Boardz is changing the way forum systems work via blockchain, micropayments

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Boardz is a global old-school style social forum where users can discuss various topics and earn Bitcoin SV (BSV) for their content. Users can sign up and use the platform for free and optionally link their HandCash wallet to start earning. I caught up with the creators of Boardz to learn more.

What was your motivation for creating Boardz?

Boardz team: Forum systems are one of the earliest and most efficient forms of social interaction on the Internet, and they are still popular. People need to exchange their knowledge and experiences. But we think that platforms like Reddit and StackExchange, which are constantly dependent on the free contribution of their users, have no place in the new Internet paradigm. Advancements in online payments, such as Bitcoin micropayments, allow for better models to be developed. So these old platforms will either evolve or slowly lose their quality and popularity.

Boardz’s aim is to enable an information economy in the form of a well-categorized global forum system. It means that a post or an answer to a question can be locked behind a paywall until the reader makes a small payment for that specific post. Thus, for example, a software developer will be able to make money by answering programming questions. We think that this model is much superior to what StackOverflow currently offers to people.

Why is it important that Boardz is “not an app for Bitcoin users by Bitcoin users” but for “everyone”?

Boardz team: The Bitcoin SV community and every other cryptocurrency community are small and extremely obsessed with their ideologies. If a project is dedicated only to satisfy a little community, it’s already dead.

We want to change the way forum systems work like never before by leveraging micropayments and blockchain technology. That is only possible with Bitcoin SV.

What drove the decision behind having such a large budget (80 BSV) for the Rewardz program?

Boardz team: We ran similar content-based platforms before, and we know how hard it is to incentivize early contributions. Boardz should grow while we are coding our main features. We’re trying to pay for every good post and engageable content on Boardz. The BSV community should consider moving some of their daily discussion to Boardz. They will both earn money and contribute to a BSV-native platform.

Why do you want to integrate NFT profile pictures?

Boardz team: Profile pictures have always been an important part of a “forum experience.” People like expressing themselves in this way. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have the potential to take this a step further, as they are exclusive to their owners.

Do you see Boardz as a competitor to Reddit?

Boardz team: In (the) long term, yes.

Will Boardz issue their own customized NFT like Reddit’s CryptoSnoos and/or integrate other existing NFTs on BSV?

Boardz team: Possible, but we want to start with the existing ones. There are already great NFT collections on BSV.

Which token protocol(s) are you considering issuing the NFTs on and why?

Boardz team: We are considering using RUN or Sigil. There are many good projects and NFT collections using them.

How can Boardz distinguish themselves from other social media applications that integrate with Bitcoin?

Boardz team: By doing things right. We think that Boardz has a clear advantage in terms of social inclusion, there is no barrier of entry. We are less ideological and more pragmatic than many of them.

What type of content do you envision users leveraging paywalls for?

Boardz team: It will probably start with technical topics like programming, operating systems, software, trading/technical analysis etc.; and continue with the intellectual ones like philosophy. Some topics, like daily stuff, will always be more suitable for free access.

How will letting users create custom boards work?

Boardz team: It’s not clear yet, but it will be done definitely in an incentive-compatible model.

Other than the features you already stated on were in the works, what other features are planned?

Boardz team: We don’t want to reveal our entire plan but okay, one more hint! We will continue to open up Boardz to other languages after a certain threshold. The software is ready, what we need is more people!

Thank you, Boardz, for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope the readers learned more about the platform. Check it out here.

This article was lightly edited for grammatical purposes.

Watch: The BSV Global Blockchain Convention presentation, Buzzmint: Elevating NFTs