I have no problem with standards at all. I think we're all very much in agreement on this one! The problems begin to arise when the tasks are, as mentioned in my post, under a multitude of verticals that don't fit one position and in many cases will never fit a lovely little beep boop number checkbox KPI which wouldn't be a problem in a traditional structure that can create resource and analytical scaffolding according to a defined purpose to the company. I've done my best over the years to make sure that the things I pursue have direct outcomes that can be seen that have a fairly quantifiable monetary value (our exchange/partners/providers list on the Hive.io website, core support, integrations to wallets and payment systems etc, etc) because that's kind of the only way to determine how to build standards for things that don't exist. They represent everyone's interests, as many different things that have just sort of sat because no one will do it without pay or hasn't wanted to take on because they just want to build something (dapps are realistically the actual part of our ecosystem that need distribution and are key to longevity, aggregation theory, and underlying chain utility.) So there's a push/pull dynamic and ever increasing scope, with many voices to listen to and an infinite number of participants from the "top" to the "bottom" to help. After six years and hitting the wall of ability to increase alongside with chain needs, it's okay to say, "if you like what I did then let's set a really low amount for it, and I'm going to try to stretch that for a few years and build on the things I've found most effective and important going forward as the beginnings of trackable tasks/standards." And if everyone says BOO NO YOU AND HIVE'S PRICE STINK then that's okay too, it just means that there aren't any resources or desire for me to try to increase work or build those standards. Here we are.

The very interesting thing that has happened is that people have pushed me to make ongoing proposals year over year (a la the early "Exchange Listing" one time payout) and stated that visible work done makes way more sense than an ongoing position that everyone has wildly varying ideas on what success looks like for, what metrics are most valuable, what tasks and resources should be allocated to as how there's sort of a good indicator of where to go next. I've done my very best to avoid the whole "collect a yearly paycheque and cross the Ts on chain to be seen" in the good times, so that all of our resources went to the things the voting populace best looked at as where they should go.

Were the title of this post "here's what I've done, here are the stated northstar, pillars and tasks going forward, MONEY PLZZZZZZ" for the exact same timing and exact same amount, with the exact same text, the responses to the post would be genuinely no different... because everyone is scared of how the markets are shaking out, and everyone is looking at the history of DHF funding and interpreting this as a "better give me my money before the chain fails!" situation regardless of the actual proposal. I have to admit I did not predict that aspect of this, because I don't feel like Hive as a chain is failing much more so than any alt in a hostile global economic period with some pretty wild socio-political factors that have absolute crushed the dreams of many functional crypto projects. But it's clear by many of the responses here, that a lot of people DO think that. And who's to say who is right or wrong? If that were the case, I'd have taken my yearly bribe, powered everything down, and been on my merry way. So would everyone left here willing to make a comment. Instead, we're all here together arguing some important semantics on some unexplored ground in the worst of the worst contextual situations. I'd prefer this proof of life any day rather than the alternative. Being uncomfortable or hated publicly for a while for honest conversation won't bother me; almost no one here is taking anything personally, and that's how feedback loops should work. (But more fool me for listening to many people for many years and landing on this particular conclusion as the best matched outcome now that it's time to talk frankly about it. I can only do what I can only do 😂)