It's been a rocky year for Steem and Steemit. This amazing platform has yet to really take off. After two and a half years there are still only a few thousand really active users. Many have given up for various reasons. Some because they didn't see it as a good investment and others because they were chased away by some nasty people. The Steem price has been on a journey with peaks over $7, but that just wasn't sustainable. My own Steem has been worth almost $100,000 at one point, but it's just a few thousand now. I'm not that upset as I earned it rather than buying it and so it's all profit really and I couldn't have powered down quickly enough to really benefit at the peak. It's bought me a few things anyway. A lot of the fall is down to a general lack of confidence in cryptocurrency.
The Steemit site has seen falling visitor numbers over most of the year. It peaked in the top 1000 around March. I know other front ends are available, but they are all far less used than Steemit.
So who needs to fix this? I think it's obvious that we cannot rely on Steemit Inc. They have issues with their finances and @Ned does not have the full support of the community. We do still need them, but they need to work with other teams to build the core functions that Steem needs.
I think it's up to each of us to do something if we want the picture to be different in another year.
Buy some Steem
I have to admit that I have bought very little Steem. I got a few dollars worth in the early days using small amounts of other crypto that I had acquired. My family finances don't leave a lot of spare cash for such investments, but today I bought a little using what was left on my Wirex debit card after paying for my Steemfest trip. £15 got me 76 Steem! It would have been just 2 at that previous peak and if the price goes up again I'll be laughing. Spend a little more and you can power up a new account to minnow status.
Support some new users
Tempting as it is to dedicate all your efforts to increasing your own income it is more beneficial to Steem in general to encourage those who are just starting out. If they keep making nothing then they are likely to give up and tell their friends not to bother. Look out for some new accounts who still have a low reputation (under 30) and if they are doing good stuff then give them a vote and a comment. It will mean a lot to them.
Discourage the bad behaviour
Of course some new users will be tempted by the 'dark side'. If they are plagiarising content or making junk posts then let them know this is a bad idea and could get them flagged. Steem should be earned by honest effort.
If you want to take this further then consider joining or supporting efforts such as @SteemFlagRewards who remove rewards from people who are abusing and harming the Steem platform.
Look at yourself
If your voting pattern looks like this then you are doing it wrong. Support others and engage with them in comments. If you build a supportive following then you don't need to self vote. I see some big accounts who can guarantee to get many dollars on each post they make, but they still self vote. Why not use that voting power on others?
Delegate
I see delegation as one of the most powerful features of Steem, but it's sadly not available directly from the Steemit site. That can be fixed by using the SteemPlus extension. If you have thousands of Steem then make it work harder. You can earn by supporting the dreaded bid bots or you can just gift it to minnows so they can enjoy being able to support others. I do a mix of things with mine. I really don't mind missing out on some curation rewards. There are limits to the posts I will see and support, so delegating to others spreads the benefit of my SP. I can always take it back. I just have to wait seven days as that prevents double voting.
Form communities
I keep saying that Steem should be fun. If you can come back every day and find posts you enjoy then you will want to do it. Look for communities around whatever interests you. That could be running or making bread or knitting. Content on Steem does not have to be about crypto.
Use your voting power
You should be aware that the size of your vote goes down as you use it, but recharges all the time. It's like taking water from a pool that is being refilled by a hose. Making 10 votes of 100% uses up 20% of your voting power and that takes 24 hours to restore. So you should aim to get down to around 80%. You can see this on Steem Now and other sites.
Vote for witnesses
The witnesses are the engine that makes Steem run. They get rewarded for this, but how much they can earn depends on how many people vote for them. They also get a say in any changes to how the blockchain works. If you see a witness doing good things then show your support. You have 30 votes, so use them well.
Tell your friends
Awareness of Steem and Steemit is almost non-existent. It doesn't get news coverage, unless it's for something bad like Ned sacking 70% of his staff. Explain to people that there is an alternative to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram that doesn't depend on advertising, doesn't censor and can earn you something. They will need some help to get started, so support them. If you have enough SP you can claim accounts that you can gift to them so they can sign up straight away. Make sure they know just how important it is to keep their keys secure and safe. I'd suggesting delegating them some SP so they can do more when they start out.
