Participation Economies. Hive is the pioneer in this space.
This week I have run into a block. Not a blockchain block, but more of a writers' block or traders block or just an obstacle to move forward. I believe in Hive, I believe in participation, I believe in participation economies. I was even thinking to participate in @theycallmedan's Elevator Pitch challenge. I am familiar with elevator pitches and I am familiar with Hive. But something still wasn't sitting well with me composing a post.
I have had an experience once when I accidentally made a pitch to a VP of the company in the elevatory. It wasn't even a pitch, it was more of a series of questions. To my surprise the following day I was offered a promotion. While compensation-wise it was a promotion, in reality it was a 'hey, you seem to have ideas to solve these issues, why don't you work on that' kind of a deal. That's how I came to understanding the power of the elevator pitch.
If I would normally would make a pitch, why would I even choose an elevator? I probably would choose a better setting when the person I am making a pitch to is in a more comfortable surrounding and not in a rush. I would probably research what the interest of the person is, and how my product would benefit them. Elevators for pitch sounds not ideal.
Anyway, if I were to pitch about Hive to a new investor, developer, or an ordinary participant I would probably tell them about the evolution of the technology and where the internet, gaming, and networking is heading. Which in my opinion is participation economies.
"There are only two industries that refer to their customers as 'users': illegal drugs and software." ~ Edward Tufte
As technology grew and internet emerged only select companies could produce and provide software and content. Later, they realized that users of the software can generate content and they could make profits from that. Not only content, they big tech also came to discover software development can be done by ordinary people and they only had to act as middleman and create market place. Today, we know companies like Apple and Google dominate mobile devices industry and can take in profits of like 30% from the works of individual and company developers. Companies like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, can generate revenue based on user generated content and consumption of the content.
Technology doesn't stop. It keeps growing and growing. The next evolution of tech seems to be participation economies where middleman of big tech is removed from the equation. They realized that. That's why Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey started a bluesky project to develop decentralized systems. That's why Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerburg started a Libra project to implement blockchain tech.
Decentralized systems seems to be inevitable for the next phase of the technological evolution. In my opinion it will require and grow participation economies. Users will no longer be users that are used and abused by big tech for their profiteering purposes. But rather people involved will be participants of economies. They will be owners of the networks, they will be in charge of their data and interactions, they will have a voice where networks are heading.
Hive has been pioneering in this space. While it may be know primarily for blogging, content creation and sharing, it is much more than that. It is a gaming network, it is a software network, it is an open source network. As a decentralized blockchain database it can serve vast variety of purposes only limited to the imagination of builders and developers.
Hive provides participants their own account that nobody can interfere and manipulate with. If one App chooses to censor, the participant can easily move on to another without any damage to their account on the blockchain. It keeps participants' funds safe, as the blockchain provides a trustless protocol that nobody can manipulate.
Moreover, builders on Hive tend to not only honor but thrive to provide more transparency and censorship free environment, because it is in their best interest to do so.
In the participation economies of the future, which is being experimented now on Hive and within its ecosystem, participants not only have financial interests but also a voice in shaping the future of web, social networking, gaming, and other innovative ideas.
Today, decentralized systems like Hive provide an alternative to traditional social media, gaming, software systems. However, tomorrow they might as well become standards. That is why every user of the internet services should consider now to join and be part of the early stages of the inevitable shift in tech.
I recently saw a tweet by @andrarchy:
https://twitter.com/andrarchy/status/1311318326111539201?s=20
I agree with the overall idea. However, my question is why not the participants should care and know about the blockchain? I think it is essential that more people understand the basics of the blockchain, especially those that implement decentralized principles. As the participants of the economies, people should get more comfortable with the blockchain tech and it will serve them better in making decisions as they participate in building something amazing, something that empowers ordinary people and provides opportunities for all. Not just the big tech that is in it for use and abuse people with intention of enriching themselves and their investors. Of course we can make blockchain tech to be simpler to understand for any new comers, that is up to current/early participants to come up with.
That's where I think the future of web, networking, gaming, community building, and software is. Network of participation economies where all participants be it average users, developers, or investors participate in economies that intersect with their personal interests and grow a more meaningful and beneficial way of transacting among each other.
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