# Joining the CyberHerd: How It Works
Important: The CyberHerd resets every night at midnight UTC. All memberships and accumulated zap amounts are cleared, giving everyone a fresh start each day. This means:
- All members are removed from the herd
- All accumulated zap amounts reset to zero
- New daily #CyberHerd note is posted for that day's membership
## How to Join the CyberHerd
The CyberHerd operates continuously with automatic monitoring of Nostr interactions:
1. Find TODAY'S CyberHerd note: Look for the current day's note tagged with #CyberHerd from the Lightning Goats project
2. Zap the note: Send a zap of 10+ sats to join the herd and earn payouts
3. Instant processing: Your membership is processed immediately when detected
4. Notification: You'll be notified via public reply when you join the herd
Requirements for new membership:
- Valid NIP-05 identifier (your verified Nostr address) - can be disabled in settings
- Working Lightning address to receive payments (required for repost/reaction-only members)
- Zap TODAY'S #CyberHerd tagged note with minimum sats (configurable, typically 10+ sats)
- Alternative: Repost (kind 6) or React (kind 7) to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note if herd has open slots
Note: Only zaps to Lightning Goats project notes are processed for CyberHerd membership. Due to the daily reset, you must use the current day's #CyberHerd note to join.
## Reposts and Reactions: Free Entry with Limitations
Members can join the CyberHerd without zapping by reposting or reacting to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note:
### Repost (Kind 6) and Reaction (Kind 7) Rules:
- Free entry when slots available: If the herd has open slots, reposts and reactions can join without paying
- TODAY'S note requirement: Must repost or react to the current day's #CyberHerd note (older notes invalid)
- 1% payout allocation (max per user): Members with kind 6 OR kind 7 (or both) share a 1% bonus pool evenly. Having both kind 6 AND kind 7 does NOT give double bonus - maximum 1% per user regardless of how many engagement types
- Bonus for zappers: Members who have zaps AND kind 6/7 events receive their proportional zap share (from the 9% zap pool) PLUS their share of the 1% bonus pool
- Valid requirements: NIP-05 identifier (configurable, can be disabled) and Lightning address required
- Vulnerable to displacement: Any zap (even 1 sat) will displace repost/reaction-only members first
- Repost headbutting (kind 6): Reposts CAN headbutt other repost-only or reaction-only members (amount=0) when the herd is full
- Reaction no headbutting (kind 7): Reactions CANNOT headbutt anyone - can only join when slots are available
- Can upgrade to zapper: Existing repost/reaction members can zap ANY Lightning Goats note to increase their amount and secure a larger payout share
### Priority Hierarchy:
When the herd is full:
1. Zaps: Displace repost/reaction members first (amount = 0 sats), then compete with other zappers based on amount
2. Reposts (kind 6): Can displace other repost-only or reaction-only members (amount = 0 sats)
3. Reactions (kind 7): Cannot headbutt - must wait for open slots or can zap or repost to increase headbutting abilities.
### Why Join via Repost/Reaction:
- Risk-free participation: Join without financial commitment
- Learn the system: Experience CyberHerd mechanics before investing
- Upgrade later: Zap any Lightning Goats content to build your amount and secure your position
- Support visibility: Reposts amplify Lightning Goats content even if you receive no payout
### Example Progression:
- Day 1: Repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → Join with 0 sats → Receive 1% of the member allocation
- Day 2: Zap 50 sats to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → Join with 50 sats → Start receiving proportional payouts
- Day 3: Already a member, zap 100 sats to any Lightning Goats post → Total becomes 150 sats → Harder to displace
## Increasing Your Payouts (Existing Members)
Once you're a CyberHerd member, you have flexible zapping options to increase your payouts:
### For New Members (Joining):
- Must zap TODAY'S #CyberHerd note: New members can only join by zapping the current day's note tagged with #CyberHerd
- Daily note validity: Only the #CyberHerd note posted for the current day is valid for joining (older notes don't work due to daily reset)
- Structured onboarding: This ensures proper introduction to the CyberHerd system for each daily cycle
### For Existing Members (Increasing payouts):
- Zap ANY Lightning Goats note: You can zap any note authored by the Lightning Goats project to increase your payout share
- No #CyberHerd tag required: Support any Lightning Goats content - technical posts, goat updates, educational content, etc.
