# Networked *up and to the right* By [Touch Grass](https://paragraph.com/@touchgrass) · 2024-05-18 --- ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5be40115262cd8c4b450ea83c5189c79.png) An awesome work by Chris Martz, found on his Orb club, /entrylevel We hope the week has been good to you. It’s been a huge one here at Lens. As you might know, we announced the Lens Network, a new approach towards decentralized social spaces. [You can read more about it here.](https://twitter.com/LensProtocol/status/1790458242855751950)  These past weeks planning the big reveal made me reflect further on the importance of interconnectedness and interdependence, specifically for creators and builders. Applications, protocols, and platforms are only successful through network effects. Communities, either IRL or URL, make people thrive. Competition is about connection and interdependence as well: my business might succeed when catering needs that others don't. Being hyper aware of your network and its dependencies makes sense, no matter who you are or what you are creating.  ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/c5777b060589ceba1baac92c5043f378.png) This might sound based of Don Draper, but it's actually not.  We are parts of many ecosystems, and those ecosystems are connected with each other. Sometimes events can destabilize those ecosystems. Being aware of each other becomes more important.  NFTs are digital cultural and networked objects. They connect us with each other, by affinity but also through transactions. They create communities and millions of connections between people.  I am constantly reminded of this thanks to Burak Arikan’s [Social Contracts](https://socialcontracts.jpg.space/) project I helped with through my former company JPG, last year. Here’s an example, where you can see my ETH address (mariapaula.eth) connected to others, through the NFTs we collected.  ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/847de6cc53183cfdc4ada7d8745d6a1e.png) This week, Jgc, who of course, I met on the Internet, and share many discords with, shared their new art project with me, [Memento Mori](https://memento.memory.community/). Again, the importance of the network as a vehicle to remind me of one of my favorite online communities pops up in my mind.  ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/be2001dbb10500e69d4630b574f93422.png) Anyways, all this is to say that networks can be explored from many different angles, but first and foremost, no matter how deeply abstracted and technical the network, it’s always about humans. Before this week’s onchain digest, an announcement: next week we’ll be at Berlin Blockchain Week. The Lens Network will be introduced at our event afk on May 23rd. Stani will be in conversation with Alex G. from zySync, and joined by many more amazing speakers. [All event details are here.](https://lu.ma/afkberlin) And if that’s not enough for you, our friends at RefractionDAO and Livepeer are hosting a party right after. [Here’s their invitation.](https://lu.ma/yvfdqqjn) Lens will also be taking over the coziest room at the [ETHBerlin hackathon](https://ethberlin.org/), the Library, where you will be able to enjoy some moments spent with the Lens team, Family style ;).  Grab some matcha and ask Stani questions about the Lens Network, join us for live screen printing special Lens t-shirts or simply hanging out away from the hustle and bustle of the hackathon.  Now, to this week’s Digest:  ### Culture: ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a9d2b8d7c27aaa334c98831d596c6d25.png) * Sgt. Sl8termelon is always a must-mint in my books. [His artworks on pfeffunit’s Simple Tools for Simple Degens is not an exception to this rule.](https://simplenftsforsimpledegens.xyz)  * At long last, one of my favourite people and artists, Heaven Computer, [is birthing a new project!](https://sky.luxury/)  * The [/entrylevel club on Orb is absolutely popping](https://orb.club/c/entrylevel). Chris Martz and Chromuh are killing it with their art.  * [So is the /skincare club](https://orb.club/c/skincare) \- we put it together this weekend and people are loving it. Treatments, products, memes…. It’s all happening we’re all moisturized. * [Nic Hamilton x zkSync free mint to celebrate Lens Network](https://orb.club/p/0x0415da-0x02) * [Cigawrrettes started dropping their cigarette ads on Orb](https://orb.club/p/0x042312-0x01) - this is actually huge, we collaborated with Cigawrettes and the results are just… [incredible - here is the second one.](https://orb.club/p/0x042312-0x02) * [Letsglitchit’s Zora drop](https://orb.club/p/0x03f46d-0x7f-DA-35b48626) * Wishing guruguruhyena a speedy recovery, [and thanking them for this fantastic artwork](https://orb.club/p/0x03ddd6-0x0126) ### Laughs: ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/3413a67c7782426c6b9bd4c9d56e1dd8.png) * [Mother’s day thread of Celebrity Mom Moments](https://twitter.com/notgwendalupe/status/1789419040923885714?s=46) * [Mitchell Chan’s obituary to Kim Kardashian Hollywood Game](https://twitter.com/mitchellfchan/status/1790752082833649770?s=46)  * [Chairman Birb with Taylor Swift outfits as crypto projects logo - check Aave and Lens!](https://twitter.com/bonecondor/status/1790592058584900005?s=46) * [Play Speedtracer Lens edition!](https://www.speedtracer.xyz/127)  * [Definn being Definn](https://orb.club/p/0x01a14e-0x03bd-DA-59577135) ### Read / Learn:  * [This thoughtful essay by Dougald Hine I found in a newsletter](https://dougald.substack.com/p/doing-the-internet-right) - how to internet healthily * [Christina’s summary on the Lens Network](https://twitter.com/0xChristina/status/1790460128312852945) * [Eli Ankutse wrote a guide for Mr. Porter on skincare for black men](https://orb.club/p/0x01a218-0x0121-DA-0c0f620e) - and resurfaced it for the /skincare Orb club * Origin Story’s making great educational videos about Lens - [here’s the first one,](https://orb.club/p/0x7dee-0x0183) super helpful for onboarding new people, [and the second one](https://hey.xyz/posts/0x7dee-0x0188) \- that goes deeper into features. * [Lens shipped cross-chain NFT open actions.](https://app.t2.world/article/clwasjr4z1573821zmc6hnj39lj) Mint on Zora, on Ethereum or any L2, sell directly on Lens. ### ⭐️HOT NEW LENS USERS⭐️ * [Sheeban, horror storyteller](https://orb.club/@sheeban) * [Horticulture, gardener supreme](https://hey.xyz/u/horticulture) * OF COURSE, [zkSync is now on Lens!](https://hey.xyz/u/zksync) * The brillant curator [Alex Czetwertynski](https://hey.xyz/u/alexczetwertynski) * [James Beck,](https://hey.xyz/u/jamesbeck) Consensys OG and awesome writer, just made a comeback :)  * [Welcome Upperreality](https://hey.xyz/u/upperreality) :) --- *Originally published on [Touch Grass](https://paragraph.com/@touchgrass/networked)*