What is Leeroy?
This space is moving blazingly fast – as of April 2018, the dev of Leeroy is recommending that users transition to Peepeth. I agree.
Leeroy.io is a social media website for microblogging. You’re given 140 characters at a time to (rather succinctly) express yourself . You can “follow” people whom you find interesting and you can repost their content to give their posts more exposure. You can signal appreciation for their posts, too.
What? Sounds familiar… ? Twitter? Oh, right. Yeah…
Ok, Leeroy is clearly a Twitter clone.
But Leeroy is on the blockchain. Game over, Twitter.
In all seriousness, Leeroy is still a little rough around the edges – and severely lacking any proper User Guide or FAQ. Until Leeroy gets some official documentation, allow me to be your unofficial guide for this interesting dApp.
Blockchain?
Leeroy.io is built atop the Ethereum platform. Everything posted is stored on the blockchain forever (well, for as long as a copy of the Ethereum blockchain exists somewhere). Submission time and post content is indelible and unalterable.
Is It Free?
Activities on Leeroy require Ether to pay for the Ethereum network costs. Most activities – such as registering your username or posting content – cost the equivalent of a few cents USD. Reading posts is completely free.
How Does Leeroy Make Money?
Leeroy doesn’t profit from username registrations or from users posting content. There are no ads, either. Instead, Leeroy takes 30% of “tips” users can choose to give to each other via the website.
Tips?
There is no “like” or “heart” button on Leeroy. Instead, Leeroy allows you to express your appreciation for a post by sending some Ether to the poster. In many cases, this is just a few pennies worth of Ether – basically enough to cover the cost of future posts. Theoretically, this feature should incentivize high-quality posting. As mentioned above, Leeroy takes 30% of all tips to fund development of the platform.
What Do I Need to Use Leeroy?
You’ll need some Ether and a web3 compatible browser or plugin. You can get Ether on Coinbase and you can try out Brave or Metamask to use Leeroy and other dApps on your computer. Toshi or CIPHER are good picks for using dApps on your phone.
Can I Use Leeroy on My Cell Phone?
Yes, you just need to download a web3 browser first. Try Toshi or CIPHER. dApps aren’t generally stand-alone apps in the “app store” – they’re more commonly more akin to websites. This is probably a good thing – because web3 shouldn’t need permission from gatekeepers and you probably don’t want to set up an entirely new wallet for every dApp.
Can I Use The Same Account Across Devices?
Yes, absolutely. Good question. Because your identity within dApps is linked to your public address – you aren’t just given a username and password. Authentication is handled by your wallet – switching between wallets or using multiple wallets is straightforward. Read more about that here.
Why Do I Need to Use Leeroy?
Paying – even a few pennies – for something that seems “free” elsewhere might seem foolish. I assure you, the alternatives are not as free at they may appear. There, your data and your attention are for sale. Advertising pays for your experience – and enriches companies that have been known to censor and manipulate people. If you believe in an open and decentralized internet, Leeroy is an awesome proof of concept to get involved with. The community is filled with interesting people who generally care about technology and how it can impact the world.
Who is Behind Leeroy?
Leeroy is developed by James Childs-Maidment. You can find him @leeroy or @james on Leeroy.io – or @childsmaidment on Twitter.
Is It Under Active Development?
No. It isn’t. Unfortunately, it’s just a side project. Further, because of its “stateless contract” design, forking it and improving it isn’t as straightforward as it probably should be. Remember, it started as a proof-of-concept.
Lastly, Why “Leeroy” Anyway?
The crypto space is filled with its fair share of interesting stories. As Vitalik Buterin explains, World of Warcraft centralization affected him personally – and perhaps even influenced his appreciation for decentralization later. Leeroy, fittingly, gives WoW’s “Leeroy Jenkins” meme a nod in the crypto space.
Known Issues
Leeroy is still being perfected – and you’ll encounter a few quirks every now and again. I’ll list the ones I know about below – so you’ll know you’re not just doing things wrong.
- If you want to post a picture without any other content, you will have to temporarily type a character before you can attach an image. After your image is attached, you can delete the character.
- There are no “blue check marks” – no verified identities on Leeroy… yet (if ever). Who would verify? Remember, this is about decentralization.
I’m passionate about blockchains. I’m excited about decentralization, autonomous organizations, cryptocurrencies, and uncensorable dApps.
I’m also overwhelmed – with questions about these cutting edge technologies. I want to understand the tech, the politics, and the implications of the blockchain revolution.
Most of all, I want to share what I discover – because broader understanding will lead to greater participation, more rapid adoption, and, subsequently, a better world.
