Driving Effective Governance in Voltaire: Cardano Parameters Explorer [by Lido Nation]

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Darlington Wleh

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

12

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Parameter Explorer: multimedia hub featuring Cardano parameters in articles, podcasts, quizzes, & discussions. Empower the community to understand foundations & make informed governance decisions.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The explorer will live on Lido Nation and be free to the community alongside other current Lido Nation educational resources.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Cardano has over 40 network parameters (this number can change over time as parameters are added or retired.) These parameters are the nuts and bolts that define how the blockchain works. Both now and in the future, important governance decisions in Cardano will involve these parameters. It is vital that Cardano users be able to learn about these parameters, share knowledge, ask questions, and track their changes and effects. 

The Problem:

In the Voltaire Era, ada holders and dReps can propose changes and vote on parameter settings. We must cultivate an informed electorate who understands what each of these settings mean!

Lido Nation started to address this issue with our “Cardano Network Parameters” article series and podcasts. We have, so far, covered 13 parameters in article form; these can be viewed at https://www.lidonation.com/en/tags/cardano-network-parameters. The articles are written to be short, approachable and interesting. Each article follows a similar format:

• What does the parameter do?
• Why is it interesting? 
• How or why might it change?
• Why should you care?

As we publish more articles about Cardano Parameters, this page is already becoming a good resource, but we would like to take it to the next level. 

Introducing: Cardano Parameters Explorer

We propose to create a complete, multimedia library covering all Cardano parameters. 

From the landing page, users can explore and learn about all the parameters using their preferred modality. Each parameter will have its own page, which includes all of the following:

• Article: similar to those that have already been published, each parameter has its own educational article that explains what the parameter controls, why it’s interesting, and why the community should care about it.
• Podcast: each parameter will have its own original podcast episode. Each podcast is only about 5 minutes long. Each episode covers the same educational content as the article, re-formatted for the podcast medium. Each episode also includes a short AI-generated “song” about the episode topic. These songs are “just for fun”, but they can be a catchy way to help listeners remember something about the parameter, and what they learned in the episode. Podcasts will be syndicated and distributed across common podcast platforms, increasing potential reach!
• Comments: The comments section is a place for the Community to engage in conversation about the parameter. If they have an opinion about how the parameter should change - they can leave a comment and start a discussion. If they have a new question after reading the article or listening to the podcast, they can post their question and other community members can post answers.
• Settings Timeline: Each Parameter page will display its current setting (most settings are numerical values of some kind) as well as its history of past settings in a timeline view. Has the setting gone up or down? Did it change a lot or a little? What epoch did it change? In the Voltaire era, this also includes a reference to the governance action that enacted the change.
• Incentivized Quiz: Borrowing infrastructure that we have already built and offered to site visitors on our Every Epoch quiz and Swahili Learn to Earn program, each Parameter Page will have an incentivized “Quiz Question” on the page. Users who connect their wallet and answer quiz questions correctly will be rewarded with HOSKY or other network tokens. Cardano “degens” who love free stuff are “tricked” into clicking into all the articles to learn more about network parameters!
• Categories, Types, and Links: Cardano Parameters are grouped into Categories: Economic, Technical, Governance, and Network. Furthermore, they each have a specification about whether they can be changed via a Governance Action, or whether change would require a network Hard Fork. The Categories and Types will be listed on each landing page, with easy hyperlinks for users to easily jump to other related parameters in the same category.

Why this solution?

Lido Nation is already a popular community resource for clear, accessible Cardano information and education. We have been a finalist in the “Cardano Educational Influencer” category at the Cardano Summit awards for two years running. We have published an educational article every week for three years. Both of our primary writers (Darlington and Stephanie) are current Cardano Ambassadors, whose published material is tracked and co-promoted by the Cardano Foundation, which extends our reach and exposure. Our Catalyst Explorer tool is also well-known, and is frequently linked by the IOG Catalyst team in the weekly townhall meeting; it is also frequently used and shared by other community members on social media during the busiest week of Project Catalyst rounds. Our Every Epoch quiz game is visited by many users each epoch to learn and take a quiz to earn network tokens. This solid base of site traffic, community awareness, and educational materials means that Lido Nation is an ideal platform for this important resource. 

It’s not just another website. It’s a value-added resource on a well-trafficked educational community hub.

For comparison, here are links to the current best places to find any information about Cardano parameters. Each of these resources serves a certain purpose, but none have clear or engaging explanations, multimedia content, or an invitation to collaborate.

