I've read a very interesting post today by @jongolson related to the recent drama on twitter about Hive. I don't really want to speak about what happened there but I want to talk about influencers on Hive.
We probably all want to increase our influence here and mark others with what we are creating. We strive for recognition and also for a kind of role within the community.
My question is:
Do you want to be an influencer or do you want to be more ?
What is an influencer ?
When I hear the term influencer, I can't help to feel something negative about this word. What is influencing? Is it bringing people to do or behave differently because of what I say or write? For me there is a commercial connotation to this word and I believe that in a way it is reducing people to simple consumers.
When I look at the traditional influencers that can be found on the centralized platforms like youtube, instagram or facebook, I think that I don't want to be like them. Why? What is their business model? They want to get views, clicks and traffic but what do they do to get it? They analyze the algorithms of these platforms and try to find the best way to reach their goals.
In a way they have to fit into the mould that is defined by the algorithm of the platform.
I have an anecdote in this respect. A couple of months ago, some friends of my daughter started to create youtube channels. After a couple of weeks into their work, I looked at these channels with my daughter and we realized that they were all doing exactly the same type of videos... The algorithm defines what will get views, likes and comments. In the end everybody produces the same content !
Influencers are the ones who manage to ride these algorithms in the best way but they don't really speak with their own voice. The algorithms destroy creativity because they define what will be seen and all the rest is kind of worthless.
Why Hive is different ?
On Hive there is no centralized entity that defines what you will see in your feeds. People look at what they are interested in and also what they are able to find. You can't count on any algorithm to help you build your fan base. To get followers you have to work hard but there is a huge advantage... You can speak with your own voice! There is no need to adapt your message because you might get more views by doing it. Only your message and how you interact with the community count.
On this decentralized platform, you can speak with your own voice and about what your heart desires. It is a platform where creativity can blossom.
Therefore we have totally different type of „influencers“ on Hive and I honestly don't want to call them like that. They are not influencers in the traditional way. They are important for the community because they are builders and motivators. If somebody has many followers on Hive it's because his content appeals to others. He probably had to work long and hard to build this fan base. Such a person deserves respect and is in my eyes the best ambassador for our Hive community.
Let's look at an example:
@flaxz (Erik Gustafsson)
Erik together with @bradleyarrow has created the #Iamalivechallenge. There are around 110 people who started this challenge and posted at least one video of themselves and about their survival in the present situation. I wouldn't call Erik an influencer because he didn't influence others in their behavior, he actually went a step further and motivated 110 people to take action and to post videos of themselves speaking about their daily struggles and hopes...
What kind of influencers do we want here on Hive? People who influence you in your consumption behavior or people like @flaxz who actually motivate people to go out of their comfort zone and make a change in their lives?
For me the answer is clear. I believe that people like @flaxz bring so much more to the blockchain that these influencers that only strive because they understood an algorithm better than most others...
Let's connect on Hive, Lbry or on Publish0x
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