Ever since the fork from Steem and the creation of the Decentralized Hive Fund (DHF) I've wondered how the DHF could be used to affect real world change. I know there are several projects of varying popularity that receive funding from the DHF for use in real world advertising for the Hive Blockchain, but other than the Hive Borehole Project, I don't know of any examples of how Hive is being used to have an impact in a boots on the ground kind of way. Recently, it's been on my mind quite a bit. I'd like to share some of the thoughts I've had.
Things are changing fast. Most of us aren't going to be able to keep up. Technology has been chipping away at humanity's ability to remain relevant since time immemorial. Remember, there used to be a guy who guarded the sacred flame. If it went out his whole tribe died. Then someone figured out how to make fire. No one guards a sacred flame anymore.
Back then it took centuries or millennia for a technology to emerge that could replace the work of a human, but now it takes just months in some cases.
I bring this up because a lot of us are going to need to find a way to supplement our income sooner than we want to think about. Many of us here in crypto manage to do ok here and there, but we're far too vulnerable to market shifts to rely on anything in the blockchain realm for survival. I'm going to put a pin in that for a moment.
I'm going to try really hard not to go off on a rant here, but it could get hairy.
In a society of apes, ruled by the law of the jungle, a very few number of apes inhabit the highest points. The highest branch, or the top of the mountain is jealously coveted and generally defended to the death. In a civilization, fit for people and ruled by common law, all the others down on the ground, cut down the trees for lumber and level the mountains for stone then use those materials to build a structure that elevates everyone to a more protected position. As a species we still allow a few apes to control all the resources.
Generally, throughout history there's an ebb and flow of people gaining too much control over too many others, and revolutions that seize or distribute that power. Traditionally it has been through war. Today, we have blockchain.
I'm of the opinion that Nestle shouldn't own all the water beneath the millions of people in a region who rely on it just because they bought the plot of land it could be made accessible through. Should the person who figures out how to access that resource be rewarded for it? Absolutely! Should everyone across 3 states be beholden to his legacy generations later? No. I don't believe they should. In the old days someone would rally a bunch of us to grab some guns and we'd go take it back. These days I'd rather not. I'd rather use the other tools we have available.
Getting to the point of all of this...
I'd like to start seeing projects similar to the Hive Borehole Project but more advanced. Instead of just digging wells in poor countries (which I'm totally in favor of) I'd like for us to distribute water to a whole town, as a public utility, but everyone who lives in the service area earns a little more stake in it every time they pay their bill. Same with electricity. I think we should be using the DHF to expand out into the real world by integrating the values of blockchain into the things we need.
I don't see why we couldn't use funding from the DHF to start building something like this out, and use the income generated to in turn refund the DHF. It would grow the monetary value, reputation, and popularity of Hive if it were the pioneer of blockchain secured, community owned, public resources that built wealth for the people using them.
I think I'll stop here. I'd love to see thoughts and opinions in the comments.
I'd especially like 