Welcome back to DevSpeak, where we demystify the often confusing jargon that developers use. Today, we’re tackling a term you’ve probably heard a lot: “algorithm.” Algorithms are fundamental to programming and technology, but what exactly are they? Let’s break it down.
Algorithm, Defined
At its core, an algorithm is simply a set of instructions or a step-by-step guide designed to perform a specific task or solve a problem. Think of it like a recipe in a cookbook. When you follow a recipe to bake a cake, you’re executing an algorithm. You have a clear list of ingredients (inputs) and detailed steps (instructions) to transform those ingredients into a cake (output).
Al·go·rithm /ALɡəˌrithəm/
NOUN – a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
Algorithms are everywhere in the tech world, essential for making software and hardware function correctly. They are used to process data, make decisions and automate repetitive tasks. From sorting data in a spreadsheet to finding the shortest path in Google Maps, algorithms are behind the scenes making things work smoothly and efficiently.
Imagine you’re planning a road trip. You want to find the quickest route from your home to a distant city. You input your starting point and destination into a GPS app. The app uses an algorithm to analyze various possible routes, considering distance, traffic, and road conditions to suggest the best path. This algorithm ensures you get to your destination efficiently.
Types of Algorithms
Algorithms come in various types, each suited for different tasks. Here are a few common ones:
Sorting Algorithms: These arrange data in a particular order. Examples include QuickSort and MergeSort.
Search Algorithms: These find specific data within a large dataset. Examples include Binary Search and Linear Search.
Compression Algorithms: These reduce the size of data for storage or transmission. Examples include ZIP and JPEG compression.
Encryption Algorithms: These protect data by converting it into a secure format. Examples include AES and RSA.
In the context of Web3, algorithms play a critical role in blockchain technology and decentralized systems. They ensure the integrity, security and efficiency of web3 powered platforms and blockchains themselves. For instance, consensus algorithms like Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) are vital for validating transactions and maintaining a blockchain’s integrity.
Algorithms in Action: Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code. Algorithms within these contracts automatically enforce and execute the terms when predefined conditions are met, ensuring transparency and reducing the need for intermediaries.
SEO and Algorithms
Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to rank websites. These algorithms evaluate hundreds of factors to determine which sites provide the best answers to users’ queries. Understanding these algorithms can help developers optimize websites to rank higher in search results, making SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a vital skill.
For a content, product or service provider to maximize their reach and capture the attention of as many people as possible in today’s hyper connected world, they must learn to understand search engine algorithms inside and out.
The term “algorithm” rose to prominence in the mainstream with the rise of social media during the web2 era, which will likely be remembered as the social media era. Perhaps the most commonly known algorithmic activities today are the ones that determine what you’ll see on your social media feed.
In the earliest days of social media, you would simply see everything posted by those you followed or your designated friends. But as the social media industry evolved, we began to see much more complex behaviors from sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They began to show you only what their complex algorithms wanted you to see, based on the information they had collected from you (with your permission, thanks to your acceptance of extensive terms and conditions).
As these networks of algorithms grew more robust and users contributed more and more data to the social media platforms, our “feeds” began to know us very well. This is how scrolling a feed became one of the most satisfying (and unfortunately, addictive) activities humans have ever experienced. The algorithms knew exactly what kind of content was worthy of our individual attention at that moment. It’s truly fascinating to look back at all the ways that social media algorithms have changed the lives of not only those who use social media networks, but everyone in the world.
Algorithms are the backbone of the digital world, powering everything from simple calculations to complex blockchain systems. They transform inputs into outputs through a series of well-defined steps, making technology functional and efficient. Whether you’re navigating with a GPS, securing data or interacting with a blockchain like GalaChain, algorithms are at work, ensuring optimal performance.
Previous DevSpeak Articles
That’ll do it for this DevSpeak, but we’ll be back soon to dispel the confusion around other common tech terms. If you’ve missed any of our previous editions, check them out below!
With the tokenization of in-game property becoming more popular all the time in the web3 world, Legacy is here to put a unique spin on NFT ownership.
Legacy is a game about entrepreneurial success, about building an enterprise from the ground up by designing and selling products. Through the game’s Design Competitions, you can compete against other players all over the world to design the most creative products around and sell them with the greatest efficiency.
Your “Land” in Legacy
When you get in the game, you’re joining the entrepreneurial elite who bet on themselves for success, whether you’re a Guild owning Legacy Tycoon sharing in the success of those you empower or an aspiring go-getter joining a Guild to chase your dreams on someone else’s dime.
