AIP-272: Grant $5000 to DAO Times for the Commission of Unbiased Reporting on ApeCoin DAO - 50 articles over one year

Withdrawn AIPs
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Proposal Name
Grant $5000 to DAO Times for the Commission of Unbiased Reporting on ApeCoin DAO - 50 articles over one year.

Proposal Category
Ecosystem Fund Allocation

Abstract:

We are applying for $5,000 in ApeCoin funding to compensate a reporter who will deeply research the ApeCoin DAO community. This reporter will report for DAO Times on all major ApeCoin DAO events, proposals, grants, and discussions over the course of one year. In total, he will publish 50 articles on the ApeCoin DAO.

Each article will contain a prominently displayed note that it was funded by ApeCoin DAO with a link. We will also include these notes in our tweets, mentioning ApeCoin’s Twitter account.

Motivation:

We believe in the potential of DAOs to transform the world, and we’re committed to exploring this potential through our reporting. Our selfish goal is to delve deep into DAOs, to study them and to describe our observations transparently. However, to maintain our comprehensive coverage, we need to compensate our reporters adequately, which we currently can’t do due to our non-profit status. You won’t see a single banner ad or pop-up that will prevent the audience from reading the content.

I personally committed almost all my savings to building DAO Times. Even my family and friends call me a fool, but I believe in what I do. I believe that initiatives like DAO Times are making the world a better place. So I am asking you to help us with a grant donation to pay the reporter for a year of work. We guarantee that he will deeply research the ApeCoin DAO and publish 50 unbiased articles about the DAO.

Why might you want to do this? Because it’s important for a DAO to get the press to write about it regularly. That way the DAO gets more exposure, influence and attracts new contributors.

The size of this grant is very small compared to any similar proposal. Because the team is not looking for profit here.

Importantly, receiving this grant won’t compromise our editorial independence. Our coverage will remain objective and uninfluenced by the source of funding.

To summarize, we see this as a win-win opportunity for both of us, and for the DAO community. We get to do what we love while diving deeper into learning about the DAO industry. We attract new builders to the DAO niche and promote decentralization in general which is our mission. You get more publicity, which in any case certainly benefits your whole community. You also get an independent perspective on your DAO, which will help you take a bird’s eye view and become a better DAO.

Our proposal is about more than just funding — it’s about fostering a healthy, transparent, and diverse discourse around DAOs.

We hope you’ll consider supporting our initiative.

Rationale:

This proposal aligns with the mission of ApeCoin DAO by promoting transparency and increasing community engagement. By providing regular updates about the DAO, we aim to foster a better-informed and more active community.

Author Description
I’m Makoto Takahiro, founder of DAO Times. An experienced journalist with a passion for decentralization, I’ve dedicated myself to transparent and comprehensive coverage of DAOs. My belief in the transformative potential of these organizations led me to creating DAO Times, a platform committed to unbiased and insightful reporting about DAOs.

My Twitter
https://twitter.com/makoto_takahiro

Team description
Our lead writer, Saudu Clement, is a skilled journalist known for his ability to craft engaging narratives while distilling complex ideas into digestible information.

Jyotirmoy Barman, our technical writer, brings an invaluable depth of knowledge about DAO operations, contributing detailed, accurate insights into the intricate world of decentralization.

Edward Moon serves as our DAO advisor, leveraging his extensive experience with decentralized organizations to provide key strategic guidance.

Finally, our communications consultant, BoredInvesting, shapes our outreach and engagement strategies.

Specifications:

Stats:
An average article on the website gets around 100 views with the top one reaching almost 4000 views. Our Twitter has 4100 followers and an average article gets around 500 impressions, with the top one reaching almost 30000 impressions. Our newsletter has 380 subscribers, with 79% of them engaged in the last 30 days. These are not big numbers, but we are growing, and our audience consists solely of DAO builders.

