Though I've never formally introduced myself here, my name is Kevin Wilcox and I am a founder of EOS Go.

Today I'm proud to announce a new step forward, as I join forces with EOS sw/eden to better help EOS decentralize everything. I have chosen to take a step back from EOS Go so I can become more involved in the two aspects of EOS I am most excited about: empowering the community and the tools / dapps being built on top of the blockchain.

Why EOS?

It seems that our generation has reached a tipping point of welfare disparity between all of walks of life. Family and friends in the United States suffer from disproportionately high rates of depression in their otherwise comfortable lives. Many patients in my previous profession as an optician spoke highly of their careers and family, only for me to flip the page on their intake form to find anti-depressants written first on their list of medications. Sometimes, though not always, I could see the flicker in their eyes.

Meanwhile in other parts of the world, poverty and oppression stifle millions as innovation and wealth remain pooled in the hands of power. Communities in these areas form around a common goal of survival, with people sharing resources and lifting each other up to benefit everyone in the group. A village in Uganda provides better opportunities for an individual than living alone on the savanna. Human bonds and a sense of belonging in these shared value communities can be difficult to find in a 9-5 job.

It is my current belief that a human requires purpose to find happiness, and communities formed by shared goals can create meaningful lives. I believe EOS can bridge the gulf between the oppressed and depressed by aligning goals and interests across all borders. With EOS, technology and purpose could potentially overpower many sources of oppression and depression, which is why I disco danced during the EOS launch parties and shed tears during its activation.

Thus, I believe EOS sw/eden's goals align closely with my own personal mission in life: to build communities towards sharing value, purpose, and power for the benefit of every individual.

What About EOS Go?

EOS Go will keep going in a limited capacity. Bluejays and I are proud to continue our EOSRad.io shows, live every Monday with guests, debate, news and more.

Otherwise we will maintain the quieter presence we've held since June. Neutral BP reports, news, and other efforts we maintained in the months leading up to launch will remain in the post history of our Steem account and forums.

Where Did EOS Go Come From?

In December 2017 I messaged Thomas Cox, then VP of Product at block.one, after he started a forum for the EOSIO Governance chat to host threaded discussions. I told him I didn't think it was block.one's job to organize community efforts, according to their whitepaper, so I started a separate community forum in the spirit of free market competition. Thomas graciously closed his a few weeks later to help the EOS Go forums gain traction, and I did my part by offering daily EOS Telegram summaries to help the community stay up to date on news.
Fun fact: Eric, co-founder of EOS sw/eden, was the first person ever to post on the EOS Go forums after myself.

A lot has changed since December 2017. In January, my new friend / co-founder Bluejays and I traveled to Blacksburg to record video interviews with Thomas Cox and Dan Larimer for the EOS community. At that point we had yet to see a single block producer candidate announce their intentions, and the EOSIO Gov chat remained at ~280 members, though the chat volume was impressive. In the months leading up to launch EOS Go became known for our weekly block producer reports, EOSRad.io show, EOS Telegram Summaries, articles by Katie Roman, forums activity, cat herding efforts, and more.

The Secret

I originally started EOS Go in the hopes that I could one day decentralize my own life and career in EOS. Today I am excited to make the leap with a team that shares my mission and values - throughout my work with EOS Go I always secretly favored EOS sw/eden. Eric, Vahid, Sean, and the rest of the team (to be announced) are self-funded with a very strong technical background. They've had bare metal servers since launch, physical redundancy throughout their home country, and they share mutual goals with myself to build a better life for humanity on blockchain. Becoming a block producer was only their first step.

Let's all continue to build the EOS community and dapps on top of this world-changing platform, and I will continue to work towards bringing the benefits of blockchain to everyone on this planet. Thank you for following along with the journey thus far, it has been and will continue to be an incredible ride.

Go EOS!

Kevin Wilcox is co-founder of EOS Go and proud member of EOS sw/eden. Kevin's mission in life is to build communities towards sharing value, purpose, and power for the benefit of every individual.