I was not planning to write anything this week, as I am in the middle of some holiday time with the family. The nights are however long enough in winter, so that I managed to find some time to shamelessly steal an idea from @themarkymark (who got it himself from @snook).
Therefore, no physics blog this week, and I will instead answer 10 questions about my story on Hive (and demonstrate with the figure below how bad I am with generating images). Whereas I usually post on Mondays, I will be offline tomorrow. I have therefore decided to share this text with you today.
[Credits: CERN]
How long have you been on the Blockchain?
I joined it on 30th July 2016, so almost 5.5 years ago.
I have tried to find interesting/cool facts that also happened on a 30th of July, but well… the options are not great. I cannot indeed decently pick events such as the Watergate or the birth of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Amusingly, I decided to highlight that I joined the chain exactly…. 4 years before NASA launched its Mars 2020 mission from Cape Canaveral. That’s definitely something I would consider as cool.
From my arrival here, I have always been active, with the exception of a recent period of 1.5 years during which the effects of the pandemic absorbed all my time (see here for more information, if you don’t know already and if you are interested).
What was your background in Cryptocurrency when you first came to the blockchain?
That’s an easy question: nothing. I learned everything by arriving on the Steem (now Hive) ecosystem, in particular thanks to the help of my in-laws.
What was your background in writing when you first came to the blockchain?
I had some experience in writing, but not the kind of writing appropriate for this chain. In 2016, I had already co-authored two books (for students in science) and a few dozens of scientific articles. None of these was however dedicated to the general audience. In addition, I always wanted to manage a blog on which I could discuss physics with non physicists. Our blockchain provided this opportunity.
From day one, I have regularly written blogs about recent news in particle physics, cosmology and also about my own research. The subjects I discuss are not necessarily those covered in other science websites. The only criterion that plays a role is that I always write about what I like and find interesting. That’s all.
Rapidly, things escalated in terms of time and involvement, with the birth of the STEMsocial project (that was initially called SteemSTEM). By the way, I have some great news for Q1 2022, in particular regarding our app (that is in a state of cerebral death for months due to my absence from the chain until early December). Please stay tuned and keep an eye on future announcements on the STEMsocial community.
How many people did you know when you first came to the Blockchain?
I would say about 5 people. Among them, my brother-in-law and father-in-law were quite active and helped me a lot in the early days.
How did you meet people when you first came to the Blockchain?
I wanted to write about science and physics. Therefore, I naturally used the #science and #physics tags for my blogs. From there, I met regular writers with whom we founded a bit later the STEMsocial project. Our headquarters were the former Steem chat (that is now the openhive chat), on which we had a lot of fun back in the days. Today, STEMsocial is small community on Hive, that is also somewhat active on Discord.
In real life, I participated to two STEMsocial meetups and hence had the chance to meet three or four dozens of Hive users. I was also able to meet some Hive users in Paris, as well as when enjoying some time outside physics during a physics trip (for instance in Pretoria, Shanghai and Montreal).
Almost all people who I met… have unfortunately left the ship. Among those who are still around and active today, I should (alphabetically) mention @alexdory, @ancolie, @fredrikaa, @howo, @jedigeiss and @mobbs. Hivefest is definitely an event I would love to attend, so that I could see this list growing… Maybe in 2022...
Who did you look up to when you first came to the blockchain?
As can be guessed from what I wrote above, I use to follow a few STEM writers. I started to learn a few things (actually quite a bit) about DNA, biology and biochemistry. This is what I remember the most from the early days.
How would you describe your first three months on the blockchain?
I started write to blogs on topics close to my heart, and I also learned how to do that properly. Writing about science in a way that is understandable by the people for who we write is not easy. In addition, I also improved my personal knowledge about other branches of science through my readings from the chain.
In September 2016 we founded the STEMsocial project with the aim of improving the quality of STEM content on Hive. Our objectives slowly evolved into something more ambitious: the usage of Hive for science communication, providing an innovative way for those with the greatest knowledge of STEM subjects to communicate to mainstream audiences. Things cooled down during the pandemic… but please stay tuned for 2022 (yes, that’s a second teaser).
