There is no doubt that Steemit is a revolutionary social media platform. Nonetheless, we tend to forget that it is still based on basic human behavior. People expect to be paid based on the quality of their content but they soon realize that this is not the case. In fact, getting paid based on one's merit is rather the exception rather than the rule.
This is not necessarily bad as people might perceive. Much like the outside world, the economics of Steemit are first and foremost based on social and less on intellectual capital. The relationships Steemians form are perhaps their strongest asset. In the outside world we call this nepotism. Whether we like the idea or not, this is how the world rolls. It is what it is. No need to blame Steemit for this.
Social capital is much more important than intellectual and financial capital. Humans are up and foremost social species. The concept of economics is based heavily on our sociality and less on the subjective value we ascribe to things we produce. Sooner or later, every human realizes that is all about who we know and less about what we know.
One can produce good content but maintain a rather negative attitude. Most likely, they will never get noticed. I know because only recently I got to enjoy high rewards for my posts. I used to engage in a lot of debates and criticisms about the platform and that got me a bad reputation amongst most whale circles. I was called an asshole, and still appear to be to some people's eyes. Remember, you can make 100 good deeds but it only takes a single bad day and you can be marked for life. First impressions matter. Bad impressions matter even more. Again, no need to complain about our "homosapien behavior". It is yet another extension of who we are.
Whether you want to call yourself a straight talker or contrarian, very few people accept criticism and almost everybody welcomes praise. If you have any doubt about this, check the "Here is a Steemit post about how I made money on steemit that will make me even more money" or "I have X followers and I joined Steemit last year, pay me". Obvious self shilling posts, are way too obvious and we all know this. We just prefer to turn a blind eye because it gives a positive vibe.
The competition is so tight that some might find that they are not really good with their content as they thought they were. A bit of ass-kissing and political maneuvering can go a long way and some find themselves rise to the top. At the end, not even the newcomers mind about these tactics. It is no secret that the majority of the comments are junk, sucking up to the author as a last resort in order to be upvoted or followed. It looks ugly because it cannot be anything else.
I want to stress out that is not an inherent problem of Steemit but rather how economic dynamics flow in any system. We observe this behavior everywhere in any economy. If you have worked for a large company, you know exactly what I am trying to illustrate.
Another important aspect that we all forget is that the early investors in cryptocurrencies are few, very few. Those people were often getting ridiculed for owning "invisible money". They hodled. They believed. Later on, they got to diversify some of their bitcoin assets to Steemit. They took the risk so we could enjoy the fruits of their labour. They are the reason we have all this. This is part of the reason the wealth distribution of Steemit looks almost identical to what we see in the outside world. The whales are the ~1%, the ~15% are western civilization (dolphins) and ~85% are the minnows (rest of the world).
Statistically, some posts, even if they are exceptional, they will never rise to the trending page. Much like the rest of the economy, the same names will appear day after day on the front lines because they managed to make an impression early on. Similarly, the same companies seem to hold the power the longest due to reputation while the rest fight each other for the breadcrumbs. Sure, there is disruption from time to time but the big boys make sure to pick out the early birds before they take off.
Even if some make it at the end, they too join the upper circle and it gets even harder for those at the bottom to break free. Heck, even if the whales have the best of intentions, it is humanly impossible to manually curate hundreds of new posts. This is why even after HF19, for the most part, some top authors earn even more and the middle guys get to split the rewards between them. Again, not a flaw on Steemit but a human dynamic that has to be properly evaluated.
TL;DR: Steemit reflects the economic paradigm of the outside world right now. This is to be expected since the blockchain is still a novel idea. Steemit is the first platform of it's kind. We shouldn't be surprised or disappointed. Like a friend told me yesterday in the comments "Apes Gonna Ape" so we owe to lan accordingly.
Right now, a few people hold all the Steem Power even if that has been somewhat delegated to a few dolphins. I believe a wider spread of Steem Power delegation to a few reputable people will change the scene. There are a few people in here that have been in the platform since the beginning and really care about its potential. Delegating this voting duty to them will empower more Steemians and also take the burden away from the whales. After all, with all these taking place, no matter what they do, they appear to be the bad guys.
Let's not forger that even power delegation can be abused. This can be controlled by manual reports to the community (much like @Steemcleaners and @cheetah do). We can even push this a step further and assign specific curators with power for specific Steemit tags. In this way, we won't see uneven distribution of rewards from only one category.
The trending page will also change every day. Competition and anticipation about who might be trending will create more engagement among Steemians. It will also build more trustworthiness to new (and increasingly skeptical members) that see the same people trending on the front page day in day out.
