Manual curation is time consuming. It can feel like being "an octopus playing whackamole," as @thebugiq so aptly put it. There’s no way I can get around to supporting everyone each day in the ever-growing community I’ve found through Steemit, though I try.
I really do. I have a running joke with @topkpop: “I’m trying to catch up,” I’ll say.
And we’ll laugh. ‘Cause there’s no such thing.
But manual curation has felt like the right thing for me, thus far, so let's go deeper into my reasonings. I'd love to hear your thoughts, as well.
Note: All photos in this post are mine, taken in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. I’m including peaceful pictures to lower my stress levels and help me stop thinking about all the posts I’m not reading and commenting on as I’m writing this one. Also, Steemit is an ocean, right? Ah, the soothing sound of the waves...
My two cents on manual curation and community building.
This post was actually born in the #steemsugars chat on discord, when @gabyoraa appeared and a few people said hello. I came in, saw a comment regarding bots, and left this response as a very lengthy welcome:
I do 100% manual curation. If you build community and put out high-quality content, persevere and you will do just fine. It comes down to making friends and supporting each other. This is a great community!
My two cents: Do what you can, but, to give you an idea, I try to upvote and comment on at least 3 other people's posts every time I drop one of mine in post-promotion. Often I'll end up visiting and supporting 5 or more.
If you show up, leave thoughtful comments, and upvote as your SP allows, you'll make friends. Talking in discord also is a major help. You get to know people. I've made SO many friends, and I have so much fun! Welcome to Steemsugars.
That's my perspective, of course. You do you. But it's possible to do it all via community, as many people are also curators. Have fun. Steem on!
Gaby was kind enough to thank me for my rambling "advice," though I hate to actually give advice. I know she'll find her own way. Everyone has a different approach.
I’ve heard some say leave 20 comments for every post you put on your blog. Others (myself included) are involved in a friendly curating competition run by @abh12345.
I still don’t believe in using voting bots to boost my own posts. I don't have issues with others using them, but I’ll stick to community and posting quality content in hopes of bigger marine mammals giving me a boost.
Did I mention my feed? No. That’s because I hardly look at it.
My primary place to find posts is on discord groups, through Pimp Your Post Thursday with @shadowspub, and seeing resteems on friends’ blogs.
Look at that blue. So peaceful. Ahhhh... Deep breaths.
Considering a curation trail.
There’s been talk of a curation trail in one of the groups I’m part of, and I’ve been weighing my thoughts on this.
On the one hand, if my voting % is turned way down, I have to ask, “What’s the point?” Wouldn’t it be better for me to be able to vote 30%, 50%, or even 100% on some of those posts?
On the other, the temptation of knowing I’m supporting everyone in my group without actually having to get to all of their posts is pretty appealing. I trust the curator and know the quality of content is going to be good…
But I’m still on the fence, because I’d rather read what I’m voting on first. Maybe I just have control issues. Lol! (This is totally possible.)
I’m also considering becoming a curator for @curie or @ocd, if they’ll have me, which would mean joining a curation trail. This trail I’d jump on willingly, having seen the caliber they’re choosing to reward and having been generously supported by @curie myself.
It’s been fun to see posts that have blown me away be rewarded from curation groups in the service of supporting under-valued content. I love how many of my friends have been Curied! That said, I’m still not sure if I’m ready to dedicate the time these curation guilds require. I feel like I’m still learning to swim in the Steemit/Discord sea.
Seriously, how did I end up in so many discord servers?!
Oh yeah, ‘cause there’s no end to the awesomeness people are creating in connection with Steemit. That, and @thekittygirl keeps dropping server invites into chats and I keep clicking on them. Lol!
Yes, we need another ocean shot. Look at this placid bay. Ah, so nice. Calms me right down, which I need, since I could easily be running over to discord to chat with dozens of people from around the world. A wonderful thing, but I must focus and finish this post!
Tips for manual curation:
- Join discord servers where you feel at home. Have fun there. The relationships I’ve built on discord transfer to Steemit in myriad ways.
- Attend the PYPT parties, hosted by @shadowspub, or other voice-chat virtual meet-ups.
