How it all began
Some of my fellow Hiveans might know this, but a few months ago I began building a mobile front end based on Peakd's Snap feature. Having focused for the better part of this year on onboarding people, I saw a dire need for simplicity and an opportunity for Hive to thrive, to attrack users from Web2 communities.
Cryptocurrencies are complex—too complex. Most people are intimidated by them and stay away out of caution. Hive, as we know, might be the easiest cryptocurrency to get involved with, but that doesn’t make it easy for beginners.
We may be a decentralized community, and rules may not be written in code, but the culture of this platform has made it so that most people feel overwhelmed and confused by them.
Don’t post too much, don’t post too short, don’t copy memes, don’t reply too simply, etc. This friction makes Hive hostile to a big swath of users who are not looking to invest a lot of time in becoming “full-blown citizens” of Hive, but who wouldn’t mind being occasional users, consumers of content.
Reading a short news snippet, laughing at a meme, sharing a picture of the meal they just ate. These are not just commonplace in Web2, they are the very bricks that built Web2.
Economies emerged where people gathered, and they were simply a consequence of friendly environments that welcomed them in. I mean friendly in many aspects, of course, but mainly in level of difficulty—in what we call user experience.
Short-form content—a snap, as we may call it—is, in other words, a viable compromise and a great tool already existing on our blockchain that can help us attract and retain more people.
Why another mobile app? What is wrong with Peakd?
To nip this in the bud: nothing is wrong with Peakd. It’s a great front end to Hive, one that I tend to favor, but it currently caters to a different audience. It caters to those of us who prefer using Hive in a browser.
Mobile is where the world is going, and we ought to adapt to the times. It’s not only my humble opinion that without making the transition toward friendly mobile experiences for crypto users, most cryptocurrencies are doomed to fail.
It might be easy to imagine a world where everyone has a laptop at home, but this is far from the reality for most of humanity. That said, most people have cell phones. The internet, and thus social media, became what it is today because people carry a supercomputer in their pockets.
Hive Snaps is an attempt to adapt to that reality, and to offer the simplest way for someone with a cellphone to participate in the social nuance of Hive. Potentially becoming the gateway app for normies—non-crypto people—to fully join our community.
How is Hive Snaps different
Hive Snaps is a React Native application, which means it’s not a browser app, not just a website running JavaScript. This not only gives legitimacy to Hive and its ecosystem, but also allows the app to be more efficient and, unironically, feel more snappy.
Stripped of unnecessary features for beginners, Hive Snaps focuses solely on the social aspect of Hive: sharing content and making friends. The very actions that communities are built on.
The aim of Hive Snaps Mobile is to be so intuitive that it barely requires guidance, following a Twitter-like feel and user experience as its blueprint.
The work is already done
As of me writing this proposal, all the heavy lifting has been completed. My brother @joseamenac joined my efforts almost two months ago, and helped me make Hive Snaps not only something that works, but a professional project we can all be proud of.
The source code is open to anyone who wants to take a look under the hood. Keeping the code open was a decision I made from the beginning, with the idea of practicing what I preach: long-term thinking and community-driven initiatives.
We asked community members to help us make the app better, and they answered. Hunting bugs, polishing the experience, and improving the app in general became a community effort.
Hive Snaps' UI/UX
Our internal slogan for Hive Snaps is "Proof of fun - not work" - We want users to enjoy snapping and share their thoughts without overthinking, and directly from their phones. The app starts by loading a simple Login screen, where clear and exact directions tell users to paste only their username (no @) and Private Posting Key.
Then, it's all about the Main Snaps interface - We've designed it to feel very friendly and familiar - similar to how other known social scrolling apps look and feel.
In addition to the main app screen - where one can interact with all the different Snap feeds, We've included other essential areas, such as: User Profile and ability to claim rewards, Notifications, and a comprehensive search feature to help you find Users, and Content.
App Stores submissions in progress
At our own expense, we’ve already paid the cost of becoming authorized to submit apps to both Apple and Google. Currently under review, we hope to bring positive news on this front very soon.
It’s likely that the Android version will be available first, as Google is easier to work with, but we aim to have both versions out by the end of this month if possible.
Our ask
We are asking for 4,000 HBD from the DHF.
We believe in the future of this chain, and in the potential this app has to help Hive thrive and reach more users, so our ask is not conditioned.
If this proposal does not get funded, it would not mean that we’d pull the app from the stores or do anything petty like that. To be honest, I believe our ask is rather modest compared to other proposals, but one I’m compelled to make in recognition of the value of my time and the time of those who’ve joined me in this effort.
4,000 HBD is not just compensation—it’s an investment in onboarding. If Hive Snaps succeeds in making Hive approachable to everyday users, the return to the ecosystem could be far greater than the cost of this proposal.
I would be paying my brother @joseamenac $2,000 for his invaluable contribution to Hive Snaps. Another $500 to my wife @ankapolo for her work as a graphic designer and artist, making the app and mascot look as good as it does. My intention is to keep $1,000 for myself, and use the remaining $500 to recover the cost of software subscriptions, store submissions, and backend features we will proceed to implement.
Sustainability
We welcome ideas on this front. As you can clearly imagine, this ask of ours is a shift in how dApps usually tap into the DHF. I don’t believe it’s in Hive’s best interest for yet another app to rely solely on the DHF for its maintenance and development, but this piece of the puzzle is quite complex.
With that said, Hive Snaps as it stands now collects no beneficiaries from its users. This can change in the future—I’m not against this model per se. But such a thing would only make sense if the app begins to offer features not available on the free platforms to begin with. Features I hope to incorporate in the near future. A discussion for another day, of course.
In these beginning stages, however, until we reach good momentum, I encourage any Hivean who finds value in what we’re building to support this proposal and our publications.
The account @snapie is the official channel for updates, news, etc. But any support to our team members makes a difference, and it’s greatly appreciated.
What’s next for Hive Snaps?
Since we began releasing beta versions and asking people for help with testing and bug hunting, we’ve been collecting a wish list.
Feedback in this project, like any other, is the key to making something with impact. Some of the features we hope to implement in the future, in no particular order, are:
- Direct Video Uploading
- Customizable Feeds and Community Feeds
- Content Discovery Algorithms
- Web2 Login and Frictionless Account Creation (This requires a safe backend)
- Enhanced Snap Composer and Editor
- Snap Bookmarking
Grateful
I realize the politics of this platform make DHF-related things rather complicated, but following the advice of a friend, I’ve decided to try this anyway.
Regardless of the outcome, I’m grateful to everyone who has been helping us along the way—a shoutout to our beta testers, who helped us squash bugs so efficiently.
I hope other Hiveans take the initiative to build things on Hive, to dream up an idea and reach for it. I believe our idea has value, and I hope others can see the value in it too. After all, Hive Snaps is about lowering the barrier of entry, and that is something that benefits Hive as a whole.
If Hive Snaps resonates with you, and you feel like you could contribute as well, do not hesitate to join our discord server.
MenO