Has being a part of the blockchain changed you in any way for the good?
I believe it has definitely changed something in me in a good way, at least in my way to communicate about science in a written manner. In addition, dealing with a community project on Hive has not been easy all the time and I had to learn new skills to do that in an okayish manner.
Being part of the blockchain has also triggered interests in learning about many other topics I would not have considered otherwise (like biology, psychology, etc.). In fact, I consider myself as a content consumer on Hive.
What is your favorite memory from your time on the blockchain?
Without hesitation: the first STEMsocial meetup at CERN.
During this event, I brought more than 20 Hive users inside the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, i.e. more than 100 meters underground inside the most powerful particle accelerator of all time.
[Credits: @dber]
If you could give advice to a new person signing up to Hive what would it be?
Focus on doing something fun, on the people you can meet online, on discussions and on engagement. Do whatever you really like and enjoy, and this could be blogging, vlogging, playing games, etc. There is no unique way to enjoy the chain!
This reminds me of something @mathowl said during an interview with @katerinaramm (remember when she did those interviews?). He was asked what he approach to blogging he would recommend to new bloggers. His answer: Write what you like. Then you know at least one person will be pleased with your blog.
I think the advice is true for blogging and for just about anything we do. If we enjoy the activity we are ahead of the game.
Five years ordinarily is not a very long time for a career, but in crypto and the blockchain, five years places you almost in the role of pioneer.
Looking forward to your announcement about the STEMsocial community. Whatever you have planned, count me in :)
I don't remember this (although I remember the interview). That is a great way to phrase it, and it definitely summarises very well what I had in mind!
I would definitely not consider myself as a pioneer. But thanks for saying it ;)
As simple as that. Very true
I can't believe you still remember this detail :)
I totally agree with that .. a brilliant piece of advice and valid for most things in our life..
!LUV
Sending you my most sincere greetings!
I completely forgot about that sentence from the interview too... and I enjoyed the reminder ^^
@katerinaramm(1/1) gave you
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year @katerinaramm. I loved your interviews. Yes, I do remember them.
My most sincere greetings to you and your family!
This is a warm and approachable post! 5.5 years somehow doesn't seem like a lot, but I guess it is in chain-years!
It does not seem a lot in absolute value, although I am still young enough that 5.5 years represent a significant fraction of my life (more than 10%).
Haha, I am waoed today... This is a teaser for those that probably believe they don't know anything in Crypto and as such, they cannot thrive here.
I can't wait. I have really missed that lovely interface with the wider view of my blog.
This post is just filed with refreshing memories, I smiled all through the reading. What an experience by you.
The name @alexdory will continue to ring a bell.❤️ the first person to give me an encouraging comment of my very first science post in the community. I was Welcomed into to the family by @greenrun. @greenrun was the first to invite me into the discord, taught me how to code words, reference them and also formatting style
Gradually the improvement began and with mentors like @greenrun @gentleshaid @alexdory then, I was able to stand. From Brain of Tabularasa to what it is today.
Really been a while I heard from @greenrun
How time flies...
Thanks for passing by and this nice message.
I will start writing the announcement later this week. The material is there, but the sentences are not there yet. And of course the hard work in terms of development is starting (note the present tense).
I have completely lost track of @greenrun too. He is also not available anymore from discord. Maybe one day he will come back... who knows? I myself came back after 18 months super busy with my day job.
Whaaat? Little old me? I am still alive and humbled by your comments. I mostly lurk in the shadows, but I am still around some of the time :)
Thanks for the nice words!
