Let's get stoked about: Steem
I feel like I've spread my fair share of negativity over the past few months, especially when it comes to our beloved Steemit and so I'm going to focus on the good things for a while instead. I was nominated by the lovely and awesome @antimetica a good number of weeks ago to do the 7 day positivity challenge, and to be honest I wasn't exactly feeling all that positive in that moment, so I procrastinated. I'm going to try and focus on one thing each day this week that I'm grateful for.
I found Steem and Steemit back in October 2017, while I was hunting down new cryptocurrencies that looked promising. After signing up, I left the account for a short while as I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it. Little did I know that the simple act of signing up would go on to have a surprisingly important impact on my life.
A journey back in time to 2006
As a teenager, I was hooked on web development and design after first tinkering around with making my own personal site, I was certain this is what I want to do. It gave me a creative outlet, which is something I never thought I'd have. After the forum was setup, I could then talk with a wide range of other people about vast array of topics. As my teens came to a close, so did my website where it sat, unloved and abandoned until my server lease lapsed. I've really missed being able to share my opinions and views, and so a few weeks after signing up to Steemit, I decided to dive back into writing.
Steemit helped give me something to work towards, I could set goals and objectives to achieve. It was an excuse to spend an obscene amount of time researching topics that I find interesting, and gave me the motivation to push myself. Since becoming a Steemian, that spark of my own brand of creativity felt like it was back. I have goals and dreams again, which I have to say I wasn't sure I'd ever have them back.
So much growth in just 3 months!
To find so many nice, interesting and often like-minded individuals all in one place is just amazing. The sense of community here is unlike any other site I've come across, and it's that community that needs to be cherished, cared for and grown. Although I don't necessarily agree with all his points or his methods, @jerrybanfield did Steem a great favour by working so hard to drive new users to the platform, and I think we need to restart that drive for new users.
There's something about Steemit, and the other (often better) web apps for interacting with the Steem blockchain, that feels special. I've spent a fair amount of time looking at the existing and upcoming competition, and although there's some promising looking sites out there, none of them seem to nurture the same sense of community.
I want to start developing for the Steem blockchain, although I have a long road ahead of me. I'm currently brushing up on my front-end technologies, and once that's done and dusted by the end of this year, it's python next and then maybe I'll have a stab at making my own Steem app, just without the blackjack and hookers.
To wrap things up on this rambly free-write, I just want to shout out some of the amazing users on here that I feel deserve far more attention than they currently get.
@anthonyadavisii | @antimetica | @brimax | @calluna | @carlgnash | @conradino23 | @conradt | @enforcer48 | @entrepreneur916 | @hilladigahackles | @loosetooth | @makinstuff | @mcoinz79 | @natubat | @outofperspective | @penderis | @ragepeanut | @rickyjrx | @sequentialvibe | @simplymike | @steevc | @tfq86 | @themarkymark | @zetetrahedron369
I can't thank these guys enough, they're the ones who've inspired and motivated me and for that I'm eternally grateful. There's no doubt I've missed some people out, and sorry for that, but know that I appreciate you all.
I could ramble on forever, but I'm going to wrap things up there. What are you thankful for? Let me know what you appreciate, and your thoughts and feelings on this article down in the comments and I'll see you there. As always, make sure to follow me for the latest Technology, Internet and Pop Culture updates and until we meet again, be excellent to each other!
P.S. If you're new here, you might want to check out my Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Steemit, which covers everything you need to know to get started making money and meeting new people on Steemit.
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I'm so happy your creative spark is back! I have to admit, your earlier post about 3 steem tools sort of piqued my interest again (my interest with steem has waned a lot so much so I'm powering down). I thought for a moment maybe you had developed one of those tools yourself because I knew you had the skills to work toward that, but my imagination aside, I'm glad to see that's on your mind for the future. I think it takes a lot of commitment to a platform to learn the new things but hopefully there are skills that translate across different systems that can be used. Looking forward to more positive posts. It's a challenge indeed at times but a worthy exercise.
Thank you for being so wonderful! Meeting you really has to be the highlight of my time on Steemit, seriously.
I'm kinda sad to hear your interest is waning, however at the same time I completely understand and you're not alone. I gave some serious thought to powering down, but in the end I've got so much out of this platform that it's only right I stick by it.
Yeah, the skills would be totally transferable, this is the kinda thing I've always wanted to do anyway. I've been in a slump for the past few years, and I really do credit Steemit with pulling me out of it. A big challenge, but like you say, worth it.
Oh you did remind me of how Steemit does pull one out of slumps. I do have to give it kudos for that. I'll definitely be keeping in touch with you and Calluna. I'll be checking on here occasionally still after all it's worth that. I hold hope Steem will do great things.
Sad to hear your powering down @antimetica 😑 but I can completely understand. Steemit is a funny beast - taking loads of time while not really seeing much gains (for now anyway!). I have also thought about leaving a few times but looking forward to coming back refreshed after summer to give it another shot ☺
Aww @conradt I count you as one of my handful of favorite people on here!
Are you on Twitter or other place so I can keep in touch sometime?
