Hive As A Decentralized Backup To Centralized Social Media

in LeoFinance4 years ago

The social media platforms are garnering a lot of attention these days. Whether it is because of taking down a video of doctors who disagree with the mainstream message or certain individuals having their accounts erased because of their viewpoints on certain issues, barely a day goes by without some attention being paid to these companies.

Twitter getting hacked is now putting it in the crosshairs of the SEC. Not to be outdone, Mark Zuckerberg is now facing criminal implications for lying in front of Congress after an internal report was released that counters much of his testimony.

This is all opening the door, so we think, for decentralization. Being on Hive naturally puts us in a hopeful position of attracting some of those users to this platform.


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After all, one of the biggest benefits of blockchain is that it is immutable. Therefore, anything that is put on there will remain. This is in stark contrast to the centralized platforms where years worth of posts are eliminated in a few moments. Steem, of course, under Justin Sun, showed the power of centralization when he did that to a number of long-time Steemians.

So far, the relationship between decentralization and centralized platforms is an adversarial one. It is a matter of "we are right, they are wrong" type mentality. While this makes sense, there might be another way of looking at it.

It cannot be denied that the centralized platforms have the traffic and will do so for a long time. Those who are disgruntled with them make the headlines yet, overall, are a very small number of the total users. While an Alex Jones or David Icke gets attention, they are just two accounts in billions. At the same time, it is likely they are not even the most active users considering the fact that Facebook, as an example, has people spending 10-15 hours a day on there.

The decentralized applications (DApps) have done an awful job attracting users. Looking at the numbers of the most popular DApps is a joke compared to the overall Internet user base. Here we see that the bridge between the two is vast.

We did see some progress in terms of integration. A couple of the DApps, 3Speak and Peakd, do allow for signing in using accounts from the major platforms. This enables users to start interacting on those sites without a Hive account. This bypasses the onboarding issues, something that has plagued the ecosystem for years.

It also allows people to do what they are accustomed. We are creatures of habit. By signing in with a Google or Facebook account, something people do all the time, users can instantly start commenting and participating on the platform. This reduces the learning curve greatly.

Of course, this presents an issue since Hive has a reward pool that is based upon the activities of Hive accounts. Using these other platform accounts to sign in negates that idea.

What is done to get around this problem is for the different applications to use proxy accounts. Here we see the ability to post comments via proxy removing the obstacle of not having an account. Thus, the information pertaining to user activity is kept at the application level as opposed to the blockchain. In short, it is a hybrid model.

Here is where things could get interesting. So far, I have only seen this approach used for commenting. Considering all that is taking place in the social media world, is there something more that could be done.


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When we get down to the bare bones of blockchain, we come to realize it is nothing more than a database. Like Facebook and Twitter maintain their databases, Hive is one that is decentralized, spread across many computers. The system is designed in a way that each computer that is running the blockchain software syncs up with the others based upon the verification of the different transactions.

It is important to note that the Hive blockchain provides security and immutability for text. Thus, video and audio files are still going to be at the mercy of the centralized entities. However, for text based communications, Hive could offer something that is invaluable when we factor what is happening.

If we could take the same approach using the sign in process, yet allow for posts to be put on Hive via proxy accounts, Hive effectively could be the immutable database that negates the centralized platforms ability to completely eliminate or censor information. In other words, once it is posted to the blockchain, it is there regardless of what Twitter or Facebook do in their databases.

Suddenly, the utility for Hive goes through the roof. Those accounts that are walking the fine line of getting in trouble with the big boys of social media can take comfort knowing their information (and ideas) are always available. While a Tweet or Facebook post can be deleted, one on Hive cannot.

Here we see how Hive can become an adjunct for the activity that is already taking place on social media sites. All the activity would have to be run through proxy accounts. If someone is interested in utilizing more of the Hive ecosystem, an account could be signed up for. Yet, for most, simple posting as a backup would be sufficient.

In my mind, this would move Hive up in the world. How many of the users on social media would need to adopt this approach to radically improve the numbers? If 1/10th of 1% of all Twitter users started doing this, you would be looking at somewhere near 300,000. Facebook would present even a larger number.

One issue that always seems to come up is that of the reward pool. Here is where things get a bit sticky. From what I have seen, the applications can utilize their own database, outside of Hive, to keep track of rewards earned by individual accounts. Distribution of rewards will require a Hive account so nothing will be claimed until the users sign up for one.

However, there is a different approach that could be taken. Simply put, activity that takes place using the sign in from the major social media platforms is not eligible for Hive rewards. This is reserved for those who are posting using a Hive account. To solve this, the proxy accounts from the application could be set to turn down rewards. Thus, the reward pool is preserved for Hivians yet the activity and benefits of immutable backup are available to those who are on centralized social media.

There is another level that could be added. If the application wants to entice users with rewards, a token could be created specifically for that. Once again, the basis of HIVE rewards is maintained while the application is free to establish payouts however it determines. This could provide some incentive to those on the mainstream social media sites to use this system.


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Much of this would eliminate the difficulty issues people seem to have when approaching cryptocurrency. Since the masses appear not to be interested in getting passed the learning curve, we need to simplify it for them. This means providing a structure that is familiar to them while offering some of the benefits of Hive.

