But all of us started out at zero. When I came into Steemit, there were whales. I was at zero.
I was also mind-boggled about the wealth of ned and dan and the miners. It was intimidating to say the least. My strategy from the beginning was this: what can I offer Steemit that absolutely no one else is able to offer? By using this scarcity method, I stood out. I was among the first women on Steemit, too. It could have turned out very differently though. Hard work, focused effort, and daily grind rewarded me. Also, I spent huge chunks of time commenting on other people's posts. I also would spend hours daily welcoming people, and making sure they felt comfortable, and really, I took it upon myself to do four jobs in Steemit because I liked Steemit better than my day job: 1. creation of posts 2. Welcoming newbies 3. Commenting and sharing my opinion with others who I found fascination. 4. Learned in-depth Steemit philosophy from Dan Larimer's blog, then communicated, as much as possible those principles.
The first weeks were spent learning, absorbing and understanding. The feeling of envy was replaced by fascination. But yeah, I did feel jealousy in the beginning because I had no money to invest. I looked around and thought, ok, "No one is commenting because in early days there was no reward for commenting. I decided to comment because I could see the bigger picture of the marketplace in future. I thought I would focus on the people, who would later become my allies, my traders, my teachers, my friends. Friends do business with friends. Having a place where we could instantly see who to trust and who not to trust was a big enlightening moment. I saw what was coming in the future, and i invested heavily in people, and I didn't try to "game" the system like a lot of the early bros. Now the bot owners have a tech edge on me, I realize that. I tried to maximize my human side, a side that the bots cannot compete with: geniune sharing of ideas, that go deeper than the rest.
This! your blog was one of the first that really grabbed me, before I even fully understood what all this steemit stuff was about. This is the perfect advice, and it still holds right now. When Steemit hits the 1 million Steemian, this advice will still be as relevant to new steemians as it was when you executed :)
yes, because there will always be newbies that come in, not understanding the system - but more importantly, misunderstanding VALUE.
It took over 10 years of studying Wealth Dynamics until it really started sinking in, integrating, and being put into practice as I persisted through my own bouts of discouragement on Steemit.
Steemit is its own economy, as @andrarchy explains in this excellent post/video of his - and at the core of every economy is the basic principle of VALUE CREATION & EXCHANGE.
people that don't understand these fundamentals are likely to project the frustration outward in the wrong places, but at the end of the day, its each our own responsibility to learn the rules of the game - and to earn our way by providing VALUE, which may also come in the form of assisting others in learning the rules of the game and how to navigate their ways through new territory...
Apples and oranges. You didnt start out in a different chat system and with a ton of whale attracted spammers knocking everything immediately off the front page. For all your hard work that you are reflecting on (and i don't discount it), would mean zero now if you werent posting from a known account. You'd get ignored because most of the whales don't pay enough attention to see the smart woman, they just vote on the good looking catfish, or on known names from the crypto world.
I obviously can't speak to what you yourself felt. But both in the OP and in other posts similar to this, as well as in your comment, the strong implication is made that thinking the quality of your posts does not justify the magnitude of reward they get is based on jealousy or envy.
For me it is not. Its about quality. I guess youve been involved in this for a while now... so tell me the truth, look at the top 40 or so posts in money payout for july, or even at JLs list, posted int eh comments below. Don't your realize that these are the types of posts that are going to send people running from steemit? Don't you get that how scammy they look.
Obligatory input... Stop mudslinging. Just stop... If you still cant comprehend how non-natives who have spent their entire life learning and writing in English do it. Please stop the name tagging..... We both know what im talking about...
Assumptions are really bad ..."I think" ...Please spend your limited useful time on yourself. Namaste....
Actually, I apologize for the part of the post to which you were likely responding (which i have edited out). I had initially posted my doubts about your story in your thread. However, i decided shortly after posting that it was not worth the hassle and deleted it. When i wrote the sentence that reffed you above, i forgot i had never posted anything about it.
I can't be 100% certain that your story isnt true, but it seems fake to me for a variety of reasons, only one which is your diction.
It seems very likely to me that many others noticed what i noticed as well. the post would certainly cause a non-biased person to question the veracity of your claims.
Had you not been one of the chosen few, this would have likely been brought up at the time you posted.
However, i will not broach the subject again. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie at the time and ill abide by that decision.
Replying here due to nesting
Stella, I was unaware that you had verified his identity. I run a law practice mainly focused on helping non-us residents do business in the US , and I have clients from every continent except antartica, including africa. Educated people from other cultures are what keep me fed and housed.
Though i concede my suspicions were ultimately untrue, they were neither based on prejudice or malice
incidentally, i have no idea what name tagging is. EDIT: oh i get it. Labeling.
I knew infovore from other social media sites. Questioning his identity after a respected Steemian has verified his identity is just wasting time.
American ignorance about educated Africans is the cause of a lot of this.
Once you realize that just because someone is African, doesn't mean that they are uneducated, you'll start to see the light. Being a middle-class African is also something Americans cannot fathom. Many people from undeveloped countries are educated, you just never see them on mainstream news.
