The Hive (website)
Encyclopedia
The Hive was a website
that served as an information-sharing forum for individuals and groups interested in the practical synthesis, chemistry, biology, politics, and legal aspects of mind-altering drugs
. Participants ranged from pure theorists to self-declared organized crime chemists (claimed to be retired but with excellent connections) as well as forensic chemists, who (much like their quarries) used the Hive to keep abreast of developments in clandestine chemistry
. Most members were simply curious about psychoactive chemicals and allied issues. At its peak, the Hive had thousands of participants from all over the world.
special The "X" Files aired. This investigation into the use and production of MDMA
featured the Hive and its founder, 'Strike' (Hobart Huson
). Strike was the founder and site designer of the Hive as well as the author of several popular books (Total Synthesis I and II, and Sources) instructing readers how to synthesize a variety of amphetamine
s, obtain equipment and chemicals, and avoid prosecution. He remained anonymous until Dateline's investigation and interviews revealed that Hobart Huson (owner of the Strike-recommended laboratory supplier "Science Alliance") was the man behind Strike. The NBC program showed Huson/Strike at his office/chemical warehouse, complete with a stuffed bee sitting by his computer. The program led to Huson's arrest and imprisonment, but also spurred the site's growth. 'Rhodium' and a small group of dedicated individuals actually ran the Hive and its sister site Rhodium.ws for most of the sites' lifespans.
While The Hive was a public forum for asking questions and exchanging information, Rhodium.ws hosted a collection of drug synthesis information in more condensed and organized form, much of it derived from messages posted on the Hive. It also had a large collection of articles from academic journals, plus considerable general-purpose information on practical chemistry. Rhodium's site was also taken offline shortly after the Hive. Most of the archive is hosted by Erowid
. Scattered across the net is more than 1.73 gigabytes of files that were once part of Rhodium's archive.
The Hive was shut down in 2004. Although the domain still exists and full copies of the message database were retained, the forum has not re-opened to the public, nor have existing archives been disseminated. Even before it went offline altogether, certain especially sensitive or synthetically useful threads were being hidden from the public message database. Around one gigabyte of user-harvested data from The Hive can still be found online, but the far greater portion remains held privately by former administrators. The failure of Hive management to share its archives after shutdown remains a bitter pill for some former contributors in light of the vast time and effort invested by members.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
that served as an information-sharing forum for individuals and groups interested in the practical synthesis, chemistry, biology, politics, and legal aspects of mind-altering drugs
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
. Participants ranged from pure theorists to self-declared organized crime chemists (claimed to be retired but with excellent connections) as well as forensic chemists, who (much like their quarries) used the Hive to keep abreast of developments in clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market...
. Most members were simply curious about psychoactive chemicals and allied issues. At its peak, the Hive had thousands of participants from all over the world.
History
Although it had been in operation since 1997, the Hive gained broader awareness in 2001 when a Dateline NBCDateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
special The "X" Files aired. This investigation into the use and production of MDMA
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
featured the Hive and its founder, 'Strike' (Hobart Huson
Hobart Huson
Hobart Huson, also known as Strike, is the founder and site designer of online forum The Hive and author of several popular books such as Total Synthesis I and II, and Sources, in which he details methods of synthesizing a variety of amphetamines, obtaining equipment and chemicals, and avoiding...
). Strike was the founder and site designer of the Hive as well as the author of several popular books (Total Synthesis I and II, and Sources) instructing readers how to synthesize a variety of amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s, obtain equipment and chemicals, and avoid prosecution. He remained anonymous until Dateline's investigation and interviews revealed that Hobart Huson (owner of the Strike-recommended laboratory supplier "Science Alliance") was the man behind Strike. The NBC program showed Huson/Strike at his office/chemical warehouse, complete with a stuffed bee sitting by his computer. The program led to Huson's arrest and imprisonment, but also spurred the site's growth. 'Rhodium' and a small group of dedicated individuals actually ran the Hive and its sister site Rhodium.ws for most of the sites' lifespans.
While The Hive was a public forum for asking questions and exchanging information, Rhodium.ws hosted a collection of drug synthesis information in more condensed and organized form, much of it derived from messages posted on the Hive. It also had a large collection of articles from academic journals, plus considerable general-purpose information on practical chemistry. Rhodium's site was also taken offline shortly after the Hive. Most of the archive is hosted by Erowid
Erowid
Erowid, also called The Vaults of Erowid, is an online library of information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and other topics on altered states of consciousness such as meditation and lucid dreaming. It provides information about legal and illegal substances, including their desired and...
. Scattered across the net is more than 1.73 gigabytes of files that were once part of Rhodium's archive.
The Hive was shut down in 2004. Although the domain still exists and full copies of the message database were retained, the forum has not re-opened to the public, nor have existing archives been disseminated. Even before it went offline altogether, certain especially sensitive or synthetically useful threads were being hidden from the public message database. Around one gigabyte of user-harvested data from The Hive can still be found online, but the far greater portion remains held privately by former administrators. The failure of Hive management to share its archives after shutdown remains a bitter pill for some former contributors in light of the vast time and effort invested by members.
The Hive in popular culture
The Hive has had genuine cultural reach not only limited to the Internet. Among expressions popularized on the web by The Hive:- SWIM: "Somebody Who Isn't Me", a general-purpose description used by many posters when describing illegal activity, i.e. "SWIM needs some help crystallizing methamphetamine." Many posters changed the last letter to the first letter of their online name, so somebody named Crystal might speak of his adventures in the third person as "SWIC" (Somebody Who Isn't Crystal). It's unlikely that this sort of linguistic evasion would provide any genuine protection against prosecution should the posters be identified by law enforcement.
- Bees: Contributing members of The Hive.
- Honey: Originally freebase MD-MA, later extended to other psychoactive amines including methamphetamine.
External links
- Former location of The Hive (now defunct)
- Erowid, archive of Rhodium content