- Spend time in comments. Read them carefully and see if you can find new friends there.
- If someone comments on your post, do your best to visit one of theirs and leave a comment if you find something that interests you. I’m not suggesting you automatically give upvotes for upvotes or follows for follows, but reciprocity counts. If someone genuinely reaches out, it’s nice to do the same.
- READ THE POST before commenting! This should go without saying but... it doesn’t always happen, and if your comment shows you didn’t read, the person who spent time writing the post is going to know it!
More tips for comments:
- Read the post. I said that already, but it stands repeating.
- When you find something you connect with, latch onto that. Maybe copy a sentence so you can quote the author and tell them how much you liked that bit of writing.
- Add something to the conversation. When your comment enhances the value of the post, you’re more likely to make a genuine connection, get noticed, and possibly get rewards.
- Upvote comments you appreciate as your SP allows. (This links to a post about comments and success on Steemit. Well worth the read.)
- Respond to anyone who takes the time to leave a meaningful comment on your own blogs. Maybe you don't have time to get to all of them, but do your best! These people took time to respond to your post. Reward your readers!
One of my favourite things about Steemit is how much discussion evolves around every sort of topic, and how many posts link to other posts, inviting me farther down the endless rabbit hole.
Comments can be just as valuable as posts themselves, and can inspire new initiatives, such as @zipporah’s recent run-in with a certain grouchy kitty, and the conversations that have evolved from her determination to bring her own flair of diplomacy to the platform.
We evolve as human beings when we listen and talk to each other, when we are willing to see from more than one perspective. Sometimes that means we’re willing to disagree, but growth can come from healthy debate, too. Comments are a great place for that!
Self-care.
I’ll throw a quick self-care reminder in here. Amidst all the upvotes and comments, be sure to take time to stretch, eat, drink water, and sleep.
Take care of you, so you can have All The Fun and support others without burning out.
What about you?
What’s your approach to curation? Do you follow a curation trail, use bots, or do it all yourself?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Again, I’m sharing my perspective here, but I’m constantly learning more.
Thanks so much for reading! Steem on!
Peace. @katrina-ariel
Banner courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
Good thoughts. I have some too!
I have 3 people on autovote. These are people I fully trust, whose content is consistently worth it. Two of them, @techslut and @poet are irl friends. The third, @shawnamawna is a new friend from here, and is just incredibly consistent at producing the highest quality content.
I suspect I will add more people on autovote as time goes on. They just need to be people I can trust that I would vote for each and every time manually, or at least a very high percentage of the time.
Other than that, I'm all about the manual curation, and it is absolutely on a case by case basis.
Thanks for chiming in! I like the idea of having people on autovote that you have that level of trust with. All three of these Steemians have impressed me, as have you, @didic. The quality so many people are bringing to this platform is incredible. Thanks for being one of them! :)
I 100% agree and try desperately to live up to your amazing example.🦄🦄🦄
Oh, I think you do wonderfully, my friend. Some days are better than others, for all of us. Take care of you!
I manually curate everything for Ladies of Steemit but have recently started a curation trail FOR us. It's an experiment to see what greater impact we can have on those we curate. I spend about an hour 3x weekly curating for LoS (currently) and that can result in up to ten posts that receive attention.
Day-of curation is different, though. As I focus on authors first from the standpoint of a theme or subject-matter, I'm typically going through whole profile to see consistency, quality, engagement with others, and then determining whether I can showcase them on account of having a quality post still within payout period. That sometimes takes up to three hours every Wednesday. 😅
Not everyone has that kind of time and I respect that! But, manual curation is (in my opinion) one of the most important thing we can do to improve the quality of the platform and keep new talented authors from getting discouraged.
The other way is through The Classroom where we help people learn how to write curate-able posts. 😂💓
Hi Amelia... I've been loving your posts since you came on board and didn't realise you were behind @ladiesofsteemit until right now. Could we chat about The Classroom and your other efforts? I was literally going to start a similar concept on Discord but keep getting distracted by other things. I'm a curie curator and would love to help out. I'm not a lady, but I am super nice...