The spammiest, clickbait content gets to the top. It's obvious that Steemit is not working as a content aggregation platform at all, since content is stagnant as hell, and of extremely low quality.
Yes. This place is a feedback loop. Whales choose to promote corporate sales pitches for Steemit rather than truly great content. Great content creators such as myself are already back on Reddit, where at least you have a chance to spark a cool conversation. I had a post at the top of reddit AND at the BOTTOM of Steemit at the same exact time. It was pretty telling to me. Thats just me - I am abandoning ship because this place is boring, and nobody here has an interest in my adorable ferrets, epic pictures or even crypto-news bits because its not directly in line with the Steemit Corporate Propaganda Machine. This is just another place where rich people decide what you should be paying attention to. I live in the USA, and this style of corporatism is getting dull. Its not very decentralized when the same 10 people are on the front page from day to day, or when 4 out of the 5 top posts are from Whales. And then there's gotta be one post from a girl with big boobs littering steemit balloons all over the beach.
Im pretty much done with Steemit.
However, all this money will have a huge impact. Its going to turn into a big corporate church. Dont want Hillary to be president of the USA? The whales will never vote for your post again.
Have an extreme belief?
A harsh critique of the platform?
Prepare to be blacklisted.
Otherwise known as a rich-man's circlejerk.
I have yet to see a woman with SMALL boobs at the top of Steemit.
I have yet to see something cute at the top of Steemit. People hate my ferrets for some reason. Why? Because I didn't shave "Steemit" into their fur.
Steemit is the new Scientology.
Whales are the new celebrity Scientologist.
The technocracy is here for your good.
Believe or be ignored.
Go back to work debt slave.
You are one of the lucky ones. Not all of us are so lucky to 1: be a woman or 2: be Dan's favorite. This place is just another aggregation of what wealthy people want you to see. I live in the USA. I know how these systems work. I am an anti-corporate anarchist and therefore my posts will never see the light of day because I lack the corporate salesmanship to make Steemit products and link every one of my pure and hopeful creations to the Steemit worldview. I just dont fit in, and theres nothing that will change that. I can post identical stories to Steemit and Reddit - and get 1000+ Reddit votes and 7 Steemit bot votes and 12 Steemit bot comments. Reddit accounts are worth roughly $10 for every 1000 upvotes.
This exactly. As it is, Steemit is simply a giant advertising space for the whales. Original content is never seen because normal users don't have the weight to push it up, even voting in the hundreds, and whales don't care about real content: just whatever will make them the most profit.
This place is a feedback loop. Whales choose to promote corporate sales pitches for Steemit rather than truly great content. Great content creators such as myself are already back on Reddit, where at least you have a chance to spark a cool conversation. I had a post at the top of reddit AND at the BOTTOM of Steemit at the same exact time. It was pretty telling to me. Thats just me - I am abandoning ship because this place is boring, and nobody here has an interest in my adorable ferrets, epic pictures or even crypto-news bits because its not directly in line with the Steemit Corporate Propaganda Machine. This is just another place where rich people decide what you should be paying attention to. I live in the USA, and this style of corporatism is getting dull. Its not very decentralized when the same 10 people are on the front page from day to day, or when 4 out of the 5 top posts are from Whales. And then there's gotta be one post from a girl with big boobs littering steemit balloons all over the beach.
Im pretty much done with Steemit.
However, all this money will have a huge impact. Its going to turn into a big corporate church. Dont want Hillary to be president of the USA? The whales will never vote for your post again.
Have an extreme belief?
A harsh critique of the platform?
Prepare to be blacklisted.
Otherwise known as a rich-man's circlejerk.
I have yet to see a woman with SMALL boobs at the top of Steemit.
I started the following comment on one of your posts, though felt it'd be better to post here, as it'll gain more exposure. (I've read a few of your different posts, and this comment is equally applicable, speaking to the common theme throughout them)...
one perspective...
herein lies an opportunity to make something of the opportunity for content CURATION.
there may be alot of great posts that don't get noticed, yes. SO, therein lies an opportunity to help bring attention to them...
what about a daily/weekly "The Top 10 Best Daily/Weekly Diamonds In The Rough" type curation...?
if someone were to step up and do this, ensuring the highest quality of both the curating posts and the curated posts, sooner or later, they'd get attention.
Over time, the creme rises to the top. Persistence IS required. And so is different forms of marketing & promotion.
Many posts may have great content, but lack something in the delivery. i.e. a person can be brilliant and have great writing skills, but if they don't know how to craft a killer headline and choose a great picture to go with it, their posts aren't going to get opened nearly as much as if those particular skills are developed and exercised.
The system's not perfect. But there are advantages in that if forces people to step up their game and increase their skills and value to the community, if they're committed to the long term game.
those who keep playing eventually WILL get noticed, and as they keep at it and gain exposure through others who recognize their value, will get rewarded...
