Infinite Stories in Blockchains

These are my speaking notes from talk at the WIP meetup that formed part of the Virtual Rare Arts Festival that kicked off in Cryptovoxels. Check it out this weekend.

Crowded TokenSmart Lounge. Unfortunately couldn’t display my wearables due to Brave throwing errors.

This is derived from from an earlier post describing finite and infinite storytelling.

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Art tells a story. There are many ways to categories or define story-telling. I want to share such a categorisation today. A finite vs infinite story, modified from James Carse's excellent book: Finite and Infinite Games.

We can learn from this on how to tell stories in the blockchain space.

Finite stories: novels, a film, a single artwork.
Infinite stories: memes, wikis, collaborative works.

Finite: Harry Potter.
Infinite: SCP.

Finite stories are stories that are supposed to have a beginning and end.
Infinite stories are supposed to keep going.

Finite creators compete against other creators.
Infinite creators invite other creators.

Finite stories require boundaries.
Infinite stories plays with boundaries.

Finite stories require suspension of belief.
Infinite stories play with boundaries of belief (4th walls).

In finite stories, surprises (twists) brings about its end.
In infinite stories, surprises are the reasons to continue.

Finite stories require truth/canon. Objectivism.
Infinite stories thrive on multiple narratives/perspectives. Relativism.

Finite stories, retcon.
Infinite stories, fork.

Finite stories are centralized.
Infinite stories are decentralized.

Finite stories are insular.
Infinite stories are open.

Finite stories celebrates winners.
Infinite stories mourn the loss of the losers.

Finite stories teach us how to save the world.
Infinite stories teach us how to savour the world.

A blockchain project be a finite story or an infinite story.

It can:
- enshrine its end.
- compete against other blockchains.
- require opt-ing out of other systems (with us, or against us, narratives).
- require suspension of belief.
- be fragile to change.
- save our world.
- only one truth. only one ledger.
- retcon.
- celebrate winning over other blockchains.
- insular.

OR

- ensure perpetual continuity.
- invite collaborators.
- invite surprise and change.
- play with the boundaries of belief.
- be anti-fragile.
- allows us to savour our world.
- multiple truths. multiple forks. From uncle blocks to outright forks (ETC).
- promote forks.
- mourn the loss of other projects.
- open.

There's no right or wrong. But infinite stories, aren't abundant. Let's experiment with it. Thanks!