Sometimes the hardest part of joining Web3 is knowing where to start. 

Between thousands of projects and millions of peers chatting and building around the clock, diving into the excitement can be intimidating. But building the next phase of the internet with better privacy, easier interfaces, and smarter infrastructure should be for everyone. This article explains several avenues provided by the Oasis ecosystem to join Web3. 

Oasis isn’t just interested in building transformative tools for Web3. Part of that mission also requires cultivating a thriving community to advance the ethos of data ownership and smart privacy. 

‍Oasis means friends, not just “other people online."

Oasis community members are active on multiple social platforms. Joining one or more of these communities is an easy step to becoming a real member of Web3 and finding other people to chat and explore with. 

• Oasis Garden is a collective effort by the community to curate Oasis news, educational resources such as the new Oasis Academy, programming, and more. Inside the hub, users will find insights, tutorials, and lots of other content to onboard new and experienced Web3 users to Oasis. 
• Oasis Discord is the core of the online Oasis Community. From intricate technical conversations to broader philosophical banter, the Oasis Discord is a welcoming place for anyone who cares about better privacy and the future of Web3. The Oasis communities also spread across Telegram, Twitter and Reddit. 
• Oasis Forum is an alternative discussion forum on the Oasis website for users to chat directly with each other or the Oasis Foundation team about new products, technology questions, and general brainstorming. 
• Oasis Sentinels is the official ecosystem ambassador program, aiming to foster a knowledgeable community promoting the Oasis vision of a decentralized, privacy-focused future. Oasis ambassadors consist of those looking to lead the way into a more secure future of Web3.
• Oasis Odyssey is an action-packed loyalty program for the global Oasis community with quests, challenges, and rewards for everyone who participates.

‍Dig Deep…Explore Oasis Technology!

Taking a hands-on approach to Web3 is one of the best ways to join the ecosystem, even if everything doesn’t make sense at first. Here are two ways to explore crypto through Oasis technology. 

1: Explore the Oasis Blog

Read in-depth articles (both technical and simplified) about key pieces of technology in the Oasis ecosystem and how Oasis compares to other confidentiality tools in Web3. Start here to explore the use cases of the Oasis Privacy Layer. Then read a brief comparative analysis of Oasis privacy versus other leading technologies. 

2: Run a Node

Running an Oasis node is one of the most immersive methods of participating in a decentralized network like Oasis. Consensus and ParaTime nodes can be operated by anyone, but users should be sure their systems meet the hardware and system prerequisites. Click here to learn how to run a node.

3: Browse the Documentation

Oasis Documentation provides an in-depth explanation of how the entire network functions. Even for non-technical users, browsing the documentation provides a comprehensive overview of the Smart Privacy infrastructure that the Oasis ecosystem is built around. Explore the Oasis docs here.

4: Join the Academy

The Oasis Academy is a comprehensive online platform focused on educating all Web3 users, ambassadors and creators. With carefully created content that is updated monthly, the Oasis Academy is designed to be a vital tool for the widespread adoption in the crypto space.

‍Have Fun! Attend Events and Competitions.

Oasis community members, moderators, ambassadors, and more work hard all year, every year to host virtual discussions, in-person events and even competitions for builders and creators using Oasis. For example, ETHCC, Dappcon, Smartcon, Devconnect and other industry events have seen a large presence from the Oasis Foundation team, ecosystem projects, partners and the global community. 

Watch recordings of presentations and panels from these events on the Oasis channel. 

Oasis also hosts competitions for Web3 developers. Starting with the inaugural privacy hackathon, Privacy4Web3, MEV protection, Oasis is committed to supporting new projects and creative minds. Oasis also has an active grants program for builders using Oasis. 

‍Create, Build and Share!

A key misconception that faces most newcomers in Web3 is that only people with technical skills can contribute. But that couldn’t be more false! Everyone has something to contribute to the growth of this industry, whether it’s illustrative artwork, insightful deep-dives, entertaining creative content, or analytical research. Find ways to enrich the community and share it with the Oasis community and other groups in Web on Telegram, Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. 

For Oasis or any other project, the community is its lifeblood. Oasis is more than a platform for compliant, customizable confidentiality frameworks. The future of Oasis depends on support from a thriving global community of engineers, creators, analysts, and ambassadors. 

Become a budding rose in the Web3 garden by joining Oasis through any of the avenues explained above. And stay tuned for more community updates on all Oasis channels.