Hive Witnesses
I was looking at the hive witness list on PeakD tonight. The list is long, but if you click on active and look for a witness with at least 1M HP vote, the list is rather short. It is 109, the last being skatehive with just over 1M HP voted for that witness. For those user who do not know (and I know there are some who will read this post):
On the Hive blockchain, a witness (also known as a block producer) plays a vital role in maintaining the network's security and operation. Here's a breakdown of their key functions:
Block Production
Transaction Validation
Network Security
Governance
The common hiver/blogger/content creator, are the people who uses the hive blockchain and its front ends also take part in the fourth part, the governance. Hive uses a DPoS (delegated proof of stake) consensus mechanism, where token holders vote for witnesses to represent them, and also they they vote as per their HP or Hive Power (staked Hive).
The witnesses, take care of the first three duties, and for their services, they get paid per block. The top 20 witnesses get paid more than the rest, for reasons:
well I don't know :)
They are better than the others?
They are voted at the top?
They are voted by themselves at the top?
They have better and more reliable servers and distributed them all over the world?
They are smarter/better human than the rest of us and the rest of the witnesses?
Whatever, the reason may be, they get paid more. How much? Thanks to @dalz we know exactly
The top 20 are earning the same amount of HIVE (HP), around 145k HP per year.
For months/years hive stay below 20 cents, so if you take into account server costs (AWS can be expensive) and depending on how souped up server you run these full nodes on, you can be barely breakeven at times. However, you are making money, as you should, if hive is north of 20 cents if you are a top 20 witness. We are thankful for your services, but you still have to earn my vote :)
That is my only request to common hivers:
Please make the witnesses earn your vote
No, I do not believe they are doing us any favor. They are providing a service and getting paid for it. And no, I do not believe, there will always be top 20, yes, there would be, but I will feel bad if they are not my chosen ones, and so should you. Why? Because it is your vote and your right. Can I control all of top 20, No I can't, I don't have enough HP, but hey I want to, and so should you. Together we can perhaps, someday!
Well obviously you are going to say, I have 5000 HP and my witness vote does not matter.
Wrong. Your witness vote matters!
You may have 5000 HP, but if there are 100 people with 5000 HP, the number is not so small. Also, ask yourself, why do you only have 5000 HP? What can you do to make it 10,000 HP?
Long term commitment to the chain: That is how you gain HP and that will how you take part in governance.
Hive Proposals
I am well known as a very direct person on hive blockchain. I say it straight whether you like it or not. So when therealwolf recently posted about AI agent at hive blockchain and cried when his AI maximizer was thwarted by the community, I posted a direct comment expressing my displeasure about posting automated content for reward. I wrote the comment because I felt cheated by a top 20 witness maximizing the reward pool. Why? Because the prices are running high these days and he needed money and employment. How do I know, as posted himself here:
https://peakd.com/hive-139531/@therealwolf/need-a-developer-wolf-is-ready-to-help
Also there were many indirect messages and proposals earlier, which I don't want/need to list. There is no problem looking for employment. There is a problem if you try to earn money at the expense of other people, which we call the "abuse of the reward pool", which was the goal of wolf with hive maximiser, yes I know the name of his tool, but I am going to call it what I want to call it.
In the past Wolf also tried to write a SPS proposal for a game, which the SPS stakeholder denied funding. So he moved his game away from hive, as he should. Go ahead I say, so to a better and more suitable place where you are valued :)
But you know many of us have seen this story unfold many times.
I am going...........I am leaving...........The chain doesn't value my services.......Damn it! Go. Why do you have to tell the rest of the world that you are going? My God! The drama!
Common Hiver
I am a common hiver. I use the blockchain as a blog. This is my blog. There are many like this, but this one is mine :) I play games here, and I try to do some good for the community if I can. I have purchased most of my hive with cash and I hold my HP. I have held them when it was 10 cents, and I have held them when it was $1. I do not farm the reward pool. I do not ask for money, I don't write a proposal. I am not supported by DHF. I am not a witness. I am just a common hiver. I don't want your support and I don't want your money. But when you ask for my support or expect my support; you got to ask me nicely!
In other words, you can't call me a bully and then turn around and ask for my support on your proposal. If you call me a bully, I will be a bully and you need to be ready to get a black eye.
