What is a Witness?
Witnesses are the elected leaders of the community. They are ambassadors for the project, and many of them work on things to improve the value of the platform.
Witnesses are tasked with validating and producing the blocks for the blockchain, which ensures everything in the network operates smoothly and correctly. Every three seconds one of the witnesses assemble all of the transactions that have occurred (such as posts, comments, votes, HIVE/HBD transfers) into a "block" and then they store all that information in the distributed database network called the "blockchain".
Witnesses are also responsible for maintaining an accurate and up-to-date price feed, as well as deciding on several important blockchain parameters. Witnesses control the cost for websites to create new accounts, and decide how much interest to pay for holding HBD. Many witnesses also host a public 'seed' node that other witnesses and the rest of the community can use to interact with the blockchain.
For more information on what witnesses do, and how to select good witnesses - check out this Witness Voting Guide!
Who is @timcliff?
I'm 33 years old, and I live in New Brighton, MN. I am happily married to @artist1989 =)
I have a Bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Minnesota. I have ten years of experience in professional software development, working for a "Software-as-a-Service" company that develops applications for the energy industry. I spent most of my career as a software developer, and now I work as a Data Engineer consultant.
If you want to learn more about me, you can check out my "reintroduceyourself" post!
How is @timcliff Involved?
- I have been a Steem witness since Oct 7, 2016, and transitioned to Hive when the Hive blockchain launched on March 20, 2020.
- I am actively posting, commenting, curating/voting, and resteeming good content.
- I helped to organize all of the community's ideas into the original Steemit Wish List back when we were trying to pentition Steemit, Inc. for change.
- I worked with @bitcoiner to create the condenser Quick Start Guide (formally the "Welcome Page") to provide new users the information they need to get started after signing up for a new account.
- I am heavily involved in discussions on how to improve the platform and whether to accept hardforks.
- I review activity in the Hive GitHub repository and frequently comment and make suggestions. I also submit pull requests with various enhancements and glitch fixes.
- I ran an experiment called @the.masses to see what would happen if everyone in the community had access to the private posting key of an account.
- I worked with @pfunk and several members of the community to submit pull request 1352 to add over a hundred new questions/answers to the condenser FAQ page.
- I submited periodic Development Updates - GitHub Report posts to let the community know what the dev team has been up to in GitHub.
- I created a weekly Reports from the Witnesses post that provides the community a summary of all the witness update posts from the past week.
- I attended the Beyond Bitcoin Show to talk about the Steem/Steemit platform, and experience a witness.
- I created Instructions for Installing a condenser Instance (for Developers).
- I have hosted several bounties and contests to reward the community for participating and being involved.
- I submit witness reports to the community to let everyone know what I'm up to.
What are @timcliff's Views on Hive Topics?
- Everything you need to know about potential payouts and flagging
- Updated thoughts on 'the whale experiment'
- SBD Debt Reduction - A Fiscally Conservative View
- Whales - Can the community buy out a portion of your influence?
- Proposal for three new communities to spur growth, increase user retention, and incentive investment: Witch Hunters, Flag Wars, and Trolls (Humor)
- Why The STEEM Bubble Was an Investment Round and Not a Product Launch (post from @dan-atstarlite)
- Do you want to be a BETA Tester? [A New Recruitment Model]
- Steemit's Biggest Investment Problem - The Cost/Benefit Analysis Reward Curve
- No. You do not own Steemit, Inc.
- The Battle of Upvote Weights
- Attention Sharks - There is blood in the water. Are you ready to invest?
Server Architecture
I run a primary witness server as well as a backup server, that both run 24/7/365. I have an automated script that runs to detect if my primary server starts missing blocks, and if it detects that the node is failing it automatically switches over to the backup server. I do periodic maintenance on the servers, but I only work on a server when the other one is running as the active node.
Server Specs:
- Operating System: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
- Processor: AMD 3.1 GHz, 6 cores
- RAM: 32 GB DDR3
- Hard Drive: 3 TB
Security:
- Remote Hosting
- SSH keys to login
- Password authentication disabled
- Root login disabled
Interested in Becoming a Witness?
