Everything where it needs to be.
This week has been a big one! We've had a variety of changes on the server this weekend after some brilliant feedback from our members in #the-pond. The main highlighted concern was the overall clarity of the server and how it was awkward finding out what each feature does. We decided to drastically reduce the 'fluff' from the server so we can focus on the channels that matter the most.
It's already looking 100X better.
In this update, I'll be showing you the new and improved screens of BuddyUP, our two new roles, our two new channels (as well as notifying you about the channels and roles we have removed), our next plan and our brand new Mormyrid! We have a little bit to go through today so, get comfortable, grab a drink, and read on!
We definitely needed a good downsize of the server. There was a lot of different channels that weren't being used enough and the focus was being lost on some of the other channels because of this. For any of you who were a part of the community before the downsize, these were the channels we removed:
#post-drop & #postpoolfeedback - Our feedback channels, they required much higher levels of engagement.
#grab-a-guide - Does what it says on the tin. This will be reintroduced down the line.
#catch-of-the-day - Our daily feature of a BuddyUP member. It's been inactive for a while, it will be reintroduced.
#community-effort - This is where we would all work on a post as a community.
#fishing-for-contests - Basic contests channel.
As you can see, they are all relatively decent channels. They all have a purpose and are still hidden on the server until they can be reintroduced, but right now, they aren't critical to our growth as a community. We need to iron out the channels which are currently here so we can get them running smoothly. Can you remember my application for 
To improve your life and well-being, the immediate attempt is to add more to it, to increase and expand. That works, but only to a certain degree. It can actually reduce the quality of it. By practicing via negativa – the art of adding to your life by subtracting – you can make it better by hacking away the unessential. article
I'm just going to go through this segment very briefly using images and short captions since the last part had a little bit of text for you to digest. I'm going to share screenshot's of the server, in each role, so you can see what opens up for the various roles as you progress through the BuddyUP ranks. The captions below will point out noticeable unlocks compared to the last role or important channels to check out.
And awaaayy we go...
When you first join
Tetra
Neon Tetra
Guppy
Gourami
This is the general progression of the BuddyUP server and the only way to make your way through the ranks is through engagement and involvement. We introduced another role through the week called Neon Tetra. The main difference between this role and Tetra is it's ability to use reactions inside the features. We use reactions to show what we've done either on Steemit or inside Discord. As well as reactions, they also unlock #post-mark.
They also unlock the #weekly-checklist channel at this stage. Tetra still take part in the brand new weekly checklist but they aren't aware of what it is unless they are told. We will have more information about this new feature next Sunday.
I mentioned at the beginning what the main concern was from our members...
Lack of clarity
We need to make sure the server is streamlined and understandable to every single member, so to try and dispel any misunderstandings or idleness, we added two new channels over the past couple days:
These are both unlocked as soon as you rank up to Tetra, so I'll not go too deeply into them. The main thing to note from both is that they will help you understand the features and also how to get rewarded for your participation in them. Simples.
Are you actively involved in another community/project but you still support what BuddyUP does? Supporter Shrimp is the role for you. We understand that people have varying focuses and staying actively involved in 10 communities at once is just not possible, you can't spread yourself too thin.
Our Supporter Shrimp role differs from our Shrimp role because of a few things:
It has access to #post-spot and #post-link including reactions and posting.
It has access to the various token channels.
It has its own special channel...
This special channel is specifically for Supporter Shrimp (oo tongue twister). They can post into this channel if they have any updates from their communities or if they need support for their projects. They can also share any invite links to communities in here.
All the members of BuddyUP can read and react but they can't post. We are all here to help out in whatever way we can, whenever we can. If you want to consider what part of the Steemit puzzle you are, check out this post by 
We've had a new addition to the Mormyrid team through the week, our long-standing member @Tamala has jumped straight into the role and started to shift the attention towards the Shrimps in the server. We de-rank members to Shrimp if they've been inactive for a period of time and over time our Mormyrids approach them to see why they drifted away.
This is never to hassle people into taking part, it's merely a fresh invitation to see if we have evolved into something they can get behind.
Already, 
On that note, we are going to wrap up this slightly longer update and get ready for the week ahead!
I hope you have all have been working on your Drop in the Ocean post... If you missed the post on Wednesday, this weeks topic is EXPECTATION. The show starts at 20:00 UTC Monday night and if you're writing a post for the show, make sure you post it tomorrow and use the tag 'dropintheocean' so we can find it easily.
Thanks for keeping up to date! If you're new, you can find our discord server here in our SafeLink post. Have you checked out our posts in night mode? And finally....
We all grow together
This has been 
All headers are credited in a reference post here
top image: source - photo by chuttersnap
