Many Steemians understand how to navigate this platform, but not how to be successful on it. What I am referencing is Steemit decorum (etiquette) - the steem-cultural expectations of proper manor execution online. In this article I will also outline proper topic selection, and explain the importance of proper formatting, comprehensiveness, citing sources, and networking tactfully. I provide many useful links to other articles I have written to help you advance as well.
Image Source from: @whack.science
I used to see so many articles on Steemit that deserved attention and were not getting it. Now if I find an account like that, I usually offer them a membership in @earthtribe to give them further support. Recently however, many of the Steemians that complain about not getting their content noticed really do not deserve to be, and for good reason. But not to worry... YOU CAN CHANGE THIS, by following these simple guidelines.
Before hitting that post button and officially publishing your content on the Steemit blockchain, I challenge you to ask yourself three simple questions about your topic(s), and then an additional three simple questions about your professionalism, to determine if your content is ready to be published.
Ask yourself these questions about your content's topic(s):
Does this benefit the Steemit Blockchain?
Does this benefit the Earth?
Does this benefit humanity?
If you cannot answer yes to at least one of these questions, then you should seriously reconsider your topics.
After you have answered yes to one or more of those, then ask yourself these 3 questions about your professionalism:
Is this comprehensive?
Is this mostly original content?
Is this sourced correctly (or at least at all)?
If you have not answered yes to ALL of these three questions, then you need to do more work before publishing your post.
Think about what it actually means if you do not follow these guidelines. It means that you are creating content that is hurting Steemit, the Earth, humanity, or all three, and is also short, non-original, and/or is also potentially claiming other's works as your own (plagiarism, or more simply STEALING). This is absolutely terrible in every way - I am not trying to be mean, I just want people to realize the impact they have with their posts when not following these guidelines. If you think what you are doing on this platform does not matter, you are WRONG! Every single post matters, and the compilation of posts reflects on all Steemians as a whole... you never know who will look at what, or when!
If you are wondering where you might start on your quest, please check out these articles to point you in the direction of a brighter future on this platform. Feel free to reference them as needed as well if you get confused about a specific topic during this article. Click any topic below to be taken to that article:
Introducing "SUB-BLOGS" & Account Switch
Deciding which topics to promote (or criticize) is probably the most important step of posting content on this platform. If you are publishing content that does not help the platform, the Earth, or humanity, then why are you bothering with it at all? I suppose you could apply this to anything you do in your life, and is a topic of philosophical debate, however on Steemit it is even more impactful, since most have a chance to reach many more people than they would normally in real life.
The topics you choose to highlight will determine not only the type of people who will support you, but also the type of person you will be known as. Of course if you want to write stories about pop-culture, charlatan lifestyles, and new cars you have the freedom to do so, but we can read about those topics almost everywhere else already. Steemit is not yet known to be a place where cookie cutter stories are told, however if enough people produce that kind of content, Steemit will acquire that reputation. Among my circles, Steemit's current reputation is that its a place for people to connect freely with conscious solutions to the problems of this world, without fear of censorship. In order to keep this reputation, it is my, along with every other member of Steemit's responsibility, to do everything we can to make sure it stays that way.
Some Steemians have found success by exclusively posting about one topic, however this is extremely limiting in that it will only give you access to specific types of support in the Steemit arena, and also will limit the amount of wisdom you can cast for the world to learn from. Some people choose to create separate accounts for each topic they pursue, which can end up being a lot more work for only a little more rewards., however still technically a viable option.
Personally, I publish content on this blockchain under a plethora of topics, including eco-friendly living practices, healthy living, organic gardening, cannabis, conscious Hip-Hop, freedom, festivals, cryptos, my collections, posts about Steemit, posts supporting sub-groups of Steemit I support, helping other Steemians understand the platform, suggestions to make the platform better, and I hold design contests and giveaways.
I am currently giving away a free piece of silver - click here to enter my free raffle.
Not everyone can create content for this many topics, but doing so provides me with a vast array of opportunities for extra rewards, exposure, and community interaction with people from different walks of life (not to mention helps educate many different kinds of people with the knowledge and wisdom I have to offer). I do not know anyone that only has one interest or philosophy of life, so it is a good idea to display your diversity on your Steemit blog as well. Too much of the same is not beneficial to the evolution of man, or Steemit. Diversification of topics will generate more for yourself and this community, and also help you better understand more intricate facets of the platform as well.