From that point, it becomes a numbers game. Whatever number do start to use Hive as a backup system, we can count on a percentage, no matter how small, ultimately doing the research to see the benefits of having a Hive account. Eventually, this will result in more users signing up.

In the meantime, Hive will also get some serious recognition since the transaction volume will go through the roof. Unlike some of the blockchains that have nothing more than bots running, this would be legitimate data that is being preserved on the Hive platform. In other words, it would serve a purpose.

Eventually, I believe the centralized social media platforms will collapse. Going forward, there are just too many challenges for them to maintain their position. Whether it is security concerns or the fact that people are looking for them to both police content while also leaving it alone, I do not see how they can rectify the situation to keep all parties happy.

That said, it is a process that could take a while to unfold. In the near term, like most things in crypto, a hybrid approach is needed. Combine some of the decentralized benefits of Hive with centralized social media accounts that are truly interested in having their information preserved.

An application that provides decentralized database protection for centralized social media accounts could go a long way in firmly implanting Hive in the minds of millions of people.

Essentially, Hive will be positioned as an adjunct to the existing social media platforms. Once that is in place, the ecosystem can then work on taking them over.


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Your Dcity is flooded with homeless and immigrants.
I gave you a public restroom for their immediate needs, but i strongly suggest you visit Dcity.io and either sell them off on the market or provide them with some kind of workplace.

They are just sitting there now, collecting social support.

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What an excellent use case for HIVE! I think this sort of lateral thinking is needed to get HIVE to the masses, because the tried 'blog and earn money', while true-ish, has a number of problems.

Biggest problem with that @ecoinstant is the fact that people get frustrated when the rewards do not instantly come. For far too long, it was poorly marketed, the come, post, and make $1,500 on your first post was the only idea put forth.

Perhaps letting people use Hive in a way they are use to, it could get a portion of the population to delve deeper into what is taking place.

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You're painstakingly right about one thing, hive boosts of human transactions and original activities and the design is more than sophisticated and contrary to what we have out there.
Like you said, centralised medias will continue to have the ground and will do so for a longtime but then the loopholes of insecurities which they have is what Will suggest the need for a change and we'll be waiting to welcome them.

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Over time, I think the security issue is going to become a much larger issue and centralized systems, thus far, have little answer for that. The hacks that take place of Fortune 500 companies shows how the hackers are a step ahead of the cybersecurity people.

Decentralization improves upon this although not foolproof either.

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I think that's a great idea. The Hive backups could be done using a browser extension. The extension would require the user to buy a small amount of Hive Power or just Resource Credits needed for interacting with the chain.

The idea would not be using mainstream social media platforms as Hive front ends but Hive as an immutable backup database.

Very interesting. So like a Chrome browser extension that anyone could load and start using.

I am not sure of how the technical makeup would look like but if we can do it for comments, I thought it an opportunity for posts, especially with many people complaining their stuff is being zapped on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. At least we can address the issue when it comes to text.

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Very interesting. So like a Chrome browser extension that anyone could load and start using.

Yes, or like Hive Keychain.

I am not sure of how the technical makeup would look like but if we can do it for comments, I thought it an opportunity for posts, especially with many people complaining their stuff is being zapped on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. At least we can address the issue when it comes to text.

It would look at what the Facebook app was doing and if it was making a post or a comment, it would post that same content to Hive as well.

By the way, those backups wouldn't even need to be posts or comments on Hive. Hive can store text in the JSON format.

Thanks for the information. Another great point about the custom JSON format.

That takes things to another level altogether.

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Your current Rank (37) in the battle Arena of Holybread has granted you an Upvote of 18%

This is a very nice way to look at Hive.

Siacoin is a good option for video and audio. I've dabbled into it's application on Hive but lost motivation to push through. I've long considered using both technologies as a sort of immutable extender of web content.

Great thoughtful article. Coming fresh from a new 60 day fascistbook ban for comparing the mask to a gold star, I feel so ashamed I've avoided this free decentralised blockchain platform for so long. From now on everything on hive first and let this be bait to trawl all our tupperware selling cousins and normie friends here to be mind blown lol

I'm on a 30 day block this time, hence why i made it over to Hive.

Always good meeting somebody who spreads the word of Rick Simpson.

But Rick Simpson doesn't treat the root of the cause, here I always refer to Dr Sebi, he is not perfect but he is the best, he addresses most fundamental components of human health and it is even in sync with modern western studies. The real ones anyway.

You probably saw America's Front line Doctors at the Supreme Court recently, they named Dr Fauci as one of the main frauds in our medical world.

He is the one stopping natural medicine and methodology since 1984.

True, in this dream of life in which we play. Yet we must re-member that the root root cause which causes the physical disease and suffering, is the forgetting of the one true self, or put another way the belief in the false sense if I and therefore the appearance of this world of duality.

Namaste

Yay @elissahawke. Happy to see you here at last 🤗. I look forward to seeing your posts. (Ps I tagged you earlier today on Fakebook re. D.Buzz for microbligging and memes on Hive)

With the return of the BTC boom, more people are likely to be attracted to cryptocurrencies.

We know that it is very difficult for people to leave traditional social media to embark on something they are relatively unaware of and I liked to know that Dapps are precisely reducing this "problem" because opening an account in the past was very complex.

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