An Open Letter To STEEM Content Creators
By This Time Next Week...
...Hardfork 21 will be a reality and at least half a day old.
While still early as to what will ultimately come of it, we will know a lot more about the initial effects of the Economic Improvement Proposal (EIP) then we can reasonably know now, outside of what will probably happen, human nature being what it is.
I don't know if the point of this post is to rally the troops, really, but I'm hoping that a majority of those of us who are still here after HF20, enduring the bear market, the ongoing inanity of some users, and the hundreds of calls of doom and gloom of STEEM's demise, on and off the blockchain, that we're at least willing to wait and see what happens, if it's just too early to commit to anything else.
While I consider myself here for the long haul, and willing to keep on posting with the time I have allotted, I know there are things that would make me stop posting, or cause me to heavily re-evaluate my time here.
I'm sure all of you have been making lists and considering the same things I have. I don't feel the need to rehash them, and really, I'm not so much into convincing anyone to do anything. I guess I'm more interested in stating what will make me continue on.
Is There Somewhere Truly Better?
I know there's plenty of Steemit/STEEM clones. I know there's threats from other chains. I know there's even fiat based sites. Are they truly better, or do they have their own set of problems and struggles, too? STEEM has been around for three years, it's traded on various exchanges, has a community that has been dwindling, yes, but those of us who are still remaining are fairly battle hardened. I'm sure if we had somewhere else to go, we'd at least have a foot in the door there.
After all, we came here from elsewhere, didn't we? I know I was trying to make things happen with Facebook, Twitter, a blog, a couple of promotional sites, Google Ads, affiliate links, selling stuff, etc. Essentially doing more marketing than any substantial creative writing. Here, I've posted over 500 times, and the vast majority of it has been something creative—short freewrites, serialized novels, comic books, project development, satire, and so on. And while there's been a lot of grinding, there's also been visits by whales, orcas, dolphins, many, many minnows and plankton, of their own accord or in curation trails.
In other words, I've been earning STEEM (over 3,000 now), in the time I've been here. I know. That doesn't equate to much given the value of STEEM, but considering I didn't make even $100 USD with Google Ads over the course of 10 years (which means I didn't make anything), I'm considering this an improvement.
STEEM Is A Great Blockchain
Certainly we can have issues with each other and the changes occurring, etc., but STEEM itself is a pretty amazing feat of technology. And it's only gotten better in the nearly 20 months since I've been here, especially the last eight months or so, since the Steemit Inc reorganization and a lot of the community devs started to pick up the slack with their own innovations.
Hopefully with the STEEM Proposal System (SPS) in place, we'll get even more innovation than what's been previously possible. Maybe we'll finally see some cutting edge development taking place. That's the intent, and I hope developers and community members actively participate in it.
I Like Creating
I've touched on this, but it's worth it's own section. I'm here to put my creations out there. I believe many of you are, too. Bringing them out of our minds and onto the blockchain for someone to see them is an exhilarating and nerve racking experience. It's a thrill we don't get much in other forms. I've discovered even with my time limited now, I don't want to give up on creating even more things, which is why I'm spending the few hours before and after work I have. It's cathartic. It's fun. It brings me joy and satisfaction, even if seems at times that all I'm doing is entertaining myself.
The Associations
There are people here that I really do enjoy engaging with. Many of those who came in with me have either moved to other aspects of the blockchain (Splinterlands, gambling, etc.), or had things happening in their lives which of a necessity has reduced their time here, but that's meant engaging with others, and while I miss the camaraderie of those I came in with, the rest of you all ain't half bad, either. That's meant to be a compliment and I hope you take it as such.
I've never had this much back and forth with people I don't know anywhere else online. Twitter would have been the only other place, because the people I've interacted with on Facebook I mostly know offline. Steemit has given me a chance to meet people from all over the U.S., as well as the rest of the world. While I don't know that I need a lot of it (I'm not a social creature by nature), I know I would miss it if I just stopped.
What Else Am I Going To Do?