Writing a comprehensive article is different than just making a post, for more details on this subject, please start by visiting my article about the Difference Between a Post, and a Publication - by clicking here. It is a must read if you wish to understand what it really means when you publish something on the Steemit blockchain. (Note: I have since evolved my views/practices on sourcing somewhat).
If you want the short version, here is a few examples of what constitutes a post, and NOT a published article -
AKA: SH*T-POSTS:
A picture with with little or not text
Posting a few pictures or screenshots with no explanation
Copying articles or quotes form other sources online or elsewhere with little or no additional content that is original
A video of your dog being "cute" with no explanation
A post with a couple paragraphs or less of original content, with only one or two images.
Any post with minimal original content
I am not saying that every article that you write has to be a book, or that every article I write is the most exemplary post in the world, but what I am saying that you must properly explain your content in the fullest and clearest capacity possible, according to your knowledge and available information... and include images! There is a little leeway with this particular aspect if you record video logs, but even with those, it does not take a whole lot of effort to write a short introduction for your video each post. Video logs need more than just a title and video.
You should not expect intense rewards, exposure, or support from making posts in the ways listed above. No matter what you do outside of Steemit, is it your responsibility as a blogger to have a certain set of standards that you adhere to in every article you post, by remembering that we are all paid out of a collective rewards pool here, and that makes us professionals by definition - so our content should reflect that criteria.
This blockchain and its rewards highly favors original content. Other Steemians that produce mostly original content themselves and achieve higher SP as a result favors voting on original content. For the most part, dolphins and whales that are actual humans and not bots (even a lot of the bots also) favor original content. MOST PEOPLE THAT WILL READ YOUR BLOG WILL FAVOR ORIGINAL CONTENT...don't you? For these reasons and many others, it is crucial that you always produce mostly original content when posting.
It is perfectly fine to use quotes, and reference other's articles and works when properly sourced, however if quotes and references comprise the majority of your article, then it can not be considered originally created by you. I am happy when I see a deserving, comprehensive, original post about a conscious topic achieve high rewards, but I definitely do not like seeing posts that are mostly unoriginal, or about topics that do not benefit positive progression for the environment and/or the living things on this planet get high rewards - and I am pretty sure no one else does either, except for the people raking in the STEEM from that nonsense.
If you are the type of person that likes to straight up copy and paste other people's writing, images, or videos without giving any credit to the authors, then you must realize that is called STEALING...and the proper legal term for this type of theft is called plagiarism... a big no no - never do it, PERIOD.
There are many different commonly accepted methods for siting your article sources. For the purposes of this article, I will not get into detail about the different way this can be done, you can research it on your own further if you want to be certain of the "proper" scholarly methods. Personally I use a simple number in parentheses after the quote - like this (1) - and then write Sources: at the bottom of my articles, list each source location, and match it to its corresponding number in the article.
Never ask for upvotes, re-steems, or follows IN POSTS, aside from contests and giveaways, but it is still somewhat of a faux pas to ask for followers even in those situations. In extreme instances of content with dire priority and of the utmost importance, I still will not ask for re-steems to spread the message. Instead I offer a line such as this, "Anything anyone can do to support/spread the word about this cause would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance." - This approach is polite and indirect. Support and promotion can come in many forms as well, and is not always a re-steem or up-vote.
It is ok to ask for re-steems, follows, and up-votes from those that openly offer services and support for such things. However I always keep these kind of requests on Discord, Telegram, and emails, and off of the Steemit blockchain. I also would never ask someone for things like this unless they are calling for it - saying they want people to directly ask them for their support. THE ONLY TIME IT IS OK TO ASK FOR A RE-STEEM AND UP-VOTE IN YOUR POST IS WHEN YOU ARE HOSTING A CONTEST OR GIVEAWAY, which is usually what is required for entry in the majority of Steemit contests.
Networking with other Steemians is the most important step in getting your articles recognized, earning higher rewards, and attracting a greater following to your blog. You must do this by genuinely interacting on other people's blogs and responding to your comments as frequently as your schedule/lifestyle permits. You should also find your way into a few quality Discord servers, run by groups that genuinely want to help you succeed on the platform (links to some good ones provided in this post). Once you do this, always show love back to the people and groups that end up supporting you, and NEVER purposely offend or interfere with good people throwing you Steemit support of any kind, up-votes or otherwise.
