Why?
Well, to leave this post as my goodbye and to finish powering down all of my HP and transfer my Hive to Blurt. After this post I will no longer ever post on Hive unless it comes through the @cast.garden account from one of my podcast episodes. Nor will I promote it as a decentralized, free speech platform. Because it is not one.
You can listen to a somewhat rambling and further explanation of all of this on my latest podcast episode "Why I quit Hive".
Thumbnail from my latest podcast episode.
Let me explain
When I first came to Hive I was searching for a true FreeSpeech platform. I thought I had found it. But a year or so in I realized it's not. It's close but it's still not there. I was one of the ones who tried to instigate some changes to make it more capable to FreeSpeech through the Hive5 initiative a couple of years ago. The problem is that Hive has encoded into the blockchain level a monetary value and allows for 3rd parties to effect the value of two other people.
My biggest beef with Hive
If "User B" likes content that "User A" makes and finds value in it. Then "User B" upvotes his content. But "User C" doesnt like the content or even "User A" himself, can come along and down vote the same content. Nullifying "User B's" value of the content. This is not fair and should not happen. A 3rd part's value or lack of should not ever effect someone else's. This simple little action allows for way too much control and room for abuse and people willingly look over it because they can make a profit or control others with it. Thats just human nature, find a spot in the hierarchy and get comfortable with it. Because true Freedom is too hard to gain and maintain.
Through this action it allows and maintains a select few to always remain at the top of the economic and social hierarchy of the system. Whether they are actively posting or not. They can stay behind the scenes in staunch control and picking and choosing the winners and losers of the Hive ecosystem. Everything from the DHF, HBD & dapps all the way down to the individual users.
The last two years
Over the last two years I've watched Hive's user base dwindle while new signups died off and the DHF be bled dry for useless and frivoulous things. Many people have debated over what was causing it. I've heard everything from "covid was over and people went back to their lives" to "we need to advertise". There was a few other really good suggestions but those in control thought it was best to throw more money at it and court other blockchains.
But the one thing they never cared to look at is the fact that it is flawed at the core. In irl a flimsy and flawed foundation will eventually bring down the entire house. The same will happen with technology. But its not the technology's fault in Hive's situation.
What exactly is Web3?
While over the last decade or so Web3 has been steep in pioneers that made huge in roads and scammers who wrecked havoc on the emerging industry. The question still remains "What is Web3"?
Most people assume it's all about the technology. Decentralized this or that. Federation, IPFS, blockchains, digital assets, etc. If you havent figured it out by now I'm about to let you know and it's not any of the above.
It's not 1's and 0's. Its not whose shit coin is better. Sure thats a part of it. But thats not what Web3.
At it's heart Web3 is a philosophy, an online way of life that promotes and protects privacy, anonymity and user security. Somewhere along the line most of the industry, including Hive, lost sight of that. Everybody was all "build, build build" and completely ignoring the basic fundamentals of Web3 and it's purpose. I tend to think that a lot of dollar signs was in way too many eyes to keep the clear vision.
How could Hive be the bastion of Freedom it has proclaimed it's self to be over the years when it allows for 3rd party control of other peoples value?
How could Hive continue it's claim of promoting anonymity when the same 3rd party control on steroids is wielded by Hivewatchers to demand proof of identity from users? Whether a user has one account or hundreds, there is no way for HW to verify without a doubt that a user is who they claim to be. It requires some form of KYC or even ip tracking.
None of which is privacy, anonymity or security.
Hive is essentially Web2 wrapped up in newer technology in a pretty package to make it look different. But in practice it is exactly the same thing. Just different rulers.
Enough said
I honestly dont want to see Hive die. I would love to see it be a great success. But at what point will those that are in control will stop trowing money and effort away and look at themselves for the solution? I dont think they ever will. It's been two years since I've pointed this out. Longer for others who are no longer here. As I've already said, the answer is not technology. The answer is in the philosophy.
This meme seems pretty appropriate. But will they understand it? Eh, prolly not.
This is a random meme I downloaded from the internet. So I guess that prolly counts as a stolen image or photography. So what ya gonna do about it?
REWARDS FROM THIS POST ARE DECLINED BECAUSE I'M NOT POSTING IT IN A LAST DITCH EFFORT TO FARM REWARDS FROM THE POOL.
- My Podcast - https://cast.garden/c/tdlp/videos it does not require a Hive account. But you can login with it if you want to.
- Visit my site - https://libertybytes.online/
- Follow me on Blurt - https://beblurt.com/@unklebonehead - which is similar to Hive but there is no down vote where a 3rd party can devalue what you find valuable.
