Here's a couple recommendations I have - love the list so far!
@hextech - run by @rishi556, @sn0n & @edicted... I don't know the other two folks at all, but edicted is great imho, in terms of free speech, community support, and his content.
EDIT: It was brought to my attention that rishi (and the hextech account intself) are downvoting content because it doesn't fit the mainstream narrative - and doubling down by down-voting comments about the fact that they are doing so.
@pizza.witness - run by @thebeardflex & @hivetrending - these two are creating all sorts of wonderful things for Hive, focused largely on the gaming side of things, but also just community building, engagement, and offering solutions. They tend to stay out of political discussion and such - in the proper way of just staying out of them, instead of trying to shut them down.
I swear I was supporting a witness who specifically ran everything on their own hardware at home (since Hive is SOOO heavily run on privex servers), but now I can't seem to find them, even though it still says I have 30 votes out... I'll circle back if more come to mind, or if I find that one :-)
EDIT: @shmoogleosukami is the other witness I was trying to think of.
A witness who runs on home equipment to help decentralize the blockchain, and who runs an HE witness, and various other projects on-chain. You can see their opinion down below in a reply, and here is a small excerpt:
The distribution of tokens is still... Very bad. These massive pools of HP used for political reasons or otherwise is.. It sends a message, it has reputational consequences, it effects the way people feel and perceive hive. So the people in control of those account need to think very carefully about how and when they downvote. Ofcourse.. they are also free to do as they please because that is HIVE.. you do what you like. the software allows it, it doesn't care what you downvote.
It's just the people who care. if they care. Some do, some don't, some just ignore it. I donno.. It's messy imo.
My personal view on downvotes is it should only be used to null stolen content, plagiarism, spam/reward farming.
I’m the one running my witness on my own PCs in my own properties.
I actually have geographic diversity now. One at home and the other at the office across the road.
I knew you did (not the multiple locations, that's awesome!), but there was someone pretty far down the list who had said that too... or maybe I'm just mis-remembering.
Anyway, we both support you, and I'm grateful for the awesome work you do, on chain and off!
You probably mean me as well, I also run everything from home.
Ah, yes! Did you remove it from your witness description?
Thanks for doing what you do!
I'll read your comment below momentarily :-)
Excellent, thanks. I will check out those two witness accounts now.
Running a witness server at home is not really the best idea because the average home connection to the web is not as reliable as a purpose built data centre. On the other hand, having all the nodes in the same data centre (Privex) is not ideal either. Originally, I was specifically sourcing servers with unknown companies in order to further decentralisation, but over time I've realised that this isn't really needed. For the moment I am using Privex too for ease of use and speed. As I move higher in the ranks and have more funds available as a result, I can put more time into the hardware and might look again at a different solution.
Just as a note, almost all of Privex's apps are open source and everyone is welcome to use and contribute to them, these also include Hive related apps (like Dockerized versions) as well.
Moreover, we support people self-hosting their own nodes and witnesses outside of Privex's server ecosystem (we have a Discord channel dedicated to this in the first place) so if anyone has their own servers and just need our help setting up their nodes and witnesses, we are available.
For the "everyone is in Privex" argument, we currently have 4 different data centers, in 4 different countries so, in theory, we're quite redundant :) -- To be honest, it's a lot better than sourcing servers from unknown sources where you do not know what might happen tomorrow, as well as the quality of their servers and datacenters in general.
Thanks for clarifying. From an absolute security perspective, a single point of failure is always a risk - rogue employees with axes to grind may be able to access all data centres - not that I am suggesting you have an axe or like to grind it. lol.
Fair point :) I am sure none of us have axes though people over at the datacenters, the technicians, might... Because, fire is always a hazard after all.
Nevertheless, when renting servers from anywhere, I advise carefully researching them to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. Not just "Very fast CPU, a lot of RAM and storage space" but more in-depth in terms of technical stuff, and for non-technical stuff, of course the second most important thing is the reliability of the company, their privacy policy (Do they sell your data for ads? Marketing? How long have they been in the market?) to locate the best one fitting your needs and budget.
Yes, there are definitely many poor hosting companies out 'there'!
I'm on a similar domestic Israeli Fiber to the home connection though via a different isp to @apshamilton .
Since I mothballed the isp's Spyware router and bought my own $20 Fiber modem, the connection has been rock solid. I actually have bigger problems with whole building power and I should also replace an old router.
Yes, the power supply is also a major issue in domestic situation. In general, data centers will have fallback solutions for all of the key infrastructure elements that just aren't available at home in most cases (unless you are Elon Musk or Bill Gates).
I have a UPS too.
There is really nothing that a data center has that you can’t easily duplicate at home.
But a data center will always be vulnerable to pressure from hostile parties.
Data Centres tend to have multiple lines in/out - plus be in hardened, high security facilities and have numerous levels of redundancy to facilitate nearly 100% uptime. You could recreate that at home but it would be extremely expensive and I doubt anyone on Hive has done so.
If you visit a Layer 3+ facility it will resemble a nuclear bunker more than an office :)
I will soon have redundant internet links by sharing my home fibre via wifi with the office across the road (which already has dual redundant internet).
I could easily and cheaply get a second fiber link at home too.
My apartment building is already highly secure with guards and nuclear, biological and chemical proof safe rooms - although my kids are in there not my Hive node :-)
Not really sure why a Hive node would need multiple layers of security in any case.
Overrewarded comment, hopefully you understand.
Yes, it was a bit excessive. :-)
This is a good example of an appropriate use of a balancing downvote. Countering a single perhaps overly generous upvote.
In contrast nuking lengthy original posts to zero because of political differences is what I am concerned about.
Me too and I have been one of the few countering some of those, that is if the authors haven't behaved like small babies over them.
It's almost as if it was a mistake, and communication could have been used instead. Weird?
Removed the upvote, I was simply on the wrong account when I placed it.
Bad Rishi, bad!
Hextech downvoted me for questioning the efficiency of the vaccine more than once. They are not free speech. Especially rishi who is probably a sociopath if I had to guess from he responded to my questioning of the downvote.
I'm sure observers here would like to look at that, do you have any links? Thanks
https://www.peakd.com/@phusionphil/boycott-the-witness-who-is-against-questioning-the-vaccine
Thanks, I will take a look.
Lol they even downvotes this comment. Make sure you look at the comments before they were edited too, these whales like to redact their statements sometimes and the original comment speaks to a different truth than the edited one.
Thanks, noted. I've removed my vote for their witness, will edit my comment above, and will include them on the do not support side of my upcoming witnesses post.
I wonder if there is even 1 person in the top 30 witnesses who has any experience with PR.
Not that I am aware of, though maybe.
well someone i invited to hive is a english teacher and comedian, he is very confused about the ethics and considering not even using this platform due to the way this top 30 group acts.
its making me look stupid and like I am as low of a human being as the top 30 witnesses to stay on this platform, i have to constantly defend free speech and sovereignty of wealth, when i could just use Blurt instead with no downvotes which would mediate 100% of the drama we see here.
I'm just observing the downvotes on this comment which seem to confirm what you are saying.
Yeah. Those folks downvoting in comment sections sure play dirty, eh.
Lol, I have noticed that a lot of the downvote complainers are quite promiscuous downvoters themselves. But its ok, if they're doing it... :OD
I downvote because it's the only way I have been able to get people to start having a discussion about the flaws of DPOS.
Until they are loosing money they don't seem to care about anything.
I especially liked the part near the beginning of Hive and for several months, any artist, photographer, personality, entertainer, and the like, got downvoted heavily just for doing a good job and making the place fun, while this crowd sat on their hands saying nothing, ignoring it, turning a blind eye to it, and sometimes even mocking those on the receiving end claiming they deserved it, most likely because the one downvoting would often upvote their political drivel. Funny how that works...
Funny how I only started downvoting on a regular basis after I was zeroed for weeks on end.
Yeah they are psychic leeches, the type you find on the bottom of your boot after a revolution.
God... damn it!
Dissention in the ranks!
I'm happy to adjust my statement (again) and go back to supporting your witness if this is addressed.
I don't know your two partners at all, but I've always appreciated your content, comments, and presence on the chain.
Rishi goes on a self-righteous rampage once and a while.
Kid needs to chill out.
Luckily most devs (including my devs) are quite poor and I mostly get to run the show.
Can we buyout rishis interest in this witness? (to remove the bad actor)
Technically likely but logistically no.
If that makes sense.
Rishi does most of the work :D
Or at least did quite a bit.
Don't worry about it though I have big plans.
I don't think @hextech's 14k stake is too big of a problem at this point.
A vote from me is what? x10 that?
Perhaps I could work more on my database to track these things.
I have always enjoyed you debates and blogs so please do let me know, i will buy out toxic actors because im not a poor piece of shit that needs money from hive.