Hello Hive PH!
This is my first time to post in this community so I think it's just right to start with a formal introduction. I have done a lot of introductions in the past so I have difficulty in drafting post. What should I say this time? Let's see.
You might have encountered this username somewhere, but in case you haven't, I am Kim Ybañez from Cebu. I have been in this space since September 29, 2017 and I was able to witness a lot of drama since then. I guess I already talked so much about myself so I'll just link here all of my "introduction" posts. You can check them out if you want.
Since I specialize in travel, you can just browse through my posts if you want to know more about the Philippines. I think the Philippines is still underrated in Southeast Asia as a travel destination. My goal is to promote my country to the international scene which is the reason why I have Kim's Quest, Kim's Taste, Definitely Cebu, and Philippine Islands. Here's the sample of what Cebu (my home) has to offer:
I don't want to talk about myself anymore as I will end up regurgitating the same words from my previous posts. What I want to talk about are my expectations from this community. Of course, these are just my opinion alone and I don't represent any entity of any form or capacity except myself. Also, I don't see anything for me to gain from this. I just want for this community to flourish as I have envisioned it before in the previous chain, but ultimately failed. I feel that this is our second chance, our redemption from the failure of what this community was supposed to be.
If you'll ask me about my involvement or functions in this community, I guess I couldn't answer in ways that you would like. For starters, I have not been active in the Philippine community in general, but I was involved in the previous community here in Cebu. I was one of the three main organizers of Steem Summit, which I am proud to say that was one of the most successful gatherings here in Cebu. We had a lot of meet ups that served as incubators for newbies at that time, but everything was informal and there's no structure. Those who joined before us became de facto leaders even if their commitment to the community were questionable. For context, you can find my post here:
I often sound pessimistic, but I think I'm just pragmatic about things and I really wanted to see a united community that goes beyond regionalism and colonial mentality. So here's what I wanted to see in this community:
Eliminate Regional Communities under Hive PH
The scheme in the previous chain is that there were regional communities that were all under Steem PH. There was steemph.cebu, steemph.manila, steemph.davao, and other several cluster communities including those who were abroad like steemph.uae. I think this caused that "ija ija, aho aho" mentality. This created a facade of a united front, but in reality, no one really cared about the other cluster communities. The Philippines is an archipelago and we were just like that, divided. If you'll ask me again, these were my observations from the political struggle before.
The problem I see is over-representation and under-representation. Say for example there are more members that are from Manila than in the Visayas, those in Manila would not care to include those from the Visayas and those from the Visayas would not care to engage with those from Manila. This is sad. Everyone should be represent as one Filipino community, regardless of where you're from in the Philippines or even in the world.
Hive should go beyond regional boundaries. It is said that we are like virtual citizens in this virtual nation-state that goes beyond the international borders of the world. That's what we should aspire to be. We don't have to like each other in order to work harmoniously. As long as everyone of us should put the community before our personal interests, it could happen.
As one of the discussion points in our Zoom meeting last week that was organized by @pinoy.viajero was the elimination of regional communities. Thanks to @romeskie for pointing it out and I have the same sentiments. We should be inclusive and welcoming to all members and potential members regardless of their ethnicity and affiliation as long as they embody a true Filipino Hiveian spirit.
Quality Content is King
I'm not saying that you shouldn't post anything that I you wanted to post in this community because that's your right to do so, but my idea on this is that if we wanted to gain support from outside, we should show that the content creators here have the caliber to rival - or even superior - those from other communities. This will create a snowball effect in the future, but for now, quality should be treated with highest regard. You can find in the following posts my thoughts about quality:
Of course we all have different measurements of levels of quality, but I guess we can all agree that the underlying foundation of quality is effort. Always make conscious effort in creating your post for it will definitely reflect on the outcome of your post.
So, how are we going to approach this? Well, since there are curators already that are in place to reward those content creators who will post in this community, I suggest that greater rewards are to be allocated to those who are consistently producing top quality posts and always encourage everyone to produce top quality content. People might be earning a few dollars for now, but once a curator or a whale stumble upon this community and see that the contents are superior in quality, we might gain support and in turn, encourage more people to post. That's the snowball effect.
I suggest also that we should not be lenient to bad actors. Plagiarists and farmers should always be discouraged. When we start to onboard users to this platform and ultimately to our community, always make sure that they understand that this is not the same as before that you just post something and then you'll earn rewards. We should always encourage them to work hard and consistently produce quality content. Rewards will just follow later on.
Always Demand Transparency and Accountability to All Members
One of the common mistakes of people is that they treat a community as a refuge and safe haven. We should go beyond that. There should be no problem with that mentality under normal circumstances, but it becomes problematic when one member's actions could potentially bring down the whole community.
