¡Hive's Content Enshitification! ...it's my MeMe #363
¿What do you think is the main reason of why the content quality on Hive has declined so much?
I don't know if you have noticed. Since I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of those who are still active here consuming and publishing content on Hive are all very new. Because I know there are actually very few active users left on Hive who have been around for at least six years or more wandering thru these "social networks" on the blockchain who already got bored, gave up and left. But what I can assure you is that this didn't happen before. No! At least six years ago things over here were quite different.
At least six years ago it was much easier to stumble across interesting, entertaining, and quality content that made you think. Interesting, entertaining, and high-quality content from which you could learn something new. Content worth consuming and that invited you to interact with its authors. None of that has been possible on Hive for several years now.
Years ago it was possible to visit Hive and remain captivated, interested, entertained and learning new things all day long without any need to leave Hive. Nowadays, trying to find quality content on Hive that possesses all those attributes of attention to be selected, consumed, shared, upvoted and curated is enough to put you in a very bad mood. Because there simply isn't any. It's hours and hours of scrolling in vain.
Yeah, you might say that I'm the only one who feels and perceives Hive today this way. That I'm the only one who can't find quality content on Hive and thus can't avoid getting in a bad mood. But if you're sincere and have been on this blockchain-based "social network" for several years, then we'd like to hear your honest opinion on the matter. Since I'm well aware that everyone's tastes and interests can be very different.
So now just keep reading what comes next. Since in the paragraphs and lines I'll share below, I'll try to give you some tips and hints about what might be happening in Hive so that you can give us a more informed opinion if you dare and decide to share yours.
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That's a common view shared by many users and experts who point to algorithmic feeds prioritizing engagement over depth. Key factors driving this shift include monetization models, automated content generation and changing user attention spans.
Algorithmic Incentives:
Clickbait prioritization: Platforms reward sensational or provocative titles because they generate more clicks and shares.
Ad revenue models: Creators focus on high-frequency posting and short-form formats to maximize views and payout potential.
Outrage amplification: Controversial topics surface faster in feeds because they provoke strong emotional reactions and comments.
Automated and Low-Effort Content:
AI-generated text and images: Tools make it easy to flood feeds with generic, repetitive, or inaccurate material.
Content scraping: Accounts frequently copy and re-upload popular posts without crediting the original creator.
Volume over value: Creators push out daily or hourly updates to stay relevant in fast-moving feeds, leaving less time for research.
Changing User Habits:
Shorter attention spans: Audiences lean toward quick, easily digestible videos and snappy text over long-form reading.
Echo chambers: Recommendation systems show people what they already like, which can reduce exposure to well-rounded or challenging viewpoints.
¿Reverse Flynn Effect?
Well, those are just a few concepts and details to consider if you're really inclined to evaluate them. But what's perfectly clear is that Hive doesn't have any Ads, advertisements or automated algorithms that are actually influencing the quality of the content published on the platform. No, it's not there where we're going to find the culprits of the decline.
Therefore, there is no other option but to blame and point the finger at all those individuals who call themselves "content curators" in Hive without any criteria for quality or excellence in what they select and upvote, thus perpetuating even deeper the decline.
Similarly, we should also blame and point the finger at the big whales and orcas in Hive who don't vote on anyone's content nor contribute to distributing the reward pool tokens in order to highlight more diverse, varied and valuable authors and content.
And last but not least, also blame and point the finger at all those users with high HP and voting potential. As well as all those with lower or average HP who never vote for anything themselves, but delegate all their HP to these self-proclaimed "content curators" who lack judgment and only display a childish nepotism and a blatant cronyism in everything they vote on, without ever being able to demonstrate the slightest trace of quality or excellence in what they vote. Curation trails, guilds, lodges, etc. So ¡Watchout! and please avoid homogenizing the Hive content at all costs.
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I've written about this a few times. I actually think you're describing the symptoms, not the disease. The real problem is the incentive structure. Change the incentives and the behavior changes with it. If you're interested, I explain why in The Great DHF Debate of 2026: Chasing the Code Instead of the Drama and a couple of my older Hive analysis posts.
Some Links:
https://hive.blog/hive/@muhshrooms/the-great-dhf-debate-of-2026-chasing-the-code-instead-of-the-drama
https://hive.blog/hive/@muhshrooms/on-chain-governance-is-a-bad-bitch
https://ecency.com/@muhshrooms/here-we-go-again
https://ecency.com/@muhshrooms/the-questionably-decentralized-waters-of-jive-an-explorers-field-notes
On another note, personally, I've stopped treating Hive and Blurt as places to make money. I use them as a permanent public record of my work while building opportunities elsewhere. Ironically, that approach ended up getting the attention of an editor who now pays me far more per article than Hive ever has.
Thank you very much for your comment, your opinion and above all the links to your posts.
Yeah, I had already been lucky enough to read them all back in the day. And although none of them specifically address the cause of the decline in content quality on Hive... well, except perhaps in the last one in the section that describes the Stakeus Maximus in the Day 93, I'm afraid I still don't know what you think is the main cause of the decline in content quality on our platform.
And yes, I believe that in my post I have not only described the symptoms but also the disease. But it's possible you might not have noticed it yet if you didn't click on all the links throughout the post and watched in its entirety all the three videos that this post contains. A thing for which I apologize. Since my articles generally always require of an extra effort to be fully understood. An old habit of mine that I haven't been able to avoid yet, when it comes to differentiating between readers interested in my content and those who are not.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply.
You're right, I didn't watch the videos. Not because I wasn't interested, but because my time and mobile data are both very limited. I was responding to the written post itself.
To answer your question directly, I think the main cause is the incentive structure.
The behaviors you mention: poor curation, nepotism, curation trails, whales not voting, rewarding friends over discovering new authors, etc., are real. Where we differ is that I see those as consequences rather than the root cause. People adapt to incentives. Economics tells us what behaviors are rewarded. Psychology tells us people gradually internalize those rewards. Someone who begins writing because they enjoy writing can eventually find themselves asking, "What is most likely to get rewarded?" instead of, "What do I actually want to write?" Once enough people make that shift, the overall quality of content begins to change. Usually to the detriment of quality. That's why I think changing the incentives changes the behavior.
I also don't think Hive or Blurt should be viewed as places where one expects to earn a living. I use both as permanent public records of my work while building opportunities elsewhere. Ironically, taking that approach ended up getting the attention of an editor who offered to pay me for articles at a rate far beyond what Hive has ever paid me. In hindsight, that has been a much healthier way for me to think about these platforms.
As for your point that your argument is developed further in the videos, that's fair. I simply haven't had the opportunity to watch them yet. If your position there is closer to what I've described above, then we may actually agree more than I initially thought.
"That I'm the only one who can't find quality content on Hive..." me pareció interesante, justo estaba buscando algo así.
Sí, supongo que son muchos los que creen que soy yo el único que piensa de esta manera y lo ve así. Pero la verdad es que hay muy pocos o casi nadie aquí que se atreve a manifestar públicamente que también lo ve y piensa igual que yo. Y no lo hacen solo por no arriesgarse a perder su disminuido y raquítico bozal de arepas en la comunidad.
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