My last recommendation will be a payout cap for each post. If a post cannot reach more than a certain amount, more rewards will be distributed to more people. This will help the platform grow even more since it will create competition among popular tags that will diversify the content. This will enrich the platform and raise it's value even further.
I understand that these recommendations will not be well received by some people but I am being so critical because I am beginning to see some red flags that might get pretty ugly. Right now there is dangerous draining of the reward pool. There is an immediate need to bring stability into the system. We got a pretty good push from the general crypto pump of the last months but we owe to use this leverage as best as we can while it lasts. I don't know about you, but I want to enjoy Steemit for years to come. Otherwise we might be already killing the goose that lays the golden eggs...
Really great post! Yes, Steemit is a microcopy of what the real world is. Nicely told... But your cap solution is not ok I guess. If the majority of voters wants to give someone an extra big welcome to the community or like their content so much, they are the owners of their Vote... Introducing a cap is a bit like expropiating them. If they want someone to be number one and they cherish his content so much that even if his content is worth 10.000 USD they still want him to get a bigger part of the pie than let them...
I think you did not mean it this way, but your measure in this regard reminds me of politics where they want to introduce how much a private corporation can pay their managing directors...
I think this is not the way to go...
SP holders are the people who are the owners of the platform. I think they should be allowed to do as they please with their holding. If not investors will look the other way and not buy SP.
Then you get a Falling Steem Price and less payouts... less interest in the platform and so on... a vicious circle.
Thing is, a handful of big boys can elevate content to the thousands. Even if 1,000 minnows vote it won't matter since a single whale vote can take them down pretty easy.
If people see unrealistic rewards from the same people, they will get discouraged...
People upvote me because I'm extremely funny, kind, caring, creative but most of all modest.
...most definitely ...
;)
That humor was worth a dime, LOL
This post received a 3.6% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @hotandrandom! For more information, click here!
Thanks for this, kyriacos! It never occurred to me that Steemit is just like the outside world - I was busy being amazed that such a platform even exists - but you're right. At least at the moment it is.
Yes, it's the same people on the trending page every day, but I seem to have simply accepted the fact that I'm a year late to the party... And of course I'm accepting that I have to work hard for my rewards. Nobody promised us free money here.
But it's true that some people may get discouraged or even burned-out, trying to come up with valuable content - for very little rewards. I was a bit discouraged today when I found out I had more than 100 people (or bots?) voting on one of my German posts with less than 1% of their voting power each... I was wondering why they bother voting in the first place.
There's a lot I'm not 100% understanding yet, but also Steemit is still such a young platform, which will hopefully grow better and bigger and fairer every day. Your suggestions for solutions sound pretty smart, so I hope the witnesses or decision makers are listening.
It is refreshing to see things from the perspective of a minnow and I think we should all focus from you guys perspective. We often forget how things are because we have been around for so long.
Keep steemin on. I believe the solutions ill come.
I agree with you Connnecteconomy... I speak French so I try to translate well as people write it, and if I translate "words for words" is not your expression or sentence formulation . It is more effort for each publication for me.. just this comment will have taken 5 minutes to write loll ... Some publications or i estimate that I put a lot of effort and time and I have nothing and other post where I put less effort or a simple video for example I had more ...not logic for me loll But anyway , It will be always Steemit the champion if we compare to facebook;)
This is what people tend to forget - what they think are inherent flaws in a social medium system or in the mechanics of a thing are really just how humans operate. Social currency is often more valuable than something that is well-produced or "quality" and that's been true since probably the beginning of human history.
I like the idea of delegation of steem power via tags, then you could have so-called "experts" or "curators" based on category. As steem grows I think it'd be interesting to have more filtering via categorization which will overall I think strengthen the various communities and allow more quality content to rise to the top.
Well said.
Love this comment. I like your recommendations, though I'm pretty sure they wouldn't get the support they need to ever become reality.
let's see.
Yea a Cap makes sense. Also up-voting your own comments should be blocked.
Well put together Post. Thanks for sharing.
Yeap, Self upvoting is destructive.
I fully disagree about not self upvoting comments and I upvote all my own comments at 10% to get them up the feed.
(If I wasn't allowed to do that I would have a reciprocal comment voting arrangement replacing that within hours!)
I also upvote each comment I reply to to keep the action happening. Been doing that for 10 months now...
What I'm wondering is - what do you think a good cap would be? I think it's possibly a good idea, and am thinking $1000.
