Welcome to the edition 32 of Hive Community Spotlight. In this edition, we shine the spotlight on an influential figure who has consistently uplifted fellow Hivers through his projects, content, and relentless support for new users—@steevc. His contributions to Hive, including the notable @tenkminnows project and the “Follow Friday” series, have helped foster growth, engagement, and community spirit.
Who is @steevc?
@steevc is a longstanding member of the Hive ecosystem with a passion for technology, music, and community building. He has been instrumental in several initiatives, including helping smaller accounts gain visibility through @tenkminnows, and highlighting valuable content creators via his "Follow Friday" series. As a musician, runner, and coder, he shares a diverse range of content and always finds a way to engage and support fellow Hivers.
Interview Summary
| Topic | Response Summary |
|---|---|
| Entry into Hive | @steevc was introduced to Steemit by a friend and later transitioned to Hive after the Steemit split. |
| Impact of @tenkminnows | The project supports smaller accounts by voting on their content, helping to keep them motivated and engaged. |
| Origin of @proofofbrian bot | Created as an experiment to correct tag typos, the bot has helped over 800 users avoid hashtag errors. |
| Role in the BritList initiative | Took over the BritList to help British Hivers connect, encouraging others to start similar regional lists. |
| Inspiration behind "Follow Friday" | Inspired by other platforms, this series promotes overlooked content creators and fosters genuine engagement. |
| Influence of hobbies on content | Music and running provide inspiration for his posts, though they are primarily for personal enjoyment. |
| Advice to new Hivers | Focus on engaging authentically with like-minded creators rather than chasing rewards. |
| Hive’s future growth potential | Growth will come with the rise of niche communities and influencer engagement. |
Interview with @steevc
Could you share a bit about yourself and how you found your way into the platform?
I've playing with various social media over the years with some accounts going back 20 years. About 2014 I found Tsu that would pay users from advertising revenue. I did not make a huge amount and it got killed after 2 years, but I heard about Steemit from @the-bitcoin-dood who I met on Tsu and it looked interesting. I could see that a blockchain should be harder to shut down. I have been pretty active since then. My account on the old chain got censored for critising Justin Sun, but I am happy on Hive. I have been to 3 big events and lots of smaller meetups. I even organised some myself and I will be in Split next week to see some old friends as well as making new ones. In the 'real world' I am a developer in the UK working on testing some electronics. For fun I run and make music. My current band is @theriverkicks.
How has the @tenkminnows project impacted the Hive community, and what are some success stories that stand out to you?*
@tenkminnows started due to frustration with how many people were giving up due to lack of rewards. It votes up some small accounts and various people delegate to it. We are still a long way from 10k. I have had a fair few people thank me for the support, so it has had an effect. We still struggle to keep people engaged though.
The @proofofbrian bot helps with tag typos. How did you come up with this idea, and how has it been received by the community?*
@proofofbrian was an excuse to try writing a Hive bot. I could see that a lot of people mis-type hashtags and this just lets them know they did that. Over 800 people have been informed. It seems to make some people smile, but I think some get a bit worried that they made a mistake. It will only inform each person once.
#BritList is a nice initiative. What inspired you to create it, and what do you hope to achieve with it?
The Britlist was started by @pennsif who was a victim of the Great Fork, so I took it on. I have written some scripts to manage that and have created some lists for other countries that I encourage others to take over. A couple of people have done that so far.
Your "Follow Friday" series is well-known within the community. What inspired you to start this series, and how do you decide who to feature?
It was something I had seen on other platforms and I thought it had value for us too. I tend to pick people I have encountered who I think deserve more support. We do have issues with the same people getting on Trending, but that is largely due to automated voting. I want to see people actually engage with posts. Comments have value too.
Your blog mentions you're a 'Geeky guitarist, drummer, runner.' How do these hobbies influence your life and your work on Hive?
I think that describes me fairly well. They are all things I can write about, but I would do them anyway.
In your opinion, what are the most underutilized features or aspects of Hive that more users should take advantage of?
I think communities could be used more for real engagement rather than just fishing for votes, much as groups are on other platforms. You want to be able to talk to people who share your interests without having to follow them all individually. I have started several communities, but they do not get much activity. I think Hive has growth potential in niche interests. If we could get a load of people who are into something like knitting then that could have a big effect. Facebook has groups that are bigger than the whole active Hive community.
What advice would you give to new Hivers looking to make a meaningful impact on the platform?
I tell people to find those who share their interests and those producing content they enjoy. That makes it a fun experience. If you just chase rewards then it can feel like hard work, but you would probably not use other social platforms in that way. Billions use those for no rewards and I think Hive could be fun in the same way with the bonus of rewards. You have to be honest as those who try to cheat the system get found out. When it comes to comments aim for quality rather than quantity. Commenting every couple of minutes can make you look like a spammer.
As someone who’s been active on Hive for several years, how do you see the platform evolving in the future?
I must be an eternal optimist as I keep hoping it will see massive growth. I think we have good apps/dapps with something for everyone, be it video, gaming, blogging or microblogging. With tools like Keychain it is easy to log into each of those securely. People do need to be educated on how to guard their keys though. I think what we need are some 'influencer' types who will bring in a lot of followers, but they have to take a chance on something new. This may be more attractive for those who do not make much (or anything) elsewhere. Everyone can earn something on Hive. For my own interests I want to see more musicians join and bring their fans with them. Things will get 'interesting' when we get to millions of users. It will change the dynamics, but we would all stand to gain as we are currently the early adopters. For me it is not just about money. I enjoy socialising and I meet so many cool people.
Project/Community Highlights
@steevc’s contributions go far beyond his personal blog. Here are some highlights of the initiatives he’s involved in:
@tenkminnows: A project dedicated to supporting smaller accounts on Hive, keeping them engaged and motivated.
@proofofbrian: A bot designed to help users correct mistyped hashtags, with over 800 users notified.
BritList: A community initiative that connects British Hivers and encourages regional networking.
Follow Friday: A series dedicated to promoting overlooked content creators and fostering real engagement.
Thank you so much @steevc for taking the time to participate in this edition of Hive Community Spotlight! Your insights, dedication, and projects have had a meaningful impact on Hive, and we’re excited to see what more you will accomplish in the future.
Conclusion
I thank you all for staying here till this point. Do check out @steevc’s blog and support his ongoing projects like @tenkminnows and “Follow Friday.” If you're a new Hive user, his advice on engagement and community building is invaluable.
Have someone in mind for the next spotlight? Drop your suggestions in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow us for future interviews with incredible Hivers!
Special thanks to:
@thekittygirl
@wesphilbin
@snook
For their valuable support. See you all in the next edition 🤗
View Previous interviews here 👇
Really interesting 😊 And I'm so thankful to Steve for supporting me when I started some month ago. He's really a bright light in this place.
I'm glad to have found this topic. Gonna check the past posts ✌️
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Thanks for doing these interviews. It's useful to learn more about people and it was fun for me to participate.
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"a victim of the Great Fork". 🤣 that's a nice way to put things, @steevc
I generally try to be nice :) I've met the guy.
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