Greetings, everyone!
Two weeks ago, while teaching a course on the technology behind Web 3, I used the social media functionality of Hive, with different front-end providers, to highlight the advantages of this ecosystem compared to traditional Web 2 platforms.
One of the most interesting questions I received was: “The tech you are showing us is amazing, but what are the disadvantages compared to the traditional alternatives?”
The obvious answer might be to point to certain technical barriers, but I believe most of these can be addressed through incremental innovation, such as L2 solutions or sidechains. What truly matters is governance and the reputation of participants in the chain.
Coming from a country where social media was weaponized during the last presidential elections, I know that censorship is not the solution. Instead, rules agreed by consensus, established through governance, provide the necessary framework.
Once data is published on the blockchain, it is immutable, meaning it cannot be modified or removed, not even by its authors. Front-end providers can decide what to display to their users and can filter content by tags, mute certain accounts, or remove content rated as low quality. At the same time, others are free to create platforms that apply different rules if there is a use case for it.
On Hive social media, this balance is managed through the reputation system that is built directly into the chain. Personally, I would prefer to see reputation handled outside the core Hive functionality, similar to how Hive Engine manages Layer 2 tokens, so that different models can be tested without overloading the chain as Web 3 applications diversify.
I realize downvoting is controversial and often misused, but it remains the only tool we have. With it comes responsibility, and every participant in the chain should contribute to keeping the ecosystem clean and sustainable.
At the end of the day, what makes Hive unique is not just the technology but the way we, as a community, shape and refine it. I am curious to hear your perspectives. How do you see governance and reputation evolving in the years ahead?