When I launched my Christmas Photo Contest, I didn't realize what would happen next.
What I saw was an incredible display of the human condition all around the world. Wonderful people celebrating the joy of Christmas. From Kiev to Peru with quite a bit of Nigeria!
Then, as I was upvoting the comment section with my 5% "Christmas Upvote" that is worth $3.50 SBD (when cashed out and turned into STEEM is actually worth about $10 US), it hit me and made me wonder:
What Difference Does it Make?
You see, in Canada, an extra $10 a day doesn't make a massive difference. I may allow for a nice meal with my wife every week at a fancy restaurant or maybe it would pay for a life insurance policy in case something bad happens to me.
But my comment section is filled with people who live in countries where to value of $10 US could means something completely different. Maybe it pays for all of your kids to go to a better school, maybe it allows you to get a better water system to irrigate your farm? Who knows!
This is your assignment for today!
Let's say I were to upvote your comment 5 times a week at a value of $10US for a total of $50 USD a week...What difference does it make in your life? What would you do with that money to make your life and your environment better?
Don't spare any details. I can't wait to upvote the best comments!
PS: I will start flagging comments that looks like bots, that are too short (ie: nice articles! or <3) and those that makes no sense at all. Sorry for those who may be offended but it's time to clean up.
I am from Venezuela where the minimum wage is around 5 dollars per month. The problem here is we have a government control that forbids citizens to freely exchange currencies, so the black market rate for a dollar is incredibly high, reducing the purchasing power of the people, because the majority of things here are imported.
So knowing this, you must realize steemit is a blessing for us venezuelans.
What difference does it make in your life? it allows me to first, don’t be poor in my country. By getting good upvotes here I can achieve a good income and gain a little of financial independence. I can more easily go out and eat on a restaurant, or simply saving money. That’s a big difference with regular Venezuelans right now that don’t have savings and are struggling to buy basic food.
What would you do with that money to make your life and your environment better? my life can get better if crypto succeeds and I manage to achieve success here on steemit. Better because I will be able to have a higher purchasing power, get a few savings and maybe in the future be able to make investments. I am hoping to buy new electronics next year. Thanks to steemit and the upvotes I receive
About my environment, I don’t know if you mean things like the nature? But anyways, I am trying to promote steemit to the people that I know to see if they join and can start to get involved in the crypto world, because this could be a good help for them.
I'll be with my boyfriend at Christmas .. We're both college students. We rented a hotel in a nearby sea city and we gave all of our allowance there. we can get a nice red wine with an extraordinary income and Christmas can be more beautiful for us ..
I hope you see my comment
@cryptoctopus
It’s not offense because we should realize that people take lot of time creating content and it’s for us to engage and connect with one another on. You did not care and gave out rewards with a big heart and it should be used the right way. Props to you for that
In Estonia for ~200 usd or ~ 165 euro i can pay bill for my apartment ,internet,electricity and mobile phone at winter ( heating cost like 80 % of bill) :) For making life better and my environment i think need to start with my parents for them its extra money to drugs ( they are 60 years old and here pension is like ~ 250 euro per month , so without work its super hard to survive for them , and all drugs and pills cost like in high end european country. )
Hello @cryptoctopus, am Braide from Nigeria. I must say you have been doing a great job so far on steemit. 💜💜💜💜
Your 5% vote is a nice one.
It make a whole lot of difference, For example in Nigeria, A civil servant is being paid less than 40$ for whole month and most times it doesnt come on time, some times it extends to the following month .
My Life
Your upvotes goes a long way to help my academics. University of Port Harcourt is resuming by next monday, and my hostel rent, tuition fee need to be renewed which is 60$ , your votes will go along way to raise this money. And also through the money I have earned, I could also purchase more goods to help my offline cloth business.
My environment
The same way you have extended your votes to me , that's how others earn when I also vote them, in this people are less dependent on the government and their standard of living is improved. Life is a circle.💯
For you it might be just upvotes, but $50 per week can amount up to $ 2400 USD per year. For many people in Africa, this could support them and their families, as it's more than the average annual salary!
source
If you really continue this, you will be the reason some children can go to school, some folk will get the medical care they need, you will end up making the difference between a life in poverty and a life where opportunities arise and people may thrive.
i'm an university student in the real life. got a lot of works to do, so having a limited time to present in social medias. i need to pay 820 usd for a semester fee. so, with 50 usd weekly, every month i can collect 200 usd & in the 5th month, it can collect my next semester fee. therefore, i won't ask money from my parents to pay semester fee again. i'm happy about it @cryptoctopus
reteemed & upvoted & commented & followed@resteemia
@cryptoctopus - Sir to answer your question I wish to use an photography that I used few days back with your Xmas contest...
