Thanks to @doze for the Thunder Hive on which this graphic is built
It's a nearly two weeks since #HivePud, and in my life, it feels as though it was a year ago. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster patch as The Husband had some surgery and a major health issue. That's his story, not mine, but it was a major distraction. From all sorts of things. Suffice it to say, that he didn't stop eating for three. Still hasn't. Happily.
However, it was also a difficult weekend.
Thank you
All this meant that I have been somewhat distracted and, to use @traciyork's great acronym, AFK (Away From the Keyboard) for a lot of September and on #HivePUD day itself. It meant I wasn't as "on it" as I'd like to be and didn't even get to announcing who had won delegations last month. It also meant I didn't get to power up - myself. Instead, I received an instruction a message from @nickyhavey that he would do so on my behalf. Well, let's just say that this, and other gestures from the kind folk in my virtuous virtual and 3D circles of friends who are family, are food for the soul.
Thank you!
Some thoughts about Hive Power Up Day and peer pressure
As regular participants in @streetstyle's initiative will remember, he started it as a fun way of encouraging people to add value to Hive and to the blockchain. Doing this also gives Hiveans' accounts more power. That's putting it all very simply. I am very aware, though, that for many people on the blockchain, it's a lot more complicated than that. I have learned a great deal from paying attention to my account and powering up.
A necessary digression
I have been very candid in comments on posts and discussions on and off the blockchain that I "arrived" under less than auspicious circumstances: I had been forced to take a stepped back from the work that had been my passion and my life for nearly 30 years. I had known that the day would come and had, some years prior, started a blog. There were two goals behind the blog: finding a personal voice and monetising my writing. Any blogger and writer will tell you that both can be very tall orders. For me, finding my voice was surprisingly easy.
Monetising my writing was essential: replacing income was not negotiable. As was is finding ways of securing a financial future. That, much more challenging than finding my voice!
Cryptoblogging seemed to be a win-win. A no-brainer.
Lessons I've learned
Among the lessons I've learned, one as a consequence of participating in power up days, is the value of growing one's account for doing "stuff". I've also learned the value and importance of keeping some liquidity. I do wish that I were able to invest fiat in Hive, but as I cannot, my sweat equity (content creation/posts) on the blockchain, engagement and upvotes, must do.
I've mentioned that things have been challenging over the past while: some is thanks to the consequences of Covid, some thanks to the horrible economy and, well, just stuff. What it does also mean is that I have to balance what I do here: time I can invest, but equally, I have other offline commitments - to be a human being as well as those that generate income. It does mean that my time, and content, as I keep on saying, is my investment, and the liquid Hive and HBD that are generated, must remain that way - as a little fall back fund.
It's not a choice. In real life, my time is money - so it is on Hive. I know that I am not alone and this returns me to the issue of peer pressure and the dangers associated with gambling gamification.
First, a caveat: I'm not having a go at any of the initiatives that encourage powering up. On the contrary, I have publicly supported, and will continue to support, them. Similarly, I will continue, in my small way, paying it forward by supporting Hive Power Up Day.
So
For those who are feeling the pressure: do what you need to do and what makes financial sense. I know that there are folk here who survive on the Hive they earn. To be able to thrive, one has to get beyond just surviving, so far be it from me, or anyone, to denigrate how people might be keeping body and soul together.
One hand washes the other
This is a social blockchain which means that it needs people: content (in variety), creators of that content, as well as consumers of that content. People are the basis for the social interaction that makes the community that is Hive. We are all investors - in our own small ways - and with no apologies for the hygiene analogy - we all wash each others' hands.
When I joined, the token on that other chain crypto was at an all time high, but writing wasn't coming easily for reasons I've already mentioned. Suffice it to say, that I fell off the wagon, so to speak. Consequently, when I got back on, I'd missed the bull run. Somehow, though, I hung on and learned. And earned a little.
What I learned, echoed what I had already learned as a blogger on WordPress, and which can be summarised very simply:
- consistency,
- creating content and
- conversations (commenting on other people's blogs).
I don't mean every day, all day, but as regularly as practicably possible, does make a material difference.
From pep talk to prizes - less is definitely more
Before I end, the reason everone's been reading this post is to find out the accounts that will be receiving delegations for the next three weeks. In consultation with @traciyork and @victoriabsb the winners were chosen based on these criteria:
- accounts less than 3 months old
- with less than 100 HP in their wallets when they power up
- with a reputation of between 55 and 60 (* the determining factor is the lower rep)
And then
Because my account has grown and is rapidly approaching 2,5k HP, I have decided that instead of 50 HP delegations, from October, the delegations will be 100HP.
For the record, this will be a monthly delegation which Traci and Victoria can take as given.
A-a-a-a-n-n-d the winning accounts are -
For the next 21 days the following accounts (in no particular order) will receive a daily upvote from me, and I shall also tell @ginabot to inform me when they post, and if I'm not AFK, I will try to stop by and say "Hi!"
For good measure, here is proof of delegation - which nearly didn't happen thanks to things being a little forked-up at the moment.
See you on the other side...and most certainly on 1 November 2020 - whether or not I power up.
Until next time, be well
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post Script
In yet another aspect of my life, I offer
English writing, research and online writing tutoring services
writing - emails and reports, academic and white papers formal grammar, spelling and punctuation more information here
And then there's more:
- If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:
- re-vamping old recipes. As I do this, I plan to add them in a file format that you can download and print. If you download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
- and "re-capturing" nearly two years' worth of posts because of this.
- 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 my
occasionalinstagram posts to the crypto blockchain using the new, and really nifty phone app, Dapplr. On your phone, click the icon below, and give it a go.
