Hey man! Thank you for pointing this out, I mean, everybody or at least a lot of people will or have asked this question (and a couple more) at some point and I think I have something to say to them, and to many commenting here:
This platform can change lives and I'd hate to see that opportunity squandered. I just don't want to see it descend further into shitposts.
@steevc This is already an ecosystem that pretty much allows that but it's not really a dangerous thing, at least for shitposters to enter the waters and try them out before they get caught. But at the same time it is not about them at all. I know that it can be disturbing and something to keep your eyes out for. We have to make sure that we take care of the platform even more than our well being and that's kind of what @abh12345 points out in this post, but I seriously can't help to keep thinking the same thing: I haven't been around for more than 90 days on steemit, and of course, I've seen thousands of what you could call ab-users and shitposts, I've seen few posts making hundreds and a lot of good ones making barely a couple of bucks. That being said, I repeat, isn't what steemit is all about. Of course, you can monetize your works, your efforts, you can even upvote yourself at any moment that you feel like curating yourself, and you're basically doing just that, not just making a extra profit even though it seems quite like it, because it's your power to do so, more than the pragmatics and ways of thinking that we may or not share at all.
Money isn't really the issue I think, because most currencies at this point depend and are built on trust. Yes, of course, we need the biggest money injection of them all for the start, the development and to back all of that up. But a money problem can't even be so if the people behind it, or even on top of it still have followers, still are being read, and still want to share their work over here.
What do I really mean by all this?
I know that it can be frustrating to keep seeing dilluted profits, and actually looks like we're doing a little better now after a couple of what we could call rough months, but hey! I'm reading you, I'm not here for a profit or to upvote my comment. Neither are you, and neither are many of the great guys who are giving you their feedback every time.
I live in a country (yes, an entire country) where this doesn't happen at all. We don't interact, everybody just basically seclude at their homes waiting for something to happen, or for somebody else to fix their problems. And I don't see that at all over here. This was built by people, and as much as we can find problems and new issues with this platform, it's the one that brought us together for more than just a few reasons to do so. We're making a huge difference and that really is something. We're networking, we're building strong interactions and great communities, so at this point we can move or stay in any tool that we want or need, and we can keep growing exponentially by just this opportunity of getting together and build a trust of our own every day, and then wait 7 days to collect what we earn lol.
So, are we delying the inevitable?
I think so, I'm like you, but at the same time, I'm with you. I mean, everywhere you go you can't act like Hitler and blow the whole thing up: It's just a matter of time and progress to keep learning and realizing if it's worth it or not, your effort and your time. You can still upvote yourself and trust me, you won't be hurting steemit more than bad users are already doing. But at the same time you just don't want to just go full asshole because you care about people. You're no Hitler, and neither is many people who trust you, not the platform itself. We keep blaming on tools, on system problems, on things, and we pretty much forget that you are the change, you are the work; you are the possibility to grow. And there are always going to be problems and awareness of those who can quite see what you do and how you do it. So, keep keeping it real, 'cause I don't have trust or believe in steemit, I believe in the possibilities that people like you and the few commenting here have created for me. I don't feel ignored, I don't feel left out. I can feel my efforts unrecognized at times, but the truth is that we are having a voice right now, and steemit it's been perfect for allowing us to do so! Cheers and have a great week peeps.
A commendable contribution to the discussion, thanks @steamdan.
I appreciate you taking the time here to put forward your views, and I completely with you that it is on us to make this place what we want it to be - andthere will always be different approches that are taken.
I guess the like-minded will come together, and build their own collective view of utopia here - let us wish for 'here' to live long while we do so.
Cheers, followed 😊