You know what? It wasn't that there wasn't gains. It was that for me it was actually loss. I put money in, earned some, and loads of time and my vote was still 2 cents. I couldn't rationalize spending time AND also putting in money while seeing the devs just letting STEEM sit in beta forever and doing mysterious things. I suppose if STEEM ever went up in price then my vote would be worth more but I felt I was doing all I could do to promote the platform but the devs weren't pulling their weight. Well I'll come back if Steemit makes some improvements I'll certainly be watching and hoping :)
Thanks @antimetica. I think im in the same boat as you and feel a similar way. Steem has potential but hasnt met the potential and is just going sideways (has been for the 6 or months ive been here - hasnt been any fixes to any of the major problems on here).
Honestly i think that some of those who are influential here are more interested in lining their own pockets.
Im not on Twitter mate, and barely use much other social media. Im on discord but dont use that much now either lol! Seem to be going back to the dark ages
<3
For you, the positivity dance! <3
Good to see you back with positivity :)
Now that's what I call a positive post :0)
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Pleasantly surprised to be mentioned in that list. It's kinda crazy to think I discovered you thanks to @camillesteemer's flagging bots.
Exactly ! I feel the same about Steem(it), I used to just do nothing all day, watching YouTube and playing games but never doing anything productive. Now with Steem, I have a real goal which is to review games in the most unbiased way possible but also to help Steem grow by building tools for creators, which is something I didn't expect to do when registering on here.
So you want to build a Steem app ? I can only hope for the best for you ! Currently doing that too, hopefully I don't get discouraged mid-development like I did with my old Steem Jam project, hopefully you don't either !
To answer your question, it feels cliché but I guess that I am thankful for Steem to exist and for its community to be so reactive to people in need of help. I remember in my first month on here, I saw a post crowdfunding to help a user with her cure and the donations were flowing. It seems like every month I see such a post (even more since the creation of Fundition) and it warms my heart. As you said, "the sense of community here is unlike any other site". Anyway, I need to stop writing before I start rambling. Gotta go sleep, going to vacation tomorrow !
Once again, good luck with your Steem app, waiting forward to hearing more about it ! And if you need help with API calls, I will gladly help you. I don't know anything about Python (planning on learning it soon) but I imagine the beem's functions are similar to steem-js and dsteem ones.
Y'know, a surprising amount of good came out of that nasty situation. Silver linings and all that!
It was kinda weird to read that, because it felt like reading my own story. I was exactly the same, if I got one thing done like even just taking a shower it was a productive day. I signed up just to get the free 0.5STEEM, but I soon got hooked and it's helped me completely change things around. There's been times where it's felt like there's a pressure to post every day, and quality has maybe taken a hit as a result, but after a short time away I'm always excited to get back to it.
Yeah I've set myself the challenge of developing some kind of tool or app, although exactly what that will be is still a mystery at this point. I'd started designing a full blown Steemit app, but then discovered SteemPeak and could see that I'd been a bit slow to the mark with that. There's nothing particularly good in terms of Steem wallets that I've come across, maybe that'll be something to look into.
I've done web development/design in some capacity for most of my life at this point, but most of my experience is in front-end/UI with a dash of PHP/.Net. I've set myself a few topics to cover for the next month or two like brushing up on my JavaScript and data visualisation, sorting algorithms and working with APIs and then onto Python as well, which is something I've been meaning to learn for years now. But yeah, if I could pick your brain at some point over the next couple of months that would be amazing. I didn't realise you were developing a couple of things too.
The people here really are something else, I've had my perceptions challenged and changed so many times, but the kindness is just wonderful. I hadn't heard of Fundition, so that's something for me to look further into. The potential here is just phenomenal, and it's so lovely to see people from so many different walks of life coming together in such a way.
Anyway, sorry I've gone on so long, and hope you're having a great vacation! Thanks again, I really appreciate everything you've said and just for being an awesome person. Take care!
Great to hear the positivity flowing mate! 😊
Im the same as you in the face I can be a bit negative about Steemit at times - sometimes it's good to focus on the positives on here rather than dwell on what we can't change.
It's crazy how many people are/were driven here by Jerry Banfield - me included!
We're only critical because we care, or at least that's how I see it. But yeah, it's definitely a good idea to reflect on the good sometimes.
I'd never heard of him before coming to Steemit, but I can't deny he was very effective at getting people signed up. Definitely time for a second round of driving new users here I think.
Thanks for the shout out! Great post.
Hey thanks for the shoutout! I really enjoy your blog every time I visit, happy that you have been able to use Steem as motivation and spark for creativity. It has been that way for me as well :) Much love - Carl
Anytime mate, you're one of the main influences for both me and @calluna, so it's the least that I could do. Thank you so much, it's really nice to know there are others who believe in this platform like I do.
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You just planted 0.13 tree(s)!
Thanks to @johngreenfield
We have planted already 3641.37 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
My Steem Power = 39450.16
Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku
But then a week later you decide to leave. Awww. Life outside Steemit is still life but maybe you just need to rest from time to time. I tend to just write whenever I feel like it. 😉
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