DISCLAIMER:
Freedom & censorship are hot topics. This post pulls no punches. Please avoid if easily triggered.
| The world benefits from people communicating with kind intentions, and this article aims to do that very thing, but it’s still not for the faint of heart. Please consider avoiding this article if you’re not in a calm, zen headspace on this topic. |  |
|---|---|
| When I wrote my Complete Guide To Hive For Beginners, I learned a lot in the process, but I couldn't cover everything that I wanted to. One of the things I didn't address was my own personal 'fear of whales', not understanding 'downvotes', and confusion on what's 'acceptable' in Hive culture. Eventually @slobberchops soothed some of my concerns by explaining how things tend to go here. It helped a lot, and made me eager to know more so I 'Did My Own Research' and read all I could about Hive's mechanics, downvotes, and so on. This guide is the result. I love Hive and Hivers, and this was a labor of love... so I hope it helps you to read it as much as it helped me to write it. |
(Also, it's fiction. It's made up. As far as I know, Hive doesn't censor naked photos, I just wanted a fictionalized example for the story.)
1. GETTING CENSORED
"Daddy, daddy! My selfies got deleted from Hive!"
Emma wailed, her tear-streaked face red as an apple.
“Shh, it’s ok honey, tell me what happened,” I said, hugging her tightly.
“I don’t know! When I went to bed last night, I was getting the most likes I’ve ever gotten, and this morning I woke up and my post was downvoted into oblivion!”
“Gone?”
“Well, they still exist on Hive, but they're off trending and buried. My post just had the number 83 next to the broken-heart icon. Why is this happening? I poured my heart and soul into those shots.”
“I know love, and they were truly beautiful.”
“Yeah! So why? And how can I get them seen again?”
I filled my lungs and let out a sigh. “Well Emma, I can explain it to you, but please know that once you learn this, you’ll never be able to see the world the same way again.”
“I don’t care, I need to understand this. It’s total bulls–t!”
“Hey! Lanaguage, miss!”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“I’m kidding, kiddo. Say whatever you want, I’m not here to censor you. And it’s a good thing too, because that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about. Freedom, power, and censorship. Are you sure you’re ready?”
“For sure!” Emma’s head bobbled with enthusiasm. I really hoped by the time we were done, her youthful eagerness would still be there. “Where do we start?”
“We start with the fact that you’re born into a government, because that lays the foundation for why your photos were deleted.”
2. BORN INTO CENSORSHIP
"Wait, WTF? I'm born into a government?!"
“Yep.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Well it’s true. Your parents have power over you, responsibility for (and to) you, and are (arguably) in charge of governing your behavior for a very long time.”
“But that’s not a real government, right?”
“Well… in any group there’s a ‘real’ government, honey. Sometimes it’s just harder to spot because it’s shadow-politics.”
"What's 'shadow-politics?'"
“It’s the invisible social dynamics that are always present. For as long as people are in group, one person will have more influence, power, and control, while others will have less. I’ve never seen a group where all members held equally power of influence. Not once since the dawn of time.”
“But can’t they each just do their own thing? They have equal power, right?”
“They can, but as soon as they all go their own way, they’re no longer a group. So like I said, as long as people are in a group… shadow-politics exist, and a government exists, however loose or invisible it may be.”
“So you’re saying that even if no one’s agreed on a government out loud, one exists in every group.”
“Exactly.”
“Wow, when you put it that way, I guess I really was born into a government.”
“Yep, and some governments (parents) are liberal and more ‘free,’ while others are very strict, conservative or oppressive.”
“Oh, like you and Mom!” Emma said with a cheshire grin.
I poked Emma in the shoulder playfully. We certainly hadn’t raised a timid child. Sheesh.
"Whatever. So can you tell me the hierarchy in our family?"
“Well, Dad is the head of the hierarchy, Mom is next in the hierarchy, I’m third in the hierarchy, and Cassie is fourth in the hierarchy. But my feminist friends say that Mom should be the head of the family. Or even that I should be.”
