My thoughts on HIVE of late by @the-bitcoin-dood
Pretty wild. I've been reading a lot of different opinions about where HIVE is heading and I wanted to do a post like this for awhile now, @jaynie decided to run a contest and it gave me the perfect excuse to write this post. Plus I needed something for my #HiveBloPoMo post today. Feel free to join in, she runs some fantastic contests and you can find the rules in this post here.
https://peakd.com/@jaynie/share-your-thoughts-on-hive-of-late-and-win-the-post-earnings
Recently I've noticed a lot of dissatisfaction among our fellow Hivers. When I seen this contest to write about our feelings toward the current state of Hive I couldn't resist. I've been wanting to write this for awhile now. Oddly enough, I'm happy! This isn't going to be a Ra Ra go team post though. I get why some people might be a little concerned and these are simply my observations of what's going on.
I can't really talk about where we are now without touching on where we came from. I wasn't happy on Steemit. I've posted about this before and just before Justin Sun took over I was already powering down. When I found out Justin had bought Steemit Inc. I stopped powering down hoping his genius and marketing skills would take us to the next level. Honestly up until that point I just wasn't seeing the amount of development happening from Steemit Inc considering how long they had to build something fantastic and what they had to work with both financially and the strong community behind them. It seemed like a lot more could have been accomplished in that time. Steemit Inc seemed to waste money and not accomplish much. At least on the front end, being someone that was there from close to the start and only seeing the addition of advertisements to generate more revenue to waste. I was told there was plenty going on in the backend development, I wasn't seeing it though.
Yes, I'm being a bit harsh but these were my feelings just before Justin entered the picture. In the meantime I watched my account value dwindle to almost nothing. There were other issues too, but lets just leave it at I wasn't happy at all. I refused to invest anything more than what I earned into the project from the start and I never gave it the attention it deserved because as much as i LOVED the concept, I didn't like what I was seeing behind the curtain.
As soon as Justin enters the picture I assumed this would end in a forked project from the start but I decided to stop powering down and see where this lead. Wow, what a disappointment. As usual Justin didn't bring innovation, only his usual flair for drama and controversy. My hunch was right, the project would end in an innevitable hard fork and community split. Wanting forked coins and an opportunity to double my hodling on one project or the other I waited for the community to come to the decision they did. F-U Justin we don't need you! This is the beauty of opensource and blockchain projects. Don't like it, fork it and do it better.
So here we are today. I never held a lot of Steem but in the short amount of time that has passed I've come to love this fledgling community on HIVE and I've already tripled my current HP holdings. I've been participating in the monthly HPUD (hive power up day) because I believe in the project. The ninja mine is gone, the power has now returned to the community and our witnesses, I was seeing excitement and enthusiasm in the community again. I felt good adding money into the project each month again. PLUS I LOVE WHERE THE PRICE IS RIGHT NOW. Yeah, I know the price sucks but as a trader this is when you accumulate. Buy on the way down, sell on the way up. So I'm building a small position on exchange, converting a percentage of my HBD to HIVE for long term hodl in anticipation that these prices aren't this low forever. On that note, not financial advice and for all I know we go lower. The Dood however is extremely bullish! I'm accumulating HIVE every way I can!
For those of us who aren't traders, I get it, these low prices suck. I too watched my Steemit account go from being worth several thousands of dollars to being valued at several hundred dollars. That's sad, de-motivational, and bothersome for us all.It's a crappy feeling. The good news is that HBD converts to a lot more HIVE. If the market reverses and we start heading back into that $1 range and you're prepared for it there's opportunity there. I'm currently converting a few HBD each week into HIVE, powering up some and HODLING the rest to trade on exchange when this market reverses. Currently not spending a dime outside of Splinterlands and some Hive gaming.
It sucks but this is how crypto works. Some days we're up, some days we're down. I try not to spend when we're down. As more people use our platforms and join in the fun, the price tends to stabilize a bit. We're not there yet and I know some people rely on their HIVE rewards as part of their income but it is what it is. We have to take the good with the bad. Which brings me into where we are right now!