If they have no interest in blogging, but they like games then get them into @SteemMonsters. They can use fiat for that and they get a Steem account that they may decide to use.
Dont buy your votes
I've talked about this many times. I see the 'bid bot' culture as toxic to Steem. It makes the Trending page useless as there's nothing there with reall community support. I see people buying a few dollars of votes and it gets them zero engagement. From what I hear you make very little from doing this and you are just enriching some whales. I know some pay those who delegate to them, but this just encourages the buying process. Power up your Steem and use it to vote for others.
Conclusion
We can all do some of these things and they will help. We should support Steemit Inc and other projects, but it's vital to build the community. Make it fun for everyone and word will spread (in a good way).
What else do you think we should be doing?
Steem on!
- I'll buy guitar picks for Steem
- Get a Wirex Debit Card to spend your crypto.
- Get some passive income with Mannabase
- Get paid to search at Presearch
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Nice round up of ethics for steem this.
@starkerz put it best in the @steemcamp-uk meet on Thursday I think...
Set up a business or project that's going to encourage people to buy steem.
Obviously that's quite broad, but I get the feeling <0.1% of steemians have that mindset.
It comfirmed a suspicion that's been at the back of my mind for a long time - most of the content on steem has almost 0 value, blogging to get upvotes to get paid maybe isn't sustainable.
Even if that's how I earn on steem.
I say maybe... it's something I need to think through...
Posted using Partiko Android
blogging for the sake of blogging is not sustainable.
Blogs only thrive when the content creator provides value to the reader. When the creator shares content that people are looking to consume or creates products they want to purchase then a blog will thrive. That's true in the fiat world and on here.
Business models and good content creation needs to co-exist on the platform to give it diversity. The greater the diversity, the greater the appeal to the masses.
On another note, @steevc forgive my blatent promotion but when you mentioned voting for witnesses -- a great time to get an idea of what a Witness is about is when they participate in a chat. The next Witness Chat in the Steemit Ramble is Wednesday, Dec. 12th at noon EST / 5pm UTC. All witnesses are invited to take part as is the rest of the community. It had to be rescheduled when @ned rescheduled his livestream for the same time it was originally scheduled for (Tuesday at noon EST). That will work out okay though as we'll be able to discuss the livestream during the Witness chat.
I've been hosting these chat once a month for several months. Those attending find them interesting and informative. The link to the Steemit Ramble is in my signature.
@shadowspub
The current Rambling Radio Schedule can be found here
It's All About Community!
I basically agree. I missed the last one because I basically forgot it was on the post SF3 scatterbrain phase, but I'll defo attend the next one.
They are well worth a listen and the feedback from that livestream should be especially interesting!
maybe we should start a forum of AWESOME business ideas or steem projects that people could run with. I have ideas but Im not a developer and I dont always have time but I bet theres a lots of great talent out there that could run with some of the brilliant ideas lurking about
Not all of us have a business idea, but we can do little things to help. What @starkerz and @oracled are doing is great.
Very nicely said!
There were some interesting ideas in that discussion ... I think powering up (as individuals) is part of the same principle. The value of the content is about attracting and engaging other people, not everyone is a blogger in the writing sense, some people just want to share small things - gardening, crafts, baking - with other people who will enjoy them; but I think the purpose (or value) of this is about wider distribution of the coin and the new affordances that creates.
I agree..think I'm gonna wait for a bit now though. This downtrend doesn't show much sign lifting but then again you never can tell.
Posted using Partiko Android
Some great ideas, collected together in one handy post :)
Delegation is a really great idea either directly to small accounts or to community accounts like @actifit and @adollaraday. In one case, votes are being spread across many Steemians and in the other, benefits are accruing to help charitable efforts.
