Until recently, access to "community" has been limited by location and the people within physical distance. If you were not in France, there was little hope you'd get to participate in The French New Wave. If you weren't in San Francisco in the 1950s, you were unlikely to meet a Beatnik or experience the birth of the Hippie movement.
History has numerous examples of communities centered around specific locations innovating, reinventing, and
revolutionizing across artistic mediums. If you were so unfortunate as to be born in the mountains of India or rural Ohio, there was nothing you could do short of moving halfway across the country or world.
As the internet has developed, truly becoming a "world wide web," the need to be near the people you share a community with has reduced significantly.
Continuing its evolution from the depersonalized world of anonymous two-dimensional internet forums into a more tangible three-dimensional space, it should be expected that our interpersonal connections will grow stronger and more meaningful roots.
The way people revere Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, or Picasso and Diego Rivera, the friendships they shared, and the communities that formed around them and their works will be how people look back at many of the people and teams building in Decentraland now.
You don't even need a computer capable of loading into Decentraland to participate with the creator community building within and around it. With no more than Twitter and Discord, you have access to some of the most passionately creative people on the planet working on the digital frontier of web3.
It has become an overused meme to say, "we are early," to justify poor "investing" choices or for the silver-tongued to separate hopeful fools from their money on social media. The allure of easy money and a seeming shortcut to wealth blinds many to the actual value of being "early."
Being early isn't a shortcut past having to work. A significant benefit of being early to a space is that your work can stand out more quickly. Becoming a "big fish in a small pond" and being able to grow with the community you are a part of.
The real treasure is the friends we made along the way.
It goes well beyond being able to stand out as an individual; there is an incredible amount of value to be gained from joining the Decentraland community and being "early." That value does not return to you immediately in piles of fiat and a never-ending string of eth transactions.
The value comes from being able to make meaningful relationships and genuine friendships with incredibly talented people who inspire you.
You can DM any of the creators I love, "Hey, I love your work; how can I do what you do?" And they will probably get back to you within a few hours and have a list of all the resources they found most helpful.
The space is filled with vibrant people who are excited to learn, grow and share as they go. There is a diverse, global community of developers and creatives at your fingertips, filled with people who want nothing more than to share what they are most passionate about with you.
I don't know what the future of Decentraland is, and anyone who pretends they can is lying to you or themselves. You can bet the people you will meet in Decentralamd, those who stay, will be around in whatever the final form the "metaverse" takes.
Nikki Fuego's fire will burn just as bright in Sandbox, Otherside, or where ever she goes. Michi Todd's whimsical style and unstoppable kindness won't be any less magnificent in another digital world. I could go on forever, Yannakis, Doki, Roustan, MetaJewel, and a dozen other incredible talents who will transcend Decentraland, if necessary, before it is all said and done.
So many people check out Decentraland, scoff at the graphics, and dismiss the potential for it to contain anything of value or interest to them. There is so much more to Decentraland than the graphics. Is it flawed? Of course, It's a collection of strangers across the globe coming together to create an open-source world.
Limitations are where innovation is discovered. Decentraland requires context to appreciate. While it may no longer be in its infancy, Decentraland has barely begone to crawl, not only as a technology product (game?) but as one of the first Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) to build something of substance.
Because Decentraland is this unique hybrid of a social, technological, and economic experiment, you will have unique problems to overcome. However, Decentraland is incredibly lucky to have such an extraordinary collection of talented, intelligent people to tackle these obstacles and lay the foundation for what is to come.
If you still aren't sure where to start, follow me on Twitter, and I'll link you to the first Space or DCL Event worth going to.
My Twitter @Jarod40020
List of the best places to find everyone referenced or photographed:
@EmpressRaeon and her marvelous RoyalBabesNFT.io
@Michi_todd and his No Pants Fridays spaces are quickly becoming a DCL Staple.
@NikkiFuego92 and @Vroomwayio are going full steam ahead, and you need to follow both accounts.
And last but not least,the guys over at @DiceMastersDCL are just starting.