Why I Am Still Here.

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(Edited)

The recent post of @theycallmedan, "Why Am I Still Here? Initiative", inspired me to write down my own STEEM story.

Additon to my original text: I started to write this article before I read about "HF22.5". I just decided to publish it anyway, because I still think that both sides in conflict, @justinsunsteemit and the long-term STEEM witnesses can (and have to) find a solution. Whatever happens, there simply must be a bright future for the best of all blockchains! Lets work together to reach that aim!

My STEEM story.


I count myself as one of the early STEEM adopters, as my account was already created in September 2016, a few weeks after I got aware of STEEM by this exact article published on BitcoinBlog.de.

Another few months passed, until I wrote my introduction post at the end of December 2016. Very soon I also convinced my wife, @kobold-djawa, to join, as well. Since then euphoric moments alternated with deep depressions. Let me call in mind just a few:

  • I started as author, without investing a single cent.
    My topics were (and still are) my trips to many different countries, nature photography (especially insects), chess, science (unfortunately, since quite a while I didn't find enough time anymore for writing well-researched science articles - and thus supporting the esteemed SteemSTEM community), mathematical sports betting, politics, philosophy and many more.

    I still remember the fantastic feeling during my early STEEM days after receiving one of the rare but very precious upvotes from @blocktrades or @ned.

  • At the beginning of 2017 the STEEM price decreased more and more, finally down to 7 cent, but already during these early days I felt the potential of STEEM and the power of its community, and thus decided to convert one BTC into STEEM - my first investment into our blockchain! (Please forgive me that these days I still didn't clearly differentiate between STEEM and Steemit, haha.)

  • While I stayed, @dan and @ned left (by the way, this previous link highlights another change happened to the STEEM blockchain: the introduction of an increasing number of DApps, like for example the fantastic Splinterlands game).
    I am aware that both founders have been criticized a lot, but nevertheless, I would like to say "Thank you!": without them all this I am writing about here wouldn't exist at all ...

  • At the beginning of 2018, one would have had to spend more than 7 US dollars to buy one single STEEM. That implies the value of my STEEM reached more than half a million dollar (apart from that I owned several other crypto currencies, including BTC). Soon after that, I decided to take a one year lasting hiatus from my work ... but we all know how harsh and long-lasting the following price decline was ...

I am here to stay!


Times may be hard, but it's never boring to stick with STEEM. I witnessed the implementation of a new, very engaged Steemit leadership, the introduction of communities, and, just recently, the acquisition of the company by @justinsunsteemit. I don't know what future will bring (as always when change is happening, there are opportunities as well as risks), but I still hope for the best, and, as always, I am here to stay. :)

If you are following my blog, you already know, how often I am actually criticizing things or making suggestions for improvements (like here, here, here or here). Doesn't that mean I didn't like STEEM or were a 'naysayer'? Not at all! Actually, making suggestions means that I care a lot about STEEM.
But then, what are the reasons for my loyality or maybe better to say: stubbornness?

Well, two main aspects come into play here, one of them based on rational reasoning, while the other one is more emotion based:

Rational reasons to stick with STEEM:

  • Independently of the price fluctuation, I believe in the advanced technology of the STEEM blockchain with its fast and fee free transactions. Furthermore funds are sent to simple user names instead of complicated crypto addresses.

    The development team of Steemit, Inc. introduced Resource Credits, implemented masterpieces of software like for example Hivemind & Communities or MIRA, and currently is testing SMTs.

  • The unique feature of STEEM within the crypto sphere is its thriving community which allows to combine the gigantic potential of social media with the advantages only blockchain has to offer.

    Opposite to networks like facebook, STEEM users get rewarded with a crypto currency for their hard work of creating content or DApps.
    Their words are carved into the blockchain where no company, no government can ever delete them.

    Apart from earning money, I use STEEM as a permanent, censorship resistant storage of my own thoughts and ideas.

    There is no limit for ideas how to use STEEM in future, for example as a way to support people in need worldwide, a way for free journalists, musicians or book writers to earn money ...

    Writing all this, and considering current developments, I hope that also the idea of decentralization of the STEEM blockchain will be kept alive ... One essential step towards that diretion would be to reduce the number of witness votes per single account to five to (at maximum) ten!

Emotional reasons to stick with STEEM:


I already mentioned the community as kind of a general asset the STEEM blockchain has to offer. However, there is also a more personal component. Since I joined STEEM, I met lots of unique, intelligent, creative, lovable individuals which are living in many different parts of the world. More than only a few of them I met already in real life, which resulted in many interesting conversations and deep friendships. Especially amazing is the high number of freedom-loving people who prefer a self-determined life, in which they decide where and how to live, as well as what, when (and if) to work.
The possibility to earn STEEM is at the same time the source of personal freedom.

