I have never been to HiveFest, even though I would like to go. Each year there is always something that has held me back, whether it be a health issue, a family issue, or just a lack of money. I did go to Poland in 2018 for Steemfest though, and it was a really good time and I still talk to many of the people I met there. However, it was also a different time than it is now, and a different kind of community.
It was more focused.
A common complaint about the trending page was a lot of the content was "inward-facing", meaning it was only relevant to people who were on the platform. A lot of discussions were around developments, hardforks, initiatives, and a plethora of opinions about what was needed to make the blockchain better, and a lot of suggestions and on-chain discussion of ideas and possibilities.
The main complaint was:
"Why would outside people want to see Hive content?"
Well.... the answer is simple.
Because it is interesting and unique.
And what all that content and discussion did was inform people and get them up to speed on the technical and social aspects of the community that they likely didn't have very little experience with before. It meant that a large number of people were able to discuss aspects of Hive that were important to them. Now though, a lot of users know next to nothing about the way the platform actually works, and as such - it is just a platform.
Hive is an experience.
But that is my opinion. I have this because the more people actually engage with the blockchain and get experience with different parts of it, the more engaged and more embedded they become in the community. And what that translates into is, a stronger, healthier, more diverse community. And I think that is what is missing now and why the question should be asked about HiveFest,
Is it still relevant?
Again in my opinion....
But, it comes with the caveat that it can't just be an event that is organised once a year in a place for a group of less than a hundred to hang out together, it has to be supported all year. Not the event itself of course, but the development and engagement of the community that supports HiveFest.
Hive needs more people who are interested in Hive.
I know, that sounds a bit silly. But even a lot of the witnesses seem disengaged and unwilling to be a leader in the community, to build a diverse community around themselves and their own initiatives, and be part of the daily conversation.
When is the next hardfork?
Shouldn't I know? There was one that was scheduled for Q! 2025 - did it happen? I don't think so, but I have no idea. Other than the announcement a year ago from 
The "terrible" inward-facing content is content that can't be found anywhere else, unlike a lot of the content that people submit to the chain here now. That means that it is unique. Not only that though, it is the kind of content that brings most of the community together (not often in agreement) because it is something that is common to everyone on Hive, because here we are, on Hive. It makes sense to have more Hive content here that sits alongside other more mainstream content, because it is a unifying factor. Not only that, as a potential investment avenue, the more people understand about Hive, the more likely they are to be part of the discussion, understand the technology, and invest into the potential.
Hive isn't just a platform for users, it is a platform for everyone.
HiveFest shouldn't be about being on holiday with a group of random internet people, it should be about a group of engaged Hive users coming together and discussing and planning Hive into the future. At the technology layer, the economic layer, the social layer - and the overall experiential layer. It should be inspiring, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly volatile and plagued by disconnection and social degradation.
My goal is to go to HiveFest (if it is held) next year. But until then, I am going to start increasing my own engagement with Hive and writing about topics that are inward-facing in the hope to strengthen the Hive community on the social layer. It might not be interesting to a lot of people and at times might be overlapping. But I believe that Hive is awesome and the more people who think the same, the better the community will do at all levels, including the mainstream content level.
Everyone on Hive wins, when the community is engaged.
Engage and give your opinions below.
Good. Bad. Ugly.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Be part of the Hive discussion.
And you may be rewarded.