@ameliabartlett, he's super nice. I can vouch for that. ;)
Awww, thanks Katrina!
Hi there! Happy to come say hi and see what you're up to. 😁
Amelia, you're a force of nature! I love Ladies of Steemit. Such an important and inspiring initiative! These are some great tips to keep in mind. So much work! lol! But I agree, manual curation is a huge boon to the platform as a whole, and we need to support new talent in a big way. So glad to represent in the Classroom with you, my Steem-sister!
Hey girl!
Thanks for the self-care reminder in the end ;)
Actually I don't really agree though ... Not with the tips - that are AWESOME!- but with the thought that manual curation just can't exist.
It sure does. And that's how I always do it. Because if I set an autovote (as some people suggested) it'll vote anyway whatever the people I follow post and sometimes people take advantage of that...
Comment comment comment - that's the key!!! And of course read the post, yes - that's how I read so many interesting posts, amazing content!!! :D
We're not asking for new curators at ocd now, but I will certainly let you know when/if we do! :) Hugs!
I love seeing examples of people who are curating manually 100% of the time. As you said, it can exist and thrive. Amazing content here. Absolutely! Thanks for being a curator and all-around champion for Steemit, especially for empowering more women! Thank you also for the response from ocd. It's nice to speak with representatives of different guilds as I learn who is where, doing what. It looks like I'll be joining Curie, one way or another. I've been well supported by that community so it makes sense.
I don't think it matters what curation group we join, or what discord servers we represent, but that we curate and contribute to community, adding to the overall strength of the platform. There are so many good people posting phenomenal content and helping each other. I'm proud to be one of them, to stand level with friends around the world who are giving their best in this steemwave of change.
And yes, self-care is a must. The reminder is for me as much as anyone else. ;) Thank you so much! 💖
ME, ME! I am an example :P Even though my VP is not the mind-blowing kind haha, but I'm trying my best xD
Good luck with Curie :)
I completely agree with you - as long as you curate, that's the point, the rest is not that important :)
Hugs! :*
Hey @katrina-ariel!
This is a great post... and it's something I really struggle with. I've become a curie curator since we first met... and it's super hard.. and really stressful... but I'm happy to chat with you on Discord and help you find posts that would fit the curie guidelines to get a bit of practise in.
Otherwise, keep up the amazing work you've been doing. Steem is made an absolutely wonderful place by peeps like you!
Hello! Always good to see you, @aussieninja. You're in Curie, too. Yay!
Hmmm... super stressful doesn't sound good, but I can imagine there's pressure. And lots of guidelines. lol! I'd be happy to have some training with you. Feel free to reach out in Discord, anytime.
Keep being awesome! Thanks for stopping by. :)
The Curie guidelines were a lot more strict and then loosened up on literally the day I started... which has been great for writers like yourself, and the really great curators... but fills us newbies with a lot more doubt... and there are penalities for having posts you submit rejected... but it's also super rewarding too.
I saw a couple of others have said they'll represent you when you're ready, which is something I can't do... but I thought a softer intro might be better for you. I'll compile some thoughts and send them to you.
Thanks so much. I'm blown away by the generosity people have shown me on this platform, yourself included. Softening the intro is much appreciated! Anything to help me avoid overwhelm is a good thing! ;)
Haha, uh oh, you might not like the message I sent you in Discord then.. but we can break it down chunk by chunk. There is a lot involved.... but it literally changes people's lives, and I've learnt a lot... so it's pretty great.
At the end of the day though, people show you a lot of love because you put in a lot of effort to help this platform that we love. If everyone could follow your lead, this place would be beyond amazing.
What's this sleep you speak of?
sleeeeeep... um... It's that thing I get too little of 'cause I'm up late every night playing on Steemit and chatting with fam in discord. ;)
I must say that I curate almost the same way as you are suggesting here:-) It works for me IF I doesn't aim for two many post to read every day.
I have though set up some automatic votes on some authors I know creates quality content and I feels that this lower my stress a bit. I want to support them but I'm doesn't always have the time to read. I try to visit their posts at some point anyway.
Great post and I can only agree with your points above:)
And I love your photos!
