---
title: A hard fork in the Handshake community
date:  2022-06-10
tags:  handshake
tldr:  What a mess
---

…I really don't want to write this post. **SIGH**

The Handshake community is confused, divided, and looking for answers. As
someone who has been engaged in the community since late 2019, I feel some sort
of responsibility to document what's been happening to enlighten those who came
into the Namebase Discord where digital fires and ad-hoc attacks were happening.
Hopefully, this post will also serve as several cautionary tales.

First, I will lay out the facts as I know them, objectively. Everything in this
post can be verified by public Discord/Twitter messages/posts. My personal
thoughts will follow.

## The backstory

Namebase is a convenient on-ramp for the Handshake blockchain. You can create
auctions for TLDs and buy/sell them on the secondary market. About a year ago,
they created a program called, "Namebase Registry." This registry allowed people
to stake their TLDs with Namebase and sell domains on said TLDs through partners
in the program; Encirca, Gateway, Porkbun, &c.

A few months ago, Namecheap bought controlling interest in Namebase (51%).
This was widely hailed as A Good Thing, and why wouldn't it? The second-largest
registrar in the world is interested in helping grow an alternative namespace!
We have growing legitimacy! Well…not everyone was happy.

Gateway, one of Namebase's registry partners, built out and maintained the
back-end for the registry. There was an agreed-upon contract between the two
companies, signed, sealed, delivered. Either leading up to or shortly after
Namebase was acquired by Namecheap, Namebase stopped paying Gateway for their
continued work. In addition, TLD owners in the program weren't getting paid
either. For whatever reason, Namebase wasn't talking to Gateway nor providing
answers to TLD holders. The only representative for Namebase (and only community
manager), Johnny Wu, repeatedly promised that answers were forthcoming.

Finally, Gateway cut off access to Namebase due to non-payment. The exclusivity
clause in the registry contract between Namebase and Gateway prevented the
latter from being able to survive on non-communication and non-payment. Public
attacks towards Johnny ensued, as he was the only public-facing employee of
Namebase; the messenger.

A few weeks ago, Namebase announced an upgrade to their registry program NOT
backed by Gateway, and promised TLD owners back-payment. Gateway employees
became increasingly irate due to yet another breach of contract; Namebase was
not allowed to reverse-engineer the SLD data, which was apparently done to make
the improved registry happen. James Stevens, one of the Gateway employees who
built/helped build the original registry backend, proceeds to make his
frustrations about the situation known to Johnny.

Comments and screenshots about private conversations between the two are shared
by them on Discord and then…things get even more uncomfortable.

Johnny emerged the following day, a totally different person from what we've
seen the past two years — he's more brash, posts rapidly, and dishes insults. He
also outlined a plan/manifesto for his company via an multi-page Google Doc.
It lists his ideal team, what he expects from his employees, and how he plans to
run said company. Additionally, he attempted to galvanize the Handshake
community by tweeting grandiose things and encouraged folks to retweet him for
visibility. He seemed almost proud that he had not slept much in four days.

His plans came with ultimatums:

1) he would need $5 million to build his team
2) he would cease his involvement in Handshake after his team built the missing
   parts of the ecosystem

These two points came with timeframes that changed later that day, confusing
even those who enjoyed this "new Johnny" and were eager to join his team.

Amidst a wellness check by a community member, Johnny effectively took over the
Namebase Discord and began to proclaim his dislike for anyone who disagreed with
him. In the Handshake Discord, folks were attempting to piece together what was
going on. After hearing that Johnny called a community member who operates the
Handshake Institute and demanded it be handed over to him, it became clear that
Johnny was/is mentally unwell.

Since Namebase's only public-facing employee was unreachable, several of us in
the community reached out to Richard Kirkendall, CEO of Namecheap, for some
semblance of guidance amidst uncertainty about Namebase. Long story short:

- Johnny was fired, with a hefty severance payment
- the Namebase Discord was never official and Richard deemed it "rogue"
- the "Namebase" Discord is no more, it is now Johnny's personal Discord
- Namebase support is now only possible via the Namebase site (if you have an
  ad-blocker enabled, you may not see it) or via support@namebase.io
- a new Namebase Discord, sanctioned by the company, is forthcoming

## My thoughts

What a shitshow.

Isn't it ironic that I @mention both Richard and Johnny about how much Johnny
has been working these past two years and that he needs a break and a team...and
then, all this happens? Quite frankly, I blame James for Johnny's mental break.
Sure, he didn't send Johnny **to** the ledge but he sure as hell pushed him off.

I never understood why James was so adamant about focusing his anger and
frustrations on Johnny, of all people. He was the only Namebase employee but he
wasn't the one making decisions. He wasn't the one reverse-engineering registry
data. Dude was COMMUNITY. MANAGER. For TWO YEARS. He isn't able to code his way
out of a translucent bag. So, why target Johnny? Bullying is not okay. CLEARLY.

I repeatedly asked James why he didn't take his frustrations to Richard. THE GUY
RUNNING THE COMPANY. But of course, that's when the tone changes and
back-pedaling happens. I don't respect that. My mantra is KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY.

To that end, I also blame the current and previous owners of Namebase. Although,
for most of Namebase's life…I…only saw Johnny? There was a CTO and a designer at
some point but they've since moved onto other projects and there never seemed to
be ill will between anyone. Regardless, I've mentioned several times over the
past two years that Johnny should not be taking on the task of community
management by himself. I struggle with placing blame on Richard but I do not
think he is absolved of blame. Inaction is just as bad.

I've never been a CEO and I've never acquired a company but I've worked for
enough startups to understand what "due diligence" is. That's essentially
research you do before deciding to acquire a company. You look at the finances,
the business model, the team, and you make a decision based on all of that (and
other aspects). What happens next is, you formulate a plan (or several plans) to
shore up deficiencies in that business.

It is wild to me that what we thought was "the official Namebase Discord" was
_actually_ an employee's personal Discord for company use.

It blows my mind that a community manager was left being the human shield for a
company and endured vicious mental/emotional onslaught from a business
representative.

The mind boggles. Seriously.

## The Future

I hope Johnny gets help. I hope his family/close friends can reel him in and let
him know he's loved. I hope the Handshake community comes back from this,
stronger and healthier than before. I hope I didn't make any typos, it's 1am as
I type this. I hope everyone realizes that petty squabbles are distractions and
do nothing good for your mental.

For the newbies in the Handshake space who have TLDs on Namebase and are scared
as hell (rightfully so), don't worry.

1) Your TLDs are safe on Namebase.
2) Bob Wallet is better though, send your TLDs there and secure with a Ledger.
3) Namebase has no official Discord right now but if you need assistance there,
   click the chat/support button.
4) Johnny doesn't have access to Namebase's internals, he can't delete your
   TLDs, despite what he may say on his Discord.

For the OGs in the Handshake space, there's always opportunity in chaos.

1) We've used Namebase for years, we could create another one if its desired.
2) Keep building, the ecosystem need us.
3) Connect with the newbies, they're impressionable

I think we're outgrowing the word "community" to be quite honest.

Handshake is a village now, let's build as such. 🕸