previous conceptions of business. "It is our belief that users bring value to a social network and they should be rewarded accordingly. We specifically designed Gems to give users full control over their data and the opportunity to profit from being a part of the network success." Imagine a WhatsApp-style mobile experience with fully encrypted, private messaging, and a built in wallet, packaged in an app that simply looks like . . . a messaging app.


The Promotional Video. The overview comes complete with flashy graphics and bouncy music.


Gems - Messaging that pays - Coming soon ! on Vimeo.


Sharing the Success. Gems helps introduce cryptocurrency to the masses in a profitable, fun, and easy way to understand. To get started, the user does not need to know anything about Bitcoin, Counterparty, cryptography, or encryption. Registration takes less than ten seconds, and can be done through a mobile device. After that, the user simply sends a message and then is rewarded with gem tokens. The value of the network is tied directly to the value of the tokens. Users are awarded gems in the application's built-in wallet. By introducing others to the network, a user will earn more gems. Simple.


Gems is Anonymous. Due to recent incidents where private information was leaked, technology users have become more concerned about the security of their data. Social networking apps such as WhatsApp do not encrypt users' communications, messages, pictures, or videos. In comparison, Gems stores no user data, and has no way to access your private messages. Your identity is protected because you decide the level of personal information you want to reveal to other Gems users. You can register with only a username, which is not connected to your real name, unless you choose. You are in control. On other social networks, users must identify themselves with an email address, phone number, or other personal information. While you have the option to attach your phone number and your name to your Gems account, allowing other Gems users to find you more easily, you never need to reveal this information.


"Be Early and Be Active!" This may sound like a motto for a health club, but with Gems it could indeed be a real wealth-creation promise. Early adopters who use the system regularly will receive portions of scheduled proof-of-participation distributions of gems. The builders of this new community are expected to share in the rewards, which in turn depend on the future success of Gems. The GEM asset created on the Counterparty platform can easily be traded for bitcoins.


The ICO. The term ICO has been coined (pun intended) to stand for "initial coin offering," "initial crypto offering," or "initial crowdfunding offering" -- the latter being the most common use of the term. However, all three apply to what Gems has in store for the near future. Sources indicate that initial amounts of gems may be purchased with bitcoins; however, keeping up with the project requires following Gems on Twitter, or subscribing to the newsletter on the Gems website for the critical initial asset launch announcement. While still in beta, Gems is close to completing a public release. Gems offers a real promise of changing how we interact with each other. And even if it does not become our default social network overnight, at the very least, Gems is a clever rebuild of existing messaging apps.


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