Let's get stoked about: Steem
I feel like I've spread my fair share of negativity over the past few months, especially when it comes to our beloved Steemit and so I'm going to focus on the good things for a while instead. I was nominated by the lovely and awesome 
I found Steem and Steemit back in October 2017, while I was hunting down new cryptocurrencies that looked promising. After signing up, I left the account for a short while as I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it. Little did I know that the simple act of signing up would go on to have a surprisingly important impact on my life.
A journey back in time to 2006
As a teenager, I was hooked on web development and design after first tinkering around with making my own personal site, I was certain this is what I want to do. It gave me a creative outlet, which is something I never thought I'd have. After the forum was setup, I could then talk with a wide range of other people about vast array of topics. As my teens came to a close, so did my website where it sat, unloved and abandoned until my server lease lapsed. I've really missed being able to share my opinions and views, and so a few weeks after signing up to Steemit, I decided to dive back into writing.
Steemit helped give me something to work towards, I could set goals and objectives to achieve. It was an excuse to spend an obscene amount of time researching topics that I find interesting, and gave me the motivation to push myself. Since becoming a Steemian, that spark of my own brand of creativity felt like it was back. I have goals and dreams again, which I have to say I wasn't sure I'd ever have them back.
So much growth in just 3 months!
To find so many nice, interesting and often like-minded individuals all in one place is just amazing. The sense of community here is unlike any other site I've come across, and it's that community that needs to be cherished, cared for and grown. Although I don't necessarily agree with all his points or his methods, 
There's something about Steemit, and the other (often better) web apps for interacting with the Steem blockchain, that feels special. I've spent a fair amount of time looking at the existing and upcoming competition, and although there's some promising looking sites out there, none of them seem to nurture the same sense of community.
I want to start developing for the Steem blockchain, although I have a long road ahead of me. I'm currently brushing up on my front-end technologies, and once that's done and dusted by the end of this year, it's python next and then maybe I'll have a stab at making my own Steem app, just without the blackjack and hookers.
To wrap things up on this rambly free-write, I just want to shout out some of the amazing users on here that I feel deserve far more attention than they currently get.
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I can't thank these guys enough, they're the ones who've inspired and motivated me and for that I'm eternally grateful. There's no doubt I've missed some people out, and sorry for that, but know that I appreciate you all.
I could ramble on forever, but I'm going to wrap things up there. What are you thankful for? Let me know what you appreciate, and your thoughts and feelings on this article down in the comments and I'll see you there. As always, make sure to follow me for the latest Technology, Internet and Pop Culture updates and until we meet again, be excellent to each other!
P.S. If you're new here, you might want to check out my Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Steemit, which covers everything you need to know to get started making money and meeting new people on Steemit.
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Sources:
Screenshots are from my own profiles/sites