There is a proper way to network on here that is not considered offensive. Steemit is a shared space, and you must adhere to the unwritten rules as well if you are to be successful and well liked on the platform. It also is not going to hurt your reputation either, just be genuine, and do not skimp on your comments.
Also, it is good to occasionally search for new people to interact with on Steemit. I have discovered some of the most helpful groups, initiatives, and utilities this way. When I first started here, I never anticipated that other types of awesome values would come out of this platform besides conscious material, STEEM, & SBD.
Participating on other Steemian's blogs is a huge step to advancing your account, and increasing your number of followers/consistent votes. This strengthens your interconnectedness and sense of belonging on the Steemit platform as well, and eventually you will establish your own small community on Steemit, and its not always an official one, many times they are unspoken (...or even secret...).
Writing thoughtful, sincere, well articulated comments on posts you strongly support, or interest you, makes a big difference on so many levels. For one thing, commenting in this manor consistently is a factor that plays into advancing you reputation score, which is a more significant number than a lot of people realize. It also shows people that YOU actually CARE about THEIR content enough to leave them something meaningful that they can appreciate, and will generate a certain level of respect for you, which will likely lead to them following you, and up-voting/re-steeming your content. Finally, consistently authentically commenting on other's blogs usually lead to them giving you similar style comments on your blog posts as well.
If you cannot do these things on any kind of a consistent basis, NOT TO WORRY... I sure can't, and I am pretty most other Steemians struggle with it as well, especially when you start supporting a larger fellowship. I just do my best to make meaningful comments when I see something worthy, and have the time available. If the urge is strong enough, I will save the tab, and come back to leave a suitable comment/up-vote after completing my tasks, without a doubt.
One final thing... I highly recommend to ALWAYS respond to all the genuine comments on your blog, If you can afford it, up-vote the comments from other's on your blog as well, but at least reply OR up-vote all the good comments, ignore the spam (or flag if you like).
Personally, I reply to all non-spam comments for the most part (outside of contests, on those I only respond to the really good ones). I cannot usually afford to up-vote too many comments that appear on my blog, so when I do, I make it count. I pick a comment that is so fantastic, I wouldn't feel right not up-voting it. I also sometimes up-vote a few other comments here and there when I have the extra VP available, and it feels appropriate.
Up-voting tons of comments is not necessary by any means, but voting on a comment every once and a while, at the very least, is probably a good move on anyone's part in this community. Don't you want others doing that for you occasionally?
Many things constitutes spam on this platform. The main one is auto-comments generated by bots attempting to gain up-votes, followers, and delegations to their accounts. Not only is this impolite, but is also literally using someone's post for advertising space without permission. It is equally as bad when done manually. No one likes looking on the comments of their posts and seeing "Good post. Up-vote-follow-re-steem. Please up-vote follow and re-steem me back". This is what I call - "the twitter-mentality".
Spam can also just be short comments that seem detached, and does not demonstrate that you actually read the article. A real comment should at least be a full sentence (if not much longer), and acknowledge or reference something from the article. Comments like "good post", "great content", or "wow, this is cool" are all considered spam. A comment is also spam if it is not obvious that it did not come from a bot.
Some short comments are exceptions to this rule, like answering a yes or no question, or responding to a spam comment with an equally spammy comment (fighting fire with fire), however these instances are usually easy to distinguish, rarely confused with real spam.
It is also ok if a group you are a part of leaves you a message on each of your posts letting you know they have supported you in some fashion (#steemsilvergold does this on my posts, and I have no problem with it since I believe in what they are doing, and because they support me). This is because when you become a member of a group that does this, you are consenting to this happening in your comments. If for some reason you have a problem with one of your groups doing this, the best way to handle it is to reach out the the community leaders in that group, and politely ask them to discontinue using their auto-comments on your articles. Getting upset and stating a crusade will not help anything. If they say no, you always have the option to leave that group.
Art by: Alex Grey - Image Source
In conclusion I just want to say that the twitter-mentality and Facebook material needs to stay on Twitter and Facebook, this is STEEMIT!! - A conscious community of talented, underground, media content creators. Many of us want to further the cause of creating a better, healthier world for ourselves and future generations, and we seek to help everyone make this their top priority as well.
