"Things sure have changed around Hive, haven't they?", a good friend of mine states, with a sad undertoned voice. The only thing I can do right now is confirm with a slight head tilt, almost in a Japanese fashion. It had been a long time since I even had given it a single thought. "The only thing that is certain in life is that everything constantly changes.", somehow that sounds silly boring to me, especially coming from my own mouth. It's a kind of wannabe guru bullshit, even thought it's true, it's like kicking in an open door. "Steem, back in 2016, was a new adventure for me, freedom of expression, locked in a blockchain (isn't it ironic?). It made me even write a song about it. Glory days my friend, but they pass by."
Hah, after all those years, I still do it, hide song texts in my publications. Some are bleeding obvious, I know, but all habits, in the long run, stay alive in some form or way. Like I quit smoking many eons ago, but picked up whisky drinking. And I don't know which hobby is more expensive actually. But I divert, something I also tend to do. Do not worry though, at some point I will get back to the original subject. Or at least I do tend to believe so.
For me sobertober has passed by. Yeah, that's something I came up with myself. Even there's a song title hidden in there somewhere. Could Computer Intelligence Applications {CIA} (or do you perhaps prefer to name it A I ?) create this kind of nonsense? From my own recent experiments I can state that it would outperform me, hands down (if 'it' had hands, that is). It ain't half bad though, I think. The playlist that I use during some of my long walks is home made prompted music, and I like it. Still I can write the lyrics, describe the music style and so on, while in the end I enjoy how it sounds. (It turns out Polka, Ska, Punk and Metal do blend together very well, at least for me.)
Ah, those early days in Steem (that's how Hive started on March the 23rd 2016). Posting every day, after I joined in May of that year. There was no 'policing', no 'verification' and no payout, yet... "No ruler", actually it is what Anarchy means, instead of the claim that's the same as Chaos. There were talented artists, free-thinkers, poets, writers, musicians, scientists and nutcases like me. It blew my mind, in a nice way. All autonomous individuals who interacted with each other on a voluntary basis. Yes, I know, as a Grumpy Man, I tend to believe that in the past not everything was better, but only the things that matter.
There were doubts that the payouts even would become real. On the 4th of July 2016, that was supposed to happen. And you know, that uncertainty did not keep any of us from not publishing. Only on a later stage I did find out how so called 'Ninja mining' actually created some control accounts. Which became a Steem sell-out to some rich Chinese guy. In the first year of the Steem blockchain over 250 million of it's Coins were mined! That really was a downer. Hyperinflation was build in from the start, hard to even put a high price on Hive, because of that dirty trick. Still, I did what I thought was the right thing to do: move on with the Hive blockchain split.
Now and then I still do take a peak. There's a few publications I still read and sometimes I unfortunately miss the '7 days' voting lock. No automated voting and trailing for me though. Even though that might make me a few more Hive cents. But that's not why I'm still here, I guess. And with A.I. gaining ground rapidly it is becoming more and more of a challenge to come up with some really human driven interesting publications. Yet, I do refuse any of the: 'proof that you are who you pretend to be' crap. That mentality is what I think killed the good freedom of expression spirit, that Steem once had and Hive lost. But again, let me remind you that I'm just an old goat, who could use a fine Laphroaig 10 cask strength right now.
Ailaa and behold, it is time for me to round things up for now. As I want to go out on foot and enjoy the shitty cloudy rainy weather for a few hours. That might sound a bit shait, I know, but it actually isn't... As real life is out there, the change of seasons becoming pretty obvious by now. Watching all the amazing color changes of the tree leafs, wondering which mushrooms I could eat and get away with it. Still some wild berries left here and there, almost ethanolic sweet. It really ain't half bad. Just like meeting others in real life. The 'Matrix' is already here, you're viewing it, right now, using a smart device.
Outside of that is real life and I wish and hope for you and your dear ones that it ain't half bad, at least. And remember, whatever you do, if somebody asks you to verify me on this blockchain, then please refuse, firm but kindly. As you may know me in real life, that's the only thing that matters to me. And freedom of expression, even if we agree to disagree, that's the true spirit. Ow, and peace on earth, for fuck's sake!
Have a great one!
Please note, the autumn photos I share here were actually made by me during my walks. Hopefully you can enjoy them.
UNVERIFIED... UNVERIFIED...
EXTERMINATE!
Hola dude!! All things change eh. I still see some poisonous in this place but it's a vastly different landscape as to what it was, even what it was promised to be.
Still, life is life! I have been having some right old fun with AI and music. Nothing like mashing the genres!!
Hey there Mucker! Just now I was hearing and seeing Daleks in my mind. 😅 Thank you for unverifying me! 😁
Yes, things do tend to be dynamic in life. But that might actually be a good thing. For one, I can complain about some of the things that change! Because I have to act my age. Although I love to experiment with them AIs!
It's still nice that I can actually publish on the Hive blockchain, whenever I want. Hopefully it will be possible for many years to come, for many others. Cause: "Hive, it ain't half bad!"
It's easy for me to act like an oal Grump. Because I'm one in the flesh. It's not even considered acting anymore, so I was told.
Also "Life is life!", it is truely indeed. So darn true even that there was an Austrian band that made a song about it. And indeed playing around with that AI music thing is fun!
Strapping my boots on soon to go out and about again, maybe I'll come across some Forrest Nymph this time. (After I've eaten some of them mushrooms...)
Have a great weekend Mate! 🥃
Careful with them shrooms 🤪🤪
Aye, you have to get on the bandwagon or you will be left behind.
The first time I needed around with Sumo I was ready to scoff and laugh at how rubbish it would be. Shortly after I picked my jaw off the floor I was hooked!
If there's something in the news tonight about an old man who ran naked through the woods in Oldambt. While shouting: "Where ared thou, ooh my fair Nymph!", then you know I had a great time and I found the right mushrooms! 😂
And with the AI music I also was quite sceptical at first. Tried Udio dot Com (amongst others) and had that jaw dropping experience too. Especially when I tried to prompt it into 'live performance', now that would have failed... No way it can do something so distinctively real, right?
And that's where my mind was blown.
Greetings @oaldamster ,
Lovely to hear from you.
The good ole days.... ^__^
Kindest Regards, Bleujay
NB @englishivy sends her regards.... ^__^
Goodday to you @bleujay,
Thank you for your appreciation. It has been a while. But one of the beautiful things about this platform is that one can always go and take a break. And after that pick up again from where once left off.
And yes those days of miracles and wonders are in the past now. But who knows what wonderful things are still to come?
Kind regards in return, also for Ivy.
I feel deprived to have not read anything you've posted heretofore, as I quite agree with you. Seems likely I'd have agreed with you, and learned much from you, had I seen and read your posts previously.
I yet only manually curate posts I find useful and agree with - that the stake mechanics and AI allow.
Thanks!
Thank you for your appreciation!
I do curate manually also, which means in practice I can / will only do a few. There are nany publications, impossible to know them all. Let alone read them bit by bit, piece by piece.
Cheers to a mutual open minded experience.
Have a nice weekend!
Halloween was a hoot. Hope yours was fun, too.
In Nederland Halloween has not taken off yet. But I had a great long walk.