In an online world there is a heavy emphasis on Form over Function especially when dealing with technology. The problem is that we are not contextualizing the real world properly. This article will illuminate a disconnect that is commonly seen with members of Web2 and Web3 communities that will cause people to miss some of the most beneficial aspects of being in them.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
How Does X Community & Y Community Fit Together
How does the Wolf Den and The Guardian Academy (TGA) fit together? How are you in Bored Ape & TGA? Adopting this thought frame makes it seem like X & Y communities are competitors. The reason this occurs is because people are getting stuck on the form.
“Aren’t both communities NFT projects with a discord? This would make them the same.”
This isn’t true and we’ll dissect this with a real world example.
Let’s say that you go to night classes to get your degree. The next morning you go to a coffee shop with your church friends. Then you go to a night club with your college buddies and finally you go home and hang out with your family (wife and kids). If all you’re thinking about is the form, how does that all fit together? The form is that you’re going into a building in each scenario so they must all be the same. Contextually they aren’t… Would you behave the same in each of those locations?
We are going to say most likely not.
You’re probably going to exhibit a different behavior at home with your family compared to going to a coffee shop with your church group. These different situations aren’t competing, you’re simply living your life. The problem is that you lack contextual clues that are present in the real world when dealing with the Web2 or Web3 world. These clues give you an idea of how you should behave in certain situations. You can be in multiple Facebook groups but they can be all different, one for marketers and one for parents.
How do they fit together?
Well, because I can be both a marketer and a parent…
Two different roles, different FUNCTIONS, even though the FORM is the same (Facebook group).
In order to get the most out of an online world especially a Web3 world we need to flip our thinking into Function over Form.
Real Life Jane

This example is not unusual, this could be someone’s actual life. Who knows if this is a typical life, everyone has their own thing, but if this was someone you knew would you say…
“Where does the Costco membership fit in?”
Or…
“How does the Yacht club membership relate with the mom’s group?”
Seems rather strange when we use real world examples. Except these are conversations that are being had in the Web3 space.
“How does the Wolf Den fit together with The Guardian Academy?”
The reason one would ask this question is because they have not identified what the function of it is to their own life.
Frameshift to function over form in a Web3 world
Hopefully this opens a loop for you to explore, sit with it for a bit, reflect, journal, and discuss. When you’re ready leave your 6WU in the thread below.
6WU: Wisdom Comes From Multiple Perspectives
Share your perspective on what you’ve learned and read through what others have shared as well.
https://twitter.com/TheGuardianAcad/status/1616103196862173187?s=20&t=Xqvh1rirP6ecPLS3snxw-g