I just do it because I like the fact that someone voted for me. :-)
:) always a good incentive I guess
I didn't get through this entirely but one thing I take away from steemit is that it really doesn't afford the opportunity for "gems" of wisdom to get through from people who don't rank very high up amongst the wave of sheeple who actually think social media is more than just a way to waste your time via idle endeavors. :-) I'd like to be able to "search" for my content. How do I do that here at steemit? I know I'm missing things I might like. I want to make the best possible mixed drink to celebrate the 4th. How do I find out the best way to make a pina colada here at steemit? Shirley, somebody must have "tried to" tell me how by now...no? :-)
The tags are rather limited. The search function as well. We need to improve on this.
Interesting thoughts. Most of them were already know to me but there are some that i never thought about earlier! The REWARD CAP? Man that would be sooo good! This is the thing that would discourage all the trails to support same authors and even a lot of minnows that try to snipe the whale/trail vote for biggest curation reward. I mean, nothing against Miss 2000 bucks and her likes, this is nothing personal, rather a solution to the problem Steemit faces. Until lately I also didn’t understand why whales would delegate so much power and you explained it well to me. For that I thank you.
I think many people started realizing what is going on and we have to address this soon enough
Been punting a weekly reward cap for a month or two now... my version is that If your post payouts pass a certain threshold within the 7 day cycle any new posts are automatically payout declined...
No rewards are altered or votes removed... so if you can manage a viral biggie, then good for you... but then that's it for the rest of the week until that one is paid out
That would remove the “unattractivity” of having every single article capped, as well as give you the option to have a blast (like the guy who received 17k bucks for his surgery) and at the same time restrict you from doing this repeatedly at the expense of everyone else, with the reason being heavy drainage of the reward pool. If every article was capped, one could just spam them and he couldn’t care less about the limit.
Do you have any exact numbers in mind? What sounds like a reasonable “limit threshold” to a whale like you?
community consensus would be good to decide that and it would be easy to quantify, the weekly reward pool is a semi fixed amount of steem, just set a threshold at the consensus percentage
This one sounds good as well. Anything really to avoid the milking and consecutive trending. New people are yet again getting suspicious.
i like your writings and genuinely admire the level of thought you put into your posts. all i have is you can have my cents all day....till i can afford huge dollars.....
cheers!
thank you
I try to incite discussions within my post but unfortunately due to the fact my posts don't get any views there are rarely any replies so intern there is no stimulus for a debate. Hopefully that will change after I put even more hours of work and dedication into the platform then I can have some enjoyable conversations.
Well I have bright futures for steem and the cryptomarkets.
Let's see if it all pans out
How long have you been on steemit?
Some people worked their asses off for 3 months, and saw hardly any money from their posts.
Out of those same people, most quit.
Only a few crazed people continued.
They are mostly doing well now.
I believe that you first need to create followers by creating well throughout comments.
I try to make my comments somewhat lengthy and something gay I can use to engange with the Author. Not some half-arsed 'good post, upvoted, follow me'
I have not seen this expression used in this way in a while. I reminds me of British English.
I of course meant gay as in happy and in no way was I trying to be provocative.
I think that it was a typo
I'm on my phone and the autocorrect is rubbish haha.
Sorry about that and you are correct, I am from Britain.
No, I actually like you using 'gay' as in the happy definition.
that's the best idea actually.
In New Zealand we have a brand of ice cream cones that have been around for decades called "Gaytime".
Now using "gay" for happy is getting to be quite hip and Gaytime cones are pretty cool!
https://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/ProductDetails?stockcode=273822
I remember those Zillion of hours and hours reading, replying and staying involved for a whole year ....some people get here and start complaining right away.
I don't understand. I have a more important message for the future....
💰
It's boring! So boring! Take it easy with that Mooooneyyy
All takes time if you don't have the right wire ups to the "fire" or at least lots of invested cash in this platform.
Indeed. it takes work. Nice vid btw.
Do you know about Klaus Kinski ? Such a perfect villain in many great movies
nop. Not aware of him actually. Any recommendations?
Truer words haven't been spoken. I disagree with you on pretty fundamental issues, but there is no better way to create a following than through engagement with other authors and other curators. Curation's the trick to being successful long-term here.
Like you said: the trick is who you know, not what you know.
yeap
yup
Interesting thoughts. I don't think the payout cap is the answer though. Perhaps we need, as reddit has moderators for each subreddit curators for each topic that are voted in by the community or witnesses where people could delegate SP to neutral trusted parties to find and upvote the day's best content in their niche/topic.
yeap, i think a combination of both can work wonders.
I actually un followed you a long time ago because I really didn't like the way that you (used to) communicate on here. I don't disagree with what you've said here @kyriacos, and I think that a potential payout cap for each post could be a very smart way of going. I've also heard mention of potentially limiting the amount of time any post can spend on the trending page.