Leading a Guild with a Deed
The only way to play Legacy on this level is to own a Legacy Deed, the equivalent to NFT land in Legacy. These Deeds are not currently available in the Gala Games store, but can often be found on the secondary market at OpenSea.
Each Legacy Deed unlocks your ability to organize and manage a Legacy Guild. Recruiting for your Guild is easy– In fact, the game will do it for you. As a Guild owner, you have a certain number of Legacy Keys with which players can join your Guild. The higher the rarity of your Legacy Deed, the more Legacy Keys you get, and the more members your Guild will have.
Legacy Deed NFTs exist in 5 different rarities. Click the heading links to view the items on OpenSea.
Please note that if you purchase a Legacy Deed from the secondary market, you will need to bridge it to GalaChain before configuring your Guild and recruiting players. This is done easily by connecting your Ethereum wallet to your Gala account. Learn more about connecting your web3 wallet here.
Joining a Guild with a Key
The best part about playing as a Legacy Keyholder is that you don’t need to go searching for a Guild to join. As long as Legacy Keys are available, you’ll be able to join a Guild as part of the initial game interface.
It’s tough in the world of business-building. If you want to make it big, you need to connect with a good leader– In Legacy, that means a good Guild.
When you first launch the game through the Gala Games launcher, you’ll be prompted to choose a Guild from the available options. When you select a Guild and get started, the Legacy Key and its access to the game will be yours.
The number of Legacy Keys for each Guild is determined by the Deed’s rarity:
Startup – 1 Legacy Key
Enterprise – 5 Legacy Keys
Firm – 15 Legacy Keys
Corporation – 50 Legacy Keys
Conglomerate – 125 Legacy Keys
Heart of London – 500 Legacy Keys
Qualities of an Effective Guild Leader
As a Legacy Deed NFT owner, you’re also the owner of the responsibility to run a Legacy Guild. Because you’re working with self-starting entrepreneurs, not much hand-holding is necessary, but as the boss, you get to call the shots.
In the same way that each Legacy player must keep a close eye on their town’s workers, ensuring they are rested and not overworked, each Guild leader must strike a proper balance for their Guildmates.
Setting an Effective Reward Split – The Guild leader can choose any percentage split they like for sharing Legacy Ticket rewards generated from Design Competitions in the game. With 50 active players for a Corporation Deed and 125 for a Conglomerate Deed, Guild leaders can benefit substantially from a meager reward share of even 1-2%, which will go virtually unnoticed by Keyholding players.
Sending Guild Messages – The Guild leader is called to rally the troops and coordinate strategies, building relationships with their Guildmates and preparing for the game’s expanded future features.
Kicking Inactive Players – While it is not a requirement, every Guild leader has the right to kick players from their Guild at any time and for any reason.
Start Playing Today
Your Legacy is waiting in this delightful free-to-play game created by 22cans. Become a titan of industry, competing for awesome prizes and unparalleled prestige!
Ready for some serious code-breaking with Treasure Tapper? To add an exciting twist to your daily gameplay, try your hand at the “Daily Code,” where you can now use Morse code tapping to unlock instant rewards. Let’s dive into the details of this innovative feature and how you can make the most of it to stack more token rewards every single day!
What’s “Daily Code”?
“Daily Code” is a brand-new in-game feature that challenges players to use Morse code tapping (hold = dash, quick tap = dot) to enter a special daily code. Each day, a new code is released, and players can decipher it using clues provided at 5 pm PT in the Treasure Tapper announcements channel and on our social media platforms.
How to Use “Daily Code”
Check for Clues: At 5 pm PT daily, head to the Treasure Tapper announcements channel or our social media pages to find the new clue for the daily code.
Enter the Code: Use the Morse code tapping interface within the game. A hold represents a dash, and a quick tap represents a dot.
Get Your Reward: Successfully entering the correct daily code will instantly reward you with 1Million Coins.
Understanding Morse Code
Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters through sequences of dots (short signals) and dashes (long signals). It’s a fascinating and historical way to communicate, which you can now use in Treasure Tapper to unlock rewards.
In Treasure Tapper, your holds and taps represent the long and short signals of Morse code, respectively. When you get a letter right, you’ll see it appear on the blank Daily Code line.
