illustrations by StorysetI just witnessed another Hive user rage quit (again). His tantrums started on Twitter. He even unfollowed my account on Hive, which I find weird because I am not remotely the cause of his problem. It was sad and funny at the same time. I have been here long enough to see people come and go, and they always do so for the same reason.
The major mistake people like him make on Hive is assuming that effort equals reward or payout. They think that the more effort they put into creating, engaging, and community building, the more it will pay off in the long or short run, but that's not true. This said person attended HiveFest, contributed significantly to some big projects on Hive, and makes great content, but that has not translated to more earnings (which is the reason he is rage-quitting).
Hivers often shoot themselves in the foot by paying forward. They do this by putting time and effort, forgoing short-term gains, or disregarding them completely with the hope that it will pay off in the future. However, they get disappointed when it does not and rage quit. In the end, you cannot blame the platform because it did not promise you anything.
Another thing people do when building on Hive is lie. They lie about being community-centric and not caring about money, but you can clearly see they are motivated by rewards, and there is nothing wrong with that. Just be honest with yourself and the community. Articulate the things you want to achieve and what you are willing to contribute to the chain so that when those things do not align, you can walk away without any animosity in your heart.
There are no real metrics to determine how much you earn on Hive. There is no method to this madness. The only seemingly certain way to earn more Hive is to stake more, and not everybody wants to do that, and that does not even guarantee anything. So, I reiterate, there is no method to this madness.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH HIVE IN A BENEFICIAL WAY TO YOU AND THE PLATFORM?
illustrations by StorysetFirstly, lower your expectations. As long as Hive purports to be a content-based platform, it is not. There are more important things like stake, which is where most of the value comes from. So if you are coming here hoping to make it big as a content creator, then you may need to rethink because firstly there isn't the audience for that. Secondly, the platform doesn't have enough to support creators.
It is best to approach Hive as a long-term project with no guarantee. As a content creator, you can back up your content here and earn Hive tokens, which might be valuable in the future, while you continue to use platforms on web 2.0.
If you want to be a community member and support different projects, then you can do that with minimum expectations and limit your time on the chain. Don't end up spending 40+ hours on the chain hoping for some sort of compensation; it doesn't work that way.
Also, be on the lookout for opportunities. Avoid getting stuck in one place. There are new projects and communities looking for active members; find them and contribute. If it's not worth your time or effort, then move on to something else.
Lastly, do not compare yourself to other people. There is a hierarchy of creators and contributors, and there are levels you will never reach. Closure comes from understanding how the system works and how best you can benefit and contribute to it. Remember, no one owes you anything.
I am sorry if Hive did not provide you with the recognition and reward you wanted. I know how that feels. Nevertheless, you need to take full responsibility for your journey. Maybe you overcompensated, but you can make up for it by having a more realistic view of the platform.