You might be wondering if there is any value to my question even, and I would not blame you for thinking this way. After all, we all came here for the money, right? Yes, of course, some of us stayed, some of us are too stubborn to do anything else, but to continue the set path we decided all those months ago.
In all fairness however, I have to confess that as much as I've been on this platform for a year and a week now, I've been writing my crazy ramblings for as long as I remember. Not because I had some sort of master plan for them, not because I even thought they would get any audience at all. I would do so for me, for my own understanding of life, for my own personal therapy.
I'm comfortable enough with my vulnerability to admit that I've always needed a way to express what's in my mind, in my heart if you will. When I was younger, a lot younger, I had stacks of poorly written poems, butcherings of languages manifested on paper, just because I needed to scream something, I needed to let something out.
In my strange quest for self discovery, I would create these things and gift them, just give them away. I would even tell the recipients of my poetry - "Its a gift, for you.. but I don't want to see it again" - How crazy was that? I sincerely have asked myself that question a thousand times. It's almost as if the process of allowing those thoughts to come out was accompanied by the shame of having them, but I would still force myself to let the thoughts, the ideas to live.
Then along comes the internet, along comes a new concept, blogging, social media, a brand new outlet. I could write these things, I could put them on an email, on virtual paper, and send them all over the world, leave little traces of me out there, in the ether.
When the band was performing a lot, we had a mailing list, and guess what? they got bombarded by me, by my crazy ramblings all the time. "There it goes... existentialism on an email" - I would get a reply sometimes, I even got a thank you every now and then. Who knew that they had value? Who knew that they meant something? I was not even sure, yet I wrote all those emails all the same.
So here I am, writing away on this blog asking myself that very same question. If this post was meant to make nothing. Would I still write it?
Yes... yes I would...
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It maybe perverse, but for me ensuring that Facebook Google etc Don’t make money on my content and can’t censor it is more important than actual earnings on Steemit.
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Also, I look at the amount of SP & Steem earned rather than its day to day $US dollar amount. In the longer term this is what’s important, both financially and re influence.
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I remember when I started writing here making nothing and STEEM was only worth $0.09 cents or so... it really isn't about the money. I think you see that too, it's about building something better. A different way. Empowering people to get some kind of value for content that they were giving away to mega corporations to profit off of previously is just part of it. I think of it as our own little way to "be the change."
This is still a better place to write about stuff than facebook is...
for me, very much so...
As would I.
When I came here (January 2017) it as completely accidental, AND it was not because I could "make money" but because this place reminded me of the "social blogging" format that was really popular around 1999-2006 (pre-Facebook, in other words).
At the time, I felt ready to return to a "general philosophical ramble" blogging style, after many years of keeping very specific niche blogs, as I had been told I was "supposed to." And which I did, quite well.
So I was here, tapping away at the keyboard when Steem was at 7 cents, and when it was 100x times that, and now that 90% of that value has gone, again.
Plain and simple, I enjoy the writing, and I enjoy the interaction. So I would still be here writing, even if Steem went to 1 cent. Provided — more than anything — that other hardcore bloggers would still be here, too.
I don't think it'll come to that, mind you.
Right on point. Those halcyon days in the 6 or 7 years previous to fb were golden, exciting and fun and I spent an awful lot of time and money whizzing around the world meeting all my online friends all of whom are still friends today. Its that interaction I love here so much.
Great comment :-)
me neither.. i just need to make it a few more weeks, and this thing should turn around for all of us... but regardless im not stopping, ill just adjust even more.
Yup agreed - Now I've quit work I'd actually rather sit behind a PC blogging rather than anything else!
Having said that I do need to earn a certain amount from blogging....
If money really wasn't an issue at all I'd be spending more time on each post improving the quality and writing fewer posts.
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YO LO HAGO!
Hi meno. You are hard core like a few of us. Unfortunately there are not many on here who think like that and money means more to them. They don't see if it is only a $1 or whatever it makes. It is still something more than what they have made by not posting. Steem will drop some more but will come back stronger and you will have a bigger smile than them.
from your lips to the universe and back brother...
The money is secondary for me. Don't get me wrong, I certainly need it. But steemit has a built-in mechanism for ensuring quality and eschewing crap... between that and the waiting period, a natural barrier is formed against character assassination and mob-rule.
Sure, if you say something horrid, you can be downvoted for it... but the likelyhood that an errant tweet is going to result in your online destruction is slight. Most people can't be bothered to stoke their spite for a week just to come online and destroy someone for offending them.
That was the real draw for me. Also it's unknown and by the time my ramblings get out to the world, they'll be locked in the blockchain, and therefore perserved. It's spooky, the thought that you can never go back and "undo" a mistake on steemit... but you can't unring a bell regardless, and it can all be discovered sooner or later.
So money.. yeah, money is great. But the security is what really drew me. Well... that and cookies. ;-)
well i for one im really glad you are here... :)
I agree with you.
I have been blogging on and off for about 18 years. That's not quite Dave Winer length, but it is close. Most of that time I was making $0. Yet I kept blogging because I enjoyed it. And I will here too.
the concept of making money for writing is so new to me, im still digesting it...
That's cool
Keep writing brother
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Hi @meno!
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i was wondering how you were doing bud... good to see you still around, and of course, I agree with you 100%