It might be unimportant for now because everyone seems to be doing their own thing, but once structures are put in place, it will be very different. As the community can be treated as a safe haven, everyone has the responsibility to represent the community in an upright manner. As the community grows, leaders will emerge out of necessity. Community moderators are needed in order to keep the community functioning at its best capacity.
Leaders should be accountable to their actions. Any kind of accusation should be treated with highest regard. As they are the ones responsible for the direction of the community, they should be subjected to standards far superior than the members. This might not yet be applicable for now, but this is vital in the future.
Erring members should not be tolerated. If they pose a risk to the reputation of the community due to their actions, they should be also at risk of being downvoted or banned depending on the gravity of their offense. Everyone should be transparent and accountable to their actions. If proven guilty, as actions are recorded in the blockchain and can be retrieved anytime as evidence, leniency should not be allowed.
Establish Mechanisms to be Self-Reliant
This is for the future of this community. If we don't want this community to be a ghost town, we should have ways to encourage our members to post. Since everything in Hive is voluntary, we can't force our members to post this community and not to other communities. When there's an incentive to post, there's no reason why people would not post.
Maybe we can have delegation programs just like how @ocd and @ocdb was run. Of course this would require competent leaders with the right commitment for the community. Also, all funds generated in this community should always be for the community. At least that's how I perceive it should be. The problem with the previous community is that the leaders thought that because they were the first to join and they were the ones who set everything up, they are entitled with the funds of that community even if they promised that they will use the funds for the community. This becomes problematic as it creates animosity between the leaders and the members.
There should be a system to be put in place to discourage anyone from running away with the funds. I know that this is difficult because we are dealing with potential money in future, but the welfare of the community should always come first. There should be harsh punishment like public shaming or what. I don't know how to proceed with the punishment, but since everything is recorded in the blockchain, incriminating someone should not be difficult.
If you're still with me, thank you for bearing with me in this weird introduction post. In this way, you know me by how I see things especially in dealing with politics in this community. It might be insignificant for now, but it will be a problem in the future if we are not careful with how we proceed from here. Trust me, I have observed and experienced all those things I mentioned.
P.S.: To the new members, dropping of links to posts in chat channels don't work and is frowned upon. Also, follow for follow and upvote for upvote doesn't work anymore. The best way to promote yourself and your post is to engage with other members of your chosen community.
By the way, this is my entry to @theycallmedan's #MyCountry Initiative which you can find here. I encourage everyone here to join to show that our community exists.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.
If you like my content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want to. Also, don't forget to follow me to be updated with the latest posts.
I've been here for almost 2 years now. From steem and then to hide. I'm one of the witnesses how successful you are in terms og blogging. We're happy that you came by. You're presence will give much influence to the community.
Nice to meet you by the way, d' dreamboy, mrnightmare89. That's what I always said in my ending content. Also I'm from southern leyte, so bisaya..
Wow! I don't consider myself successful though. 😂
For sure I'll come by from time to time. Maybe post some stuff. I'm planning to tip posts here that could pass my criteria. I'll be picky though. Curie would be my standard. Let's see what happen in the near future.
Nice to meet you too! Bisaya represent!
Ramdam ko ang hinagpis, lungkot, hinanakit, panghihinayang at pagkadismaya mo sa past ng community natin. Huwag kang mag-alala, nakita ko (hindi man lahat) ang mga nangyari. I was just a silent observer, but I was taking note of the lessons learned.
Hive PH isn't starting from scratch, we are starting from experience. Hindi na tayo babanat nang katulad dati na porke't mataas-taas ang value ngayon, lahat tayo andito. Ang plano ko ngayon sa community ay sustainbility para kapag dumating ang point n bumaba ulit ang value, we will not crumble like we did before.
And just like what was promised before from steemph, @hiveph power will stay in the community. We will not powerdown as long as hive is alive.
And one of the things na iiwasan natin ngayon ay ang pulitika. Kita naman natin kung gaano kagulo pag may pulitikang kasama. I am here to blog, hindi para mamulitika. Kung sino man ang may bright idea pra sa community, just come forward, it doesn't matter to me which faction or region they were from as long as their intention is for the betterment of Hive PH.
Sorry, napahaba ang comment ko. I was just touched by your passion toward our community. Keep the fire burning. Hive on!
That's the spirit I want to see in a leader. Now the community is in a good hands. Good thing may silent observer noon tulad ko. At least marami tayong natutunan noon na pwede nating iwasang mangyari ngayon. Hive on!
Very well said, you truly represent our country thru your blog, promoting both for locale and foreign tourists.
Successful on Steem and Hive really an achiever.
Thank you for such kind words! 😊
I feel that every Filipino hiver should represent the country in the best of their abilities. I guess I'm just doing my part.
I agree on what you have just say, to succeed we need something that bind us and a good leader.
Sadly, it's easier said than done. That's why I don't involve myself much on the community itself. I'm more of an independent consultant if there's such a thing.
