Ok, enough monkeying around, now we get into the juice. After a pleasant evening socialising last night, it’s time to delve into the main event… and that starts with conference day 1 - multiple talks, and later, playing with balls!
I woke with a spring in my step ready to rock and roll. Well, I got up and got out of the hostel in a fairly efficient manner ready for the day ahead. After some breakfast, it was just a case of getting myself to the venue of day 1 of the conference - that being the Eye Film Museum!
The instructions were fairly straightforward; behind central station, short free ferry ride and it’s right there. No dramas, I got across the water and was at the Eye a little early ready and waiting for the action to start.
Waiting also were @pibara and @demotruk who I had a brief chat with before one half of the Beet Boys (my name for these characters that will become clear later) came out and we had a bit of a chat also. This was @artakush who was also one of the volunteers helping this whole show go smoothly and with a swing. Add in @delishtreats and a few others and we nearly had ourselves a little pre-party.
Then it was time to open the doors and after some mingling, sipping (coffee/tea/juice, nothing stronger yet) and nibbling (a few tasty treats adorned each table) we went into the cinema room which was where the talks for that day would take place.
You talk the talk, but do you fork the fork?
The talks were a mixed bag as ever and I won’t delve into them in too much detail here. Just an overview of some of my highlights and you can always check the vids for a deeper dive. Let's start with the trailer for HiveFest 2022!
@roelandp, chief organiser extraordinaire gave us a welcome and then @arcange awarded the folk that had appeared in all 5 of the in-person fests… of which there were 5, including the 2 mentioned in this paragraph! Good on them from being in from the start for one, and also sticking with it and making sure they made the event each time. After some back slapping we got into the meat…
@blocktrades and @howo are 2 core developers who ensure the whole back-end works smoothly and effectively. Howo launched into a lot of what they have been doing recently and how that will improve all operations and the scope going forward. A lot was over my head of course, but just know that this is all essential stuff, and whilst not sexy as such, it’s necessary and we all benefit. Security and scalability are imperatives, not just for now but for when things really take off.
Blocktrades was another of the 5 who have appeared at all 5 Fests and is one of the main characters in this whole set up. Not only with him and his team developing and coding and the like, he was there at the inception of Steem and an integral part of the fork away from them. Both he and Howo took questions, and is worth a review for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding (I’ll be doing so myself).
Blocktrades is also great at explaining things on a simple level - a rare quality to have the techie knowledge but then relate that to the everyperson.
Arcange was back this time in an interview format with @zirochka. He was posing the questions and she was telling us about her situation in Ukraine along with her project NFTs for Peace. There was a somber tone and mood as she recounted her experiences, but then also the offer of hope and creating something positive.
Freechain Movie
One of the more fascinating projects was the movie being put together presented by @lordbutterfly and the director @little-lamb. The most interesting aspect perhaps, was that the narrator is taken on a journey (along with the viewer). The narrator starts as a newbie with no clue and will learn the ins and outs through the movie.
It’s a long way off being finished, some scripting needs to be ironed out as well as the overall format/angle but the makings are there and would be a big deal if appearing on Netflix or similar.
Hive Marketing
This is always a big debate with Hive. We need more marketing! No, not yet, we need to build! It markets itself! Etc.
Yes, we want many people here but then again not too soon before we’re able to handle it. Then there’s always the debate of marketing Hive as a whole, or rather, the apps that dwell within, eg. Splinterlands, Rising Star, Liketu etc. That being the specific things people use and are attracted to rather than this Hive or Blockchain thing that powers it all.
@behilarious have been in discussions with Arcange (there he is again!) and are a marketing agency who are looking at dealing with some of this (although more geared towards devs than end users). Manon gave an excellent presentation on some of the things they are bringing to the table and plans to promote, onboard and help people on their journey.
This was perhaps the best all round presentation and what I would like to see more of. Well researched, well presented, knowledgeable, professional, engaging and with a certain amount of energy and presence. Whether the proposal is good or not going forward is now for us to discuss.
Time for a beer yet?
No, not for us but there was room for a beer presentation. This is another one of great interest to me as it shows what can be done and that there’s something for all. @rollie1212 gave a great talk on his Beerverse project which is being rebranded from CryptoBrewMaster.
I’ve had a quick look at CBM in the past but not actually played. I’m keen to revisit and will in due course. It looks to me that there have been big developments, both in graphics and capabilities and the building out of a whole beery world.