I can totally see the autovotes lowering stress levels. It's why I'm considering them, but I like your approach, and @didic's, of choosing only people you trust that always do outstanding content. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos and the post itself. :)
Hello my dear friend ,
I read your advice and I think you're quite right. every day with great care to understand a very nice work and I'm trying to interpret. my English is bad. For this reason, I can not express my feelings ...
I try for someone to discover me. I produce quality content and
I support beautiful content again.
these beautiful tips and tutorial articles will help me. Thank you
Your English is much better than me trying to speak in another language, so good on you for trying. I see you commenting on people's posts, and see you in discord. I can only imagine how much harder it is to do Steemit when English is not your first language, but I think you're doing great. Persistence pays off, and even small post rewards add up over time, though it's nice to see some bigger ones, too. Steem on! :)
hi @katrina-ariel, I don't use bots, I like to curate myself and interact with the authors and posts that really resonate with me. I don't have SP though so I really try and engage with my comments and feedback.
There are so many amazing posts out there that can get lost in this big ocean, as I don't have much SP i try and resteem to help out.
I've also started a weekly post reintroducing new steemians that have come on tho the platform.
To be honest I find I don't have enough hours in the day, as you said it is really hard to keep up, but I try.
Trying to find ways to contribute to the community with not having SP well i have 2cents tops. looking forward to the day when I can really reward good content with a upvote that reflects the work gone in.
I hear you. My SP is a little higher because someone was kind enough to give me a delegation until I build up enough for a slider on my own. But before that happened, I often could only comment on some posts, when I'd done as much voting as I could do each day. Comments are so important. Even if someone doesn't upvote my post, if they leave a heartfelt comment it is very meaningful to me. After years of blogging and writing without a lot of readers seeing my work, Steemit has provided something that gives me courage and more confidence as a writer: a way to connect with readers. This is a blessing for a writer, and I'm grateful for it! Your blog posts always inspire me. Steem on!
Thank you @katrina-ariel, yeah the comments mean alot to me, they are so inspirational and motivational for me. This is my first time blogging and I am really enjoying all the interaction I get to have with everyone, Steemit has introduced me to some amazing people that I have really enjoyed connecting with all. really glad to have found you on here x
Likewise, my friend. 💖
I would love to on-board you on Curie as a MANUAL CURATOR ;)
Let me know when you want to take it on. I will give you the run-down and help you get started. Already you have done a great job with this. I think I have gotten two posts from my feed to get a curie vote, two you recently resteemed, I think.
Thank you sincerely for your support and for the invitation, @misterakpan. So glad you've found some quality posts through my network and resteems as well! I've spoken with @randomwanderings about joining Curie before, too. I guess my biggest question is how much time commitment it requires. Once I get an idea of that, maybe I can make my decision. :)
And @randomwanderings popped into my DMs with an answer to my question about time commitment, which seems to vary with each individual. (Thanks for that, Gene.) Pondering, pondering...
I've never been to Nicaragua but it looks really cool. I like the yoga picture a lot.
"When you find something you connect with, latch onto that. Maybe copy a sentence so you can quote the author and tell them how much you liked that bit of writing."- This was my favorite. 😂😉
Irony,
LeeJ
lol! Irony indeed, but truth. This is one of my biggest tips for leaving comments. Thank you for stopping by and taking time to respond. So glad you like the pictures! It was an excellent setting for photo shoots, and an incredible adventure. I'll tell you, though, San Juan del Sur was one of the loudest places I've ever been. One of these days I should write about it. ;)
Being a teacher and family man, means time is short. I'd love to read more of others work. When I do Post Promotion, I say to myself I'll read 3 minimum, but read a few more.
I hear you! My responsibilities often get in the way, but I still carve out time to share the love. Thanks so much for stopping by! My best to you and your family. :)
I have an autovote on a few people and follow tons. Thanks to GinaBot. Just like now I don't have about VP at the moment but once I get back up ill try to make up for it on that person's future posts. I've wasted VP this week and went down to 50 which is a no,no.
