Hi!
I just found out about an effort by 
Image from community introduction.
Four years ago I joined a blogging platform called Steemit. I have been blogging on various sites over many years. I even have my own web site that I have posted to hundreds of times for my own amusement. The world has moved towards social media, but the downside has been that our data has been exploited by big companies for their profit whilst we are expected to get by on 'likes'. Steemit offered something different by being built on blockchain technology. This meant that it should not be possible to for anyone to seize overall control and that our posts could be monetised by paying us a share of the cryptocurrency that was generated by the decentralised system. Unfortunately, the way that Steemit was created by a company who controlled a lot of the token led to a hostile takeover following the selling on of the company. However, they community were not going to let this disrupt what they had built up over four years and 'forked' the blockchain to create Hive!
Hive has no CEO. A large number of 'witnesses' elected by users operate computers that process the blockchain. There are multiple web sites and apps that allow you to browse, comment and post with options to use audio and video. This is not reliant on advertising like just about every other service out there. The cryptocurrency is used to fund projects.
The community I joined is unlike any other I have experienced. It is very diverse with people from every country and all of them can earn something. I have encountered artists from Italy, guitarists from Venezuela and Australia plus many more. I have met many of these people in person at global conferences in Portugal and Poland when I financed my trips with what I had earned. There have also been lots of meet-ups all over the UK of which I have attended many.
I do not have a product to sell online. I am an amateur musician, hobby runner and curious geek. Despite this people enjoy what I post enough to reward my posts. I have never made a cent from Facebook or Youtube, but I have done very well from Hive since I joined over four years ago. My posts get far more engagement than I have managed on other platforms, but then I do my best to connect with people and that is how I built a substantial following. You have to put some effort in to earn.
Hive is not Facebook. You cannot restrict posts to just your family. Everything is public, so you have to consider that when you post. That can be good for forming online communities. I am in some with fellow runners and musicians.
I have worked with computers for decades, so I can adapt to new platforms easily. Hive is a little more complex than others. Instead of using your pet's name as a password you have 'keys' which are long and complicated. You should be using a password manager for these as some of them allow access to the funds you earn. It is up to you to keep them secure. There are tools like Hive Keychain that make this more manageable.
Hive also includes games such as monster battles on Splinterlands, becoming a rock star in Rising Star or even brewing beer in Cryptobrewmaster. As well as being fun these all earn you tokens on the Hive blockchain. Some let you win virtual cards that can be worth serious money.
Through Hive I have bought artworks and comics from around the world. I have won prizes in music competitions. I have really become part of something that could change the world. There is so much talk about cryptocurrencies, but usually it is by people who want you to buy something. With Hive you can just invest some time and still earn whilst having the sort of social experience that you might be used to on the mainstream platforms. Even if you are not great at creating 'content' your engagement with it in votes and comments can still earn you something. I would rather support the artists I enjoy than some massive corporation.
You can join Hive via this site or contact me via private messaging to get an account. I can create them for free.
We definitely need more pins on the map in the UK.
Be part of the next wave of online technology and not just a cog in the machine.
Hive five!