How Do You Determine What Represents Successful Content on Hive?

avatar

We have a problem. A known one for a long time, yet we see very few attempting to find a solution, as far as I know.

The problem is that we order posts by their payout, with the exception of new posts and the personal feed, which are ordered chronologically. Well, trending and hot are a combination of both payout and time spent on that page.

The argument has been made over the years that payout is not as relevant for sorting, if someone has a whale regularly voting on their posts (likely on autopilot), and not the best metric to discover new quality content.

The idea to include the number of votes and the number of comments and replies in the algorithm that determines the ordering has been proposed on more than one occasion. Counter-arguments have been brought that these can be gamed, but stake is stake, you either have it backing your posts or not.

Looks like Leofinance finally plunged in to try to re-work the trending algorithm on their platform (not yet released, I think).

It would be based on a combination of engagement (number of comments and replies) maybe votes, if I remember right, but also the reputation of the account involved. This new algorithm will be tested first on Threads, then tweaked, then added to long-form, Khal said.

Ok, it's an attempt, we will see what kind of anomalies it generates and they will act from there.

Views as a Metric to Quantify Outside Interest

What the metrics mentioned above don't say, any of them, is what is the success of a Hive post outside our ecosystem. How many eyes read it that didn't have a Hive account to vote or comment on the post? Where was it seen the most?

Here's where complications arise for Hive. Since we are one database with multiple front ends, each front end has its own views for a given post. But most front ends don't even count their own views, and from there we'd need to aggregate the information to present to the user something he can use and make decisions based on.


Source

So far, we have PeakD which counts views on posts for their own platform, PeakD uses a 3rd party code for that, as far as I remember. Leofinance tracks views on Threads too, and they will add it to posts at some point. Leofinance, however, needs to eliminate double view counts from the same user for it to make sense for ad revenue sharing purposes or as a tracking method, which means storing IPs.

Still, from a dozen or so interfaces that have some traffic, we will only see the views from two of them. I don't know if 3Speak has a view count on videos. Or Liketu. Two other interfaces which may be shared a lot.

Well, I guess we know what to use when we share content outside Hive then, if we need the views count.

Why the Views Metric?

Because it paints an overall picture, both from inside the ecosystem and from the outside. If there is the possibility to refine details, it can be used to target audiences and learn more about them. Say you share your posts on X, Facebook, and Publish0x. You'll know what kind of post generates more views for your audiences in each of those places.

Views is not a perfect metric, of course. Like most metrics (except stake!), it can be boosted artificially. But if you don't do that and use this metric wisely, there's a lot it can tell you, especially if there is a dashboard to look deeper into details.

Posted Using LeoFinance Alpha

hive-167922 successful-content trending hive non-hive proofofbrain ctp pimp cent leofinance
0
0
0.000
42 comments
avatar

The trending page on Hive anyway you can forget. I never look at them. I mostly screen the folks I follow and certain tags of interest.
Unfortunately (or maybe it is the opposite) we don´t have a meaningful feed algorihtm and won´t have this, as this seems to be not in the focus of the devs. But it is those algos, what make the mass social media so addictive.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I agree! I never look at trending either. I have a growing list of accounts I follow, that's how I take my content on Hive. But that often prevents me from discovering someone new and very talented unless he or she comments on my posts or it is shared by one of the users I already follow. Sometimes it is a way to discover them on Threads.

I don't know if a better Trending page can be created that doesn't get abused, and it is something many would go to. But adding views to posts is something very useful in my opinion, especially for what it's telling about outside viewers.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The number of views only correlates with the network of the user, either through time or by talent/active networking. It hardly correlates with quality, with a few exceptions.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

That is true. But it is the only way I know how to measure our reach outside the Hive ecosystem.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Sometimes I feel that some of the most influential accounts on Hive don't even want it to be mainstream...

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I have the same feeling. Maybe because they earn a lot, and by entry of big fresh money their share would shrink. But if that would happen, also Hive would moon, so it should be a win-win rather.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I believe it's because they don't want to lose their influence rather than about earnings. It's just an opinion though... With a bit of proper marketing Hive could get mainstream quite quickly, but no marketing thus far.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Could be.
And what about the film "Freechain"? A bluff to make the Hivians believe there is an interest in Hive getting more attention?

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

It's not going to get mainstream... I believe that paid marketing such as Twitter ads and paid mainstream articles and shills would do better. As long as that movie is not going to hit cinemas or Netflix it is useless.

Maybe LeoFinance will do a good job with its approved DHF proposal when it comes to attracting new users and boosting our exposure.

Maybe...