- Cumulative increases: Every qualifying zap increases your total contribution and payout share
- Threaded responses: Thank you messages will appear as replies to whatever note you zapped
### How It Works:
- Payment detection: Only zaps to Lightning Goats authored notes are detected by the payment system
- Member status check: System automatically checks if you're already a CyberHerd member
- Flexible support: Existing members can engage with the full Lightning Goats content ecosystem
- Content discovery: Encourages exploration and support of diverse Lightning Goats topics
## How Payouts Work
Daily Reset Notice: Remember that the CyberHerd resets every night at midnight UTC, so all accumulated zaps and memberships start fresh each day.
When the Lightning Goats feeder activates (around 850 sats), payments are automatically split:
- Zaps of 10+ sats count for payouts - Members receive proportional share based on zap amount
- Kind 6/7 members receive 1% - Members with reposts or reactions (even without zaps) receive 1% of the member allocation
- Zapper bonus - Members who have BOTH zaps AND kind 6/7 events receive their proportional zap share PLUS their share of the 1% bonus pool
- Only Lightning Goats content - Zaps to other people's notes don't count
- Payments when feeder triggers - You don't get paid immediately, but when the feeder activates
- Bigger contributions = bigger share - The more you've zapped, the larger your piece of the available allocation
- Your zaps add up over time - Every qualifying zap increases your total and future payouts
- Direct to your Lightning address - No need to claim anything, payments are automatic
- Maximum 3 members - Limited spots make membership valuable
- 90% feeds goats, 10% to herd - Most money goes to the goats, which is the point!
- Existing members have flexibility - Once you're in, you can zap any Lightning Goats content to increase payouts
## How Payments Work
When someone feeds the goats and the feeder activates (around 850 sats), the payment gets automatically split:
- 90% feeds the goats - Goes directly to goat food and operations
- 10% goes to CyberHerd members - Automatically divided based on how much you've zapped
### Your Share
The more you've zapped Lightning Goats content, the bigger your share of that 10%! Your payment gets sent directly to your Lightning address when the feeder triggers.
### Simple Example:
- Feeder triggers with 1,000 sats
- 900 sats feeds the goats
- 100 sats gets split among CyberHerd members
- If you've zapped the most, you get the biggest piece!
## Payout Examples
Here's how your share gets calculated:
Example 1 - Simple scenario:
- You've zapped 500 sats total to Lightning Goats content
- Other members zapped 300 sats and 200 sats each
- When the feeder triggers with 1,000 sats, you get the biggest share of the 100 sat CyberHerd payout!
Example 2 - Building your share (existing members):
- You start by zapping 200 sats to a #CyberHerd note to join
- Later you zap 300 sats to a Lightning Goats educational post (because you're already a member!)
- Then 100 sats to a goat update photo
- Your total: 600 sats = bigger share of future payouts!
Example 3 - Real payout:
- Feeder triggers with 5,000 sats
- Your share: ~150 sats sent directly to your Lightning address (based on your contribution ratio)
Example 4 - Repost member receives share of 1% bonus:
- Herd members: [Repost only (0 sats), Zap (300 sats), Zap (700 sats)]
- Feeder triggers with 10,000 sats → 1,000 sats to CyberHerd (10%)
- Kind 6/7 bonus pool: 1% = 10 sats (only repost member qualifies, gets full 1%)
- Zap distribution pool: 9% = 990 sats
- Repost member: 10 sats (full 1% bonus)
- Zap member 1: 297 sats (300/1000 * 990)
- Zap member 2: 693 sats (700/1000 * 990)
Example 5 - Zapper with kind 6 bonus:
- Herd members: [Zap+Repost (500 sats, has kind 6), Zap only (300 sats), Zap only (200 sats)]
- Feeder triggers with 10,000 sats → 1,000 sats to CyberHerd (10%)
- Kind 6/7 bonus pool: 1% = 10 sats (goes to sole member with engagement)
- Zap distribution pool: 9% = 990 sats shared proportionally among all zappers
- Member 1 (500 sats + kind 6): 505 sats (500/1000 * 990 + 10 bonus)
- Member 2 (300 sats): 297 sats (300/1000 * 990)
- Member 3 (200 sats): 198 sats (200/1000 * 990)
Example 6 - Multiple members share the 1% bonus:
- Herd members: [Zap+Repost (400 sats, has kind 6), Zap+React (400 sats, has kind 7), Zap only (200 sats)]
- Feeder triggers with 10,000 sats → 1,000 sats to CyberHerd (10%)
- Kind 6/7 bonus pool: 1% = 10 sats split between 2 members = 5 sats each
- Zap distribution pool: 9% = 990 sats shared proportionally among all zappers
- Member 1 (400 sats + kind 6): 401 sats (400/1000 * 990 + 5 bonus)
- Member 2 (400 sats + kind 7): 401 sats (400/1000 * 990 + 5 bonus)