Yes, limiting the time on the trending page is also a good idea. Actually the trending page should be ditched all together. Only hot content should flow. It doesn't make much sense in the reward scheme anyways.
Can't say I disagree with that idea. If a post is moving and getting votes it probably has a quality that people are enjoying, once that momentum slows down let other posts (naturally) take over.
Regarding the trending page or any post for that matter, what if we had a separate vote count on all posts that was simply about the quality of the post? Perhaps one could select from one to five points and that was summed anonymously into a total that represented the quality of the post and that would determine its trending rank. This ranking would be separate from payouts so it would be a non-financial reward.
In general I like the theme or trend of your post @kyriacos as I believe adjustments need to be made here if Steemit is going to prosper for the long term. I've been rolling ideas around in my head, however as a newbie I also need to get a better overall understanding of the operation here. I'm planning to write an article regarding the economics and how Steemit could be impacted.
I agree with your analysis that Steemit is currently riding a wave of enthusiasm for cryptos in general and the idea of getting compensation for posts is very attractive. But the question is if it is going to make economic sense in the longterm? The answer is going to depend on whether the content is of quality to a larger audience than just Steemers or if Steemers are going to pay to participate in which case it could become a zero sum enterprise.
I believe that economics will most always need to return to basic fundamentals. One cannot eat electronic ideas or art, nor cannot one sleep under an electronic roof or wear electronic clothes, unless you're Tron of course.
So far cryptos amount to a decentralized stock exchange and payment systems but do not meet the requirements for currencies. Recently, in thinking about what really makes a currency, one thought comes is what if people were paid to get an education as part of a more expanded currency generation system. Obviously education is something that is very important to a functional society. Is it possible that Steemit could move/expand in that direction to be more essential? LBRY is has a setup that could easily do that also.
Anyway this is a rather big subject but I'm tossing out a couple ideas. I'll be writing something more detailed so will give a shout out when I do to get a bigger conversation going.
You guys have a better understanding them I do but I will agree on limited time on the trending post. It's annoying to click over there and see the same post for what seems like days. I don't have any comment on whether or not to do away with it. I just like checking out my followers and the moving through the new, hot and trends to see whats else is going on.
yeap
Doesn't look all that controversial.
Agreed.
Let's hope not.
Great points. I agree with just about all of it, even the controversial ones. The hard cap on post earnings is not going to be a popular one but it might be needed at least until the steem can be better distributed. If the steem were more distributed it would solve a lot of the problems on here...
Yeap, I am expecting it won't be well received but maybe if some people realize that we might be killing the platform, they might see it from a more positive perspective.
The cap in a no-no. It's like putting restrictions on a market economy.
I depend on my humour to get some up votes on my comments and i don’t blog because i am not a blogger. But i don’t like to depend on anyone to vote for me. That’s why i am powering up with the new changes to steemit. I can guaranty to pay myself at least a dollar for thinking I'm a funny person lol soo yeahhh that works for me. Makes me happy and that is all that matters and at the same time i pay myself for my time.
That's an honorable approach I guess
hahaha ...it’s working so yeah :)
This guy just gave me a sound idea, maybe i should follow it since it's fucking working
Yeah use it ..before they change it lol Steemit hardforks few times a year :)
Honor before honorary!
:)
Haha! I love this approach! You encouraging YOU! Sorry, my upvote only gave you 0.2 even though giving me a chuckle should be worth more than that!
:) Thanks every lil penny help hehehe
I’m happy for every person that is happy but unfortunately you should expect some flagging from @smackdown.kitty soon.
I'll flag him/her back and mute that way :) it won't exist in my world. Thanks for the heads up.
I comment much more than I post. I’m not sure why self-voting on posts get (mostly) a pass, but SVing comments is where the line is drawn. If that were made law, guess what my blogs posts would start to resemble?
My new mission statement for life.
Nothing wrong with going full Bukowski
Or Lebowski.
i see what you did there
Rather than hard capping payout, a scaling return would be best. A hard cap seems a bit too socialistic and demotivates people creating really amazing content. A scaling payout would still leave ample motivation for good content without the extremes that we currently see in the very early stages of this platform to ensure stability.
this is actually a very good recommendation. I also agree. maybe an algorithmic diminishing in rewards as it moves upwards.
The reality is that it's probably going to take a certain amount of trial and error to get Steemit right. Your suggestion of a payout cap is pretty good and could definitely be worth trying, either that or only allow authors the ability to make one post per day for which they can earn rewards. That would put the emphasis on quality over quantity at least.
