Herd is supporting educators during these unprecedented times by giving them free access to its platform in order to create interactive content that serves learners. Learners can use this time wisely by developing new skills and greater knowledge; while companies and educators can continue to build a stronger educational content strategy.

For Educators
Herd makes it possible to:

• Create interactive lessons with existing content including videos and presentations
• Engage learners with tests and feedback questions about the lesson
• Get reports on class participation, scores, and feedback
• Make the learning experience fun with badges and awards for top performers

For Businesses

Educational content can provide a digital substitute for building relationships in-person, enabling your organization to deliver value to customers without asking for anything in return. Research has proven that customers consuming educational content have longer retention than customers that don’t. In addition to engagement, digital education systems like Herd can help companies to find and nurture the brand and product advocates.

Companies, educators, and individuals can use the special promo code digitalEd350V to get started on Herd.

Here are some quick easy steps on how to do it through this link: https://www.getherd.app/sign-up#for-company

Herd Steps Up in COVID-19 was originally published in HERD on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The first time I participated in a hackathon, I remember my pulse racing, fingers frantically typing as I attempted to push my last-minute changes ahead of the code deadline. If the push failed, everything we accomplished up to that point; the all-nighters, the flight out to San Francisco, the countless hours of coding, it would have all been a waste. And then the countdown started: 10, 9, 8…
A few minutes earlier I tested the code and knew it was up to date and working correctly. What I didn’t know was Murphy’s Law was in effect, and as the countdown continued, the push wasn’t working: 7, 6, 5…
The room was buzzing with developers shouting along with the countdown, high-fives were flying a few feet away from developers pulling out their hair looking totally distraught: 4, 3…
As droplets of sweat ran down face, a mentor who happened to be looking over my shoulder yelled out — “git push -f”: 2…
And with 1 second to go, I saw the familiar “…Resolving deltas: 100%…”, and our code was submitted. We looked at each other stunned, excited and completely spent. The room erupted into applause as the screen read “00:00”.
I was hooked.

Weekend warriors

In the months that followed the EOS Global SF Hackathon, the challenge of learning new technical skills and meeting new people drove me to participate in 6 additional competitions. I entered all of the them with Tiffany Marroquin, my team-mate and a talented front-end developer responsible for large parts of the Herd Platform. Throughout 2019, we won 4 in-person hackathons and 2 virtual hackathons with a rotating group of 8 teammates. Our weekend work resulted in 6 wins and $30K+ in prizes under our belts.

Each competition posed a new challenge, the opportunity to learn new technology, and the chance to work with new team mates. While competing was never easy, it was always fun.

A strategy for success

We didn’t know it at the time, but early on we began using a strategy that can be summarized by the “Three Ds” — Discover, Delegate, and Deliver.

Discover — A strong start to a coding competition meant the team reached consensus about an idea quickly. This was easier said than done as challenges were rarely shared before an event. We started by reviewing all available challenge material, followed by a team member speaking with judges, sponsors, mentors or organizers to uncover any unknowns the challenge text didn’t cover. Once we felt like we hit the nail on the head on the idea, we’d move on to deciding what each team member worked on.

Delegate — On most of our teams, the hackathon was the first time we worked together. We quickly learned that success was contingent on splitting up tasks to make progress on the project simultaneously, and checking in often to make sure no one is stuck or spending too much time on a single task. Eventually we brought all of the pieces together in time to deliver the apps on the last day.

Deliver — Presentations were typically 3–5 minutes in length, leaving us barely enough time to present the problem, describe one or two key differentiators of our solution, outline the technology, and wrap it up with the experience of working together. We chose our words carefully and took turns answering questions.

Our 2019 results are as follow:

Consensus 2019 by Coindesk
CodeHero — 3rd place, Decentralized Github

DevWeek NYC
Snap Station — 2nd place, automated camera station using Canon APIs

ETH Boston by ETH Global
AnonHero — Winner: ETH Boston, Torus & Skale Labs Challenges, provable and anonymous participation in social events/protests

UN SDG Hackathon by: Global Blockchain Business Counsel
HomeHero — Winner: P&G Challenge, measuring water consumption and incentivizing better water usage without whole-home smart metering

Skale Labs— Virtual Hackathon — Winner: AnonHero
Torus Labs Virtual Hackathon — Winner: AnonHero

Ending the Year with Gotham DLT Hackathon

We had learned so much from participating in hackathons that halfway through 2019 we decided to host our own. We selected a team of organizers that believed in the mission of increasing access to DLT technology for a diverse and inclusive community in NYC and got to work. At it’s core, we wanted to create an event for experienced and newer developers alike to learn, build-up confidence, and meet new people while working on distributed ledger technology.

