As a Nigerian, I'm used to being treated differently, in a negative way, in culturally diverse spaces. But I never let it get to me because I am Nigerian and I can't do anything about it.

Moreover, I believe that as long as you're valuable, you can stand out no matter where you are. Good examples include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tems and other exceptional Nigerians doing cool and great things.

However, because of Farcaster, I have been forced to reanalyse this belief of mine. Now, this post is not to put down the network. I am immensely grateful to be paid weekly for being active on a social network. In fact, Farcaster is the first and only app so far to pay me. Nevertheless, this payment will not stop me from calling out unfairness and perceived elitism.

Recently, Pichi wrote an extensive Paragraph post on the algo not being for you. She highlighted the unfairness which accounts that have been with Farcaster from the jump face on the leaderboard. This post is to agree with hers, but from the perspective of a member of the minority group of Farcaster.

I realised recently that I am now an OG albeit a noob OG. What I mean is if I engage with your posts, you will get high points but not as high as if OG accounts with sizeable following and influence engaged with your posts.

At first, I was happy. "I am now a high-quality user! Yay!". Then the happiness soon disappeared because I realised there's another side to the coin. OG accounts can give high points but if they are not affiliated with other OG accounts, they will not get high points in return.

This has always been the point gaining system on the Farcaster leaderboard. High-quality users have to engage with your posts before you are seen as a real person and, therefore, a high-quality user as well. I was fortunate to be introduced to the lively side of FC by an OG but not many people enjoy this benefit.

My first solution was to strive to be valuable. By "be valuable" I mean to create content that is either entertaining, informative or educative. Then I noticed another problem: Farcaster OG accounts are predominantly run by U.S. citizens or people deeply rooted in Western culture. It makes sense—Merkle is based in San Francisco. So, as a Nigerian, things often get lost in translation when trying to relate to these people.

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, he said the universal language is love and I believe it. I tried to relate to people by showing love. I have watched YouTube videos, listened to music, bought NFTs, and collected posts, but sometimes I feel like an impostor.

I have seen Nigerian users who are well-versed with Western culture gain influence on Farcaster faster than I can say Osadebamwen (it's a Nigerian name) while I'm just here looking like a deer caught in the headlights of being not Western enough.

It was then that I began to feel bad for being born a Nigerian and growing up in Nigeria. For the first time in my life, I might add. I finally understood the character Ifemelu in Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie when she moved to the US and understood the evil that is racism.

For the first time, I wanted to be a naturally blond 23 year old girl from California. I wanted to say I take coffee for breakfast. I wanted to own a pet dog and cat, and call them my children. I wanted to love house music. I wanted to say and get the Western humour. I wanted to tell tales of going to concerts or travelling on a whim. But I can't be or do any of these things.

I don't even want to get into the fact that I have to use a VPN to access websites and applications that are advertised as "decentralised". Is decentralisation not meant for Nigerians too?

Most Nigerians have given up hope on our leaders and even our country. People no longer look to the government for anything because they are a lost cause. Decentralisation seemed to me to be the solution to the problem of limited access to quality financial services and creator compensation. But sometimes, decentralisation feels like capitalism all over again.

This is the plight of the average member of the minority group of Farcaster. All I ask is for fairness. Let us all have equal influence on each other's accounts. Let the most valuable and not the most "Western-coded" win.