It is my hope that everyone reading this article can take positivity away from it, and apply it to their blogging style in a way that will benefit them, the platform, planet Earth, and all living things.
**P.S. - It took me about TWELVE HOURS of work to create this article. Each individual section of this article is more of a Steemit post by itself than many posts I come across. Hopefully this inspires some of those people to step it up a notch, and get more out of this experience than just a few numbers.
Do not forget that my debut conscious Hip-Hop album is completely free for download on Bandcamp and Soundcloud (click the links to go to my music on those platforms), or CLICK HERE for download instructions.
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Updated with new sub-section: "Interaction"
I really like the idea, that people that have become fed up with many other 'social media websites' are now coming together and slowly create the sort of community a social media website should (as in my opinion) entail. We begin to recognise what was missing in our old ways and begin to apply these lessons to a new and still quite'wild west' type of internet.
What I already witness now in the few and small interactions I have been privy of in here is just plain awesome.
It's also quite ironical and funny that rules need to be written down where no rules ought, best case scenario, to be necessary.
What I though really like best, is the 'small penny type of mind'. Whenever a post engenders 'only a few cents worth of attention, deserved or not' is already a marvel, because honestly what did we ever get on all the other platforms?
That is the first few posts or however long that situation will last... Patience is a virtue.
Where I work at, at the camping, I do outside maintenance, to keep the grounds for the visitors clean. Like this I've already found smaller and bigger worth's of coins, as I typically am quite discerningly picking up even smaller trashes when I know that's trash. I have keen eyes one could say.
Among these are also foreign valuta. These I then have the chance to swap with visitors from these foreign corners of the world. There's always some fun to be had, and another reason to connect with strangers, besides what my work already entails.
With every penny I find, I just see that as a gift, from Providence, as Alexandre Dumas would write.
As the dutch would say, whomever turns down the small, won't appreciate the big either.
Over and out.
Thank you for your thoughts @thematoog, I prefer to say the smallest things matter the most. This is because all the small things everyone does collectively has a big impact, so the more people the wake up to this, the more people will realize that their actions always matter, even if they seem small.
Well @elamental, in my view yes the small things are very important, to show someone else, even in say a 'crazy way' that there are other possibilities of behaviour that to that person seem unlinear to what they already consider 'everyday behaviour', and through this might begin their own march in a direction where they slowly uncover they're own unlinear behaviour, which is close to magical all in its own right, if not the most magical in this here beautiful world.
To really settle into this unlinear behaviour and make it genuinely and unforcedly your own, truly world shattering, mind breaking and rebuilding thereof experiences are needed.
Normally for each person having a possibility of becoming their own, such experiences come unto their way without needing to look for them luckily, especially through the wonderful subconscious, the silent hero behind everything.
How these persons then fare with these experiences I don't know, safe for my own experiences.
Great article! I agree with your take. Following respectfully.
Thanks for the wonderful post! Anyone who wants to grow their blog here on steemit should take this seriously because the simple action of networking can grow your page exponentially if done correctly.
Precisely, its all about promoting without begging or complaining, people really respect this. Sugar attracts more flies than vinegar.
I don't like flies, maybe I should stick to vinegar ;)
Thank you for your continued support of SteemSilverGold
@elemantal thanks for this immense amount of heart felt information! goodness...SO FELT! thank you deeply for the amount of time that went into sharing this from your heart....to ALL of us...to step up what's expected here! integrating it. much to ponder....and put to action. i'm a late comer to the steem blockchain....so all the etiquette...and expectations/hopes....have all been a learning curve for me BIG TIME! i'm a HUGE fan of what @exyle has shared on his vlogs..since i joined up here. his sharing of how this steemit/blog was the pioneering stages of the blockchain...then came the dtubes, dlives, steepshots, appics ...and so many more coming. he made me feel deeply at ease...where i was once intimidated to even share. especially on new areas of the blockhchain/communities developing .....like steepshot/appics etc. when steepshot added 7 photos....it made it much easier to add more content. whereas before...it was only one. still...i feel like steepshot is somewhat frowned upon compared to a juicy steemit blog post. i'm curious how it will all evolve...and am excitedly watching as an investor, curator and content creator. i'm thinking some people who don't enjoy blogging...at all...will find themselves using the blockchain via @appics or @steepshot ....without feeling the they're "not doing it right".....and still help a TON of people through their images etc. thanks for creating @earthtribe and bringing so many good people with good intent...to the table of joy! it's so felt and appreciated...as i've said. but...i hope...if at some point...my content doesn't "cut it" for the group...that ya'll will just let me know. i love steepshot...and will continue to use it. hoping they create a SMT...so i can help it grow more. i'll let @thegardeningchannel ...know that if he posts a video...he's expected to type a little something. ;) he can step it up too....or just be cool with not being in earth tribe. he's trying hard to understand what's expected of him...here also...but he's answering a few hundred comments a day on youtube lol. baby steps...i keep telling him....baby steps. just like..."what about bob." baby steps to the elevator bob. lol. i loved that movie! anyways...thanks again for all you've shared here. dude....just so felt and appreciated! steem ON ya'll!
