Hmm ... that doesn't necessarily apply to me personally, as an author and holder of hive shares. If I don't determine a time period within which I want to earn, say, so-and-so much revenue, and therefore the fluctuating value for me is merely a reflection of things trading high at times and low at times, I guess I'm part of it more in the way that I could care less about those fluctuations, since I'm not considering an exchange into fiat money or other cryptocurrencies. Away from the substantive arguments about engagement, voting behaviour and social interactions, I see my activity here also as self-documentation. To the extent that I am able to separate my articles from the number value they achieve and there are still plenty of others who handle it similarly to me, I am happy with that.

Now, I haven't specifically taken money into my hands to invest either, so I'm not so much straightforward about a return of investment. There is no cost recovery calculation on my side, such as recouping the energy and maintenance costs for a server and generating something on top.

On the one hand, I am grateful to the witnesses, without them the whole thing would not work, but on the other hand, I see the potential for conflict when I have the impression that the individual key players are not handing over their positions to those who have come after them and are in this way benevolently passing on the baton of responsibility.

Behind this is the presumably philosophical question of whether I as a human being am prepared not only to accept but even to encourage a change in my living and income circumstances. Wanting to achieve the much-invoked passive earnings, so to speak for life, is, with all understanding for such a seductive possibility, often a horse's foot.

As always, no one can be forced or carried to a realisation. This happens of its own accord. Or not.