Hello my fellow Citizens of Earth! Though I don’t have many followers yet I figured it was about time to get my first post going on this gem of a platform. Hopefully this post can still find some love. <3

Background

My name is Andrew and was born and raised in California. I'm fascinated with technology and physics, I love the outdoors, music and am striving to make a difference in the world--or at least leave it a little better than I found it.

I have been working as a software engineer since graduating college 8 years ago, where I studied Game and Simulation Programming. I started with C++ developing features and applications for a digital media company. I moved to mobile development (iOS) several years later and have been doing that professionally ever since. And now I have truly “discovered” blockchain 😁

BTC Memory

I remember being in class in 2009 and overhearing some of my classmates talking about Bitcoin which sounded interesting. I understood it was a form of currency, and a very novel concept to boot. However at the time it seemed daunting to acquire, and its utilization was nil. So my practical self said “don’t worry about it”, and thus I never dove into the technology and ideology to truly appreciate the significance—well beyond a digital currency. To this day I kick myself for that, especially as a software developer.

Fast-forward to today, and I have a deeper understanding of not only what Blockchain is, but what it means. The implications are many, but to start it can unlock new potentials in our current social and economic endeavors, as well as mitigate a vast number of the constraints and exploits we currently see as well.

Why Steem(it)

• The above is one reason why I came to Steemit. Apart from the Steem platform’s ideologies—which definitely resonate with me—I joined to be involved in this new revolution, to help prove the efficacy of such a model and how all parties involved can benefit (not just a small centralized group).
  

• The second reason I came to Steemit is to have a platform which is more receptive to such ideas. I am starting to develop a new social based mobile application. I intend for it to run on the Steem blockchain (likey via SMTs when released) and figure this could be a great platform for seeding the idea, which will come in future posts.
  

• Finally the last reason why Steemit (and Steem as a platform) are their ideolgoies. Without getting into all of them, the most prevalent is a desire for substance.

  • The majority of posts on current social media powerhouses are usually devoid of much substance and original thought, mainly due to how "we" have been trained to use those platforms. Quantity wins over quality and a torrent of subpar content ensues.
  • Even worse, many posts which are of substance are often berated, misunderstood, or blindly lumped into a “group”. So much for a safe and open platform conducive to freedom of expression and one’s ideas. This is the issue I am striving to solve with my social application to come (and Steem has already laid the foundation).

  

Closing Remarks

I have always been fascinated with technology, and more specifically, the implications of its impact on the world and the plethora of facets therein. For better or worse, technology has found its way into nearly ever aspect of our lives. This demonstrates the true power of such a tool and how broadly its utilization can be applied. Like all things however, balance and equilibrium is key to a healthy and conducive relationship.

I Bid You Adieu

I hate to break it here, but for those of you who made it this far, BRAVO! I really do appreciate your interest. I would love to keep going as I do have a lot to say, but being this is geared as an “Introduce Yourself” I will stop here.

That said I will be writing up a ‘Part 2’ of sorts, addressing the issues laid out, talking a bit about blockchain, and then get into what “I” (as a software engineer and citizen of Planet Earth) plan to do about it.

Stay tuned, take care, and may the ‘Source’ be with you… always!

Want More?

If you are interested in reading more please Follow me @doon

I do have a Facebook account but do not use it much nor support the platform. You can also find me on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-j-marin/

Donations:
BTC - 196djMsMaWjnAMf9g5hX5ec1EYf6swd1Em
ETH - 0xd31d499A837e11894057Cb4429aD037D16AdfBb8
XMR - 4B2PyKjCySz1LQa8iovYGGF8hwRf9xTA6B6wQCKJS415Rx3MsL4BejhN89D2U9QRSS2nvZRbQs1b8BqQNLGzMBPMR2mLFrX