• https://cexplorer.io/params 
• https://beta.explorer.cardano.org/en/protocol-parameters/ 
• https://beta.explorer.cardano.org/en/protocol-parameters/histories 
• CIP describing how cardano parameters work and is governed: https://cips.cardano.org/cip/CIP-9/ 

Engagement

This project is poised to engage a broad and long-lasting cross-section of the Cardano Community:

Newcomers: Our content is written and presented in a way that is attractive and accessible to newcomers. We explain complicated concepts in terms that anyone can understand. Attractive graphics and friendly page layouts are inviting to “non-techies”. Lido Nation is a great place to send your friends who are new to blockchain.

Experts: Just because anyone can read it doesn’t mean it’s not useful to the insiders too! There is currently no comprehensive resource that describes the function of all Cardano Network parameters and tracks their settings and histories. This resource will attract Cardano developers and cross-chain devs who want to track accurate information about Cardano Parameters.

Voters: When various parameters come into view for community discussion and possible voting in the Voltaire era, we will need a Hub of reliable information and ongoing discussion about these parameters, their function, and their movement.

Degens: We <3 degens! They are newcomers, experts, and voters too! Fun interactive features like our incentivized quizzes attract new and regular users to keep coming back, clicking around (and learning - even if it’s an accident!)

Impact

We view education as a foundational building block of any durable citizenry. When you pair this with the fact that Cardano Parameters are the building block of our blockchain, then the impact of this work is clear.

• Informed Decision-Making: Educated citizens are more likely to understand complex issues. They can then make informed choices about which initiatives align with their values and interests, leading to policies that truly reflect the will of the participants.
• Critical Thinking: Education fosters critical thinking skills, enabling participants to evaluate the veracity and implications of public rhetoric, promises, and media reports. Critical thinkers can more easily discern between fact and misinformation.
• Civic Engagement: An educated community is more likely to participate in civic activities beyond just voting, such as attending meetings/spaces, engaging in public debates, or participating as a dRep, etc.
• Community Stability:  When citizens understand how their system functions and what policies are being implemented, there is likely to be greater trust in and support of the system. 

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

What is the impact?

The Lido Nation Cardano Parameters Explorer will positively impact the Cardano community by:

• Enhancing Knowledge: Providing accessible, in-depth knowledge about Cardano's parameters, ensuring all community members, from newcomers to experts, understand the foundational elements of the blockchain.
• Supporting Informed Voting: Empowering voters with the necessary information to make educated decisions in governance, critical in the Voltaire Era.
• Boosting Engagement: Encouraging active participation through interactive elements like quizzes and discussions, thus increasing overall community involvement and dialogue.
• Building Trust and Stability: By making reliable information readily available, the project will help build trust in Cardano's systems within the community through transparency and education.

Measuring the Impact

To measure the impact quantitatively and qualitatively, we will use the following metrics:

• User Engagement Metrics: Track the number of visitors, page views, quiz participants, and engagement in comments. These metrics will be monitored through web analytics tools, and shared in project reports.
• Community Growth: Monitor the growth in subscribers or followers on Twitter/X and MailChimp subscriptions, indicating increased interest and reliance on the platform.

Sharing the Impact

Outputs and opportunities will be shared with the community through multiple channels to ensure wide accessibility:

• Official Website: All educational content, quizzes, and podcasts will be hosted on the Lido Nation website, which is already a recognized resource in the community.
• Social Media Engagement: Regular updates, and posts on X and LinkedIn to engage the community and direct them to the resources. Lido Nation has an in-house marketing expert who keeps our social media channels lively with daily updates, as well as monthly email newsletters.
• Collaborations with Community Channels: Work with Cardano community channels, forums, and possibly the Cardano Foundation to share and promote content. 
• Public Webinars and Q&A Sessions: Darlington is one of the hosts of Cardano over Coffee, a popular X space. Updates and discussion about progress with the Parameter Explorer tool will be shared on the show. 
• Milestone Reporting & Final Reports: Obviously it’s a given, but all project outputs will be shared via official channels in the Catalyst Milestone Module. Final Report will be published on the Lido Nation YouTube channel.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Lido Nation has been publishing educational articles about Cardano each week, for 3 years+. We have already published 13 educational articles about Cardano Network Parameters specifically, and we already publish and distribute podcasts. 

Our educational content was validated by the Cardano Foundation with our confirmation as official Cardano Ambassadors and finalist nomination in the Educational Influencer category. We already have working infrastructure for incentivized quizzes with our Every Epoch Quiz. 

Our very popular Catalyst Explorer tool demonstrates our ability to build high quality “Explorers.” We already have 13 completed Catalyst projects. 

In short, nothing we are proposing is uncharted waters for this team – this funding allows us to build on proven success by offering a new high-value “Explorer” to foster an educated and informed Cardano community.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Timeline: 3 months

Output: Logo and brand color scheme for Cardano Parameter Explorer

Acceptance Criteria: A unique and reasonable logo design and color scheme is demonstrated for the interface

Evidence: Doc/PDF brand page showing logo and color scheme.