I saved the best for last: while I missed the first two SteemFests, I had the privilege to join SteemFest 3 in Krakow and SteemFest 4 in Bangkok.

Taking part in these two events was a unique, unforgettable experience, which made it clear that nowhere else in crypto space I could ever find something similar. I am convinced that this strong community guarantees survival and future growth of STEEM.

And apart from that, there will always be new Steemians keeping the community alive ... :) (Picture taken at SteemFest 4.)

steem steemit posh community story memories
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47 comments
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Beautiful photo, such lovely.

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Hello, @jaki01. I'm not quite sure how I can post for the steem community you just founded, especially since I use the steempress plugin to post. I haven't caught up with these new blockchain changes. I would appreciate your advice.

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the chess community, btw.

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Go there, and then just click "POST".
Does that work?

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Like I said, I'm posting from the steempress plugin.

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Then maybe ask the responsible developer(s) how to post in communities (I am not using that app ...)

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Of course... The point is, now you know why my posts about chess aren't listed in this community yet :)

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Your first tag needs to be 'hive-157286'

I am not sure this is possible with the steempress plugin but I haven't used it.

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I'm still here too, but still I feel not okay now after read some news on Twitter about Steem :(

Anyway, Jana looks so beautiful. She is growing up very well. I miss her so much.

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I'm still here too, but still I feel not okay now after read some news on Twitter about Steem :(

Yes, we are currently navigating through shallow water, but I hope finally we will reach the moon. :)

I am looking forward to meet each other again.

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I couldn't agree more!!What the hell happened today!? This will be in crypto history!It's been a long time that I wasn't stopping everything I should be doing to get fresh updates about steem and this new fork! Wow, is this a massive advertisment campaign or what?!

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I guess NOBODY, neither @justinsunsteemit nor anybody else really knows the outcome of what is taking place just now ... but I think whatever happens, the community will stay alive.

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I really hope that @justinsunsteemit knows what he was doing with this tricky movement, otherwise I don't see a good future for steem.

Relating to the community, I must agree with you, no matter what the community will stay alive.

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I am still here. We (SteemSTEM) are still here. At least for now. For the rest, I am thinking... a lot. Let's see.

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I am still here ...

... and I still keep upvoting your and other SteemSTEM posts . :)

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Thanks! This is very appreciated. Time is what I need most :)

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The sense of community must always be strengthened here, @jaki01.

Good post.

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Good to see you guys. I'm still here too and I hope not many more are going off.

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Remarkable story. Thanks for sharing it us with and thanks for "being still here" ;) This very community, its passion, dedication, skills and will to overcome bad things over and over again, is the only thing that gives me hope right now...

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(Edited)

Good article!

I hope for the best and am here to stay, too! And your article makes me feel much more confident to stay…

My account was created in October 2016, one month after yours. The reasons that I love Steemit are mostly similar to yours. I’m happy that we met on Steemit and can finally meet in real life 2 times already and I hope to see you and your warm family again and again in the near future.

I am also convinced that this strong community guarantees the survival and future growth of STEEM.

Ah! I like this picture of you and your little princess. This can bring me to the good memories that we met in Bangkok and the enjoyable times that I played with her here…. I miss her very much now. The sweetest and the most adorable Steemian, @Steem-Queen! ;)

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Ein ganz toller Post von Dir mit einer sehr emontionalen und persönlichen Note. Okay, persönliche Noten bringst Du und Deine Familie immer mit ein. Dein Account, Dein Blog ist keine anonyme Erscheinung, aus der scharf auf andere geschossen wird. ;-)
Nein, ganz im Gegenteil, Du zeigst Gesicht und äußerst Deine Meinung immer geradeaus. In vielen Punkten haben wir beide ein Überstimmung zu verzeichnen (z.B. im Hang zur Freiheit, den Du in Deinem Beitrag auch hervorhebst (klasse!)), in manchen dann wieder nicht. Und das ist auch gut so. Das ist die Norm, da kein Lebenwesen dem anderen gleicht.
Das schöne in den Diskussionen mit Dir ist, daß man in den Punkten, in denen man mit Dir nicht einer Meinung ist, immer einen harten, aber auch - so finde ich zumindest, und ich weiß, die meisten sehen es auch so oder zumindest ähnlich - fairen Gesprächspartner.
Teile ich auf jeden Fall weiter....

