For the last several weeks, I have watched many of those I view as leaders here grow more discontent with what they perceive as the state of the site. Individuals who daily try to give a hand up to others. They have many reasons to feel this way. From bought placements in search from bot usage, large self votes that they feel dilutes the daily reward pool. Not enough love coming their way from those higher than them in the pecking order.
I see talk of leaving, talk of jumping to Dan's latest attempt to create a perfect platform that will structure things more fairly. As if somehow anyone could ever create such a platform. As soon as people show up, it will always be tainted by those people, the good with the bad. The grass will never be greener, and to think that rich people will not buy their way to influence there too is not based on reality.
Life is not fair, there will always be those who have and those who don't. I don't care where you go, this dynamic will always repeat itself. Everyone seems to be looking for someone else to come in and save the day. Well, it isn't happening. The whales aren't going to save you, the witnesses aren't going to, Dan left for another stab at this, so he isn't going to. And Ned isn't going to. That doesn't mean they don't want to (although some of them surely don't based on their actions).
THEY CAN'T.
They are not Steemit. They are all just a piece of it, as I am and you are. We are Steemit. All of us contributing our little part in this dynamic. The problem, the way I see it, is many of you are not seeing the role you play here. The opportunity to be that which you are seeking from others. In my time here, I have surely seen the con artists, those who use their resources to give mostly to themselves, who spam selfishly. And in the midst of all of them, there is YOU.
I have witnessed so many of you acting selflessly, bringing a small moment of connection and sometimes monetary benefit to others who really need it. Performing small acts of alchemy as you transform a small slice of other journeys for the better. Acts that you think are so small that you are not seeing how powerful they are. You must think they are small that you could abandon them so easily in search of that utopia.
I wish many of you who despair could take a breath and realize you are the answer. Each one of you who are foundations for the many communities that exist here. It doesn't matter how small your vote is for you to work this magic you do. You enrich and strengthen the communities that you help create. Communities that will miss your heart and giving if you allow despair and cynicism to block your view of the gifts all around you. You do matter. You do make a difference.
I have watched so many of you lift up your brothers and sisters here it has amazed me, and I am not easily impressed.
Alchemy is a strange thing. It is created in what seem to be very ordinary moments. Moments that seem so small to one in their point of view, yet monumental in the eyes of those it touches. So easy to overlook as we look ahead to tomorrow in our desires for more. Lost while looking around at those who seem to create windfalls from selfish actions.
I have read posts from others in poverty smiling because they can now eat in a restaurant, can buy a new pair of shoes because of the actions you made. People who are being crushed by a government out of control who are helped not only with advice, but with real help in money from the @familyprotection community. Writing communities such as the one @majes.tytyty and @mariannewest run. Their communities help people learn to write better and rewards those participating with a monetary one as well. Initiatives such as the one taken by @thedarkhorse to help newer members of the community find their place here through the pay it forward project. The community support of those who have health issues, and on and on this list could go. Click any of those 4 accounts I linked and you will find alchemy from so many accounts that help make them the blessings they are.
And with all of these kind acts being performed, this loving alchemy being created, everyone in that community gets paid for their kindness. Paid. Please, think about this. How much payment do we need to get before this awesome miracle can be appreciated for what it is?
Since Steemit seems to love challenges.
I challenge those of you in despair, stick it out. I challenge you to be patient as those like myself who appreciate you grow. I challenge you not to give up and move on in search of greener pastures. Make no mistake, we will grow. I challenge each of you to realize these are your hands in the picture below, our communities in your hands waiting for more of your alchemy to grace us.
One of the problems here on Steemit is that people want it now and there expectation are not realistic . So when things don't happen they get discouraged . Some just have over inflated egos .
I have seen in my short time here that so many just need a helping hand . A little encouragement to get them started . I have no idea where I would be if people in my past didn't provide me with the same .
We used to have a saying , " the best unit is the one you just left and the worst unit is the one you're at " The point is that when you get to the next unit the place you just left goes from the worst to the best .
I am here for the long term and will try and bear the blunt so others can have an easier time and move up . If I can just touch 5 people who touch 5 people the numbers in time will swell . A ripple that will turn into waves . Others here are doing the same pulling our resources together as a team .
For those who want to go or give up , I say , good luck and best wishes to you , bye .
This was me when I first got here. I had a lot of expectations built based on YouTube videos that were purposely making it seem as though one could easily make thousands quickly with quality posts. I have earned much of my income the last few years from self publishing, and after checking the site out and seeing those high paying posts on trending and hot, I thought I was going to be rolling in dough.
Of course, why wouldn't I have thought this true. Many of the videos were made by one of the higher witnesses and the money being made was there for me to see clearly. And he seemed so innocent, despite his unnatural energy levels. Maybe it was the hat, lol. Then, you get here and not really sure what to do. You wade through the trending, pass, pass, pass, pass, geeze when am I going to find something interesting?
You make your first posts, learning intimately what the crickets sound like. But if you are hardheaded you slowly find good posts as you explore more. Finding even more good posts as you read comments on those posts that capture your heart.
Then one day you realize you don't have enough votes to reward everyone as you are witnessing so many kind acts taking place.
And this is why this is unlike anything i have ever seen. Thank you for paving the way for those of us coming behind you.
I was lucky my 1st day here @saywha pulled me into a chat where I meet @tarazkp and @erodedthoughts . they gave me some advice . One was stay out of trending . and a couple little things . I listen and learned , I used some of the principles and applied them to mine . Kept on listing . To this day still listening . later I met @thedarkhorse through @tarazkp . and now here we are . That one small act by @saywha put me on a path .
One small ripple . Acted upon by others adding another ripple . None of this happened over night and work is involved . My goal is to do the same . The odds are in my favor if I and we keep going . I am just an extension of others actions . I fully understand this and accept it . I have a military background and developing young men into a successful team is like no other feeling of success . I get the same feeling here.
LOL crickets on your first post , hell I got a bill lol
Voting is an issue one I struggle on a daily basis with . but then one will never have enough votes so you just do the best you can . My big issue is commenting I have been working on it
lol, thats funny.
Yeah, its hard. I broke down and rented enough delegation to get the slider and just went under 80% even with it and still have several more comments to reply to. It's a good problem to have. I will look into those you named. I was already aware of tarazkp, having been lucky enough to encounter his posts fairly early in my time here. He helped me shape my understanding of the site with his posts, although he has no idea how much. I also found others that were commenting on his posts, like Asher that led me to yet more people.
My issue is posting, after the crickets. The only way I was able to connect was through commenting, so I built up the habit of curating more than posting. It got lonely posting with the only comments having nothing to do with the post and trying to get me to follow for follow or pay for resteems, hahahaha.
That's very good advice.... from @tarazkp - stay out of trending! Just focus on 'reality'!
that advice keep my feet on the ground . plus a couple more that were not so direct :)
I'm optimistic. It seems to me like things are getting better especially with the new bounty system and dust sweeper.
Looks like you figured out a way not to need the dust sweeper.
Wish I had more time to comment, but need to get to sleep. Just want to say that those with the loaded voices aren't always the ones that you should be listening to. They don't always speak the minds of the masses and most are VERY disconnected from what the masses feel.
True. What had concerned me has been seeing some who I value highly feeling discouraged. I wish they could know the importance their gestures have had on not only myself, but on others. Thanks for weighing in before bed, and thank you for being one of the foundations here for a strong community. I appreciate your vision and that you have the heart to be a leader.
OK now I have a post topic...swear they are everywhere. But to keep it simple the longer you are in a place the more issues you tend to be able to spot. I can tell you every creak, crack, and bit of differed maintenance in my home. But others walk in and love it because it's a old home which has so much character vs the new cookie cutter homes.
It's really no different here on steemit. I see the issues, but I also choose to focus on the good that is happening here. You look at the amazing response to help @briancourteau raise money for his meds and you know that there is something happening here that is big and powerful. The world needs to focus more on the positive things and way less on the negative. There are always going to be both in the world, what we see is all about where you shine the spotlight.
That humbled me. It really puts it all into perspective. People worrying about getting x amount in upvotes while people are worried about medications and pain and how much more they can take. It helped melt some of the cynicism that has built in my heart during my life seeing how the community rallies around those in need.
Well said! I too wish those who complain could be the change they wish to see instead of merely being the voice of discontent!
I also curate for @asapers, a small group here who focuses on paying it forward and showcasing quality unnoticed posts...like yours. We have a newsletter where we highlight said posts and I'd like to submit yours, but you need to be a member/follower first. I think you'd like the group of people we have there; thedarkhorse is one of them...I dragged him there myself haha
Here is the invite link if you are interested, and of course if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thanks again for an awesome post!
That is so nice of you to offer. I have had many invites to Discord, but so far have shied away from it. It appears when I went there that I had to download some type of app, and I run from apps as fast as I can due to their penchant for spying and being hackable. Secondarily, it seems weird to need a second social platform to manage the first social platform, lol. And yes, I am aware my age is showing in this reply, hahahaha.
I have realized my not using the Discord or the Steemconnect etc has handicapped me somewhat in my growth here, and hope no one takes offense (I know you won't) that I am not using those things. It took me months of arguing with myself just to get into crypto and employ all these James Bond password procedures.
Ha ha! Exactly, meanwhile, sun shining outside. ..
haha I had to chuckle...
Those were my exact thoughts after just a few days on the platform.
Why is everyone trying to get me to go to another platform to discuss what is supposed to become the de facto social media platform?!?!?
I've clicked a few discord links, but never spent much time there.
I visited steemit.chat once to help a friend who was waiting weeks to get on Steemit.
It was actually no help. He filled out the form someone there suggested, but still never got the invite email. So he just signed up again and 2 weeks later, voila, he got online...
No worries whatsoever! It took me a long time to get involved in Discord and truthfully, I don't chat there much at all. I find it's a great place to share links or go to if you have a problem with something etc. I guess I do chat there a bit, but it's always purposeful, if you know what I mean.
Steemit takes up plenty of time, Discord can swallow the rest if you allow it haha
These are some insightful reflections. I am a recent arrival, and my sense of things is that things are at a crucial stage where a lot of people are questioning how this thing is working out.
I agree for sure, it's not so much a matter of our speculation, and more of our willingness to make this what it could be.
Much Love
Welcome to Steemit. I have been here since February and am still feeling my way around the place so don't get discouraged. There are so many treasures here, they just aren't usually the loudest or easiest to spot. I began finding the communities that attract me by posts I would come across and investigating not only the writer, but those commenting. Pouring through their previous posts and reading who was commenting there as well.
Exactly :) Thanks for weighing in.
It might be hard to not get recognized or get more rewards, but indeed stick with it to get something. At least you can be grateful to not being flagged for months after you've built up support from the platform :P That caused me to leave for a while ;)
Sorry to hear that happened to you. Glad you came back. You are one of the unnamed that could have made it into this post. You do so much good here. You could easily just post the great content you do and be satisfied with that but you empower others to spread the love around here. I never thanked you proper for giving some voter love to the post I requested before you left for vacation. I was also pleased to see she made it onto your list of pay it forward delegations along with so many other worthy people.
It says a lot about you. Most others are busy squeezing every last drop of profit from their stake and you seem intent on squeezing kindness for others out of yours. Thank you for being a leader.
Thanks ;) You're welcome :)
" Most others are busy squeezing every last drop of profit from their stake"
Yes, I've come to the conclusion if it's about making money, itd be a lot more efficient to trade crypto! Luckily for me i have a day job...
That naked profiteering aspect very strange, i guess it's interesting, kinda like how watching wasps doing their thing can be interesting. .. I'm more a honeybee kinda guy, honestly. ..
'We' have to carry on regardless...
Stick with it, keep posting your own truths. 'We' as individuals are unable to change anything.
Post by post, we may...
Steemit will either grow into the thing we want, or it won't.
But by not being in the game, it guarantees that you won't be on the winners podium...
Exactly. If not us, then who? Then when? Time slips by with moments squandered when the moment can always be right here, right now. Each action can be that moment at the winners podium.
Wow, what a great and important post, Steemit has a lot of good things going for it, and truly we should be the change we want to see. Those small acts of kindness will ripple out in the community. Keep up the good work!
Exactly. If not us, then who? I am glad you see this too. Thank you for helping to create ripples here.
Thanks for the heads up, is like 5am and the birds are singing need some sleep like thedarkhorse hehe.
You made some good points like talking about a perfect platform, problem and solution is the same we the people itself.
Keep it up, good post. Good to have you on my follow list :)
Exactly. I am glad you see it too. Sleep well.
Thank you so much for including me and the freewriters in your post!! Highly appreciated and I believe as well that we all can lift each other up!
Since I was a child, I have had a love affair with books. Reading of those who dared to be true, to do what was right. Ideas shared, so many that helped shape me. Characters that came to feel like trusted friends.
I feel what you do here is a blessing to so many. Reading/writing is such an important skill and you have found a way to reward people for practicing it. This is true alchemy. Thank you for being a leader.
Thank you. I am honored!!
I guess I've been missing all of the negative posts going around the last few days. You're not the first one to mention them. I've seen plenty of them in the past, though, so it's not like I'm not aware of what's going on. A couple of months ago, I was probably contributing to some degree.
I can't say I'm here to stay, but I am here to try. Try to make something out of this. Steemit and STEEM can be so much more. We just need to push it upwards with our collective might.
Thanks for reminding us of the good that is happening here. There is plenty of it, every day, and a lot that we don't see. I don't know that money will ultimately be the cure for all of this, but it certainly does help in instances of dire necessity. Otherwise, the caring and the sharing—time, talent, what have you—will lead the way.
I hope you find yourself staying. I just found you through others I just found not long before that. You run in good company and the energy feels right. We will never get rid of those who prefer quick results, no matter the cost. We don't have to. There is so much good happening here, and the longer we build it the larger it will become. I imagine how much more I can be a blessing to others one year from now than I am now as far as the monetary side of it. Two years from now. All of us. Building and sharing, the way communities used to.
How much better to read your awesome post on Grandpa Gotta Eat, than the crap pushed on us from elsewhere. Our exchange was a blessing for me, as I dream of that farm I mentioned. You were sharing with me in the comments about organic seeds, something I thought maybe was almost impossible to get. Both of us reminiscing about our childhood experiences on farms. And I literally just came across you in the last few days. And, we both are actually receiving compensation for an experience I would have for free any day of the week. Add this to the larger scenarios where people in crises are actually being helped, and I am in awe.
I can't say I'm here to stay is probably my way of saying never say never. I don't have anywhere to go that's going to be any better and that will allow me to do what I've been doing with at least some compensation.
And then when you add on relationship building with people from all over the world, those who help others in their time of need, those who go out of their way to educate newcomers on how to use the platform, those who try to keep the rest of us interested and enthusiastic, there is a lot of good going on here.
I was glad to run into you, too, someone else who's had that desire to get back to basics, basically, so thanks for the opportunity. It kind of just worked out that way, didn't it? I'm glad to impart some information, too. I like being useful. I think we all do.
Plus, the back and forth of sharing and expressing ideas is fun and enjoyable.
I do run with a pretty positive crowd. I'm glad I fell into them. For the most part, we started within a few weeks of each other, and many are older—40s-50s—which I think makes a difference, too. Not that you can't be positive when you're younger, but you've seen a little more over time and so you can use that experience to carry you through when times aren't so good.
I already kicked myself for not getting on Steemit sooner. I don't need to kick myself for quitting too soon. :)
Impressive post @practicalthought I really enjoy your open and truthfull words about our Role here on Steemit.
I truely agree with you that everybody here on Steemit should take their chance to be part of this great social and economical project. Steemit has so many "not optimal issues" which we as User can understand as chances to improve our communities. And yes we will find also support from the developerteam around @ned. When the implementation of hivemind (communities), Hardfork 20 and SMT are here we are going to find a totally different enviroment.
Dedicated community moderators will be able to ban spammers, bots and rude social engagement in their own communities. We just have to stay focused on the things we like to talk about and create good thoughtfull posts to spread as much knowledge as possible.
Freedom is on its way we just have to go along with it. Up&Fl.
I am still ignorant of how the communities and SMT will work on the structure here. One thing I am hopeful of is it will allow more interaction that everyone seems to go to Discord to do.
Exactly. Water rises to its own level and those who are true to their heart will find others who are the same if they are patient. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the direction of the platform. I will need to look into how it will impact everything.
AMEN!
You are a true steemianoid!
I can honestly say I have made a friend on this.
What a great read, thank you man.
Glad to have virtually met you.
... Your just always hittin the nail right on the head. :D
Thanks, that means a lot. So glad you have stuck with this place. You were one of the first connections I made here, and all the others seem to have stopped posting.
Oh, I always back up Dan Larimer's creations haha
Currently trying to get involved with being a block producer for EOS. "fingers crossed"
Everything in this world is trial and error. This platform is genius, even If I can't get any delegations, and I'm getting messed with constantly it seems like. I need to figure out how to get more organized and consistant.
If i have an internet connection, I'm definitly gonna make a round on here. :D
It's true. The experience here is best when you just stay away from the trending pages and ignore the bidbots and self upvoting whales. If you make quality stuff and find some friends here, your hard work WILL pay off. It just doesn't happen overnight. And after a little while you don't even really care that it's not monetarily paying off by the thousands of dollars because you're finding a community you care about and being creative and producing stuff you wouldn't produce without the motivation and the feedback. Steemit has been great for me so far, even just for personal growth. I've always written as a personal hobby, but sometimes months go by when I produce nothing and it gets really depressing. This is keeping me going, and that's invaluable to me.
A very thoughful post full, of gratitude.
For me when I joined Steemit, I found it very confusing, and still do to some extent. Mainly I suppose because I am not clever in the crypto-tech way.
However, I soon realised that Steemit was not just a place to post and comment and connect, but a playground for those with the skill and money to skew the rewards pool their way (disproportionately it seemed). This led me to feel a little hopeless.
However, since that time i have been slowly finding and interacting with people on Steemit who really are sincere in their efforts to help others and spread the love, so to speak. One such person I would like to mention is @danielsaori and the #steemitcommentchallenge, who seeks to help minnows get exposure and good comments for their posts, while at the same time encouraging others to actually read good posts and make relevant quality comments on them.
There are many others like that on Steemit, just takes time and patience. Thank you for putting things into perspective, and injecting some much needed encouragement and inspiration!
Hey, thanks for weighing in and mentioning someone else that is spreading the love.
Very interesting read for someone just starting out with steemit. I've already seen many of the amazing communities that you've mentioned (and others). The positive attitude of this community is what drew me in as it's very different than some of the other, more hostile and "dark" platforms. I hope it can maintain the Medium.com-like feel as opposed to the Minds.com environment that's a bit trashy.
Thanks for sharing and I will make every effort to contribute to this community as best as I can (although I'm still needing to learn how voting/etc really works). Great read.
Yeah, it can be really confusing when you first get here. I am still learning things as I stumble across new information here and there. To help you figure it out easier than I was able, I highly recommend you go read/follow this account right here. He has been doing a series of tutorials on how everything works that blows away any videos or how to posts I have seen.
@energyaddict22
Thanks for this. Came right when it was needed! I still have two more to click on too!
Best of luck on your quest this evening.
SO GREAT!
Thank you so much
Thank you for supporting those not using the bots. If enough begin using this tag it will become a popular search to replace Hot and Trending where we know the placement was not simply bought.