Why not sir, please give it a try get your hands dirty. Since we know different people comes with different characters, opinions, deeds, etc., and you lead them. Yes it's easier said than done.
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Well said, @ybanezkim26.
I joined Steem Summit before and I thought that the community we once had will last for years. Even though I was only a shy observer in that little corner in Aspace, I felt how enthusiastic the members were. That made me think that we had a perfect community.
But unfortunately, when I came back in this platform, I saw that only few members remain active. So I understand why you're frustrated. I am also hoping that this new community that we are building will become more united and members will also become committed. Hopefully...
😱 You were there? Nakalimot na jud guro ko. Murag nakadaog man ka diba? Anyway, sad jud bitaw na namahawa na kadaghanan. Pero padayon ta. Haha
Yaaass! Naa rajud kos kilid nag-observe. Hehehe. Yes, nakadaog kog poetry writing and naa pa nako ang certificate with your signature. Maayo nalang naay remembrance. ❤❤❤
Padayon lang jud ta ani. 😄
Wow! If managhan na ta. Organize ta balik ingon ato. Mapull off kaha. 😂
Mao nay lisod nga pangutana. 😁
Let's see puhon kung managhan na ang active and committed members. Successful jud baya to nga event, unta makaexperience ta balik ato. Puhoooon
Yes! Pero dapat naa ta sponsor. Or ato own community funds ang gamiton. Makamingaw to nga event. Haha
Excellent 👌
Hello, Kim Ybañez. I agree with what you said. Community building is difficult and explosive without the right mechanisms and principles set in place from the beginning. Quality content must always be at the top and regionalism fragments instead of unites and will foster Hive PH's downfall. I get your point about transparency and accountability especially in money matters. I don't really know how this works as a newbie on the platform, but is there a way to keep the funds "safe"? Thanks for the post. Nice to meet you.
Hi, @juanvegetarian! Nice to meet you too! I think the funds are safe if we know who the leaders are and who handles the account. There should be only one custodian of the account that is known and vetted by the community. Also, there should be an auditor who could can immediately act depending on a circumstance. Maybe there's a rotation of auditors. Maybe someone who has a lot to lose if he/she decides to run with the money. This is difficult. Since everything is recorded in the blockchain, there's transparency already. I think the funds should be in savings or powered up to prevent immediate withdrawal.
That's what I can think of so far.
Agree ako sa suggestion mo. There must be a system of check and balance. Kahit saan naman ay ganito ang expected for an organization to be successful. Salamat. :)
Hi there, very well said on your INTRO. Awesome! You are indeed a great influencer. WELCOME TO HIVE! Let's all enjoy our stay here and ya, I am eager to go home soon to my beloved country 'Philippines'. Take care always, stay safe!
Hi, @iameden! Where are you right now? Stay safe.
Welcome to us... I am also a newbie. Please follow me. Have a nice day!
I'm not a newbie. I guess. 😂
Also, follow for follow doesn't work.
Ohw Im sorry for ny mistake. Thanks anyway.
No worries 😜
If you encounter some difficulties along the way, don't hesitate to ping me. Maybe I can help.
Welcome to Hive and let's support each other here.God Bless!!!
Learning from the master. Like it much. I'm not really good in blogging or writing stuff, though this inspires me a lot to do more things out of the box .
Wow! I'm far from a master. I'm also learning too! You don't have to be good at it at first. What's important is that you start doing it and learn the trade along the way.
Everyone sucks at their first try, even the most talented people. I hope to see more of you here.
I will always try to be a good citizen of the community. Whatever happens, I will always go back to this post and check this comment I have posted as my commitment to everyone. Engraved here on the Hive-Blockchain is my promise to y'all. Continue to be our source of inspiration and hoping someday we will be the ones inspiring other people.
Let's rock this platform in a good way!
I love this! This is the kind of commitment that the community needed. At the very least, we are accountable to ourselves. As my commitment also, I will continue to inspire (if someone will be inspired, 😂) people in this community. I don't know how to do it effectively yet, but I will try.
You don't have to do anything but just be yourself and continue to do whatever you are doing. We will just be constantly on the look out and support you too. Not that our upvote matters but then will just see the way you handle things. Just being there with us and letting us see an epitome of what a successful person is, then definitely this will be an effective way to be motivated.
Wow! It's an honor. Thank you! This gives me an added push to stay motivated.
It's a good introduction with commentaries from previous events. Charge to experience, it's easily said than done. More often than not, most people upvote the 'big fish' in order to get noticed. That's the sad part. Instead, you should do your best, create good contents to get the credit. We are here to learn what needs to be learned. Thanks for providing us the links too. God bless!
Thank you for checking it out! I really appreciate comments like this. That's why I always spend time to reply. This is one of my motivations to continue posting. Thank you!
See you around!