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The electrician(s) are here upgrading and moving the electricity mains box, which means that we have no power to anything, including our laptops. Normally, this wouldn't be much of a problem however, since my wife and I are working from home - it is going to cause some issues. We knew the approximate time this would happen and my wife started early so she could put an hour under her belt in the hope that past that her battery would last - but this wasn't possible for me this morning due to the tasks at hand, so it looks like my laptop won't have the legs to make it through til knock-off - oh well. I did a 13 hour day yesterday and will again tomorrow, so I am not going to feel too bad missing an hour or two today. 

|||||||- 36% remaining. 


https://i.imgur.com/6PwCqEa.jpg

I should probably conserve the battery a little for the upcoming tasks, but instead I will write here. At the moment, my working motivation isn't very high for the menial tasks I need to take care of, which I assume is both because they are menial and, the coming layoff period doesn't exactly inspire pushing myself now, as it doesn't really change or add anything for me.


||||||- 33% remaining. 
Hive is chewing through the juice - *Good.*

We all act on incentive, which means we all work on incentive. While for jobs this generally is primarily financial return focused, there are of course other factors that come into play in the workplace, including future opportunity, current tasks, sense of responsibility, feedback and of course, the feeling that we we do matters - and it matters that we are the ones doing it. This is generally not the case, as pretty much all of us are replaceable - no matter how important we might think ourselves to be in the moment. 

I think it is interesting when people feel that they are irreplaceable when all indications in just about every facet of their life suggests differently. For most organizations, they go out of the way to make sure that there isn't anyone irreplaceable, as that is a risk. 

Because by definition a company exists to make profit which comes through generation or saving, having irreplaceable people means that they risk having that person demand a higher than worth salary, but more importantly than that, if something happens to that person, there will likely be a vacuum and vacuums can be costly. Instead, a company will want to be able to have a smooth transition, which means having enough overlaps to fill the slot and get up to speed in a reasonable amount of time. 

|||||- 28% - *soon* 

I find the same kinds of things happen here on Hive, where people believe that whatever they as an individual is offering the community is so valuable and rare, that no one else could deliver the same. It is an illusion, the ego talking. While it could be that identical might not be possible,close enough, good enough and acceptable enough generally is. I am pretty sure that if I was to exit the world today, the content I deliver would have alternatives stepped in before my body cooled - this is the way of life, we are disposable. 

It is also why people who are looking to build a following here and especially those who do not deviate much from the mean need to stay active and consistent - as most of us are very forgettable. Sounds bad, doesn't it? But, it is like any relationship where people have to maintain visibility because, *out of sight, out of mind.* This is even more true these days where not only is it easy to be out of sight, there are a thousand other momentary distractions and attractions to ensure the out of mind. 


||||- 25% - *not long now*

It isn't easy to be consistently available in this world and consistently deliver, which is why most don't. When people on Hive look at an individual post, it is common for them to have the thought "I can do that, or better" without considering if they can do *that or better* day in and day out forever - or for long enough to get over the startup phase, build a following, survive price changes and the subsequent effects they have on the community, their audience, the people that they need to engage. As far as I have seen, there are only a handful of accounts on Hive that are able to *consistently* deliver something that  their viewers find valuable.

But, no one really knows if any content is valuable at all and it could very well be that none of it is as content itself, but the idea of valuable content keeps the conversation going, keeps the uncertainty alive. Again, this is incentives in play, where people are incentivized to act upon what they believe is in their best interest - including the way they produce content and vote. 

|||- 20%

Many produce content for reward, but they try to maximize return for effort and perhaps, this is a good  strategy. After all, if someone posts a picture of their lunch which takes a minute and gets a dollar, they really should be very happy as that is 60 dollars an hour. Whereas if someone takes two hours to write a piece and gets 10 dollars, they are only making 5 dollars an hour. However, it will be near impossible for someone to posts pictures of their lunch and consistently get 1 dollar for each for the same value daily and if they do, will they ever increase the average past that?

Imagine a star actor who can command 20 million a movie and then a newcomer onto the scene - no matter how good the newcomer is, they are not going to have even the slightest possibility of getting the same for their first movie, their second or likely, their fifth. It takes time consistency and *proof of delivery* in order for the star to get that kind of paycheck and still, not every movie is going to be a winner - just as not every post is going to be a work of literary brilliance. However it is like golf, where anyone can hit a hole in one by chance, but very few can consistently put it close to the flag time and time again - and then convert it for an under-par scorecard. It is the consistency that makes the professional, not the random hole in one. 

||- 15%

But, no matter how good anyone is, we are all replaceable. And when there is the monetary incentive for others to try and compete, there will be no end of newcomers looking to make their fortune. But, much like in Hollywood, there will be far more waitstaff than stars, more broken dreams than dreams come true. Does this mean that life is unfair, or is it that our expectation and self-evaluation of our own worth and chances of success are not aligned with reality, where there is only so many movies people will see, so many books they will read, so many posts they will be able to vote on?

I love that people come here and try, I love that there is the opportunity to earn, I love that over the space of nearly four years of consistently producing I can earn something consistently too. But, I am under no illusion, I am replaceable and the consistency is no guarantee for the future and if anything, it is a risk - a target. That is something everyone who gets some degree of success has to contend with, it can all end at any time. 

I have seen it end for many people and their reactions are of entitlement and loss, even though on Hive, there are no contracts in place, no guarantee for the future. Everything is uncertain, community, technology and price value. I think that it is this uncertainty that keeps it dynamic, keeps it alive and makes sure that there is always incentive to try. But that is my view - many others think it might not be worth the effort and post pictures of their lunch instead.

|- 6%

*Gotta go.*


Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]











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