- Member 3 (200 sats): 198 sats (200/1000 * 990)
Example 7 - Member with BOTH kind 6 AND kind 7 (still max 1% bonus):
- Herd members: [Zap+Repost+React (600 sats, has kind 6+7), Zap only (200 sats), Zap only (200 sats)]
- Feeder triggers with 10,000 sats → 1,000 sats to CyberHerd (10%)
- Kind 6/7 bonus pool: 1% = 10 sats (sole member with engagement, gets full 1%)
- Zap distribution pool: 9% = 990 sats shared proportionally among all zappers
- Member 1 (600 sats + kind 6+7): 604 sats (600/1000 * 990 + 10 bonus)
- Member 2 (200 sats): 198 sats (200/1000 * 990)
- Member 3 (200 sats): 198 sats (200/1000 * 990)
## The ⚡Headbutting⚡ Mechanism
When the CyberHerd reaches maximum capacity, new members can still join by "headbutting" existing members:
### How Headbutting Works:
- Zap requirement: Only zaps of 10+ sats can trigger headbutting
- Target selection: You must exceed the lowest contributing member's total zap amount
- Automatic process: If your zap qualifies, the system automatically removes the lowest member
- Instant replacement: You immediately take their spot in the herd
### Headbutting Examples:
Scenario 1 - Basic headbutt (new member joining):
- Current herd: members with zap totals of [1000, 500, 200]
- You zap: 250 sats to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You replace the 200-sat member
- New herd: [1000, 500, 250] (you're now in the herd)
- The headbutted member's 200 sats are reset to zero
Scenario 2 - Failed headbutt:
- Current herd: members with zap totals of [1000, 500, 200 sats]
- You zap: 150 sats to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → Headbutt fails (need 201+ sats to exceed 200)
- You get notified of the failure
Scenario 3 - Existing member zaps more (flexible content):
- You're in the herd with 300 sats total
- You zap 200 sats to ANY Lightning Goats note → Your total becomes 500 sats
- Your payout share increases, harder to get headbutted out
Scenario 4 - Getting headbutted and rejoining:
- You're in the herd with 400 sats total
- Someone headbutts you out with 450 sats to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You lose your spot AND your previous zap amount is reset to zero
- To rejoin: You must start fresh with a new zap to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note that exceeds the current lowest member
- Your accumulated amount from before getting headbutted is completely reset
Scenario 5 - Repost/reaction member displaced by zap:
- Current herd: [Repost (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- You zap: 10 sats to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You replace the repost member
- New herd: [Zap (10 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- Zaps always displace repost/reaction members first, regardless of zap amount
Scenario 6 - Repost/reaction joining open slots:
- Current herd: [Zap (500 sats), empty, empty]
- You repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You join without headbutting
- New herd: [Zap (500 sats), Repost (0 sats), empty]
- Reposts and reactions can join when slots are available without paying
Scenario 7 - Repost headbutts reaction member:
- Current herd: [Reaction (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- You repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You replace the reaction member
- New herd: [Repost (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- Reposts can headbutt repost-only or reaction-only members when the herd is full
Scenario 8 - Repost headbutts another repost member:
- Current herd: [Repost (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- You repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → You replace the existing repost member
- New herd: [Repost (0 sats - you), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- Reposts can replace other repost members (most recent repost wins)
Scenario 9 - Reaction cannot headbutt:
- Current herd: [Repost (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- You react to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note → Headbutt fails (reactions cannot headbutt)
- Herd unchanged: [Repost (0 sats), Zap (100 sats), Zap (200 sats)]
- Reactions can only join when there are open slots available
### Protection Strategy:
- Build your total: Multiple zaps accumulate, making you harder to headbutt
- Monitor the herd: Check current members' contributions before zapping
- Stay active: Regular zapping increases your "headbutt resistance"
- Risk awareness: Getting headbutted means losing ALL accumulated sats - they don't carry over if you rejoin
### Headbutting Rules:
- New members only: Only new members can attempt headbutting by zapping TODAY'S #CyberHerd note or reposting it