I've always been interested in what else Steem can do, @dstors is a really interesting idea and I love the ideas behind @cleanplanet. There's some exciting ideas coming from @impactn, a very new Steemian.
I was really pleased to meet people at Steemfest and now we're starting to explore ways in which Steem might translate into transforming the way some things work in the everyday world. I'm looking forward to it 😍.
Edit: I had to go and attend to my bread in the middle of writing this comment! @breadbakers
Thanks @shanibeer for mentioning us here. We think one major problem of Steem is, that too many people are thinking about taking Steem out of the system instead of keeping the value within the system. We need businesses that give you the possibility to buy things using Steem like @dstors. Maybe a Steem-Ebay would be something good to have.
Yes ... there was @steemfleamarket, I'm not quite sure what's happening with that; @dstors has multiple facets, I'm sure it can encompass re-cycling goods and possibly an artists/makers market, and it has, I think, a good way overcoming the shipping charges which would be a significant barrier, otherwise.
@steemfleamarket was the younger me! ≧◠‿◠≦✌
Ah, you have evolved 😎
That's good to know. I may have too much ambition for @dstors, but it seemed to me to have the potential for all kinds of trading?
...to name a few! (eventually)
Yes, I thought so 😊. I worried for a minute that I had been making it up! The recent branding post talked about communities as well ... I was wondering what that was about?
We'd love to cooperate with the older you :-), since in mid-term our platform will introduce a marketplace function as well. This part of our concept to reduce volatility of our SMTs.
Please have a look at @impactn and tell me about your thoughts. Are you on discord? You'll find me there using @traveller7761
I'm excited about these new projects too. We needed more ways for people to get into Steem.
@impactn needs some more posts as there was nothing for me to vote up now.
Hi @steevc. Sorry for that. Now there is something to work on and vote for :-) https://steemit.com/globalgoalsfeed/@impactn/impactn-how-to-proceed
Ah, okay ... that's a shame. I'll leave a comment, perhaps it will encourage them :)
Ban all Bid Bots if possible !
It's not possible without fundamental a hardfork or other fundamental change. A good start would be to not make trending the default page.
Ok then hardfork it..
No vote buying on OnoSocial
Been using that too.
@prakashghai
OnoSocial? Can you make crypto there that you can convert to fiat?
/FF
Yes you can make crypto there.. same like steemit...
Their token is ONOT.. will be listed on 11th dec 2018.. Wallet about to get rolled out.
Currently in beta.
You can download the App from Play Store or on iPhone and use my Invite Code AJRO for activation.
@prakashghai
Is there a web-application/site like steemit? or Do you have to install an app?
Cheers!
/FF
right now - mainly through app, the web client joinono.com is under testing
I keep telling myself get some STEEM and BTC now, but I was hoping the price would get below .20 cents first. I look at it as a positive because I wasn't really here when it was cheap so it's sort of like having a time machine to go back to buy low and then know that in time it will skyrocket again. I dont know I just feel crypto is going to go high by the end of 2019 I think as we approach 2020 the idea of digital currency, the fall of the us dollar and more of a shared income to the general populace is in the air, who can say. I will be mad at myself if I don't buy at least a bit!
It may be worth buying small amounts now in case it doesn't keep falling. FOMO is a powerful force ;)
Been buying some steem myself... simply couldn't resist at these prices. Eventually it will go up again and I'll be sorry for every Euro I didn't put into this. Plus... I can call myself a Dolphin now. How cool is that!
I totally agree with your suggestions and have been acting accordingly the best I can.
Last time the prices were low, I had nothing to spare, but I am determined not to miss this opportunity to power up again. Pretty sure it will all go up again. Just hope, this great steem community will stay alive...
Thank god, the artist family is quite passionate and hope, eventually more people will hop on the steem blockchain. With all the new platforms, there should be one for everyone :-)
I hope together with you :)
Great and practical sugestions.
About new users, since I'm quite new as well, I'm constantly looking in the introduceyourself tag, but not finding quality stuff.
Is there some service, or another way to look for new users to support?
