NOBLEWITNESS UPDATE - 4 Nov. 2018

We've been quiet for a bit, but the @noblewitness team has been hard at work! Thank you to everyone voting for us. We will continue to earn your votes!

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Server Status
Both of our servers are up and running, and both have been updated to the newest version of steem: v0.20.6. This release was optional, but it fixed a number of bugs. You can read more about the release on @steemitblog's official release post, but there are a few major points that we felt warranted adoption:

• Negative RC Cap - Following the release of HF20, resource credits for virtually all users was negative, many times by orders of magnitude. This issue was resolved as quickly as possible, but the possibility of dipping into negative thousands of percent RCs remained. With 20.6, negative RCs have been limited to two hours worth of regeneration.
• RCs No Longer Calculated Prior to HF20 - While this doesn't directly impact users, it does impact replay speed for us, so we were glad to see this implemented.
• Execution Time Costs for Custom JSONs Reduced 20x - This is especially relevant to custom operations on the blockchain, such as in Steemmonsters. It's actually mentioned in the release post in the comments, but it will allow users with less RC mana to play more games. While only one example, reducing costs for custom JSONs makes using custom tools and applications cheaper for users, which is always good.

Special thanks to @bobinson for his detailed testing results, which we compared with ours when testing 20.6 on our back up prior to adoption.

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Current Projects
Steem.Agency - Steem has been the basis for a plethora of programs and apps. Unfortunately, there are many that are no longer supported. Sometimes the Steemian that developed the app decides to move on, or they don't have the funding to continue development. Well, @sircork has revived a number of tools through his website Steem.Agency. There are also a number of links to our witness and the initiatives we support, such as YouAreHOPE and Steemshelves.
Steemerica - We've got plans in motion for our very own major Steem conference here in the United States. There are a large number of amazing gatherings already (Steem Creatives comes to mind), but what we'd like to do is have one central event where everyone can come. Steem in the United States! We're still in the earliest stages of planning, but keep your eyes peeled for more updates as time goes on.
Steemfest Poland - It’s right around the corner! Our tried and true @gmuxx is going to be representing the witness team at Steemfest, alongside @rhondak. We wish them the very best, and we can't wait to hear the stories!

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Closing Thoughts
Of all witnesses and witness teams on the Steem blockchain, Noblewitness carries one distinction that sets us apart from all others—we are not just animal lovers, but we are actively involved in animal welfare and boots-on-the-ground rescue efforts. Not only is Noblewitness the official witness presence of the largest writing-centric community on the platform, but we are also the official witness presence for @tarc, one of the most active and productive non-profit organizations on the blockchain.

@tarc is located in Central Appalachia, which is one of North America’s last holdouts for high kill sheltering. Since @tarc has been operating in the Southwest Virginia region, awareness has grown in the area to a point that kill rates have started to decline, and animal welfare has begun to trend. Recently a case made news in Tazewell County, Virginia, about the seizure of 32 dogs from a puppy mill/hoarding situation that had been operating in the area for decades. The accused in this case has a lengthy criminal history involving animal cruelty, neglect, and abuse in Tazewell County.

For the first time in the history of this jurisdiction, aggressive, appropriate action has been taken that will most likely ensure that history will not repeat itself again where she is concerned. Also being taken into official consideration is the woman’s mental health. We’re glad to see this, since animal abusers are *five times* as likely to commit violence against humans, indicating a pattern that law enforcement has started to acknowledge.

Noblewitness is also pleased that we could partially sponsor a transport last month that @tarc made in a lifesaving effort for six unwanted Appalachian dogs. The work @tarc does behind the scenes in Tazewell County keeps many dogs from reaching local kill shelters or dying of starvation on the roadside. Animal relocation programs are widely accepted and endorsed by all major animal welfare groups as a solution to needless euthanasia. We are also convinced that regions with enlightened, progressive animal control practices also demonstrate a more compassionate and charitable community response to human need. So it isn’t just about the animals for us. It’s about people, and how taking a stand for what’s right and fair and good sometimes gets really ugly, but is always, always worth the fight.

@tarc reports that these six dogs were delivered safely to receiving rescues in New Hampshire and Vermont. Four of them have already gone home with their forever families. The other two are available for adoption in New Hampshire. It’s with a sense of pride that we acknowledge being part of this relocation effort in a very tangible way. Noblewitness is all about community, and not just those on the blockchain. We think everyone should strive to leave footprints of positive change on the world around us.