Platforms:

https://daotimes.com

https://twitter.com/dao_times

Examples of our articles about ApeCoin DAO:

https://daotimes.com/apecoin-dao-to-implement-transparency-act-for-ecosystem-fund-allocation/

https://daotimes.com/apecoin-dao-selects-webslinger-as-administrator-for-the-ape-foundation/

https://daotimes.com/apecoin-dao-proposes-reward-for-year-1-active-forum-contributors/

https://daotimes.com/apecoin-to-integrate-with-catapult-to-refine-its-dao-onboarding-process/

Steps to Implement:

  • Develop an editorial calendar outlining the topics and timeline for the 50 articles.
  • The reporter begins researching and writing the articles.
  • Review, edit, and publish the articles on DAO Times.
  • Promote each article on DAO Times’ Twitter profile.
  • Encourage community members to provide suggestions for improvements or ideas for future reporting.

Timeline:

The project will commence immediately upon receiving approval and funding, and will run for a period of one year.

Overall Cost:

$5,000 in ApeCoin to compensate the reporter.

Why we created DAO Times:

DAO Times is a response to the growing need for an inclusive platform within the decentralized organizations landscape. In the existing crypto media, sensationalist news often obscures significant developments in the DAO ecosystem, while smaller outlets mostly recycle content from larger platforms. This lack of original and insightful coverage undervalues the efforts of dedicated DAO builders, stifling innovation and growth.

Our broader objective is to challenge the status quo and inspire people to embrace decentralization, thus creating democratic and collaborative communities, ultimately contributing to a more conscious and compassionate world.

Here are some testimonials from DAO builders and decentralization enthusiasts:

  • “I believe you’re bringing great value to your community members, educating and informing them about DAOs.” (Libertas Finance)
  • “I am very impressed. Your coverage of the DAO ecosystem is thorough, timely, well-researched, and fair.” (Frisson)
  • “Good job with this website you’re running. Keep the good work, and thanks for spending your time this way” (mazafaka.eth)
  • “We commend the work you are doing to push the Web3 industry forward. Keep up the great work” (Cindicator)
  • “Fascinated with the quality of content and every story around DAO shared” (Subham Surana)
  • The best content around DAOs that I’ve seen (Utkarsh|Schrodingrrr.eth)
  • “Your work in this space is already fantastic! Thank you for what you do” (Jawna.ETH)
  • “Love that you’re reporting what’s going on in various DAOs!”(Adventurous Ape)
  • “DAO times is one of my favorite media in the DAO ecosystem” (Kiyoaki)
  • “Love the work you are doing to build cool things in web3” (Accelchain)
  • “The concept of DAO Times looks really amazing!” (Nihar Thummar)
  • “I enjoy their coverage of DAO-related topics thus far.” (Stn)
  • “This a great work that you’re doing” (Gino Cingolani)
  • “DAO times is extremely good” (artdapp1)

Proposals submitted to the AIP Ideas category can be vague, incomplete ideas. Topics submitted here are not required to be submitted as a formal AIP Draft Template, however, you may still use the template if you wish.

4 Likes
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Hi DAO Times! Good idea, but I’ll ask you a few questions

Who will develop the calendar and topics for 50 articles, what kind of participation will the community take in this?

The life of the DAO is full of events, and the subject of news can change dynamically, is it worth determining 50 topics for 120 days in advance?

What are the expected results from the publication of 50 articles about Apecoin DAO? How will the effectiveness be evaluated? The growth of Twitter account subscribers or maybe the number of new participants of the Discourse by your invite link to the forum?

What channels will be used to distribute articles about Apecoin DAO? Your website and Twitter account?

12 Likes
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This is a good way to make information about the ApeCoin DAO public.

Is this amount enough or do I need to make adjustments?

50 articles is a lot. Will he be able to find so many interesting topics to publish?

3 Likes
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not sure if we should buy publicity but rather build great things so that it is being reported about it (without paying for it)

3 Likes
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It does not interfere. You can create great things and still “advertise” yourself.