Yeap, that can work as well
I really like this "one post" limit idea. Some people would have a fit if every brain fart of theirs didn't make hundreds, but it would definitely serve as a "cull" of sorts, to weed out some of the more egregious banal, low-quality stuff. Need to conserve each bullet rather than shooting off posts Rambo-style...
Great post by the way really nailed it. I’m sure lots of people would like to quit their jobs and do this full time but the reality is that it makes it hard to do soo.
It is indeed very hard in the beginning but if you have patience, it builds up.
words from the wise, tried and true~*~
I read this earlier on my phone when I wasn't logged in. I agree with all your points you made. This was definitely the best post on Steemit today. What I am most amazed by though, is how you've altered your persona on Steemit to attract more energy, upvotes and money. I really didn't see that coming. This is good to see that you can adjust yourself when things are not working and you're not scared to admit it either. This is impressive. Not many adults can change their behavior and admit to it so easily. Your onion skin got a few more layers added.
I don't see how I altered my persona. I still debate on hot issues, half the whales despise me, I am still criticizing people TDV and pseudo-anarchists and if you have been reading the comment section (e.g. check the post about vegetarianism) I keep the same attitude.
The only thing I changed is saying thank you to comments and a smile here and now as a response.
Can you point specifically where you saw this kind of change in my behavior? (I mean just a few weeks ago i linked you to a response of mine TDV).
Jesus my reply got deleted by itself again wtf -.-''
Just wanted to say this was a really good read and i agree with everything especially with the "Here is a Steemit post about how I made money on steemit that will make me even more money" or "I have X followers and I joined Steemit last year, pay me" because even me as a beginner notice this thing and i really get annoyed by posts like this.. Cheers and thanks for this amazing article!
Hope my comment stays now -.-
Thank you for commenting man.
Word up !
oh dear. what you have reminded me.
🙀
So, since you did not vote for my comment I take the chance and use my own 30% power. Is this right or wrong to vote for yourself as I asked @abit a while ago and he said no, nothing wrong.
It's the shameless egodriven, selfish, moneygrabbing abuse what bothers me.
I guess there is nothing wrong since the dynamics of the platform allow it.
Nice post @kyriacos, it's funny, I never noticed your critical posts or thought you were an asshole. That's probably because I was being too critical as well, and was lumped in that same asshole boat!
You're right though, people don't take criticism well, praise is always preferred, which is part of the reason I tried to add my constructively criticising voice into the mix. However that just ended up with a few whales that used to vote for me ignoring me.
Ultimately, we do need criticism in our lives, otherwise we just end up surrounded by yes men. I like you am trying to just eek out a niche for myself, and will keep on trying to be constructive, without being too critical.
Anyways, good to see you up there, with lots of votes, SBD, and for me most importantly, views :-)
Steem on my friend, Steem on.
Cg
Yeap, criticism might not take one far due to vested interests. Everybody wants the truth but then that somebody turns to be an asshole. Most human relationships are based on superficiality I guess. People avoid friction altogether.
Thank you for you support. The "critical road" might take longer to bloom but it is more self satisfying. There is nothing more valuable than owning yourself
Wise words indeed :-)
Cg
I read thru all the comments and I see almost zero mention of investing in SP. How do people think the token gets its value?
Shouldn’t discouraged earners buy some SP, either for self voting, or the attention it attracts, to help themselves earn more?
Isn’t that an important incentive that keeps steem from being bled worthless?
Enjoyed your post. More like this, please!
Yeap, I think it should be self explanatory that mostly younger members should mostly power up their earnings. most of them do actually
People dont like this fact about the real world... But its something almost everyone ends up contributing in. I like your ideas. In essence, its about finding smart ways to trick this collective tendency without trying to force an unnatural behaviour. Work with the flow, not against it ;)
exactly, you are the first that is "getting it".
And maybe ME too
I believe the the "money" will intrigue people to come to STEEM, but they will stay and contribute to the community because of the "realness" and positive direction this site has. Much love and success to STEEMIT, this is going to be a online platform game changer.
Every other site or app is just full of fake bullcrap, cant believe anything you read or hear. But on here, people strive to be real and get rewarded for it!
Upvoted, resteemed and of course following you!
I personally came to Steemit for 2 primary reasons.
But what I want more than anything else from Steemit is a community. A community that supports each other without the need to tear each other down for the fact that we're all as unique as our opinions and beliefs. So even if I spend years on here, make no money, make lots of crappy posts and say things that not everyone agrees with my real hope is to make real connections.
And also - great post. Helped me understand a lot more about this community.
