You need to keep your cool to earn some real $$$ on Steemit!
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks observing the platform and learning from it. A lot of the time I've stumbled across numerous complaints from several users. Hopefully you will learn something from this and the importance of keeping your calm and head on your shoulders around here. Without further ado:
Stop Complaining!
Inevitably this is the first on this list.
The 80/20 rule applies here. For the uninitiated, allow me to explain: “80% of the time no one cares about your problems and 20% of the time they wish that you had them in the first place!”
Ask yourselves , "Am I part of this statistic?" and “Do I need to breed negativity here?”—Isn’t there enough of this crap already on other social networks?
Here’s a different perspective
For every minute you've spent ranting about whales or lack of big votes on your posts you remain ignorant of the fact that despite being large stakeholders of the company they also working for your benefit!
- Some of these large stakeholders are unrelated to the Steemit team and have invested their personal money which has taken years to accumulate.
- Contrary to popular belief many vote after they check your content, read it and evaluate it before upvoting.
- Some have even engaged curators to help find new legitimate steemers everyday! This will help many in the long run.
- In the past some have openly said that you could get in touch if you are capable of delivering consistently good quality of posts.
- They’ve made it possible for everyone to take benefit of this platform in different ways.
- Prove the community and the Whales that you are a valuable asset because of your creative capabilities!
Thanks @artist1989 for this image.
Misguided angst?
Whales are just like you and me and have to deal with spam and abusers of this platform. They are also better equipped to deal with some of these issues. But remember, they have the same 24 hrs as you and I do.
They are human beings just as anyone else here behind a computer screen. If you have forgotten to treat them as such, then who’s at fault here?
Unfounded envy?
Everyone wants to be a whale. PERIOD! That’s all that matters.
But please understand that your false sense of entitlement over somebody’s wealth/votes etc has no place anywhere. Please earn a couple of million dollars, purchase Steem and power up into a whale. No one will stop you from doing it!
Distribution of wealth is a fallacy resulting from false sense of entitlement
If you feel their wealth needs to be distributed equally or think Steemit is only about getting free magic internet money you are grossly mistaken! If you think have a right over someone's wealth or votes just because Krills and Minnows outnumber Whales then your logic is beyond flawed and ergo you better leave!
It may sound harsh but these flawed attempts at baiting whales have set off a site wide knee jerk reactions to get everyone's attention and win a bunch of misguided followers.
In reality you are actually demoralizing hundreds of new users coming daily to this platform. This has resulted in a growing number of people who feel dejected as they wrongly feel they stand ZERO chance of gaining sufficient visibility or earnings here!
That's not true!
No promises have been made that you will earn truck loads of money here. However, there is the possibility that on some days you could earn some money here. The sum would vary! This is the fact, so kindly deal with it!
Let’s be honest and introspect
If you became a millionaire tonight, how much of this new money are you willing to risk back into the platform? Will you also protect your investment while benefiting others? As is the case right now!
- If you were to actually do this you would see that you cannot turn all your Minnow friends into Whales overnight! You will face the same challenges that the whales face today!
- They use their wealth and voting powers across several accounts to vote for you because 40-50 votes a day from a single account isn’t enough to cover hundreds of great articles that are discovered everyday!
- Instead of understanding the facts and minding your own business you even try to bribe them for votes!
Surely there have been issues about unworthy authors/scammers reaping great rewards. But in all honestly it doesn’t matter who they voted in the past. They are also learning from it. It isn’t your concern anymore because you need to focus on your work instead!
The community is learning to take care of its valuable members. Make an effort to be part of this instead of screaming injustice at every opportunity you get!
Things are changing for the better. You need to give it more time.
A lot of people are already working together to ensure new authors reap rewards more often. Join them in your own way!
Curious case of disappearing Dolphins
In the past few weeks I’ve observed a popular bunch who grew their accounts exponentially overnight. They seem to be simply content with withdrawing their balances and posting new content to repeat the cycle.
Please understand that this community works effectively when more Krills turn into Dolphins give back to the community through active curation, spam prevention, detection and helping other minnows succeed.
Unfortunately many don’t bother and those who stick around to help, are unable to do it alone!
Are we being ungrateful?
