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## Welcome to Hive!

Now that you have an account, here's how to get started.


### 1. Backup your password

Unlike centralized web services, **it is not possible to recover lost passwords on the Hive blockchain**.

You are entirely responsible for saving your password, backing it up, and keeping it secure. Never put your password into unverified third party websites as they may steal your account. Store an **offline copy** of your password somewhere safe in case of a hard drive failure or other calamity. Consider using a flash drive, secure cloud storage, or simply print it on paper.


### 2. Obtain and backup your keys

Your keys are available from your Wallet page. Back them up and keep them secure! 
- **Owner Key:** Used for changing other keys.
- **Active Key:** Used to manage your funds and participate in governance.
- **Posting Key:** Used to post and comment.
- **Memo Key:** Used for decrypting encrypted memos.


### 3. Some ground rules

1. It is free to post, comment, and vote on all content at <a target="_blank" href="https://hive.blog">hive.blog</a>.
2. Do not plagiarize, and be sure to cite sources, including for images.


### 4. Update your profile

You can update your profile on the Settings page. This includes your display name, location, about information, and website.


### 5. Create your "Introduceyourself" Post

The tradition for new users is to create an "introduceyourself" post in order to let the community get to know you. You can verify other social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) by sharing the link to your Hive account from those profiles.

### 6. Equip yourself

[Hive Keychain](https://hive-keychain.com) is a browser-based extension to log into various Hive-based platforms. Download it for your preferred browser and import your keys. It also acts as a light wallet!

[Hivesigner](https://hivesigner.com) is another application which allows you to securely log into a range of Hive-based products using OAuth2. It's simple to use and lets you manage your authorizations all in one place. 


### 7. Get to know others

- A lot of users mingle and chat in [OpenHive.Chat](https://openhive.chat/). It is a great place to meet people! You log in with your Hive account, using Private Posting Key to confirm your identity. Ask questions in the [\#help](https://openhive.chat/channel/help) channel.
- Many Hive community members also enjoy our [Discord](https://myhive.li/discord) and [Telegram](https://t.me/hiveblockchain) groups. They're fun and informative! 


### 8. Voting and Tokens

Posts and comments can accrue votes over a period of 7 days. Projected payouts will fluctuate (up and down) and no payout is guaranteed. If a post receives enough votes for a payout, it will be split evenly between the author and voters ("curators").

HIVE, Hive Power (HP) and Hive Backed Dollars (HBD) are the three forms of digital currency used by the Hive blockchain. More information [here](https://hive.blog/faq.html#What_is_the_difference_between_HIVE__HIVE_Power__and_Hive_Dollars).


##### Additional resources

- [FAQ](https://hive.blog/faq.html) - Answers to commonly asked questions
- [Hive Whitepaper](https://hive.io/whitepaper.pdf) - Technical details of Hive
- [Apps Built on Hive](https://hiveprojects.io/) - Directory of apps, sites and tools built by the Hive community
- [Hive Block Explorer](https://hiveblocks.com/) - Shows the raw Hive blockchain data