Agreed, I was honestly looking for no censorship and money, I found both!
Hopefully I don't make a bad impression and get down voted heh. But so far, other than all the talk about peoples posts disappearing etc I've found this place to be fantastic. Its supportive, friendly, funny, crazy, outlandish, outspoken and everything inbetween. I dont know that I could ask for more. And its awesome to know there are like minded people here.
Yeah it is awesome, haven't seen any of my posts get deleted yet but this place is great!
well said!
It is already a game changer. We just need to fine tune it.
Indeed there is a special twist here. One can smell the originality. Not many platforms provide this.
thank you
agreed! I am addicted to this community haha, came here for the crypto world, but so many topics and I love it. Big stuff going on in here!
I think people on steemit are more likely to be positive for hopes of getting upvotes. Whereas on Facebook there's no monetary award for a "like", so more likely to be negative or say how they feel. But that's just my observation.
I think you are right, but think about this, they train dogs that way to ensure they are good dogs and nice haha, so if that works this will be a great community of nice people!
I can remember some early discussions with you and thinking, "Yeah, they can kind of be an asshole sometimes." Since I think you value outside perspectives, I'd argue that you changed over time to fit what is rewarded (both socially and financially). You and I still disagree on things, but (again, from my subjective perspective), the conversations are more enjoyable now. I feel you are contrary in order to find better understanding, not just to be contrary (and possibly rude in the process). To me, this is one of the greatest values of Steemit. It rewards good behavior and good relational connections.
I agree with this statement, but I also want to bring a counter point. Some "Steemit is great, you need to check it out!" posts are really, really important. IMO, every single account should at least have a few of them. Why? Because humans like narratives and narratives from people they know are more effective than narratives from people they don't know. By writing posts about why I value steemit, I've saved myself countless hours. When my friends ask me about it (which happens often since I share Steemit posts on Twitter and Facebook), I just send them a link and move on. As I use the platform (or, more likely, use a different platform like Facebook), I get new revelations of why I think this place is valuable. Sharing those posts is important. Repeatedly sharing that message is also important. It takes, what, 13 impressions for a marketing message to turn into a sale? I have people that have been watching my posting on Steemit for a year now and they are finally creating accounts and/or posting. It requires repetition.
We're so early on, that this repetition hasn't even started yet. Most people don't even know what bitcoins or blockchains are, let alone Steemit.
That said, if they come here and all the posts are just about bitcoins, blockchains, and steemit, they may not care to remain. Their community interests need to be represented well for them to stick around.
I've seen talk of this and I'm curious where the "dangerous" comes from. It will reach equilibrium and payouts will adjust accordingly, correct? Is there a point where things will just stop function or something? I don't understand the cause for alarm.
Delegating steem power is an interesting solution along with minimum reward caps. That all exists in the blockchain now, it's just not in the Steemit UI. I agree it should be added. It would be nice for community standards to develop over time such as "Yeah, no one should make more than $10 just sharing a link" but even then, as you said, it's all about patterns we see within human society. It's quite possible no matter how we reorganize things, we'll still have the ~1%, ~15%, and ~85%.
I write posts that express my views. I never really got for the reward-driven-posts. aka. i haven't even made a self shilling Steemit post yet even though i am sure i can cash it pretty well.
Also, half the whales still don't touch my profile nor they ever will due to my confrontation. I still tackle them if I have the chance (like the guy you were arguing against). They just don't seem to get in my way any more and I don't get in theirs. Much of the ill behavior has been resolved and there is no need from me to be critical.
Users might enjoy "that many narratives". After that it becomes rather obvious and rather frustrating for many new Steemians. It might have worked early on but is an old game now. You forget that in social media anything can be rendered old news quite fast.
that might be a wrong correlation. The 100+ billion market cap is more likely to be the reason. (that also helped save Steem price btw).
Self upvoting creates a shit-tier perception that will not incentivize people to join the platform for the content. It will become a gambling scheme.
I think we have the power to at least try and change this. There is a way because the wealth can be transferable but also retained from the whales. No other economic systems provides such a unique and flexible delegation.
But hasn't this has been the same story for 12 months? It was hard for me to get started also. Is it harder now? Maybe. But when I started, I had a couple friends who invested real money in the platform so my stuff got some rewards. If people don't have that, it's hard to get noticed. Can that really change?
The rise in crypto market cap was certainly the final triggering reason, but they only hear about that rise through my posts talking about Steemit and cryptocurrency. Again, most people don't even know what bitcoins and blockchains are.