If you are interested in becoming a witness, check out this guide from @bitcalm. It is a great resource, and provides pretty much all the info you need to get a witness node up and running! You may also be interested in learning how much witnesses make per block. The information in the posts may be slightly out of date, but they are still fairly accurate, and at least a great place to start.
Voting
If you think I will make a great witness, please vote for me here:
https://peakd.com/me/witnesses
Or via the cli_wallet: vote_for_witness youraccount timcliff true true
Thanks
Thank you for taking the time to read my witness application post!
@timcliff is active in help chat, active on steemit and one of the first whales you will encounter in the steemit ocean as a young minnow. And he will improve your day just by meeting him, and he may not even know he is doing that for so many. If he does know it, he is awfully humble about it! Great work @timcliff you've helped me and forgotten it by now but now I'm returning the favor, as I've locked in my witness vote for you and will keep it that way until you decide you don't want to do it anymore. So glad you are in the backbone of the "Steem beest". ;)
I'll only vote if he'll make me billions of rubble's, that I than convert in Canadian Pennies
Thanks @sircork - I really appreciate it!
We're all counting on you, Obi-TimCliff!
Also, I tagged you in a comment I posted on a very interesting "question for and about whales" post this morning from someone I am following. I am sure you have a lot to wade through, but I'd be very interested in your answer on it when and if you have time. Thanks in advance!
Replied.
ty tim couldnt ask for better
Thank you so much for your time and attention! I knew you would know!
Amazing job! I love how much you're involved to this site Mr.Cliff, I'm new here but, I would gladly vote for you!
Thanks :)
Please vote me
very good
@timcliff, thank you so much for all you do. I really appreciate the simple explanation you gave regarding what a witness actually does. Happy to support you. I just voted.
Thanks!
im glad i stumbled upon this, i'm new and looking to jump in head first and you are setting a great example of the different opportunities and what it takes to make things happen here,
Thanks :)
great job man
Thanks :)
I've been on steemit since 27th June 2017 and certain names pop out from time to time doing useful things around the site.
You have been present, which is in my view one of the most important attribute of a witness. Amongst many other things.
You got my vote @timcliff
Thank you. Much appreciated :)
My pleasure keep up the good work. We need it.
You earned a vote just to explain what the heck a witness means. Good work on Steemit. Great going. All the best. 🙌
Thanks :)
It's all my pleasure. You are welcome. :D
@timcliff you are a great person i came to know about steemit because of you and i voted you as my steem witness.
Cool, thanks :) How did you hear about it?
from your youtube videos
Cool :)
How can start my own witness server can help me to setup the server or do have any guide post about this ?
Yes, can you message me on Steemit chat?
@timcliff though I'm pretty new here I'm currently absorbing every single information I can get about steemit and this amazing community. The last few days were reserved for the "witness" topic :)
Thanks for clarifying what a witness is and how I can help to support the people making steemit what it is: the future of social networks. Fair and transparent.
Just voted for you and thanks for what you do - it's because of people like you we can use and grow steemit :)
Cool, thanks :)
Hi guys. Hello @timcliff. I am new around here, but I stumbled upon this "Witness" stuff and it got me thinking... Could I humbly request to you, can you please explain the system and community a bit further to me? Hey, I could go ask Wikipedia or something, but I am already here. :D I will not lie or anything; a friend told me about this website, and I am 100 dollars short on this project that I have so I thought, hey, why not give it a try? :D Thank you beforehand for all and any help!
Well, it is not a get rich quick scheme. If you are interested in making money from the platform, it usually takes quite a bit of effort. The bigger earners on the site are typically people that have been at it for a while. It is something that you can succeed at and make decent money from if you put the work in though. I've been here for about a year and a half, and I started out not knowing anybody (or earning any rewards) when I first started too - so it can be done :)
As far as resources, I suggest that you first check out the "Welcome" page in the main menu. I actually helped put that page together :) It is intended to help new users get started on the platform. The section near the bottom that has 'helpful posts from users' has a lot of really good info. In addition to that page, there is also the FAQ page, which has a lot more in depth info.
If you have any other questions, let me know. I'm happy to help :)
Actually I feel like you've pointed me in the right direction --thanks! I will check out those resources and get back to you if I get any questions. :D
Although, something does come to mind: I've upvoted a lot of stuff since I first got here, but I see many of those things don't go up in "earnings" in any way --some even remain at USD 0.00. :( Why is that? I know I am doing something wrong, just don't know what it is.
