Hmmm What are the good and bad things about Hive so far? That question sounded simple at first, but the moment I really start thinking about it, it becomes not so simple. Im tryna see how i can navigate whats in my mind and put it into writing.
First, let’s ground it a bit, Hive is often described as a decentralized social media platform built on blockchain technology. No central authority, no single company controlling everything, and theoretically more power in the hands of users. Sounds perfect, right? Almost too perfect. That is where things get interesting.
The good thing about Hive, at least on the surface, is freedom, whether you consider it to be real or perceived. You are not just a user, you are part of the system. Your content can earn value. Your voice can carry weight, unlike traditional platforms where your posts disappear into an algorithm you don’t understand, Hive gives the illusion or maybe the reality that what you do actually matters.
And that word “value” is important. Because on Hive, value is not just likes or followers. It is tied to tokens, to actual digital currency. And that pulls it into the same space as Bitcoin. Something that has no physical form, no intrinsic backing but holds immense value simply because people believe it does. So one of the biggest “good” things about Hive is that it exposes the truth about systems we already live in. Value is not real in the traditional sense. It is agreed upon. On Hive, you see that process happening in real time. People upvote, stake, curate, and suddenly a post has “worth.”
But here is where the bad starts creeping in.
If value is based on collective belief, then it is also vulnerable to manipulation. Their is Power in Hive, it just changes form. Instead of corporations as in the traditional ssense, you get whales. Big stakeholders who hold massive influence over what gets seen, what gets rewarded, and what could get buried.
So the question becomes, is Hive really decentralized, or is it just a different version of the same hierarchy?
Because when a few people can heavily influence rewards and visibility, you start to see patterns that look very familiar. Popular voices get louder. New voices struggle to break through because of lack of influence. It starts to mirror real life we are all trying to escape.
Another “good” thing is ownership. On Hive, your content is yours. It lives on the blockchain. It cannot just be deleted by a company overnight and that definitely sounds empowering, but then again, permanence cuts both ways. If something is on the blockchain forever, then mistakes are also permanent.
Now let’s get a bit more abstract or should i sy liberal, Hive is not just a platform. It is a reflection of human nature under different rules. You remove central authority, and what happens? Do people naturally create fairness, or do they recreate power structures anyway? and try to cheat the system?
The answer seems to be somewhere in between.
So is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It depends on how you look at it.
If you are optimistic, Hive is a step toward a more open, user driven internet. A place where people can truly own their content and be rewarded for their contributions. If you are cynical, Hive is just another system where power accumulates, only this time it is dressed in the language of freedom and decentralization and as ive earlier said maybe the truth is somewhere uncomfortable in the middle.
