It doesn't matter what one professes, the model is precisely the same.
It actually is not the same. My model is based on ROI. The goal of my trail is to maximize my SP rewards. It has nothing at all to do with better distribution of rewards. I do not seek "undervalued content" and I do not curate based on "the good of Steemit." As I have stated before, my votes are based on the following:
- I vote for content that I like.
- I vote for content by authors that I choose to support.
- I vote for content that can maximize my curation rewards.
- I vote for content that has been overlooked - if it can maximize my curation rewards.
Or any combination of those four.
I am not a guild and my votes are given almost entirely based on my self-interest. My trail is open for anyone to join or to leave. I ultimately have no control over that. I have not been delegated any specific SP for any stated purposes of "improving" Steemit or finding specific content.
I was also approached by Tombstone. He thought it would be an interesting experiment. I did not seek out any particular whales. It is entirely coincidental. I have curated almost exactly how I was curating before all of my followers joined my trail.
So, in short - I am not at all like the existing guilds. The fact that I upvote my own posts - like any other users - is to be expected. When Steem Guild upvotes each of their members' posts at a much higher voting power than the rest of their selections (which was 3-4 times as high), it's an entirely different ballgame. The Steemwhales.com image demonstrates the effects of that.
Of course, we are getting into semantics here, but for me you are by definition a delegated curation guild. A very different type of guild, sure, but the same model applies. I'd call it an individual curation guild. You could call it whatever you want - but you have a whale and several other accounts following you trail. You get paid both by curation rewards and by author rewards from votes on this trail. You could just as well choose to not self-upvote your posts - the trail wouldn't follow. Don't do that, by the way! You should definitely get the rewards for your work. It's a free market.
I recognize your criticism of Steem Guild, but that's purely a matter of magnitude.
I will reiterate that it is not the same model, for the reasons explained previously. The stated goals are different, the delegated power is different, the procedures and criteria are different, and the results are different.
Yes, there is a difference in magnitude, but this is practically irrelevant. The differences in the above-mentioned factors are what separates what I do and what guilds do. The fact that people receive a larger payout than my single vote is literally the only similarity between me and the existing guilds.
If Tombstone was not part of my trail, that would not change my curation habits. But I would venture to guess that if the members of Curie or Steem Guild had no whale backing, I doubt that they would be curating as they do now with the guild and its guidelines. Their voting habits would likely be different - or they simply would not exist. And this is due to the fact that the purpose of their existence is entirely different from mine and functions in an entirely different manner.
It's much more than a matter of magnitude, as I explained in the post. There are many reasons for me to be against what they're doing, and some of those reasons haven't even been fully explained, due to the length of the post as it stands now.
I don't think he should not self-upvote. That said, IMO it would be a really good thing if streemian had an option to exclude vote following for self upvotes.
[tree limit] It doesn't matter what your purpose or intent is, or what you call it. And it doesn't matter if you have a whale following. Steem Trail doesn't, for one.
To quote myself again -
Let's leave it at that, shall we? You can call it whatever you want, but the above facts don't change.
I checked you out on steemdb after you flagged my comment with my own followers' voting power. Do not attempt to take the moral high ground here. You vote every one of your posts with 100% power of the guild, then vote other ones considerably lower.
And you flagged my comment which was between you and I alone with my own followers' voting power against their wishes.
You are not honest. Do not pretend to be because it's unbecoming.
Gaming the system is one thing. If there are vulnerabilities within the system that can be exploited, then until they are resolved this sort of thing is expected. Such is why I never mentioned this before today.
Trying to pretend you're not gaming the system whilst accusing others of doing so is much worse than the abuse itself. Be a fucking man and own up to your actions. This is embarrassing to read.
You earned that flag. I don't hand them out without careful consideration. I see that you haven't learned much since then.
If your only plan is to try to insult me, you may earn yourself another one.
If you have anything useful to add regarding my post, feel free to comment on that.
Your mistake, David, is believing that I am in need of whatever lesson you are trying to give me. I don't care if you flag me. 1 flag, or 1,000,000 flags. I really do not care.
You're actions are far from honourable, and I will say this regardless of your pathetic attempts to threaten me with a flag.
My goal is not to insult you, that gets us nowhere. That is merely a byproduct of me having absolutely no respect for you. I have always said what is on my mind since I was a child. I see no reason to hide my opinion, especially when that opinion pertains to someone who is hurting a community that I have grown to love.
The point of my message is to highlight the hypocrisy of this post and the dishonest nature of your words. Shame on you.