“That’s fine. I’m not here to debate which governance structure is the best, or to get into some back and forth about gender roles. I’m here to give you as much insight as I can in regards to restoring your photo to it’s former glory.”
“Ok, but can you just tell me what to say to my friends about our family-structure?”
“Sure. Acknowledge that some families are exactly as your friends say, with the mom as the main influencer. Even acknowledge that there are families where the kid has the most influence — sidenote: they’re usually spoiled, with parents doing whatever the child wants. Then tell them you’re working on shifting the power dynamics of your family and reclaiming your place as rightful head of the household, they’ll probably love it.”
Emma giggled “They will!”
“Right, so back to the main point. This ‘head of household’ structure is a fairly common hierarchy, but many people won’t admit it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they’ll try and pretend that ‘power is 100% equal’ between everyone in the family. Or that both children are treated with 100% fair, equal, utopian justice with zero biases. Stuff like that.”
“Can’t that be true?”
“I suppose anything’s possible, but equal power distribution in a group –if it exists– must be extremely rare, because I’ve not seen it.”
“But it sounds so nice…”
“Yes, and a world free of poverty or censorship sounds nice too… have you seen that very often?”
“Fair point.”
“Wait, censorship, that’s what I want to know about! I don’t care that I was born into a government, they banned my photos!”
“Shh, relax, we’ll get there. You’re going to understand exactly what’s happening and how to deal with it. But first you have to understand that your Mom and I can exert power over you to stop you from swearing, to dress more ‘appropriately’, to limit your computer time, etc.”
“Uh, hello, of course I understand that, you’re both evil dictators.” Emma loved pushing boundaries with her sassy barbs, but we always took them well because she radiated love when she said them.
“Pssh, you got it easy, we let you decide what language fits a situation, we encourage your modeling career, other kids face way worse from their parents.”
“I know, Dad, I was just kidding!”
“That’s the thing though, you might be kidding, you might have truly good intentions and love in your heart, but if someone else hears you while they’re not in a good place mentally or emotionally, they may assume they’re being attacked, not lovingly joked with.”
"I hear that, peeps be triggered, yo."
“Ahem, yes, ‘peeps be triggered’ indeed. And if the people who get triggered may try to censor you in response. If they have enough power in your ‘tribe,’ they may even succeed.”
“Again, like you and Mom, right?”
“Cut it out, I’m teaching you something important.”
“Ok, ok, I kid.”
“Right, so if someone can censor your joke, do you have freedom of speech?”
“Ummm…”
“And if you’re being censored now, did you ever have it?”
“I don’t know…
3. FREEDOM TO EXPRESS
...did I have freedom of speech since birth, or no?"
“Well, think about it. Every creature in nature is born with the ability to make whatever sounds it wants (or is capable of), right?”
“Ye-e-ess…”
“And you’re a creature in nature, right?”
“True.”
“So are you the magical exception to the rule?”
“Probably not. I get it, I was born with freedom of speech. I was born able to make whatever sounds I want (or am capable of.)”
“Bingo, and I’m pretty sure, deep down, everyone knows this is true. They are born free, able to say anything, at least, as an individual.”
"So that means I can post anything I want right?"
“Well, as an individual, you have the freedom and capability to do so, yes.”
“Whatchu mean, as an individual?”
“Things change when you add even one other person into the mix.”
“Why?”
“Because like we discussed right at the start, as soon as you have a group, you have power dynamics.”
“So what?”
“So one person will have more influence in the group, and the other will have less. You’re still free to do what you want as an individual, but if member A’s ‘free-speaking’ pushes past member B’s ‘boundaries,’ there may be an attempt to censor, or worse, the group will no longer be a group. It will be two people splitting off into their own ways of life. This is no path to civilization.”
"Hey, I was born 'wild and free', why civilize me?"
“Because to be part of a group, is to engage in ‘civilization.’ No one forces you to be part of a group. There are people who live as hermits & outsiders, and they get on just fine.”
“Got it, but I’m born into a group (with my parents), and if I choose to stay in that group, I’m engaging in civilization.”