It may, but there are multiple perspectives on this. Some feel justified based on their real investment (similar to investing in a mining rig). I think the conversation around that and some community projects are showing them that may not be an acceptable approach according to community values. It's a dynamic thing which is figuring itself out.
Agreed and it'll be quite interesting to see where it goes. The option to just buy steem and power up is always on the table. Some are willing to do that, and some aren't. I run a weekly exchange report on this, so I see how big the numbers are each week.
I believe distributing pools on tags can make people get noticed. I am not even a dolphin and I helped a few friends get some exposure with my meager up-voting. I believe it can happen.
True. I noticed in my facebook page though that people are also getting bored of facebook. Eventually they will seek a way out.
It is a dynamic equation but the numbers simply show that most people are not interested about crypto but rather just earning money for posting. Investors really have to understand this.
Tweaking any ecosystem is complicated therefore should be tested in a testnet or a simulation first. That steemit reflects the real world outside is not a bad thing per se in that on steemit we can learn how to deal with it and receive rewards.
Solid post and plenty of good points. Upvoted.
Good recommendations but at the end of the day all it matter is careful manual curation with thoughtful comments. We need to build a self-sustaining infrastructure first.
It is my second month here. And Now I can say I have learnt a lot in these two months. The most important quality I have developed is the patience. We have to improve our quality and have patience to get succeed here. For an artist these qualities are must.
Patience is key to success.
very true.
Not kissing ass, but you articulated what I've noticed after HF 19. We should be able to let someone know that they're being disingenuous with feeling bad or doing so just to keep the positive vibe. Turning a blind eye will just later on the road become a much bigger issue.
indeed
A great post, and no, I'm not just trying to kiss ass here. I've witnessed these same things and share the very same concerns. Do you know of any good posts about the reward pool situation? Will we see it emptied 100% if things don't change? I've been casually following the Steemit scene as I've been enjoying the summer and developing folderall for Steem for the past month or so, meaning I'm really out of the loop. @igster
Nobody knows really. Depends how the market will react to the HF19
Personally I've liked the increase in voting power, but I've heard the issue about people just voting themselves? How big this issue really is compared to before? Haven't whales always voted their own posts to bring visibility to them?
It is different to vote for your own post and different to vote your own comments. I am not sure how big it is but the reward pool has almost dropped half.
there reward pool dropping is due to many factors, self votes is likely a minuscule % thereof
yeap. haven't really investigated the issue but I believe it correlates with other factors such as engagement.
Thid is economics. The early investors benefit and in a way that's how it should be. It sucks but if there were no risk takers we would have no new innovations.
yeap!
@kyiacos - thanks for putting this together so nicely. Been having many discussions around solutions for this particular problem over the last few days.
My stand is incentives modify behavior. To change people's behavior, we need to change the incentives - obviously HF19 isn't working as well as anticipated.
Thanks for putting out some good suggestions for solutions - although I'm sure you will receive flack on some of them.
Let's hope it reaches some ears.
Well, there's already lots of discussion around this. Just hope the right corrective actions are taken to support and incentivize the best culture on steem.
let's hope soon.
Well, this attention economy model seems somewhat screwed. Or what did they mean by that, these Dan and the other guy (don't remember his name). Because in a more democratic and straightforward model (not an egalitarian one like here), like in an ad revenue model, you get your portion of whatever you wanna get as a result of visitors reading or watching your page content (and maybe seeing ads that get in the way) whoever they are.
But, on the other hand, potential investors should be incentivised to buy tokens (which makes sense) that would give them more power. Yes, this game is about Power!
So, the wealthy get even wealthier... There is something of a rentier paradigm as you rightfully observe
but that can be gamed too by using bots or even sheeple followers.
I just wonder if an average lady minnow who is not very well versed at cryptocurrency could break through into something more than a hobby blog. I mean, Im kinda funny...
you can. it takes time though.
Kyriacos ... first time i read u today . Although i m a new comer yr article is so good .... lots of thinks i got to know .. thanks for posting nicely ... i follow u for further good posts ... i will start my blog writting very soon ..... ..i wish u would follow me too
thank you
Great post. very informative and thanks for sharing and also a word of appreciation for your style of writing. Resteemed :)
thank you
Interesting analysis. Your description of the current social power structure is pretty accurate. That's why I intend to make my experience on Steemit as free of it as possible. I want this to be a place where I can be genuine, since there are so few places left in the "outside" world where it's possible to just be yourself.
well said.
Good post. I have been here for 2 weeks, and have been talking about the Pareto distribution of power and wealth this whole time. It is right there when you join - in your face. Suddenly, SteemIt stops being a platform for the people and becomes more like a tired version of the same tired world we live in.