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I am also anxious to see what Leofinance's marketing push results will be. Hopeful too, for the sake of creating more awareness about Leofinance and Hive in the general public. We really need that!

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Views is a metric and I rarely look at the trending posts. It's only when I have spare time but most of the time, I just focus on my feed. There isn't enough time for me to do all of that and I agree that the views can be manipulated. It reminds of how people were refreshing their threads page constantly to pump up the views numbers when it first went live.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

It reminds of how people were refreshing their threads page constantly to pump up the views numbers when it first went live.

Nah, that can be fixed. There are other ways to pump up views, but luckily, most of them mean that the post is displayed somewhere to a bunch of people.

Do you know a different metric to measure outside interest in Hive posts?

I rarely look at the trending posts

Yeah, I agree about trending. Maybe it's not worth updating. But we need something to gauge the interest of the outside world toward our posts and a window to present what is considered our best creations.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Unfortunately highly upvoted post are deemed to be good content.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Well, that's how curation works on Hive. And to be honest, nobody can see all content on Hive and curate it all.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I think another thing that has to do with vote is popularity. Some people do not make some posts that are quality over others but they have more votes than the ones with quality posts because they are more popular
That happens most times

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Well, that's to a degree normal and it happens everywhere. Popularity is something you gain over time, but most people have to work for it, it doesn't just come out of the blue.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Quality is subjective. It seems though that pinmapple posts are quite curated by the biggest whales in town.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

That wasn't necessarily me picking on what is considered quality or voted as such. My focus, although maybe it isn't clear from the post, was on trying to find a metric that measures what picks up the interest of people outside Hive.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I myself have been working on this platform for the last 8 months now, the biggest problem is that what people come up with that people like, I go on a long journey for that and here. I keep telling the world of Pakistan how they are living but till now no big person has come to read my post as I see on other people's posts. But I will continue to work hard and not give up.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Not all types of content we enjoy work for others. There are two ways to handle things, as far as I can tell:

  • keep searching until you find the right group of people who enjoys the type of content you like to write about
  • or try a different type of content until your audience or other readers react (much more) positively to something

Above all, don't give up and keep taking small steps until they compound into something bigger.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

At times people misinterprete thinking long words content are quality content on hive Blockchain

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

In terms of success, this may or may not be the case. For the pressure put on the blockchain though, a LF type of content puts lower pressure on the blockchain in the long term than a lot of short form.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Hello @gadrian. I looked up algorithm on Google and what it looks like for dummies - an easier way to understand. I didn't ever think to do this but I learned about something similar in community college in the early 90s. It was a Flow Chart. Thank you for your in depth discussion of "How do You Determine What is Successful Content on Hive". Algorithms and Metrics are fascinating. I am mostly fascinated by the algorithms. I have read they can cause a lot of trouble too. Have a great Sunday! Barb
🌟 👍😊 🌟 !BBH !CTP #ctp

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The internet is full of algorithms, Barb. Everything that is not static text online (text that doesn't change over time), is generated by a program (algorithm), as simple or complex as it may be.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yes I understand that now, @gadrian. I forgot because I learned about it back in the 90s and I was confused back then because I never used a computer hardly at all so nothing made sense. It really helps to have used a computer and was knowledgeable to some degree about how it worked. It was like learning about it all out of thin air if that makes any sense. 😂😂 Have a great new week ahead! !BBH !CTP

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I didn't know an algorithm was the same thing as a program. English has so many words for the same thing that even I get confused. 🤣

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar
(Edited)

Actually, a computer program usually has more than one algorithm, unless it's a very basic one.

Here are a few examples of algorithms:

  • sorting algorithms
  • filtering algorithms
  • searching algos

Or more complex:

  • the algorithm to find the quickest route between two towns, based on parameters
  • the algorithm to select an area in an image based on color similarity
  • etc.

Usually, an algorithm maps well on a certain function that the user can trigger, but algorithms can be run automatically by the program, based on the occurrence of certain events (loading the application, for example) or at preprogrammed times or in cycles.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Thank you @gadrian and Yes I didn't think it was all that simple. Thanks for your info!
🌟😊🌟 !BBH !CTP

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

At least on LeoFinance I see that those at the top and getting higher votes are published by quality content creators. But of course, I don't know to what extent such an observation is true. In one front end I know, shit posts are trending and getting higher votes, and quality content is taken for granted. What matters there is the size of the stake.

!PIZZA

!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yes, the Leo team makes efforts to curate well and even decentralize curation more than before, to improve it. I look forward to seeing how their new trending algorithm will work on Threads.

0
0
0.000
Reply