Whales have turned several Krills into rich Dolphins overnight expecting them in-turn to make other Krills into Big Fishes. But if these Dolphins don’t have the time to assist the community or the necessary frame of mind what can anyone do? There will be a chain reaction!
Are we here to make a quick buck and run away? This holds true for Krills and Minnows who give up easily.
We scream Ethics but apply it arbitrarily based on our whim and fancy.
Participate in giving back to the community!
Voting powers are there for a reason and it's FREE—Use it wisely but don't hoard it!
Don’t abuse ‘Introduce Yourself’
- Frankly it’s already too late as this category is unlikely to reap the high rewards forever as it did earlier.
- I recommend you to post here and verify yourself, get a warm welcome and then get down to business.
- This section has been scammed so badly that moving forward whales are likely to ignore most of the posts here altogether as it's getting harder to verify.
- Unpaid members of the community are spending hours from their lives to ensure scammers are caught with help from Whales in nuking these posts.
- Keep your calm and show some humility when you don’t get the desired attention in terms of $$$ you rake from your first and sometimes your only post in days!
Scammers note that the community is collectively smarter than you!
No place for Bullies
No one likes bullies and the whales pack so much ‘firepower’ that if they to come after you, your days here are numbered!
But, the fact remains that they have also largely ignored the enraged engaged in 'whale hunting' and have simply moved on to let the blockchain’s freedom of speech and uncensored nature drive this platform forward.
So who’s the real bully here? I hope you guessed it correctly!
Reputation is everything!
Reputation, goodwill, trust and respect are hard to earn!
They are easily lost, and it’s gone forever!
But you will notice on this platform that forgiveness isn’t hard to come by from the same people you went berserk against a moment ago! Don't push it!
Don’t spam Steem.chat
- This one is for complete newbies hoping to get big votes, bait whales, attract scores of followers and in the worst case troll people; Simply don’t bother going on Steem.chat.
- But in case you do then play cool and keep your post promotions to select channels.
- There is a dedicated ‘Post Promotions’ channel where you are free to post multiple times.
In other channels keep it relevant and post during non-busy hours if you are feeling desperate! —Admittedly it happens to all of us!
Remember some trends stick and it would be a nightmare when there are a million of us!
This isn’t a rat race, don’t turn it into one!
- Don’t be in a mad rush to spam. Steemit isn’t going anywhere.
- You and I both have the same incredible opportunity to grow together at Steemit!
- Let’s try not to trample each other in the process.
This isn’t a Black Friday discount sale that comes once in a year and lasts a few hours! Steemit is here to stay!
This isn’t a war either!
Don’t pretend go on a war with someone here gathering a bunch of followers. It will only result in the destruction of this platform and your peace of mind trying to win comebacks. Please try not to burn this place to the ground! Our world has enough of it already!
I find myself repeating this often:
‘When two elephants fight, it’s grass that suffers!’
I leave it you to comprehend the depth of its meaning in regard to Steemit!
Who’s our real enemy?
Scammers and trolls who are blatantly abusing the system. But the world is filled with such people. Why shouldnt the blockchain and internet be any different?
True! But you can make a difference here. There is strength in our unity. We can fight them together and stop them in their tracks! We will kick them out of this community as they come.
Hating bots and it's creators is not a fad!
- There are many bots that spam the system in order to make easy money for their developers.
- There are also bots and creators of these bots that oppose spammers and protect the site against plagiarism, identity theft and other issues.
- They deserve a fair chance even if they rub you off accidentally.
They may make some mistakes but give them the opportunity to learn and improve their algorithms. Exercise some restraint and engage only in constructive criticism. Better yet help them out!
You don’t have to sugar coat anything, call spade a spade but don’t get personal or abusive in your methods!
Give them a reason to continue doing their work unless you can better them.
Can chaos breed positivity?
Chaos results in constant change. We need to accept this constant change.
We need things to change for the platform to thrive. Ergo keep pushing the Steemit development team to improve the site and they will do it! It won’t happen in a day but as the days go by many positive outcomes will change the way things work now. The power to enforce positive changes are with all of us.
The large stakeholders who are not part of Steem Team are actively ensuring the community's voices are heard!
Steemit is complex and difficult to understand
It has taken me a while to understand Steemit and I’m still learning. If you don’t understand how everything works here, please use the search functionality or ask someone here. Everyone is eager to help you. That has been my experience here.