Output: 12 Parameters Articles

Acceptance Criteria: 12 Articles are posted which each cover 1 Cardano Parameter, explaining what it is, how it works, and why it’s interesting, along with specific additional insights that are unique to each parameter.

Evidence:  Articles are posted and available through the current Parameters Landing page on LidoNation.com https://www.lidonation.com/en/tags/cardano-network-parameters. (new landing page coming in milestone 3)

Output: 12  Every Epoch quizzes

Acceptance Criteria: 12 Quizzes represent a correct and reasonable knowledge check relating to the related Cardano Parameter.

Evidence: Spreadsheet of Quizzes & Answers linked in Proof of Achievement. Export of Every Epoch Participation records for each Every Epoch quiz from the Lido Nation database back end, demonstrating how many users took the quiz.

Output: 9 Lido Minute Podcasts

Acceptance Criteria: Each of 9 new Podcasts cover the educational content of the corresponding articles

Evidence: 9 Podcasts posted and available through the current Lido Minute Podcast page https://www.lidonation.com/lido-minute. (new landing page coming in milestone 3)

Output: 21 Marketing Tweets (one for each article and podcast)

Acceptance Criteria: Marketing posts have relevant information promoting each article/podcast, along with a link to the content.

Evidence: Links provided to each relevant marketing tweet on the LidoNation Twitter/X channel.

Timeline: 3 months

Output: NEW Parameters Landing Page Design

Acceptance Criteria: Page Design showing for the Parameters Landing Page, to include a listing of all included parameters, and the ability for users to browse all parameters, or search for key words.

Evidence: Design file showing new page design, to be implemented in the next Milestone.

Output: NEW Parameters Listing Page Design

Acceptance Criteria:  An original page design for the new Parameters Listing page, to include placement of Article, Podcast, Discussion/Comments section, and parameter timeline, along with usage of the logo and color scheme from Milestone 1.

Evidence: Design file showing new page design, to be implemented in the next Milestone.

Output: 7 Parameters Articles

Acceptance Criteria: 7 new Articles are posted which each cover 1 Cardano Parameter, explaining what it is, how it works, and why it’s interesting, along with specific additional insights that are unique to each parameter.

Evidence: Articles are posted and available through the current Parameters Landing page on LidoNation.com https://www.lidonation.com/en/tags/cardano-network-parameters. (new landing page coming in milestone 3)

Output: 7  Every Epoch quizzes

Acceptance Criteria: 7 Quizzes represent a correct and reasonable knowledge check relating to the related Cardano Parameter.

Evidence: Spreadsheet of Quizzes & Answers linked in Proof of Achievement. Export of Every Epoch Participation records for each Every Epoch quiz from the Lido Nation database back end, demonstrating how many users took the quiz.

Output: 7 Lido Minute Podcasts

Acceptance: Each of 7 new Podcasts cover the educational content of the corresponding articles

Evidence: 7 Podcasts posted and available through the current Lido Minute Podcast page https://www.lidonation.com/lido-minute. (new landing page coming in milestone 3)

Output: 14 Marketing Tweets (one for each article and podcast)

Acceptance Criteria: Marketing posts have relevant information promoting each article/podcast, along with a link to the content.

Evidence: Links provided to each relevant marketing tweet on the LidoNation Twitter/X channel.

Timeline: 3 months

Output: NEW Parameters Landing Page is live

Acceptance Criteria: Landing Page is live and includes planned elements from the approved design

Evidence: Link to the live page on Lido Nation

Output: NEW Parameters Listing Page is live

Acceptance Criteria:   Listing Page is live and includes planned elements from the approved design

Evidence: Link to the live page on Lido Nation

Output: 7 Parameters Articles

Acceptance Criteria: 7 Articles are posted which each cover 1 Cardano Parameter, explaining what it is, how it works, and why it’s interesting, along with specific additional insights that are unique to each parameter.

Evidence: Articles are posted and available through the NEW landing page, link provided.

Output: 7  Every Epoch quizzes

Acceptance Criteria: 7 Quizzes represent a correct and reasonable knowledge check relating to the related Cardano Parameter.

Evidence: Spreadsheet of Quizzes & Answers linked in Proof of Achievement. Export of Every Epoch Participation records for each Every Epoch quiz from the Lido Nation database back end, demonstrating how many users took the quiz.

Output: 7 Lido Minute Podcasts

Acceptance Criteria:   Each of 7 new Podcasts cover the educational content of the corresponding articles

Evidence: 7 Podcasts posted and available through the NEW Parameters Listing Page

Output: 14 Marketing Tweets (one for each article and podcast)

Acceptance Criteria: Marketing posts have relevant information promoting each article/podcast, along with a link to the content.