In 2020 this Cute Button will go to school... To get him to a good school & give him education to be a good person is my only hope... So, all upvotes I'm getting as the reward is collecting to build his future...
Thanks to you I have a hope now, Thanks to Steemit I have a income to build that dream... Therefore, with your simple 2% upvote my dream is building day by day... Thank you very much Sir... God bless you & your family & your future hopes too...
+W+
@cryptoctopus You sir, you are one of the most kind people I know on the internet. And I mean it by that. It is brilliant to give some people upvotes which makes a difference in their life while it only costs us voting power. Hence, help people!
First of all thanks a lot for supporting us and helping us to grow on this platform. I belong to a middle class family so my parents can't afford much, I used to sit at home and prepare for my competitive exams. Now with your huge upvotes I can afford to go to the library and pay my PG rents that's a huge support for me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us to achieve the desired goal of our life. May God bless you with all good things in your life.
Sorry for the delay, it's 7:53 am here and came to the work place and just found this post!
Before answering this post, I would like to tell you 1 USD = 154 LKR (Sri Lankan Rupees)@cryptoctopus,
What difference does it make in your life?
Your upvote gives me 50 USD per week, it equals to 154 * 50 * 4 = 30800 LKR.
It's absolutely 50% my monthly wages.
What would you do with that money to make your life and your environment better?
I could pay my house rental and all bills with this money! And my parents Medical bills can be pay off too!
So, this is a huge opportunity and thank you for understanding the value of your 3% upvote and how it could be help to make others lives a better heaven! God bless you dear friend!
Cheers~
It is very pleasant to read your post, my friend and to realize that there are people for whom someone else's life and destiny is interesting simply from human motives. You are absolutely right, there are countries and people for whom 10 dollars decide a lot and where wish the family can survive all day long, or even more. For me, to be honest, this money will not be critical, but for today too much is too much there will not be and my family will live some more dignified time some time. Thank you @cryptoctopus and God bless you for your kindness!
Hello @cryptoctopus
I'm from Nigeria, Port Harcourt city to be precise, here in the University of Port Harcourt, part tuition fee for a session is about 50USD.
With 50USD, an undergraduate in Nigeria can be sent back to school with part tuition fee paid, this can send one back to class room.
If I receive 50USD in 5days, I will invest the money on promotions, I will get others on board, so they can blog and develop themselves while earning too to improve their standard of living.
Total agree with you. $10 real makes a huge difference other developing countries. If you annualized this $10 it will be average salary of many countries.
Can you imagine the difference that it would make in New Delhi, India..the most polluted city on earth. Imagine the lifetime health ramifications for the residents of India’s capital known as a “gas chamber.”
Even in the US that can be a significant number. $50 a week is $200 a month. That, if used effectively, is a significant number to add to a debt retirement plan. Or beginning a wealth building plan. Or even just adding it to the grocery budget, it's nothing to sneeze at.
Personally, since I have no debt and I'm on a mission to gain SP, everything I gain gets powered up. I'm hoping for the long game play. Applied to SP, it's nothing to sneeze at there either.
So while it may not be as life changing in Western countries as it can be in others, if used with wisdom, it can still be life changing. :)
its right and i think in usa and canda or some in big countries the 10usd maybe not having so many value but the mostly coutries in world this 10usd having a big vaule many from asia and africa and my parents home town in pakistan i live in terxas with my husbnd but now i m in pakistan with my parents,,, and in pakistan the 10$ are having a big value bcz some of people in labour only get the sellary of whole month 100usd and they having many difficulties to spent this som small sellry in whole month i only save my money from steemit for my daughter and my parents bcz my parents family is middle class and thier are many people who are very poor and i only spent my internet money some saving of my daughter and othrt my parents help...when i sent them money they spent it thierselves and some help others poor pesons who having dont any source of income....i think some riches comunities go to poor countries and make charities and not make only in canda or usa or in these rich countries @cryptoctopus
Good afternoon @cryptoctopus Tell you that here in Peru the cost of living monthly I earn as an employee is $234.37 monthly that is equivalent to earn per day $7.81, so to eat daily spending 3 dollars as we are 4 my mother, 3 Hermaosa and niece. More transports $2.00, apart water, rent of the house, gas, actually at the end of the month I have to do overtime to get more than minimum bracket for me to reach money. With $10.00 to the steemit I could pay the workshop of my niece who wants to study karate now that this on vacation, give my mom his medication that this bad of the bones would alleviate me much the $50 dollars in 5 days, would have a breath of freedom and tranquil Owned
$10 worth of Steem really makes a lot of difference here in Nigeria. With the spike in the price of steem/sbd, if you change $10 to fiat currency you can use it to get enough data to last you for two months.
