It's interesting no matter how much you consider yourself an explorer, there are some things we consider our favorites and no matter what happens or where we find ourselves, we always keep coming back to those same things. This applies to anything really... travel, food, music, you name it, you probably have a favorite for it.
Camping is a perfect example for @mrsbozz and I. It doesn't matter how many places we have visited in the state of Michigan, or how many places we haven't visited in the rest of the country, there are always a handful of state park campgrounds that we find ourselves going back to time and time again.
Indian Lake State Park in the upper peninsula of Michigan is a perfect example of that. I will be sharing photos from that state park throughout this post, even though the topic isn't exclusively about that location.
I mean, with views like that you can't really blame me right?
Actually, this post is about HIVE. Even if you are fairly new to the chain, you probably still know that there are any number of ways you can access the blockchain. Given the plethora of ways available to us, we also probably find ourselves going back to the same ones again and again. Personally, I prefer the PeakD front end when I am on my PC and Ecency when I am on mobile device.
Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of cross over between the two (so to speak). Ecency still has some filtering issues that keeps it from being super effective for me. Likewise, PeakD is web only, so there isn't an easy way to access it on a mobile device. I fully respect and acknowledge that there are people in the world who only have a phone and they have become quite adept and navigating web pages in a mobile browser. That's not me.
In addition to there being front ends that we find ourselves coming back to, the are also users who we repeatedly find ourselves reading, commenting, and voting. That's kind of the point of the blogging portion of HIVE right? We build those relationships that we nurture and grow.
One of my favorite parts of PeakD is the "Favorites" feed that you can access on the front page. I've talked about this before, but I feel it bears repeating. Unlike the following feed that carries hundreds if not thousands of accounts you have followed over the years, the favorites feed is a hand selected snapshot of accounts that have become near and dear to you.
Sure, I could simply whittle down my following feed, but I really don't like the emotional trauma associated with unfollowing people. I also don't like closing the door on those people in my following feed one day making it to my favorites feed.
Unfortunately, for the favorites feed to work, it requires a plugin to be installed by node operators and according to PeakD, all node operators have decided to stop running that plugin.
No doubt there will be some who try to point out that Ecency has a favorites feature. I appreciate that and I do use the favorites feature occasionally, but it doesn't work the same as the favorites feed on PeakD. For example, the favorites feature in Ecency opens up in a pop up window over top of whatever screen you have open in that front end. PeakD on the other hand is a separate page. It makes it much easier to simply right click and choose "open in new tab" the stories you haven't read yet.
I also feel like the voting slider is easier to use in PeakD.
Like I said, there are certain things that each front end does really well. It's just a shame that we can't see them all in a single place. Ideally, the node operators would run the plugin required to make the favorites feed work reliably. Until now, my requests for this seem to have fallen of deaf ears. I realize I am not one of the big players here on HIVE, but I feel my years on the chain and my reputation should speak for themselves. If that isn't enough, perhaps dig into my wallet transactions and see that I have rarely if ever moved funds off the chain.
HIVE is my home and like my favorite state park, it is one of those things that I am always going to keep coming back to. Perhaps I need to visit the official HIVE Discord and see if I can get some answers straight from the block producers.
Barring that, it is possible I may have to switch to using Ecency full time as my main means of accessing the blockchain. Perhaps in time they will get the filtering things sorted out on the mobile app and they will make their favorite feature work a bit more like the PeakD version.
In case you were wondering, my biggest beef with the filter option on the app is that when you go to the "notifications" area, you aren't able to turn off all the upvotes that have been given to you. Due to autovotes, that can sometimes be hundreds of lines of notifications that you need to scroll through.
The could easily add a "New Posts" tab or give you the ability to filter out "votes" from the "all" tab in notifications. I've been told in the past you can turn vote notifications off in the app, but that only applies to push notifications going to your phone. It doesn't exclude the votes that show up in this "all" list.
As I said, it would really only take a few tweaks to make things almost perfect on both sides of the front end fence.
edit
I did hop into the HIVE server and asked some questions. According to Marky, running a node is a lot more intense than just being a witness. Due to that fact, the consensus seems to be why add more work adding a plugin to the mix. It's unfortunate because I really like PeakD. It's too bad they can't run the code for the Favorites feed natively like Ecency apparently does.
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I spend most of my time behind a computer. I also prefer PeakD interface for use. I did try Ecency for awhile, but since I seldom use the mobile for access, PeakD suits me better on the web browser.
I also extensively use the Following, Communities, and Favorites a lot to filter posts. I'm also really hoping we can keep the Favorites working. I use it not only to identify those that frequently post good quality, but also to help me identify those that are contributing back to the Hive Infrastructure by powering up, etc. and those get my larger votes.
Yeah, I am the same way. I prefer PeakD, but it sounds like we are going to be at an impasse for the favorites feed working again. They can't make mode operators install the plugin and if they choose not to bring the code in house to make it work then we are going to be stuck.
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That sure is a beautiful spot I can see why you love it there
as for frotnends I am a creatue of habit, Peakd is what I use both on PC and mobile, I have tried ecency from time to time but keep fallign back to peakd
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Ecency on Mobile is really clean and easy to use for me with a few exceptions. On desktop, it just doesn't click for me like PeakD does.
I miss favourites on PeakD. I use it on ecency, but the way they display names on ecency is not pleasing on the eye so I prefer PeakD to read a post and always have to be honest.
Mind you I am busy adding favourites as many of my peers who I joined with around the same time have either quit Hive or post infrequently now.
As much as we love new places, you are right we will always have our favourites. I bet you can't wait to get out camping again!