Yes, then you can say sorry, but you will still have the black eye (digitally speaking)! That is how the real world works. So think about it and take actions accordingly BEFORE you call me a bully. Show us some effing courtesy.
Show us, the common hiver, some respect because we held the HP and you didn't.
To all the common hivers, please make them earn your witness vote, and please make them earn your vote on their proposal.
Wolfy muted me, I guess he didn't like my words.. and you know me.., I am not very direct and would prefer to settle things. His mute list must be very large by now.
Well he is an a'hole!
I always suspected that ... the problem is, crypto in general tends to attract a'holes - or at least that's my impression. There is a suspiciously high density of a'holes in the space
Reading in your post that you are a common hiver makes me feel better. Since I'm the real common Hiver. Being here for almost 4 years, and holding my Hive, most of it bought with my money (from fiat), and believing in the structure and in the community. The things aren't as bright has they appeared to me when I started. We have always services that have to be paid for, because of the technicality, or the cost to maintain generate the blocks. I'm starting to see things with a different lens from what I seen till now. And your post is one real "eye opener". Thank you for making it clear for the other "common users" like me
Como puedes ver no todo es un camino de rosas, en Hive también cocemos habas y a veces todos tenemos nuestros momentos en los que resulta difícil ver la luz al final de tunel.
HIVE es genial en muchos sentidos pero también como ya te habrás dado cuenta tiene sus sombras.
Si te sirve, yo también estoy 100% de acuerdo con la opinión de azircon aquí. Y yo también me considero un 'regular Hiver' en el sentido de que también estoy a pie de calle, como tú y muchos otros.
Un abrazo enorme y ojala hayas empezado el año genial O. ;)
Bom dia, amigo!
Sim, de facto, lembro-me muito bem da conversa que tiveste comigo e com o J acerca da "imperfeição" da comunidade, e em como tudo não era propriamente o que muitos "fazem ver". Mas de facto o importante é estarmos de pedra e cal, e acreditar na ténue luz ao fundo do túnel.
Retribuo o teu abraço com outro, e com os votos de um ano fantástico, cheio de saúde e muitas concretizações!
It's a social network and like the conventional ones it does have benefits and problems at the same time
Yes I might say that all human "things" or models have that particularity... Being imperfect in some aspect
100% with this, let me reblog if you don't mind.
Like most mortals I have bought most of my stake with cash and I greatly dislike the arrogant attitude of some people that I don't feel like mentioning.
As if we owe them something, with an attitude that denotes that they feel above us ''how dare you question me''.
And I have noticed this in both witnesses and DHF ''workers''.
Sometimes I can be, but obviously no one likes to be taken for a fool. I have eyes and an opinion.
If you read this and think your stake doesn't matter, believe me, it does more than you think.
The list of arrogant people is long. It is okay if you do not mention it, but keep the list in your mind and act accordingly.
I do take the liberty and mention some names from time to time not just for me, but for other benefits too. So that if they don't want to mention the names, I do it for them and stick it to them. It is community service for me.
Yes, they have literally said this to me many times and in much worst language. So it is time they get a bit of their own medicine.
I know my stake matters, and I have shown them many time how exactly that matters :)
Some time ago, long before my first interaction with you I was sold on the idea that you were a bully and that you went around taking people's rewards for the fun of it by abusing your power.
One day I talked to you and you seemed logical and reasonable. That preconceived idea soon vanished. I like the way you care about the things that matter to you. I also like that you don't have a problem with blurting out uncomfortable truths.
I wanted to ask you if you ever planned to set up a witness? If so I would vote for you.
The thought occured to me. There is enough cookbook out there to make it happen, but I never found the proper urge to do it.
Maybe if I retire early, I might take up on the challenge.
I appreciate the kind words. I do not get those often, but also with the amount of truth I speak, I am pleasantly surprised at the amount of kind words I do get. So I have a lot to be thankful about.
Consider it, it's never too late they say.
Have a good tuesday sir
Thank you!
Time for an update post for your witness :)
You catched me! Thx for venting another uncomfortable truth, once again hehe
I am glad that I listened to you and started building my Hive stake. I have more than trippled my HP since you posted those stats about Splinterlands players holding over 100k SPS but having less than 10k Hive.