With $50 I can pay my school fees for a full calendar year. So if I make $50 a week, it will make my studies easier, I won't think about how to get materials to study and settle other issues.
Also with $200 that is if I save for 4 weeks, I could get myself a laptop because right now my laptop is bad.
Thanks @cryptoctopus for this wonderful opportunity, I feel honoured.
You hit upon a point I keep making @cryptoctopus.
We simply do not know what condition someone else is in when we upvote them. Personally, I upvote every comment made on my article even those that appear to be nothing more without much effort. Some of them are in extremely poor English and when I look at where they are from, it is from some poorer nation many times.
While not going to the length that you are in terms of each comment, I do give many 30 and 50 cent comments out during the days. Some people are getting 3 or4 of these from me a day which amounts to a fair amount of SBD when it is paid. Like you said, in many countries, $5 or $6 makes a big difference.
As for the answer to your question:
It isnt the difference it would make in my life that is important. In fact, since I joined I have not taken one cent that I earned. Everything that comes in is used to power up.
So the difference it would make is in the lives of all the people I upvote. They are the ones who matter. More SP for me equates to more Voting Power which is a higher upvote total for them.
As for the impact in their lives, we can only imagine who we are helping.
Thank you for sharing this eye-opener for all to see. This is the essence of what the steem blockchain is all about.
This is why I count you and @cryptoctopus among the best people I have met here on Steemit.
Wow...thank you @wdougwatson...
That is a hell of a compliment....I have a ton of respect for what @cryptoctopus is doing on here.
Dude, I'm just being honest.
What you do is no less significant. I read your blog. I read the comments. Many of them are probably just spamming. Little useless comments so maybe they will get an upvote... Follow for Follow... Please check my blog sir...
Most people look on this with disdain, but you don't. You give them something. "Why?" I think it is because of what you have stated. You don't know what there life is like. You don't know what they suffer. So you try to help them.
You are a good dude. @cryptoctopus is a whale, and an extremely generous one. He can drop a couple bucks on someone like mana from heaven and does it cuz he wants to help people.
I agree. People in Third World Countries value $10 so much more than for example in Australia. I will and already do buy a lot of toys to my nephew, since his parents(my sister and her husband) can not afford to do that. I also donate some funds to relatives, who live in Bosnia, where unemployment is more than 60%. We, who are doing better in life, should be very grateful for that.
Okay as at late this year my fees was kind of shocking on me and I was a little out of cash until @destinysaid introduce me to steemit and paying of that fee never a been problem to me anymore.
Although, sometimes I wished I joined earlier but everything I believe have its time.
With that amount I could get my family a nice gift, together combined with my savings, probably get a new pc as I intend to become fully involve with steemit coming this year and also invite as many other people to join and benefit from this great platform.
My time here on steemit, shows me that human can really be caring when opportunity presents itself and I intend to give back someday, it can be tomorrow or next, but the mean time I will invite as many users as possible and if internet connection ever becomes a problem for them to startup I will try my best to provide with the little I have.
Thanks
Thank you for your kindness which is incredible. For me, USD50 a week is enough money to pay my bills of rented house which are not easily affordable. When I am happy, my family is happy, that is happy life for me.
I am not from a third world country. I am better off than many in my own community here in the U.S. However, I certainly am not rich. I live paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes the paychecks don't quite meet in the middle. Obviously, these extra dollars can make a big difference in my life. And it will, but first I have some plans.
Since I am better off than so many, I plan on taking as little from my account as possible until I have enough to carry out my agenda. My aim is to reinvest as much as possible in order to start a few different groups. At this point I will be able to take more from Steemit to supplement my own income.
What groups you ask?
One group will exist to give exposure to Libertarian and Anarchist writers, an anarchist circle jerk if you will. The second group will exist to give support to worthwhile projects here on Steem, such as @airhawk-project, @utopian-io, @minnowsupport, and others. Lastly, (for now) is a project that is perhaps more pertinent to your post today. I'll create a curation group dedicated to giving aid to needy persons. The group will upvote both posts and comments and hopefully make a difference in the lives of many.
In conclusion, Steem will make a mighty difference in my life and hopefully, many others.
Thanks for all that you do.
Keep Steeming!
I used to improve myself.Then I worked to make the people around and the life more healthier.I might even use it to get a book to improve myself. This little thing can even be a big step for my life and people... @cryptoctopus
Habla, blah blah blah blah blah, Español for my bunghole...
