“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
Upvotes - a Taboo Topic? Guide for (other) Newbies.
It’s hard to believe that I have only been on Hive for five months, but it is also hard to believe that it has been five months already! One thing that I think everyone here notices, and no one likes to speak of is the disparity between what different articles receive as an author payout. This is an almost taboo topic, and, as such, I feel the need to ape right into it.
I think that most people who are new to Hive have had the experience of seeing a payout that seems extremely high for what an article actually is. Similarly, most of us have seen great articles that receive only pennies. At first glance, this seems terribly unfair, and in some ways, maybe it is.
I notice a lot of newcomers, especially those whose first language is not English, directly asking for upvotes. I believe this is because they have not noticed that there is a culture on Hive in which this is an extremely taboo thing to do – both asking for upvotes and asking how to get more upvotes. However, it seems like a normal thing to do, particularly if your livelihood depends even partially on what you receive from Hive.
Hive economics are somewhat complicated. Nothing comes from nothing, so, when you receive an author payout or a curation reward, where does that money come from? The least complicated answer is that it comes from people who already have money staked in Hive. However, most people have more than money staked in Hive. They also have hundreds or even thousands of hours of time staked in Hive.
It makes sense that people who are invested (in every sense) in Hive would want to invest (by upvoting) in only quality, unplagiarized content. However, beyond that, people want to invest in other people who are interested in building Hive.
Practical Suggestions
What does this mean in terms of practical suggestions?
- Write your best content regularly.
- Participate in contests because it helps you to get to know Hive culture and for people to get to know you. Winning is a bonus if it happens.
- Try not to consider the financial rewards (or lack) at first. This is difficult, but if you are persistent, it will pay off.
- Power up your account when you can. I know that not everyone can afford to do it, but some people with a large stake notice whether or not you do this. Why does it matter? When you power down or don’t power up, you are taking money out of the Hive ecosystem. That is not a positive thing for the Hive ecosystem, which is something that some stakeholders consider when curating. Then again, if you need the money, you need the money, so you have to do what you have to do. This is simply one more consideration.
- Have a goal each day or each week in terms of commenting on other people’s work. Don’t just randomly comment. Write something meaningful that shows you actually read their article and thought about it. If you can’t think of anything to comment about on a particular article, don’t comment (this seems obvious, but I have seen comments that were pointless, so maybe it needs to be said).
What is the point of commenting on other people’s work? You will see the word “engagement” get thrown around, but it truly is an important part of the process. No matter how much (or how little) an article has been upvoted, it is empowering for a writer to feel like someone actually read and considered his/her/etc words. If you want people to notice you, commenting regularly on many different people’s work is a good way to get established.
Personally, this is something I struggle with. I get depressed and then I don’t write or comment for a few days. However, fortunately, I find that as long as I keep getting on the horse, it seems to work out okay.
Conclusion
Do not ask for follows or upvotes. It is the surest way to turn people against you. Instead, post regularly. Experiment with different communities, entering contests, and different types of posts to see what works best for you. Have a comment goal each day and try to stick with it. Among other things, you might find you meet some very interesting people. That has been my experience, anyhow.
I have had some frustrations with Hive, but I have also been extremely fortunate. I am very grateful.
Hive provides us with a means to improve our financial situation, but also highlights the economic disparity between us. It is important, I believe, to encourage one another in our financial goals, and to try, although it is challenging at times, not to envy others their successes.
The nice thing about Hive is that you can begin with nothing or almost nothing and begin to build it up through daily effort. One thing I have observed is some writers who might have begun in a way that was not ideal gradually catching on and writing better and better posts, building their audience, getting better payouts. It can be a slow process, but it happens, and it is great to see when it does.
What I feel best about are the stories I hear about Hive being life-altering. There are people whose lives have been completely transformed because of Hive. I don't know whether Hive has the ability to transform my life financially, but it is gradually improving my writing. It convinces me to write more frequently, which is good for my writing as well as my overall wellbeing. And, unexpectedly, it has been good for me socially so far. I would not have expected to meet so many interesting people.
I hope 2022 will be amazing for all of us!