People here can go to great lengths to help you, give you an unexpected gift, watch out for you if you behaved nicely and showed gratitude where it was due.
But don’t misuse their trust and I can’t stress enough, ‘don’t scam people!’ Unless you want to turn this amazing place into an overly suspecting hostile environment!
If someone helps you feel free to thank them with an upvote on their post or comment! It will do everyone some good! But don’t expect an upvote just because you offered your help either.
Don’t quit your day job
Being self employed isn’t easy. If you are on Steemit hoping for a big hit day after day so you can quit your job and move to Bahamas then you are mistaken.
Keep your expectations realistic!
When I came here I wanted to make an extra $100 in a month so it could help me add to my savings but I made a lot more! This was extra money that I wasn’t expecting to earn in this month! Not a bad figure at all in my opinion!
Steemit now pays you in 12 hours and the rest of the payout trickles after 30 days. It’s not a terrible deal now is it?
Steemit could be a great source of passive income one day if you learn to use it wisely. But don’t ignore your daily responsibilities along the way. Learn to breathe easy and relax a little.
Wordpress blogging isn’t dead
- Invest in learning and creating multiple sources of online income.
- Traditional methods of blogging and monetizing content haven’t disappeared. They are certainly not dead and won't be for a long time to come!
- If you feel your work on Steemit is a hit and miss then learn to build a website that can generate you passive income.
- Don't put all your eggs in the Steemit basket. Diversify your risks and source of earnings.
What about language barriers?
English isn’t my first language. I've learnt 5 languages including English and understand almost twice the number at different levels! However, I’ll admit that I’ve been learning English for the past 24 years.
Over these years I’ve made it a point to constantly improve the way I read, write and speak English. If you want to improve your articles and make money then you need to put in the effort!
But why should I learn English?
Steemit is essentially an American company and the vast majority of users on this platform are comfortable with English.
However, there is no restriction on blogging in any other language and fortunately Steemers are not like this:
Adaptability is key on Steemit
- If you want to earn money today then it would help you to write in a language that is understood by most!
- It will take a lot of time for people from different countries to have substantial Steem Power to vote non-English posts to an amount you deem reasonable—which is different for everyone.
- Many times I’ve translated articles to read them because I felt it would be interesting and upvoted them afterwards and shared on Slack.
- Write in English and/or use a translator to read until there are enough number of people speaking your tongue.
- Either wait for it to happen or simply adapt to the current environment and see how you can work with it!
Does race play a vital role here?
Some of you maybe worried if people from emerging countries stand a fair chance here. Personally I don't care about anybody's racial or religious bias and neither should you. Steemit is a bit different, and it will continue to be different! While I cannot guarantee that everyone will keep their prejudices and bias away from here. We can all try!
Going forward fewer people will really care where you are from and what faith you belong to if you are witnessed providing substantial value to the Steemit community. The rest who raise and create issues will learn first hand that the community does not reward this behavior and those problems will die down as they arise. Let's not make a FB out of Steemit.
Because talk is cheap it is also upto you to prove that you are worthy of this community’s respect through your actions.
Nothing else matters!
Disconnect and Rest
Get a minimum of 6-8 hrs of sleep everyday if you plan to be effective in your daily lives. Switch off from everything and engage in your social life regularly . Otherwise, you will burn out due to various reasons including but not limited to frustration, disappointment, exhaustion and even depression.
Just log off after posting and curating for a while! You don’t need to be here 24/7 watching $$$ trickle into your wallet. It will happen eventually if you put in a little effort everyday!
Make Steemit your passion
In my personal life I’m passionate about motorcycling and automobiles in general. The lessons I’ve learnt along the way has led me to some success in my professional life as well. Over the past 15 years I’ve faced several setbacks but I haven’t given up. I've maintained the same attitude here.
If you have a passion that you’ve followed for years then you are aware of facing ups and downs head-on and you know that giving up results in nothing.
Stick around for the long haul!
Perseverance is the key to winning. Victories on Steemit are not capped to a high-payout single introduction post.
Keep an ear to the ground and accept this platform for what it is not what you perceive it to be!
You will then quickly learn how to create and curate content that adds value to the platform. You will also add value to your life as a direct result of your ‘useful participation.’ Everything else is ultimately irrelevant and wasteful of your precious time.
