In July, when @traciyork announced that she was stepping in and running with @streetstyle’s monthly power up day, I decided to put my money where my mouth is. I am not as active on the blockchain as many, but in my three years’ mostly part time involvement, I’ve done ok. I think, anyway. I’d have done better if I’d “done” it more.
What does “doing” it mean?
“Doing” it means a few things:
- Investing in the token, i.e. by buying Hive and investing in the blockchain and the crypto currency.
- Creating original content and post it. For me, that means between 3 and 8 hours’, at least, investment of time. Thinking about what I’m going to post, planning it, drafting it and then editing and proofreading it (often badly) before posting.
- Curating other people’s posts, i.e. voting for, and reblogging, their work. If one is smart, one has criteria for deciding which posts to curate. That’s a discussion for another time.
- Engaging with the people who curate and comment on your posts. My approach is two-fold: respond to comments (if I can’t respond, I’ll often give a little upvote) and secondly, I will often reciprocate by visiting their posts. Especially if their content interests me and/or we are both participating in the same initiatives, like the monthly @yourtop3 contest. Call me old fashioned, but I think it’s the right thing to do.
Listen to mother
This also reminds of some advice my late mother gave me, and which I’ve never forgotten (and I’m not known for having heeded much of her advice….). She said that when one moved to a new place, never to refuse an invitation: you never know whom you might meet. The same applies to visitors to your blog: you never know when you’ll meet a new friend or kindred spirit. Or just someone who posts content that piques your interest.
Returning to my “doing” on Hive: I haven’t been in a position to buy Hive and probably won’t forever. What I have always said, and it remains my contention: my investment in the token (and the blockchain) is through content creation and by ploughing back my curation rewards, i.e. sweat equity. I would also have done better if I’d done more sweating of the curation and engagement but, well as they say, life happens. Like everyone, I have a 3D and work life and obligations off the blockchain. I also admit to doing what rocks my socks and not much else on Hive. So, I get it: you get out what you put in.
Reaping what one sows
Reaping what one sows is a great segue into #HivePUD.
Getting involved in @streetstyle’s initiative, just over a year ago, made me look more critically at my wallet and what I was doing. I wasn’t paying it much mind for two reasons: crypto had tanked. The second was because I’d been blogging for a while (i.e. before social blockchains) and was continuing to blog, and enjoying it. It was primarily the blogging and the engagement (which some people call community – another discussion for another time) that I was really interested in. I also hadn’t paid much attention to the mechanics of being on the blockchain and what it really meant to build up a head of (then) Steem.
Hardfork22/23 had a huge impact on what I couldn’t do on the blockchain. It forced me to pay even more attention: to posting and to curation. I am slow learner. Partly because I don’t pay attention unless things hit me on the head. Often. HF22/23 made me pay attention. I am glad I did. With the gentle advice guidance of a couple of blogpals (you know who you are – and I am grateful), I’ve built my account. Towards the end of June, I reached what for me, is a significant milestone.
There was more
The added benefit of continuing to blog, and doing so regularly, was that I got better at it. Other people have, over the last thirty odd years, told me that I am a good writer and a good cook. Over the last few years, the more I’ve written and the more I’ve cooked, the better I’ve got. More of those lessons another time but it does prove two old adages: you’re never too old to learn and, practice does begin to make the perfect meal.
Keeping blockchain anniversary promises
I promised, when I announced that I’d be powering up on 1 July, that I would offer two 50 Hive delegations to minnows. I also my doing so is to mark approaching third anniversary on the blockchain. That is today.
The delegations were also contingent on my achieving 2k HP that makes a vote a bit more meaningful. Anticipation of achieving that milestone laid the foundation for starting think of giving back or paying it forward: reciprocating for some of the support I received as I swam towards minnowhood. For July, I offered two, three-week, 50 HP delegations: one for a member of @theterminal and the other a member of @pifc. The Terminal member who won that delegation is @dumouevarist and the details of how he was picked are in @traciyork’s winners’ announcement post.
However, @pifc is not up and running and is working on a re-launch so could not nominate candidates from which to choose. Anyway, I decided that I would still allocate the HP to a redfish. I chose @beckie96830 because, not long after she joined the blockchain, she reached out to me, personally. She’s an aspiring writer and in the short time she’s been on Hive, she’s been working hard to learn her way around and to build a presence. I knew she would/is putting the extra HP to good use. In addition to the HP delegation, both accounts get upvotes on their posts – at least one a day if they post that often - at least for the duration of the delegation if not longer. Please pop over and check out their blogs and say “Hi!”?
Next month – August 2020
I also promised that these delegations would be recurring. This is another promise I’ll be keeping. However, but I’m doing things a little differently for August. To be eligible, redfish must meet at least the two basic requirements for entering #HivePud - before the 25th of July:
Write a Hive post about powering up (minimum 250 original words)
Tweet about powering up and use #Hive and #HivePUD in that tweet (or three)
- The accounts must be:
- Less than 3 months old
- Have less than 100 HP in their wallets when they power up
- Have a reputation of less than 55
- Follow the rest of the instructions in the announcement post and make sure you read the small print. @traciyork and I will stick to the rules. The end.
A last word – or two, or three
I shall be powering up my liquid HP on 1 August. I will, however, not be using my HBD to buy Hive. I had, up to now, consistently used my dollars to buy HP, but Covid-19 has had a huge impact on my work and my income so I will be drawing these out after 1 August. While I have had some work, I have had not nearly enough and have no choice but to look to all possible income streams.
For the last three or so years the bulk of my income has been derived from work in the hospitality and tourism sector. Covid-19 has effectively killed that, a situation not helped by the fact that I live in a country that has a 30%+ unemployment rate. While I’d love to be in a position to take the “high” road of some investors in this platform, I simply do not have that luxury. I know this is the case for many other Hiveans.
My final, final word then, is to plead with whales and orcas not to denigrate the little fish who bring numbers to the platform. It is the numerous plankton and redfish that enable it to be said that Hive has so many thousands or millions of users, making it look good. Let’s support them so that they do reach a position that they are able to leave more HP invested in the blockchain than they take out. That can only be a win-win for everyone.
See you on 1 August 2020!
Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Post Script
English writing and online tutoring services
And then there's more:
- If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:
- If you’re interested in a soft entry into the world of crypto currency and monetising WordPress blog, use the fantastic Steempress plugin to post directly to the Hive blockchain. Click on the image below to sign up
- I also share the occasional post on Medium.