At one time, read.cash and noise.cash were pretty good places to go. Then people started disappearing. So, you're right, they are ghost towns.
I mention over 100 different Web3, crypto-focused, and decentralized social media platforms and protocols in my book Web3 Social: How Creators Are Changing the World Wide Web (And You Can Too!). Feel free to check it out, and if you decide to buy it, please leave me a review.
Depending on whether you are into blogging, video sharing, or networking, there's something for everyone. Here are three other sites I'd recommend (as a preview), but I still consider the Hive ecosystem the best that Web3 social has to offer:
- Publish0x isn't decentralized, but you can earn crypto reading and posting about cryptocurrencies.
- Torum is a networking site that is easy to use and intuitive allowing you to earn XTM, which can be cashed out on Ethereum or BSC.
- gFam is an up-and-coming platform with an international audience allowing you to earn XRP from tipping. I've done pretty well on the platform, but a lot of the content is non-crypto related.
Let me know if you try any of these and I'll friend you.