Hey guys, welcome to the 2nd edition of the community spotlight! This is an ongoing series series that will help us meet interesting hiveans and learn from their experiences.
This is made possible through series of interviews with them.
So in this edition I present to you another precious soul who has made so much contribution to the hive community through her interesting project and a beautiful spirit!
She's also one of the oldest hive users and she's well known for her consistency in running the PYPT show. Stay tuned, learn about her project and what has motivated her to keep going over the years!
Hi Ms Shadows, we're pleased to have you in this week's spotlight!
IQ: Can you share a bit about yourself and your journey on Hive?
Shadowspub: I live in a small community in Eastern Ontario, Canada on the north shore of Lake Ontario. I've been creative most of my life but haven't really worked at it a lot until I arrived on the legacy chain in early August 2016.
I wasn't familiar with crypto at the time but thought I'd try it out and see what happened. It was challenging as the resources and information were very hard to find. There was only one d'app and you couldn't upload pictures. Had to figure out where to store pictures and how to link to them along with learning Markdown.
We didn't have Discords available then. I eventually found a channel on a site called TeamSpeak where some people from the chain were hanging out. That helped.
Then one day someone showed up in and was telling us about this site called Discord. We tried it out and people liked it a lot better. Before long there were a growing number of Discord servers.
Eventually I got curious and started one as well.
IQ: I know that you run the PYPT (pimp your post Thursday), can you share a bit about the project and what inspired you to start it?
Shadowspub: Early in my time on the legacy chain I decided to use all the time I was spending reading posts to choose some of the ones I liked the most and then write a daily post. I'd share the post and some comments about what I liked about the post and sometimes what could have been better. I called the series the Steemit Ramble.
When I opened my discord server, I called it the "Steemit Ramble". My original intent was to provide a place others could drop links to posts for me to review. After a while I decided to test out the voice channel and invite people to bring posts and share them on voice.
On October 12, 2017 (Thursday after the Canadian Thanksgiving) I held the first Pimp Your Post Thursday. There was a small group who joined it. We had some excellent discussions and people enjoyed it.
I was holding it at 7pm EST initially but started getting requests for it to be in a time slot where overseas people could participate. Eventually I added a second Thursday show at 11am EST. Both times turned out to be popular with good attendance at each show.
Doing an audio show was not something I would have expected of myself but people enjoyed being able to share, to get to know each other. Often conversations would take place on a range of subjects especially about the chain.
Connections between people were often made during PYPT which was pretty cool when projects would grow because of those connections.
During a discussion one day about Witnesses and the importance of voting for them, I realized a lot of people didn't know who the Witnesses were or what they did. That sparked me to start hosting a monthly Witness chat between the Witnesses and the community.
After the hardfork when Hive was created, I shifted to Hive and originally intended to welcome people from the legacy chain but after the legacy chain took some destructive action against those involved in the Hardfork, my attention turned 100% to Hive.
IQ: What role does the PYPT play in the Hive community, and how has it evolved since its inception
Shadowspub: PYPT serves as a way for people with any level of experience to meet and get to know each other. People bring their content and sometimes conversation will start on the topic of the post or something related.
I also welcome content from any where that people create it. So, if someone wrote primarily on Medium and visited PYPT to share their content, they would then meet people from Hive and discover the level of community present on the chain.
When PYPT first started I didn't compile a list of the images shared nor did I publish the recording. I did try to livestream the show to places like YouTube and Facebook but soon discovered my internet connection wasn't fast enough to sustain the stream.
A participant named @sarge started compiling a list of posts shared and I soon found that people liked having the list to use to visit posts after PYPT. I added keeping a list and then publishing both the recording and the list as a recap post on Mondays.
Early in the pandemic I took a break from doing PYPT for several months. When I returned I brought the show into the DreemPort discord instead of using mine. DreemPort and PYPT are aligned on our values around content. It's a good match.
With PYPT being in the DreemPort server, @dreemsteem has been able to host elements of some of the monthly collaborations during the show. She likely would have done it either way, it's just easier when the show is right there.
I also added draws for HBI (Hive Basic Income) during the show. Last year I started creating NFTs and created a series called the PYPT Exclusive NFTs. They are only made available as a draw each week at PYPT. There is a new NFT added each month.
IQ: Have you faced any challenges in running PYPT, how do you overcome them?
Shadowspub: I had a concern when I first started PYPT that it would attract spammers. When the discords first started they often had a channel where they allowed people to share posts. They often attracted spammers who would just drop their posts and never participate in the server. It seems the requirement to participate in the show in order to share content was a deterrent to spammers.