What is the way forward?
Use your time wisely on Steemit. Don't treat it as another social network where you end up few times in the day to waste your time! Steemit actually pays you to be useful and a value creator—ergo make the most of it everyday to be a valuable addition to the community at large!
Please don't give up quickly and decide to leave!
Limitless platform for creative expression
- Use Steemit as a platform for creative expression.
- You are free to explore your thoughts and ideas here. You can do anything you want.
- Engage with the community, brush up your old skills or learn entirely new ones.
- Set the latest trends for people to follow.
The possibilities are endless. It’s entirely upto you!
Happiness is everything
Many people find the internet as a place to get away from their lives or find like minded people. Collaborate with others to find solutions to your problems. You can spread happiness and joy to several members of your own communities wherever you may be if you learn to use this platform effectively!
Your potential on Steemit is unlimited! The possibilities for networking here are incredible.
Don’t forget that and also the fact that we're still in Beta!
Spread the word
- Remember to bring more people onboard everyday.
- Let them invest their time, knowledge and/or money into this platform and reap the rewards.
- Don’t keep Steemit to yourselves. Share it with the world and help the platform grow!
Do it now!
This is one of the most dynamic internet platforms today. The trends here change everyday. Go with the flow and you may find it to be your new internet home; one that excites and rewards everyday, and probably for a long time to come!
This is the beginning of awesome! Do what I do and Steem on!
Thanks to @fyrstikken for the quote @tuck-fheman for making this image.
#steemit
If you like this please hit the follow button on my blog page and follow me on Steemit
That's an awesome post. Steemit is more than an ordinary social news site. Because of the Steem it brings to good writers and lucky pretty girls, it's the capitalistic free market version of social news sites. It makes clear what brings success in real live: consistent work and luck. Be creative, be original and have a long perspective. Then success will come.
Thanks! Everyone can be successful if they stick to the right path. But as humans we stray often and blame others. Success comes with patience. :)
You are one of the patient ones and hit right on time ! So happy to read this post today !
Thank you so much! I felt it was needed! :) Just happened to sit down and jot some thoughts yesterday and few hours later this was the end result.
Nice employee generated post, how long have you been with the company
stop whining ! that post is perfectly written and i think everybody who is able to write a post which makes a whale click, has earned that reward ! i wish my comments would earn more ;)
Must read IMHO, most of the points are spot on after being a member here for a few days. Love the memes aswell hehehe gives another feel to it.
Thanks! I wanted the message to sink into people's mind and felt that memes might help with that!
Great post @firepower - Well done!
Thanks you! :)
value!
Thank you :)
Thank you for the time and effort that you put into this post. This is a good reminder to everyone on here that you have to give yor time and have patience, but not to take yourself too seriously. I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens.
Your welcome. I hope you find success on this platform like many others out here. Good luck! :)
truely i do agree wth you
I'm really impressed by this post. Not only did you spend an incredible amount of time on it, but you addressed some real issues in the community. Great job.
@trevorenglish Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I hope more new users will read through and realize they will find success but it will take more time. :) Please follow my blogs if you liked this.
Great post indeed. Some people here don't have any work ethics and expect to become a star over one blog publish in steemit. It can be an ice bucket challenge for some few people here, however cold water is very motivating indeed. Steemit is such a great opportunity making sure people see it and use it not abuse it.
Thanks @margot You've made an excellent point! I hope more new comers see it this way. :)
That was pretty inspiring. It's amazing to be part of something like this so early on. WE really can shape this to be a fair and creative forum. I really hope all new members read this.
Thanks! It is indeed amazing to be part of this place! I hope more people read this and understand the depth of what I'm trying to say here! :) Thanks for reading and commenting.
Amazingly long and well thought out post.
@calva upvote this man!