I have never used Steepshot personally, however whether it be a video or photos, a minimal introduction is so easy and quick to accomplish, and will garner much more respect for you and groups you are affiliated with. @gardneingchanel's videos are some of the best I have ever seen on this platform, and an intro is not necessarily expected of him per say, but doing so will almost definitely increase his rewards to some degree, and make it look like more than just a copy and paste from YouTube. It is all part of Steemit's learning curve, that is why I create articles like this occasionally, to help others understand what I have come to know, so they can help themselves in the ways that I have.
thanks again. i understand where you are coming from. i feel others may be a better fit...for your group. i don't feel i can personally measure up...to your expectations on steemit or earth tribe. please remove me and @gardeningchannel from the earth tribe discord and group. we are deeply grateful for you considering us...and deeply hopeful that others will benefit from the massive amount of heart and SP...that ya'll are dispensing. for me....i feel less oversight on how i can share or post....on fb and yt. you've encouraged us to return there..so maybe we will. love this blockchain...and the people on it! so much for hope for the earth....and all life upon it! aloha brother
The things mentioned in this article are not rules you must abide by to be in @earthtribe necesarily, they are just suggestions to help yourself advance. You were chosen to be in @earthtribe for a reason, and so was @gardeningchannel. We will continue to support you both, and hope you will reconsider leaving our Discord server. We are absolutely honored to have you guys with us, and it would be very disappointing to see you leave, but if that is truly what you want, you have the right to not participate. We understand that everyone has different lifestyles and schedules, and sometimes you just cannot put as much time into your articles that you would like, absolutely NO WORRIES about this. The intent of this article was certainly not to scare you guys off, just know that we only expect you to do what you have been already, that is why you were selected in the first place. I just wanted to influence people to better themselves, which is the true intent of this article. Please take some time to think about it and let me know, blessings friend.
brother....thank you from my heart to yours. i feel you so much and appreciate you beyond measure! i receive your words...and you've influenced this person....to be better. a larger lesson...for... life...way beyond steemit. please forgive me for any confusion on my part....and deeply thank you for your patience. i'm absolutely honored to walk by ya'llz sides...on steemit and earth tribe/tribe steem up. hoooponopono brother. smoked one down with you here too......felt! your laughter and your heart! "discord on discord...with a discordian lol!: :) aloha my friend...and so much LOVE!
I am so glad you have reconsidered leaving, and thrilled that my lessons here have been beneficial for you. I will admit I was a little confused why you and @gardeningchannel wanted to leave, as I am pretty sure I hand selected both of you for your quality, conscious content. Just know that many people in the @tribesteemup community are fans of both of your works, and are more than happy to provide support for you guys. Also remember that @earthtribe is here for you in more ways than up-votes, and almost anyone that is a member will always be willing to lend a helping hand or provide advise/wisdom. If you ever need anything please do not hesitate to DM me on Discord (ELAmental#2433), and I will always get back to you as soon as I see your message. Blessings friend, and I look forward to interacting with you more in the future.
See a lot of sense in this. Our topics should be able to pass something beneficial to others - truth, inspiration, comfort, etcetera
...understanding, love, compassion, healing, exactly.
I see quite some blog posts, and I write some myself as well. Facebook-style updates, this is what I'm doing, this is where I've been, that's where I'm going. Does it pass the acid test? I've made my thoughts on it, but I'd love to hear the opinions from others.
If you use an upvote service, they get angry. If you don't, your work doesn't get seen. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't...
