An article comparing the decentralized social protocol Farcaster and Lens Protocol
Original title: "Farcaster vs Lens Protocol"
Original compilation: Kxp, BlockBeats
Original compilation: Kxp, BlockBeats
I have been using both decentralized solutions for a few months now and wanted to compare them to understand how each is built and the main differences and similarities between the two.
Now, I use on a daily basis: Farcaster (Warpcast client), Lens Protocol (Orb client), and Web2's Twitter. By far, I've found the content on Farcaster to be the most insightful, while Lens offers a unique experience for creators. Finally, since most projects keep information on Twitter (since you need an invite to join Lens or Farcaster), I have to keep a close eye on my Twitter account.
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Farcaster
Farcaster is built on the Ethereum L1 blockchain and leverages it for user identity management. The protocol uses an L2 network to promote updates among its users (Farcaster Hubs). Key features of the protocol include:
1. A secure, memorable, and human-readable user identifier, such as @alice
2. Real-time settlement between users and notification of changes
3. Gain decentralized access to all data on the network at a reasonable cost
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Way of working
To join the Farcaster protocol, you must register a public-private key pair and an ID in the Ethereum contract. This public-private key pair (a new Ethereum address) will be used to sign the message, and the ID will be used as a canonical reference to the user on the Ethereum network, making them tamper-proof and self-authenticating. Additionally, the recipient can check the key pair associated with the ID in the contract and verify the authenticity of the message.
Signed messages are uploaded to the Farcaster Hub, which is similar to a blockchain network. Hubs use a peer-to-peer protocol to share and store messages among themselves, and a delta graph to reach consensus on their state. The most interesting aspect of this diagram is that the Hubs can reach consensus without coordinating.
Through the Hub to store and manage the network state, client applications will connect with them, so that companies and individuals can build different clients for the protocol and customize different experiences for their users. This feature is very surprising, because each application can achieve differentiated development based on the protocol, making it possible to create an application ecosystem within the Farcaster protocol.
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Farcaster ID
From Farcaster's official documentation:
"A Farcaster ID (or fid for short) is a canonical identifier for a user or organization. Fids are numeric values like "! 8098" that are distinguished from other numbers by preceding them with an exclamation point. A user registers a fid to an Ethereum address, also known as an escrow address. Users can also transfer fids to new escrow addresses, although each address can only have one fid at a time. "
Therefore, we can use theFarcaster ID RegistryGenerate fids interactively. Since this is a smart contract on Ethereum, anyone can read the contract to find which Ethereum address owns a given fid.
We now have all the components we need to send messages to the protocol:
・ECDSA key pair of storage address
・Fid
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Farcaster Name
Although we have the elements needed to send the message, we still need a human-readable way to refer to the fid. Therefore, Farcaster provides an optional fname, such as @alice.
fnames are alphanumeric strings like @john or @alice, distinguished from other text by preceding them with an "@" sign (fids are preceded by an exclamation point).
An interesting property of fnames is that they must all conform to the following regular expression: /^[az 0-9 ][az 0-9-]{ 0, 15 }$/, as this avoids homograph attacks (homoglyph attacks）。
Also, fnames can be restored.
fnames need to be renewed annually, and a fee is paid to the Farcaster Name Registry, which issues each fname as an NFT. fnames can be renewed up to 90 days before expiration. If expired, fnames will enter a Dutch auction, starting at the annual fee plus a premium, and gradually reducing to zero.
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account recovery
As we know, we can forget our wallet passwords, so having an easy way to recover our digital identities is critical to the protocol. For this reason, the Farcaster protocol allows users to set a recovery address to protect their fnames and fids. It should be noted that this recovery function only applies in the case of lost access, not in the case of the address being leaked.
data storage
data storage
As mentioned earlier, Hubs use delta graphs to save messages and synchronize social network state between nodes.
In this graph, each vertex is an entity, such as a user or a message, and edges are relationships between entities. When @alice creates a message and @bob likes it, the protocol creates a series of increments that are easily synced between nodes.
Farcaster distinguishes six types of increments:
1. casts, that is, the user's message
2. reactions, that is, responses from other users to a user message (eg, likes)
3. amps, the support or recognition of the user
4. verifications, which are proofs of ownership (e.g. Ethereum address signatures)
5. signers, that is, the key pair authorized by the user to sign their increment
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Lens Protocol
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file
Similar to Farcaster, you need to set up a "file" to participate in the protocol, which is a serial ID in the form of an NFT. The NFT will belong to a wallet address whose owner will control the profile and can:
・Publish content to archives
・Set the "follow module" of the file: this logic allows others to follow this file
・Set profile picture (image URI)
・Setting the "Scheduler" of the file
If your wallet address is included in the list (like Farcaster, joining is currently only possible by invitation or by purchasing a profile on a marketplace like OpenSea), you can do so atLensHub.solSet up your profile in an upgradable contract for .
Once you have the Lens Profile NFT, you can post announcements to it. Additionally, this NFT will contain a history of all announcements, comments, etc. generated by the owner.
An interesting feature of Lens is that archives, and almost every protocol item, can have different modules that extend its functionality. For example, the archive NFT containsFollowModule, which sets the rules that other profiles are allowed to follow and keep on-chain.
