Well I've been watching, testing, and learning the last few weeks. Observing the platform, how it works, what works best, and how I can utilize things I'm passionate about (aka) my hobbies/skills (Music & Digital Art) on this website. Sadly it seems someone like me will never be able to use a platform like this to it's maximum potential or even a modest potential in it's current form.
Im a digital artist (with little to no outside following) and this work takes sometimes days to months to create, So posting something everyday is not an option for me and thats practically the only advice I've gotten on how to get an active and interested following. With that advice I was thinking I can resteem the odd GOOD article I find interesting. Maybe I could post about good new music I find in-between my art posts to help keep attention, gain the active followers that are truly interested in what I have and make some genuinely thought out and honest comments just for that extra oomph! It Could work right?
Eventually I came across things like the minnow support project that can and will help you gain a little attention to help your posts along. But this seems like a chore just for the chance to have people there to adore your stuff.
(people who are only doing it as a favour might I add. They might like you too but you're stuck relying on people who probably aren't interested in what you're bringing in the first place and maybe you'll get some new active and interested followers through them). But you have to post at least a few times a week to keep the gained followers or else they won't even remember you and it's a lost cause.
This approach is great! But in my eyes makes it seem like I'm trying to force my way to an active audience, which anyone with integrity that also has the audacity to claim to be an artist would be appalled by (like myself) because those aren't real fans and admirers. I want genuine interaction on my art and hard work, I want you to tell me why it sucked so much or why it was so great. Not just "Great post, I too post stuff now follow me".
But in this websites current state, I see waves and waves of people posting content that isn't theirs, They hardly ever put even a single sentenced thought into their post when they just copy paste stolen thoughts and idea's.
(Which isn't bad if you at the least add some thoughts of your own and put sources. I do think you're stretching the fairness a bit though if all you do is copy other articles and change a bare minimum of words, Even with sources added you gotta admit that its kind of petty to abuse that if that's all you post on a platform for content creation).
Some people simply resteem every article they come across which I say isn't bad and shouldn't be frowned upon but can be annoying when you just want genuine articles of actual useful information and stuff you haven't seen yet popping up on your home tab feed. Home tab should be where I can catch up on my followers that matter, return the favour so to speak. I think resteemed articles should have their own tab or something where if they get resteemed a certain amount of times they pop up there instead of my home tab feed so I can connect with my active loving followers and their new content that deserves it
Someone with access to even just a garbage meme generating website can out compete someone wanting to do the actual work. Someone who hijacks porn pictures, food pictures, travel pictures and posts them without sources claiming the photo's as theirs (we want ALL the porn sources! ^.^ lol) will out compete an honest artist. Not only that but I regularly see people abusing the introducemyself tag to increase the value of their posts.
So because of the little work some people put into their posts, they can post so many times in a day its hard to even compete against that when you're actually toiling away to make some content, so when I do finally have a post to make, they get swamped and drowned out in the ocean of rejects pumping content for a few measly pennies or quarters on the hour haha. Sure I could likely up my chances by not scrutinizing my own works for weeks on end.. but perfectionist wants what a perfectionist gets plus I'm stubborn.
I joined this website because it sounded like the promise land of artists and content creators! Curate each others hard work and work on your own abilities to have wonderful results. This site has got a long way to go but it's not all bad and I've actually come across some interesting, cool, and deserving people myself. There are people here that are truly getting the break they deserve and worked hard for... power to them & to such groups like minnow support project actually trying to make the difference here!
I think it's worth noting though that a service like minnow support wouldn't actually be needed if content was regulated properly. Just my thoughts though... Running and coming up with an idea such as this website isn't so easy, So I appreciate the developers and everyone with that utopian grande vision of universal success and adding value to peoples lives who maybe need it.
With all my most long winded remarks out of the way lastly I just want to say I will be sticking around but I wont be creating content anymore for a while at least (Maybe I will stockpile more of my work and slowly leak it). Not worth the headache and time out of my day personally and Instead I will devote all my steem time to browsing the new and hot categories to help push content that actually matters. Thought provoking heart wrenching content and content with a clear passion for what they do! I think the few people actually working to do these things deserve it.
With all this said I could probably put more effort into being seen and even this post. Perhaps maybe I am a little sour my art sucks. Maybe I would know my content sucks if people thought about their comments more and posted relevant reactions to peoples content. Maybe I'm a cranky dinosaur but it was never about the money in the first place and I think allot of steemians forgot about that.
Source - https://www.pexels.com
Source - http://www.lifeofpix.com
Source - https://imgflip.com/memegenerator
Just taking this opportunity to say "THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ME"