By far the most important choice you will make on Steemit is who you nominate to be witnesses. Everyone has 30 witness votes to place and should take the time to learn about the many great witnesses on this platform. Over the course of the next month I will be introducing you to many of the witnesses here in our community and trying to get to know each one of them a little better. Often time we just see usernames and don't really know the people behind the @ symbol. So I've decided to do what I can to shed some more light on who are witnesses are and why they deserve our votes.
Today I would like you to meet @rival, currently in position 46 on the witness list, Rival has been on the platform for about 5 months now and has thoroughly enjoyed his time here. Living in a small town in the Netherlands, @rival is a proud father of two. He works as an Functional IT specialist and in his spare time he enjoys tennis and fishing. One of his main goals here on the platform is to hopefully earn enough money to take his family on a trip to America sometime in 2019. To learn a little bit more on why @rival wants to be a witness click here.
Besides also being a witness, @rival is also attempting to combine an existing freeware game to the steemit blockchain. This could create a cool little gaming community within the steemit community where we all try for a daily highscore and perhaps win a few SBD while doing it. If you are interested in this idea check out @rival's post:
I recently had a chance to talk with @rival about the future of steemit and life in general. Below is the interview in full. I hope you enjoy it.
- With some of the current problems steemit faces, I.e. Whale circle jerking, pool draining, bot votes etc and some radical backlash by the likes of @berniesanders, what, if any solutions do you see?
Difficult as this is, what the blockchain is. Where the money is, there are people trying to do everything to get it. Also scammers are coming more and more.. The only solution I can think of is that we all watch each other and dare to speak when you do not agree with things
- Some people have called crypto currency the internet 2.0 while other think it is just a hiccup in evolution, what are your thoughts on the future of crypto?
We are in the stone age of crypto. A lot of crypto but not a lot of really working products. Steemit is an exception. Name me any other crypto with 400,000 users. And the most don't even know it is a blockcain technology.
- If there was a worldwide internet and cellular blackout for a week, what would you do for those 7 days?
If the weather is good I would go fishing and spend some family time with the kids in a play garden.
- In 5 sentences or less, tell steemians why you deserve their vote.
Honesty and transparency are the most important factors being me as witness. I don't have the best knowledge about all technical deatails but be able to judge on future changes based on several opinions. Listening and only talk when you have something useful to say.
- What is one thing that most people don't know about you?
As I am always open and transparent I don't think if there is one I would share it here.
- Where is the best place in the world you have ever been?
I was once in Mexico - Cancun before I had kids. But in 2019 I want to go to the west coast of the US for a once in a lifetime holiday with GF and the kids. That's why I started Steemit.
- What is the biggest mistake new users make when joining steemit?
Making big posts which take hours to create. Then they only get 2 cents and they leave. My advice is to start making comments and get some friend on the platform
- If you could only vote for one witness (not yourself) who would it be and why?
Difficult but I choose @jerrybanfield , why he voted for me as newbie making sure that i created my first blocks. He also spends all his witness money for making advertisements for steemit. Unless what others think or say I hope that Jerry will be in top 10 soon.
- Being a witness takes a lot of time and energy, how do you keep a balance between this and other commitments?
As a backup witness at my rank I think it is perfectly possible with the time engagement I have now. In top 20 you are more important and you should have more and more engagement.
I want to give a big thank you to @rival for taking the time to have a chat with me and I hope that this information has helped people get to know him a little better. As steemit users we need to do everything in our power to choose witnesses that will represent the community well. Before voting make sure you do some research on the people you are voting for and be informed. Head over to https://steemit.com/~witnesses and click on some of the witnesses names, get to know them a bit better and do your part to make sure this community thrives.
Make sure to check back soon as I interview another one of our top witnesses!