I am amazed that top 20 witnesses don't even run the latest version of software... I am thinking of setting up a node and if I do I will ask for your support nicely :)
Yes set up a node, I will vote for you
"Why do you have to tell the rest of the world that you are going?" Haha! Yeah, lot of attention bitches xD 17 posts about, I am leaving, I am back, leaving again, back again... I've seen that here many times since 2018 and I am not a Common Hiver, more Mr. Nobody on Blockchain
Good term : attention bitches!
I will remember and use it :)
Haha! Sure. Glad you like it. Have fun with it 😎✌️
Totally brilliant post, what a great read first thing in the morning,
Now that is a phrase I love and can relate to, I joined the hive solely to use as a platform to meet and engage with similar people. I was once on facebook, but got slung in jail so many times I thought "FUCK YOU". upped sticks and moved away.
I guess there are a few like this and a few who see the cash cow. each to their own I guess. I am just happy living in my own bubble nearly at the end of my cradle to grave bus ride am I the ostrich with its head in the sand?
LOL.., I see this all the time when looking on 'there'. You've been a bad lad. Remember the 'Gay Man's House', everyone named it 'Gas Man's House' on Facebook which made me laugh. Where was the gas? in that big dildo!?
I know, too many bed wetters....I also uploaded that post, cut and pasted from here to derelict places. One of their admin...Mr G Preston, who I chat with now and again moderated it to take out the gay references! FFS.
Then another of their mods mailed me this
I have just edited THREE of your recent posts. I am sorry if my editing appears heavy handed but this forum is NOT age restricted and is therefore accessible by minors. Profane language and sexual innuendo is therefore unacceptable. Please do not post anymore comments in that fashion.
It's a shame because your posts are cracking so please don't get a huff on at my prissy attitude and stop posting or I will have done the forum a huge disservice!
Sorry to be such a sourpuss but I hope you understand.
I told them to FUCK OFF, haven't posted there since.
All hail to the Hive!
LOLs.., my... 'The Gay Man's House' is coming soon... uncensored as it should be! I don't bother with the old websites anymore. They keep sending me emails and donations to keep them going. It could be curtains soon.
I don't know what the issue is with that word. 'The Hetro House' would fine right? It's accepted these days and peeps need to live with it.
too many woke fuckers. I pop into 28 and oblivion now and again, but even they have little new stuff. Everyone wants to be a fb instagram goon tube and tick tock star that the appeal of dedicated UE sites is crumbling.
Actually saying the "fuck you" on people's face is sometimes useful
It worked for me. LOL
"I dump all my hive to fund my hobbies and feed my family, otherwise I'd have to get a real job".
Literally what he commented as an excuse to me for dumping hundreds of thousands of hive. Paraphrased but 100 % true.
No further comment needed
Well one comment needed:
GET A REAL JOB!
This is what, who, wolfy answered? OMG ... why do people vote for him ?
Because they don't care about their bags actually be worth something. Most of them got their stake for free after all
I had @lemouth as my proxy for a long time. I have to figure out how to refresh that. I don't understand the proposals. I'm as likely to vote on the wrong thing as the right thing. I want the best for the blockchain. I trust @lemouth to vote in a way that he believes will benefit Hive in the long run.
The technical aspects of the blockchain are confusing to me. Some would say I don't belong here. But if I don't belong here, then the potential for Hive growth is limited to those with technical expertise. Do we want that?
We want more people like me, I think. The crypto is great, but it doesn't give me a dopamine rush. Getting upvotes (likes) and comments on a story I write...that gives me a dopamine rush. That's the addictive part. That's the part that keeps people through the $.10 dips and the $.65 spikes.
I'm here for the long run. Let there be a long run :)
I would like to start this reply by wishing you the best for this new year that just started!
Thanks for your trust! Even if I am quiet for some time, I am still monitoring witnesses, proposal, etc. I really enjoyed what you wrote at the end of this reply. I fully agree. On this matter, I still hope to find in a not too far future, time again to pass by regularly, write (both blogs and comments on others' blogs), and interact with other community members!
Cheers!
