And So It Ends...And Begins...

What a wild month it's been...

Like most, I've watched the unfolding of things between Steemit & Tron with invested curiosity – sometimes in full participation (like the several consecutive days of 6+ hour town hall discussions on PAL and our impressive twitter storm) – sometimes only passively (due to personal distractions) – the whole time hoping for some mutually agreeable outcome.

Being a natural diplomat, I suppose I believed we'd find a way forward that didn't necessitate such drastic measures as hard-forking to a sister chain. Yet; here we are.

As days turned into weeks and the impasse only grew more stubbornly deadlocked, I became increasingly less optimistic. Still, even as the first whispers of an imminent, as yet un-named Hive reached my ears – I imagined I'd remain true to my Ziplomat nature, with one foot firmly on each side.

However inactive I've been for the past many moons, the STEEM blockchain still held my heart. Rather, the people; its many and varied communities – its wild-West, 'anything can happen' freedom – its immeasurable potential...these things kept me around, even if only peripherally. I wasn't about to give up on the idea of it.

Then, this happened...

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Justin Sun made the choice for me.

Whatever hope I had that he might be the champion we'd needed – that he might lend his considerable influence to properly marketing STEEM – the last of it evaporated entirely as I read that post yesterday.

While I don't claim to comprehend everything about blockchain technology, I know enough to grasp his unmistakeable error.

It all comes down to one word...'censorship'.

Justin's unfortunate decision to hide all posts related to or making mention of Hive effectively destroyed what I understand to be the most basic tenets of blockchain; integrity, transparency, inclusivity and, most importantly, governance by consensus rather than a singular, privatized interest.

This feels a hell of a lot more like dictatorship than decentralization. Definitely not what I signed up for 2+ years ago.

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Just....NO.

I have no desire to transact on a platform where my voice may be amplified or stifled according to the whims of one, powerful billionaire.

Period.

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Bittersweet

So, there we are; all abuzz in our brand-new hive, wings peppered with pollen, all waxy feet and honey lips on this, the first day of spring. How very apropos.

While I'm excited by the newness of Hive – drawn to its unknowable future – heartened by the enthusiasm its launch has sparked in our community – this is a bittersweet transition.

Feels a bit like I'm simultaneously slicing into a birthday cake with one hand and placing flowers on a grave with the other.

I may need a little time to grieve this place – to acknowledge all that it gave me – before I can fully embrace this change.

Though I might take a moment to truly land, to find my bearings in our fledgling colony – I trust I'll get my bee-legs eventually.

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See ya 'round, Steemit.

Until we meet again,
xo • zippy

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