Below is a quick reference guide to help you get started with Morse code. Remember that a hyphen (-) represents a hold and a period (.) represents a quick tap. Knowing this code could help you survive in all sorts of tricky situations!
A: .-
B: -…
C: -.-.
D: -..
E: .
F: ..-.
G: –.
H: ….
I: ..
J: .—
K: -.-
L: .-..
M: —
N: -.
O: —
P: .–.
Q: –.-
R: .-.
S: …
T: –
U: ..-
V: …-
W: .–
X: -..-
Y: -.–
Z: –..
Numbers and punctuation also have their unique sequences, making Morse code a comprehensive method of communication. Here’s a quick look at numbers:
0: —–
1: .—-
2: ..—
3: …–
4: ….-
5: …..
6: -….
7: –…
8: —..
9: —-.
Using these Morse code sequences, you can now unlock your daily rewards in Treasure Tapper. Happy tapping, and may your daily rewards be plentiful!
Cool off with the best new music content in web3, curated by our experienced professionals from some of the hottest artists all over the world. With unique All Access experiences, killer drops and live virtual concert events, Gala Music is the place for summer vibes.
It’s time to dive in, cool down and unwind with some amazing music you haven’t heard yet!
“Good Time” is about letting go and having fun on your journey even when things aren’t perfect. I feel like that’s a lesson we all learn at some point; in being true to yourself, you can’t make everyone happy all the time. Do what feels right and enjoy the ride! Perfect for your Hot Gala Summer, “Good Time” drops on Friday at 1pm PT. Don’t miss the special RYAHN Discord AMA on Thursday, July 25th at 3:30pm PT.
We’re welcoming multitalented dancehall/Afro Beat/Hip-hop sensation TARELA (formerly Squeeze Tarela) to Gala Music with his debut track drop! Laced with melodic guitar by SUCKARIE and co-produced by TARELA and MARPHY JAY, the soulful track is designed specially for the top spot on your playlist.
Breaking Ground in Web3 Film
With a first-of-its-kind award nomination for web3 film content, David Bianchi’s electrifying sci-fi series earned a Primetime Emmy nomination. Mena Suvari has been recognized for her outstanding role as Detective Thompson. Congratulations! Learn in THIS BLOG.
In a brilliant demo of interoperability in web3, Gala Music has also released a collection of special soundtrack NFTs from the series, created by award-winning cinematic composer Adrian Prevost. Check them out on Gala Music now. Owners of these exclusive tracks are rewarded not only for Gala Music plays but also for Gala Film plays of RZR episodes containing them!
Presented by VOX superstars FutureBoy and Gala Girl, Future Boxes have had a Legendary run as one of our most popular Mystery Box items ever. With chances to win exclusive reward track NFTs, special merch, $MUSIC, $GALA or even a Jukebox Node (valued at $2k!), it’s no wonder you couldn’t get enough of these exquisite boxes.
Well, this is your last call. Within a couple short days, they’ll no longer be available for $4.99 (or for any price). We wanted to give you one more chance to stock up and crack open some sick prizes! Good luck on your pulls!
If you haven’t started building an NFT track collection yet, you’re missing out on some serious $MUSIC rewards. There are a lot of ways to get your hands on the official token of the Gala Music ecosystem, but owning tracks is one of the most powerful. Once you’ve paired your track to an active Gala Music Jukebox Node, you’ll receive $MUSIC rewards every single day based on the platform success of that track.
If you want to support the web3 world of music in a big way while collecting even more $MUSIC rewards, consider running a Jukebox Node of your own. No web3 expertise is required. A single Node lets you power up to 10 different NFT tracks, enabling their rewards and setting aside a daily share for you as the node operator. 😎
NextUp – Your Voice in the Gala Music Catalog
With the innovative NextUp voting feature, all Gala Music users can vote weekly on new tracks and artists to bring into the platform. Check it out and cast your votes now on the NextUp page!
All Access Experiences
The All Access store is packed with unique and limited supply opportunities. From custom merch and vinyl to exclusive event access and more, All Access is the Gala Music headquarters for superfans. Check out the latest All Access Experiences now!
Loyalty Pools
Unlock a new level for your favorite Gala Music artists and contribute directly to their success. Use the power of your $MUSIC without letting it go. It’s simple. Each artist has a Loyalty Pool– Lock some or all of your owned $MUSIC in support of an artist to unlock new loyalty levels, giving you presale access and other special perks! Put your $MUSIC to work for the fmusic revolution! Learn more about Loyalty Pools