I hope you are doing well lemouth! I hear all kinds of worring news from Europe and I am sure you hear all kind of alarming news from across the pond as well. But with all that we are all here so that is comforting after all.
I am fine. Thanks for asking! Indeed, the world seems to collapse from everywhere at the same time. 2025 will be, let's say, 'interesting'...
My absence is correlated to the fact that there are only 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week. Local responsibilities at the university increased significantly during the last few years. This was by choice, so this is not a complaint. My new responsibilities are related to a lot of super-interesting duties, allowing me for instance to help hundreds of kids (well, young adults) with the beginning of their professional life, and actively participating in re-shaping how to educate future physicists after high-school. Obviously, this also comes with less interesting time-consuming tasks, but there is no free lunch.
In exchange of all of that, and I had no other option but cutting down on some other things. At the beginning, I was still hoping being capable to maintain my blog and have an active life within the HIVE community, but it turned out that no. The rest takes a lot of space, and I refuse to impact my family life. Therefore, I had to reduce a bit the time used for research, and the only thing I can regularly do with respect to HIVE is to think I would love to pass by and say hi... I will not promise to do it today, but I think about it every other week.
What about you? How are you?
I had @lemouth as my proxy for a long time. I have to figure out how to refresh that. I don't understand the proposals. I'm as likely to vote on the wrong thing as the right thing. I want the best for the blockchain. I trust @lemouth to vote in a way that he believes will benefit Hive in the long run.
The technical aspects of the blockchain are confusing to me. Some would say I don't belong here. But if I don't belong here, then the potential for Hive growth is limited to those with technical expertise. Do we want that?
We want more people like me, I think. The crypto is great, but it doesn't give me a dopamine rush. Getting upvotes (likes) and comments on a story I write...that gives me a dopamine rush. That's the addictive part. That's the part that keeps people through the $.10 dips and the $.65 spikes.
I'm here for the long run. Let there be a long run :)
(Oh no!I just upvoted my own comment!!!)
I was going to say that I know lemouth and he have been quiet for a while to the extent I felt worried to find out about him, but then I see his response below and I trust all is well!
Happy New Year, @azircon!
Then you understand why he is a good proxy for me, if I want one. For me, witness votes, etc. are random guesses. What a waste! At least he understands what he's voting for.
Hearing from @lemouth...the kind of thing that makes me smile. Smiling is a good thing, a reason to be here.
Here's hoping for a good 2025, in our personal lives, and on the geopolitical front. 🌟
Yeah happy new year :)
Soon to be reporting from the coast of Gulf of America!! LOL.
I have also heard that we are buying Greenland!! Now I know where my next family vacation is going to be!
😂
On this topic maybe I will come regularly to the US instead of regularly to Canada 🤣
Is it my imagination, or did witnesses actually talk to us more in the Steemit days? Like they updated us, told us what they were doing, why we should support them, etc. Did I just dream that? Nowadays it seems like they just send us mass memos like wolf did the other day begging us to vote for them.
I don't like what he was doing, so I don't vote for him. I wish more others would pay attention to who they vote for rather than the quid-pro-quo stuff or just doing so because they asked nicely. ...in a nonpersonal whining memo.
I don’t know; two things:
Steem was young back in those days, most people were puppy-eyed including the witnesses. Now most people are jaded.
Now stake is more concentrated; and top witnesses don’t really need our support or opinion :)
Good points. Well, it's unfortunate. I'd like to see more interaction from the witnesses.
We've no shortage of attitudes on Hive. I'm a little careful as I'm not anonymous, so I try to get on with people and do what I can to help Hive. I vote for witnesses who I think contribute something. They should not be taking votes for granted. One of the reasons I want more people to build a stake is to spread the voting power more. I don't care if it means I make less $HIVE as the price could go up anyway. Let a million flowers bloom!
Well it is what it is. I don't know who is really anonymous in the present world to be honest :)
Yes, we need a strong middle class. Only then we can do better.
Really hiding your identity is hard. We can track everything on Hive anyway.
I'm a pretty common hiver. And yes, I recognize the importance of witnesses... I just wish the witnesses would actually share what they we doing on a regular basis.
I know some do do that, but a lot are also just eternally silent. And yes, I also know that a lot of tech folks aren't bloggers/writers... but still. An occasional "you should vote for me because I am doing this and that and the other" isn't a huge ask.
