Syndichain, a blockchain-based news aggregator that provides open algorithms, public data, and protection against censorship, has launched the first version of its app.
Unlike many existing news aggregators and social media feeds, which use proprietary algorithms to determine the content their users see, Syndichain uses open algorithms that tell users which metrics are used to surface content in their feeds. The default feed shows content based on the accounts a user follows, the accounts they follow, and the user’s activity. Users can also create custom algorithms to sort Syndichain content.
Since Syndichain is built on a public blockchain, its data is also open and public. Every post, comment, and like is stored on a distributed public ledger which can be viewed at any time via Syndichain’s block viewer.
This blockchain also makes Syndichain resistant to censorship because all of the data is distributed across a worldwide network of nodes and no single entity controls or hosts the data. Content moderation decisions made by local node operators are isolated to the users that they serve and don’t result in the content being censored for all Syndichain users. This differentiates Syndichain from many of the popular news aggregators and social media platforms where one entity can censor content for all of the users.
Additionally, Syndichain has opted to circumvent the risk of Apple and Google app store censorship by distributing Syndichain as a progressive web app (PWA). PWAs offer most of the functionality of native mobile apps but are distributed to users directly via a website. The only feature Syndichain’s PWA doesn’t offer is push notifications.
Syndichain users can add new content to their feed by following individual accounts or subscribing to topic-based “Curations” which bundle together multiple accounts and posts. Users can browse accounts and Curations on Sydichain’s “Explore” page or search for specific accounts and Curations.
Syndichain has several features planned for future versions including Really Simple Syndication (RSS) integration, the ability for users to build their own Curations, and monetization.