Money and life ; it is like olive oil and water.. @cornholio @cryptoctopus
@cryptoctopus I totally agree with what you state here. Imagine if 10usd make a difference in Canada, what difference it makes to Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and third wold countries in Africa, and other parts of the world. You definitely make the day of many people with this king of powerful upvotes!
I wanted to let you know that I just finished my 11 chapter guide to help new visitors, new signups, new users to make their way on the platform, and I mentioned you in the first post and many others.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated, and more on this one. I would like it to reach the more possible hands that will really take advantage of this.
Here is the post if you have the chance to take a look at it.
I will continue posting the next chapters I have been preparing for several weeks. https://steemit.com/steem/@gold84/chapter-1-of-11-have-you-recently-sign-up-on-steemit-and-don-t-know-what-to-do-first-basic-things-for-new-people-make-their-way
Thanks for helping me learn lots of things from the platform @cryptoctopus
Looking forward to your feedback!
Regards, @gold84
I've been able to purchase 3 oz of silver (3 steemit 2017 silver rounds) thanks to the increased price of steem and SBD. I never thought I was going to be able to afford one, let alone 3 2017 rounds, but thanks to Phelimint.com accepting steem and SBD I was able to afford 3.
Also, thanks to increased price and earnings I was able to talk with my in-laws about the importance of crypto and were very impressed with the amount that I've earned from steemit even though it's only been $1000 to this point.
With the current price of sbd I will say if I can receive $50 for comments from you it will go a long way, I just did a rough calculation and it will amount to around 60,000 naira over here in Nigeria. This money can take care of my family feeding for a whole month and we are about 7 in my family.
In my country 10$ is worth a lot. With 50$ a week you can support more famillies with that money. Because people here doesn't have much money and things are cheaper. But the best part is if you hold that steem or sbd it will be much more worth in my opinion. In that case this 50$ could potentialy feed villages and help 3rd world countries to stand on their feet. We would not need karitas or unicef anymore. Steem could help a lot. A few steem or sbd and instant transaction to local people. It could be used for teaching local people how to make sufficient way of living so they don't need to ask developed countries for help anymore.
50 $ is about 3500 inr (Indian ruppes) ....this fund is enough for me to pay for food for 1 month ...or 3 months primary school fees for a child,,,
Without contention, an extra 10 USD daily for one week could make a huge difference here in Nigeria.
In the area where I live and almost every part of the country gas prices have skyrocketed due to a sharp increase in demand for the holiday season and officials seem not to be in control.
As it stands, this price increase could linger for some time more especially as long as the holiday season lasts.
As a steemian in this part of the world who wants to have the best of vacations this season, gas is very essential to make my dream come true.
With 10 USD daily, Ha! My vac is on it's way to being one that never saw power outage.:)
Thank you @cryptoctopus
Seriously as an individual living in a 3rd world country, If I can get 50$ in a week just from comments it would go a long way I must say, I can take care of my tuition fees and everything that has to do with my school with just that money, There would be enough money remaining to take care of my accommodation and also feeding. 50$ is a huge amount of money over here I must say.
Better yet get you $50 by creating some rocking content- perhaps by turning the world on to the nuances of your culture?
I want to visit different places with my girlfriend
The dollar is very valuable in our country and a small change can have very good consequences
Good Project ! Kind of you to gift something for Christmas :)
I live in Ukraine. I'm middle-aged teacher. I get a small pension, but I still work a little with the pupils.
It is important for a teacher to look good. I'll be able to dress well with $ 50 a week.
To teach my pupils well, I must be energetic and healthy. I'll be able to buy healthy good food with $ 50 a week!
I'm from a small town in Ukraine.
My monthly pension is very small, about 50 dollars.
Steemit is a blessing for me, by getting good upvotes I will not be poor in my country!
I will be able even achieve financial independence.
With $ 50 a week I will be able to buy not only basic food and basic things, but also buy toys, books and fruits for my grandchildren, I have seven of them!
And I will be able even to help people around me with $ 50 a week!
I am a father of 4 kids, My main problem is better study of my kids. bcoz there in pakistan study is very costly. in govt schools teachers take no interest but they have intrest only on their salary. and in private schools study level is better but their feeses are out of range a common man like me. 50$ per week is handsome value for expenditure of 1 kid in pvt school. and my tention about the study of my kids removed if i got 50$ per week.
Thanks @cryptoctopus.
A $10 upvote does not change life financially for California residents. However I would power up more steam to continue compound growth for the future. Keep up the great work. Together we will change the world!
For me, it honestly wouldn't make that much of a difference, as I live in Austria where the overall financial Situation is comparable to Canada.
But whaly upvotes help me in expanding my SP-based influence here ob steemit, so it's a nice to have.
