I hear you, and I agree with you.
I choose how I take part very specifically here, as I too do not want to post pictures of myself, my family, or any specific identifiers. So I have chosen to remain fairly vague in my personal details. I have my own excellent reasons for this, and they are very personal. They are the same reasons I refuse to participate in social media anywhere else. And my own reasons and why they exist are a giant trigger for me.
Those reasons are why I was ecstatic to learn about Hive.
There are several communities that I don't take part in because of this. Some require posters to share on social media, so those communities are off limits for me. Some require photo verification. I even tried to wear sunglasses and use the sun to hide my details in one community that I very much wanted to take part in. That wasn't enough for them, and they wanted video verification 🤯 so I left that group. It's sad, because there are several communities that I feel would inspire more of my ability to write and to come out of my shell. But I can't cross that boundary.
I can tell you that there are many communities that won't ask these things of you. Each community is like it's own little social club, each with different rules. I would feel exceptionally put-off if I had received the response you did, and I wish it wasn't a thing. Tagging, muting, downvoting; all of these make me very anxious as well. I haven't found that many people that are willing to admit the same.
I hope that you can find it in you to continue on, to find communities that don't make these ridiculous requirements. You are exactly the kind of writer that I personally hope can fill this space.
I'm not a techie, or a social media cryptopreacher; I'm an average middle-aged human with lots of personal issues and trauma that hopes to find community and has taken a last ditch effort to look here with optimism. Maybe we should form our own annonymous community? 😊🦋
PS: I don't know if you read my #introduceyourself post, but here is what I did to remain mostly anonymous while still providing info about myself: My Intro Post. Maybe a post similar would be enough for verification? I've never seen that photos or specific identifiers are required. There's got to be a work-around!
Thank you! I feel so much better knowing this situation is relatable. Way too often, I find myself voicing something that nobody else agrees with. If only one person reads this, I am glad it was you. I have the same triggers about social media, and maybe some of the same reasons to keep certain personal details to myself. We should not have to defend this choice to anyone.
I am so sorry to hear that you got denied from a community too, and find others off limits. This is part of the reason why I believe all social blockchains are doomed for failure. The underlying mechanics are a step forward, but people have migrated the shitty social and societal problems with it. Then it becomes two steps backward and we are no better off than before.
Boundaries are important, especially when they relate to mental health. Having a safe space within hive where people can be themselves at whatever level suits them is important too. It blows my mind how some people can be so narrow minded. I will not be attempting to join another existing community because my self esteem will not let me. When it comes to writing, I place too much value on time and energy to waste it where it is not appreciated. There is probably a workaround to verification, but the fact remains that I would still not want to be associated with plantpower or any other community that treats people in this way.
I am also an average but not quite middle aged human with lots of personal issues and trauma that hopes to find community. I love that we have this in common. I came here to heal those parts of myself - that come from a very broken sense of community. So far that effort has crashed and burned. Just about the only thing that would give me a glimmer of hope to write again without fear is for us to create the space we are seeking. But not with the sole focus of being anonymous. I don't really see our preferences and values as trying to be anonymous - it is just a nice side effect to how we choose to show up here.
I have already re-prioritized the rest of this year to actifit posts only, so that is the only thing that I really have the bandwidth to stick around the hive blockchain for. Maybe I will feel differently in the new year about posting recipes and projects.
Unfortunately, people have done that for millennia, we are just expanding into a virtual realm, I'm afraid. A safe space can only exist in a closed group and we have no closed groups on the blockchain.
I absolutely understand your anxieties, I've lived with them all my life. Sadly if you want to put yourself out there in any way, in our case through writing, you have to either develop a thick skin or find ways to deal with the things that knock your confidence. For me it helps trying to see the other side and understand where they are coming from. Most of the time these are good people trying to deal with things and advise on correct tag or community usage. Once I've gotten over the initial shock of being told I've done the wrong thing then I rationalise and ask for further advice. The majority of the time the conversation ends in a good way.
My definition of a safe space - in the context of the hive blockchain - is simply a community where you do not have to worry about the moderators muting you due to miscommunications or errors. Also, we have the freedom to approach the style of content creation in the way that we choose. Without being told to extend ourselves to match outdated criteria that is not very holistic. There are lots of ways to get to know a person apart from formal intros.
These two things are very achievable here, and certainly do not require a closed group. I realize that we all have different opinions, interests, outlooks and emotional states. Having a safe space isn't putting anyone into bubble wrap - we still have to be accountable for our own stuff. For me, it just means putting your best effort out there - and knowing that it means something. You are not just another cog in the wheel.