A week ago, I wrote an article entitled, Does Hive Have a Future? Perhaps ... but it will need an Alliance. In it, I argued, amongst other things, that Hiveians needed to start working together to achieve common strategic goals and that, if they did not, the inability to "concentrate force at the decisive point" would lead to the blockchain's demise.
The post did well, especially considering it was my first in a couple of years. There were good discussions in the comments section and a couple people published their own posts in response.
At the end of the post, I provided a hypothetical example (one that's almost ready to launch) to provide an idea of how Hive might "ally" with a "Great Power" NFT marketplace. I was, however, deliberately vague as I didn't want my specific idea to get poached.
My interaction with others, though, got me thinking about how I might provide something more tangible. While grocery shopping, I noticed the music playing in the background: "Walking in a Winter Wonderland." I am, amongst other things, a poet and satirist, and so when it dawned on me that "Splinterlands" had the same meter and rhythm as "Wonderland," my mind immediately set about composing alternative lyrics.
Listen to the video below to refresh the melodies of both the verse and chorus of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" and then sing the revised lyrics for "Rocking Out the Loot on Splinterlands" in your head, using the same melodies:
.
.
Rocking Out the Loot on Splinterlands
All that bling, it’s got ya thinking,
Another glass, you’ve started drinking,
Must get in the fight, to monsters them smite,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Gone away, is your girlfriend,
Parting words, “You’re a dead-end,”
Could use a good shave, but crystals you crave,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
[chorus]
Mana, melee, magic – you’re a gamesman,
On leaderboard you’ll take all others down,
As jungle king will others call you “Tarzan,”
For he who wins the Quest does wear the crown.
Later on, you’ll conspire,
Get back the girl, when points are higher,
All women forgive if in mansion they’ll live,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Play-to-Earn, are you listening,
Once in Gold, you’ll be whistling,
Though look you affright, your wallet delights,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Monsters slay, with it a potion,
Helps to play with it emotion,
Put coins in your purse, as swear and you curse,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
[chorus]
Mana, melee, magic – you’re a gamesman,
On leaderboard you’ll take all others down,
As jungle king will others call you “Tarzan,”
For he who wins the Quest does wear the crown.
Don’t stop to bathe, it’s over-rated,
But once a week is all that’s fated,
Your legend a tome in QuillFire poem,
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Rocking out the loot on Splinterlands.
Of all Hive-based projects, Splinterlands is, at the moment, getting the most traction and one of its Founders, @aggroed, was recently interviewed from the floor of the NASDAQ stock exchange. It would seem, then, that promoting Splinterlands might well constitute a "decisive point" upon which to "concentrate the blockchain's force."
Contest As Advertisement
There are two primary costs in advertising:
- Making the ad; and
. - Running it.
.
Hiveians, if they work together, have the ability to drop those costs to zero while still orchestrating a very effective campaign.
Making the Ad
An explanation about what constitutes an effective advertisement is beyond the scope of this post but suffice it to say that what I'm proposing would accomplish just that. (I'm in advertising.)
The blockchain is comprised of creatives with varying artistic talents: poets; musicians; graphic artists and videographers. I've provided the lyrics -- it wouldn't take much for musicians and graphic artists to turn them into a high-quality (and hilarious) video with the potential to go viral.
The creation of such a video is the purpose of this Contest.
Running the Ad
Running an ad, in any venue, is about getting exposed to eyeballs. Most Hiveians have numerous social media accounts across a variety of social media sites: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; etc. Post-promoting a video on such sites accomplishes the same thing (reach) as running an ad on television.
In Theory ...
In theory, theory and reality are the same. In reality, they're not.
In theory, all this ought to work wonderfully. Hiveians ought to recognize that bringing in new users is key to the blockchain's success and that promoting a humorous video about the blockchain's most popular dApp, a good way to further such end. Hence, everyone ought to participate in any way possible.
In reality, we all know better. In reality, the participation rate of any Hive contest is directly proportional to the size of its prize.
So, in order for this Contest to achieve its strategic aim, every whale on the blockchain (in addition to everyone else) would have to participate by providing 100%, 50% and 25% upvotes to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Winners, respectively. If that were to occur, the amount of the Prizes would be sufficient to all-but-guarantee widespread participation.
Ironically, this wouldn't cost whales (or anyone else) a penny and, even more ironically, few seem to grasp how potentially potent is this fact. The ability to create and run costless ads is the military equivalent of possessing nuclear weapons. But the problem, as always, is the inability to get everyone to march in lockstep, even if only for a short time.
This, fellow Hiveians ... is the Achilles Heel of decentralization.
If At First You Don't Succeed ... Try, Try Again
This is not the first time I've sponsored a Hive contest, and hence, I have misgivings about whether there's any way to successfully cajole people into participating ... at scale. But if guarantees were required, I guess I wouldn't be in crypto.
And so ...
Contest Rules
- Contestants will create a cover of "Rocking Out the Loot on Splinterlands" set to the melody of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."
. - Contestants may sing with musical accompaniment of their own making or to pre-recorded music for which they have usage rights. Or, if they can hold a tune, Contestants may sing the song without instrumentals. Any style or genre of music is acceptable. Contestants may include whatever video or graphics they deem appropriate.
. - Contestants will publish their cover videos on 3Speak and drop a link to it in the comments section of this post.
. - At this post's expiration, judges will determine the Top 3 entries. A follow-up post will be published to announce the Winners.
. - The Winners' posts shall receive no less than 100%, 50% and 25% upvotes, in order of their placement, from all Hive whales who don't want to find themselves included in a subsequent poem entitled, "Big Pricks, Small Dicks." All members of the Hive community are encouraged to vote in a similar manner so as to increase the size of the Prize Awards.
. - Contestants agree that their Contest submissions may be used by Splinterlands, without condition or restraint, for promotional purposes.
.
UPDATE: Contest entries will be accepted until 12:00 PM (midnight) EST on December 31, 2021 due to late-breaking activity.
Quill
.
@aggroed, @theycallmedan, @yabapmatt, @gtg, @ocdb, @appreciator, @blocktrades, @blocktrades.com, @newsflash, @stoodkev, @smooth, @trafalger, @threespeak, @acidyo