The Hive was a

website A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wi ...

that served as an information-sharing forum for individuals and groups interested in the practical synthesis, chemistry, biology, politics, and legal aspects of mind or body-altering drugs. Participants ranged from pure theorists to self-declared

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

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 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. Smaller labs can be run b ...

. 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 NBC ''Dateline NBC'' is a weekly American television news magazine/reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasio ...

special ''The "X" Files'' aired. This investigation into the use and production of

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for recreational purposes. The desire ...

featured the Hive and its founder, who operated under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

'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 amphetamines (specifically

), 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. A person by the username '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, also called Erowid Center, is a non-profit educational organization that provides information about psychoactive plants and chemicals. Erowid documents legal and illegal substances, including their intended and adverse effects. Informat ...

. Scattered across the net is more than 1.73 gigabytes of files that were once part of Rhodium's archive. The Hive was closed in 2004 due to hosting issues. In 2015 the site was made accessible again as
complete archive
at Erowid, but the forum pages however are now broken as of late 2016. The Hive now has a successor, "Thevespiary", which hosts a multitude of drug-related articles, synthesis guides, and drug-related news as well as pharmaceutical information.

References

External links

The Hive Archive
the official and complete forum archive at Erowid
The Hive
Background about The Hive
Erowid
archive of Rhodium content
Thevespiary
the successor to The Hive. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hive Internet properties established in 1997 Internet properties disestablished in 2004 Defunct darknet markets Crime forums

History

See also

References

External links