You could try looking at the feed for tags you are interested in. It can be a lot of work to find the good ones.
It's a bad idea to come here for money and yet that's what 99% of new people come here for. KFC are employing, you can make more there rotating chicken.
I spent the last hour stocktaking my MtG inventory. I can make significantly more selling these than selling my stories.
So what the hell am I doing here? Beats me..., can you tell me?
LOL! It's just beer money to me for now, but then I was able to save some up for nice things. Even if it grows there will still be a minority making real money. For some in poorer countries it does offer opportunities, but they should earn it honestly or it will just go to crap.
I think that both Bitcoin and Steemits problem is that they build on investors for fast and easy money instead of stability. A lot of the efforts have been targeted at making it interesting for people with money. This has run against the other idea of the Steemit network: to use a fixed inflation and a clever faucet to make the growth of the currency depend on ordinary people. With a growing usage Steemit would grow in a whole other way than the scarcity based currencies, but sadly the investors has won or are about to, and that kind of economy eats itself. Even the investors will be ruined by their own greed.
The only thing we can hope for is that they have to sell out when Steem will be worth almost nothing, and that Steemit will still survive...
You and I have invested almost all our efforts in powering up. To me it has been an OK investment. I have you and others reading my comic (and thanks for that), I got a year financed by crypto, I have two great translators and have gained both knowledge and creative energy from all you guys in the community. But if we are to change things we have to power up and organize. Steemit gives the power to the rich, so we have to become the rich if we shall have a say in what is happening. That is the reason I never powered down.
I am willing to back any realistic suggestions, even if I will not gain economically in a period. But as long as we are up against investors I am not an optimist. We are simply not rich enough.
We need a core of dolphins to support good creators like yourself and draw in others. Steemit is still too small to interest the big Internet stars, but I think it's ideal for smaller players to generate extra income. It may take some time, but we may be able to make it a goto place for cult comics and other niche culture.
Yes, the bottom line is that people need to power up - see this as an investment instead of an income - at least for a while ahead.
Great post - as ever I learned something :).
As a relatively new user (since the hardfurk), I found that the amount of hand-wringing about the value of Steem to be really off-putting. I get that it's bad if you put a load of money in and lost it, but it makes the platform unfriendly and too much like the real world with money worries everywhere. Platforms like Facebark and Twatter are (mostly) avoiding the real world and focusing on important matters like pictures of cats. Steem is very low on cat photos.
@impactns aim of a platform which makes the crypto-currency opaque is going to make it easier to ease people in to the platform. If you tell 'em its like earning Nectar points, green-shield stamps, or whatever then there'll be less resistance.
Is there anywhere a list of all the various Steem-powered sites, apps, etc?
There's a big list at https://steemprojects.com
Hmm... a mere 445 so far. Thanks Steve, I shall explore.
Great post bro. I have many points I have to improve on.
Just by giving votes you are helping.
great words, may have to resteem, @dragosroua had a great positive post this morning as well.
i'm pretty active walkin' the walk u r talking about
peace
... i think i'll add @steemflagrewards to my portfolio too
Cool, I just bought me some STEEM on bittrex for my birthday! Great idea!
These are all ideas I support - nice list!
The thing that's still gets me is the self voting going on from big SP holders; is a bit embarrassing to see, especially when the community now more than ever needs the curation support
I get that some people invested serious money and want to see a return on it, but at this stage they stand to gain even more if Steem improves. Help Steem to help yourself :)
Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a daily Steemit truffle! It is listed on rank 12 of all contributions awarded today. You can find the TOP DAILY TRUFFLE PICKS HERE.
I upvoted your contribution because to my mind your post is at least 11 SBD worth and should receive 276 votes. It's now up to the lovely Steemit community to make this come true.
I am
TrufflePig, an Artificial Intelligence Bot that helps minnows and content curators using Machine Learning. If you are curious how I select content, you can find an explanation here!Have a nice day and sincerely yours,
TrufflePigGreat advice.. sorry I can't UV.. VP to low.. !tip
Cheers. I keep running my VP down. Need to try and keep it a bit higher so I can give bigger votes.