Gotham DLT was scheduled for December 7th & 8th at the Microsoft Center in Time Square. To make it a success, we wanted to bring together a community of sponsors and partners that also believed in our mission. Gotham DLT wouldn’t have been possible without Blockstack, Monday Capital, Brooklyn Law School, Hack for Sweden, Microsoft + Open Source, Amberdata.io, Mindus, Block.one, Blockgeeks, TuiSpace, StartEd, Fullstack Academy, Grace Hopper, Building Blox, Parabellum Music, & the team at Herd.

The Results

On Sunday, 11 teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges that included leaders in Venture Capital, Law, Social Impact, and Blockchain technology, including guest judges all the way from Sweden.

In the spirit of diversity, the developers at Gotham DLT had free range to select the blockchain protocols they built on. The resulting distribution of 27% of applications built on Ethereum, 27% built on EOS, and 45% built on Blockstack reflects the participants’ desire to win technology specific challenges and their familiarity with the programming languages used in each protocol.

The benefits of Hackathons

For Developers: More than prize money

Developers spend countless hours learning every year, navigating an endless deluge of newer, better, more efficient technology. For some, the work is hidden away behind endless development, testing, and production cycles. Hackathons are a chance for these professionals to think outside the box and test their skills, and present their work to their peers. For new developers fresh out of bootcamps, high school students finishing their first comp sci class, or weekend tinkerers learning to code on Udemy; hackathons are an opportunity to learn alongside experienced teammates and build confidence in their skills.
Developers of all experience levels have an opportunity to improve their technical and presentation skills, improve team building skills, and perhaps most importantly, create lasting friendships along the way.

We all want to think something outside of the box and build something new — what’s better than challenging ourselves to do it while receiving feedback from our contemporaries along the way?

For Companies: Technical minds at the height of their creativity working on your technology

Hackathons offer companies an opportunity to connect with developers while providing the necessary structure and incentives to solve problems together. These events can increase the use of pre-released APIs and software packages and provide accelerated R&D with little risk.

For example, at Gotham DLT we used the Herd Learning Platform to deliver all of the hackathon’s training content, making it easier for developers to get started.

We also tested an experimental feedback solution to capture feedback from developers on the apps they liked the most.

Companies can also use hackathons as a team building exercise — at Herd we utilized the DevWeek NYC Hackathon as an off-site training for our 2019 summer engineering interns to foster teamwork.

A big thank you to the organizers

Hackathons aren’t possible without the organizers that make these events possible. For most, it’s a labor of love and a chance to engage the community. A big thank you to the companies and the awesome people that provided opportunities to me and my friends to build in our spare time through 2019: DevWeekNYC, CoinDesk, Block.one, ETHGlobal, Global Blockchain Business Council, Skale Labs, Torus Labs.

A Year of Technical Hackathons was originally published in HERD on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Network size, node diversity, transaction status, volume and transaction speed are some of the key metrics that signal the health of a blockchain network. Sites such as Etherscan, BTC.com, and Rinkeby.io allow users to analyze network data for various chains. Recently, I was introduced to another useful site called Amberdata.io during a presentation by the Amberdata CEO, Shawn Douglass, at EdCon 2018.

Using a simple navigation bar, Amberdata provides users with an easy way to analyze the Ethereum network. Network data set is divided into visualizations and data tables on tabs including infrastructure, transactions, and blockchain statistics.

The Infrastructure tab has data like the number of active nodes that support the network, current blocktimes, and my favorite visualization; a breakdown of where nodes are located geographically — it’s always reassuring to see over 20K active nodes across 5 continents.

The transactions tab provides detailed information such as what types of transactions are processed (for example smart contracts vs. transfers), the Gas cost of transactions, and transaction success rates. The Blockchain tab provides a simple view into Ethereum’s recent Blocks, Transactions, and Uncles.

