A community is only as inviting as its members.
And all of us Hivers make up Hive's community.
For example, I'm fairly new here, but active. I've written 300,000 words on Hive in the last two months, and the vast majority of them are kind, civilized, understanding, appreciative, truthful, and intentionally aimed to create value. If I ever disagree with someone, I make a point to do so with care, consideration, and understanding.
In contrast, some commenters have responded to me with over-aggression, name-calling, and outright cruelty. (And some commenters I've seen are fairly 'high-up' Hivers or well-established whales.)
One might say the comment-section of my posts attracts a 'troll' or two. :)
Note: I don't really label people as 'trolls' or even 'mean people,' it's just the most concise word I could find to communicate what I mean.
The phrase "person who expresses over-aggressively and with less-mature communication" is kind of wordy, right?
Anyway, I don't take 'mean comments' personally.
I've been there myself. I was a rabid 'mean commenter' myself as a teen. And my homeless years imbued me with some extra understanding. I believe any human who aims to bring another human down with their words is confused and/or 'going through some s**t.' When people are cruel it’s nearly always a projection of something they dislike about themselves. (ie: 'Androcles and the Lion')
But if I spend days crafting a well-worded post, (plus a novel's worth of text explaining any misunderstanding in the comments), and commenters 'troll' me, or rant, rave, and target me... it seems to be a 'bad look' for the community, in my opinion.
Basically, trolls don't seem super-valuable, you know?
Sure they contribute some engagement, at least. And yes, they can help create buzz. But in the end...
A bunch of aggressive communicators in my comments section don't inspire me to refer friends to Hive. It feels like I'd be telling my buddies:
"Hey guys! Join Hive and get yelled at by people unable to read without self-triggering."
or
"Join Hive and enjoy commenters who're unable to express with civility."
My point is, a community is only as inviting as its members. And although I've often had friendly, respectful discussions with mature people...
There seems to be an 'ugly side' of Hive that rears its head.
Especially regarding certain topics. So I'm curious as to just how valuable 'aggressive-leaning' communicators actually are to Hive.
I recently proposed 3 + 1 marketing campaigns for Hive in as many days, and it didn't even occur to me to target any of them at emotionally mature communicators. In fact, I've never seen any platform target such a demographic.
(YouTube seems to actively aim for the opposite, judging by its comments-section.)
And it got me thinking— I'd love to see any platform in the world prioritize mature communicators for civil discussion. Because although I see the value of all people, and aim to be loving towards misplaced aggression... it's clear some commenters aren't bringing their 'best selves' to the table, while others 'obviously' are. It makes me wonder what it'd be like if a community had much more of the latter.
Imagine what a comments section full of clear-minded, considerate, appreciative communicators ( like @crosheille ) would look like!
"Leave every person, place, and thing better than when you found it." - David Meltzer
So, do mean commenters actually leave a place better than when they arrived? I mean technically they've contributed 'engagement', right? So...
Are 'trolls' more or less 'valuable' than emotionally mature people?
Or is everyone equally valuable, no matter how cruel they're being?
Is one type more desirable than the other for a community? Does Hive have a preference on what types of people they want on the platform? How do you feel about 'mean' commenters? Is it even possible to differentiate between them and kind souls doing their best? Is it all in the 'eye of the beholder?'
The fact is, some people spread a lot of love through their comments, others seem to do the opposite. And Hive can either encourage one type of communicator over the other. The question is...
What type of members is Hive looking for?
And how much is each 'type' of communicator valued, sought after, and encouraged? What kind of community does Hive want to be?
Personally, I can see the value in all, but I'd much prefer a community of people who express themselves maturely, if possible.
What do you think?
I'd love to hear it in the comments. And if you think others may want to weigh in, I appreciate you sharing this (juicy?) question with others.
Either way, thanks to everyone who read, commented, shared, voted, or even skimmed, wishing you kind comments!