We already have most of our trips planned for the summer. The first one is just a couple of months away now! I talked to the team at PeakD and it sounds like they might try to add the functionality back without needing the plugin, but it will likely take some time.
Ah yes I saw you talking in Hive discord about it. Here's hoping!
I can relate with the part of camping. It's such a different feeling than anything one can try in this life. Sadly, both camping and travelling in general became a rarer thing for me, but I know that once this gets back on track, I will feel it with my whole body.
Traveling can be a lot more work than a lot of people realize. They see the fun parts on social media and they don't realize all the back end stuff that goes into it. As well as the toll it can take on you. I hope you can get out and about again soon!
That's so damn right! Couldn't say it better. And thank you, I hope so too!
It sounds like you're deeply invested in HIVE and its ecosystem, and it's clear that you care a lot about the user experience on different front ends like PeakD and Ecency. Your thoughts highlight the subtle but impactful differences in design and functionality that make or break a seamless experience for long-time users like you, @bozz.
The emotional nuance you described—about not wanting to unfollow people—is something I can appreciate. It’s hard to close doors on connections, even virtual ones. The "Favorites" feed you champion from PeakD does seem like a thoughtful balance, allowing curated engagement without severing ties.
The technical hurdles regarding plugins and node operators not running what you need must be frustrating, especially when you’ve voiced your perspective and haven’t seen any movement. Visiting the HIVE Discord or engaging directly with block producers could be a smart next step; sometimes it's just about finding the right person to make your case heard.
It’s inspiring how HIVE feels like a “home” to you, much like a cherished state park. That analogy is heartwarming and speaks volumes about the value you find in this community. Hopefully, those responsible for developing and maintaining these platforms take note of your thoughtful feedback.
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Thanks for the kind words! It sounds like PeakD might be willing to work out a fix, but like most things it will take a lot of time and they likely have other priorities at the moment.
Guess that explains why the Favourite feed no longer opens in PeakD, very frustrating if I am being honest. I now have to manually go through the list on the left.
The other pain in the arse with PeakD is photo uploads. If I bulk upload they NEVER upload in a logical sequence as I have named them, takes an age to sort them out whilst doing the explanatory words.
Yeah, it's kind of a pain. I am bummed that there isn't some kind of resolution to it. I haven't had that issue with photos, but I usually upload them one at a time. I can see why bulk would make sense for the stuff you do.
guess it is something one has to live with, ho hum!
They might bring it back one day, but it will take some development and time from them. We will see...
I pretty much have similar usages with the front ends to Hive. I think one of the largest missing pieces to our blockchain is a better method of discovery of new content. Either that...or someone needs to teach me how to do it better :D
It can definitely be tough! I think your best bet is narrowing it down by communities but finding some of those that are active can be hard at times.
I really liked the favorites list and other custom lists you could create. Do you know why did they stop running this plugin?
I do not know unfortunately. It sounds like it's just too much to keep track of with running a node already being an pretty time consuming thing.
I hear you... I've been on Ecency most of the time, but I like Peakd as well. There is no perfect solution, and the plug in isn't going to be anyone's priority. Maybe Ecency can add that functionality in the near future?
There is no perfect way to connect to Hive, but maybe if you keep posting the idea someone might make it a priority?
Unfortunately, I think it is going to take someone with a bigger stake than me to actually get something done. I am still too small in the grand scheme of things to be a mover and a shaker.
I think visiting a beach is one thing I will never get tired of. I hope I have the energy to do it when my senior years come. Maybe will leave by the beach for my retirement 🤔.
That's always an option. I'd love to have a place by the water as I get older.
Thats the goal, and we will make it happen.
I'm the same as you, using Ecency on my phone and Peakd on the laptop. Too bad they can't get that favorites feed working.
Those are great photos!
Thanks! Yeah, I realized this morning one of the things I really like about the favorites feed on PeakD is how you can vote right in the feed. Since Ecency just does it as a pop up, you don't have that option unless you actually click on the post to open it up. Sometimes I don't have time to read things but I at least want to vote for them.
Where even is the favorites in Ecency? I'm looking at the web page but... I can't say the UI is badly designed, but... it's not intuitive.
In the upper right hand corner is the bell. If you click on that and then use the filter to show favorites it gives you the pop up list.
Whoa, they've added to that drop down. It used to just be 4 options: All, Votes, Mentions, Replies. Hmm... not exactly the ideal place for "favorites", but ok. Thanks for pointing it out!
Yeah, no problem. It works, but not as efficiently as I would like.
Using the built in browser of the keychain app I find peakd to be usable on a phone.
That's cool. I do not. I can send out a quick post that I drafted somewhere else, but anything else I find frustrating and tedious.
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I use that same combination of dapps. I think we do need another good mobile app to give more options. I have used peakd in Keychain, but it's less convenient. I don't use all the features, but peakd does most of what I need.
I think with a couple tweaks either of them could be pretty perfect. They are close right now. I'd like to see both of them put a little effort into some of these small things because competition is always good.
Wow, those sky shots!!!
I don't use my phone to access Hive,just my desktop. I got used to Peakd on Keychain and can't get used to Ecency. Just the look of it. Silly, isn't it?
I do switch off to one of the other front ends if Peakd is down. Nice to have alternatives.
Yeah, I am not a fan of the front end in Ecency myself, but it works I guess. I prefer something sharper and more professional looking.
Yeah, not having the ability to use lists anymore on PeakD is a little disappointing. I may start trying out Ecency on desktop just to see how I like it. Currently I use the same combination you do.
Maybe one day they will figure out a fix. I dunno.
They have pretty good devs, so I am sure they will evnetually.
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