It is kind of frustrating, because if this "curating" isn't giving rewards to me or the people I upvote, will upvotes from others help my stuff? :(
That is actually covered in the FAQ, but the short answer is because you don't have much Steem Power. The more SP you have, the more your votes are worth, and the more you earn through curation.
I thought we were given a bit of something free with the account --was it not Steem Power? If it was, it was very little of it then, wasn't it? :|
It was, but it was very little.
Oh, okay, well I hope I'll learn to earn that Steem Power soon then! Thanks @timcliff
:)
BTW is it okay that I upvoted my own comment up here? ^
Hey @timcliff you got my vote
thanks
Cool, thank you! :)
you have my vote
Voted for @timcliff
Thanks :)
Nice update, and I resteemed. I hope other witness follow your step. Nice ! :)
Thanks @happyphoenix!
[Edit] p.s. The credit for the idea actually goes to @pfunk. He submitted an updated witness post a few months ago, and I thought it was a great idea so I did it too :)
Namaste @timcliff,
Excellent Witness Thread - eloquently written.
My vote goes to you.
Respect :)
Thanks :)
@timcliff, happy to support you! Thank you already for all the help.
Welcome!
Iam just 1 day old, and trying to absorb as much as i can. Thanks @timcliff gor the explanation and @pfunk for original idea of this witness program. And thank you also @jockey to introduce me to Steemit. Very much appreciated.
Welcome :)
Good greeting: I am new to this community, I have been fascinating all this and you are my first Witness and also my first comment is for you, I am Latin and maybe my English is not good 'but you motivate me to go ahead thanks Friend and to continue learning.
Very cool :) Welcome to the community!
I just voted for you :)
Thanks :)
Amazing job!
I have voted for you, great work.
Thanks :)
U have my vote Timcliff..keep up the good work
Thanks :)
Already voted for you a while back but still keep up the good work.
Awesome, thank you! I appreciate your continued support :)
You're doing a great job. Keep it up
Thanks @steevc :)
@timcliff thank you for the explanation!
I also would like to become a witness :) whish me luck please
peace love and crypto best regards Harimbadl
@timcliff wouldn't it make sense to reward 100% SBD when the price is so high? I think it should be a witness parameter so that they can force the price to go down. The price has been way over $1 for days now even weeks so the steem dollar experiment seems to be a failure, something needs to change in the code imo, what's your take?
It is a tough problem. The change you propose is a lot of work, and while it might help, I'm not convinced it will solve the problem. Plus, if we increase the supply by too much then we have the debt limit to worry about.
IMO, the real problem is not that there isn't enough supply, it is that there is not enough circulation. Too many people are buying and holding, instead of selling when the price goes above the peg. I don't know the solution, but that is the problem I think we need to solve.
Oh hi there!
I just went to your comment section to find you to say thanks for your vote on one of my posts today!
Whale votes. They are always appreciated by some of us!!!!
Keep up the good work.
( @timcliff is definitely worth your approval )
Thanks @gtg - it means a lot!
You got my vote :)
Thanks :)
Hi Tim, Just wanted to let you know you have one of my votes for witness and to thank you for your support of the Steemit community.
Cool, thank you!
Hello again @terrybrock, and hi Tim; I wanted to ask you guys help with this individual, I don't know what his problem is...
(2nd and last time I post this --promise!)
He keeps posting a bunch of SPAM about not-spamming...
Makes no sense, at least not to me...! What d'you guys think?
I mean, it looks like a bloody bot! take a peek (his blog's comments):
You can report them to #steemitabuse in steemit.chat.
okay thanks --would you do the same? i mean, look him up, there is the username; he looks to be disguising his spam as an anti-spam awareness campaign --except it's not that, he is clearly fishing for votes, isn't he? since you've been here longer you would know...
One report should be sufficient. Just send them whatever information you have.
Thank you Tim. I suppose it will be disregarded, as it seems these "botish" members of the community are somehow highly valued... I would say a flag by people like you would be enough, but oh well, the SPAM about spamming continues...