- Daily note requirement: Must use the current day's #CyberHerd note (older notes invalid due to daily reset)
- Existing member flexibility: Current members can increase payouts by zapping ANY Lightning Goats note
- Minimum zap for headbutting: 10 sats required to headbutt via zap
- Repost headbutting (kind 6): Reposts can join and headbutt repost-only or reaction-only members when herd is full
- Reaction bypass (kind 7): Reactions can only join when herd has open slots (cannot headbutt)
- Zap priority: Zaps always displace repost/reaction members first before competing with other zaps
- Repost targets: Reposts can only displace members with amount=0 (other reposts or reactions)
- Amount reset: When headbutted out, your accumulated amount is completely reset to zero
- Fresh start: To rejoin after being headbutted, you start with zero sats and must zap or repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note again
- Public notifications: Both parties receive public reply notifications about headbutts
- Instant processing: Headbutt attempts are processed immediately when the herd is full
## System Features
The CyberHerd works automatically behind the scenes:
- Always watching: Continuously monitors for zaps to Lightning Goats content
- Instant updates: Your membership and contributions are updated immediately
- Safe and reliable: Built with safeguards to prevent errors
- Public notifications: You'll get public replies when you join, get headbutted, or other important events happen
## Getting Started
1. Set up your profile: Ensure you have a valid NIP-05 identifier and working Lightning address configured
2. Find TODAY'S CyberHerd note: Look for the current day's #CyberHerd tagged note by the Lightning Goats project (older #CyberHerd notes won't work due to daily reset)
3. Choose your entry method:
- Zap to join: Send 10+ sats to join with payout eligibility
- Repost to join: Free entry with 0 sats, can headbutt other repost/reaction members when herd is full
- React to join: Free entry with 0 sats, can only join when slots are available (cannot headbutt)
4. Handle full herd: If the herd is full (3 members):
- Zaps: Will displace repost/reaction members first, then compete with other zappers by amount
- Reposts (kind 6): Can headbutt other repost-only or reaction-only members (amount=0)
- Reactions (kind 7): Cannot join when herd is full (cannot headbutt)
5. Explore flexible zapping: Once a member, zap ANY Lightning Goats note to increase your payout share and headbutt protection
6. Monitor the herd: Check current members to plan your strategy
7. Stay active: Regular zaps to Lightning Goats content build up your total contribution and payout share
8. Daily renewal: Remember the herd resets at midnight UTC - you'll need to rejoin each day using that day's #CyberHerd note
## Important Notes
- Daily Reset: The CyberHerd resets every night at midnight UTC - all memberships and zap amounts are cleared (opt-in, configurable)
- Today's note only: Only the current day's #CyberHerd tagged note is valid for joining (older notes don't work)
- Requirements: NIP-05 identifier (configurable, can be disabled) and working Lightning address required
- Content scope: Only zaps to Lightning Goats authored notes qualify for membership and payouts
- New members via zap: Must zap TODAY'S #CyberHerd tagged note to join (minimum sats configurable, typically 10+)
- New members via repost: Can repost TODAY'S #CyberHerd note to join with 0 sats (can headbutt other repost/reaction members)
- New members via reaction: Can react to TODAY'S #CyberHerd note to join with 0 sats (only when slots available, cannot headbutt)
- Existing members: Can zap ANY Lightning Goats note to increase payouts (minimum sats configurable, typically 10+)
- Maximum members: Configurable (typically 3) - full herd requires headbutting out lowest member to join
- Zap priority: Zaps always displace repost/reaction-only members first before competing with other zaps
- Repost headbutting: Reposts (kind 6) can displace repost-only or reaction-only members (amount=0)
- Reaction limitation: Reactions (kind 7) cannot headbutt - can only join when open slots available
- Kind 6/7 allocation: The 1% bonus pool is split evenly among all members with kind 6 OR 7 events. Having both does not double the bonus
- Zapper bonus: Members with zaps AND kind 6/7 events receive proportional zap share PLUS their share of 1% bonus
- Headbutt consequences: Getting headbutted resets your accumulated payout score to zero
- Feeder-triggered payouts: Payments sent when feeder activates (threshold configurable, typically ~850 sats), not immediately
- 90/10 split: 90% feeds goats, 10% distributed among CyberHerd members (9% of member allocation zap-based, 1% kind 6/7 shared bonus)