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Why We Built This

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Introduction

Every day, billions of photos are shared online, generating massive cultural value — but the economic value flows to platforms, not people. Creation is abundant, ownership is scarce. Social media optimized for growth has turned participation into performance and creators into products.

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What does this mean?

  • Algorithms reward visibility over value
  • Attention is captured but not compensated
  • Users compete for reach instead of connection
Over time, this produces:
  1. Declining attention spans
  2. Declining quality of life
  3. Declining community satisfaction

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The Shift

Smaller, community-driven networks are returning focus to participation and shared ownership. These spaces prioritize context, conversation, and curation. In this world, attention shouldn’t just be measured — it should be rewarded.

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Our Approach

JPEG reframes social as active curation, not passive scrolling.
  • Each photo becomes a transparent market
  • People back what they believe has value
  • Decisions replace algorithmic feeds: what to create, what to collect, what deserves to win
This aligns cultural attention with economic incentives, creating a feedback loop between creativity, curation, and reward — moving value back to the people who create it.
JPEG was built to restore balance in the attention economy by rewarding conviction and creativity with real value.