Today I was pulled into another group chat about "earning points for status," with a schedule that’s as strict as clocking in at work: daily check-ins, sharing, completing tasks, and finally earning a badge. The group is still arguing over whether the extreme fund fee rate is about to reverse or if the bubble will just keep getting squeezed. I feel pretty dazed watching it—betting on market sentiment on one side and platform mood on the other. In the end, someone really has to do the work.

To put it simply, the easiest thing to drain in social mining isn’t your wallet, but your attention. No matter how many points you accumulate, when it comes to actual governance, the old saying still applies: who approves the budget, who bears the responsibility, who keeps an eye on the timeline. Badges can’t review your expenses for you, nor can they ask before voting, “Who’s going to do the work?” I now only choose to participate in activities that clearly explain the output and costs. The rest… forget it.