Couple of quick things first. I'm running my radio show tomorrow from 9pm to 11pm EST. I'm giving away 25 SBD and 1k SP in delegation. It's on mspwaves.com. Come check us out.
OK, so, next up on the Meet your Mods series is Rhonda. She's in the footehills in Appalachia. She's tough as nails and spends her time in the Minnow Pond running the Fiction Workshop. It's been hugely popular and helped numerous people win Curie Votes and is a part of the Minnow Support Project that helps uphold the educational mission of this place to improve the quality of content. Maybe one day we'll get more variety in the trending pages, and when we finally do you can bet your ass some of the folks in there will have benefitted from some tough critiques from @rhondak.
Back in her physical world she's fighting corruption and animal abuse with her animal shelter project. The liquid rewards of this post will help her kick some maleficent official ass and take care of some abused animals.
When did you hear about the MSP?
@rhondak: I'd been at Steemit about two weeks. I had started to feel the pain of no reward for effort, so when I saw posts and comments about MSP, I didn't have to think twice about following the link.
Why did you join the MSP?
@ rhondak: The welcoming committee just blew me away. Shane and Muxxy worked with me for a few hours to get me all set up, and the community was an instant fit for me. I loved everything about it.
What do you think is the best aspect of the MSP?
@ rhondak: The very unique level of commitment and professionalism by community leaders who are invested 100% in making Steemit a lasting, beneficial platform for people all over the world.
You're a moderator what does that mean to you?
@ rhondak: Being a moderator means even more opportunities to directly impact the lives of minnows and fellow writers than I would ever get by simply posting on Steemit or joining chat from time to time. It's an "excuse" to pour myself into this project, and gives me enough visibility in the community that people will know they can reach out to me for assistance.
What's your service project?
@ rhondak:The Fiction Workshop, The SFT, Steemshelves, and hopefully soon, Steemhouse Publishing. All of these have roots in the Minnowsupport Project, and have the potential to not only change the face of Steemit, but change the landscape of indie publishing altogether.
How much time do you spend on MSP stuff?
@ rhondak: I typically spend at least 18 hours a day in the Workshop. I don't sleep anymore. LOL
Why does it matter to you so much?
@ rhondak:The potential for this group of innovators to impact Steemit and therefore impact people around the world is profound. The work I've seen go into MSP is capable of making game-changing--even life-changing--course corrections to social media and crowd-sourced information channels.
We need some channel mods, why should people do it?
@ rhondak: Qualified people should consider becoming channel mods because of the opportunity it presents to not only give them more visibility in the Steemit community, but to impact the overall platform permanently and positively.
What excites you about Steemit?
@ rhondak: Steemit is still new, and bugs exist. However, it has already proven itself to be revolutionary. I'm thrilled that I was able to climb on board for the big ride, which I think is still ahead of us.
What's a long term vision for where Steemit is going?and how do you fit into that?
@ rhondak: I don't think Steemit will replace social media as we know it. I believe it will redefine it. I think it will give many people some new priorities about engagement, particularly with an international audience. And I think the world is going to become infinitely smaller.
What can MSP be doing better?
@ rhondak: The welcoming process is already being improved. That was my biggest concern a while back. The other thing is bot abuse, but that, too, is being addressed.
How can minnows contribute to the system and grow their accounts?
@ rhondak: Minnows can add value to Steemit by providing quality content rather than shitposts or spam. By networking and finding their own tribes within the platform, they can help other minnows as well and symbiotically grow in the community.
What else would you want to share here?
@ rhondak: Only that the opportunities currently being provided by the MSP community are unparalleled in any other online group I've ever been aware of. We're not just burning bandwidth here. This is real-life stuff. And I'm proud to be part of it.
Here's to you @rhondak. Glad to have you here:
Here's her talking about MSP 2 months ago. How time flies!!! https://steemit.com/minnowsupport/@rhondak/betting-on-the-long-game
MSP link: https://discord.gg/dpGVBcy
Fiction Workshop- https://discord.gg/U4PaDYn
Word of caution. The Fiction Workshop isn't a place to fuck around. Don't post and run. And don't act like a brat when they tear your word baby to shreds. That's what they do and that's exactly how you get real help. But there isn't hand holding in this group. So, drop your shields and keep your chin up. You can thank them later when it pays off and you're doing better.
Hi @aggroed! @cardboard is sending you 0.15 SBD tip and @tipU upvote
:)
send tips with @tipU | earn interest in @tipU profit
Go Rhonda!!! Lots of great quotes here. And forecasts. You've got to sleep, though. Delegate. Get others to carry the load. Maybe in Appalachia that doesn't happen, but here at Steemit, we have to make sure one person isn't getting spread too thin. (All the more reason I need to get up to snuff on techno-stuff!)
