Clout and the Confusing Math of Fame

This is going to be a post about confusion — and I say that because I’m pretty sure by the end of it I’ll reach no resolution. Some things just don’t make sense to me, and I’m not sure there will ever be a way to circle the square. Who understands fame, after all?

This was sparked by @acidyo’s complaint on Twitter. He pointed out that MrBeast has built 100 wells in Africa and is now on everyone’s lips. Meanwhile, here on our little corner of Hive, @mcsamm and others have built over 22 boreholes — yet not a single news outlet has picked up the story. How does this work? I certainly don’t know. It feels like what happens isn’t as important as how much clout the event can generate.

And here’s where I risk sounding ridiculous — but if @mcsamm were to keep doing exactly what he’s doing while also cross-dressing, suddenly every news outlet would cover it. But of course, it wouldn’t be about the boreholes or the water that’s literally saving lives. It would be about a transwoman. The merit, the time, the learning, the physical effort — none of that would matter.

Sometimes I think up absurd ideas to “promote” Hive — and I’m using the word promote loosely here. We talk about tech, censorship resistance, self-governance — all incredible things. And yet none of those would make as much noise as the fictional scenario of a furry running for President of the United States. Honestly, I half expect that to happen.

So where am I going with this? I don’t really know. Maybe I’m ranting in hopes that someone in the comments will shine a light on my brain.

Along the same vein...

About a week ago I read a @ecoinstant rant on marketing, Hive, and the challenges we face. I took it to heart. I’m biased — I’ve poured almost eight years of my life into this place — but I’m not blind to the obvious obstacles.

That doesn’t mean I’m throwing in the towel. If I didn’t believe Hive has a future, I wouldn’t still be here. But I can’t shake the feeling that the way things go viral, and the kinds of things that go viral, prove that the world is a little bit insane.

Merit, it seems, is just something us “losers” like to talk about to make ourselves feel better during intellectual discussions. In real life, it rarely works that way.

MenO