First time
I've also not seen anyone else say (until now) not to ask for upvotes, follows or resteems after the end of a post. All of the whales I learned from had a blurb or even a banner asking for such at the end of their posts.
My last post was about domestic violence and steps women can take to avoid it. After six days, it sits with 1 actual comment despite my best efforts to promote it. I participated in a curation show which got a bit of attention for a prior post but cannot always be available to do that. I'm also grateful for the Steemians who gave it 20 cents in upvotes. I have seen WAY too many bloggers publish a pic of their neighbor, a half-eaten meal or blurry images of their street with more interaction than my last post.
If an article about ending domestic violence can't spark a discussion, I don't know what will...
New users should not be given false hopes that if they consistently put out good articles, they will attract engagement. Unless you're friends with a whale or buy upvotes, it's a crapshoot.
I think the problem here is you need to change your approach to networking and post promotion. While participating in a curation show can usually render at least short term positive results, it requires a little more effort than that to really achieve acquiring proper support. What else are you doing to network and promote besides a curation show? I really liked a couple articles on your blog, but you have not tried reaching out to me until now, likely since we both did not know the other existed yet. Sometimes hard work an patience pays off brother, we want to help people like you that care about the platform, and have quality content. Take a note out of your book and "keep on posting" buddy, stay positive, and the good graces will flow to you. Groups like the ones I am involved with seek to get rid of the need for paid bid-bots by conscious professional Steemians. I personally do understand why some people must use them, but am also aware of how they are a negative aspect of this platform, we are doing something about it.
I'd stop in and say "hello, how's everybody doing?" Then, nothing. I'd jump in again and again (at the right times, careful not to intrude) to complete silence. Hours later I returned to see if anyone had responded, nope.
I'd see the same 20 people come in and chat with their friends. Many of them started in 2016, I felt like I was crashing a class reunion at times. When there was an opening where I might know a fact, I'd offer it to complete silence as they spoke to each other as if I wasn't there. I still remember the day I spent HOURS on a SteemMonsters brainstorming server putting out great ideas and trying again and again to get the attention of the moderator. My images were ignored, links and shoutouts to the host as well, while he only seemed to see the messages from his well-known friends. I even wondered if I was muted somehow and asked if anyone was seeing my messages. @isaria was the only one who noticed my attempts, but by then I was so disgusted I left the server. I had tried to chat in at least six different chats that day (no post promoting) with no response at all. These guys all know each other and it's like trying to join an exclusive club.
Steemit Chat is no better.
Staying the course
As far as giving up, I'm still here. Aside from using post promotion links, I also just generally comment on interesting posts. I don't leave "nice blog" type comments (take a look, they're real) I did a lot of homework before I joined Steemit last year and knew what not to do.
The 20 cents on my last post didn't bother me. The single comment on an important issue like domestic violence did. I was frankly shocked by the lack of engagement.
I know part of this is due to the low price of STEEM, but this was happening long before that. When I used an upvote service, it attracted Plankton who left comments but also angered some Whales. When I stopped, the Whales were happy, but it cost me in comments and upvotes.
I have noticed some traction lately on the MSP Discord server and plan to continue stopping by as they have some great hosts and guests on their audio chats.
So I guess the solution is these "curators" might want to look beyond their small circle of friends and find content creators that care about Steemit for the platform to grow. I have no plans to leave. When stuff like this happens, I just take a break and slow down my posting output. If they want people to "stop dropping your links in postpromotion and leaving" they might want to look beyond their circle of friends and open up their private clubs on Discord.
I have had experiences like this in Discord servers as well. Some of them are just strait up run by rude people who ignore you, even if you have something genuine to offer. There are at least a couple good servers I can link you to that do not do this, and would be honored to meet your acquaintance.
Thanks for sticking in there with us, I am still here as well, and also have no plans to leave. This space is a quite a unique one, and we currently have a rare opportunity to mold it into something truly beneficial.
I'm sorry you got ignored. It happens to me too, a lot! Would anyone do that in RL? It's really rude. I think you just need to find the right server, as @elamental says - persist, because when you find a good one, they're awesome. I always try to engage with anyone who says hi in a server as it's just rude not to and I know how it feels to be ignored x
Also to encourage more discourse, try sharing you philosophical topics in the PhilosoForum Discord Server, here is a link: https://discord.gg/pXrDdRe
It is a problem indeed that many actors here only pay attention to their "feed" - and this "user authority"-idea is not really helping! I can imagine new users being frustrated, I've seen many high-quality posts being totally ignored. Posting good content is not sufficient in itself as long as one doesn't have followers.
