For much of the world, the Internet is a vital part of our lives. There is no way around utilizing this medium. We access our news, pay bills, and derive our entertainment from this. It is also a major part of our communication with others.
At present, each time we use an application, we log on. The challenge here is that we own nothing. Our identities are controlled by centralized entities. They control whether we exist in the digital world or not.
Yahoo. Gmail. Facebook. KIK. Zoom. Skype. Twitter.
No matter what the platform, or service, we have to maintain their permission to engage. Sadly, whatever we do is not ours. All of our interactions, regardless of who they are with, is only with the permission of these entities. As many of us are aware, our digital lives can vanish in an instant.
This is a problem because the likelihood that the evolution of the Internet, along with expansion along these lines, is almost guaranteed to continue. We are not going to reverse the multi-decade trend that is in place.
Here is where Web 3.0 might have the most impact.
This is something that is overlooked by so many. Granted we are in the early stages but ownership of our digital lives is going to become a more important subject. People are starting to realize, albeit slowly, how crucial this truly is. Whether it is for business or pleasure (Web 3.0 is going to merge the two), having access is paramount.
It is the single topic where Web 2.0 falls completely on its face. We are also not going to see a change in the abovementioned companies anytime soon. The reality is they crave control since that is what their business models are built around. Web 3.0 is being constructed with something completely different.
Therefore, having a Hive account might end up being a windfall for all those who are taking to time to get one. Again, we are at the embryotic point in the process yet we can start to see where this is going.
It really boils down to a simple question: do you want to own your stuff or not?
The answer is rather obvious. Contrary to the WEF, who doesn't want ownership of their lives? Why does anyone think this will not extend to the digital world?
In short, we are going to start forming deeper and more robust digital identities as the technologies available to us expand. Do you want this in the hands of Mark Zuckerberg?
Naturally, the answer should be clear.
One of the biggest advantages to Hive is that it does offer a powerful account management system. It starts with the ability to actually name your profile. This is something that is not a given in the Web 3.0 world. If one is looking to connect a Metamask wallet, for example, look at how that is named. The wallet address is a series of letters and numbers.
Another aspect to this is how each account is protected. We can debate whether 20 consensus block producers is enough until the cows come home. However, what cannot be disputed is that, after the Justin Sun attack, the ability to take over the pool and place in sock puppets was removed. The ninja-mined stake is now in the Decentralized Hive Fund (DHF). This cannot be used for governance voting.
What this means is that Hive is decentralized enough in its governance to protects accounts from being closed by a group of the Top 20 getting together. Also, an outside attacker is going to have an issue there are layers in place to deter such action.
For these reasons, it is safe to say that Hive accounts are legitimately protected and provide full account ownership. The only caveat is, of course, that one much retain his or her keys.
This means that Hive has the capability to provide ownership of one's digital life, at least as it pertains to activities done using Hive's account management system.
Try to imagine going through life without much of an identification. Think of how hard it is to engage in even the most basic of services without that.
Now, if we apply the same concept to the digital realm, consider what it would be like if half of your abilities vanished while you were sleeping. This would be the threat if the likes of Zuckerberg keep growing in power.
Logging in with Google, Facebook, and Twitter is extending the reach of those companies outside their own platforms. They now have control over your life on whatever you are signing into.
Consider this reality with money tied to those applications. How much control do you want to give then tech companies?
With concepts such as avatars, advanced gaming, mixed reality, and a host of other things such as DeFi increasing in likelihood, we can easily see how our digital identities are only going to grow.
The question is who owns it? Is it you or an assortment of major tech companies?
Hive has a concept that few realize so far. Having one log in accessing many different games or applications is priceless. We do not realize how big this is. If we view this through the lens of the totality of our digital lives, we see this as a major part of the foundation.
For onboarding purposes we see many applications starting to allow people to sign up using a Facebook or Twitter account. While this makes sense, the truth is people should be looking the other direction. Applications and games should start integrating Hive's account management system into what they are building.
That is where the true need is going forward. We need to take back control of our digital lives.
Hive has a system in place that will allow for this.
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