There will always be users abusing the platform in various ways. Despite what a lot of people believe it is still a pretty small portion of the community and content. There are groups that do a lot of good work fighting the worst cases.
I don’t flag stuff myself unless I come across it when I am browsing myself, or get a request from someone who I trust, and I know has done all the proper research and needs more people to fight something they cannot fight alone.
Well, I certainly cannot fight this dude on my own! He has a lot more SP than me (he is also 4 months older than me here), but you saw the captures I took; he says the same things OVER AND OVER AND OVER again...
If that is not botting or spamming I don't know what is. He camouflages himself as an anti-spam "contributor", but if you or any other Witness Candidate took a look at his stuff, I am sure you would agree with me...
I already gave you his handle, and I don't want him to be notified of this convo, so I will not do it again. If you see fit, check him out and decide if he is doing things right...
By the way, happy Christmas to you @timcliff, and many blessings from on High! :D
Followed you and gave you my vote for witness. You seem very qualified and knowledgable.
Thanks :)
@timcliff hey Tim, just wanted to like you know that I upvoted you for witness after looking at your resume of posts and commentary. Keep it up my friend.
Thanks :)
Hey @timcliff I just voted for you. I'm very new to this so the explanations you have given above have been very helpful. Keep up the great work 👍
Cool, thanks :)
Hello Tim,
I am enjoying learning this new platform and reading about your contributions to steemit. You have my witness vote with my thanks for your efforts!
Thanks :)
Today I voted you and supported you as witness @timcliff .. I believe with your ideas. Succes for you, I'm from Aceh. May I chat you from steemit.chat?
Cool, thank you. Yes, of course.
Gave you a witness vote. Thanks for all the hard work and time you put in to help this community.
Cool, thank you!
@timcliff I have recently joined steemit. I must say that steemit is really engaging. I stumbled on this post while exploring witness. Great information. I can feel your dedication, eagerness & excitement to help and grow this community. Really appreciate your efforts. Keep up the good work!
Thanks :)
I have voted for you as my witness. Thank you for your support @timcliff
Thanks :)
I just voted for you
Thanks :)
Hi @timcliff, after reading about witnesses, reply from @ddrfr33k, and posts I read from you and about you, I decided to give one of my witness votes to you. Especially the respect a lot of people have for your because of your humbleness and kindness, I appreciate a lot. I hope you keep doing what you are doing the best, helping the community to grow more. Thanks again for the hard work!
Thanks :)
"CAN I GET A WITNESS" Thanks for this write up, I was wondering what all tis witness talk was. Clarified and learned.
Tijo~
Awesome :)
I'm counting on you.
I also hope you are always active to help us with low level. And poor
I really like this post; Although you took the idea from someone else, more should follow your example. It is always good to have some interaction with the community and especially regarding what witnesses are doing in general and more particular what you as a witnesses contributed! I have voted for you as a witnesses btw.
I totally agree :) Thank you very much!
@timcliff Hello dear I don't know much about witnesses so I set my proxy to @kingscrown to choose best witness for me. I think he votes for you. I suggested some of my friends to join steemit after they asked me what is vote for witness so I replied I don't know but you can set your proxy to @kingscrown.
I have only one question - if any one vote for witness (for you are anyone else), what he get back?
And how much vote is good to do as there mentioned 30?
Thank you very much:)
There is some info here: https://steemit.com/witness-category/@timcliff/witness-voting-guide
By voting on witnesses, you are helping to decide who powers and secures the blockchain. The witnesses themselves are paid by the blockchain for the work they do.
The more votes witnesses receive (measured in the Steem Power of the voters who are voting for them), the higher they are ranked. Higher ranked witnesses produce more blocks, and are paid more.
hi @timcliff nice to meet you
A super-slick application as always Tim - super sharp boyo :) Upvoted and RS.
Thanks @mindhunter! =)
:)
@mindhunter always got your back Timbo ;) ... and Good Guy Greg too!!
haha I would vote yes to this xD well for @timcliff at least, i still dont know the other guy
Amazing very good info i shared it on my twitter account nice job.
Cool, thank you!
I witness voted for you friend. And following.
voted for u!
Great introduction! Thank you for all the work you put into int, you got my vote!
Have a splendid day :-)
Thanks :) You too!
te doy mi voto