What to do? Engage! Write comments on articles written by others. Give generous upvotes. Check out the various curation initiatives like steemSTEM etc.
Right! Engaging in other people's articles is a critical step for networking and something I forgot to add as part of the promotion explanation in this article. Thank you for mentioning this - great addition. I may have to update the article with this info as well.
UPVOTED AND RESTEEMED! Thank you @elemental
Your post has been hand-picked and shared in our "Spreading the Love" weekly curation series because your content promotes our core values of life, freedom, truth, love, and happiness! You can check it out here. Thank you for your conscious contribution to this platform! Steem on! 🙏❤
Awesome thank you! I ham so happy that even more people will have a chance to read this now. @freedomtribe is an awesome initiative!
so much great advice and information on here for all new folk on Steemit, would be great if it was easily accessible for them especially considering all the time and effort you put into writing it. Your 6 questions are great and imagine if everyone answered yes to them before posting, what a game changer it would be for the platform and all the authors xxxx
Exactly! Thank you for recognizing and further explaining why asking those question is important. I am putting effort into making this article as accessible as possible, however only through other Steemians can it go further than that, it will be out of my hand soon. I will recommend all new Steemians I meet to read this as well.
Thank you for these really helpful suggestions, I've just started on Steemit and I'm trying to create "useful" post. Unfortunately people like me who speak another language as first, need to do a double effort to join some interesting english speaking community or just interact. ( Anyway I need to say Italian community works great and they really support everybody).
Do you have any advice for it?
Language can be quite a difficult barrier to overcome online when you are not multilingual, but then again there is always Google Translate. Unfortunately G.T. works better for some translations than others, but Italian - English should be pretty good. Italian is more closely related to English and Spanish than many other languages. This may be more of an issue for you on Discord however.
this is soooo true...you can be assertive and creative and helpful all in one, it's very confusing to join this platform at first but then ya find your "tribes" and find your niche, this is a very nice post for onboarders and to keep them onboard... :)
steemon
Thanks for your kind words @battleaxe, I can only hope people actually learn and practice some of these teachings. All of this is based on wisdom I have acquired during my Steemit journey, that has helped me advance, and helped me advance the platform. Honored to have you and the #teamgood project with us on our quest for a better world and platform!
Yeah, I am not surprised it took you 12 hours for this post. It takes me up to 8 hours for my longer posts. Quality takes some time involved. Sure there are shitposts that earn more money than us but I see no reason to compare our work with theirs, why would we? They have their way and we have ours. This is a pretty good text that will benefit a lot of people, very informative and educational and I do hope that people will learn from it. Some people really need this knowledge :) Enjoy your day, much love 💚
That is why we are laying the groundwork for this now, with articles like this, and through allying various conscious content support groups I am affiliated with. Once Steem is on the rise again, I hope many of us that consistently produce quality content will be able to out-reward the higher dollar sh*t-posts, that is what's deserved after-all. Thank you for your input, much appreciated @zen-art.
Thank you for this well Written advice! I think steemit is so special by having so much great content, compared to shitty posts! So important.
Unfortunately I don't know if the people who posts copy/pasted articles or pictures with no text, takes their time to read a post like this ;)
Hey its their loss if they choose to ignore it. That is also why I listed the six questions first, since that kind of sums up everything I talk about in the rest of this article. That way, if they do not want to read everything, they will likely at least see that, and hopefully learn from it.
so true, thanks for getting the word out! <3
That was an epic post, resteeming and sharing off the block as well, for my new friends who are just starting to blog here! <3 Also, I'm headed to soundcloud to listen to your music, I didn't know you were an artist!!
Thank you for noticing! I hope you like my tunes, and I am currently also producing a mixtape with all the conscious emcees I have met in the past few years.
One thing I'm trying to avoid is ... a "wall of text". I believe those who has the most to learn from your posts probably does not bother to read all of it
Indeed, that is why I highlighted the six questions first, so they would at least see that. It is their loss if they do not want to read the rest, and also their right.
One of my pet peeves as well. I do respect that not everyone are authors, and I have full respect for people that want to use Steem for distributing and getting rewarded for non-textual content, but please give a short description of the content.