When I’m selecting a dApp to review, one thing I’m looking for in particular is adoption. User adoption proves that a dApp works and that it has a market of users willing to pay transactions fees to use it. Today I’m taking a look at IDEX, a decentralized exchange for trading Ethereum (ERC-20) tokens created by the folks at Aurora DAO. IDEX promises to combine the speed of centralization with the security of blockchain settlement. The platform supports limit and market orders, gas-free cancels, and the ability to fill many trades at once.

Adoption = Market Fit

Trading
To start trading, I simply navigated to IDEX with MetaMask pointing to the Ethereum Main Net. Once IDEX loaded, I double checked that MetaMask was my chosen wallet by selecting Wallet in the user options and selecting Change Wallet. On the screen that followed I selected my MetaMask account and confirmed that my settings were correct.

Depositing ETH
Before I made a trade, I had to deposit ETH into IDEX. This was easy enough, and I did it by going to the Balances Tab and selecting Full Balances, searched for ETH, and selected deposit. I was able to transfer ETH from my MetaMask to IDEX and after a few block confirmations, I was ready to trade.

Initiating a Trade
To initiate a trade, I started with searching for a token that I liked. The nice thing about IDEX and other decentralized exchanges is that I’m able to find and purchase unique tokens that aren’t traded on the larger exchanges. The result is that smaller projects can find a layer of liquidity with interested investors that want to back early projects. For this example I chose to purchase ZRX (0X Tokens), a project I’ve been following for some time. 0X is not a small project by any means, but I haven’t had the chance to purchase ZRX, until now so why not take this chance.

Executing the Trade
IDEX was made to look and feel exactly like a centralized exchange, so my expectations were high when I attempted my first trade. My first two attempts did not work, and I was slightly alarmed by the lack of information about what was happening. Additionally I received warnings from MetaMask that almost made me reconsider if I should look into a new dApp for the day (more on this below). My trades were finally executed successfully after I switched from a Limit Order to a Market Order. Upon successfully completing my transaction I transferred my funds out of IDEX to a central account for safe keeping.

Setup: Unlike centralized exchanges, the one annoying thing this decentralized exchange was that I had to take an extra step to get funds onto the platform for trading through MetaMask. Of course the flip-side is that I didn’t have to create an account which was very helpful.

Core Functionality: IDEX was easy to use, and once my funds were available for the platform, trades were easy. My only annoyance was that the minimum amount of funds required for a trade at the time of writing this post were .15 ETH. I would have preferred to try the system out at a lower price point to become familiar with it. I thought that IDEX had reasonable fees of 0.2%.

Experience: Overall the user interface was simple and easy to use, and the IDEX team provided easy to use guides in case anyone got stuck along the way. What I didn’t like was getting a warning from MetaMask that the methods used to sign transactions through MetaMask by IDEX are not the newest or most secure. Looking forward to IDEX improving this element in the near future.

TL;DR: IDEX is a decentralized exchange for trading Ethereum (ERC-20) Tokens and it’s usage accounts for the largest percentage of ETH transactions on the network at the time this blog was published. The interface is easy to use for common trading pairs, and the app gives users the functionality to create their own trading pairs with their own tokens. Getting funds and out of IDEX is a bit of a pain when using MetaMask.

IDEX is the largest driver of transactions on the Ethereum network when this blog was written, it’s breaking down barriers between people, and it’s ready to use today.

You can learn about the amazing team at Aurora Labs that is behind this project here: https://auroradao.com/about/

Learn about ways to contribute to the project on Github here: https://github.com/AuroraDAO

Before we begin, it’s probably a good idea for me to introduce myself to you..

Hey, I’m Jason. Nice to meet you.

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege to work full time on blockchain projects at an amazing company called BlockApps. The experience at BA, in short, changed my life. I was introduced to what’s possible when people and technology are equal parts in creating the future. In the Ethereum community, I learned that no matter how amazing an individual is, a network of amazing people can amplify and expand ideas beyond any one individual’s imagination. I met talented engineers working to solve difficult theoretical problems and visionary entrepreneurs with wild aspirations to change the world. With each person I met, it became evident that there was something happening in the blockchain space that’s different from other areas of tech — it’s an entrepreneurial energy, it’s incredible and infectious. As I met more creatives and technologists with grand visions, I started realizing that our community can rethink mature markets, and say “hey, we can do it differently and better for everyone, not just the people at the top”. Anyways Hi! I’ve trained developers to write smart solidity smart contracts and I’m very excited to talk about the first dApp of #50dAppsin50days — AKASHA.