I love reading posts and engaging the community, as for discord I'll just stick with two at the moment. I'd like to get my to know them more before going out to another one. I wish I could just have tons of time and see and read other people's posts. ^^
GinaBot is so helpful! You're right. Lots to keep up with, though. VP, SP, discord... Smart to stick with a smaller amount of discord groups. I have some I'm more active on than others. And, yes, could we please have longer days? Please? lol!
Yes, can we ask more? ahhaha I'm truly late for this and catching up on most people. I'm enjoying it and learning at the same time. :)
It's time consuming - but I'm all for manual curation too. It forces me to actually read the content....or better yet drop a story if they have a photo.
Your stories are epic! Love your posts. Yes, so time consuming, but also very rewarding. :)
I LOVED this post! It really wraps up all the important thing to do on Steemit. I love to engage in the comments and discord groups are so much fun to be a part of. Especially if you find one with a nieche that you love and feel engaged by.
I truly feel as you said that steemit is a way to connect and make friends. If you do that and at the same time bring value to the table you will succeed.
Thank you for writing such a great post. It's truly worth resteeming :)
Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you found value here. Yes, the friendships are the greatest, and when you connect authentically with people and do your best to contribute to the platform, I think things work out well. Fantastic to find you here, thanks for saying hello and for the resteem!
Yes that is so true. And I truly feel that Steemit is generating a lot of new friendships all over the world. Making it easy for likeminded people to connect and get to know each other :).
Happy to connect with you and I really look forward to see more posts from you :)
My biggest problem on steemit is a lack of time for the comminity engagement I want to be a part of! I definitely use auto voting with some friends I know put effort into their posts
I hear you! Can we please have 10 more hours in the day? lol! I think autovoting is a helpful tool in that regard. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and write a comment. :)
Thank you @katrina-ariel for really an insightful post. Yeah, in the last week I have been going less and less to my Feed. It's just too much "noise" i.e too many I have Followed I just can't keep up with. Not bad content producers but just cluttered.
Here is something I have been doing the last few days. I told @Topkpop I was thinking about trying it earlier in the week. So I tried it and it works like a freaking charm.I go to Getpocket.com (an awesome one push Bookmark system)
Let me preface then by saying I went thru my Feed and out of the 200 and something I Follow , I drilled it down to around a few dozen who I am really interacting with and put them on my List at Getpocket.com.
So first thing I do now is open Getpocket.com and go to "Tags" and it has all them right there. I simply go to their blog homepages at the click of a button to these Followers that stood out in my Feed. Yes, I am now including a large slew of #theAlliance Members in there and adding everyday. But this is so much more efficient and faster than going to my "Following" list on my dashboard and scrolling down to different people I Follow and clicking on them and going to their blog Homepage to interact with them that way
Using this System with Getpocket.com is so effective for me for interacting and Commenting. Not even funny.
Thanks for sharing this resource here, @robertandrew. Great idea! :)
@katrina-ariel,
I just finished reading/commenting on your LOR poem. And now this.
You've got a new Follower.
This was an excellent article, with carefully considered insights that were clearly articulated. And, perhaps most appreciated, you edited (and I suspect re-edited) your article before posting it. And it shows.
Well done.
Oh I always edit (and edit and edit) my articles. Probably takes as long to proof and refine as it does to write them in the first place. ;)
Thanks for the support and your kind comments here and on the LOTR poem. Steem on! :)
Great post @katrina-ariel!! "An octopus playing whack-a-mole." Haha, yeah that pretty much sums it up! I don't have anyone on auto-vote, and here are the disadvantages of this for me: I like to vote at 100% and my voting power is all but dead right now because of this (and what good does that do?), but I keep upvoting and commenting like it's an addiction lol! The other problem with not auto-voting is this: it's hard to remember everyone I want to support and I fear they see this as a slight if I'm not around for a while, because some stop visiting my blog. I guess that might just be the natural way of things with manual. If I upvoted automatically, at a small percentage, my voting power could rise again, and I could show all the wonderful people I love my support, even in a small way. Sounds great, right?
