Why Discord? Why Not?
Don’t be put off by one of the Metaverse’s top community discussion platforms.
Imagine you want to buy a new toy. You hear great things about it, watch all of the commercials, and even find yourself singing the toy’s captivating jingle. Just one catch though — you can only buy it at one huge general store, one that you are unfamiliar with.
So you drive over to that monstrous building, walk up to the door, and the door slides open. You are suddenly visually and audibly assaulted by fast-paced messaging from humans and bots buying and selling all sorts of items, sounds of bells and beeps, and potentially confusing arrows pointing in all directions, leaving you wondering where in this vast store you can find your new toy. Some may just turn around, go home, and say, “Hell with it, I don’t want the toy that much.” But millions others have not. They have figured out a way to make their own store.
Welcome to Discord.
This 7-year-old platform now has 150 million monthly active users. These user groups, known as ‘servers,’ generally log more than 4 billion conversation minutes daily. These brave souls have logged on and found a platform created to bring friends, family, and a myriad of other like-minded folks together, not only to play online games, but also to share their other interests. People use Discord to hold conversations in real time, as opposed to sites like Facebook where users read or comment on posts in their own time.
Recognizing the growth outside of gaming, the founders rebranded a couple of years ago to begin calling Discord “Your Place to Talk.” And there is a lot of talking and not just about gaming. Now, among the platform’s 13.5 million servers are conversations from everything about NFT art, music, and games to family, news and events, and even outdoor activities.
Discord isn’t the easiest software for the uninitiated and can be daunting at first. It’s not instinctive. It looks different. It works differently. But the site has its own “how-to” pages to get you started and walk you through set-up and potential crises. Once you get the hang of it, it is almost addictive.
You can use Discord on pretty much any device you own. It is compatible with Windows and Mac, as well as iOS and Android. The Discord app can be used with a number of third-party services, including Twitch and Spotify, so your friends can easily see what you’re reading, watching, playing, or listening too. You can also link your Xbox so that people can see what you’re playing on that platform (They are working on providing access for those using the PlayStation Network).
Discord is free but can be upgraded (for a price) to the platform’s subscriber service, Discord Nitro, which gives users access to increased upload size limits, higher quality video and audio, and improved avatars and emojis. Purchasers also receive two Server Boosts –fancy language for Discord currency that you can spend to “boost” a server, or increase it’s powers to allow for even better audio and video quality, icons, and emojis.
To create a Discord server takes only a few seconds. Clicking the “Add a Server” icon, users follow the prompts that reveal outlines for various uses, such as Gaming, Study Group and Artists & Creators. From here on it is about growing and personalizing your server, adding basic features such as voice and text channels. Discord’s guide can send you down even deeper rabbit holes to enhance your experience.
To join a public server is as simple as using a search function. Users can find a public server to discuss any relevant issue or topic. There are plenty of public servers out there that may be relevant to your interests, be it gaming, finance, or spelunking.
As you explore this vast network, questions of content safety and access undoubtedly will enter users’ heads. While it isn’t end-to-end encrypted, information is encrypted as it is in transit. And Discord does it’s best to keep bad actors from using the platform and its content.
So the next time you and your friends want to question FIFA Ultimate Team trading strategies, discuss the growth of bitcoin, or compare photos, you might find that Discord can be your comfortable home — not a frightening behemoth from which you run.
About The Booknerd.eth
The booknerd.eth is the founder of Block Capital and one of the country’s foremost digital marketers. A leader in the growth of blockchain and the NFT Space, he is a founding member of the WhalemakerDAO and has invested in top metaverse and Web3 companies, including IVC, SimWIN, YGGSEA, and HubSpot. He is also the president and co-founder of Results.io, a marketing venture focused on increasing engagement for gaming organizations entering and operating in the metaverse.
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About Results.io
Results.io is a Web3-focused growth agency specializing in marketing and community cultivation looking to help industry-leading projects drive engagement for NFT, P2E, and IDO’s. Learn more about the company at Results.io
