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Uncoordinated Orders

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@tarazkp
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6 min read

I was trying to explain to someone today about how consumer algorithms and incentives work to create behavioral trends whilst giving the illusion of free choice. They make us feel like we can do and choose as we please, but are actually gatewaying us through different doors designed to support the motivations of the builders, which is generally for profit.

I gave a couple of examples of this, but the one that stuck was the idea of a racing game, where while you could quite happily drive backwards on the track, it isn't going to win you the race. Nor is hitting walls, driving only in first or not using the gas at all. Do what you want, but if you Want to win, you have limited options.

But, all of life is like this and we all work on incentives and motivations - free choice is largely an illusion, but because we are able to somewhat affect what motivates and incentivizes us, we can change our own course to some degree.

What I like about Hive is that while we are all tied to whatever are the current rules of the blockchain, we are actually free to use it as we please, but this doesn't stop us having our motivations and reacting to incentive. The obvious example here is of course the opportunity to be rewarded with HIVE emitted by the blockchain, a digital token that only has monetary value because people believe that it does to the point they are willing to buy and hold it. Without this belief, the token is financially valueless, but that doesn't stop it having other kinds of values.

For example, people value the stars and hearts on other platforms and work very hard to get them, also getting very disappointed when they don't to the point of suicide supposedly, because those little digital marks represent something to them. They are meaningful, even though they do not translate into money (at least directly) for the contributor. But, they do translate into a gateway to money for the platform, as they use those as indicators for various profit-seeking activities. This means, they do have monetary value, but not everyone has equal access to it, by design.

That is not actually the case on Hive though, as pretty much, anyone can buy or sell the tokens and affect their outcomes to some degree, but of course this is going to depend on many factors, including willingness to act in various ways. This "act" mightn't be an act though, as people are different and diverse in traits, experience and skills, meaning that there is no equality of experience, regardless of whether the blockchain rules are the same for all.

"Who we are" matters, and we aren't all suited for the same things, and our reasoning and what incentivizes each of us is also going to differ. However, we might have similar motivations, similar goals, but this doesn't mean we have the same capabilities or potential to reach them. Just like choice, equality is an illusion too, even though we keep having the carrot dangled in front of our nose as if it is something to strive toward.

Hive is a melting pot of many factors, yet each individual believes they know what is right way to go, which ultimately for many, is what they think gets them closer to their goals. Some seem to think that in order to be successful, Hive should be all inclusive, but unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. Being part of any group of any kind, is about exclusivity, not inclusiveness and on Hive, a stake-backed platform, there is a group of stakeholders who are incentivized to not only protect their investment, but also do what they think will increase it's value. There are lots of disagreements around that last line.

However, because this is a stake-based platform, there is no centralized consensus on how to go forward, which is brilliant, because it means that relative to our stake, we are able to do what we think is the best for us. This is selfish, but that doesn't mean no one else benefits - because there is nothing in the code to say that we can't work together, which is actually what most of the stake does, which acts like the game, generates a rough algorithm that builds a track.

People are still able to go backwards or crash into walls if they choose, but depending on their personal goals, there are more and less likely lines to success to take. Rather than the very convenient centralized algorithms that herd people into funnels that are optimized to milk them of value, stake has the chance to organize themselves and, it isn't into any single path of optimization - there are many paths that run simultaneously.

This is brilliant, because it allows for different kinds of people with different kinds of variables, motivations and things that incentivize them to all be "on the same track" but run their own race. However, the race is not a solo affair, it is affected through the social dynamics of the user base, especially those who have stake and, those who are able to attract stake in support for various lines of approach. This also depends on many variables too, including skills, experience, talent, ability to buy stake, attract staked support and a million other things.

There are so many ways to go on Hive , including layer-two options, but what has to be remembered is, this is a DPoS platform ruled by stake and, none of that stake has to agree, it can all do its own thing. But, because of similarities between people's motivations, there are going to be clear trends that form both in collaboration and in competition with each other. Just because all stakeholders want the value of their holdings to go up, it doesn't mean they will agree on how it should be done. Again, this is a freedom, a free market where people are able to compete, within the boundaries of the rules of the blockchain, at any point in time. The rules can change, but that requires convincing stakeholders to change it.

What I dislike is when people segment content creators from stakeholders, as if the two are in opposition. They are not. Because a stakeholder can be a creator, a developer and consumer simultaneously. But, this doesn't mean there isn't competition, it means there is more. competition, as each are push and pull forces, that are also linked to each other. But, like it or not, as a stake-based platform, stake matters and those without stake have to constantly navigate dynamic waters with no certainty.

But, stake can be earned and bought and many have done this, which is what gives the token value - as there is demand. The people who want to trade the value of the token for something they value more, are free to do so, but it means that they will never have any "certainty" of return on Hive, if they don't actually have stake. No matter how much they might want more rewards, the only access to the pool for a content creator without stake is, convincing other users with stake to vote.

But all stakeholders are free to disagree, because it is a shared wallet and how it is distributed has a direct effect on the value of all stake. So, all stakeholders are incentivized to support what they believe will raise the value of their held tokens, now and in the futre. If they think voted content has value, they can vote it. If they think it doesn't, they can downvote it - it doesn't actually matter if a million consumer love it - stake decides the distribution of the pool.

The "proof of brain" on this platform is really far more complex than people make it out to be, because it requires navigating a minefield of factors, personal and social, in order to move toward accomplishing various goals. Some people are good at what they do, some aren't - but everyone wants to get what they want.

There is no such thing as a selfless act - unless you don't even know you did it.

Everyone has an agenda of some kind and when they are trying to convince you to believe them, know that it is at the very least, in their favor for you to follow. This doesn't mean it is in yours.

Taraz [ Gen1: Hive ]

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