- Follow me on X - https://x.com/unkle_bonehead
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@unklebonehead
- Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6360101
- Odysee - https://odysee.com/@UnkleBonehead:e
It is free speech, a downvote doesn't make it invisible. Like most, you are confusing the two. I don't see any downvotes on your posts. Good luck on Blurt, most of those guys are pissed off over there too.
Very true
I agree, Hive isn't perfect, there are some aspects mentioned above that I agree shouldn't happen, but they have nothing to do with obstructing free speech.
You lose your right to free speech when your account is locked on social media, or you get thrown in jail because the dracronian government doesn't like what you're saying. Big difference from getting a few downvotes on a post.
Blurt and its mute function.
That's freedom right there!
scalled blockin
:bluecheck
Cut and pasted from someone who has blocked me , though fuck knows who she is, must be sensitive to my style. Which ain't gonna change.
This what she wrote on her blog.......
"In my 5th year here it's now the second time I feel like quitting. If my content hasn't attracted whales so far it probably never will."
I say good riddance to the likes of her, seems to be a needy fame hungry cash grabbing cow.
never hears of blurt before, I shall have a mooch, I wish you luck in your venture you seem a level headed intelligent bloke. I get downvoted occasionally, I am told by my guru that it isn't a personal attack, but politics.
Fuck politics it is bad enough in the real world in the uk with jimmy saville's mate and his legion of lying neo marxist cohorts sadly now in control
Blurt is for all the HIVE rejects, a little like a self-imposed exile camp.
Ah!
Hackliberty is really the coolest list of links and utilities I can recall seeing.
Your departure is typical of what has been done to the Hive userbase since the massive influx of users that came in 2017 caused the token to moon, and the upvotes to distribute the stake. Well, the ninjaminers don't want that stake distributed, because Hive is a plutocracy, where stake equals power to control government by voting for witnesses. This spawned the bidbots and the great flaggoff, where bernie was chosen to fly flags willy nilly to force as many users as possible off the platform. This reconcentrated the stake they abandoned or sold off when they left back into the whales wallets, where they wanted it.
Being a plutocracy governance is 100% controlled by weight of stake, and when Ned sold the Founder's stake - that he had not used to vote witnesses, letting the other ninjaminers control them - Sun did use that stake to govern Steem. The oligarchy had the choice of becoming just like all the plebs they'd been flagging off the platform, or making Hive, and here we are.
A quick rule of thumb is that the larger the flag, the smaller the flaggot's penis. The more flags they fly, the worse they smell, and the more they creep out women. Using this rule you can better understand the flaggots and why they are so weird, stupid, and lie so much. It's because they are weird, stupid, and are desperate to convince themselves that stealing is ok, because it's possible, because they coded it in, that they lie so much. They're just thieving scumbags, and the more flags they fly, the worse scum they are.
Have fun on Blurt!
Thanks!
I certainly understand what you've been going through here, a few big whales fiddling with the puppet strings aka big alternative beads. But it's not all bad, imagine without downvotes, you'd have more people taking advantage of it. I'm in all three ecosystems of course.
Sorry to see you go man! You have done some awesome things on Hive maybe I will pop on Blurt and say hi!
It's my first time seeing your account, and it's sad that this is already your last post. You seem like a good person.
I wish you the best in your journey in Blurt.
Free speech does not mean we have to be equals
Congratulations @unklebonehead! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 25000 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
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STOPWOW
I wonder how many of those 20,000 upvotes were stolen by the Financial Criminals who are in charge of raping the rewards pool to keep the hive backed Dollar afloat?
Way too many.
Sorry to hear it.
Some stay some go.
1 doesn't fit all.
Realized DPoS was horribly broken during the fork cluster fuck. Moved my HIVE and STEEM to ETH out of protest. It turned out to be a very rewarding protest. In 4 years ETH did a 10x. Sold 7.17 ETH last July and bought a 36' sail boat that should be able to take me anywhere in the world. Fuck HIVE and its 20 member cabal. The only thing that brings me back to HIVE are my digital friends that are here and a place to post my musings.
I love you man
This is a GREAT POST
Of course hivwatchers will accuse everyone in the comments section of "Raping the Rewards Pool" and come along to clean out upvotes for their HBD Scam because "Projection" is their issue.
According to my calculations HW and ADM have micropenises, and try to compensate by flagging bigger and harder than anyone else. What do you think of my math?
Go back to Blurt.