Evidence: Links provided to each relevant marketing tweet on the LidoNation Twitter/X channel.

Timeline: 3 months

Output: 7 Parameters Articles

Acceptance Criteria: 7 Articles are posted which each cover 1 Cardano Parameter, explaining what it is, how it works, and why it’s interesting, along with specific additional insights that are unique to each parameter. 

Evidence: Articles are posted and available through the new landing page, link provided.

 

Output: 7 Every Epoch quizzes

Acceptance Criteria: 7 Quizzes represent a correct and reasonable knowledge check relating to the related Cardano Parameter.

Evidence: Spreadsheet of Quizzes & Answers linked in Proof of Achievement. Export of Every Epoch Participation records for each Every Epoch quiz from the Lido Nation database back end, demonstrating how many users took the quiz.

Output: 10 Lido Minute Podcasts

Acceptance Criteria:  Each of 10 new Podcasts cover the educational content of the corresponding articles

Evidence: 10 Podcasts posted and available through the NEW Parameters Listing Page

Output: 17 Marketing Tweets (one for each article and podcast)

Acceptance Criteria: Marketing posts have relevant information promoting each article/podcast, along with a link to the content.

Evidence: Links provided to each relevant marketing tweet on the LidoNation Twitter/X channel.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

We are Cardano enthusiasts and a growing collective of dreamers who believe in providing insightful education about Cardano in plain English, Swahili, and Spanish. Most online blockchain content is written by and for developers and finance geeks. We break down complicated technical ideas for everyday people, provide relevant news in quick bites, and build tools that everyone can use.

Our website is a resource for anyone who wants to learn what Cardano is, why they should care, and how they can participate. We want to make these resources accessible to as many people as possible.

Stephanie is a teacher and technologist with a passion for helping non-profits navigate and capitalize on technology. She applies her communication skills at Lido Nation by writing and editing articles, and helping to organize ideas in a way that people can understand.

Darlington is an engineer by day and at all times a dancer, humanitarian, idealist and entrepreneur. Darlington has deep knowledge about blockchain technology and broad experience in the Cardano ecosystem.

www.lidonation.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/lido-nation

Darlington Wleh: Co-Dreamer at Lido Nation

Co-Founder of Lido Nation. 

Senior Developer. 

Blockchain writer & Educator. 

Cardano Ambassador.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/profd2004

https://twitter.com/LidoNation

Stephanie King: Co-Dreamer at Lido Nation

Co-Founder of Lido Nation.

Art & Design lead. 

Blockchain writer & podcaster. 

Cardano Ambassador.

Project manager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phuffyking

https://twitter.com/Lido_Phuffy

Donbosco Otunga: Communication and Marketing Associate at Lido Nation

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbao-don/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

• 30,000 ADA Senior Developer:  (~150 hours at $70/hour)
• 20,000 ADA Developer Team: Our developers are a team of junior and senior blockchain developers at the Ngong Road Blockchain Lab in Nairobi, Kenya. Our devs are paid on a project or “ticket” basis for tasks completed. Project work would be shared among members on the project team. Based on productivity and experience, our developers in Kenya earn between $300-$1200/ month, which is a regionally competitive salary. This budget amount allows us to staff this project for the duration of the work.
• 2,000 ADA (~$900) Every Epoch Quizzes: pays for quiz creation, plus a “reward” budget to supply reward tokens so that at least 100+ users can take each every epoch quiz in the first year
• 15,000 (~$6,700) ADA 33 Articles
• 15,000 ADA (~$6,700) 33 Podcasts: writing, recording, producing, publishing 
• 4,000 ADA (~$1,800) 1 year of Project Management, including project planning, task assignment, Catalyst Milestone module reports, and leading project status meetings.
• 4,000 ADA (~$1,800) Marketing: Marketing work is handled by Don Otunga, who is employed full time at Lido Nation. Don’s marketing activities include daily posts on various social media platforms, as well as a monthly newsletter. This budget amount allows Don to devote ample energy to marketing for the Parameters explorer throughout the project year.
• 5,000 ADA:(~$2,200) Logo & color palette design, unique art designed for all 33 parameters
• 4,000 ADA (~$1,800) Podcast Syndication/Distribution & Soundcloud hosting
• 1,000 (~$450) Podcast Equipment, software, licensing (microphone, Editing software, suno.ai, GPT4, music licensing)

=100K ada

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Cardano’s parameters are not trending news. They are foundational elements of the technology that aren’t going anywhere. They might, however, change - and the community needs a way to evaluate and understand those changes.

There are currently NO comparable resources where the community can learn about the parameters. WE ARE NOW IN the Voltaire Era of governance; an informed and educated community is mission-critical for Cardano. Being able to understand network parameters, and knowing where to look to learn more, will serve as a lasting and important piece of the community’s knowledge base.