Continuing to blog on all the fascinating aspects of my experience on our Steem blockchain, here is my fifteenth monthly update.

Since posting my introduction on 14 May 2019, these updates represent my "log" of sorts, giving my readers a monthly window into my "journey" through the Steemisphere - a new "virtual world" based on the creation of our Steem blockchain.

A bit late this month, due to the time set aside on the first being interrupted by the significant downtime associated with HF 21/22 glitches. Today was my first real opportunity since then to get this finished.

So ... "What are you doing 'in there' @roleerob and how is it going?"

Status or "Executive Summary"

To begin, here is a brief overview to answer the "how is it going" question we should probably be "checking in" with ourselves and answering, from time to time.

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Statistics

There is an old saying, "numbers don't lie." Yes, well, there is also an old joke about the executive asking the accountant, "what do the numbers say about how we're doing?" to which the accountant replied, "what do you want them to say?" ... 😉

Required to issue a monthly report for most of my career, with numbers to quantify progress, here are a few:

To date on my Steem "journey," these numbers are the most important. The first three quantify our influence on adding value to the Steem blockchain. And the second two, the actual work we are putting in to add value ourselves. Given all of our rich diversity, I trust we all have one focused objective in common - adding value to the Steem blockchain.

We want the value to go up!

How is that working for us? Well, you see here the market numbers, i.e. the "bottom line" of how our investment is doing. Down significantly over last month. Not good, but the market overall was also down, right?

Yes, a little. But, not

that

much!

For the fourth month in a row, I have been posting this "big picture" view of how STEEM is doing vs. the overall crypto market. We continue to see the first month's result was not an aberration. STEEM lags the market. Full stop. Period.

For the first time, this month I have elected to "spell out" exactly what the impact of this market reality is on this particular investor:

So ... In my decision to invest in the Steem blockchain in August 2017, I have lost almost $3,300 USD two years later.

Can the "blow" be softened by factoring in the ~ 1,750 SP earned via authoring and curating? Not in my book! I don't even want to know how many hours I have invested into this effort over these past two years, but the uhhh ... "pay" ... is lousy.

Only the value of interacting with others all over the world, which I do not profess to be wise enough to calculate, provides some consolation ...

• Note: The image above only shows the most recent transaction history of what is fully listed in my Starting the New Year as a Dolphin! post.
  
  

_{Source: Tim Cliff Post - SBD Explained}

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🎣 "Still fishing ..." 😉

What? Still fishing roleerob?! Where's your commitment to the cause?

Not to worry, dear reader, I am still "committed to the cause." At least somewhat. But life "on the outside" has taken a higher priority now for some time. That will not change for the month of September. While the "dust settles" from the recent HF 21/22 changes, seems like as good a time as any to be "dialed back" ...

Beyond that? We'll see how it goes!

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Engagement "Formula"

A steady work-in-progress, is attempting to maintain the following "rhythm" in the investment of my time:

1. Engaging "down" with all of the many great Steemians steadily adding value and working hard, who have a smaller stake and doing what I can to encourage them.
   
   
2. Engaging "up" and adding value, as much as I can manage, to the posts of those who may chose to ... uhhh ... increase my "influence" ... 😉 ... to help those in #1 ...
   
   
3. Adding value by writing my own posts, so #1 and #2 have some idea of why they would want to hopefully "engage" with me ...
   
   

I don't have my stopwatch out or anything. I just try to be mindful of switching from one to the other. Part of the "flow," as I have written about elsewhere, is naturally regulated by your decline in voting power.

Awards and Accomplishments

In this section of my monthly update, I highlight anything which stood out to me in the way of an award or accomplishment. As much as anything, it's for my reference, when I look back over time and ask myself,

"Are you really accomplishing anything meaningful 'in there' @roleerob?" So ... Let's see about this past month ...

The only real items of importance to me, in a quiet month, has been the steady progress made on my upvoting of others efforts. And I am still commenting / replying. I recently crossed over the 13,000 upvotes and 2,500 comments line!

• Note: At the time, I failed to capture the image and comment on my post showing these accomplishments. But they can be found here on @steemitboard's website, if there is any question.
  
  

_{Source: Steem Artwork contributed by talented Steemian @dandesign86!}

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Those are the highlights of my main contributions to adding value to the Steem blockchain over this last month.

What about the contributions of others? I cover that next ...

