Check Your Witness Votes For Dead Weight Regularly; Use Steemian.Info
With all the personal attacks and drama on Steemit recently (particularly in the trending page), it's a good idea to remember the one thing you can (sort of) do about it at the micro level.
Vote.
Now, of course you can do this by simple memory or research, and that is often sufficient. But, @Drakos also has a tool that will let you see who is slacking off at a glance, in ways that you will not otherwise normally be able to determine without checking into their witness server/node more deeply.
Find it at www.Steemian.info
Let's take a look at the witness info section. Here's a typical snapshot:
A red name with strike-through is a "dead" giveaway for a dead witness. In the above shot, we can see witness #30, Bhuz, is dead with a 621 minute feed time. If you look at the other witness feed times, you will see that is far too long. Normally, one would decide to unvote Bhuz here until (and at least) he can restore an accurate and timely price feed.
Of course, technical problems are not the only, or even main, way to determine who one will vote for as witness. It's more of a minimum-competency threshold - if a witness can't keep an accurate price feed and a live note operating, they probably (definitely) aren't a good choice for such a technical position.
As Bernie Sanders is fond of pointing out, a lot of these witnesses don't really do anything, and just treat Steem as their own free, passive income. Don't vote for them.
We also have a Radio Station! (click me)
...and a 10,000+ active user Discord Chat Server! (click me)
Sources: Google, @Drakos
Copyright: SmartSteem, PALNet, SPL, @Drakos, Steemian.info
I love drakos' tool and use it every time I check out other witnesses when the time is needed. Great post and I hope many more people use this tool to make sure their votes are going towards witnesses working to keep their server up and running.
It really helps take the work out of keeping up with witnesses on the technical side. Following their public work is hard enough.
I totally agree, best witness resource to date.
Good post, I voted once at the start of my steemit life and never thought about this again. I don't even know who did I vote for! It's right about time to do something good.
Hi @lexiconical. Can I ask you something? Please don't flag me because this might be off topic.
Of course. I really only flag spammers and those with mal-intent...so not all that often. Plus it's like a penny but yeah...go for it.
I notice you contribute here, almost every day if not on a daily basis, do you also write in a journalistic way outside Steemit? Thanx
No, not really. Steem(it) had that combination of decentralization, lack of censorship, and generally pro-crypto/freedom friendly audience I guess I was looking for. I am repulsed by Facebook and Twitter, and have sworn off Reddit after increasing censorship (you'll note I've written about Reddit censorship in the past, google "a tale of two subreddits lexiconical").
At least, it did a year ago.
wow...!!!!
great post that @lexiconical
thanks for share the post
useful postings and info
I have noticed that too. Some feel they have gotten the necessary support so no need to pull the string. I will check for any dead witness and unvote that person. Thanks for this
Thanks.. Really informative
I have question for you - and remember this is coming from a complete numpty when it concerns crypto.
How much influence do the witnesses actually carry ?( I heard it is only the top 20, but don't quote me on that)
Do they decide policy? (say for upvoting, flagging etc?)
Is it the otop 20, or do th eothers also carry ral weght?
Do the top 20 actually carry weight?
I'm thinking of comparisons between government and banking.
You can talk about government all you want, but they are not the controlling powers...or policy deciders, in reality.
See what I mean?
cheers.
Ah, well, the witnesses have the technical ability to make actual changes, much like a Congress. Whether they are beholden to other interests is sort of a case-by-case thing. However, they can directly implement versions of the blockchain via Hard Fork, so they are "the deciders".
ok, thanks for the clarification of that, mate.
So it does allow for 'manipulations' via personal connections. Not a criticism, a recognition.
Influence can be bought (indirectly or otherwise.)
(the other 200 stupid crypto/steemit questions are in the post) lol
cheers.
It is one of those things that you kind of leave and forget. Although it is one of the most important job of each concerned steemian but I keep procrastinating it. Thanks for the reminder man.
What I'd like to see is a side by side comparison of witness views and opinions, like an Excell sheet with many columns and just checkmarks in cells which the witness agree with or represent. Otherwise choosing the right witness seems like a nightmare.