It's been a hot second since I have done one these posts. I know that @steevc does something like this most every week with his follow Friday posts, but since it isn't Friday and I already do a Finance Friday post each week, I am doing it today.
Over the past couple of years I have picked up a decent number of regular followers. In turn, I have started following them back. That is just the way a social network works. Some people may imply that it is circle jerking, but I tend to think it is more human nature.
Bonds are formed over mutual interests. It's just a fact. Call it what you want, we are likely all guilty of it and it isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I've made no effort to hide the fact that I use an auto vote service here on Hive. I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of mixing manual curation in with my auto votes. It can be a tricky balance for sure. I think there are quite a few of us who would have to do some deep introspection if we had stake big enough that we could just set everything to auto and rest on our laurels.
I'm going to split this post up into three different sections. The first section will be the old standby's. Those people I have been following for quite some time and they just continue to produce great content. The second will be people who have only recently come on my radar but I think everyone should give a few minutes to check out. Finally, the third group will be people who used to be active on Hive, but seem to have gone. I wish they would come back...
The OG's of my curation collection
I already mentioned him above, but @steevc would definitely need to make this list. He has been on Hive even longer than I have and he is always producing really great stuff. He is a musician, a runner, and a bit of a homesteader though he likely wouldn't label himself that.
Another fellow on Hive who has even more time in that me is @ericvancewalton. He has been posting great fiction, poetry, tech, and mindfulness stuff for a long time on the blockchain. You can't really go wrong with any of his posts, so I highly encourage you to check it out!
@slobberchops and I started on Hive right around the same time. Don't tell him I told you this, but he is a pretty witty guy. His mix of urban exploration, workplace fiction, and Splinterlands skills have made him pretty well known on the chain, but he still slums around with folks like me!
Another person on Hive that started around the same time as me is @cryptoandcoffee. He posts a lot of stuff about blockchain, business, and sports. We spent some time together fighting abuse in the Sports Talk Social community. He is one of the coolest folks living in South Africa that I know, and he has an insane mind for business. Check him out, you might learn something!
Finally, as far as OG's go, I have to give a shout out to @tattoodjay. He reeled me in with his pictures of NYC when he was working at the United Nations. Although he is retired now, he still keeps posting amazing photos from the Atlantic coast. His blog is definitely worth a visit.
I will be the first to admit I am not a very social person, but all of those listed above are people I hope I get to meet one day and throw back a pint or dram of whisky with.
The newbies
Though they may not be new to the blockchain, the folks in this list are people who have only recently caught my attention. Trust me, it isn't because their content is or was bad, it's just that Hive is a big place. It's easy to miss a lot of the great content that is out there.
@cryptictruth is a fellow Michigander (someone who lives in the state of Michigan) and though he only lives an hour and a half away, we have yet to meet each other. He does a lot of posting about crypto markets, silver and gold stacking, and most importantly, beer. He has a great eye and way of explaining some of the best brews Michigan has to offer. You should check him out!
@dbooster is an Indiana transplant now living in Japan. I guess you could call him an expat, but then again, I don't know what the requirements are for that title. He has been sharing a lot about Japanese silver coins lately, but if you are really lucky you will catch one of his posts about Haiku. He actually runs a whole community dedicated to poetry and Haiku. Just be ready to learn something if you visit, it will be hard not to.
If you are into sports betting, you should check out @fullcoverbetting. I promise though, he isn't just a one trick pony. He also does a lot of great posts about life and work. While it was sports betting that originally connected us, I have enjoyed bonding with him over any manner of subjects.
@tengolotodo is someone who I recently met through the Silver Bloggers community. Like me, he posts on a variety of different subjects. Too many for me to list here. I always enjoy my interactions with him and am continuously looking forward to seeing the new content that he is putting out.
If the Scotsman above wasn't enough for you, check out @hoosie. Located in Ediburgh, Hoosie has been putting out some really beautiful posts of the surrounding area lately. If you dig back far enough, you will also find he is quite the musician and video creator as well! I've really enjoyed doing some virtual sight seeing through his posts.
Finally, I absolutely have to mention @mypathtofire. Again like me, he posts on a variety of different topics. We have bonded over our interest in play to earn gaming and he has one of the biggest "growth mindsets" I know. I think he is also one of the most active people in my comments. We will often have a comment thread several layers deep on any given post. Well worth getting to know!
Those I miss
For whatever reason, things get in the way of us spending more time on Hive. Often it is work. I think we can all attest to the fact that sometimes Hive is a job unto itself. The real world doesn't always have space for both. Other times, life just gets in the way. Finally, blockchain can be hard, and one or two things might happen to make us jaded on the whole thing.
One of the biggest believers in the blockchain I can remember was @exyle. He got mixed up in the Hive split drama, and like him or hate him, he kind of fell away. I'm not going to dig into all of that. I just remember how excited he was about this place and the potential this delegated proof of stake blockchain had. We need more people with that kind of passion. I wish I could hear what he thinks of the state of Hive today.
One of my first close friends on "Hive" (actually, that other chain), was @daan. We had many conversations in Discord and I really miss him not being around. We basically grew up together here on the blockchain and after some rough real world stuff he kind of disappeared. I did see him make a comment for the first time in a long time a little bit ago, but then he kind of faded away again. I hope you are doing well @daan, you are definitely missed!
@bdmillergallery had some pretty hefty work obligations going on last I knew and I think that has kept him away from the blockchain for a while now. I've seen him pop in occasionally, but not as regular as he used to. I miss seeing his orchid update posts and his original art was just amazing! Another fellow from the East coast that I wouldn't mind sharing a bourbon with one day!
This one is kind of funny because I actually see @iikrypticsii every day at work. I feel like it was just yesterday that I onboarded him to Hive. He has been crushing the university thing and I can't blame him for not posting as much due to that. He has admitted that long form content isn't necessarily his cup of tea anyway. Perhaps when things slow down he can start doing some video content or Leo will have threads optimized so he can do some short form stuff.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention @verhp11. It's been quite a while since he has posted. Again, I think it is that whole working a full time job in the real world thing that is keeping him away from the blockchain. He is an insanely talented musician and I miss hearing the latest news about the band he is playing in or what festival he is taking his kids to. He is also an avid Grand Prix fan and a jack of many trades.
I hope we once again hear from those listed above at some point. The blockchain is an emptier place without them in my opinion.
Ooops!
I just realized, all of the people I mentioned above are men (as far as I know). I apologize for that. Believe me it wasn't intentional, I have no ill will for all of the amazing women here on the blockchain. There is even a great community that uplifts the women of hive. Be sure to check that out!