Sleep more? Bah, who needs more than 7-8 hours of it? Not me.
Hang with my family more? Believe me, I get plenty of that, and my wife makes sure I do.
Get the trilogy finished, or continue development on my multiple comic book series waiting to happen? Yeah, I could do that, but I've kind of been doing that on STEEM, too. There's not enough people here yet, though, for it to really work, but the potential is here.
I do have to say, if there's one thing I would like to do more of, which would mean even less time on STEEM, it's bowling. I do like it. A lot. I should maybe get back into it. Get a new ball. One that actually fits my fingers and doesn't weigh 12 pounds.
Work more. Yeah. That would be fun.
As I Said Earlier...
I can't speak to everyone's experience here. Some folks seem to go out of their way to make it miserable for others. I've seen it happen. I know that the way things are set up favors larger stake, and so there's an ongoing issue with distribution that doesn't seem from less than a week away that it will get any better after HF21. I know there's a lot to be disenchanted about. I've been there, done that, more times than I care to count.
And maybe I'll be right back there come next week, or in the ensuing weeks that follow.
I'm not there now, though, and it's because of the reasons stated above. Even the kind of lame What else am I going to do?
I know I could find something else to do. Fact is, I'm doing what I want to do now. I wish I had the time I had before to do it. I think I'm doing something important for my future here. I think you are, too.
I hope you think the same way, but inevitably, you need to do what you think is best for you. I wish you the best, whatever you end up doing. Meanwhile, if you want, you know where to find me.
Images source—Pixabay
If people leave, that's great news as more rewards to those that stay and make content, less competition, I like it! Haha
But yea in seriousness, if you made it through HF20 why bother stopping now? Like you, I lost hope on fb, spent money on adverts, didn't get any where and never got that money back. I've had more success on steem in 18 months than anywhere else. Steempress makes my blog look really interactive with all the comments, my vote actually means more than just a like counter going up and I get a little something in return.
You support other people, you get rewarded too. It's awesome! Yet people complain because a few big accounts upvote each other. Well guess what, that happens on EVERY crypto site out there. Voice will have the same problems or their own unique problems as people look to cheat the system.
Steem has been going for 3 years, there are apps, games, integration to websites... It's far more developed and changes are happening which needed to happen. We'll see how they pan out but really, people get something for nothing and they still complain anyway. Sure you spend a bit of time on writing or composing music, video or whatever but like you say, where are people going to go to if they have been here for a long time already?
Tribes have picked up activity on the music communities, creativecoin, sonicgroove, tunes... This was much needed. For me, engagement is more important than a bit of Steem but it is possible to have your cake and eat it too here.
Networking has been and will always be the answer to get your name out there. Writing a post and expecting it to get a whale vote isn't the way to do it, you might get lucky but won't always be the way.
So once I finish rambling, I won't be going anywhere and have got more out of this platform than I could ever have hoped for so long may it last. Rocky road ahead but long term, it's looking good methinks.
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There really is a reciprocal nature to what we do here, and being a part of @abh12345's Curation and Engagement Leagues helped me see that. Now it's more a matter of time and what I can do as opposed to picking and choosing, but I think there is no better way to get that idea across—you need to get out onto other people's posts if you expect them to go to yours.
We are, more than anything else, our own content discovery mechanism. Beyond curation, if we're out commenting on other people's posts, there will be some uptick in earnings on ours. The more done, the more chance of a greater uptick.
And it doesn't have to be a vote for a vote, or comment for a comment. The ratio is never going to be 1:1. The more you want, the more you'll need to give. That's pretty much how it works.
All of those here who have primarily earned their way to dolphin or beyond didn't do it by waiting for the hordes to come to them, just as you said.
Whale votes are more likely to come in a curation trail than on its own, and I don't expect that to happen that much differently after the hardfork. Which means, there's a defined set of criteria that people need to follow to get those votes. Plus, you need to get noticed.
So, anyway.
