It has been argued since we began this experiment five years ago that there is no freedom of speech on Hive. That Hive is akin to an Oligarch-monopoly of a just a few people setting the rules for so many. Straying out of these rules will send you hurtling into ostracization, or worse, perhaps leaving the platform entirely. The behaviour requirements whilst manageable can also be too great for some. Some people in the community just want to say what they want to say and be left alone, you know?
Well, welcome to humanity my friend. It is no different on Hive than it is in the real world. What people really mean to say is that they want to say things and not be held accountable for those things that they say. This is the crux of the matter, and I feel that perhaps 12 years of Facebook can do this to a person.
Would you go up to a guy that is ten foot tall and 6 foot wide with muscles that look like they can crack walnuts with and challenge him? Maybe you would if you were the same build, but if you were to challenge him then there's a pretty big chance you're going to get stomped on. Think of hive in this fashion. People with large stake are the body builders and minnows have no chance. But this doesn't mean to say that you can't hit the gym and pump up to that guy's level. The choice is yours. Whine and moan, or do something about it.
There is no true freedom of speech in the real world either. If you upset powerful people then you will get stomped the fuck out, or worse. Why do you expect this to be any different on hive? That's why I like anywhere with a social hierarchy, because we as humans do better. We know where we stand and we can operate at peak levels when we understand where we are in the food chain.
There are big arguments in the real world right now that hierarchies are a social construct. Jordan Peterson in one of his books came under fire for lamenting on the hierarchical structures of lobsters.
I can't believe that I'm having to write this but hierarchy is a survival mechanism. It always has been and it always will be. If we grew up not understanding hierarchy then we probably would end up dead in a ditch somewhere. How could you assess who has more physical, social, or financial power over you, and who can use those resources to best you in every way? The survival mechanism kicks in when the brain tells us that to do so would be insane -- you will get killed.
Humans are communal beasts. We run around in families and our innate understanding of hierarchies helps us navigate the world that we live in. You wouldn't go against a tribal elder for fear of getting crushed.
But this has all been circumvented as we begin to move towards equality. Facebook for example has absolutely zero options in there for hierarchy. Perhaps in their groups function, but with no real structure. There is no way for a person's community to slap someone that gets out of line. We can shout or scream at each other, mute or unfriend -- neither option being a healthy way to conflict resolution.
Effectively someone with no real social, economic, or physical power could dominate it on Facebook if they so wished. There is effectively nothing to stop people saying what they want to say with virtually no consequence. I myself delete people all the time that annoy me because I know there is no way to come to an understanding.
It's not just in the online world but in the real world too. There are laws in place that prevent any physical use of force between two humans. Perhaps not the greatest of examples because I enjoy these laws and freedoms myself, but these days there is no real way to way to bring someone back in line that is out of control. My friend said the last time he was in a bar he had an 18 year old square up to him and there was nothing he could do about it. Walk away, or face a night in the cells.
Something we wouldn't dream of doing in the 80's. Imagine what would happen if I squared up to an adult back then? I would get crushed and the police would say I shouldn't have been so stupid. This is the reality of the world we live in folks. The more we try and move towards equality the less equal we actually become.
And that neatly takes me back to hive. There is a reason for downvoting. There is a reason why after upsetting the community you will have to come back with your tail between your legs and actively show people that you are changing your behaviour, or at least open to making an apology. You see, we don't have a central authority that controls behaviour here, but we have a dynamic ever-changing community that will act every bit like the humans they are. And if you fuck up then you're forced to take ownership of those actions if you want to survive here for longer than ten seconds. It almost poetic, where it forces you into submission if you want to stay and earn.
Survival here depends on understanding the social-financial chain. Some do, and some don't. Or some do, but don't like to kneel. And that is fine, the beauty of hive is that everyone is free to exercise their right of free expression - including downvoting, and acting against those downvotes whenever they see fit. Don't like it? Collect hive and rise up the chain and crush your opponents.
But I digress. I mean where in the real world can you act out against someone more powerful than you? You just can't. It is what it is. Even people that say they are speaking truth to power. They really aren't. Not when you are on the side of legacy media, corporations, institutions, and any other player that wants to get on in the CRT game. If you were really speaking truth to power, you would find yourself on your own with no friends, and no support network until you kneel to that power. This is the reality of life since the dawn of time.
And this is why I like Hive so much. It's transparent in the power plays. You see it coming every step of the way. There's no hidden punches, and you can either yield or go against it. Just like in real life.
I do so much better with healthy boundaries. I feel most humans do.