Thanks. Trying to edit and update this post but the site won't allow it!
upvoteupvoteupvote
Thank so much for posting it - quality assss content - I agree - I have been posting pretty thought provoking stuff and i felt sad for a bit that it wasnt being recognized or making hits - I feel as if the content is helpful for people but may not be VIEWED yet. Alas my own thought procces was always - k well time to post something BETTER - Steem it could be a catalyst in the free speech movement especially when people can get paid for GOOD DISCUSSION - its just how we use it and this envy haterade most people drink in their life wont stop unless they stop drinking it - so keep up the firepower and aim true my brother - id love to connect some time :)
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Steemit is already a catalyst in the free speech movement because it is uncensored. You are free to voice your opinions here. I hope you will find this to be an enriching platform for yourself. :)
Awesome post. and so glad I read it especially the part about blogging elsewhere. I've had a lot of grief at home for taking the funds from my first few posts and ploughing them into a blog of my own. I was starting to think they might have a point.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I can understand your predicament. I suggest you withdraw a small portion that you feel is sufficient to blog on your own and the rest you can either use to power up or keep as SBD for emergencies. Either way its a win-win situation. :)
Thanks for the tips.
All I can say : wow wow wow ! You deserve those earnings for so much good work and thoughts ! 🌞🌞🌞 and I say it once again . You are some nice human being with a big heart . This post was valuable as many others before you wrote !
Thank you so much! I try to keep it real! This was possible due to the support from my friends here. :) Once again thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
excellent post @firepower, thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading. :)
Greta information, should be a mandatory read for people.
Thank you.
This is all spot on. I've only been on for a couple of days and i see lots of complaining about how whales won't pick me but they picked the girl that showed the most boob's. It's like you said they are people too and they pick what they want carefully. Those that complain just want a free hand out instead of putting in work.
True! Most people don't know what it means to value their time and those of others. Many are here simply because they think they can get a free lunch without showing any kind of smart or hard work. It doesn't work. You have to show results to reap rewards. Steemit is no different.
Don't worry @naifaz, I posted two different excerpts from my modeling portfolio including one with my b&w art nudes and I got a whooooole bunch of upvotes but zero cents. So there's still justice on Steemit! LOL. (Meanwhile an ancient photo of my grandfather from the 1930s earned $42.50. I guess some people have different priorities lol.)
I saw your content. While I like it I feel that Steemit isn't ready yet for it and this place seems to work a bit differently. In a few months perhaps nsfw content might do better than it is now. At the moment nsfw tags are being ignored. The trends here change by the week. Don't lose hope tho. :)
Just fabulously wise and insightful words...every one.
Thank you so much! :)
and we have another one problem here..
This is true! However, I'm positive that no bad bot can wreck this site in the long haul. There are many who are looking out for this site and their investment. These bots with little SP stand no chance against the whales power to nuke them! :)
but I am not positive. for me, as for hard-english-speaking dude there is a problem, 'cause many of bots understands my short comments with picture as a spam. and not only bots) When I see an article which is interesting for me why I'm not allowed to post my thoughts in picture and some words?
Unfortunately this is bound to happen. I understand your need to comment with just a picture instead of words but I think as far as your English is concerned you are doing great! There are so many bots out here spamming the site that it's so difficult for people to individually monitor them all. Therefore it is better that you respond with text or a combination of text and image. You might also earn on your comments through upvotes. :)
There's more to Steemit than cashing out! But thanks for the laughter!
You are right @firepower steemit is not just about making money. If only people will understand, steemit is also source of relationship we just need to understand that we have to work altogether to achieve our goals.
The problem is likely to escalate and hence more the reason that the current members need to read this post and keep it in mind when the next wave of users join Steemit and face the challenges. All legit members will be looking at the current lot for guidance. Either we help them grow with us or we demoralize and troll.. The choice is ours! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Cheers!
Awesome post brother! Let's make a vid outta this lol. And why am i not seeing you in chat these days? Or have i gone missing?!
Thank you! I think we should and I hope we can someday soon! haha! I'm on Steem.chat now. Slack is more or less dead. But I've been online at different hours and only in some select channels. I've sent you a DM.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
you've hit the nail on the head, my friend. spelled it out perfectly.
Keep up the good work... :-)
Thank you so much and I'm hoping to write some more soon. :)
Best post I've read in a while. You highlight a lot of pressing issues that needs to be spoken or written about. I will say it again. Great Post
Thanks much @ecom! Just reading the mood of the platform and saying it out loud! :)
I hope your not a bot or a whale not that I care. I'm just a no voice, but I do believe, so much negative effect as been placed on whales, that's an fair, backbiting another human being. Is the worst thing you can do, in my religon backbiting = eating a dead humen flash, I'm sure no one would want to eat another humans flash so plz stop backbiteing.