This is a new a ground floor opportunity. We've overthrown our dictator JS and broken free of any corporate control. We are now a true community lead project. With this comes many changes and obstacles to overcome. This is like the forming of the United States after the revolution. We the people are now in control. We threw caution to the wind, told our king to piss off, and are now responsible for our own destiny. Nobody said this would be easy and it probably wont be!
For the record, I'm not a Bernie Bro but thought this was fitting for the post.
Many of you know I'm not a big participant in Hive politics or any politics for that matter. I just started voting for witnesses and taking an interest in that. I really can't comment on the politics of Hive but may start taking an interest soon. I have made myself much more available to the community and will do all I can in the future to continue forward and help where I can. Like I said at the start of this, I like the direction we're heading in now. We have development, we have community, we have FREE SPEECH and I think this is going to be a driving force in social media soon. People are sick and tired of their corporate overlords telling them what is true or false or what is allowed in their timeline. We don't have those problems. #HiveFixesThat We also have a lot of people on other social media outlets campaigning to onboard new users. Trust me there is no lack of effort here. Everybody is working hard to help grow this thing and I'm sure the right people are taking notice to.
We have token creation, and everything I'm seeing over at LeoFinance makes me extremely bullish for the future as well. What a fantastic community over there and soooo much dApp development. We have gaming and more developers taking notice of our blockchain all the time. We have 3speak, we have d.buzz, we have several blogging platforms now. My point to all this is that even though we may not see it, there is serious growth happening all around us! There aren't a lot of projects in the crypto space right now with all this greatness happening around them. We've managed to continue to grow coming out of a serious bear market that has been a serious death blow to so many projects in this space. We have come out of this with a strong foundation on which to build upon! From someone looking from the outside in, this is a huge accomplishment. While other blockchains are struggling and failing through the bear market, we've actually grew and there's much to be excited about there! Congratulations to everyone reading this. YOU were a huge part in that!
As far as community is concerned I get it. Things aren't the same. A lot of people are still putting in the effort to try and build things up. Engagement is down and so many of us are preaching the gospel of engagement and why it's important. Earlier I used the reference to the forming of the United States after the American Revolution, but it's more than that. JS tore apart a great community. YES THINGS HAVE CHANGED. This is more like the splitting of Germany, N.Korea vs S.Korea, a civil war that has torn apart families. Some people stayed behind, some people joined the new frontier, a lot of people on both sides aren't sure if they made the right decision or if things will ever be the same again. What happened to the Steemit community and now HIVE community was a terrible thing. It's going to take a long time until we feel whole again and completely heal.
I think if we look at the overall picture of what's happening here, for every negative there's a positive. It's going to take time. There will be obstacles. HIVE belongs to each and every one of us though and I think now that JS and Steemit Inc are no longer part of it, we are presented with a future worth fighting for. Believe me, I'm not a "go down with the ship kind of guy". If I didn't see a future here I would of took my forked coins, dumped my STEEM and HIVE and left a final post saying good luck everyone I'm out! I'm not even close to that right now! I think our future looks bright, we just need to rebuild after the war. Our destiny is back in our own hands and we have to make the best of it.
We need to stay positive.
We need to support and engage with one another.
We need to continue to post regularly and KEEP IT FUN! (This should be about fun, rewards and everything should come secondary.First and foremost have fun!)
We need to continue to believe in what we're trying to accomplish here and the importance a censorship resistant, open source, social media platform has to offer the world.
These are incredible times we're living in and we are at the front lines of both a social media and blockchain revolution! (Yes I'm getting extremely militant in my old age and The Dood believes in the revolutionary ideas of bitcoin and cryptocurrency.)
That's all I've got. The Dood's happy. I think our future is bright and I think it's going to take some time but I think in the end we can turn this into the fun place it once was and grow into something we can all be proud of. I hope everyone who reads this decides to stick around because it wouldn't be the same without you!
Love you all and I'm super excited to see where we go with all this heading into the future.
I would love to hear thoughts from
@steevc @traciyork @slobberchops @belemo @whatsup @theycallmedan @nathanmars @chrisrice @hiro-hive @clayboyn @jongolson
Please join in the conversation and write a post about your feelings. I too would like to know where everyone's head is at.
