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<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/yaziris/EpnBsAwybRAxUMpVGK16rr8NhtDSbcNPinW2xnAAvfKw9xpCWjGdcYhpEySBnoFPWkQ.jpg<sub>image from early 2016</sub></center></div>
Back in ~2017, the crypto world as a whole wasn't as popular as it is today. While Bitcoin was hovering around the $800's trying to break through the one thousand barrier, Ethereum? Not much at all. About $25 on a good day!<br>
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Around that time, news about a new kind of startup started spreading around. One that had the vision of integrating the aspects of social media and blogging with the innovative blockchain technology. Leveraging the power of decentralization, and promising an end to censorship and its evil twin, demonetization!! Both of which, being where I'm at, have suffered from for as long as I can remember.<br>
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My excitement faded away eventually, as I tried registering an account on Steemit back then, went through its tedious and notoriously long verification process, then waited... and waited, and waited to get approved.
Days, weeks, months... Nothing!
I don't recall how many times I retried registering after that, but no dice.
It wasn't until recently that I managed to do it, only to find out about what had happened back in ~2020. Misfortunate incident to say the least, but I don't see it necessarily as a bad thing. It was an evolution for the best!
My decision to come to Hive was instantaneous! Because who would want to be on a legacy blockchain that had lost **its soul?**
Once I finished reading and learning about some essentials, I decided to try posting something to get acquainted, and so I did.
It wasn't a great post, was merely a quickie to experiment with the posting mechanism on @peakd , but I expected at least some interaction since it was somewhat useful news for some gamers. 😕
Hours later, I got a notification which got me excited for a moment! It was about a comment on that post.
Basically, the comment was explaining how newbie I am, and advising on how I should've done an introduction post as a first post instead.<br>
By that time, however, I've already commented on someone's post, and done some pointless 100% upvote sprinkling, though on worthy posts, but useless with my 0 Hive Power.
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> <center><p><i>New bee joins this Hive,
And quickly he's subdued.
Through constant pained disgrace
The young bee learns their rules.<br>
~Beetallica</i></p></center>
### <center>RC jail, Here I Come!!!</center>
<br>Paralyzed and lonely 😞, it was a good time to read and learn more about all that while watching my Resource Credits filling back up again slowly over the period of five days, so I can do my introductory post.
Took me a while to write some 1800 words introduction, just to find out that it was way above my pay grade to publish. My 100% RC is barely enough for a ~500 words post. 😭
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After much pruning and editing, deleting and brutalizing most of what I've written. I publish it and go directly back to the RC pit!
So gullible of me, I know, but I honestly thought my struggles would end once I publish that #introduceyourself post. 😅
"Even if I get half what I see some other introduction posts are getting, I'd power up my HP, not worrying about that RC again!" thought to myself.
Man, was I so wrong! 🤣
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Some lovely people did indeed vote on my post, and I highly appreciate it. But all in all didn't go past 20 cents of HIVE/HBD, which would be insufficient to power up and say goodbye to the RC problem.
<sub>(A mistake that I made by the way which I recommend to avoid. I kept my pay 50/50 instead of the much better 100% HP payout option)</sub>
Stuck again for days in this pit, watching how sad my introduceyourself is performing. I think, oh well, I'll just read some posts, follow some interesting people, and surely will be able to at least comment in a day or so. **But Nope!**
### Newbies, be Warned ⚠️
Every single thing you do will deplete your RC!! Whether it's following someone, claiming rewards, or even clicking that **"Mark as read"** button in the notifications. It chops around 3.5% RC away from 0 HP newbies.
Feeling like drowning, lonely and isolated. Many newcomers would've simply given up by this time, but not me!
I'm one hell of a stubborn bee! 😐
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Wiggling around, refusing to surrender, digging up ways to rejuvenate my RC. I stumble upon https://giftgiver.site/ created by @rishi556 thoughtful enough to remember how vile RC jail can be for newcomers, delegating some HP to those in need to kickstart their journey. And they even added a faucet for some small but FREE HP gifts. 🎁
Although I grabbed some free HP, I couldn't manage to get any HP delegation as they ran out. So I checked @giftgiver delegations in their wallet and figured out I might be able to have some in 2 days.<br>
Pretty sure there are plenty of decent and helpful people around, and it's a matter of communicating and engaging more to get to know them. Something a newbie can not easily do with how limited and deprived they are in the RC pit.
I understand they can simply buy some HIVE and power up, but I wouldn't expect the majority would do that right out of the box, without at least fiddling around a bit first.
Three days of frustration after my introduction post have passed.
Sad and disappointed, peeking around from my persistent RC jail, scrolling through posts, without any Resource Credits to interact with anyone.
A red dot in the far upper corner lights up, **A NOTIFICATION!!** <br>
Quickly tapping on the menu, I see not 1 but 3 notifications. 😁
One big upvote and 2 mentions. I tap on the mention and it takes me to [a post](https://peakd.com/@heyhaveyamet/hey-have-ya-met-introductions-for-thursday-november-25-2021) by @heyhaveyemet
Apparently, my intro post got picked up by them and they featured it in their awesome community.
This truly was a turning point for me. A light, at the end of the dark and cold RC depletion tunnel.
I didn't have any hopes left that someone would dig up the now buried for days introduction post. Was only waiting up those 2 days in the hopes of winning the race of grabbing some HP delegation from the site I mentioned above.
When a stream of other notifications started flowing, my excitement was real (lol). I really wanted to show my appreciation somehow, So I tried to at least reply to their post to thank them!
<center>"STAY DOWN, NOOB!" My RC shouted. 🙄</center>
A BIG shoutout to all those who support the newbies and help get them out of that RC pit. For without that, I'm sure the majority of new-blood would just quit in frustration, never to return.
Without such gestures and REAL interactions from REAL lively people, I would've suffered quietly for much much longer. Hive wouldn't be thriving as it is if it weren't for communities such as @theterminal and @heyhaveyamet among others, helping out newcomers in their darkest hours here on Hive.
Thank you guys and gals, not just because of all the help and warm welcoming you showered me with, but for the exceptional job you're doing. You definitely deserve all the support you can get.
And of course, it wouldn't have been possible without all the awesome people who support them!
One day, those who get helped today will pass it on to those in need. Keeping the lifeline going, and essentially the overall health of the Hive ecosystem as a whole.
The newb remembers! 😊
All in all, it has been a thrill so far here on Hive. And despite the struggles, I am actually loving ❤ it!
***For it's not the destination that really matters, but the journey itself!***
Lastly, thank you to everyone who has made it this far, reading through my babbling, and to each and everyone who has supported me so far ❤.
Any opinion, criticism, or advice, as always, is welcome!
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<center>Until next time! 🙋♂️</center>
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<div><center><sub>All images in this post are courtesy of me @yaziris or Hive assets, with some stock image bits and pieces from Pixabay to create the clipart.</sub></center></div>
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