If only we could organize a total boycott of these services. Don't get me wrong, I'm friends with a couple of bid bot operators, nothing against them personally.
Though their services are actively turning the front page of Steem (the Steemit.com trending page) into a toxic waste-dump.
Btw, I'm making this statement after having read this post:
https://steemit.com/steem/@sorin.cristescu/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bid-bots
It's a well written post, but I still disagree with it for the simple reason that I can never justify bid bot usage to any of my friends when I tell them about Steem. It's a complete eyesore to be honest.
(from Sorin's's post)
Have you tried that to improve the "toxic waste-dump"?
We have a couple who I would consider allies fighting against abuse. Still yet, I am unwavering on my position on how vote selling destroys proper proof-of-brain, the suppressed aspect of this blockchain that I believe has the potential to increase adoption considerably.
I had commented the day before yesterday on Sorin's post. The guy is actually against the bots but I find his actions inconsistent. Many people have given in to the pressure to use them. I will not.
On the contrary, I will seek a creative way to nullify the stake obtained via vote buying or selling and restore balance to our ecosystem.
It could be as simple as developing a sleek front end that has proper promotion built into it. I am toying around with an idea of a side chain or new voting token (perhaps it could be an SMT) and taking measures to render Steem as only a utility token for transacting on the network.
The key is creating a front end that empowers valuable curation that promotes the most profound proof-of-brain contributions. I think that type of site would have the potential to draw in the next generation of users to the chain.
Bot votes won't matter in this neither will circlejerkers. Further, we can grow mechanisms to reduce distribution of Steem to these (community funded algorithmic flag bot). I know it's lofty thinking but anything is possible.
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And if this extra stake from paid votes was acquired at a lost will you pay them the difference?
Do you mean a systen for people that bought Steem at higher prices to be compensated the difference of current valuation or something else?
Think you are hinting that many vote buyers and sellers are merely trying to recoup their losses and maybe afford them compassion?
At the same time, many more altruistic users are taking a greater L relative to what they put in while their influence generally wanes compared to their vote buying counterparts.
Believe this will continue to be the case unless we start approaching these problems in new ways.
No, I don't want all vote buyers / sellers to be screwed over. I want us to reach a point of reconciliation and an accord on how we may realize proof-of-brain and a more sound system of promotion.
What I was talking about was that Sorin's post costed him about 17$ to promote and you're alluding at removing all of the 177$ he's put at risk to promote his post.
Proof of brain is no good.
What you call proof of brain is actually Proof of "not completely retarded wasting their time."
I see so the motivation is fear. Fear that one's work will be rejected and time wasted.
That is why we must pay the larger stakeholders a toll to contribute meaning to our network. Does that not seem just a little broken to you?
Sorry, @transisto, if the ideals do not resonate with you but maybe one day it will be made apparent.
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Motivation is fear? You came up with the idea of removing the stakes acquired via buying votes. That's the only fearful part I can think of.
I think you're responding to the wrong person, I never wrote anything related to fear or size of account getting paid some toll.
That's what I was referring to.
Don't worry. I am not a socialistic type of person that would advocate "redistributing wealth" or anything.
I am merely expressing a desire to build a system where the influence obtained via those means has no or a minimized effect on curation.
Unfortunately, not sure there is a way to prevent users from simply shuffling around that stake. Maybe just starting over with an SMT airdrop based on an analysis of a users behavioral patterns would be a more sound strategy.
That's just how I perceive the entire bid bots for promotion model. Them being pushed as vehicles for passive income makes things even worse.
I wonder by how much my rewards are trumped by a similar user that simply delegates to a bot. Probably more of an incentive to choose one with unscrupulous standards.
Incentive for my wallet. Not for Steem or it's outward perceptions. There's the rub.
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Vote buying is called promotion. So why not burn the Steem and set aside a promoted part of the interface for this paid promoted posts? I'm not against pro-social promotion of posts but when it's damaging the economy then it comes at a cost.
If all payouts have to essentially be bought then the content no longer makes a difference. Maybe we should all post the letter Z and just buy bots to pay ourselves?
A promotion tab based on burned Steem is the way to go, Agreed.