It has been quite a ride since the early days of St++m, but we are still here over four years on. I think the community is better now than it was as we feel more sense of ownership of the platform. It will never be perfect due to the freedom we have as some people will be trolls, but I think the payoff is worth it. You are absolutely right that it should be fun, but I know a lot of people care about the money. My account has been worth a lot more at times, but as I'm not planning to cash out I can wait for it to recover. Meantime I can enjoy the community and hand out rewards. We can keep building and eventually more people will realise there is an alternative to the centralised platforms. We will be waiting for them.
!BEER
I like the community here a lot better too. The sense of ownership I think was lost on the other blockchain. There's no way to get around trolls, you show me any social media platform and I'll find you trolls. I think the sense of community here and the fact that we're smaller keeps the trolls at bay though! As an alternative to social media I think as we all grow together more we'll grow organically as a community. More people will want to join and take part.
Yes, I truly do think there will be a time when we'll be kicking ourselves if we didn't buy some $.11 Hive while we could.
You know! That's exactly what I said to myself the other day. I was looking at the chart and had some extra coin on an exchange and just went for it. I'd honestly regret later on if I didn't 🤣
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 90/108) Liquid rewards.
Thank you!
I like the HIVE price too
I was there back in the Steemit Days
and I feeling equally enthusiastic.
The hardfork doubling with #Steem + #Hive was great! 😊
Posted via D.Buzz
too bad I had powered down
I was almost in the same boat. Sorry for the late reply.
Yeah, really bullish here too. Knowing what's possible and seeing everything that's happening I think there's a lot of room for growth!
I am bullish on the end-use case of #HIVE and @dbuzz above all else.
Having said that, I think it's use-case will lead to much higher prices but I am much more concerned with @dbuzz accumulating more #HIVE for our users than I am w/selling some at new highs.
#BuyersMarketSoon
Posted via D.Buzz
Nice, I'm enjoying dBuzz a lot! Great addition to the hive blockchain in my opinion!
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I get it why everyone is frustrated with Hive. I am too, seems like a lot of the powers that be sit back and cash a check every week without working with the community...But that's crypto man. We can do whatever we want here lol
I'm still on year 3 of 5...So I'm not trying to cash out or even look at ANY profits until then....Over 2 years left on my plan :)
For now, I'm building...Focused on the layer 2 stuff and LOVING the adventure.
Hive is awesome....Once we stop looking at price every second lol
I know where you're coming from. I've read your posts and you are definitely playing the long game. Much respect for your dedication. I actually find a lot of your posts inspirational!
I get people being frustrated too, that just part of crypto in my eyes though. We all want everything to come together over night and it just doesn't work that way in the decentralized environments.
I'm not sure if we have one, but roadmaps are always nice to see where we're going and the community can see what has been accomplished.
Love your attitude, dood! And I agree - I'm very happy about the direction Hive is heading in (especially given where we came from), and I think we've barely scratched the surface of what's possible for our blockchain home.
I wrote a related-but-slightly-different post last week about engagement (and spoiler alert for my #ThreeTimesThree - I'm totally failing at the moment... 😂 ), and got some interesting feedback from my non-Hive blogging friends. Seems to be a general lack of commenting across platforms at the moment, probably for a myriad of reasons. In the bazillion years I've been blogging, I've noticed it tends to ebb and flow, and the best solution for a lack of comments is to make an effort to comment more yourself (hence my 3x3 attempt - still planning to get it going).
Back in 2014, when I attempted my first #NaBloPoMo, I don't recall getting many replies to my posts, but I ended up connecting with some awesome people - many of whom I still chat with occasionally. I see the same thing happening here on Hive - even if chatter on Hive has slowed down, I don't doubt it will eventually pick up again, especially since so many awesome people (present company obviously included) keep on keeping on.
And that's my two cents! Oh, but almost forgot (couldn't resist once you said, "ra ra, go team" ... LOL!)
!BEER
I read that three times three post, that was a great read. I think that's the other thing we all have to realize. People have a lot of stuff going on right now. Holidays approaching so there's that.