Just tell you that you don’t have to wait anymore 7 days for getting back your delegation. After HF20 it was set to 5 days only.
Good post
Posted using Partiko iOS
Great tips to build up the ecosystem. I do business presentations in LA and Steemit is one of my main areas of emphasis.
That's great. I think there are cool opportunities for businesses to get involved.
Excellent post
I have already made some changes but still long way to go.
Hope many people follow this and we need more active participants to ensure enough steem is circulated
This was a great post! Awesome that you were able to purchase a little bit of Steem with the money you had left over. A lot of times when I purchase Steem I intend to power it all up, but then I start realizing I could buy some more SBI shares and things like that so I don't usually end up power it all up. You had some really great tips and insight in this post.
Cheers. I want to keep powering up, but I'm looking at opportunities to spend some. I got good responses to this post.
my projects in Steem went wrong so far and I lost some of my enthusiasm obviously. but we are still here and I still can see that the strenght of Steem is in the community and in the many amazing people I met here.
Sorry to hear your projects didn't work out as hoped, but I think we still need to reach critical mass. Those joining now are still pioneers, but if we keep pushing it could go viral
Congratulations @steevc!
Your post was mentioned in the Steem Hit Parade in the following category:
I was surprised at how few active users there are on here. I've told many people about steem but they go blank when I mention crypto as though it's a world away. I need to hit the right way to sell it to em. This should be a good time to get people on board in terms of investment potential looking at previous prices but the beauty for me (after lack of censorship) was the fact that no investment was necessary. Maybe that's an attractive yet possibly damaging feature. I'll keep pluggin away and talkin up steem :)
Just came acros this post on @dstors. This is Ebay++ :-) Really great. https://steemit.com/busy/@taskmaster4450/dstors-is-not-just-an-online-store
Hi @steemonkey. You're completely right with people backing up as soon as one mentions crypto. That's why we'll be setting up a platform with a non-crypto interface for normal users but giving the possibility to earn reward-points. After they have collected enough points these active users will be offered to exchange points into tokens, giving them the availability to donate these (or keep them) to impactful projects.
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Nothing.
Really?
haha
I 💚 you @steevc you are like my new leader, and this article is my new bible!
I seriously agree to at least up to 90%... And you could probably convince me to agree even more... And I wish i had your writing skills, talk about information-design geniality...
My only objection:
Bid bots, yes or no?
Im a plankton, if I use bid bots intelligently utilising "bot tracker" and "steemd.com", I can some times still make a nice little positive ROI like certain bid bots seem more profitable, if you catch them at the right time,
and 50% goes into SP, and SP is good to have, as we all know...
Also my post will get some more exposure in the various #tags I used, potentially bringing some new people to at least read or look at my post, and that makes me feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside...
But at this point, I was going to say I don't care about making steem/sp and that Im just experimenting here, but I do care, because I need it for the new RC system, and I want to at least become a real minnow because thats cool man... =)
And I want to help newbies... But I can't really, only with comments and micro-upvotes.
But this has basically been almost a year long experiment for me, I know I could have been a lot more successful with my earnings, but I had some principles/boundaries for this initial experimentation phase that inhibited that.
Im going to resteem this, and spread this gospel as much as I can, thanks for you effort writing and sharing this!
And I will try not to write negative/toxic/un-constructive articles, even if everything is a little glitchy and upside down sometimes, it doesn't help me or the community...
Cheers!
/FF
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Hi @steevc!
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It might be me, but I'm having trouble understanding you. For example: "My own Steem has been worth album $100,000"??
Mis-typed 'almost $100,000'
That is quite a haul! (At the time.)
My team has amassed a total of 1300 Steem in 15 months of full time posting, writing, photography etc. We started with .2 BTC invested up front, which would now be worth 660 USD, or 2750 Steem. In other words, we paid about 1400 Steem to work for free for over a year. Woops!
Well I hope it pays off later. Nobody seems to know for sure where it's going