It was also cool back when @timcliff published a weekly compendium of witness updates... remember that?
Yes.
Well the answer is don't vote.
I also remember timcliff did not join the hive hard fork.
Indeed. I am gradually reallocating my witness votes... if I can't readily determine what they are actually doing — without it requiring hours of research — I'm likely going to give that vote to someone else, likely outside the top 20, particularly if they look like they really want to make Hive better.
As I recall, Tim Cliff tried to be "neutral" through it all... and that was not well received by EITHER side. Don't quote me on that, my memory is rusty!
After reading your post I went to see which witnesses I had given my vote to. I removed the vote for those who have little HP because a witness should be a good example, if a witness has little HP and earns 120K HP every year it means he doesn't see potential future in HIVE but only a tool to make money.
Thank you for this post!
Yes, that’s an appropriate action
Haha love the Full Metal Jacket reference. AFGM is also an awesome movie.
Witnesses should earn their vote and common hivers who want to climb the ranks should too. Everybody should have some skin in the game.
I agree, and that is all that I am saying
So many languages, and you chose to speak with the TRUTH , a truth that we all need to read.
With rising prices, greed returns. After reading you, I have to reconsider my votes; I completely agree with what you mentioned as a common hiver. I believe that no matter how small the vote is here in Hive, every vote matters. Each vote carries the hard work (mostly) of its owner, so whether small or large, every vote counts
Yes, it all matters. So you stay active and choose wisely.
Seems witness trouble is getting more rampant lately...
There was the issue with Leo finance last month and now this ..
Power trips are crazy..
It not really power trip, it is greed mostly :)
Not the first, and won't be the last. The majority of witnesses are just doing their thing quietly, but now and then things get a little drama infested.
It's good that every now and then someone creates a post about witness votes. It helps new users to find out what these witnesses do (or should do) and reminds people like me to go through their witnesses every once in a while.
and it becomes a reference for the rest of us!
I certainly feel it's about time I revaluated my witness votes, It's certainly helpful if witnesses have a post linked to their witness (usually seen as the chain icon next to witness names on the witness lists) that details what they are actually offering. makes it a bit easier at a glance to get a feel for the person.
Most tend to just link to their blog page so it's not really all that helpful as it's so time consuming to read recent posts and get a feel for what they offer.
Yes, we all should do that frequently. If you feel you are not getting what you want there is no need to vote on that witness.
I've been tweaking my witness votes a bit more in the past few months. It would appear I still have some work to do!
We all do. It’s a process
I have witnessed in your previous posts and comments that you are an outspoken person. I appreciate you on this issue.
There is injustice in some governance issues such as witness selection. Isn't it too much for each user to have 30 witness votes? Wouldn't this make the chain more centralized? I think each account should have a maximum of 10 votes.
The first 20 witnesses earn more than everyone else. They are completely responsible for the hard forks. This may be a reasonable answer.
I don't think any of those things can be easily changed at this point. However, we can get the best out of what we have
it means we are both common hiver?
😍
that words encourage me.
yes, that is good
Yeah i am hoping i can be financial freedom from Hive.
many people said that impossible but i still believe it can happened
I'm agree with yo, totaly!
@tipu curate
good, and thank you
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 53/63) Liquid rewards.
U are a good man, Im glad you are still fighting here haha
As long as I live....
Muting isn't really a solution, but I hope he understands that you're trying to settle things gently. Sometimes misunderstandings happen, but they can usually be resolved through conversation. Hopefully, everything will be sorted out in a good way.
Hey there, with you in spirit for the Hive blockchain.
I love the fact that you explain how the witnesses work because I don't understand everything of the blockchain and this part bring curiosity and my brain is hungry to loear.
Another part that I love about your post is when you say that our vote matter and not only the vote of the account with a lot of HP.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and where you stand for hive!
Thanks for the explanation, I wasn't really sure or never took the time to figure out exactly what the witnesses did, haha.
After what I saw happen on STEEMIT, I don't ever want to live through that again on HIVE.
I try to make sure I keep up with the witnesses and what they do every now and then.
!PIZZA
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@danzocal(3/10) tipped @azircon