That said, I'm just like you. Maybe it's my need to be in control? Maybe part of me thinks it takes the humanity out of Steemit? I don't know. Maybe I'll look into it in the future, but not right now. Manual curation just feels right!! :D
I hear you. I'm sticking with manual curation for now at least. I do keep my voting power above 80% — something I read my first week in Steemit and have stuck to. If it drops too low, I rest it. As for people not visiting your blog if you haven't interacted, I think that's typical of social media as a whole. Interaction begets interaction. But you know, all you can do is what you can do each day. Take care of you! :)
Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a daily Steemit truffle! It is listed on rank 3 of all contributions awarded today. You can find the TOP DAILY TRUFFLE PICKS HERE.
I upvoted your contribution because to my mind your post is at least 34 SBD worth and should receive 79 votes. It's now up to the lovely Steemit community to make this come true.
I am
TrufflePig, an Artificial Intelligence Bot that helps minnows and content curators using Machine Learning. If you are curious how I select content, you can find an explanation here!Have a nice day and sincerely yours,
TrufflePigI feel the same as you, Katrina. And I do manual curation, and yes, I feel there is no such thing as catching up. I feel always frustrated as I don't have much time to dedicate to Steemit (and even less to Discord, I get lost on it!), but I try my best to, at least, give back the generosity I get from friends who interact with me.
I don´t use bots and don't know anything about the curation trails concept. I stubbornly stick myself to the spirit of Steemit. Which is getting harder every day as it keeps growing more and more!
The photos are beautiful!
Aw, thank you! And your comment makes so much sense. There's no such thing as catching up, but sometimes I just let things slide. Discord, for me, is more fun than anything. I spend hours there, chatting with friends. But I think manual curation is just fine. You get to whatever you get to, and do what you can. Keep being you! Thanks so much for reading and taking time to respond! :)
Don't thank me, I thank you for bringing a theme I keep always in my mind! Cheers, sweetie. When I have more time I will dedicate myself more to discord. Right at this moment, I'm too busy for even be here on Steemit!
I just happened upon this post following different links and as a newbie, I have a couple of questions for you...
When you talk about curation, does that mean comments and resteeming as well, or just when you group good posts together in a post of your own to help people out? I catch on slowly :-)
Could you say a bit more about what a curation trail is? I couldn't figure that out...something automatic?
Thanks for the info!
Hi @orangina. Welcome to Steemit! :) Curation, to me, is anything you do to help support a blog post. So, yes, voting, comments and resteems. When I was new, I didn't have enough power to vote every post I visited, but I could still comment!
Curation is also grouping posts together, as you said, in an effort to share them with your audience and get more readers to quality content. There are other, more behind-the-scenes, curation efforts, like Curie, ocd, and other curation groups where people nominate posts. If they're approved, they get voted on by multiple players in a curation trail.
I don't know that much about curation trails because I haven't used them yet, but basically you sign up for an automatic vote that follows a leader. The lead account votes, and the trail votes behind them. You can set the % for your vote (once you have a slider), and in some autovote services you can also set it up so if your voting power (VP) drops below a certain point it lets you "rest" so your VP goes back up before you autovote again.
Lots to learn, eh? It's all good. Learn a little each day and have fun! Thanks for the comment. Hope that answered your questions. :)
Thanks for the comprehensive answer! It took me days to figure out why I didn't have the slider I had seen in a video - it's going to be a while I think! Cheers :-)
It is always nice to read your thoughts, they make me want to calm my hyperactive mind :)
I must admit that I am guilty of using shortcuts from time to time. I found so many amazing people - writers, singers, photographers, travellers... and I want to support them all. I know that it is just one cent in my case (you rich, rich girl ;), and that it seems ridiculous to give 100-200 votes per day, but I really, really like those people.
So... I put some of them on autovote... It was a trade-off between not having enough time to visit them and being rude for not voting on their masterpieces.
Hey, I have a hyperactive mind, too. ;) I think autovote has its place, and it's likely only a matter of time until I set it up for certain people whose posts are always top-notch. I can say honestly that I appreciate those who have me on autovote, though I also appreciate the ones who maybe don't get my post every time, but give it a heavier upvote when they do. Which leads me back to my thought of, "As long as you're curating, you're contributing. You do you."