2 Likes
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but where’s the line between paying a reporter to write about us VS paying a influencer to shill about us? to me it is pretty much the same, and I don’t like this approach.

1 Like
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Perhaps the reporter needs to check with the community for each post.

1 Like
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Answering questions of contributors: @Zaid_Orr @koto @birdy

Who will develop the calendar and topics for 50 articles, what kind of participation will the community take in this?

We will develop it. ApeCoin DAO community can suggest their ideas if they want to improve it.

The life of the DAO is full of events, and the subject of news can change dynamically, is it worth determining 50 topics for 120 days in advance?

50 articles is a lot. Will he be able to find so many interesting topics to publish?

There are many more events happening in the DAO, so we’re unlikely to encounter such a problem. But if there’s nothing to cover, which is a highly unlikely scenario, our reporters can create educational content about the DAO or conduct interviews.

What are the expected results from the publication of 50 articles about Apecoin DAO? How will the effectiveness be evaluated? The growth of Twitter account subscribers or maybe the number of new participants of the Discourse by your invite link to the forum?

I believe it’s not possible to predict and count the exact number of subscribers or contributors we can acquire for you. However, to provide some tangible metrics for understanding the potential reach, I estimate that in a worst-case scenario, 50 articles would garner around 15,000 views on the website and 100,000 views for ApeCoin DAO related tweets. We are continuously growing, so the actual numbers will likely be higher.

$5,000 in ApeCoin to compensate the reporter. Is this amount enough or do I need to make adjustments?

This is a correct number :slight_smile:

not sure if we should buy publicity but rather build great things so that it is being reported about it (without paying for it)

but where’s the line between paying a reporter to write about us VS paying a influencer to shill about us? to me it is pretty much the same, and I don’t like this approach.

DAO Times is a non-profit initiative. Our goal is to provide unbiased, insightful reporting. We’ve already been writing about ApeCoin DAO periodically, and some of you might have come across our articles over the past six months. Our interest in ApeCoin DAO isn’t new or contingent on this grant; we’re genuinely committed to reporting on the developments within this community.

The funding we’re requesting isn’t for “shilling”; it’s to enable deeper research into the ApeCoin DAO. The grant would allow us to dedicate a reporter for this task. Our aim isn’t to “shill” or artificially inflate the reputation of ApeCoin DAO, but to provide an objective and comprehensive portrayal of its activities. If we discover negative behavior or problematic issues during our coverage, we will report on it openly.

This funding request isn’t about buying publicity or promotion; it’s about facilitating thorough and independent coverage of ApeCoin DAO. We believe that taking a bird’s-eye view of the organization can lead to valuable insights contributing to the growth and development of the DAO. We hope this clarifies our intentions and the nature of our proposal.

1 Like
10

Just food for thought:

I don’t think the idea of a set number of articles over a set period of days is an optimal way of doing something like this. Will there be enough high quality, newsworthy events to justify that? Probably not. I’ve seen a lot of similar strategies come off as PR spam as opposed to real news.

Beyond that, what’s the reasoning behind the DAO funding this? I believe it would create an inherent bias in the reporting, as you cannot be objective when you’re being paid to write news about something. I think it’s a cool idea when considering how do we generate more attention to what the DAO is up to, but I don’t see this as being the correct avenue.

14 Likes
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I adhere to the opinion @mattborchert It looks ridiculous, custom-made articles to promote the DAO, which are published regularly every three days. This may be perceived negatively by readers - we buy a newspaper and a reporter to write articles about us, it looks like propaganda

5 Likes
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Hi @DAOTimes!
When articles that are written are interesting, they attract attention. Other resources refer to them, the flow of readers increases. That is, summing up, when a publication writes an interesting article about a project, everyone benefits from it. Therefore, I think if there are articles that could be of interest to your readers, then they should be published, regardless of whether you have been allocated money for this or not, because it is in your own interests.
But if we are talking about a PR company, then here we already need to start from whether a DAO needs it or not.
But I am glad that you created this topic, now I know about you and I will read your articles with pleasure.
Thank you!