I don't doubt it will take off anyway, though. As long as there is money involved, there will be those keeping the game alive and newcomers trying their luck. It is too bad it is just... nothing special?
I do hope these conversations are being noted and given some thought. The platform is young, there is still chance for change.
I think it is important to attract people that also care about posting quality content. Otherwise we are just attracting gamblers who just seek to make a quick buck.
Yeah, but quality content must be paid for. It is not charity. You can't have quality content producers doing it for free. It is good when you use SteemIt for an extra buck on the side - which is what most of the people seem to do posting link to, say, their original content on YouTube, but I wouldn't ever consider publishing my own articles exclusively here. I get paid 150$ for them in magazines, but the chances of getting anything like that here any time soon seem quite low.
My point is, there has to be a good reward for quality content. SteemIt is not a good platform for that where if you don't have a following, you post will be down on the list forgotten in under two minutes.
Is it quality though? Thats the question you have to ask yourself.
Until there is more exposure, most quality content will remain in the shadows and the people who got in early will keep trending.
What do you mean, is it quality? Everything has quality, it is a question of degree. =)
But yes, quality or not, whales, as they call them here, will keep trending, and newcomers will stay in the shadows. Some will give up, some will hopefully persevere. I am planning to give it a couple of months before I consider writing more than short opinion pieces and summaries of academic articles. I mean, I personally want a bit more discussion going after putting hours into reading and summarizing an interesting academic paper. Seeing 5-10 views breaks my heart. Literally. =(
Yeap, I meant it in respect to the degree of quality which might be illusive.
I had the same feeling in the beginning. I would advice you not to waste your time. I spend countless hours in making detailed posts and I was getting pennies. Focus on commenting first, build a follow up and then write quality posts.
Nice post Upvoted thanks for shariing @kyiacos and visit my wall plz if u can when you free thanks alit
That's is a perfect example of nutshelling all the information. You have perfectly depicted steemit in this post.
Let's hope it is well received.
You illustrated exactly what I wasn't able to put in words. Thank you!
glad I did man.
I am new to steem but I can appreciate your points. I believe that if quality articles can be viewed, shared and appreciated by others, then that has to be a positive - a question is, what prevents that? The governance of steem? Human behaviour? I am still learning.
I think that steem is evolving and that your points and the points of others are important to consider, it is a good discussion.
The human dynamic is rather a peculiar thing.
I've wondered about how to "break in" and see many posts that make me wonder if it's really possible. But I hold on to it's still early, and using your analogy about it being like the outside world, since it's still early, opportunity may still be around for those who work at it. Hoping so anyway.
it is hard to gain visibility but not impossible
whew!
TL:DR
suggestion: rather than make one LONG post.
cut it into chunks..
each chunk discussing just ONE subject.
more chance it will be read.
you make MORE posts
you make MORE steem
I can't see a downside.
I already made one post today and I don't enjoy much making Steemit posts since they always seem to be repetitive. I try not to milk the pool either.
good.
more for me.
With you on all this. What would we have to do to build a system where the highest quality, not the most liked, posts would be "winners"?
It's getting harder to persuade my crew to post on Steemit; when good stuff doesn't get rewarded on one platform it'll just go find a new home.
Even if FB doesn't pay me, it sure is nice to have a few hundred friends notice the effort. Damn, the social lure is POWERFUL.
Steem the fuck on!
Yeap, I think many people see the problem but few dare to speak out. We can work together on this. it just takes a little determination.
I agree. I'd like to see the gal who posts the vacation vlogs each day (and rakes in $1500 each time) do an experiment. She should cash in now and go away for a year and eat like a hog....and then post the story about it. You wanna bet she doesn't make $50 on the vlog about that purrtickler experience? I'd upvote it tho. :-)
That's exactly what I thought after 2 days here. People will be people, and when money and power is involved they screw it up. They always do. ALWAYS. read a history book. So if no rules are implemented to stop people from killing this, they will .... and it'll be a shame! Because in principle this is a very good system, but so was communism .... in principal!
rules don't make much sense if they favor some people. The system needs to self-regulate otherwise it will implode.
But a society is based on rules, that's the very definition of a society ... without rules there's anarchy, chaos ... it will eventually self regulate ... and the result will be an upper 1% that rules with depressing force over the other 99% scraping by. That's the problem with humanity ... rules or self-regulation it always ends in this same situation followed by revolution. And the cycle starts again. Something like steemit is just the same, but on a much faster, digital age scale. (I'm just rambling :) ... don't mind me)
Rules can be made in a way that help everyone.
Interesting.
I like that, social capital, times they are a changing.