I just hit 5,000 followers! Let's celebrate by meeting another mod! Have you met Shane (@swelker101)?

Boom! 5k followers. I was self-proclaimed Steemit famous at 4k followers. Now I'm Steemit famousXL! Boom! It's a good day. Actually, it's pretty exciting to me. Lots of good shit. MSPWaves is about to hit 5k views. We hit 5k accounts in Discord (and almost immediately after scrubbed inactives down to 4200+). Tim Cliff's condensor pull request got approved so the Minnow Support Project is gonna be on the front lines welcoming new minnows. (Frankly, I'm a little scared of that, but here we GOOOOO!) I got word that a few communities are going to move into MSP and have us house them, and a program to help with that transition should be ready this weekend. So, I'm feeling pretty great, and that makes me want to help other people!

I started my Meet your Mods series with @gmuxx here: https://steemit.com/meetyourmods/@aggroed/meet-your-mod-gmuxx

Let's keep the party rolling!

Let's meet Shane!

A: When did you first hear about MSP?

Shane- I heard about MSP about an hour before the live webinar that held regarding the launch. I attended and made a post about is https://steemit.com/minnowsunite/@swelker101/palnet-part-of-the-minnow-support-project-my-takeaway-from-the-meetings

A: Why did you join MSP?

Shane- It was exactly the kind of group support system I was looking for at the time. I've always known that there is power in people, and this fit the bill nicely

A: What do you think is the best aspect of MSP?

Shane- Community is the obvious answer here. It's not only the support that you receive if you actively participate, but the projects that spring from that participation.

A: You're a moderator, what does that mean to you?

Shane- It means that I have to hold myself to a standard to not only continue to grow, but also foster growth to new members however I am able.

A: All the Moderators in MSP have a community service project that they work on. What's yours?

Shane- Same as Muxxy (@gmuxx), the original project was a podcast based on the happenings of PALnet. Although that original plan fell apart, MSP Waves grew out of that as Aggroed saw potential of a 24/7 radio station. So I'm keeping my service project going by having my hands in 4 different shows on the new platform. I also started @msp-shanehug, which has grown out of its original scope.

A: How much time do you spend on MSP stuff?

Shane- If I'm not doing real-life work, pretty much everything I do is MSP related in some form, even if I'm not in the chats at the time. creating 6 hours of content + the tech on one other show plus 90% of my posts are MSP related.

A: Why does it matter to you so much?

Shane- Well, it matters to me because I can see the personal AND altruistic benefits that PAL brings to Steemit. I believe I have helped people grow, and with that growth, I've stepped out of my comfort zone to start projects I normally would have never have tried.

A: We need some channel mods and more general moderators. Why should people do it?

Shane- Being a channel mod, especially if you mod a niche that interests you, is just a great way to network and spring ideas that you're interested in. SFT was born from channel moderation, for example. It's a great project that may not have happened without someone dedicated to that channel's growth.

A: What excites you about Steemit?

Shane- Before Steemit, @isaria and I were throwing money at different internet based projects, trying to get some passive income going. Nothing was really working until I discovered Steemit and saw how the blockchain rewarded its users. Now with less effort than before, I'm still throwing money at steemit, but it's going right into our accounts to help up save for our future, and we're actually getting traction on what we put out.

A: What's a long term vision for Steemit and how do you think you fit in?

Shane- I would like to see Steemit get to the point that any issues it does have are worked out. Once blockchain information reaches the every day knowledge in public, then Steemit's going to be in for a wild ride. The price of STEEM is incredibly undervalued right now, but I'm confident that will change in the next year or so. As far as where I fit in? I see just a wiser version of what I do now: Creating content and helping where I can while being in a position to help more.

A: What can MSP be doing better?

Shane- Onboarding could use a bit of tweaking. While we have 5k members, not everyone is getting the full benefit of participating in the chats and using the recourses we have available. The bots are nice, but it only seems to me to encourage expansion of members instead of fostering the members we currently have.

A: How can minnows contribute to the system and be rewarded for it?

Shane- The old addage is the more value you offer, the more you will receive later. And it holds true here as well. Value can be anything from information that you have or sharing ideas with others. While the payout isn't immediate, people respond to value, and in time, you will be better off than if you just focus on yourself from the start.

A: What would you like to share that I may have missed?

Shane- There are several communities to join through steemit, I am partial to MSP, but I encourage all to join with groups that you're comfortable with that will encourage you to grow and you can help others grow in return. As far as modding goes, the roles of the mods seem to be evolving as trust is built and more responsibilities are given. I'm thankful to the other mods, which allows me to step-back and focus on projects to help MSP, while still allowing me to step in to get my hands dirty. Since I'm one of the few that works away from a computer in real life, the additional mods take a load off.

This has been an @aggroed production of Meet your Mods

Yep, the mods do a ton of shit around MSP, and that means you, me, and this whole community benefit from it. This is one way I can say thanks, and spread their message to a 5,000 Steemian audience. Be sure to follow @swelker101 cause he's a great guy and we're really lucky and honored to have him as a leader in MSP/PALnet!