I'm not on the STEEM Hive train yet. Are you?

I've had some of my friends here start using this new beta hive thing and ask me to join. I first heard of this at STEEMFest and was encouraged to be an early adopter and start my own hive.

So far, I am not biting, and here is why.

I am not an early adopter of anything. You go first and then let me know.
What is the actual point of this? Are communities like fb groups or something else?
I understand that the "hive" tag needs to be in the first position to count. I do not want to have "hive" as my first tag. I use that spot to let me know what dApp I posted with, and I am set in my ways.
I understand you can only post to one hive at a time. What's up with that?
I have a lot of tags I use already on my posts. These are all for tokens and tribes. So why do I need hives now too? Does it pay me in upvotes or tokens if I use them?
Apparently the hives are only using steemit (for what?). I will wait until they are on steempeak or esteem.

I'm not negative on hives - I am just not educated and really too sick to delve into something new right now.

Please tell me what's up with these hives and why you have started using them if you have. Why do you recommend them? Any info at all will be gratefully accepted.

My photos for this post are both from back in my days in San Diego. I have no photos of hives, so bees and honey will have to do :)