Thanks for reading and taking time to reply! :)
I like the idea of manual curation although it is time consuming. I did consider the auto vote but I never had the time to actually do it. I would have at least ten people on it.
Once a day, usually in the night, I try to read as much as I can from my feed. I attended once the PYPT hosted by @shadowspub and it was quite fun.
As for making friends or simply connecting on Discord, you are absolutely right! Each time I logged in I met at least one or two amazing people. I wish I had more time for it!
Good luck with Curie!
It's so time consuming. And sometimes it's also energetically consuming, reading so many posts and engaging at that level. Sometimes all I want to do is be silly on Discord, or get outside (which I'll be doing after this!) But I love that there's so many ways to connect with people in the Steemit sea.
And, thank you!
I curate manually and only have PAL on autovote since that is one of the requirements of joining. I never let 100% powered up sit and I never get to vote for everyone I want to - or at least not with the percentage I wished I could give them.
But to be fair, I am running the freewrite daily activity and most of my votes go to participants - which can be 40+ any given day.
And then, there are the families like thealliance, steemusa, the Isle of Write to support.
Every day, I come across other new or new to me Steemians I want to vote for. So, why I like the idea of autovoting on a group of people, I just don't have enough power yet...
I think when I have enough SP that even a very low percentage vote give a meaningful vote, I will join a curation trail. Just not yet...
These are some great thoughts. I especially like the way you said this:
YES! Also, it makes sense for most of your votes to go to participants of the freewrite! Amazing what people come up with, I've enjoyed reading the ones I've gotten to. I've spent too long away from fiction... wrote some flash fiction yesterday and now I want more. lol! Might have to join you. But your thoughts on curation resonate. Thanks for commenting. :)
I'm diggin' your PYPT hat! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I've been on the fence as well, as I can see pros and cons on each side. I'm still doing manual curation only right now. But, resteeming this as their are many tips that I need refreshers on occasionally! Have a beautiful day! (Miss you in the Classroom, feeling a little lost on the Playground)
There are pros and cons to each side, for sure. Do what you can, as you can. And thanks for the resteem! Have fun as you learn and meet others on the playground. You'll find your way. ;-)
If you have thought about becoming a curator, I am sure curie could use you. Citation builds community. Bots are nice for building Steem power. But it is empty. The financial rewards are only part of the equation here. The people are the greater part.
Absolutely. Thanks so much for the kind comment! :)
As part of the Filipino Bayanihan curation team, manual curation is what we do everyday, if time allows. I rather read what i am curating and give feedbacks mostly as most members are new to the platform.
Personally, i want to read friends and family posts and upvote accordingly.
I do neglect curating for steemsugars sometimes but i like it as we are how using the tag for easier access. Hence am here😁😁
As for steemauto..i am considering to trail @steemph.curator as it upvotes 3 quality posts per steemph' hubs each day to reward quality writers. Trailing it will give little reward added to it as incentives. Am 99% in doing it, i just dunno how to do it.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment! I think supporting a focused community is absolutely fine. You still branch out and meet people in other ways, other communities, but each of us will build different networks. The thing that gets me is how all of these networks overlap and span the world. So cool! ;)
Steem on!
Span is the word..with more than half a million of us steemians worldwide and still growing. Imagine when it will replace facebook😁😁
Good thoughts on the manual curation dilemma. I am part of one curation trail, and that's it! I like to have control over my Upvotes too, so don't want to join another.
Great perspective and advice there! My biggest personal weakness is commenting. I am terrible at it and I don't like it much as I am not a big talker. Sometimes I just don't know what to say and I think.. "saying nothing is better than saying 'nice post' or some other generic nonesense."
And then there are times like right now where I write a short story in the comments.. sigh
Anyway, commenting is definitely something I am working hard to try and improve on as there is a great deal of hidden power there.
As for curation, I do a bit of a mix. I manually curate when I get the time (though it is not often) and then use curation trails and autovoting the rest of the time. Though I don't technically count that as curation but more as 'supporting the people I believe in'. To really effectively curate I think you have to not only do it manually.. but it very much becomes a full time occupation on this platform.