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Da bleibt mir nur, mich ganz herzlich für deinen Kommentar zu bedanken! :)

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You're totally one of those early ones. I don't think I even learned about crypto yet back then.

I am convinced that this strong community guarantees survival and future growth of STEEM

I really hope so. I thought STEEM-TRON thing would be something good or at least something good would happen. These past few days just too dramatic and I'm so hoping for the best to happen.

I'm still here too! Still addicted to that steem and still enjoy the companies of all the people I met through the platform both online and irl.

Nice meeting you here through this very blockchain! :) Miss the little princess!

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I thought STEEM-TRON thing would be something good or at least something good would happen.

It could be something good, if both sides would listen too each other instead of fighting only! To be honest, I hope that concerning the current struggle for the top witness ranks, there will finally be a power balance, so that nobody is able anymore to make any quick changes (like for example reducing the power down timeframe) without talking to the other side.

And then, to restrict the influence of single individuals, the available number of witness votes per account should get significantly reduced. I know that users can use mutiple accounts for voting, but in that case they also have to spread their SP one these accounts which decreases its strength.

@justinsunsteemit could support STEEM with his influence, marketing skills and money, but at the same time should respect its independence and decentral nature (even more decentral after reducing the number of witness votes per account). He himself would benefit from a long-term increase of the STEEM value.

Sometimes people (in this case on both sides of the table) should put their ego last and instead of that focus on the overall success of a project.

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Agreed actually! Finger crossed! :)

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Anyway: I think it's really fascinating to see, how the STEEM community reimplements the former witnesses. It reminds me anyhow at how Asterix and Obelix defend their little village against the Romans.

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It's always like this. Remember the Dlive situation, lol like Steemians gonna eat you raw if you play them dirty lol

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It's a real representation of the bible story about David vs Goliath 😀.
Well...I had planned to write an article about this too previously but I think it's not so necessary anymore cos my opinion wouldn't differ that much from @jaki01 afterall 😄.
So I just want to drop by for a minutes here to cheer on you too @waybeyondpadthai
I am glad that you are still here as well 😊.

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I have been on hiatus for a year at least cos life is rather tough and busy lately. But I still stay too. This is at least a good opportunity to earn some more dollars aside of a common job with only small earnings in my country.

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Sehr schöner Post zur aktuellen Lage mit viel persönlicher Note! Vielen Dank! Ich kenne dich und deine Posts noch zu wenig, das wird sich ändern! :-)

Ich bin auch hier um zu bleiben und habe meine kleine Nische bei der dApp actifit gefunden und wünsche mir, dass diese und alle anderen Apps, die auf der Steem BC laufen, nicht unter der momentan schwierigen Lage leiden.

Ich wünsche mir auch, dass sich bald die von beiden Parteien (Steem community/witnesses und JS) aufgeheizten Emotionen entspannen und im gegenseitig respektvollen Gespräch eine für beide Seiten gute Lösung gefunden wird.

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Und nach wie vor verfasst du interessante Blogbeiträge, die ich nicht missen möchte, wobei ich was Schach angeht nicht gerade ein Champion bin und bei diesen Steem-Spielen auch nicht groß mitreden kann.

Noch vor deinen Berichten über Reisen und Urlaubsorte sind die Postings, in denen du über Gott und die Welt sprichst oder über den Sinn des Lebens philosophierst meine absoluten Favoriten, weil diese immer ansteckend waren und dazu einluden, selbst Gedankengänge dieser Art zu vollziehen, an denen ich schon immer sehr viel Freude hatte.

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Thank you @jaki01 for sharing your interesting experiences with Steemit

hopefully Steemit can be even better

I hope Steemit returns to its former glory

I am still trying to remain loyal at Steemit because Steemit has contributed a lot to me and my family and many other interesting things at Steemit

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Great story and quite inspiring!

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Nice to read that you liked it. :)

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Late to catch this. I'm still here too. Although I didn't keep up with the late hardforks. Such a memorable moments though. You know it's a hyped when you also hit the button for us too.😁
Thank you for your kind support. 😄

It was shocking when found that Ned sold steemit but then realizing how the stuck and hard time which hoping the new CEO can change the situation.
We also got steem purely from posting and honestly feel like nothing to lose anyway. We got friend and fun. With the new CEO hoping the new future for steem. All the best for Steemit and all of us. 😇

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Nice to hear from you after a very long time! Hope you are fine and will post again one day! :)

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I will Inshallah. But now super busy babysitting 3 boys. Now sleep is precious than anything. 😂.
Thank you. Hope you, sis Ana n Jana are doing great as well.!

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