I want you to know that you are awesome and that your contribution is helpful for the majority @lemouth !!! I don't even consider myself a writer and a blogger when I joined Steemit before, til they upgraded it to hive. I learned cryptocurrency with the help of people on this site which got me interested in the blockchain. Very thankful for the community that keeps supporting and acknowledging my effort on my blogs. In addition, this blockchain helps me grow, broaden my horizon and best destination to escape away from social media :)))
Thank you for sharing your story @lemouth!! Moving onwards and upwards!!:))
It seems that we are somewhat coming from the same place with respect to the chain, at least for what concern cryptos and our experience to blog. I agree with you on the fact that this chain offers a very nice alternative to other social media (on which I am not by the way ;) ).
Thanks for passing by and the very nice message. Cheers and happy holiday!
i am delighted to hear that @lemouth, i am grateful to see so much improvements in the blockchain, amazing to find out so much input that is all-in-one :)))
Cheers and have a great holiday!
Thank you sir for finding the time to write this blog amidst your holiday. Reading your autobiography with respect to hive is very encouraging.
The value of the statement above is inestimable to a newbie on hive in my opinion. It is also very encouraging to people like me who feels like we still have much to learn about on hive.
It is also interesting to know that you've got new plans for 2022.
Thanks for passing by! Yes, everything is possible... with some little help (and the community is there for this purpose).
I should start writing this post ;)
5.5 years! Wow. That's over half a decade :) Time really flies.
It has indeed been an interesting journey so far.
This is a very righteous advice. We should be able to leave a positive impression on the people we meet.
Happy holidays sir
yes time flies.... that's a constant.
Happy holiday to you as well Sammy!
Quite refreshing to read of your experience and journey on Hive. You forgot to mention @suesa. I know you guys met at CERN and she's still kinda active on the chain. Hopefully, we will also meet one day.
Is she still active today? Her last comment/post on the chain was from 5 months ago (I only focused on recent activity.
PS: I indeed met her (three times): at the two STEMsocial meetups and when I welcomed her and her partner for a few days in my place.
I post like twice a year, and when summoned. Creative juices all go to the PhD.
But thanks for thinking of me @gentleshaid 💚
I was right when I said you are active. A user that can pop up anytime they are mentioned can't be said to be inactive.
I know you will in the thick of the PhD. Btw, you are one user I can never forget as far as blogging on hive is concerned. You are welcome
Ginabot is magical when it comes to keeping track of who mentioned me :P
This I didn't know.
But let's say I only wanted to mention those with a regular activity at present time (and of course anyone is welcome to re-become regular later on; I in fact did the same). I am sure suesa will come back in due time.
Glad to see you are still fine (and I hope the PhD is going well). :)
It is! Just, ya know, a PhD 😅
This was a long long time ago for me... I may have forgotten ;)
I didn't know that it's been up to 5 month I last checked her blog. I know that she has not been active in stemsocial long before now. Maybe her program is hindering her from being active
July 30th is however an interesting day since it is the official day chosen by the UN as the
International Day of Friendship😉I think you do well in popularization, each time your posts are understandable for the amateurs and curious about science as me. In addition there are always small references or more complex parts for those having more competence. In short, a good compromise between 2 worlds.
Nice ending, I validate 👍
Thanks a lot for this nice comment!
The International Day of Friendship could have indeed definitely been a good pick. It is however less science-oriented (I actually skipped entirely the Holidays and observances section of the wikipedia page ;) ), for my defence ;)
For me, it is more related to science than you think, and particularly to quantum mechanics.
Looking, when you move and you want them to help you to move your heavy stuff (fridge, stove, piano...) you don't know where they are exactly, but when you make a BBQ they pop up from nowhere. When you go to live on the other side of earth you keep a deep link and continue to communicate with them. When you go on vacation together you become one. When you party with them, everyone is in a second state and sees double... 🤣
What the hell did you drink? :D
I can't even imagine what it would have been like if I had been drinking Hahaha
Mmmh.... Me too in fact. Please be careful, my imagination is limitless ;)
Your content has been voted as a part of Encouragement program. Keep up the good work!
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Thanks for your contribution to the STEMsocial community. Feel free to join us on discord to get to know the rest of us!
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Dear @lemouth,
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You can do it on Peakd, ecency,
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We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!