Updates. Re: branding. It’s about me and the mirror. And also HiveFest.

in Blockchain Wizardrylast month (edited)
Authored by @gandalf

New avatar

So, first things first: I’ve changed my avatar. Blame @roelandp - he asked me for my logo, and since my "company" is just me (that’s quite a company, if you ask me), the only thing I had was my old avatar. Ironically, the older the avatar is, the younger me you see there - which is kind of the opposite of me you see here.

The idea for a new one was simple: simple, and grey.

Gandalf

I’ve used a latent diffusion model for initial image synthesis for the base idea, then GIMP and Inkscape for fine tuning.

Old avatar: the origins

So yes, it is actually me you (barely) see here.

grey

It’s a part of an old photo.
more_grey

Not that old.
less_grey

Also it wasn’t really that grey.
grey_except_face

We were visiting Angkor, Cambodia.
face_the_grey

I was wearing my usual grey outfit.
gandalf_the_grey

And that was the original photograph.
witnessing_angkor

Witnessing Angkor, Cambodia, 2016.
(Photos by: @dobranoc)

Mirror

When it comes to the mirror, it's about time to try the new versions of the software we are developing.
I just started the conversion using 98880088 blocks from mainnet (courtesy of @blocktrades and @thebeedevs hardware resources, using CI/CD pipelines).
The old instance (p2p consensus nodes and simple API) is still running, unfortunately, the full API is no longer available due to an unfortunate chain of events, and bringing it back now would slow down the initialization of the new one, which should happen in a few days.

Note to self:
I should remember to use a custom value for the TOTAL_NUMBER_OF_BLOCKS_TO_PROCESS variable while running the mirrornet conversion, otherwise, it uses a default that is too far in the past. Also, let's schedule a mirrornet hardfork 28 (yet another) for September 1st 14:00 UTC, shall we?

Coordination on https://openhive.chat/channel/witness because otherwise I would be repeating similar content over and over again about mirror instances in my posts, which is simply boring for most people here.

Older mirrornet related posts for quick reference:

HiveFest

HiveFest 2025 is near.
I’m going, and I hope (some of) you are going too. ;-)
(I still don't have tickets, but I hope to fix that part soon)
See the deal I’ve made with SkyTeam Airline Alliance - Official partner of HiveFest for discount codes for airplane tickets that might work for you. To be honest, for some itineraries it works amazingly, for some it’s so-so, for me it didn’t help at all. YMMV, DYOR.
Have you been to HiveFest before? How many times? Are you going this year? How about other IRL meetups?

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I was wearing my usual grey outfit.

I confirm, every time it’s a gray outfit. sometimes a hood, sometimes a wizard’s hat.
the only constant element is the logo, always on the back.

When Sun is not trying to kill me (and my wife will let me) I wear black. ;-)

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There are lots of people here I just associate with their avatar. In many cases I don't know their real name even if I have met them. I have met you a few times though after 4 HF/SF trips. I'm not planning to go to KL though. I have other trips planned this year and am avoiding long flights. I will try to get to some events in Europe some time.

I've been to quite a few UK meetups and organised some of those. We don't seem to have as many lately, but then some people have gone inactive on Hive.

I hope you can get used to my new avatar :-D
Is KRK in mid-November in your range? Given the HF this year is outside of Europe, I'm thinking about making an excuse for the gathering again ( @hivebeecon ). TBA, I guess.

We have a December trip planned (by train), so will have to see what is viable. I wish I had gone to Aachen. The Germans do a lot of events.

I'm visiting Germany next month, and given @dobranoc is going too I guess we can consider that a mobile Hive meetup? ;-)

If 2 or more Hivers get together then it's a meetup!

All four of my band now have accounts, but the others are not too active. We had some other Hivers come to our last gig. We are thinly scattered across the UK.

5 Hivefests
2 Meetups

Lem and I will be there (Lem's 5th and my 6th Hivefest!!!)! Everything is booked and looking fantastic!^^

Acutally, I shouldn't be that sure before I get the actual HiveFest ticket...
Also, I wonder about increasing "Meetups" category in mid-November (in usual place) should I count you guys in? ;-)

A faceless person frightens me, but I must confess that it was interesting to see where the old avatar came from. The fear gradually disappeared as light reached the face.

I like the new avatar; it feels friendlier. 😄

I would like to go at some stage but I fear there would be a pitchfork mob after me. I might just call myself haejin or something and go. 😀. Love the new avatar. It's less starwarsy

If memory serves me right

  • 6 meetings with 1 other Hiver in 5 countries
  • 7 meetups in 5 countries
  • 3 HF in 3 countries

Unfortunately 4th HF will have to wait

Too bad for the upcoming HF, but I've heard you have a good excuse ;-)

I love a good photo tinkering and seeing the train of that one reversed to its original! The new logo is cool too, very modern!

I had no idea your old profile pic actually came from such a cool "IRL shot" :) Knowing this, I must say I like the old one better than the new one. Unless you come up with a similar story about the new one too hehe :)

@tipu curate 10

Maybe I'll write similar post in several years to reveal easter eggs in the new one :-) But that would be more realted to the original vector version, not this converted result (I'm using rasterized PNG file for convenience).

Reading all this about mirror I asked myself again and again what dark blondy as me doing here already 9years😅😅

Hey youngling, you are not here for 9 years yet, your Hiversary is on October 6th :-)

Yeah you’re right, almost 9 bug does it change the point 😄

I will miss the old avatar - enjoy KL, only been virtually at Hivefests but attended a lot IRL meetups especially around Munich and often meet Hivers one-on-one as well.

I had noticed the change on Telegram! Thought at first maybe it's a Telegram glitch, showing different on desktop or something. Well. Here's to a new wizarding era. May it be just as gray and unusual as the previous one. :)

Looking great :)

  1. Krakow
  2. Bangkok
  3. Amsterdam
  4. Split
  5. Yieeehaaaa Kuala Lumpur!!

Hotel booked - need the Ticket + Flight. On it.

sexy as always 😋 see you in KL!

I think you've read a wrong book. Here are only two shades of grey ;-)

Haha, fair enough XD

Greeting from Bali ,🤝

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Your post will be reviewed, and if it meets quality standards, the reward will be yours.
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Thank you for sharing 🙏🏾

Excellent.

Honestly, what you did is interesting. I thought a lot about my avatar too. I like it to be modern. Maybe we should update our avatars from time to time. I don't know, but your post really got me thinking. Of course, I have to say that your work is very inspiring and gave me some ideas. Thank you.🙏 !winex

Yeah, coming from some who doesn't even have one... at least on that account.

What a unique post.

Love the new avatar. It's amazing how a simple, grey-scale image can convey so much. The backstory of the original photo at Angkor adds a really cool layer of depth. Great work on the creative process using the diffusion model and design tools!

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Wow amazing very interesting

nice bro

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Ohh yes!! Now i understood how your dp was made. I liked the previous one❤️

The amazing thing is how a simple photograph can be quite foreboding with the right filters :)

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