Where STEEM is headed, we'll find out in short order. Right now, the price is headed back down. It has just as much potential to keep going down at this point, because we're heading into another period of the unknown. We seem to keep finding ourselves in uncharted waters. :)
I think you are right - There isn't anything better out there yet.
I'm watching with interest. The outcome of the coming flag war is going to be pretty key to the platforms future in my opinion. If the big whales and vote sellers chose short term profit, suppress the dissent and go on to win that war then I'll probably just be marking time as the platform continues cannibalising itself. But if we do miraculously get genuine content discovery as an outcome then this will still be the place to be for the likes of me.
Hey, @buggedout.
re: miraculously
I think I would settle for status quo or a little bit lower, but I also believe in miracles, so I guess we'll see. The sad thing is, it won't take hardly anything to spark a flag war after the hardfork, so people will actually have to actively refrain from it, which seems to go against human nature. So, I'm with you.
As it is, I'm mostly wondering what that convergent linear curve is going to do. No need for downvotes if posts aren't getting out of the curved part of it.
The cynical side of me says that we may actually become reliant on using vote-sellers to get out of the curved part. Maybe an unintended consequence or maybe by design.
Well, I'll see your cynical side and raise you mine...
One of the voices peculiarly absent from all of this back and forth over the last several months were the bid bot owners. Maybe you saw a post or two from them saying how they were against the EIP but I sure didn't. I wonder why that is, or why they weren't downvoting posts that were portraying the EIP glowingly. Instead, be they a witness or otherwise, bot owners seem to be mum on the subject. If witness, they're now running 0.21.
I think they would be quietly confident that the majority of whale-stake is on their side. I personally don't think they intend to go quietly into that good night when the flagging starts in earnest...
Count me in. I will be around for a while, and more, I am sure. Not the best of content creators, but I do enjoy my time on here. And I appreciate the friends I made on here. Posting on here also helps me hone my writing and my English, and it kept me out of mischief too. All good. 😊
Well, cool.
I'm glad you'll be around. :)
You seem to have your own set of reasons for doing it, and friends, honing writing skills, English, and so forth are all good. Surely, though, you can still get into some mischief. :)
I am sure I do get into, what some people call mischief, now and then. But they are not mischief as far as I am concern. 😁
I’ll be around bro...Can’t get rid of me so easily. I’m tenacious. 😋
Posted using Partiko iOS
Hey, @galenkp.
Nice. You're actually one of the ones I expect to be here, come heck or high water. :)
Okay, maybe not that, but at any rate, you have a purpose here you're working to fulfill, and that tends to make the pathway clearer, when there are goals and ways of getting there.
Last couple of days I have not commented much, just voted, getting a bit caught up today. This partial line/statement:
Is a prime reason for me using the steem block chain. I have fun here. Yeah there are butt's but there are butt's on all social media. Some people just can not stand to see someone else enjoy themselves.
I am not sure what HF21 is going to bring, I don't think anyone really is, even those that created it. So in about 7 days we will all see.
Hey, @bashadow.
There do seem to be a group of folks who like to rain on other people's parades. Part of the higher than reality expectations a lot of us have when we get here. We think people will be civil and genteel because STEEM is meant for a higher purpose. While I believe that to be true, that doesn't stop folks, as you said, from showing the world just how "human" they can be. :)
You're right. No one knows, and frankly, I'm not thrilled with that.
Let's just take everyone's stake and throw it into the void because, well, we've got to do something, because what we've got ain't doin' it!
Okay. I'll stop. I'm over it. Really I am. :)
Glad to hear you're still planning on sticking around. I probably will as well, but I don't plan on getting back to writing stories or anything of length. I don't care about the price of Steem as I'm not cashing out, but I do care about the amount of Steem. When author rewards drop over 60%, I don't see that as motivating for authors to add content. I'm planning on sticking around to see what happens as well, but it's all more than a bit frustrating/discouraging.
Hey, @themanwithnoname.
Ah, but the curators are supposed to make up for what we're losing because now they all have incentive to do so!
