An article or so ago [I wrote about a gimmick](/articles/did_petitions_fail__how_ai_ruined_it__a_new_fediverse_gimmick_) I had in mind to gamify the [Fediverse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse) a little bit. I wanted to encourage people to like / boost and comment things on the fedi.

Today this gimmick is already fully implemented. It is still in its infancy, not gonna lie. But it works and a few test posts with this gimmick are present. For example:

[My review of Pulp Fiction](/reviews/pulp_fiction_1994_is_kind_a_amateurish_actually)

If you go to the review you will see that it will say that only the fans of the author can access this review. What does that mean?

# How does it work?

This website is on the fedi. My account here `@blenderdumbass@blenderdumbass.org` is findable on say [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org). And therefore, my articles are also findable there. But not simply findable. They are also likable, boostable and commentable.

Those likes, boosts and comments are sent via the [ActivityPub](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActivityPub) protocol, through the Fediverse, to my website's server. Which makes it so your likes and comments from the fedi appear under my articles here. And recently I also taught the server to write down who have boosted the articles on the fedi. ( Boosts are not a thing here on the website, but they are definitely a thing on the fedi ).

And so the website knows who on the fedi is active in engaging with me ( or any other author on this server. I mean @Troler writes a lot of [reviews](/reviews). ) Which I can use for a gimmicky gimmick.

I can count those engagements into something like a fandomhood points metric and lock certain articles under those points. So only people that engage enough with me will be able to read it.

You can think of it as "buying" access to the article by engaging with the author's account on the Fediverse.

# Is this a type of currency?

**No!**

I specifically went out of my way to make it not a currency. 

First of all, you cannot exchange it with anybody else. Therefore you cannot buy it or sell it. Therefor it is meaningless to use as currency. 

Then you don't have a fixed balance which you use on any article. Every author on this website has a different fandomhood score with you. If you liked or boosted my articles you don't get any points for that on articles by @Troler , for example.

And then I don't get "paid" by you, in those points. Instead I get from you the engagement. And when you "spend" your points, they just disappear into thin air.

I made the whole analogy of spending and stuff... I made the icon that looks like a coin and stuff... I presented it in a kind of transactional way, just so people will understand how it works. Because I assume everyone is at least somewhat familiar with money.

# Please try it

Please go over to the [review of Pulp Fiction](/reviews/pulp_fiction_1994_is_kind_a_amateurish_actually), or go over to one of the Troler's articles that has a fandomhood requirement on it, and try unlocking it.

Have fun.

**Happy Hacking!!!**