I don't usually comment on these kinds of discussions, but after reading your post I felt like saying something.

We've only had limited direct contact, yet I've been following your work for about a year now. During that time, I've seen the projects you've built, the support you've given to others, your manual curation, and also some of the challenges and frustrations you've openly shared along the way.

What struck me most in your post is that people often judge what they can easily measure, while much of what truly matters can't be reduced to a single number. Time, commitment, responsibility, supporting projects, helping others, and simply showing up year after year are things that don't fit neatly into a metric.

As someone who also prefers manual curation, I know that it takes far more effort than simply letting things run on autopilot. Whenever one of my own posts received your support, I appreciated it because I knew there was an actual person behind that vote.

What I've observed over the last year is not someone who doesn't care about Hive, but someone who keeps investing time, energy, and resources into it despite setbacks and criticism.

A while ago I came across an analysis of Hive where your name and mine happened to be mentioned in the same sentence. The context wasn't particularly flattering for either of us, but I have to admit it still made me smile a little. Not because of the comment itself, but because being associated with people who have left a visible mark on this ecosystem is not something I consider negative.

So thank you for what you do. People are free to disagree, question, or criticize, but sometimes it's worth remembering that those who contribute the most are often carrying burdens that others never see.

And for what it's worth: I think your work speaks much louder than any KE number ever could.

One small disclaimer: English isn't my native language, so I used AI assistance for the translation. The message itself, however, reflects my own thoughts and feelings.