The human touch of hive
Hive is a blockchain that has plenty to offer. The opportunity to identify users as handles instead of long alphanumeric keys gives hive a certain human touch.
We humans are used to referring to other humans by names.
When it comes to social media interactions we are used to address other users by their respective social media handles.
Blockchain based social media is the present and future of interactions
Human to human interaction is at a cusp of change. Perhaps we as a human race stand at a crossroad. We humans are used to the notion of free speech and the ability of being able to express ourselves without the fear of being controlled or suppressed.
Web2 social media has been doing quite good however...
When it comes to expressing ourselves we have been using web 2 social media platforms and it is a great way to communicate and connect.
With the advent of web2 brands found a great way to connect with their consumers, Celebrities got the opportunity to connect with the fans.
Similarly consumers got web 2 as a means to reach out to brands. Similarly fans got a direct means of communication with the celebs they adore and follow.
What is missing in web2
Web2 has been quite good on a number of fronts however there are quite a few contentious issues.
Since web2 platforms handle so much client data they hold gold mines of information. In the current times information is the new oil or shall we say the new gold?
With this information the platforms place ads on the platform.
What advert. a user sees often depends upon the searches he makes or the brands and accounts he interacts with. This controlled exposure to adverts. and content creates an alternate reality for the user.
The narrative of the reality is controlled by the web 2 platform
Since the web2 algorithm controls the visibility of content a user sees therefore the freedom a user has is warped. He sees what the platform shows him.
The platform controls a user experience and the choices he makes on the platform.
Since using the user data to show adverts. is part of the business strategy therefore the web2 platform is controlling the user experience without the end user fully understanding what is happening to him or her.
The platform has control on not just what a user sees but also on what he says and expresses.
When a user creates a web 2 account they are required to accept the terms of service.
How many of us read that long document before clicking on the check mark that denotes the acceptance of the EULA (End user licence agreement).
Most users sign the agreement without reading or understanding the implications and scope of control of the web 2 platform.
Even fewer read and even fewer users fully understand the terms of service of their web2 account.
Hive offers a freedom like no web2 platform does
Hive is web3 and a decentralized platform. Here no one owns or controls your data. Your data is yours and stays secure on the hive blockchain.
Very few understand the implication of the above line and decentralized freedom of a blockchain unless they have experienced how restricting a web 2 platform can be.
Making the blockchain noob friendly
Identifying ourselves and other users as a user handle rather than a pair of keys is how we humans are comfortable with.
Hive gives each user a username handle which solves a big challenge in transitioning from web2 to web3
Hive account and keys
When a user creates a hive account he is handed over a bunch of keys.
A user may find it hard to understand the difference between a public key and a private key.
If that was not enough he is supposed to handle multiple keys such as posting key, active keys, memo keys and master password.
Web3 is a different animal as compared to web2 and it can be quite daunting to handle web3 life on hive and having so many multiple keys and wrapping your head around what key does what can be a challenge.
Hive keychain makes a life a lot easier
The hive keychain makes things a lot easier both for the new users as well as the experienced users.
It makes web3 account management on hive a lot similar to account management on web2 where everything is controlled by a single password that is chosen by the user.
The hive keychain dapp does just that.
A user selects a password and enters his username.
Then he enters his keys.
From hereon life becomes very simple. The hive keychain does the heavy lifting of deciding what keys are to be used for what task.
If a user wants to make a post the hive keychain picks up the posting key in the background and sends a transaction to the blockchain at the click of the publish button.
The same goes for actions like making a wallet to wallet transfer or staking.
All the technical aspects are handled by the hive keychain and the user is free to focus on his web3 social media interactions without having to manage the individual keys.
Hive keychain the unsung hero of the hive blockchain
Often we take the hive keychain for granted forgetting how it is working behind the scenes. Without the hive keychain things on the hive keychain could be complicated and hard to navigate for many users.
So as we celebrate the 4 years of decentralized freedom on hive we have to raise a toast on the functionality and efficiency of the hive keychain which makes the hive experience smooth and flawless for a lot of hive users.
Final thoughts
Freedom has to be earned and it was the case with hive blochain as it took birth as a fork of the legacy blockchain.
As a user of hive it is upto us as to how best to utilize this freedom to propagate the idea of free speech and the idea of freedom of expression on the blockchain to the outside world.
A shout out to the hive keychain team for doing a fabulous job
Team
@stoodkev : CEO - Witness
@cedricguillas : CTO - Witness
@theghost1980 : Front-end Developer
@manuphotos : Community Manager - Witness
@yabapmatt : Advisor - Witness
If you are a hive user and still not using the hive keychain then feel free to get it from here https://hive-keychain.com/
If you are reading this post from outside hive them do consider getting a hive account via inleo frontend using the link