Dear Hivers,
As a blogger, I have always found pleasure in doing this exercise.
I used to pick up difficult terms and explain them in a simple language. Just doing this, I was able to generate millions of visitors on my websites.
Because anything simple is easy to understand. And anything easy to understand attracts mass audience.
And this “grandma’s guide” is one more example. Here we explain Hive in a very, very simple language with the mission to make learning Hive easier.
(I know — that's a badass grandma, isn't it?)
You can share this article not just with grandmas but with anyone who is new to blockchain. Anyone who prefers a non-technical explanation of Hive? Should find this article useful.
The guide is also designed for non-blockchain readers. For the new users. And for absolute beginners. So, if you know anyone trying to learn more about Hive, feel free to share this article.
It could be your friend, dad, mom, or relatives. Anyone.
And if you already know all about Hive, glance through to “refresh” your memory. Let me know what more can we add.
Let’s get started with the basic questions:
1. What is Hive?
There are two:
- Hive.blog
- Hive Blockchain:
Hive.blog is a platform where you can write, engage, and connect with new people.
Hive blockchain is a technology where:
- Assets are stored (and these assets are transparent).
- Apps can be created using this technology
Note: Think of Hive Blockchain as a parent and Hive.blog as a child.
2. So how do I get started?
You have to create an account on Hive.blog to start your journey. To begin the process, you can sign up by visiting:
Note: Signing up is free.
3. Why should I come here?
Hive is a social platform. You can come here to have a good time. Plus, you also get to experience a new platform.
On top of this, Hive is also designed to reward you for your attention. If you give more attention, you earn more cryptocurrency tokens.
4. But what do I write?
You can write anything you love. No one can stop you. This is one of the power of a decentralized platform (there is no leader).
You can also start by going to the #Introduceyourself tag.
5. What if I need support?
Hive is a community-based platform, so you can ask any question to anyone.
6. I have signed up. How do I change my pic?
As soon as you are logged in, you can go to settings to change your profile image. Or simply go to this link:
Note: Replace username with the username you obtained from #2).
7. What’s the first step you would recommend?
The first step, as always, is to see what’s happening inside the platform. So you can go:
- To the homepage to read articles
- Click on profiles
- Play with any buttons you see
- Leave comments
- Upvote articles
8. So what is an upvote?
Upvote is a little arrow button pointing upwards. You will find it everywhere on Hive.
You click on it to support other authors. When you upvote, authors will get rewarded and you will also get rewarded (called curation).
In short:
- If you like any content, you can upvote.
- If you don’t like any content, you can also downvote.
Or you skip voting altogether. You can just read. The choice is yours.
9. So how is the value of the vote decided?
It is decided through the amount of Hive Power you hold in your account.
10. Hive Power? What’s that?
Hive Power is the amount of Hive vested by you in your account. Think of Hive Power as your share in the Hive blockchain.
11. Can I get Hive Power?
Yes. You can go get Hive Power by doing the following:
- Buying Hive Power
- Earning Hive Power
To buy Hive Power, you can go to any cryptocurrency exchange. Check the list here.
To earn Hive Power, you can write quality articles, comment, or delegate Hive Power.
12. I notice there’s Hive, Hive Power, and Hive Dollar?
Hive is the official token.
Hive Power is the token you can vest.
In fact, both Hive and Hive Power are the same. But when you vest your Hive Power, you have voting power.
Hive Dollar is a token meant to be $1 worth of Hive.
This can be a bit technical. To put it simply, you will gain clarity on these tokens when you receive your first earnings.
13. Where are my earnings?
If you have purchased or received upvotes, your earnings will be visible on your account. Just go to:
(Replace username with your account username obtained from #2)
Here you can see all the details on Hive, Hive Power, and Hive Dollars. Take some time to read it.
14. All this is too complicated?
In that case, focus on two things:
- Start exploring Hive.blog and read all the articles
- Start writing (you can also use a frontend)
15. So what’s a frontend now?
Frontend is an interface that connects you with the Hive blockchain.
Think of a television. It connects you and the movie you are watching, right?
Frontend does the same. It connects you with the Hive blockchain. You have various frontends:
- Hive.blog (the official one)
- Peakd.com
- Esteem.app
You can explore them. See which one you like the most. And then start using them.
16. Is the money generated?
Yes.
Think of a lake. Take a drop of water out of this lake.
Similarly, hive has a reward pool (like a lake). Each upvote means you are taking a portion of the money out from this pool… and giving it to the author and yourself (curation).
The only difference is: this lake will refills with new money everyday.
17. Where do I write?
On the top right corner, you have a pencil icon next to your username.
Like this ✎
Click on it to open the editor and start writing. While the editor supports Markdown and HTML, you don't have to know it all.
Simply start writing with a clear title and tags.
18. What is a reputation score?
The number you see next to your username is the reputation score. It increases when you are active on Hive — when you are publishing articles, commenting, and participating.
It decreases when you are spamming, copying articles, or blacklisted.
19. When and how will I receive money?
Say you wrote an article that earned you $10. You will receive the rewards after 7 days.
Do note that some of the earnings will go to the curators (those who have upvoted your article).
You will receive the rewards in your wallet in the form of Hive and Hive Dollars.
20. How much can I earn?
Your earnings depends on:
- Your effort
- Your content quality
If you have less followers, focus on gaining more followers.
21. How do I gain more followers?
By actively participating on engaging on the platform. More you do, more people will know you and follow you. It is almost like any event. If you show up regularly, people notice you.
22. What if I mess up?
No one is messing anything up. Don’t worry as you won’t create any trouble to anyone. You can't mess up or break the website.
No one is going to be after you. Feel free to experiment to your heart's content
23. How should my first week look like?
In the first week, just pay attention to understanding:
- How Hive works
- Look into your profile (click all the buttons)
- Check your notifications / wallets
- Read articles
- Write (if you can)
- Leave comments
24. What should I NOT do?
Among dozens of things you should avoid, few of them are here:
- Never spam
- Never copy/paste articles
- Never create hate / violence
- Never downvote (for no reason)
25. I am ready for more. If yes, read these articles:
Fantastic. Check out these links below.
Want to get started?
Want to format your post?
Want to learn SEO?
Want to learn more about Hive?
More learnings:
Wow!
So there you have it.
An exhaustive collection of 25 questions to answer EVERYTHING you need to know about Hive.
They are written in simple words.
And should be enough to get anyone started.
To summarize:
- You can join Hive for free (everyone is invited)
- You can participate anytime and from anywhere
- You can also invest in Hive (or earn through effort)
- You can also build connections and followers
- You can also read and comment anything
- You can enjoy absolute freedom
Over to you: What do you think? Did you find this useful? Was it a good refresher? My idea was to make sure everyone benefits. And. I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Cheers,
Sid
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