Monthly Highlights

Beginning with my first monthly update post, in this section I was inspired to try to capture "the good, the bad, and the ugly" every month. Specifically focused on my interactions with others on this "social network."

So ... What do we have this month:

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👍 👍 Two Thumbs Up 👍 👍

Working with ”systems,” as well as managing the work of others, for much of my career, I have always emphasized ”people” over ”process” believing that is the right priority. From a lot of experience, I know the best systems are greatly diminished, if not ”manned” by competent, engaged people. A great team will always solve the problem of less-than-ideal systems. I have never experienced the reverse to be true ...

This section, then, will always be about the people I “meet” in our Community. Specifically, those who have had the greatest impact on my "journey."

In spite of my limited time on our Steem blockchain recently, I am still "around" literally almost every day. I have three of my fellow Steemians who I would like to recognize for this past month:

• @nextgen622: In my efforts to "branch out" a bit and find new Steemians to support, I found this gentleman from Australia. Soon after meeting him, he responded to my request for more info by supplying me a link to his memoirs - "Living in Between Two Worlds."
  
  His life story is one of the most compelling I have read in a long time. I won't say too much here, as a "spoiler check," but trust me. It is very well worth your time to read his memoirs. You will be glad you did!
  
  While still a new account to me, I am looking forward to "getting to know" this Steemian better in the weeks and months ahead.
  
  
• @rawutah: While I have featured this gentleman from southern Utah before, I wanted to feature him again, given the influence he is having on me, in this chapter of my life.
  
  How so? By answering a simple question I put to him awhile back - "What is a 'food forest'?" His answer "opened doors" into a world I never knew existed. Which, in turn, inspired me in ways which I have not experienced in years.
  
  Already in the beginning stages of putting some of these ideas to work, I will be writing future posts about it, which will most certainly cover what I am talking about here in more detail. 😉
  
  
• @brittandjosie: This energetic and passionate lady from the Netherlands is a real dynamo in support of all that is happening on our Steem blockchain. Sometime ago, she elected to place me on a special map she had created of acquaintances she had made with others from all over the world. I was very honored. A little slow here, but I want to acknowledge who she is and what she did.
  
  In addition to being an "Ambassador" for the Netherlands witness, the BlockBrothers (@exyle and team), she also cohosts a great account focused on finding and encouraging our Steem blockchain's newcomers - @heyhaveyamet!
  
  If not familiar with these, please seriously consider voting for @blockbrothers for one of our all important Steem Witnesses and check out the @heyhaveyamet account!
  
  

In the marvel and wonder of how diverse we are as people, each of these fellow Steemians is unique in their own special way. If they are not already familiar to you, I would encourage you to "get to know" each of them. And then seriously consider following them and supporting their work.

Closing

So, overall a quiet month for @roleerob. For the sake of us all, dear reader, I hope along with many of you that the recent changes to our blockchain are for the better. I certainly believe a very sincere effort has been put in to make it so. We'll see!

Thank you for reading my monthly update. I trust you have found something of value in it and hopefully even some encouragement.

Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build up our Steem Communities and increase the value of the Steem blockchain! 👍 😊

Respectfully,
Steemian @roleerob

Posted using SteemPeak and “immutably enshrined in the blockchain” on Thursday, 5 September 2019!

Interested to read more of my monthly updates on my Steem "journey"? Great!

• Update, Month 1: Engaged with a 4-Figure Stake in the Future
• Update, Month 2: Still Engaged with an Increased Stake and "Growing" ...
• Update, Month 3: Still (Somewhat) Engaged with an Increased Stake and "Recalibrating" ...
• Update, Month 5: Still Engaged with an Increased Stake and "Doubling Down" ... - Won @trufflepig's #1 "Truffle of the Day" award!
• Update, Month 6: "Fully" Engaged with Increased Stake and "Resolute" ... - Won @trufflepig's #1 "Truffle of the Day" award!
• Update, Month7: 🐬 Starting 2019 as a Dolphin! 🐬
• Update, Month 9: Safely Home and "Working" on the "Next Chapter"
• Update, Month 10: 🥛 Glass Half Full? Or Half Empty 🥛
• Update, Month 11: Bogged down "out there" ...
• Update, Month 12: 💥 Annual Highlights Edition! 💥
• Update, Month 13: Slow start to Year 2 ...
• Update, Month 14: 🎣 "Gone fishing ..." 😉

SteemPeak: An awesome interface for our Steem blockchain.

Check it out!

graphic designed by @katysavage

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