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Treechat

Private vs Public Posts

Treechat offers two fundamental posting modes: private and public. Understanding the difference helps you control who sees your content and how you share it.

Treechat’s Unique Threading System

One of Treechat’s most powerful features is its infinite tree-based threading system. Unlike traditional forums or chat apps with linear conversations, Treechat lets you branch off from any message to create new discussion threads.

How Threading Works

Tree Structure:

  • Every post can have unlimited replies
  • Every reply can itself have unlimited replies
  • You can branch into any message at any point in a conversation
  • Each branch maintains its own context and conversation flow

Infinite Branching:

Main Post
├─ Reply 1
│  ├─ Reply 1.1
│  │  └─ Reply 1.1.1 (branch into this!)
│  └─ Reply 1.2
├─ Reply 2
│  └─ Reply 2.1
└─ Reply 3

Why This Matters:

  • No more derailed conversations - side discussions get their own threads
  • Multiple simultaneous discussions - explore different angles without chaos
  • Preservation of context - each branch maintains its own conversation history
  • Natural knowledge organization - ideas branch and evolve organically

Practical Examples

Research & Brainstorming:

  1. Start with a question: “How do I optimize my website?”
  2. Get several suggestions in replies
  3. Branch into each suggestion to explore it deeply
  4. Each branch becomes its own mini-discussion

Collaborative Work:

  1. Share a design mockup
  2. Multiple people comment on different aspects
  3. Branch into each comment for detailed refinement
  4. Parallel discussions don’t interfere with each other

AI-Powered Workflows:

  1. Ask an AI to generate an image: !flux cyberpunk city
  2. Branch to try variations: !edit_nb make it darker and more moody
  3. Branch again for different styles: !edit_nb make it more colorful
  4. Each branch explores a different direction

This tree structure is fundamental to Treechat and makes it ideal for deep exploration, collaborative work, and AI-assisted creation.

What is Private Mode?

Private mode is for personal conversations and content you want to keep restricted to specific people.

Private Mode Features

Who can see it:

  • Only you (the author)
  • People you explicitly mention with @username
  • People who participate in the thread by replying

Visibility:

  • Not visible in public feeds or public search results
  • Not discoverable by others
  • Not posted to the Bitcoin SV blockchain
  • Can only be accessed via direct link by permitted users

Use cases:

  • Personal notes and thoughts
  • Private conversations with specific people
  • Draft content before making it public
  • Sensitive discussions

What is Public Mode?

Public mode makes your content visible to everyone and posts it to the Bitcoin SV blockchain.

Public Mode Features

Who can see it:

  • Anyone on Treechat
  • Anonymous visitors (without signing in)
  • Anyone with the link
  • Searchable by all users

Visibility:

  • Appears in public feeds and search results
  • Posted permanently to the BSV blockchain
  • Can be discovered through search and browsing
  • Part of the public knowledge graph

Blockchain benefits:

  • Permanent, censorship-resistant storage
  • Verifiable timestamp and authorship
  • Cannot be deleted or modified (only marked as deleted)
  • Part of the decentralized web

Use cases:

  • Sharing knowledge publicly
  • Building your reputation
  • Contributing to public discussions
  • Creating content for others to discover

Key Differences

FeaturePrivatePublic
VisibilityRestricted to specific usersVisible to everyone
SearchNot searchableFully searchable
BlockchainNot posted to BSVPosted to BSV blockchain
DiscoveryLink-only accessDiscoverable in feeds
AI Action TagsAvailable (costs BSV)Available (some free, some cost BSV)
UpvotesAvailableAvailable
Upvalue (tips)AvailableAvailable
EditingCan edit freelyEdits are tracked on blockchain

Action Tag Costs: Private vs Public

Many AI action tags are free in public mode but cost BSV in private mode. This encourages public knowledge sharing.

Examples:

  • !flux image generation: ~$0.09 private, FREE public
  • !edit_nb image editing: ~$0.09 private, FREE public
  • !nb (Nano Banana): ~$0.09 private, FREE public

Check the Action Tags guide for specific pricing.

How to Switch Between Modes

When creating a post, you can choose the posting mode:

  1. Look for the privacy toggle in your post composer
  2. Select private or public before posting
  3. Private is the default for safety

Note: Once published, you generally cannot change a post from public to private (since it’s on the blockchain), but you can change private posts to public.

Best Practices

When to Use Private Mode

  • Brainstorming and drafting ideas
  • Personal conversations
  • Sensitive or confidential information
  • Testing features before public use
  • Notes for yourself

When to Use Public Mode

  • Sharing knowledge and insights
  • Building your public profile
  • Contributing to public discussions
  • Creating content you want to monetize via upvalue
  • Making your work discoverable
  • Taking advantage of free AI generation

Privacy and Security

Private posts are secure:

  • Not visible to search engines
  • Not listed in public feeds
  • Access controlled by Treechat
  • Only visible to permitted users

Public posts are permanent:

  • Once on the blockchain, cannot be fully deleted
  • Anyone can access and archive public content
  • Your username and content are permanently associated
  • Think carefully before posting sensitive information publicly

Next Steps