Ah, and yea: nice articles <3 😜
@cryptoctopus Sir!
According to Today's assignment $50 makes following things in my life
1- It will make me financially Strong
2- It will make me happy both sociologically and economically
3- i will manage to pay my Fee to doctor for my check up
4- I will do some charity to needy people around me ( i know a boy whose father is dead)
5- i will try to spend some money to make my Street Clean
6- I will definitely go for a one day trip out of my city
As for as the difference in life is concerned Money makes your life easy in many ways. It gives you mental peace and makes you more composed towards life.
I am a sociologist and I have noticed money brings smile on the faces of poor. Money has nothing to do with Creed Caste or Color. In this age Money is creating happiness everywhere. Same goes with me
Although i am new comer here and it is my #First ever comment on your post. Hope so you will continue such posts in future for the learning of new comers like me
I hope to somehow i fulfilled the given assignment @cryptoctopus Sir!
Resteemed!
Hi @salmanbukhari54, that's a very noble list you have there. My upvote for you and all the best for this challenge! I read about your sickness, take care 😊
I consider it as fund when I work for education because the dollar is very valuable
This is really kind of you the 50$ in my country is like 500dirham which is for some people is week payment, i am student right now but in germany that 50 will be like a week of food , i don‘t care if you uptove this i just want to say thank you for you
First of all, the major difference will be that I have money.
I'm Nigerian, a student and have no other source of livelihood apart from my parents. I don't own a car, extra 10$ a day will help facilitate my movement, subscribe my data plan and feed me.
Basically it'd make me feel independent for like 2 weeks.
Plus I have political ambitions at school, a whole 50$ will go a long way in my campaign.
Well it would seem like nothing to you sir but to me in Nigeria it means a whole lot. With $50 I would be able to buy a whole lot of text oops needed for my academic session.
I am not from a wealthy family and so try as much as possible to find for myself in anyway I can and steemit has been a saving grace for me and I think knowing you has made it even better. With $50 I can also feed properly over here and get all the basic items I need and even have spare to send to my younger brother who is also in school like me.
I could also send some to my parents because I know they don't have much and being the first son in NY family, at this point it is my responsibility to actually cater for then having trained me up till this very point in my life.
I must say that $50 is a whole lot of money to me and it would change my life in a way you won't be able to envisage.
Down here in Nigeria, where I have to do some extra curricular jobs to make ends meet as a student, it hasn't been easy.
Such an Upvote can pay my school fees for a session, it's a Federal University, it can really go a long way to make life easier.
$10 here would do quite a lot.
As a student in my final year, $10 would cater for my upkeep for about a week or two. It could also cater for some educational needs like; photocopy of materials, printing of online notes, and settling of some compulsory academic dues.
Finally, $10 would buy me a new multimeter which is a major equipment needed for my final year project and some other extra equipment.
Here in Nigeria, $10 means quite a lot for the common student.
Well, for me it means a lot...coz as a mother of two , $50 could be a great help for us to survive, to lighten my financial burden. That could help us to buy my baby's food since he likes eating a lot as he gonna turn 2 soon. My first born who is 10 needs to continue his vitamins/supplement coz he is not gaining weight. I try to be an active member of steemit to earn extra income while learning lots of things. Thanks for the people like you @cryptoctopus who has a big heart and willing to extend help to fellow steemians who are in need. More Power !
For once I'm not working when you make a post, Yay!
Admittedly $50 USD a week isn't much where I am, but I'm working on setting everything I can aside for a move. Right now I'm living in a studio apartment in a 200 year old house, that the landlord insists we should be paying around $600 USD a month to live in, with massive holes in the walls, a closet of a bathroom with no vent fan, and the bats that crawl through the walls into the hall and living-room don't pay their fair share of rent!
On the light end of that goal I'm hoping to get into a nicer place that isn't such a potential hazard, but if I can make the impossible happen, and move down south to where my family is, that is certainly the goal I WANT to aquire.
If I ever really make it on steemit, you have set a wonderful bar for what should be the norm among those of the community, and I hope to be able to be as much of an actor in peoples lives as you have managed to be.
Either way, Happy New Year, @cryptoctopus!
I live in a small city where it is almost impossible to find a job and if you find that a payroll fee will be from 7000 to 10,000 thousand rubles in dollars it is 200 $. For me, $ 50 per week is 3000 rubles. This is a very good increase. In the past three weeks, I began to feel quite different earnings on Steemit and I really like it. Thank you for the article.
What difference does it make if I have $50 USD?? It would go along way to improve the financial security of my children, ie. going to school, less time working, and more time devoted to the family.