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dynamic
After you have the file NFT, you can start to publish the news (Publication), including news, comments, etc.
There are three types of feeds in Lens, which are posts, comments, and retweets.
Posts are posted directly to the user's profile, which means that all content created by the user will remain in their wallet. It is worth noting that dynamics belong to NFT.
Each feed has a ContentURI that contains a link to the feed's content. This link can link toArweaveorIPFSText, pictures, and videos on decentralized solutions, or web2 storage facilities such as AWS S3.
When posting news, two modules are used: the collection module and the reference module.
The collection module contains all the logic to allow other users to mint dynamics as NFTs, and the minted NFT will reference the original dynamic's URI.
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Comment
The comment feature enables users to provide feedback. Effectively, comments are similar to dynamic with additional checks and features.
Since comments are similar to feeds, they are also stored in the user's profile.
An interesting thing about comments is that they must obey the rules of the original posting reference module. For example, if there is a policy that only followers of a profile NFT can post comments, then when someone else tries to post a comment in the feed without following the poster, the transaction will not be completed and the comment will not be published.
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Forward
Mirror is the equivalent of what we retweet on Twitter. From a protocol perspective, they are similar to dynamics in some respects, but with special features.
Similar to comments, mirrors must follow the rules of the original publisher of the referenced module. If a post is only reposted by the followers of the original poster, users who do not meet the criteria will not be able to repost the post.
collect
collect
Collections are a native Lens feature that allows creators to monetize their work. Creators can publish content in various forms: pictures, videos, podcasts, artwork, etc., so this module will be used to set prices for works and allow other users to bookmark or mint.
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focus on
Finally, following other users in the Lens protocol is a little different from Farcaster and other Web2 social networks. As we've seen, everything can be turned into an NFT or stored in a profile NFT. Therefore, users who follow a profile on the Lens protocol will get Follow NFT (Follow NFT).
As with previous projects, archive NFTs can have their own follower modules with exclusive rules. This means that you can stipulate that the other party needs to pay 5 MATIC before they can turn back to you. In the final analysis, you are "minting" the Token that means you pay attention to the file, and the file owner can make corresponding rules.
A unique feature of concern NFTs is their built-in governance capabilities, such as voting proxies, which enable the creation of social DAOs within the Lens protocol.
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Comparison of Farcaster and Lens protocols
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ID or profile
On Farcaster, you will need to renew your ID annually. On Lens, you only have to do it once. Which is better? It depends.
Farcaster has always strived to provide high-quality conversations, one of the reasons why it requires people to pay for profiles is to support Hubs, and the second is to ensure that users can invest energy. While there are benefits to this, in my mind I'm not sure if this will ensure Farcaster's mass adoption. But does Farcaster hope to build mass adoption? More users will bring more negative information, I think they are reducing the proportion of negative information by providing high-quality profiles in the network. In-depth conversations have been available on Farcaster so far.
social graph
social graph
One of the most interesting features of Lens is to keep all the information in a profile on-chain. The protocol creates contracts for your dynamics, so any client using the protocol will display the exact same content. Your followers and content will always be with you, regardless of the platform.
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Full on-chain storage vs partial on-chain storage
Lens uses Polygon for all transactions, and all content is kept on Polygon, while Farcaster uses its off-chain solution.
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extension protocol
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personal experience
Personally, I use both the Farcaster and the Lens, and I'm happy with both. However, I did find a huge difference between the two so far.
For me, Farcaster is a place where I can find deep and interesting conversations. I can interact effectively with the community and always learn something new from others. Compared to Twitter, it's huge. On Twitter, I usually see promotions and hate-filled discussions; on Farcaster, the discussion is polite and well-behaved, and even if you disagree, you're willing to be patient and learn from it to something new.
Lens, on the other hand, is a gathering place for artists and creators. I have far more followers on Lens than on Farcaster, but less interaction. While my feed gets a lot of likes and retweets, I actually get almost no interaction in the comments. All the likes and followers seem fake because I can't interact with other people through comments. As good as its technology is, the feeling can be overwhelming. I like its bookmark function and the ability to set rules for following and favorites. A cool feature of Lens is thatWa v3 s, which lets you set payment terms for people who retweet your posts. This way, instead of paying a platform fee, you pay your fans and Lens users to help spread your content to others. It's a great idea, but it begs the question: Do people with less money have trouble growing their communities? Obviously, the answer to that question is: if you have great content, people will come, but that's not always the case.
andButtrfly、OrbandPhaverandJamandWarpcastIt is the application on Farcaster.
Currently, Warpcast is the only fully functional client on Farcaster, but soon Jam will be added. As explained before, the interesting testing point is that my social graph on Warpcast will not exist on Jam, so I need to create a new graph from scratch.
After trying Lens, I tried Phaver and Orb. Phaver is kind of weird and has me scratching my head. Its user experience is somewhat unusual, as it has its own social network and users can switch between Phaver and Lens. It also forces users to change some settings to use it, which is a bit awkward. In contrast, Orb is a full-featured solution. While some details are still missing, such as setting the collection options from the client, it's safe to assume that these will be addressed in an upcoming release.
Summary: I recommend that you try both if you can. I think they will have their own communities and it will be more fun to use both. Since everything is decentralized, many applications will be able to centralize everything in one application, such asYupOriginal link