We are human we all make mistakes we should support each other and stop envying one and other.
I wish I had a few bots that could help me with my work but I can't code to save my life. I'm a Sea Monkey currently drifting from a Big fish to a Dolphin but i'm a Sea Monkey who's content with his life!
In my personal-professional life I've had the opportunity to work and engage with people who make $10K by the minute 24/7/365! In the process I've perhaps gained the mindset of the whale if not the wallet. I come from a country most people define as part of the third world but that hasn't stopped me from being the best I can be!
Here's my introduction. You are welcome to go through it.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thank you for ur reply if you a sea monk I'm the turtule. Trust me when I say it, what I'm promoteing nobody want's to know it's like I'm trying to give vigtable to kids and telling them this is good for you'r health and there like no thank you. But I love doing what I'm doing and would not exchange it with all the money in the world, because I believe the truth is priceless.
Ofcourse! Sometimes you have to believe in what you are doing is right and proceed! :)
have to say this is an amazing post you did , steemit is not like FB or other social network, steem actually focus on a real life event that individuals actually get involved in it , and if you noticed all the copy and paste articles never get upvoted .
thank you for this post
Absolutely. There's a personal touch to this platform especially when you include the Steem Chat aspect. It's extremely rewarding and engaging to be on Steemit! Active participants stand a good chance at being rewarded but the learning potential is immense. :)
time and patience pay in this business of bloggin and posting. so get creative so that you can walk your way up. (am on my way up)
Time, patience and keeping your cool when things are not working out. Blogging in the normal sense through traditional means itself is really tasking. Steemit has made it easier but you have to face the grind. :)
Unable to edit my post due to some site issue and hence adding few negative behaviors in the comment. These things happen on a daily basis on the site:
I've only been on this site for a short time, but I've already read many stories with similar themes. But this was the best by far. You deserve every penny you get for it.
By the way, if you hadn't said you weren't a native speaker, I wouldn't have guessed. There are lots of Americans who don't write as well as you.
Thank you for the kind words. I think from my mind and write from my heart. It has helped me a lot in my life. This platform has allowed me to express myself and it's great! I strongly believe and say this from experience that anyone can be their best and improve on any skill, language or otherwise anywhere in the world. I'm a terrible writer compared to some I look upto. However, I'm constantly brushing my skills as a writer who's words resonates with the reader's heart and mind. :)
I am brand spankin new to steemit - have only been a user for about 26 hours. I thought this was really helpful, especially for a new person just trying to find a niche. This article had great points and I have read as much about steemit and how it works as I can in the last day. There are a lot complainers, but I think articles like this will keep a check on it.
Welcome to Steemit @melek. I've written only few things from all that I've observed here. But I can tell you this the people who whine and abuse will lose their time, money, energy and their peace of mind on Steemit. There will be absolutely no place for such people here in the time to come.
Stick around and enjoy this place. Learn what works and contribute in the best way you can. Eventually your work will be noticed and you will shine! If you have any doubts feel free to ask here or on Steem.Chat. Cheers!
Thanks for posting all of this information. Im fairly new to steemit, so this has helped out very much!
Glad to hear it! Welcome to steemit! :)
I could swear I read this post a few weeks ago....
Impossible. Unless you read my mind!
How non-human is this author that they mention we should let bots "rub you off accidentally?" /s
I'm a bot, just like you!
Very well, but if nothing is done here, is what will happen to steemit: Read this is very important https://steemit.com/steem/@stea90/read-very-important-why-the-market-volume-and-value-of-steem-continue-to-decrease-what-will-happen
I absolutely love this article, firepower! I think Steemit is one of the most innovative social media platforms available. Here, we have the opportunity to not only share creative original content, but also a place to network with other like-minded individuals, while having the potential to gain monetarily.
I have a great feeling I'll learn alot here, and that for me, is already a gain.
Great post! It helped me a lot in my understanding of steemit. Thank you
a site for free materials http://learn-english.ml
great article! just as relevant today as when you wrote it!
To the writer called "firepower": Thanks for the heads up intro of steemit and us total noobs thank you as we enter and explore the realm of steemit for the first time, thank you my good friend (smiles) ``chessie~~