6 Likes
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Hi, what is your readership/reach? Are your readers all Web3 aficionados or are your readers outside of web3 as well? How many readers do your articles normally gather? Thanks.

5 Likes
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Maybe add in a stipulation that Apecoin Twitter tweets each month or week re the articles or DAO TIMES as a whole.

I like the idea, I just hope that the grant would not effect impartiality and that news would always be factual and unbiased, but I’m sure that professional reporters have this covered.

Great plan, cheap as chips, LFG

3 Likes
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I started helping the team as an advisor a few weeks ago and recommended they submit the proposal; I believe this is beneficial for everyone.

2 Likes
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Our selfish goal is to delve deep into DAOs, to study them and to describe our observations transparently. To do this we need to compensate reporters for their time, but we don’t have the budget for that because the project is non-profit, you won’t see a single banner ad or pop-up that will prevent the audience from reading the content. I personally committed almost all my savings to building DAO Times. Even my family and friends call me a fool, but I believe in what I do. I believe that initiatives like DAO Times are making the world a better place. So I am asking you to help us with a grant donation to pay the reporter for 120 days of work.

Why might you want to do this? Because it’s important for a DAO to get the press to write about it regularly. That way the DAO gets more exposure, influence and attracts new contributors.

The size of this grant is very small compared to any similar proposal. Because the team is not looking for profit here.

A grant does not compromise our editorial independence. The coverage will be objective and will not be influenced by the source of funding. Grants like these promote transparency, a fundamental principle of any DAO. Many reputable media outlets receive grants and it’s seen as a positive practice that helps in-depth reporting and exploration of complex issues. Many media platforms are owned by brands, but this doesn’t make them biased, for example Coindesk owned by Digital Currency Group openly reported on FTX situation leading it to FTX’s bankruptcy despite the fact that DCG has an investment in FTX and thus a vested interest.

To summarize, we see this as a win-win opportunity for both of us, and for the DAO community. We get to do what we love while diving deeper into learning about the DAO industry. We attract new builders to the DAO niche and promote decentralization in general which is our mission. You get more publicity, which in any case certainly benefits your whole community. You also get an independent perspective on your DAO, which will help you take a bird’s eye view and become a better DAO.

1 Like
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An average article on the website gets around 100 views with the top one reaching almost 4000 views. Our Twitter has 4100 followers and an average article gets around 500 impressions, with the top one reaching almost 30000 impressions. Our newsletter has 380 subscribers, with 79% of them engaged in the last 30 days. These are not big numbers, but we are growing, and our audience consists solely of DAO builders.

1 Like
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Thank you for your support!

While we strive to create engaging content, this non-profit grant request is to sustain our in-depth reporting, not a PR campaign.

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Hey. I’m reading the early version of this proposal, and I see some opportunities for you talk more about what you’ve done in ape space. If I can offer a nitpick, maybe put the embeds different on the page.

The title and “50 articles” might be be an area you can also consider improving on. There’s probably many people who recognize your articles posted across BAYC discord reddit & more for a long time.

Glad to see you asking to be powered by apecoin. Its a good publication thats long covered ecosystem & more. From August or so on. Really good work & I want to see you win.

1 Like
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Thank you for your input and support! Of course, we appreciate the idea of regular tweets about our articles by ApeCoin, but we don’t want to make it an obligation. Our goal is to produce such high-quality and engaging content that it naturally inspires sharing.

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Thank you, @0xSword, It’s very important to hear such words from one of the most significant contributors to ApeCoin DAO. We will certainly consider your feedback.

If I can offer a nitpick, maybe put the embeds different on the page.

Are you suggesting that the cover images appear a bit cringe? If so, we’ll ask our content manager to enhance their quality. We’re currently generating them with Midjourney.

The title and “50 articles” might be an area you can also consider improving on.

We will revise and expand upon it for clarity.