We sometimes get people just dropping their post into the show without having participated or getting in the queue. Sometimes it's just a mistake, they don't know how to participate and are guessing it's okay. That we fix by explaining the process and helping them put their emoji in to take a turn properly. Posts dropped when its not someone's turn get deleted immediately.
For the most part, the community of people participating in PYPT are a great group. They get along well, willing to help each other out and are supportive of each other. I've only had to kick a handful of people over the years which I'm really pleased with. I'm pleased with only needing to kick a few.. not that I did kick anyone :)
Holding two shows each week became a huge drain on my energy levels which is what led to me taking the break in 2020. When I came back, I keep it to one show. I let the show run until the flow of posts runs out which allows the pacing to be comfortable for everyone.
IQ: Consistency is key, we know you've been hosting PYPT every Thursday, how do you stay consistent and what motivates you to keep going? Any success stories?
Shadowspub: When I make a commitment I usually make an effort to honour it. It's a personal value of mine. What makes it so much easier to honour the commitment that I've made to PYPT is the people who show up regularly.
PYPT is just a name and time if the only person there is me. It's when people show up and participate the show becomes a show that people enjoy. When people enjoy being there, then I look forward to each week. It's a mutual support system.
As for success stories, to me anyone who comes to Hive, creates good content, engages and stays in the community is a success story. If PYPT is an element of that success story, I'm happy.
IQ: A project like PYPT involves effective communication, and we see that you're such a great speaker, Can you share some tips for effective communication, especially in the context of Hive and the PYPT project?
Shadowspub: I had to really think about this question. I haven't been deliberate about how I communicate which makes it kind of hard to know how I do so. I participate in several audio shows on different platforms and have noticed a few things.
When I say something I try to do so with as few words as possible. By getting to the point, the people listening don't become distracted by word salad. I've heard several people in those shows ramble on when answering a question and usually lose whatever point they had.
People can ask followup questions for more detail or clarity if they heard the original statement. Oversharing can muddy the waters making it hard to understand and even harder to figure out what questions to ask.
I try to listen very closely to what participants are saying. If I don't understand something or would like more detail, I will ask questions. I know sometimes people hesitate to ask questions because they are afraid of sounding 'stupid'. The fact is, most times, if you have a question, someone else is wondering the same thing.
We have two ears to hear with and one mouth to speak with. When we're listening, listen with the ears not with one ear while the mouth is trying to think of a reply. It makes it hard to actually hear the speaker.
IQ: What advice would you give to newcomers joining Hive, especially those looking to host projects or contribute to the community?
Shadowspub: Hive is an amazing community of people from around the world. We find each other through exploring the chain and participating. No algorithms decide who we will see.
To get started, I'd suggest to do so with an open heart and mind. Be authentically you. Don't try to create content you think will be popular, create content that matters to you.
Start by exploring content and leaving comments that show you've read the post. Even if you disagree, be kind and respectful how you write your comments.
Visit:
• DreemPort.com - you'll find good content and be able to share yours while meeting new friends.
• The Terminal Discord - you'll meet people who are knowledgeable about Hive, blockchain and crypto who will answer your questions and help you to get started and keep going.
• join PYPT on Thursdays - you'll find good content being shared along with yours and get to hear a voice to attach to the names.
If you're wanting to create a project or contribute in some way, take the time to get your feet under you on the platform. Get to know people and contribute to the community through participation, then start to explore your ideas for your project. You'll get a better sense if your ideas and project will get traction when you put the work into doing it.
IQ: Any positive message for the hive community?
Thank you so much for agreeing to be in the spotlight today! Indeed we've learnt a lot from you 💜
What are your thoughts?
What aspect of @shadowspub's interview resonated with you the most?
Her passion for decentralization
Her sense of community
Her creative contributions
Since she's also also a great writer, you might want to check on her lists of post and get inspired!
Connect with shadowspub by joining dreemport discord. Click the link below to join:
There's also where the PYPT show is hosted every Thursday.
🌺🌼🌺🌼🌺🌼🌺🌼🌺🌼🌺🌼🌺
Thank you for reading to this point, I hope you've learnt something from this post.
Please suggest who you think should be in the coming editions of this spotlight. Also indicate if you would like to be interviewed!
@shadowspub
@sarge started compiling a list of posts shared and I soon found that people liked having the list to use to visit posts after PYPT. I added keeping a list and then publishing both the recording and the list as a recap post on Mondays.
@dreemsteem has been able to host elements of some of the monthly collaborations during the show. She likely would have done it either way, it's just easier when the show is right there.