There are some very strange people on Hive, though, I guess that goes for the entire internet. There are so many people here that seemingly have so many issues, paranoia, depression, social ineptitude, inability to take responsibility and seeing themselves as victims... the list goes on... and on.
However, I have met some of the people from Hive over the years and the ones I have met face to face have for the most part, been pretty normal people. Back in Poland toward the end of 2019 for a Fest, there were heaps of awesome people that I enjoyed having a drink, sharing meals and walking the streets of Krakow with in the we hours of the night - but there is an obvious selection bias here, as these people were able to get there, they were the types of people who generally don't mind being around others, people who have at least some modicum of social skill to their name.
Sometimes I wonder what the real strange people would be like in real life - the ones who are constantly complaining about Hive - yet post religiously like their lives depend on it. The ones who act clever. troll and think they have influence - yet no one is listening to them.
I suspect that a lot of these types are normal people who haven't been able to work out a way to make a mark on their experience in any other way, so they can come here and pretend they are someone more important than they are and even earn a few dollars for it. Or not. Others are the outcasts who have no influence or power in the real world, so they build a persona around themselves that makes them feel powerful.
There have been some epic dummy-spits here over the years and it is pretty amazing how many people rage and "quit forever" only to come back the next day, the next week or next month, as if nothing ever happened. It must be sad to live a life of not being able to fulfil the simplest of personal positions. Many of these people are triggered by downvotes and complain about how unethical it is, yet do not look at their own integrity and behaviors.
On Hive, there are people I trust who I have never seen, and many people I do not trust after observing their behavior over the years. People seem to forget that social interaction is a very big part of the Hive network and act as if it doesn't matter how they act, that they still deserve reward or recognition, still expect people will listen to what they have to say. Most of these people end up in these little fringe groups, talking about how smart they are, in the corner amongst themselves. No one else takes them seriously in any way.
What is cool about Hive is that it represents a very wide cross-section of society. There are rich and poor, intelligent and far less so, different nationalities, religions, sexes, sexual orientations and a million other differentiators that people use to segment themselves away from others and often then use to empower their sense of victimization. This dynamic creates a lot of conflict between people at times, but that is just the way the internet works, especially when there is money involved - or attention.
I reckon attention is one of the major reasons people behave so poorly, with many acting out like petulant children who are rebelling against their mother, whining, complaining throwing tantrums - all while demanding the parent give them attention.
"Look at me, Mother!"
Not enough hugs.
Hive is a strange place and definitely not the kind of media I would have ever thought myself to be part of, let alone enjoy as the most compelling hobby I have ever had. I was talking with a large stakeholder the other day and the said - "I didn't mean to powerup so much HIVE, it just happened". I think this speaks volumes as I am similar, once thinking I would never go about 10,000 and now approaching 250,000.
But, this is also the case for all those freaks out there too, for as much as they complain, they are compelled by whatever personal imbalance they have to stay here, to keep posting, keep whining, keep trying to convince whoever will listen that they should leave this disaster, it will never amount to anything. Again, the same people often talk about the ethics of others - but fail to see the dilemma they are in themselves.
Why not just leave?
Is it so hard? If this place sucks so much, why not just spend your time somewhere that sucks less - the internet is a very big place and constantly expanding - there are other places to rant and rave than Hive, why not just leave it to the people who enjoy being here?
This is the dilemma, because they don't want that, they want to be here. For most, it is all about the money, regardless what they say. How many people have you heard say "I am not here for the money" and then complain about downvotes? Nearly all who have ever been downvoted it seems, even while they claim to not need the money - it is all about the principles.
Lols.
Principles. Yeah, the principles of people who can't bring themselves to leave an opt-in platform they supposedly despise for years.
After all - there is money involved.
But, it takes all types in this world and perhaps it is that these people have always existed, it is just that the internet has allowed to become visible, while still hiding their true-selves away. It is very hard to live a life as a troll in the real world, as there is no screen to protect from getting slapped in the side of the head - hard to hold a job too. Perhaps this is why so many apparently need money from Hive.
It is an interesting place to observe and participate in a relatively transparent social economy and see how people act under the various conditions and especially, over time. A social data scientist is going to have a field day with all of the information eventually and dissect the personalities and cross-reference their posting, commenting, voting and trading behavior. Should make for an interesting read.
I would like to say that with mass-adoption, there would be a normalization of the community to balance the polarization a bit, but that might be wishful thinking in a world that encourages a lack of emotional control and incentives drama for attention.
But, I'd rather be here than anywhere else.
Love or hate it, it seems I am not the only one.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]