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I did. Thank you. I am now reading the post.

@cryptoctopus I am wondering do you have to download some software to be a witness? I understand now that they are the backbone and probably are using their computers to power the blockchain?

Yes, it's like running a server with some software:

https://steemit.com/steemhelp/@steemed/become-a-steem-witness-essentials

@psylains so one must know how to run a server and know some programming language?

so one must know how to run a server and know some programming language?

No programming is required but you do need to know how to run a server, secure it properly, manage updates, etc. Some scripting may be useful (for example many witnesses use custom scripts to update the feed or for other procedures).

Some may 'Some scripting may be useful (for example many witnesses use custom scripts to update the feed or for other procedures), but not all.