Hello. Today, I’d like to share some thoughts I’ve had recently about the “human touch” in decentralized social networks.
Are Decentralized SNSs a Bit Impersonal?
What do you think about decentralized SNSs like Steemit or Hive? They run on the blockchain, have no central administrators, and anyone can post freely without censorship. On paper, it sounds like the utopia of the internet.
But when you actually use them, there are many moments when you wonder, “Are there really humans here?” The timeline is flooded with countless posts, but most feel mechanical, almost like templates. After looking into it, I found that many articles and comments are actually posted automatically by bots.
The Loneliness of Invisible Operators
On Steemit and Hive, you hardly feel the presence of operators or developers. After the founder left Steemit, it’s unclear who’s running it now. Hive even promotes itself as “leaderless,” truly run by everyone.
That might be ideal in theory, but on the flip side, you don’t get the sense that “someone cares about this place” or “someone’s thinking of something new.” That lack of warmth makes the space feel even more inorganic and bot-filled to me.
But WarpCast and Paragraph.com Feel Different
On the other hand, even though they use similar decentralized protocols, platforms like WarpCast (built on Farcaster) and Paragraph.com feel much more human and warm.
For example, WarpCast’s developer, Dan Romero, actively communicates and interacts with users, frequently sharing updates and adding new features. The community is lively and engaged. Paragraph.com also makes it clear that the writers are real people, and the newsletter feature fosters meaningful interaction between writers and readers, giving a strong sense that “real people are behind this”.
Moreover, WarpCast requires a paid account for registration, making it harder for bots and spam to infiltrate. As a result, the timeline is filled with genuine conversations and ideas.
“Human Touch” Matters, Even in Decentralized Spaces
In the end, even if you group them all under “decentralized SNS,” the atmosphere and experience can be completely different. Whether you can sense the presence of operators or developers, whether the interactions between users are authentic-these are things I pay attention to. I like AI, I use it, and I don’t intend to stop. But somehow, I’m drawn to decentralized SNSs that have a human touch.
No matter how much technology evolves, I still crave “human-ness” and warmth online. That’s why feeling lonely in a bot-filled, deserted SNS seems only natural to me.
If you’ve ever felt the same way, please let me know in the comments. Let’s keep searching together for “human places” on the internet.
Leave a Reply