It would be nice if everyone could interact in a post, in the comments section, as if we were in a chat room... the quality of a discussion can be seen by the level of interaction it has. Once it has achieved its purpose, I consider that to be the first big step. However, not everyone will have the same level of thought to participate in it. Some will be more serious than others, some will simply want to participate briefly and just enjoy listening (in this case, reading). You and someone else I know ;) quite succeed in making this happen.
And I agree that this is an advantage we have in Hive. There is more engagement and it feels more real than in other social networks. I also know one thing, you have to look at the motivations of each person for being here. That also says a lot about the participation of everyone and the seriousness with which it is done.