SteemFest² Reflections: Deliciously creamy, delightfully Steemy & Lusciously Lisbon (Part #4)

Howdy partners!

Ok, time to wrap up this whole SteemFest chit-chat (never!). Part 4 of my '2 part series' ;). See Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.  

So what about Lisbon itself? And some of the other characters involved in this adventure?

We'll start with a couple of mentions of the main players involved:

Group drone shot, courtesy of @timsaid and his drone!

Who is the man at the helm?

First up, our esteemed (see what I did there) CEO, Mr @ned Scott. There are always opinions and ideas flying around about people in certain positions. But we all know what they say about opinions ;). So, what's my take on this character?

Some people think that he may have not given much away during his talk and fireside chat. Maybe true. Probably correct on his part. In the days of Blockchain, streams and everything being recorded and accessible it is probably a wise idea to keep your cards close to your chest. Need to know basis. Personally, I'm just pissing about on social media, building community, having fun, taking part in a movement… and hopefully make a little bit of 'coin' along the way. 

Some like to drill down a bit further, which is fair enough and they want all the answers, and they want them right now. Hold on there tigers, all will be revealed I imagine. There was enough to go on on what he did say and the truth is, no-one is 100% sure about anything, not even those closest to the action. Dive in but hedge your bets. Trust, but verify as Ronnie Reagan used to say. 

The guy seems cool, calm and collected, and the right temperament for this field. Not an overly extravagant character (seemingly, although appearances can be deceptive) but you don't really want wack-jobs in charge of your precious Steem. He was open and accessible to all and happy to engage. I only spoke with him once, towards the end of lunch on the second conference day. We spoke briefly about the political situation in Spain (as I live in Madrid) but then he scampered off. Don't blame the guy. 

So, you crack on Ned. Lead us into the Steemy wonderland. Let's have a sup on some of that Kool-Aid. And we'll leave the Catalans for another day ;)

Bridge in Lisbon, a delightful scene down by the water!

Organiser extraordinaire!

@roelandp

AKA Stifler and/or Steve Irwin (I didn't come up with either of these classics but great work whoever did. If someone could post a pic with the 3 of them together, that would be great! :))

It's already been said numerous times, that this was a well organised event and quite rightly Roeland and his team deserve great credit for putting this show on. He was also one of the snappiest dressed at SF, which is ultimately the most important thing ;). I can't rock the matching shorts and shirt combo like he can, maybe next year! Again, only a quick chat with him directly, after the last dinner, but a likeable chap who seems to take it all in his stride. 

Lisboa luscious?

Lisbon was a great setting, we couldn't have asked for better really. Not least because it's only a short flight for me, but also it is a great all-rounder. Good weather, people, food, drink, arty architecture, nightlife, daylife, something for everyone. I'm not sure how you could have a bad time in Lisbon. But be prepared to walk them hills!

Artsy!

Blue guy chillin' :)

Hi there!

Is this some sort of a cult?!

Yes, yes it is. No. Well, maybe… depends how you want to look at it. Of course it isn't but there is certainly a cultish element to it which actually applies to any niche or sub-section of society. Scam? Ponzi scheme etc? Well, no, I'm not quite sure what the scam could be when we can only gain from activity we do for free on other social media. And as for a Ponzi… we'd have to get our dictionaries out for this one but most enterprises have an element of the pyramid, so I'm not too fussed about that. 

To inspire or to be inspired - Shakespeare? No, Adam…

I used to co-coordinate a language immersion program here in Spain and I always said it was more about the community, it just so happened that English was the reason everyone gathered there. That's what it was based upon but it was about so much more (in fact, it's not really the best way to learn a language but that's another story). 

The social aspect was actually where the program excelled, in fact, the tagline for it once upon a time was "more than English" which is perfect really. And by the way, some people thought that may have been some weird cult too before actually participating. 

[If you would like to see more about that, check out this article:
Pueblo Inglés: Welcome to the Hotel La Alberca... chit-chat & shenanigans in the deepest depths of Spain!]

Feeling in the zone? You are!

I use that as a segue to the philosophy here. Steemit is the basis, the setting, but in some ways that's irrelevant. I know, of course it's relevant in its own sense but it's always more about a central feature that brings these things together and the community takes care of the rest. 

Something I said a few times following that program in Spain. It can sometimes be difficult to string meaningful words together but I came up with the following as my 'go-to' and I think the same applies here:

It's an opportunity to inspire and to be inspired. 

And I  haven't even mentioned SMTs. So, what's a Smart Media Token? And where does the money come from? ;)

I think there's a theme developing ;)

World Domination

In all seriousness, explaining to the wider population how it works and why they could/should be involved is a little tricky. Not to mention the learning curve involved. Ok, it's not rocket science but there is a fair bit to learn and mostly a whole new area for the majority. If everything becomes a bit smoother; sign up, functionality (hate that word, I sound like one of them techies) and of course having your friends on here all make a difference. 

I think there is huge potential in this platform and any that may spring forth of a similar nature. I'm actually astounded by some of the projects and ideas generated from this, it goes far further than personal gain. Everything is of a very giving and sharing nature and of future thinking. It's actually something where it can be win-win-win for all, which is rare. Especially in this day and age of everyone whining about how bad things are. Hello! 

There are people out there that could make a huge impact with this technology and I suspect even those who are a bit more 'au fait' don't know the full potential of what we're sitting on. 

To sum up, I'll borrow a line from Mr @nanzo-scoop (probably said by others too but I remember him in particular) - people come for the money and stay for the community. So true!

Definitely a theme, now we're feeling like a unicorn!

Ahh, the angels

Next year?

Will I attend SteemFest next year? And do I recommend you do too? What do you think! I have no idea where it will be held or the details but keep your eyes peeled and a few days clear around the start of November. Save a bit of cash, be active on Steemit and show up with your game face on and we're sure to have another great occasion!

So many characters, so many interesting conversations and so many drinks. It's impossible to do it all justice… suffice to say, I was glad to have been a small part of SF2… and here's to SF3!

Oh, and one more thing:

"Steem, Steem, Steem!"

~ Adam

P.S. It appears in all the furore I have passed 1000 followers, so thanks! This is just the beginning and is sure to be quite a ride. Buckle up! ;) 

Related:
Pre-SF
SF Part 1
SF Part 2
SF Part 3
SF Addendum 

*****

• Copywriter @ FortressFree.com
• Instagram: adam.barratt
• Twitter: adambarratt
• Facebook: FortressFree
• LinkedIn: /in/adambarratt