“Yes, but if staying in the group has a chance of lessening your freedom… why would anyone stay?”
“I’ve never really thought about it. Um, give me a second.”
I could see the gears turning in Emma’s brain. Although we’d jumped right into deep topics like human freedoms & governance, I knew she’d get it. She’s a bright kid.
“Did you figure it out?”
“Yes, because they benefit from being in the group.”
See? Smart as a whip, I beamed proudly. “Exactly, but what benefits?”
“A sense of belonging? Not being alone? Security? Stability?”
I clapped! “Yes! All those things, and likely more. So no one really ‘civilized’ you, you were born into civilization and each day you decide whether to remain part of the tribe and get benefits from it, or to use your absolute freedom of speech and risk pushing past the boundaries of the group.”
“Hmm, maybe that’s what I did to get my photos censored by Hive?”
“It’s possible, but don’t jump to conclusions yet. It could’ve just been a bug, a misclick, or something else entirely.”
“Sorry, it just hurts to have a creation I poured my heart into, one that people seemed to love, disappear in the blink of an eye.”
“I know Em, but stick with me here and you’ll gain so much power over censorship. To be honest, it’s good that you’re upset about this. It shows you’re passionate and engaged with the system & the group. It shows you care about social boundaries. And if you really do want to change your group’s boundaries, you can. But knee-jerk reactions, finger-pointing, and blame aren’t an effective way to accomplish it. Instead, your main tools are mastering your emotions, gaining influence, and practicing persuasion in order to get agreement from the tribe. We need people who do these things to ensure society’s boundaries grow and evolve, otherwise we’d be stuck in the dark ages, we’d still have separate bathrooms for people of color, for example. Anyway, we were talking about how …
...boundary-pushing can result in separation from your tribe."
“Yes, yes, I’m with you. And?”
“And if you hold a lot of power in your tribe, you can push boundaries with very little consequences, but if you’re low status in your tribe, when you push boundaries the consequences will often be ejection from the group.”
"So it comes down to power & powerlessness?"
“In a way.”
“What do you mean ‘in a way?'”
“Well, every human being is powerful. And group boundaries can shrink, grow, and be influenced by interactions inside the tribe, as well as ones from outside the tribe. It only takes one person tapping into their personal power –like Rosa Parks did– to start a revolution.”
“So then no group has power over me, right?”
“Sort of. Your individual power may drop the more you hunger to be part of a group. Rosa Parks claimed her power because she literally didn’t care if the entire group hated her. She wanted to sit, she knew the risks, and she stepped up and took them.”
“So someone who cared too much about what the group thought of her, would put away her own power to create change, and instead just ‘play nice.'”
“Spot on. Having power in a group requires influence, unattachment to the group, and the boldness to push boundaries and risk upsetting the group. But you were still born as a free individual, with unlimited freedom and personal power, that when you’re alone, is fairly obvious.”
“Right, when I’m alone I can speak out whatever I want, do whatever I want. Like you said, it’s only the moment I involve others that power dynamics come into play.”
“Yep. If other members of the group feel fear, attack, discomfort, etc. as you express yourself, they’ll likely exert power to pressure you into changing.”
“But fear & victimhood is just a form of powerlessness, right?”
“Yes, so let’s look at an example. If Joe is unable to manage his emotions on the topic of nudity, what happens when Olivia posts a naked photo to raise money for charity?”
“Joe gets triggered, like anyone who’s not great with their emotions.”
“Yes, he does, and?”
“And he feels attacked and uncomfortable.”
“Correct, and?”
“And he tries to get it banned, or censored. He tries to exert power in the group through protests or voting Olivia off the island or something.”
“You got it! You’re following along well. Are you feeling like you understand your banned-photo situation slightly better?”
“A bit I guess, I still don’t get what I’m supposed to do about my deleted pic, but I feel smarter somehow.”
“Heh, good enough. Let’s continue. Your example of Joe’s behavior had him exerting power through protests, getting voters on his side, etc.”
“So?”
“So those are good examples of power being leveraged in a ‘democratic’ group or culture.”