Bridge in Brooklyn, anyone?
I hope to get this out as part of a post later today, but in thinking about the author/creator 50-50 split, a single author will still make all of the 50% (plus more, depending on who and when upvotes), but the curators will still be splitting the rest amongst themselves. So, the more curators, just like before, the less people are going to end up with.
So, I don't know. It doesn't look good on paper, it doesn't feel good, and human nature being what it is, the path of least resistance (status quo) won't compel those who aren't already curating to do it post hardfork.
The self-rewarders will still vote for themselves. Because of the converging-linear setup the accounts getting smaller rewards will get even less proportionally.
I get around 2 Steem per week from curation. I had been getting around 30 Steem per week on posts. That means rather than getting 2 + 30, I'll get 4 + 13. That doesn't seem like a great trade.
As in we all jump off it together? Wasn't it London Bridge that was falling down, falling down?
I was thinking about selling you the bridge I own there. :)
Ah, but see, the math needs to include all the additional curation people who aren't doing it now will do then. So, actually, your 13 will be multiplied on a magnitude of infinity, because, who can really know how many more will curate?
Don't you feel better already? :)
I could use the bridge. Then I could get over so many things. Ha ha.
I do feel better knowing that I'm going to have a TON more people voting on my posts because they're going to get more curation back. I'm sure that's definitely going to happen.
And the 10% that's going to get taken to pay for random projects is really going to help too.
Sorry, I tried to be positive about it, but I guess I'm really only not negative about it when I'm not thinking about it.
I've been trying not to think about it either, which is why I've been posting about it every day so far this week. :)
But just think, with all the TONS of upvotes you'll now be getting, you will finally be able to buy that (fill in the blank) you've always dreamed of! Eternal financial security is on the way!
Smart. You'll never see that coming!
I'll start holding my breath now. I don't know when the new rewards system kicks in, but I know I'm going to be much better off when that happens!
That's the spirit! You are well on your way to becoming a good little Steemian. :)
!ENGAGE 100
There has already been too much
ENGAGEtoday.To view or trade
ENGAGEgo to steem-engine.com.I concur with your thoughts as I have enjoyed my time here learning and experimenting with projects and the community. It would take quite a bit for me to all of a sudden stop what I have built into my daily routine. The fact that the capabilities and flexibility of things to do here continues to grow (@actifit and @steemmonsters for me), is what encourages me towards the future of the ecosystem.
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Hey, @newageinv.
Yep. There's still plenty here beyond the content creating if folks want to go there. For myself, well, as stated, I've had more success here than anywhere else, which includes a stint on Patreon, which is supposed to be specifically made for creators. Talk about a lack of a content discovery mechanism.
Like anything else in life, we get out what we put in, and better said, we get out a lesser amount of what we ultimately put in, so if we want more out, more needs to go in. Ultimately, we run out of time, but no one owes a thing, most of what we're doing here is handed to us for free, anyway, so aside from everyone lining up in lockstep to upvote are stuff (not going to happen here, or anywhere), we've got the makings of the best platform for creators anyone could ever ask for.
And since STEEM is meant to be much more than a social site, I am very much hopeful that there will be much more springing up as the weeks, months, and years pass.
I really hope for many here that despite the choices that have caused the plummet of value the chain makes it. I don't see the current move being one that encourages those already here to stay, and figure some who were on the line will probably leave. Like yourself, I am here for a few in the community who haven't already left. I only have house money here now, but wouldn't object to it being worth something one day.
I don't believe that's the right question. Just because the other places such does not make this one awesome by default.
Clearly earnings are not the reason to be here. I have earned more in royalties in the last two months that my account is currently valued at and I haven't written anything in years now.
Hey, @practicalthought.
I don't know that I can honestly say what has caused the value of STEEM to fall. I mean, there's a lot to point to, and it would certainly be proper if any or all of that were the cause, with Steemit Inc. regularly selling of theirs being a definite part of it.
