I think, with consistent effort it's possible to earn a full-time living on Hive ultimately. As you mentioned, factors like location/lifestyle and being part of an engaged community impact success.

Some acquaintances here in Vietnam have done well through regular posting and community-building on HIVE, generating sufficient income. But it requires daily activity and outreach or getting that one whale to take notice of you and vote you ever day. But yes, more time to connect with others would be ideal.

Downvotes and spite sometimes are what is hindering growth. Hopefully continuing improvements in reward curves and onboarding tools will help alleviate those issues. Reducing barriers to entry and participation can really help the platform thrive, and if the platform thrives, then the users will too.

I'm optimistic that in coming years, a full-time Hive income will become very feasible for dedicated creators as adoption expands. Especially if we focus on rewarding value-added content vs mere stake weight. Making progress through thoughtful evolution will get us there.

The key is bringing in more users through education and empowering them to become active community members. Then the opportunities will grow exponentially. Collaborating to make the platform more intuitive and equitable for all is how we'll see full-time viability become a reality.

Exciting times ahead!

Cheers