Development of the "Nym Garden" Course

1. Goal

Development of an interactive online course that:

  • Teaches users how to counter censorship, AI surveillance, and metadata analysis.
  • Prepares the audience for effective use of Nym VPN through practical exercises.
  • Rewards participants with discount/trial vouchers for Nym VPN upon successful completion.

2. Detailed Work Plan

2.1. Development of the Educational Program

Level 1: Privacy Fundamentals in the AI Era

  • Lectures on AI surveillance mechanisms (metadata collection, predictive analytics).
  • Examples of censorship in different countries (Iran, China, Russia, Ukraine).
  • Introduction to Nym VPN: architecture, advantages over conventional VPNs.
  • Formats: expert video interviews, text guides, tests with automated verification.

Level 2: Technical Level — Working with Nym VPN

  • Setting up Nym VPN on Windows, Linux, and Android.
  • Using mixnet to bypass DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).
  • Anonymous payments via zk-nyms.
  • Practice: virtual labs, quests to create a secure route through Nym VPN.

Level 3: Hackathon “Privacy Guardians”

  • Task: Developing a tool to test network performance and internet speed in selected regions or a tool that shows what information an ISP can see with and without Nym VPN.
  • Evaluation Criteria: code review by Nym mentors, community voting.

2.2. Voucher System Integration

  • Automated issuance of 30% discount vouchers or trial access to Nym VPN after course completion or participation in the hackathon.
  • Technical implementation: API for generating unique codes, integration with Nym’s payment system.

3. Localization and Adaptation

  • Course Translation: 10 languages, including Ukrainian, Arabic, Persian, and Chinese.
  • Partnerships: Collaboration with Access Now, online workshops for activists.

4. Testing and Implementation

4.1. Pilot Launch

  • Target audience: 500 participants (Ukraine, Turkey, Iran).
  • Effectiveness assessment: surveys, analysis of voucher usage.

4.2. Program Adjustments

  • Content updates based on changes in censorship technologies.
  • Addition of new modules (e.g., protection against phishing attacks via VPN).

5. Support and Development

  • Knowledge Hub: database of guides, forum for discussing censorship cases.
  • Mentorship System: experienced graduates become mentors, mentor ranking with NYM token rewards.
  • Monthly Expenses: payment for hosting and the use of a course builder platform.

6. Expected Results

  • For users: 80% of participants acquire basic censorship resistance skills, 40% activate Nym VPN vouchers.
  • For Nym: growth in the number of active VPN users in censored regions, formation of a community of experts.

7. Final Notes

  • The proposal may be supplemented with technical improvements (e.g., integration with NymHUB).
  • Open to discussions on implementation and partnerships! :shield:
  • The author has experience in creating an educational course on privacy in Web3 using open-source information for Web3Privacy: https://academy.web3privacy.info/
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What do you think about this? After all, this course can warm up and educate people on how Nym is useful for privacy and get new leads to buy NymVPN

Hey @Beyond, thanks for the patience and the proposal.

We discussed your proposal at the first Nym Council Meeting. While it is a great and much needed initiative, we decided to reject it because, here is some alpha for you: there will be a Shipyard Academy later this year. We will make sure the community is involved, so keep an eye out for opportunities!

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