“Yeah, so?!”
“Em, please, be patient with this, k? Censorship isn’t exactly a ‘rush through this’ topic.”
“Fine.”
“The point is that while there are other forms of power-exertion in dictatorships, in a democratic culture, ‘public opinion’ is one of the strongest forms of power, and it is often brought to bear on anyone expressing near the edge of the group’s boundaries.”
“I get that, that’s why I said Joe would speak out against Olivia and start getting people on his side.”
“Right, but to get the public opinion of the majority of his group to side with him in banning Olivia from the group, what must he acquire?”
“I don’t know, money?”
“Nope, attention. He needs people’s attention, and more specifically...
4. ATTENTION ECONOMY
...he needs their positive attention."
“Ah, he needs their agreement.”
“Nailed it.”
“Joe is ‘selling’ the idea that nudes are bad, even if they’re for charity, and that Olivia’s free-expression is not good for the group.”
“Right, and like any ‘activist’, he needs his followers to ‘buy into’ his idea with their agreement.”
“Well said. So if Joe gets enough people on his side, what will happen?”
“Olivia will either cave to the pressure and play nice, or she’ll reclaim her individual freedom by separating from a group who’s pressuring her to conform.”
“Yep and this happens all the time in society, even three kids playing in a sandbox.”
“Yes, like Hivers downvoting my photo because it makes them uncomfortable!”
“Hey, what did I tell you about jumping to conclusions and immediately labeling Hive as bad?”
Emma sighed. “You said it could be a glitch, or some totally justifiable downvote.”
“Yes, and since you don’t like it when others are triggered by your photos, don’t you dare be triggered by your assumptions about hive whales.”
“Sorry Dad, I’m sure there’s a good explanation for all this.”
“That’s better. Now, where were we?”
"Joe, Olivia, followers, attention."
“Yes, Olivia is on one side of the nudity issue, Joe is on the other, and by being vocal about it, they get the attention of followers. This makes them each a leader in the group, at least temporarily. And leaders have different levels of influence and power in a group, there’s no arguing it. And the followers in a group are often those with low critical-thinking skills. Instead of thinking an issue through themselves, they simply think ‘do I like Joe, or do I like Olivia?’ and then side with whoever they ‘like.’ Does this make sense?”
"Sounds as if many people are sloppy with their attention?"
“They are. But it’s an opportunity for savvier members of the group to gain influence. They can appeal to followers in the group and easily snatch up their agreement. This is what politicians aim to do, because they know our society runs on an attention-economy.”
“I’ve seen some charismatic people get tons of attention, be elevated to leader-status, and then just abuse their power, or get lazy and stop caring, or just generally be terrible leaders.”
“You’ll likely see it often. A lot of times, a charismatic person gets attention, becomes a leader, and then sucks at leading. Just how it is. The masses have given them power, failed to stop their meteoric rise, and now they’re entrenched. The only solution is for another member to ‘win’ at the attention game, or for the masses to wake up, reclaim their power, and give it to superior leader, despite that leader possibly being ‘bad’ at charismatically ‘getting’ attention.”
“Sounds like some of society’s best-suited leaders get skipped over in favor of those who persuasively manipulate mass-attention.”
“100% true. Our best leaders may be right under our nose, but the masses will never elect them because they aren’t looking for them, and since these leaders aren’t really ‘attention-chasers’ they’ll never end up on the radar. But that’s a talk for another time.”
“But aren’t all leaders just power hungry for follower’s attention?”
“Yes and no. Usually they start out well-meaning but confused. They want to lead the group to a better life. They have ideas for change that they believe in. Some realize that getting attention empowers them to accomplish more –which they’re eager to do– so they end up fiending after attention like an addict.”
“I get it, but what does all this have to do with my censored photo?”
“Well, since leaders are usually trying to create a better life (hopefully for the whole group, but even just for themselves), they’ll often have strong opinions on what ‘should’ and ‘shouldnt’ happen in the group.”
“Ohhh, and leader-Joe believes the naked body is ba