I can see both sides of the argument to be honest and tend to flip back and forth:)
Me too. Totally bi-polar. My enthusiasm for crypto fuels my faith sometimes. Then I see the corrupt nature of this beast. Then I try to submit to the beast and tattoo a Steemit Logo on my face. Now Im finally on the front page of Steemit!
yes, I was lucky. and the harder I worked, the luckier I got. "Luck = preparation meets opportunity," as they say. The opportunity was Steemit. The preparation was 15 years of study and skills development. And surely the entire time I've been completely focused at writing high-quality material to add value to the community since getting on Steemit - from the time I wake to go to sleep - might have also played a factor in that luck.
looking at your post history right off the bat, your posts may not see the light of day because first of all, they don't have value-packed headlines. without that alone, most people won't bother opening them, because there's no promise or demonstration of value delivered from the onset that is worth readers' investment of time, when there are other headlines that capture attention right from the onset. corporate salesmanship is NOT needed. though some basic copywriting skills - which CAN be developed if the time and effort is put into learning the game and developing the skills - will go a long ways - just as a start...
Thanks for sharing :-)
Inspirational, motivational and enlightening!
Keep up the good work.
good
This is so true. Takes time to build something. I love your approach. So true bots can't compete with geniune sharing od ideas, that go deeper than the rest...Love it :)
I am new to steemit! thank you for sharing this! Now I have a better idea as to how I should conduct myself!!!
Yeah, everyone started at zero.... except whales who deposited hundreds of thousands of USD into their accounts in order to give themselves massive vote weight, so that it is trivial to send their own posts (sockpuppets') to the front page, thereby gaining even more weight.
Nothing that is written by regular users who don't have millions in their accounts is ever seen at the top. Content is incredibly stagnant, sitting there for a week or more at a time, since only whales can push stories to the front.
It's a crap system because it inherently discourages participation unless you are already a whale and can game the system for massive profits.
Incorrect. The amount in a user's account has nothing to do with their rewards, as it is voters that determine the rewards. newbies have stepped in and made thousands on their very first post, with zero in their accounts.
the Slack chat (now Rocket Chat) is open for anyone to come and participate in. it's a brilliant system because it's open and transparent.
a newbie may not have huge voting power, but they have equal opportunity to create exceptionally-valuable content and reach out to connect with the whales or anyone in between.
all are free to join in on the discussions and self-promote. and those who CONSISTENTLY produce exceptional VALUE inevitably do get noticed.
I started at zero. I've done well because the incentivization structure IS ITSELF encouragement for quality participation. The earliest adopters may have had an advantage by getting in at the beginning, but everyone is free to step up, create massive value, build relationships, and earn their way to wherever they choose in life - IF they understand the core necessity of creating VALUE, maintaining integrity, learning the rules of the game, and respectfully contributing to the community's advancement.
Sorry but I call bullshit. I've looked into some of these supposed "newbies who made thousands off their first post" and every single one powered their account and/or used sock puppets with powered accounts to drive bunk "content" to the top.
I am looking at mining steem instead where the reward is 90% while content sharing is 10%. Think it will suit me better to provide mining resources than to write and post. Honestly for content posting i am better off monetizing with adsense. However in terms of activities and meeting new people steemit has certainly serve its usefulness.
oh man, I wish I knew how to mine and get in on that. but, those sort of technical aspects aren't my forte - such my opportunity lies in writing; and for others, it may lie in curation or creating other kinds of content. though of course, mining is a fundamental value required for the whole system to work - so by all means, the rewards that are there for it are well-deserved for those who've learnt how to play that game and have dedicated themselves to providing that service to the community.
most of the money has gone out of mining. After block 800K something, mining rewards got cut down to 1/10th of what they were.. thats why blocktrades and the badger guy were trying to sell off their miner accounts.
my 8 core vps instance gets 40K hashes /sec, and typically gets 1 or 2 POWS (worth 1 steem) a day. I think higher ranked witnesses get more POW opportunities, but im not sure exactly how it works.
but if youre just talking about setting up a rig and letting it run, its probably not going to pay for itself.
Ah, yes. That is what i decided to do on Steemit, bring something unique. 5 days in, I've been focusing on posts that are unique to me, I'm (mostly) not trying to hedge or rig or figure out the bestest or greatest way to be popular or make dough. I am also female and have been fascinated by crypto currency since the birth of bitcoin. So for me, Steem has been a great experience and I like commenting for the sake of commenting. I really have high hopes for this platform, it has made me realize that Facebook is one big giant ripoff machine making big dough off of millions of contributors. Well said miss, well said.
re:
There's a middle ground, and it takes some experimentation to find...
On one hand, Originality is required - that personal passion creating something unique to ourselves.
Though also, what is valuable to the community is determined by the community.
There is a meeting point between those two, that at least for myself, took some trial & error to find. Not all of what we think will be valuable to others. But, there is GOLD within some of what we have to offer. The more experimentation, the faster that gold may be discovered - and once we clue into what those common elements are in the successful stories that effectively bridge that gap between what's important to us and what others find valuable... Therein lies the formula for success...
Nice one @stellabelle :D. I like your energy
she's badass.
seriously. ever since I've gotten on the site, @stellabelle has stood out as one of the top leaders among the pack with her writing. she deserves every Steem Dollar she's earned by being a walking, living, breathing role model for consistently creating outstanding value for the community.
yes. yes. yes.
perfectly articulated. :-)