removing the cost for real users to join and contribute to the network is an existential problem farcaster needs to solve

most people don't pay for social media - doesn't matter if it's $1 or $10 - it's not something they're used to

this is also an existential problem for apps building on farcaster

If you remove cost, you have infinite spam.

If you gate sign ups, it's not permissionless.

Warpcast has tried a couple of large, reasonably scaled experiments with free sign ups and the long term retention rate is basically 0.

and so alas we're stuck with 250k+ automated bot accounts willing to pay the $5 fee to use warpcast in order to get an airdrop

when the average person who uses web2 social networks as legitimate social networks or media platforms will say "wtf $5, no way" (including two of my siblings)

don't envy you

/ted | exploring the onchain frontier | surfing @ venice, ca | eating @ gjusta / gjelina

People not willing to pay $5 are unlikely to retain. So don't optimize the UX for these people right now. 

If we 10-100X users, then a read-only sign up mode might make more sense. More juice to squeeze focusing on people willing to pay right now.

Co-founder @bountycaster (bountycaster.xyz). Co-producer @ethereumfilm. Previously co-founder of Scalar Capital and product at Coinbase

chief connector @ changecode.io - tieing knots while sailing towards a better world - linktr.ee/civilmonkey 

We do onboarding and give away accounts in latam- just did that in Rio (15)  and will do in CDMX this week - and we try to drive engagement via resources in-language. @ted @linda @civilmonkey and others have donated warps to help us. I honestly have lost count on how many accounts we have given away this year since we do 5 here and there but we do it when we do spaces, workshops or events to drive engagement. I am very proud to see some who we have given accounts to become very active here and are now builders.