What’s even more fascinating is teaming up with real world organisations like breweries and bars, which really shows the potential of everything we’re talking about here. Learn all about beer, play a game, cross-over with real world activity… it’s what it’s all about! One to keep an eye on and get involved if it’s your thing…
Science & Soup?!
The next 2 talks couldn’t have been much different but were entertaining and interesting both in their own inimitable styles.
First, we had the Beet Boys. That would be the @coldbeetrootsoup guys (@artakush mentioned earlier in the article and @minigunner who was also one of the volunteers organising the event). They told us all about their Lithuanian dish in a fun and upbeat presentation. These 2 characters bring great energy to the place and I was always glad to see them around with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. We’d have to wait till tomorrow for a sample.
Next @lemouth talking about his STEM community (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). Some of his talk was deep into his scientific world, and part more general about community building. He delivered with humour which is always a winner with me. I think I’ve only posted once in that community but will do again if the subject matter allows.
More Beer?
Now it was @detlev’s turn to talk community and tickle our taste buds. Yes, he’s the (in)famous man behind the #BeerSaturday movement. This was about building a community from a particular interest and how it can spiral. A few lucky buggers at the front got a beer at the end (no worries, I had one in my hand by that point anyway).
There were a few other presentations including @lasseehlers talking about his project lassecash.com, @manncpt on Winalab, @jeffjagoe with his Visionary Studios (could do a whole article on this I’m sure) and @pibara on CoinZdense (Quantum Computing!).
Let’s not forget our Aussie mate @apshamilton getting up and giving an impromptu update on his Class Action Suit against Google and Facebook!
At some point in all that we had lunch, where we ate and mingled… then around 3pm the bar opened and the much anticipated beer o'clock was upon us.
We’re gonna need a bigger boat!
At about 5pm it was time to move on to the evening entertainment. At this point we’d had a couple of beers, mildly frazzled from being sat and talked at for most of the day, and ready for a fresh change of scenery.
Roeland had arranged boats to take us down the canal onto our evening port of call. Refreshments were provided and good cheer was in session.
We were spread across 2 boats and my little table not only had the Beet Boys themselves but Mr @revisesociology! There was plenty of high jinx and high octane chatting around the boat, and a bit of music. An hour of revelry before arriving at the theatre of dreams…
Balls of Steel
This was our activity for the night, a little game of Boules, also referred to as Pétanque. As @livinguktaiwan said in a post - it’s easy to play but hard to master. Quite.
It’s not all that complicated but to actually be good at it, you need a bit of time to get a feel for it and hone your skills. There wasn’t quite enough time to do that so it was a bit hit and miss before descending into chaos.
I joined TeamUK which consisted of myself, @steevc, @revisesociology and @slobberchops. We all had our moments, but we also all had our… moments. After a great win (well 1 point) over the Spanish, we then got our comeuppance against the Germans. Although curiously we were playing different rules in that game. The mind boggles.
After our early promise we couldn’t quite get our mojo back and there was even some confusion as to whether we qualified for the next phase or not. People started disappearing in one way or another and it generally dissipated for a few of the teams.
Congrats must go to Team PeakD for their sterling performance and win, and of course to the ‘First Losers’ @brianoflondon and crew.
Food was provided which was great. However, I thought the first wave of food brought out was the meal so cashed in on that. Turns out, a bit later a load of chicken dinners were there to help ourselves to! I had one of these but was fairly full so just picked at it.
The beers were also still flowing until I decided to head home. It was that old decision point of stay out and it turn into a mad one, or call it a night and live to fight another day. I chose the latter (well, after one or two more beers) and headed off into the night.
It was quite a day, enjoyed by all and a good balance of what the whole event is all about. Now time for some sleep and do it all again tomorrow! Different venue for the talks, different potential social activities and who knows what else…
Cheers,
Adam @adambarratt
Related:
- What is HiveFest (+ Hive)?
- Part 1: Going Dutch
- Part 2: Arrival in Amsterdam
- Part 3: Bring on the Beers
- Part 5: Church, Chats & Cheers
- Part 6: Hangin' at De Hoop
- Lisbon 2017
Images my own, credited or linked to source.
Videos from the HiveFest YouTube channel
More from me @ AdamBarratt.com & FortressFree.com!