Hi, Smooth. Thank you for hosting this contest. It’s a great chance not only for people to go to Steemfest, but for positive and productive interaction in the community.
I’m co-founder of @thewritersblock alongside @GMuxx. It’s the largest and most active Steem-centric professional writing community on Discord. We focus on the creative aspect of writing more than the technical, but we involve writers of all skill levels as long as they’re serious about their craft.
In just over a week, I’ll be in Toronto alongside GMuxx and our IT project coordinator @jasonbu to participate in the Steem Creatives Conference and SMT Summit. There, we’ll launch our new front-end site for the blockchain that’s specifically designed to spotlight high quality written content. This is important, because our target audience is not just the internal crypto community, but mainstream consumers as well. We have a plan to implement our SMT in a highly utilitarian fashion that will introduce digital currency in an easy to understand, easy to use manner, and therefore position ourselves to onboard a whole new demographic of blockchain users.
Core leadership at The Writers’ Block has maintained since the group’s inception that the Steem blockchain is a brilliant new opportunity for publishing. Many of our members have real-world experience in that industry and a strong motivation to usher in the next evolution of digital publishing. In November, we intend to launch Steemhouse Publishing, an LLC already incorporated in the U.S. with the primary focus of marketing novel-length fiction directly to mainstream reading audiences. In other words, we’ll publish books and sell them for FIAT, which we’ll then exchange for Steem and use that to reward authors and compensate staff. We’ll also use a Steem wallet to accrue assets, which means we’ll be investors as well as content creators, and a solid example of how the Steem blockchain can be used in real-world business applications.
In addition to all of this, I’m one-fourth of the @noblewitness team, which is currently ranked 66, 63 active. All four of us bring different ranges of talent and experience to the table, so everything from tech to PR is covered. We believe content is king and is ultimately the driving force that will bring investors to the blockchain and keep users from defecting. As far as technical specs, we run Dual Xeon L5630 8 Core Processor (16 HT Cores) with 96 GB DDR3 of physical RAM, a 300 GB SSD System Drive and 2TB Data Drive. Backup server is a duplicate mirror of the main system. Failover is scripted and software switched.
In my home state of Virginia, I’m the Director of a 501c3 animal charity. @tarc is an all-consuming endeavor and, while successful in a practical sense, is a huge financial black hole for me. These animals must eat and receive care whether or not our donors and sponsors come through for us in a given month. Needless to say, I don’t have abundant financial resources to afford things like international travel and Steemfest tickets. I do believe our project has enough backers to help me somewhat with travel expenses, but everything I can do to pull my own weight is necessary—even writing a book-length comment to try and win a ticket. Just having that part of the trip covered would be a tremendous help.
When it comes to Steem, I’m all-in—I’m giving the blockchain everything I have in fervent hopes that we all make history together. My wheelhouse is writing and publishing, so it makes sense that this is the area I’m trying to sew up for us. I want to present these ideas at Steemfest and network with the people who can benefit this project, as well as the people this project can benefit. I think it’s a worthwhile effort, and I want to be there in Krakow to talk about it.
Thank you!
Put simply: @rhondak is one of our pioneers. Not only has she gone all-in on Steemit, she's used Steem to compensate a woman who helps out at her shelter, and she's been pushing for a publishing house based on the blockchain for months. She's dedicated to this blockchain far beyond content creation or development work. She's actively seeking to incorporate an area that she has tremendous experience in, thereby opening up the Steem blockchain to utilization by a totally unserved group. This is ambitious, and I'm honored and thrilled to be able to be a part of this.
She's leading the charge to revolutionize book printing, and she's featuring Steem front and center in that effort. She definitely deserves to be at Steemfest.
Andrei, this is humbling. Thank you so much for these words--I treasure them.
The future of the blockchain is here. Helping to get @Rhondak to Steemfest is part of making that future happen. We'll be pushing it forward in Toronto and carrying it through to Krakow... and into the future. Times are exciting.
Jason, thank you so much for this! I do think Muxxy and I really need to be there, and you, too, if you can make it. Long way to travel. But we have some big things happening that folks need to know about.
Ooh! Pick @rhondak! Pick Rhonda! She is an uber contributor to Steemit, and does an enormous amount to help build community. She has such exciting things cooking. It's going to be truly awesome. She absolutely must attend Steemfest, and many of us who see all that she does for the community, and the time and resources she puts into her work at TARC would love to see her get the support of a free ticket. It would definitely ease some of the challenges for her.
Ooooh, Jayna, thank you. I'm kinda counting on you being at Steemfest, too...I hope you can make it. You've been part of this whole concept from the beginning, and rock solid. You belong on the announcement team and it just wouldn't seem right without you there. Much love to you!
Thank you, dear! I would love to go, if it's in the cards. I will check out the opportunities for winning tickets. Love and hugs back to you!
Rhonda is a super encouraging person that inspires me and motivates me to be a better writer. She’s passionate about the future of this platform and she’s would be a very worthy recipient of a ticket!
Thank you so much for this. I'm so glad we ran that contest and got you involved with the Block. Now you're part of this future we're trying to bring about. :-)
Yeah now you’re stuck with me 😝
Glad you did too!
@rhondak needs to be at Steemfest. Her and @gmuxx should both be at Steemfest and presenting what they are doing as an example of what can be done on the STEEM blockchain. Couldn't have a more passionate advocate for the blockchain and bringing investors, users and entrepreneurs to it.
Shadows, thank you a hundred times over for speaking up here. Your unfailing support means the world to me. I promise that, one way or the other, I'm going to find a way to make this work out for all of us. :-)
Hoping to see @rhondak's vision come to fruition so I definitely support her entry here!
I love that you're part of what we have happening these days. Your writing represents the true talent found on the blockchain, and I fully intend for us to help you realize every goal you have for it. :-)
I think @rhondak totally deserves to go to Steemfest, tireless work with the Writers Block, the @noblewitness team and @tarc and I am sure she would bring a great deal to the event by being there in person.
Thank you soooo much for this vote of support, C0ff33a. It means a lot. :-)
I'll put my 2 cents on and say it's worth it just so you can get one of her hugs!
Haaahaha! Engine, you crack me up! Thank you so much for your support here. I promise I will do The Alliance proud at Steemfest, however I manage to get there. :-)
Como escritor me gusta este tipo de apoyo e iniciativa, mi voto...
Oh lordy--you'll have to tell me what you said here in @thealliance Discord, but I think it's pretty safe to say THANK YOU! The fam rocks!
Please let @rhondak go to Steemfest! I know y'all won't be disappointed with what she has to present to you. She's a hard-working lady. I think her ideas for the future of the blockchain are SO EXCITING and you deserve to hear these ideas and get excited too.
Thank you, Tangle! :-) As one of our up and coming authors, you certainly have an inside look at the future we're planning. Thank you for supporting me in this!
Only recently acquainted but @rhondak has always been a pleasant voice with a good perspective and ear of comfort and intelligence, hopefully we both go to steemfest, it’s be great to see u!
I'm really counting on us both being there, as well as several other folks I've gotten to know through Steem. I keep getting a vibe that this Steemfest is going to be the most important one yet, and it just won't do if we're not there to be part of it.