I completely agree with your views on promotions. I posted this a while ago, in response to another's pointing that out on his blog.
We are not alone.
However, we are outnumbered, and by numbers I mean SP. It is SP that fuels votebots, and that SP that fuels votebots is provided by it's possessors: 38 whales.
They totally control the witnesses, and they are the market Stinc serves. The rest of us are merely a device that keeps the illusion of a market for Steem viable, preventing the price from crashing.
Given the ~10% retention rate for Steemit accounts YOY, this is a temporary ploy.
Thanks!
I appreciate your take on things. This post isn't really about what you're talking about though.
Part of the problem with retention is how the place is marketed. "Like Facebook, but get paid." So people come here and write short status messages and share a meme, then sit there and twiddle their thumbs waiting for the money to roll in. That didn't work so they then try to fit in with the crypto scene and talk about that, briefly. No dice. Then they're wondering why things work for others but not them. Then they naturally assume there must be something wrong with the place instead of themselves.
The way the trending page is set up, if I were to walk in here today, I could scroll down as far as possible and not see anything like what I'm usually up to here. I'd think the place is just a forum for things most people in the world don't know about. Arts and entertainment is a huge draw anywhere else but until the promotions are removed from the trending page, the place won't seem like a home for us... even though I'm living proof that it is. I've always kept a good attitude and try not to get mixed up in bitching about who's got the money and why. I'm rambling. More people need to step up to the plate and lead by example.
I see you didn't follow the link to my post 'The Difference Between Promotion and Curation, and Killing All Bots', or just didn't address it.
In the text of my comment here, I simply point out who controls why it's done this way. It's those that control the witnesses, through their stake.
In the post I linked, I outline how to not only properly assign posts to the promoted feed, but also how to eliminate votebots, and make Steemit an actual social platform where people curate, rather than the rewards mining technology it seems to be.
I read your post. I didn't know others were making a similar observation as me with this post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows what paid programming is.
Put simply: rather than attempting to stir the shit pot, I'm calling a spade a spade. I don't need to single anyone out. I used two current examples of posts simply because those were at the top at the time. I could have picked a different day and mentioned different posts and still be able to point out the same thing. This wasn't the first time I saw an advertisement up there.
That's an important line from my post and I meant it. I don't need to point fingers and place blame. I'm addressing this issue as fairly and professionally as required to draw the right eyes here so they can move forward with this information and hopefully push for change.
Another important line from my post. Nobody is controlling me. All of that SP isn't stopping me from going nuts and placing the raunchiest bit comedic genius at the top of trending. I could easily buy my way there. Would that make me funny by default? My post is at the top, so it must be funny, right? No. Would they flag it? Most likely not because it would be art and I hope they've learned their lesson about what happens when art gets flagged.
Imagine two equally famous celebrities. They both pull up in their limos. They both step out at the same time. The paparazzi ignores one completely. Does that make the celebrity getting attention more famous? No. The prick paid the paparazzi in advance and didn't tell anyone. The other celebrity never recovered.
Fame, paid for. They should probably realize what they're doing before buying those votes and at least have the decency to tell everyone.
Who controls what doesn't matter in this instance. They're not controlling me, I'm controlling me.
With all due respect, you post is full of insults. I don't see how a post like that is supposed create awareness or even change anything.
This post here isn't a debate about what you want to talk about either. Keep that in mind.
I really appreciate your forthright discussion of your self-admiration.
In my post I used the word 'flaggot', which I concur is a generic insult. I later said that claiming to flag posts because of rewards was bullshit, and tagged @berniesanders. I'm pretty sure that was insulting, although it's true.
Those are the only two even potentially insulting statements in the post.
Perhaps because it's not your post. However, I'm aware that neither I, nor the entire cohort of minnows can change anything on a platform where 38 whales hold the vast majority of VP.
I suspect you may delude yourself into thinking you can change that.
As you point out, no one controls you. Just as true about me.
What I'll keep in mind is not to bother conversing with anyone so vain they refer to themselves in the third person ever again.
Thanks for expressing the real you.
Listen. My post is about placing advertisements, promotions and paid programming into the proper tab.
You're here to push your agenda on me and if you think I can't see through that, you'd be mistaken.
Kindly take yourself, your narrative and your attitude problems elsewhere.