Great post!! Thank you!
@aggroed what an awesome personality is @rhondak with this interview many of us joined PAL as a result of no earning on our post but getting to discord link of PAL it turn to shout out of love with warm welcome from everyone....PAL is a Great place for minnows to be. Proudly supported. I've not visited friction channel cos I'm afraid lolzz I will check out
@rhondak has taught many of us what it is to be a true hero with the real world work that she does and all the time that she pours into the Fiction Workshop. I lucked into a fantastic community on the PALNet. The feedback is as course as a 12 grit piece of sand paper but that's what you need to clean the wood in order to get a nice finish. Your work is very much appreciated.
tip! :)
I got to know @rhondak back in June when she volunteered her talents to help in #msp-workshop. I was immediately blown away by her skills, and knew that she was way over-qualified for the gig, so I counted every day she was there as a blessing.
Now she's putting her talents to work with her literary peers, and even a non-fiction fan like me can't help but see the wonderful things happening in #fiction-workshop.
Thanks for all you do, @rhondak. You're a huge asset to the PALnet community.
Great post @aggroed thank you so much for all minnow support
resteemed
I have a huge soft spot for @rhondak, she welcomed me into the fiction workshop and worked with me to produce my first fiction. Yes, the critique can be tough, but you learn so much out of it if you are willing to listen and use what you have been taught.
Rhonda is very generous with her time and is an incredible asset to MSP.
@rhondak is one of my favorite people I've met through PALnet. She's an absolute joy to talk to
As a moderator she can do more to help minnows and fellow writers than simply posting on Steemit or joining chat from time to time. It's an "excuse" to pour myself into this project, and gives me enough visibility in the community that people will know they can reach out to me for assistance. Oh, do they ever come for assistance! Help me, Rhonda
@rhondak
@aggroed
I really enjoyed reading this post. I am a few days new to the Steem-it Community. It has been very intresting learning about the different incentives and boards. I was recently visited by @Cheetah and she shared she was a robot. She informed me that she found some other like minded material which I was writing about and it happened to be my own. I thought that was pretty cool. I am learning to navigate and swim my way through the trenches. I hope to be able to do my part and contribute material that is notewothy to read and hope to earn more badges and coins along my way. Thank you for your post. theprettysoul
Such a wonderful person, lives like she learns. We need these role models on Steemit. And we all need to learn and pay it forward. That helps to create a fantastic community.
Thanks for this presentation.
She is the best! Thanks for interviewing her. I <3 learning more about each mod!
great post
Aww always great to see other animal lovers! ❤
Rhondak, I'm a bit north of you in the hills near Wheeling WV. Loved your interview with aggroed and feel that we have a few things in common.
I'm trying to free up a little more time to give to steemit and would love to get more involved in the fiction workshop. I have a few more festival obligations before fall really hits. After that...
Your advice is right on!
"And don't act like a brat when they tear your word baby to shreds. That's what they do and that's exactly how you get real help."
When I read slushpile for Asimov's sf mag and Amazing in the 70s and 80s we always criticized and encouraged everyone! Even the big guys! We showed them the most serious problems and tried to lead them down the road to better storytelling and prose.
There were days I kept score on what the story endings would be . My least favorite is still the "and the sun went nova"! Don't cop out or give up like that, please!
I'll try to catch you Discord next week.
You sound like you might fit right in with our crowd of weirdos! Look forward to seeing you join the Fictioneers.
Thank you so much, @aggroed, for featuring me in this post, for the kind words, and for mentioning the rescue and all the struggles we have. It means so much. In happy news, yes--the workshop is blazing a trail. :-) Our writers are getting Curied, winning contests, and making a huge impact on the Steemit fiction landscape. All thanks to you and the wonderful work you do with MSP!
Great interview. I haven't been at the workshop for long but already received massive support and knowledge upgrades. Not for the precious. It's no joke, they will tear you to bits, but it's done with love and only in an effort to make you better. What @rhondak provides is priceless, I feel fortunate and blessed to be under her wing... wait was that a comma splice?
LOL. Yes, it was. ;-)
You rock, Rhonda! Such a great interview. Reading your words, it occurred to me that this is what the ideal job should be like, it's something you should want to spend time on, something you truly enjoy.
I've already joined the Fiction Workshop, at the invitation of @thinknzombie. And I went on it once, got confused and closed it (to my shame). But now, I'll definitely try to get it better. I've got a feeling it can be really useful to a young writer like me.