#50dAppsin50Days : AKASHA (Version 0.7.1) / Testnet

AKASHA is rethinking social media and publishing by decentralizing the data and control of a typical social media network. Powerful built-in micro transactions enable content to generate value incentivizing content creators to create good content. At face value, these two properties enable a censor-proof, fault-tolerant network with incentivizes that are directly aligned with the community. As per the documentation, AKASHA plans to release a Live Net version of this dApp in Q3 or Q4 of 2018.

Setup:

Set-up was easy enough — I opted for a desktop app/node. There was no need for Metamask or a similar wallet provider — everything is built-into the app. My first impression was how clean the interface looked — the minimalist palette felt right at home on my Mac. The difficult part about setting up a node was the time it took to sync. Even with the express sync, I waited for a little over an hour and a half to get on the network. For the initiated, a 1.5hr+ sync is nothing new, in fact, it can actually seem pretty fast. For the uninitiated, it’s a strange experience.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how you can try this out — easy just go to https://akasha.world/ and click the Desktop App.

Core Functionality:

If Social Network = share stuff and see what your friends are sharing, AKASHA hits the mark. To set expectations, think Twitter, not Facebook.
While there’s no way to show the value of having this platform run on a decentralized network on the interface, I was able to see the value of micro-transactions pretty quickly. After I posted content to AKASHA it was up-voted by the community and my post score and Essence increased.

AKASHA uses a combination of ETH, AETH, MANAfyd AETH, Essence & Karma to create a balance/counter balance to maintaining the network’s content and it’s quality (more on this below). AETH is a temporary currency that is only used on the testnet and will be replaced when AKASHA moves to the Ethereum Main Net.

Prior to interacting with the network, I was required to transform AETH into MANAfyd AETH through a process called staking. Staking in AKASHA matches the broadly used process by which you deposit some amount of value in a system to gain a benefit, such as access to a network or service. In this case, the benefit I received from staking AETH was the generation of MANAfyd AETH every 24 hours. Each up-vote, down-vote, comment, and post burn some amount of MANAfyd AETH. Burning MANAfyd AETH generates Essence which is then transferred to the user that posted the content. As users gain more Essence, they also gain more Karma. The more Karma a user has, the more they can do on the platform for cheaper. By this point if your head is spinning, don’t worry — there are several explainer docs for understanding this element of the AKASHA. It’s also important to highlight that the AKASHA team is still testing some elements of this process out, a friendly reminder that this app is still in testing.

You can learn more about AETH, MANAfyd AETH, Karma, & Essence.

Experience

Truly decentralized blockchain applications must manage unique user experiences, such as having users sign every transaction, or storing data in a decentralized manner. In this release, AKASHA has tried to incorporate tools to handle these situations. In regards to signing transactions, AKASHA generates a simple pop up that asks the user to confirm their actions. The addition of a helpful password memory tool improves ease of use by allowing AKASHA to store a password for up to an hour. Decentralized data storage is managed by distributing files across Inter-Planetary File Storage (IPFS). Outside of advanced configuration, the use of IPFS is seamless.

TL;DR
AKASHA is bringing blockchain technology to social media in the truest sense while making it easy to use for the everyday users. This dApp is still in testing.

Get involved: https://github.com/AkashaProject
The awesome team running this project: https://github.com/orgs/AkashaProject/people

I’m a huge fan of the ecosystem we’re building with blockchains. New applications are emerging that totally rethink and transform the way people can interact with the web, improving security, increasing privacy, and helping transact with more people faster than ever before.

In the circles I run in, we’re calling the emergence of decentralized apps (dApps) Web 3.0.

Over 50 days, I’m going to post about a new dApp each day, and I’m going to include a short bio and an description of my experiences in the following areas:

Setup

Core Functionality

Experience

Join me for the adventure to explore the amazing ecosystem that the blockchain community is building.