I'm seldom having any privacy, always surrounded by family, colleagues in the office or strangers on the metro. It's also not always a given that I have enough battery power or network bandwidth to watch videos. Some people are even blind. Don't just post a video reference, write some few lines of context to explain the video. Same goes with photos.
Absolutely, I am glad you agree. I honestly would not feel right if I posted a photo or video and nothing else, but some people have such good videos and photos I guess they feel its not necessary to have an intro, but that sometimes leads to confusion.
At least with videos, I need to know why I should bother to play the video, or I will simply not see it.
Sometimes the title alone can make it so you understand completely, but its usually a little harder for someone that is new to watching your videos. It just helps draw people into your video if you also provide a short description... a long one is not required since you already have the video.
I think it has a value - just like link posts on Reddit or sites like Google News have a value.
At the other hand, one may read an article out there and rewrite the gist of it in own words on Steem, with or without a reference to the original source. It will be "own work", but is it really better than verbatim quotes and links to external content? I don't think so.
If you reword someone else's work and do not cite it, that is still plagiarism, and technically illegal since we get paid for our content. Verbatim quotes are fine when sourced, as long as that is not all there is.
I'm quite sure that it's legal to read an article and then write a new article from scratch, containing nothing but the ideas and facts in the first article. (though of course, it may vary over different jurisdictions)
If one is reading several sources and writing a new article combining facts and ideas from several articles, it can even be useful.
i do not have a reference for that specific situational law, but if you find one let me know. I would love to know if that is true or not.
So beautiful and logical put in words! I mostly liked this part "Promote others as you would promote yourself" Generally, I read all your article in this note - treat others on steemit as you would treat yourself and create this platform as you would create a new world :) Some of your questions reminded me of some spiritual books some of my friends are reading :) More precise on the 3 questions:
Well done to spend 12 hours on an article! Lots of perseverance, perfectionism and hard work! I gave you my humble vote for your passion to inspire other people! A pleasure to meet kindness activists :)
Thank you so much for reaching out, and these would be a great additional three questions to ask yourself before posting! Thank you for adding even more depth to this article, greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much for this. Being newer on Steemit I am still trying to figure it out and I'm always looking for posts like this that help me understand and make better contributions to the platform and community. Thanks again for putting the effort in to educate.
No worries, that is exactly why I create articles like this, to spread beneficial wisdom to others that will help them thrive here.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I am new to the platform and joined because 1. Fed up with pretty much all other social media 2. Believe in real community supporting good, free content 3. 👍 For decentralized platform where I can see the stuff I want to see without being a product to someone trying to sell me stuff.
So! I really appreciate this article, both for how to behave on such a platform, as I believe it has the potential to be something incredibly positive! And how to be successful here.
I learned a lot from your post and look forward to reading more. Up voted and following. Thanks 🙏
Thank you for you sincere comment and kind words. It seems I have achieved my mission of actually helping people advance through these lessons. I am also fed up with all other social media platforms. I still use Facebook occasionally, but only for communication and promotion purposes, otherwise its all garbage imo.
I also just updated this article with another sub-section called Interaction if you are interested.
I'll check it out, thank you!
This is brilliant - comprehensive and accurate and PERFECT. I think every Steemian should read this before being allowed to post - in fact, they should be TESTED on it. Shit posts, dog posts, memes, no context - there's too much of that in Steemit and to be honest it's in some of the tribes I'm in and I find it kinda embarrassing, let alone unfair that people are getting paid for virtually nothing, with not a care or a moral in the world about it.
This is a PERFECT checklist @elamental! And it's up to us to set a good example. xx
Well said @riverflows. I would definetly not be opposed to seeing this article auto-pop-up every time someone creates a new account, that would be ideal. Requiring people to take a test on the content might scare a lot of new members away however, but either way I agree with you.
I also just updated this article with a new sub-section called Interaction if you are interested.
I might bookmark it and copy and paste it to everyone who writes a single word on my posts!
lol, I just do this to them instead:
Hey @tag-user
PLEASE READ THIS
That is my fire with fire approach lol.
Cool Im.going to use that strategy.. expect tons of traffic here!
Sweet! I love it and welcome the traffic! I am here to help and answer all questions I can. Sometimes I even learn things from those I teach.