I spent the entire day today away from my computer as we are now a Covid Orange zone or some color coded nonsense. All I know is they're getting ready to lockdown the county again so I was out in the madness getting supplies and making sure we had everything for our Thanksgiving. I digress but my point is a lot of people have a lot going on in their personal lives right now and that could be a huge issue in the engagement department.
Engagement does seem to ebb and flow too. That's a great point.
Go team!
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BEER.I feel you man, I have similar feelings (which I just might make into a post).
I've also been around (previously as @shookriya) for almost 4 years now although I tend to float in and out as my life just seems to get weirder and less stable as I grow older. I came in just after the high high's when the price of steem was around 3.50. I've seen a lot of drama and learned a lot and met a lot of cool people in that time and though the platform has always been far from perfect and there are some big stake holders here that are a little embarrassing to see crapping up the blocks, and even though I've never been a big earner or big holder, it's still the only social media platform I would even consider using atm and the only blogging platform I've ever used and the only way I've ever made any money online.
So anyway even though it is super quiet around here right now (cricket emoji) I'll stick around. if only because I'm starting to feel inspired again lately and I need an outlet and because I'm so friggin excited about eXode!
Just like people that bought BTC at $20K, I never really thought about that. That would be really demotivational entering at $3.50 and hanging out to .11 cents. For anyone that has... MUCH RESPECT for those still here. Hopefully better days are just around the corner. That kind of loss is a bitter pill for anyone to swallow and a great point. It's easy to say "I don't worry about the price" but not everyone has that luxury. I actually never even considered that till reading this comment.
OMG eXode looks really cool. I'm looking forward to checking that out also!
yeah that was pretty brutal, luckily I bought very little and between blogging and the Hive fork I ended up well into the green. and then I spent it all on eXode cards! Hah
How is that game? I've been thinking about giving it a try. Looks really fun.
So far I'm really enjoying what's been put out so far. It's still in early alpha though so only preliminary versions of the opening sequence essentially. Amazingly enough it actually stands on its own. It's like a live action escape sequence that lasts 5 or 10 minutes that leads to a colonization sequence that could last months. eventually there will be space battles and an in game market in addition to the player market for buying selling nfts that already exists.
I'm obviously a bit obsessed with it but the first contest with prizes and whatnot will take place in just a few short days so no better time to give it a shot. Starter deck costs 10 bucks and if you use a promo code you get 2 free boosters. let me know if you want any more info, there is a lot of it as well as a demo you can try without buying a pack though it doesn't really do justice to what it is developing into tbh.
Any idea how I might be able to find a promo code? Sounds pretty interesting. You have a referral?
Definitely, just use this link https://exodegame.com/?ref=b5939cd also here's the discord link https://discord.gg/PbrNa4RT
I could not agree more with most of your points. I have opined in many comments on both iterations of this blockchain that they (the community) is a microcosm of the world. People connect and then drift apart; agree and disagree; are active and passive.
All of that said, I am much happier on Hive. It seems (mostly), a more grown up and kinder place. For that I am grateful: I don't like gratuitous conflict or bullying. I just don't go there. Agreement to differ, I can do.
I would like Hive to strengthen. I need it to strengthen. I wish it were not so, but there we are.
Lastly, on engagement: it's simple. Do it and it comes back. Usually. And in
hivesdroves. When it doesn't, I move on. Right now, I am not complaining. And I am not very active so cannot expect much. It's the old story of getting out what you put in.Last comment - on that and this, FTM - @traciyork is right, things ebb and flow. That is ok, and, IMO how life goes.
I think Hive has a much better vibe to it as well. IDK what it was but I never really felt at home with Steemit. I think everything else as far as strength and growth will come with time. Engagement is definitely a two way street for sure. Couldn't agree more about that!
I'm tapping into your bullishness and using it as fuel for my hope. Honestly, there's a lot more work to be done in terms of marketing and development. If we can find a way to work both of them to the point where we attract more investors, life will be way sweeter
I hear you. I think we're heading in the right direction though.
