There’s nothing like getting a bunch of witnesses together to make things exciting.

Yes, witness debates excite me. What? ;)

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I’m stoked for the upcoming WITNESS CHAT with @shadowspub on the Steemit Ramble Discord this Saturday, 11am EDT, and I’m hoping there will be a good turnout.

It’s felt quiet this week, which seems to be a combination of the crypto roller coaster and people going monster crazy, but the recent debate between @sircork and @timcliff spiced things up. Shout out to the SteemStar Network and @littlescribe for hosting. The subsequent discussion with @lukestokes was excellent, too.

My biggest takeaway from that chat was the importance for people (new users and the general public) to understand this:

STEEM Is NOT Steemit. STEEM Is More Valuable Than Steemit.

If you do not yet know the difference between the Steem blockchain and the website Steemit.com, read this post by @lukestokes, who presents the value of Steem in a clear way.

Check out the replay of @littlescribe's show for a replay of the Witness Debate with @sircork and @timcliff, and a Bonus Interview with @lukestokes.

^{Photo credit: @littlescribe}

What adds value to Steem, and how do we get it to $10?

Top-ten witness @timcliff recently put out a call for Steem Stakeholders to define what adds value to Steem.

My answer is twofold:

Participating in the blockchain in a positive way.
Adding to its evolution, and increasing the value of the investment.

Obviously, my idea of what is positive might not be the same as someone else’s, but I like to think the best thing that could happen to the social media side of Steem is that Steemit and other apps would encourage quality content and engaged curation.

As for the blockchain itself, there are wider uses, but let’s be real: Steemit is the face of the currency right now for most of the public. It’s got a lot going for it, but there are also a host of issues that should not be issues cough…sign up process…cough and improvement is needed in a bad way.

Easy for me to say, when I don’t have the skills to offer up a fix. But I do vote for witnesses, and I hope they’re up to the task.

@timcliff also asked the question What needs to happen to reach $10 STEEM in 2018?, and the comments in that post are well worth the read.

More than one person pointed to the need to make STEEM valuable enough that it isn’t tied to Bitcoin and the general mood swings of the market. Great idea! How do we get there?

What I like is the call I’ve been hearing for witnesses and community devs to work together. Another a great idea! I’d love to see it in action. Would love to see more action in general...

So how can we get in the action?

^{Photo: Ricardo Gomez Angel/Unsplash}

Research witnesses, VOTE, and participate in the conversation.

Who steers the Steem ship? Witnesses do. Particularly the top twenty witnesses, but there’s a whole lot more of them (according to https://steemian.info/witnesses there are currently 134 active witnesses), and I think we need all the help we can get.

As users/stakeholders, it is vital to educate ourselves on who the witnesses are and what they do. IF YOU ARE ON STEEMIT, PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE FOR WITNESSES! Sorry, don’t mean to shout at you, but it’s important. ;)

I know I only see the tip of the iceberg of what witnesses are working on, and am always interested to learn more. I try to go through my witness list each month to be sure everyone is active and I’m voting for people I believe in.

To help you research (and to remind myself why I’m voting for these people), here are some great posts by witnesses who currently have my votes. Obviously I don’t expect you to read them all, but click on a couple and see what you find!

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Check out these witnesses and what they have to say:

@noblewitness is a newly-formed team of four seasoned witnesses who are doing a ton for the community. @sircork, @rhondak, @anarcho-andrei and @gmuxx have combined forces, and I’m excited to see what they do next!
@drakos has been on a roll, posting about spam and abuse, the hamster-wheel of consumerism, and busting out this impressive post on what he does as a witness.
@enginewitty is focused on community, as always. He launched a new Art of Music Contest, and created a new bidbot with @jatinhota that benefits charities and gives back to the community.
@gtg’s last witness log made me laugh and think. Gandalf the Grey is currently sitting in the #1 spot on the witness list. It was nice to see him at the recent debate between SirCork and TimCliff. I’m hoping the wizard might join us on Saturday as well.

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@guiltyparties works to support veterans, to make Steemit better for newbies and, like @patrice, @pfunk, @anyx and others, helps to keep Steemit safe from phishing and spam.
@c0ff33a recently wrote about what it’s like to be a new witness in Houston We Have Block.
@curie is focused on quality curation, as always. Here’s a recent Author Showcase.
@aggroed is all about @steemmonsters lately, which he created with @yabapmatt. The upcoming Steem Monsters writing contest looks fun.
@anyx’s last witness update was 19 days ago, but he’s got a pic of Whistler Blackcomb (where I used to live), and it’s well worth a read.
@ausbitbank hasn’t posted anything lately, but, like @pfunk, @curie, @aggroed, and @lukestokes, this witness is sponsoring #openmic.
@followbtcnews hasn’t posted anything recently, but their last witness report is worth a read. Also, @crimsonclad wrote some touching thoughts about her first year on Steemit.
@good-karma has been working on eSteem Surfer which looks like an alternate social interface, rather than using Steemit? Maybe?
@steemcommunity has this recent witness update.
@ats-witness wrote an in-depth, no bullsh*t article sharing his opinion on what needs to change, and why.
@jackmiller is always fun to have at chats, so I hope he makes it on Saturday. Go read his one year anniversary witness update and CHECK OUT @witnesspage which resteems posts by witnesses. This is a fantastic new resource!

There are so many amazing witnesses, so if I didn't mention your favourite witness here, be sure to give them a shout out in the comments!

^{Photo: Andrew Preble/Unsplash}

TL;DR — Steem is not the same as Steemit, research and VOTE for Witnesses!

Attend the Witness Chat, this Saturday! It'll be fun.

The Steemit Ramble WITNESS CHAT is happening this Saturday, 11am EDT, and I’m looking forward to hearing about what’s happening to improve the value and longevity of the blockchain.

All witnesses are invited to join these witness discussions hosted by @shadowspub. She does a damn fine job moderating, and I learn something every time.

Thanks to the witnesses who show up, and to everyone who participates!

Peace. @katrina-ariel

Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steemit.

dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne