Finally, I've chosen my new Redfish Rockets, newcomers who receive a small SP delegation from me, so they have a chance to explore the platform and to become a part of this amazing community.
Source
Not So Easy
23 days ago, I published the 4th edition of my Redfish Rockets contest. The contest is all about finding newcomers with a low amount of SP who are limited by the Resource Credits-system and send them a delegation so they can grow their account without having to worry about running out of RC all the time.
Although the first three editions had been quite a success, this time I didn't get a single entry.
A week later, I published another post:
[DELEGATION GIVEAWAY] Are There Still Motivated Newcomers To Support?
In this post, I expressed my concern about the small number of newcomers who have the courage - or are stubborn enough - to stick around, even though they are limited in the amount of posts and comments they can make.
I had visited so many new accounts that had been abandoned by its user after writing only 1 or 2 posts, I really got worried about the future of this platform.
The Resource Credits-system
After Hard Fork 20 and the first introduction of the RC credits - system, I had expected a quick fix for it, since I don't see how you can attract - and keep - new users if they can only publish 1 post and a handful or comments a day.
Today, 4 months later, I have given up hope: the RC system is here to stay, and IMO, will eventually be the death of this platform.
I've come across new users who had no more 2.5SP in their account. How are they supposed to become a part of the community and grow their account, if they don't have any chance to interact?
Some of you will say that with the low price of Steem, all they should do is invest a little money to get started. And I agree it is easier to buy yourself in now Steem is only worth $0.3 than it was when it was worth $4, or $7.
And I've seen quite some newcomers who have actually taken this opportunity and spent $20 or $30 to kick-start their accounts.
A lot of them haven't, and I can completely understand this.
Having to pay in order to be able to check out a platform of which you don't know whether you'll like it or not, is a big risk.
To be able to buy Steem, you need at least a basic knowledge about cryptocurrency, since in most countries it is not possible to buy Steem directly with fiat money. That means you first need to figure out how to buy some BTC or ETH, or any other currency and then exchange it and send it to your wallet. For you and me, this may be piece of cake. But for someone who is new to the world of crypto, this is a huge hurdle to take.
Loads of people on here simply can't afford to spend money on Steem.
Ever since HF20, the platform has become an opportunity for those who have money, and are willing to take the gamble to invest it in Steem.
Opportunties
I have been lucky enough to be able to grow my account without the limitations of RC. We had bandwidth, but that allowed you to do a lot more before you ran out of it.
Also, I know my way around the world of crypto and I have the financial means to buy Steem every now and then and power it up.
I realize, I'm one of the fortunate few.
Joining Steemt and becoming a part of the community has literally changed my life. I could never have imagined how much I would learn here, how many awesome people I would meet, and how this place would become my second home - in spite of all its flaws.
Source
And that's the exact reason why I created the Redfish Rockets. I want to give others a chance to experience what it's like to become a part of this community - even though a lot has changed during the past year.
Redfish Rockets
But let's get back to the point, to the reason I started writing this post: the Redfish Rockets.
The original plan was to find 5 people who had less than 60SP and help them out by bringing their SP up to 100, so they wouldn't have to worry about RC again.
Like I said, my first post wasn't a big success. Still, I found 1 candidate by going through the applications for the delegation contest ran by @thedarkhorse.
That's how @nurseanne84 became the first Redfish Rocket of this round.
My second post brought in one application and a couple of nominations. Thanks to the nominations by @curatorcat, @macoolette and @trincowski I was able to find 3 more motivated newcomers. A spontaneous application brought the number up to 5.
This means the 'official' Redfish Rockets have been chosen.
They all received a delegation that brought their total SP up to 100, so they will have some more freedom to go around and explore the community. I will also upvote 1 of their posts each day.
It would be greatly appreciated if you paid them a visit to check out their blogs, upvote posts if you like them, but mainly just to say 'hi', welcome them to the community and make them feel at home.
It's too bad @mirrors ain't around anymore, because she would be able to tell you how much a warm welcome can mean to someone.
The Delegation
I want to congratulate all 5 of you, and I hope you will make the most out of the delegation.
Officially, the delegation will last for 6 weeks. But I have no problem with prolonging it when I notice you are working hard on growing your account. I'm still delegating to some of the Redfish Rockets of the previous round, because they still need the extra support.
I guess there is no need to mention I will be following up regularly. After all, to keep the delegation, you need to meet a few requirements:
You post regularly - at least 1 or 2 times a week should be doable.
You actively engage with other people in the community through voting, commenting and replying to comments.
You power up at least half of what you earn.
You don't power down.
Looking at your blogs, I don't think it will be that difficult to meet those requirements :0)
I won't retract the delegation without contacting you first, to find out what might be going on.
I’m the first to understand that life can get in the way sometimes.
In case you need to be absent for a while, or you can’t live up to the agreement, please notify me, so we can work out a deal. It would be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste, right?!
The best way to contact me would be via a DM on Discord. My username there is simplymike#5957. Simply drop me a note and explain the situation. I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out. :0)
(I'll explain about Discord further on in this post.)
More Than Just SP
I also want you to know that I'm willing to help out in other ways than just the delegation. If anyone of you have any questions, need help or advice - about anything - feel free to contact me and I will try to help you out as good as I can.
I'll be adding some information that can be useful to find your way around and make the most out of the delegation at the bottom of this post.
More
Although I have found my new Redfish Rockets, the story doesn't end there.
Somehow, it felt unfair to see that 6000SP sitting in my wallet, while there are so many motivated and valuable newcomers out there that are struggling to survive. If nothing is done to help them out, it will just be a matter of time before they will give up and go try their luck somewhere else.
So once again, I returned to the posts of the @heyhaveyamet initiative, and went through the posts with the #introducyourself tag to find people that had the potential of adding value to the blockchain, and of which it would be a shame to lose them because they got tired of the limitations.
I found quite a couple of them, and upped their SP to 50. This won't make them completely immune to running out of RC, but at least it will give them a chance to survive. I will keep an eye on their accounts, and will adapt the delegation according to how they are doing. If they are serious about growing their account, I will probably add some SP, if they're not, I will lower the amount accordingly.
After all, it is always a risk to decide whether to delegate or not to people who have just arrived.
Again, I would really appreciate it if you dropped by their blogs to show them some support.
| @translogicalguy | @josietrueblood | @neonihilist | @eliasgerald |
|---|---|---|---|
| @helen-derwent | @pepijin | @mr-science | @steemaddiction |
| @hotflash | @znkd | @pieceofeightcoin |
Time will tell if I made the right choices or not.
Finding Your Way
I know I promised you all to shine some light on the dark path that every SteemIt beginner is following.
But this post has already turned out a lot longer than expected, and I'm expecting my girlfriend to return after spending a week in France pretty soon.
So I will need to cut it short for today.
I will leave you with a couple of links that will redirect you to some resources that can help you to find your way around here.
I will write a couple of posts with tips myself, starting on Monday.
Here it goes:
Discord
Discord is a chat app that you can consider to be the 'behind-the-scenes' of SteemIt. Many communities have a server there, and it is the best place to meet new people and build your network. If you want to succeed here on SteemIt, you can't go without Discord.
A couple of weeks ago, I set up a Discord server especially for my Redfish Rockets. Once you've created your Discord account, click the following invitation link to join the channel: https://discord.gg/mk5NTem
Once you've accepted the invitation, you will land in the server. It will look something like this:
Click to enlarge
On the left, you see a sidebar with lots of different channels. Start by clicking the '#Read-this-first' channel. You'll find some tips on how to find your way inside the server, and some tips on interesting sites and initiatives that can help you out.
Click to enlarge
You will also find a section with info and tips on different topics, like how to use Discord, which channels to join, how to format your posts on SteemIt and more. The information inside is still limited, but I will be adding some more resources as soon as I can.
If you have a specific question, you can post it in the #redfish-questions channel, and I'll get back to you.
Steem-Savvy
Source
SteemSavvy is website that is set up to help new Steemians find their way around the Steem blockchain and to grow their accounts.
They provide users with easy to follow, short training videos that explain all the basics.
Some More Quick Tips
- Low on RC? Go Steemhunting. Creating a post through SteemHunt requires little RC. You can find new products, tools and services on sites like Producthunt, Launching Next, Beta Page, Beta List and PreApps.
- If you want to build your network, it is important to go out and comment on other people's posts. Try to avoid to only reply to the comments you get on your blog.
- Use your voting power wisely. Don't let it drop below 80%. There are ways to spread your votes, so you don't have to vote at 100% every time - even if you don't have the official slider yet.
- Read '4 Ways To Be Able To Use The Voting Slider, Even If You Have Only 1SP' for more info. (I'm not sure the last method still works, but the first three do. You can also scale your voting weight when using SteamPeak. You can adjust your voting weight by clicking your username in the top right corner and selecting 'Settings'.)
- Join as many contests and games as you can. Most pay out liquid SBD/Steem, or give away upvotes. Check the 'Contest' tag regularly.
Once you've gone through the video course and the information provided in the Discord channel, I'll be back with more tips.
All Imaes are sourced in the post. The ones that are not sourced are created with The Logo Creator Software
Congratulations to the new delagatees.
As a previous recipient of a @simplymike delegation, I found it to be of huge benefit in growing my account.
I would also recommend joining (or at least checking out) @paulag's Redfish Powerup League to track your progress weekly.
https://steemit.com/steem/@paulag/redfish-power-up-league-and-wall-of-fame-week-30-with-curie-sponsorship
Posted using Partiko Android
Thanks @sparkesy43
I have been down with the flu almost all week, so everything got delayed, but recommending @paulag's Redfish Powerup League is one of the first things on my list :0)
Good work as usual. Helping the minnows out is very kind of you.
Posted using Partiko Android
Thanks. I just think it would be a shame to see them all leave again...
I think more than anything it was the price of Cryptocurrencies crashing that made people leave. Steem prices crashed making it difficult for starters to have decent compensation. Combine this with RC and it's difficult.
I remember some of my blogs, I would spend hours on a blog and end up with 2 to 10 cents worth of Steem. That was when Steem was worth 2 or 3 dollars. It was also when RC wouldn't limit me from posting and commenting a lot if I wanted to change things quickly without investing.
Congratulation guys! Do everything you can to utilize the delegation. It really makes a difference.
Great choices @simplymike :)
Thanks for the support, @tryskele.
It means a lot to me.
WOW! I am blown away on your efforts. One of the reasons we started the @heyhaveyamet was to help the real introduceyourself tags to be easy to find. I am thrilled that it has enabled you find some of those gems.
Your post has encouraged me so much and i do appreciate the work you are doing. It takes a community ro build something amazing. I am so happy you are in my community.
Ren
hi @xcountytravelers
I also love what @simplymike is trying to achieve. And what a bad luck ... it seem that he just got sick :(
Not quite understanding the "it seems that he just got sick" part of the comment, but other than that, what she is trying to achieve is an amazing thing.
Roght after sending out the delegations, I got down with the flu. Not the perfect timing, since a lot of people had a lot of questions. Hopefully, I'll be able to find the energy to work again tommorow and deliver what I promised...
ah!!!! okay now I see!! I was missing some of the details. haha
Cheers @xcountytravelers :)
And how have you been doing lately @simplymike? Getting better I hope?
Yours
Piotr
Likewise.
Without the efforts you put in to the HHYM initiative, I would probably still be combing the #introduceyoursel tag :0(
oh, don't do that. Since I had the stroke, I am only able to do this a few days at a time and have to rest. However, if you look for the tag #hhym you should find where @brittandjosie has scouted them out for me! Hope it helps.
Thank you for using CryptoSicko!
Well done and thank you for joining and supporting my subscription based upvoting bot that provides you with daily upvotes in exchange for your spare STEEM POWER.
Delegation links for CryptoSicko
100SP 250SP500SP
These are the the initiatives and posts that inspire faith in this community. I just celebrated my 100th post after 100 days here, and that was absolutely made possible by other steemians such as yourself that thought 💭 “hey this person seems like a good addition to the ecosystem I think I’ll give them a little boost”.
I’ve still yet to venture into other crypto but I’ve learned a great deal here, and it’s good to see that you see the difficulties newbs here face and how simple it is to assist them with some information and enough SP to keep them engaged.
Cheers @simplymike and I appreciate your efforts and will go share my upvote s with your 🚀 of redfish
Posted using Partiko iOS
Thanks, @skramatters
Congrats on your 100 posts and days.
Who would have tought you would still be here to celebrate that milestone.
Glad you pushed through and stayed :0)
Dear dear friend you do such great work, pifc is lucky to have you and we at HHYM Will search for the newcomers, upvoted 100%
Love
Britt
This wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for your hard work. So, thanks for that.
It looks like a couple stopped posting, so I'll probably be searching your finds again soon :0)
Ren @xcountytravelers and i Will Welcome you with open arms. @heyhaveyamet has Some great ones for you.
I like that! Sometimes being stubborn has its advantage. 😊
I have realized that during the week when HF20 fiasco was on-going. As I have read one of the posts, Steem is business after all. You have to put something in if you want to start right away. Otherwise, work your way the real hard way!
I have to admit that unlike @celinavisaez whom I've known long for the pifc initiative, I do not know @vision20twenty much. I just found his intro post and noticed that he was responsive when his RC can. I hope he will continue the posting and engagement.
Again, thanks and more power to you!
SteemIt is a business indeed, but one that is run in a very bad way. Personally, I would never invest money in a platform I haven't tried out first. And they don't give people a chance try it out and stay long enugh to become a part of the community before they decide to invest or not.
If there is no new blood coming in, the busines won't survive...
And delegating to newcomers is always a risk. After all, you don't know whether they are 'website-hoppers' or really want to discover SteemIt. Also, every single one arrives here because they are told they can make money here. When they finally get in, they find out that the payout is terrible and on top of that they need to learn so many new things that it can be really overwhelming. They have every reason to leave again.
Fortunately, for the delegation, it's not a big deal when they leave. I simpy undelegate and I have the SP back in my wallet in 5 days. It's not that I risk losing money :0)
Bulls eye!
I bought an e-book just to know about existence of Steemit and that e-book talks about earning in two weeks more than enough for the author's monthly rent. However, the author did not mention how long she has to establish herself on the platform before being able to get high upvotes. There was not even mention about bid bots, etc. Anyway, there is indeed a downside to everything. We just need to find a way to turn it around.
Of course thing are different when Steem is worth $8 instead of $0.3, lol.
And if you delegate alot of SP to a profitable bid bot, or sell your votes when the value of Steem.is high, I assume making a truckload of money is (or was) possible indeed.
Fortunately,the platform.has something to offer that is a lot more valuable than monetary rewards: the comunity-spirit here is priceless :0)
Excellent initiative! I’m thinking to something similar myself
Posted using Partiko iOS
Great! We can never have enough people that are helping out newcomers. If you decide to do it, feel free to contact me, over the months, I've gathered some useful tips :0)
You can contact me by leaving a message on one of my posts, but to be 100% sure I get the message, you can bettersend me a DM on Discord. My username there is @simplymike#
@simplymike you have really done well for me and others, I was completely lost I never knew I had to manage my resources. You post has really cleared things out for me. Your really making a positive impact on steemit. Love you man🙂
if their is any way I could be of help to redfish please don't hesitate you let me know.
Thanks, @eliasgerald.
Sorry for the long radio silence, but I have been in bed with the flu almost all week...
Sorry about that @simplymike you will be well again by God's grace.
Posted using Partiko Android
I am very pleased you have done what you have for me! I’m Aiming to stay on the steemit platform and I’d like to start and become apart of an amazing community. With the help of a lot of active users I’m glad to say I’ll be able to continue so thank you kindly!
Posted using Partiko iOS
So happy someone was able to find you. Spotlighted you on the @heyhaveyamet helpie edition a couple of weeks ago and hoped you'd find some help!
You're more than welcome @vision20twenty
I'm glad to hear you are so motivated.
I bet you will be a valuable member of this unique community in no time.
Congratulations to the new users who benefited from @simplymike's delegations. He is a very kind and generous person, always willing to lend a hand, I certify it. I received a delegation from him that gave me a good impulse and I will always be very grateful. Health, friend and many successes in your great initiative.
Thanks for the support, @aurodivys. I'm glad to see you are still around and are doing well.
P.s.: I know my username was a bad choice, but just so you'd know: I'm a girl ;0)
Greetings, @simplymike! Since I don't speak English, I have to use the translator and sometimes this confuses me, hahaha. Thanks for the clarification, friend. Anyway I certify that you are very special, kind and generous. Always grateful for your support. A hug.
I was surprised to see a comment by you in English. But then I thought I was wrong again, lol.
It must indeed be confusing sometimes. I can't imagine having to use a translator all the time. But it is good that they are here, or we wouldn't be able to talk :0)
We appreciate All you do, upvoted offcourse!
@blockbrothers are the creators of Steemify a notification app for your Steemit account for iOS.
Get it Here:
Thanks for the support, @blockbrothers. I really appreciate it.
You are very welcome
Thank you so much for participating the Partiko Delegation Plan Round 1! We really appreciate your support! As part of the delegation benefits, we just gave you a 3.00% upvote! Together, let’s change the world!
I was so surprised when I saw your delegation - and at that moment I had no clue at all what I could do with it. I have only joined Steemit the day before yesterday. In the meantime I have read several posts on what STEEM, STEEM POWER and STEEM DOLLARS are good for and I still do not fully understand the concept. Hopefully I soon will.
But I am glad and thankful that there are people like you to help newbies like me. So: Thank you @simplymike for your support. I promise I will do my best to be one of those who will stick around for more than a few weeks.
I will hold you to that promise :0)
Wben you first start out, there is so much to learn about SteemIt that it may seem overwhelming sometimes.
Lol, during my first couple of weeks, I quit at least once a week because it was all so much to process. Every time I returned :0)
Just take it step-by-step and try to learn one new thing every day, and you'll get the hang of it soon.
I've been here for 15 months now, and I still haven't figured everything out yet. I'm still learning new things every day.
Congratulations to the Redfish Rockets and fellow Steemians who received SP delegation like myself. I feel a bit empowered now and not wait before I can reply to a comment or ask a question.
I hope it will help you a little in discovering this awesome community.
I can't imagine how terrible it must feelif you want toreply but have to wait until your RC are recharged...
If you still feel limited in your communication often, feel free to let me know.
I'm also looking for someone in need for delegation and I'm offering 50 SP for one month. Whoever is interested, can find more details on my post: Win 3 shares in SBI plus a delegation of 50 SP for the next month.
Hi, @simplymike!
You just got a 27.8% upvote from SteemPlus!
To get higher upvotes, earn more SteemPlus Points (SPP). On your Steemit wallet, check your SPP balance and click on "How to earn SPP?" to find out all the ways to earn.
If you're not using SteemPlus yet, please check our last posts in here to see the many ways in which SteemPlus can improve your Steem experience on Steemit and Busy.
Hi @simplymike!
Your post was upvoted by @steem-ua, new Steem dApp, using UserAuthority for algorithmic post curation!
Your UA account score is currently 4.728 which ranks you at #1498 across all Steem accounts.
Your rank has improved 7 places in the last three days (old rank 1505).
In our last Algorithmic Curation Round, consisting of 207 contributions, your post is ranked at #9.
Evaluation of your UA score:
Feel free to join our @steem-ua Discord server
Feels pretty good being chosen by @simplymike
I am really new to this type of posting, trying to be creative, interesting, and not be negative.
I have noticed the difference right away. I can now upvote the posts of the people I am following.
Thanks to ALL who help noobs like me get started.!!
Posted using Partiko Android
That sounds like this is the perfect exercise for you, :0)
You have a cat, let her be the negative one, that's what cats do best,
True Story. I have spent the last few hours on here with posting the next blog chapter. What a nice escape from the pressure of this crazy world.
Looking for a load to haul here in Wetherford, TX.
And trying not 2 be Negative....... "trying"
Posted using Partiko Android
Thanks @simplymike!
Little help can a make a big difference. People like you only make it easy for new comers to stay and be motivated on this platform. Cheers to your love for this platform and your determination to help us ♥️
Posted using Partiko iOS
You are welcome, @translogicalguy.
Sorry for the long radio silence, but I've been down with the flu almost all week.
If there's anything, feel free to ask :0)
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by simplymike from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Bravo! I love seeing this. Every little bit helps, especially if that little bit is make or break for someone staying on the platform. I will definitely take the time to check some of these folks out, if nothing else but to spread a little positive energy!
Thanks, @plantstoplanks. There can never be enough positive energy spread around, so feel free to go ahead :0)
Great initiative. I myself have a delegation since HF20. If I did not get these, I would probably have left.
Thanks!
I'm glad to hear someone reached out toyou and could make the difference.
@blind-spot, you should take a look at this project!
Ren
I'm actually a step ahead of ya bro! She rocks! She said because of HHYM she was able to find some fantastic new Steemians!
@blind-spot was the first person I checked, lol. I loved his introduction post, and he was the first one in my mind when I was thinking about who would deserved a delegation. Fortunately for him, he had already found enough people to support him :0)
He definitely deserves it. He is powerhouse. One of my favorite people.
Thanks for mentioning me. I have thoroughly read through it and realized there is so much I didnt know myself LOL
Love this project!
Thanks, @blind-spot. As you can see in my comment below, your name was the first one that popped up into my head. But then i saw you had already received a couple of well-deserved delegations.
How do you like your SteemIt experience so far?
Thank you for even considering me. I am humbled.
I have had a lot of fun so far.
The most recent exciting news would be initiating #blindtest(you should check it out)
and #pbchitchatshow, a weekly show on dtube along with @priyanarc
Thank you so much @blind-spot for mentioning me. I go through the post and i think it's a great idea . Newbies need support and help , and this one is really good initiatives.
Hi @simplymike
I absolutely love your initiative and if you would ever start any new project like this one, then just mention me or send me link via memo and I will do my best to support your work.
ps.
I already know @nurseanne84 and supporting her is such a great choice.
Amazing job
Piotr
I noticed she already had a delegation from you, but she was so motivated, i decided to add a little extra :0)
She indeed is very motivated and supportive :)
Perhaps next time we could "team" up with similar initiative of helping beginners? What do you think @simplymike?
Yours
Piotr
@simplymike you are just simply a star!
I really had it hard after hardfork20 and was fortunate to get a delegation of 15 Steem Power from @lynnecoyle1. This along with advice to power up (which I had not understood until then) from @jaynie and help from @zord189 means that I am gradually building a head of steem (pardon the pun). Heading for 200. Reaching 100 was the majic bullet as you say.
You are so right and I remain indebted to people like you who reached out and helped when I was hacked. That was a seminal point in my Steemit life.
I'd like to add another bit of advice: if you are invited to join a discord community: do. It really helps with getting to know folk - in a different way. Engaging online can be difficult - the flaws you mention - and these are "safer" spaces if one is floundering.
Once again, Mike, thanks for this. I'd like to think that once I have Steem to spare, I can also share the love.
Glad to hear that Lynn's delegation kept you going.
Good tip you share here. Discord is the perfect place to get to know more people and build your network.
"Bravo!" for doing this project! There are, indeed, some deserving folk out there, as the @heyhaveyamet project can attest. It is great to see someone else willing to help the newbies, and subsequently, the entire platform! 💜
Thanks. The @heyhaveyamet inititiative has been a great help, so I decided tl thank them for alltheir hard work by sending them a delegation too :0)