Yeah especially when you think about hive-engine tokens and all the Dapp development that you pointed out. If you look away from the price, the blockchain offers services that people genuinely want to use and actually enjoy.
I still consider myself a bit of a newbie round these parts - so I can't really talk to anything really historical.
But I like it here. Since I dipped my toe in to simply check it out, what I have learnt about what sets Hive apart - probably because the blog is at its heart - is that it has the community as an intrinsic part of itself. Other crypto projects also have community, of course - but that community has built up externally to the project. The activity of the community in and of itself has no direct effect on the performance of the crypto(coin|project). What the community does as an external activity affects it - but Hive is the only place where the actions of simply engaging with peers who also own the coin actually enhances the performance of the coin for everyone. That's a powerful feedback loop.
And of course that is not limited to a specific interest/project or area. Unlike other cryptoprojects that can focus on a narrow brief (often making more 'money' - which can turn the vast majority of folk off as it reinforces the cryptofreak strereotype).
But with Hive, regardless of whether you're into music, cooking, walking, photography, 16th century lavatory design, face mites, dogs that sing, clouds that look like US presidents, etc etc - everyone can join in in a meaningful way to them, everyone can contribute and everyone can benefit. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Oh man, that works for me on a personal level.
And, as such, the potential here is huge. It's easy to get cross-pollination between the groups. It's easy for folk to start new groups up. It's just easy.
And then you throw Hive Engine into the mix and....
So - there's huge potential. I'm starting to ramp up talking about it more to folk - but peddling the community aspect - where getting involved automatically supports the person/group you're engaging with - and you get some kickback too!
I do think there's a need to 'hide' further some of the underlying cryptobabble - there may be a lot of folk who may want to engage with the different communities and dApps and reap the rewards of different tokens - but who never want to have to look at a candle chart. But that's a challenge not specific to Hive - however, for a project that, more than most, wants and needs to encourage 'ordinary' (whatever that means!) folk in, it maybe needs to work harder to accomodate them. There may be plans afoot - I must admit I've not really looked at the development proposals - more than enough fun just engaging... (On re-reading before I hit [Publish], it occurs to me that this is more of a challenge for Hive Engine as opposed to the blog. But there's a lot of overlap - and I think folk will want/need to see it as a single ecosystem...but I feel like I'm straying into dedicated post territory here. I'm sure folk have been over this ground before li'l ol' newbie me raised it! 🤣)
So, I'm also quite bullish about Hive. I do intend to gradually ramp up my proselytising. It'll be interesting to see how it grows - which I certainly hope it will.
Right on! Happy you found us and love what you bring to our corner of the web!
I agree with everything you say. That second last paragraph rings so true though. I've said in the past if you took the rewards away, and just offered the platform I wonder if more "normie" bloggers would try the platform. I think in some way crypto rewards hold us back. Which is weird to me, but seems true.
It's hard to explain this but if someone was just looking for a great easy to use blogging platform we have that. Throw crypto in the mix and things start getting confusing. Then add the illusion that they're going to start earning crypto for their posts and it converts to mere pennies at first until they build and grow can become a huge deterrent or disappointment. Then they stop posting before they even give themselves enough time to grow here. This is one of the reasons community engagement is important to help keep newbs motivated and inspired. The joy of engagement and being acknowledged can be a huge reward in that regard.
Then there's also the whole fact of cashing out. Now they have to learn about a cryptocurrency exchange and in some cases may need to convert HIVE to BTC on one exchange, then BTC to fiat on another. That's a lot to take in for someone new! Especially someone who just wants to blog about the three toed tree sloth of new guinea or something similar and doesn't care anything about crypto.
In this regard I think HIVE is light years ahead of anything out there. It's also one of the major setbacks we face when onboarding new users who aren't into crypto.
IDK I may have gotten off track here, but thanks for the comment. I totally agree.
I think thats quite an insightful thing to say about the crypto holding folk back, and actually acting as a barrier to engagement because of the perceived slow progress. Going to have a think about that! :)
And yeah - cashing out is a 'mare for anyone not versed in using exchanges.
But these are challenges to be overcome, not showstoppers... ;)
Absolutely, couldn't agree more!
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