Blockchain technology is here to stay. Different projects spring up and implement their platforms on different blockchains for various reasons. I ran into an interesting Decentralised application called Kickback on Stateofthedapps.
kickback is an interesting platform that falls into the media category and is the 342nd rated decentralised application on Stateofthedapps. Kickback is a platform that is touted as an event management project built on Eth network and is one of the Dapps supported by myetherwallet.
The Guide described how to get started but that process didn't work for me for an unexplained reason. The procedure basically involves
- Go to kickback.events
- Click on Sign in at the top right corner of the screen
- Accept the connection request with your Metamask extension for PC or Status.im,
Trust, Coinbase mobile wallet.
I use Metamask wallet and this is all I see when I try to sign in.
The possibilities are that there's a glitch in the site or the only time you can sign in is when there is an event.
About Kickback
Not much information is given about the team behind the project. There are two people mentioned in the platform, and they are;
- Sebastian Rodriguez who is described as a Blockchain developer and mentor.
- Hanna Portman, who is touted as an Ethereum UI Designer.
Other Information
- Well first and foremost, it's built on Eth network, so you can be rest assured of security and ease of transaction
- There is a Medium post from Makoto could mean he is either part of the team or just a promoter, hard to say right now.
- Since I couldn't use the platform, I decided to do some digging, particularly through the medium channel. I saw this Post where Makoto talks about how he has been hosting events on the platform but under a different name for three years.
- The Post also discusses how Kickback powered Side events at Devcon 5.
source - Kickback also introduced DAI support and it was announced in this medium post
How It Works
- Sign in using the previously mentioned mobile or desktop ETH wallet
- Indicate your interest in participating in an event by paying a small amount of ETH, usually 0.02Eth in a smart contract agreement.
- If you attend the event, you will be refunded your ETH
-So the catch is, if you're absent from an event, your Eth will be dispersed equally to everyone that attends the occasion.
Opinion and Recommendation
As a blockchain enthusiast, I try to find the silver lining in every project I embark on reviewing. Some of them are very difficult to find, while for others, it is glaring. This project sadly falls in the first category because of how confusing it is.
First of all, why would I just throw my money into a pool simply because of an event I may or may not attend. From my standpoint, I think there's absolutely no reason why I should give them my hard-earned Eth, simply because of an event I willingly chose to attend.
Secondly, Why will you give my Eth to people that attend the event? I can't wrap my mind around why missing an event means my funds get dispersed to everyone that indicated to attend.
Culling from the first two points, it is largely possible that the Eth paid is for the ticket of the event; if that's the case, why're the funds being dispersed to attendees? This third theory is highly unlikely
The lack of information about the brains behind an otherwise confusing platform also makes me uneasy. I understand the importance of owning and having control of your information, but a lot of people like myself trust projects that have people willing to stick their necks out.
Kickback seems like they have a great idea but I think it is too elaborate and/or not doing what it was meant to do. This is evident in the lack of activity and the absence of an event there.
For an event management application, it really doesn't say much about ticket sales and that's where Blocktricks, another Dapp I found on Stateofthedapps stands out. This Dapp is focused on ticket management and sales of events.
Remember, you can use this Dapp and other amazing Dapps found on Stateofthedapps with this very popular Eth wallet provider called MyEtherWallet