That said, markets work on sentiment, and sentiment can be based on very little, and not really anything that could have bearing. Shares rise and fall all the time because someone wants to make money, so they sell, and that triggers a sell off when there wasn't any other reason to do so.
So, not defending the decisions that have been made. You know how I feel about those from previous discussions. I just don't see much rhyme or reason to any of this, or STEEM would be valued higher, regardless, based on technology, upgrades, case use, etc.
re: by default
I hope that wasn't the point I got across. I was trying to take care to show that yes, STEEM has its issues, but until somewhere else can match in community size, price, and then add better governance and whatever else, there's little reason to take off to somewhere else when it's going to be the same thing, or a variation of the same thing, on a lesser established platform that has less going on.
Unfortunately, we don't have awesome, beyond the technology, to work with. It is what it is, right? We can fight to make it better and take our lumps in the process, I guess.
It's always a result of more supply than demand. Many are angry at the whales, many of those seeming to be people who never bought any Steem themselves, only cashing out what they have earned.
It seems to me that so many regular folks who came here relied on others to buy. I even had one tell me the other day he would take take take, and my pointing out that was why the coin has fallen was me trying to tell him what he could do. Yet another greedy person who milks this regularly had the audacity to post about those greedy whales.
There is this disconnect for so many, not realizing that if they themselves were not greedy f***s and would have treasured the ability to reward those they interacted with ALL boats would have risen with the demand from that.
It's because I saw and resented this in so many others early on here I get why changes are being made, although it will wreak havoc on the current model. The masses who came have proven they have no desire to buy, only use. Steemit and the other whales are now looking elsewhere (other business models) where there may be more appreciation beyond how much can I squeeze out of the rest today.
Much like many of the whales, I too have lost faith in the regular user community to care enough to right the ship. There are to few like yourself (and at one time myself).
I agree that there's plenty of blame to go around. The marketing by users to others was basically get rich quick, so people came thinking they were going to do that without much effort, and without needing to buy in. Once that gets started, it's hard to stop it, especially if the videos are sitting on YouTube, etc.
That doesn't excuse the people coming though who should know better, and either were too blind, naive, stupid whatever, to notice, or didn't care. They saw an opportunity to get theirs and they took it. And when it didn't turn out the way they wanted it, too, because they themselves went to the trough too many times, expecting someone else to pick up their slack, all the while too many others were doing the same thing, voila, we have at least partial blame.
Whales dumping STEEM, doesn't help. Bad press, doesn't help.
However, blockchain savvy investors and those in the know should see STEEM for what it is, way undervalued and pretty underrated and under utilized for what it can do. I think people are going to realize that, and it might take rock bottom prices for it to happen, but then we'll start seeing more than just social media and games here.
All of those who are clinging to the social aspect of it and what they can take out of it will be out of luck again because they won't have any STEEM left to transact in the new economy that will eventually spring up.
Maybe I'm dreaming. It is late. Maybe I should go to bed and be more cynical in the morning. :)
I'm gonna keep posting, same as always. @vimm is still going strong, and my baby will still be super adorable!
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Hey, @ddrfr33k.
I think a lot of us will, and ultimately, if STEEM is going to get anywhere, we need to be here in some capacity doing something to help push/pull it forward. We need investors, developers, creators, curators, engagers—in short, we need active users.
My boys have long passed the adorable stage, but I do have some grandchildren who are adorable, so I agree! Regardless of what happens here next week and beyond, there are other things in life that are good and will continue to be.
Nothing can be much better as what you have written here
Hey, @adedapo-glory.
Well, thank you. I don't know that I agree entirely about that, but since I wasn't trying to get too carried away, sharing why I'm here and why I'll most likely still be here seemed appropriate. We need to all find our reasons beyond rewards to hang around. If things work out the way they've been portrayed, well, we won't have to much worry about rewards. The STEEM economy will be fixed and we will all thrive, instead of just the few.
If the opposite happens, well, there's still engaging and commiserating with one another to look forward to. :)