“Deep calls to deep,” which is what happens when you get a glimpse of what someone else has gone through or is currently in the throes of and you find yourself inextricably, mysteriously linked with that person because you have been reminded again of our common humanity and its singular source, the subsurface unity of all things... ~ Rob Bell.
From the beginning, the thing that made Steemit great was its essence, its celebration of diversity and expression and creativity and sharing and learning and connecting... All of these things and more, in balance with being rewarded for doing what you love and being who you are, made Steemit a very exciting and somewhat magical place to be. It was charged, electric. Finally an opportunity unlike anything in the mainstream world.
That 'specialness' of Steemit once was so prevalent it hummed throughout the community, and everybody felt it. It was the thing that made everyone say “Steem ON!” all the day long. Everyone was smiling... you just knew it, you could intuit it.
Yet there's a lot of talk now about how the vibe has changed - how fewer people are bothering to make real connections, or voting, or replying to comments, or even reading other people's posts, yet are still expecting support for their own blogs. And many who used to spread their votes around now simply stick within a group and limit their curation to that group (or don't curate at all). Less time spent curating, more time for creating. Great... from a personal point of view. But baaaaad for community, and therefore bad for yourself in the long-term.
These strategies are understandable and to be expected, particularly now we're at a new plateau and prices are holding steady. But the shift in focus – from community working together to grow a platform where all can benefit, to a very individual focus about how to maximise personal gain – has brought with it a shift in vibe and values. Selfishness, insincerity. Some previously friendly faces now revealing themselves to be, in fact, two.
Many bloggers new to Steemit are now comparing it to Facebook and other mainstream social media sites, which focus more on celebrating popularity and competitiveness and showing-off. Whilst ego has always been present in Steemit, it's never been as dominant. Newbies are looking at the trending pages and turning away disheartened, as their own posts often earn next to nothing, nor do they get much attention. A few months of this and you'll start to wonder what is there to stick around for?
Change, growth, evolution, it's all good. I'm sure most of us would testify to that 'ants in your pants' itching for change and movement when things get stagnant.
From tiny seed to shoot to plant to fruit, and there's all kinds of stages of beauty in growth. That's good change.
But without nurturing the plant and looking after its holistic needs, so to speak, it can quickly start to wither and the life in it fades (and maybe dies without rescue). That's bad change.
In this very simplified way, the same is true for Steemit, or any other community. We want it to change and grow and evolve, but we don't want community spirit – the very essence of Steemit that made it great in the first place, that set it apart from all the mainstream social media sites, the thing that made it beautiful – to be choked out in the mad scrabble for dollars, power, and other self-gain strategies. It feels like what would happen if they introduced rewards on Facebook. Not like the Steemit we knew a year or more ago, and not a very inviting/inspiring place for new bloggers.
Yes, initially most people are attracted to Steemit because of the rewards. But it was never that which made Steemit great. Revolutionary, yes, but not great. It was what happened soon after, once you came here and quickly realised there was so much more to it than rewards.
This extract is taken from my #introduceyourself post, back in Aug 2106, which I share to highlight the difference between my reaction as a newbie back then compared to many people's newbie experience now:
“After a week or two of perusing the vast variety of talents, experiences, lives of the Steemit community I quickly sensed one very important thing – this site is special. I don't just mean the Steem dollars, it's more important than that: it seems to have this rather wonderful effect on people - it draws them out of themselves, it reveals something raw and courageous. There's a hearty vibe emanating from the Steemit community, like a large table bearing tasty treats, and a crowd of smiling faces beckoning you to join the feast. And it's for this reason I'm so excited – Steemit is unlike any other social community, e.g. facebook, which is largely judgement, competition and ego, where you constantly censor yourself, where your most meaningful posts usually don't even get 'likes' let alone any kind of engagement. Steemit celebrates audacity and diversity, and everybody fits in. It's like a really good New Year's Eve party where all are welcome and having a good time.”
When you joined the community, and made genuine efforts to connect with other people, this effort was noticed and embraced. As you reached out you were met by the hands of others reaching out. There was a really good balance of give and take. Gifts of personalised graphics or signature logos was really common – like this one created for me by the well-known-well-liked @papa-pepper! (The logo too evolved over time... another good change):
One of the aspects of community that gave this really wonderful sense of inclusion and worthiness, was that people actually read each other's posts! Not only did they read posts, but they read the comments too. You could end up with a handsome payout for quality comments (which was often an unexpected bonus of standing up for convictions or people) - note the comment reward below:
Perhaps, now that Steemit is no longer in the first formative stages we've stopped doing many of the things we used to... such as giving people hearty welcomes, offering 'newbie' advice, or posting about things that encouraged solidarity and community etiquette, and advice on creating quality posts rather than just expecting payouts for showing us what slop you just had for dinner.
(Actually I love this photo - my Dad emailed it to me, supposed to be bread. My mother was not impressed!)
The following article, written in 2016 by @thecryptofiend used to be shared widely, yet we see less of these in circulation now. If you haven't come across this one before, and particularly if you're fairly new to Steemit, I do encourage a little read of it:
The Complete Steemit Etiquette Guide (Revision 2.0) by @thecryptofiend
Another great post designed last week by @kiwideb is this, which covers the 'five Cs' for Steemit conduct, nicely set out in a little box, and which she invites us to share at the end of our own posts if we wish (I have!). I think it's a great idea, whatever helps to keep these important community etiquette approaches in mind for ourselves as well as others:
'Five New Tips for Steemians'
As I've said a couple of times now, it's really important to curate as well as create... Not just because you get curation rewards, but because it's the decent thing to do. It shows community is important to us. It lets other people know you value their post or blog, and you want them to continue sharing. It's the thing that we do because we want people to stay and have a wonderful experience. And it's the thing that will help Steemit endure.
But if, time after time, efforts and expression go unnoticed, many bloggers will not only stop posting, but likely feel a little rejected. Not a very nice thought. Is this the community we want to encourage and grow?
Or perhaps we can ease off a wee bit on the self-gain attitude and spend a few hours here and there nurturing community. Four posts a day leaves no time for attention to anyone else, unless you happen to be a whizz on the computer. So maybe don't post four times a day seven days a week. Set aside a little time for curating too, and remind yourself of the fact that without others we wouldn't earn squat. So, do unto others...
And finally - newbies - don't lose heart! And please don't leave! There's a magical all-embracing undercurrent to Steemit, and a wealth of people who value sincere bloggers like you. Perhaps you're just about to meet them! There's some excellent strategies suggested by @kiwideb in the 'Five Cs' box below, which I agree with wholeheartedly, and it may just be a way for you to find real friendship, real connection and a real reason to stick around :-)
Many thanks, much love.
(Shared with kind permission of @kiwideb - and you can too!)
I lurked on steemit for weeks before joining because I was intimidated by the pay out aspect of it! I have to say that while it is a teeny disheartening to see some of my posts only make .02 cents, it’s ok. I am inspired daily by the posts I see where charities are making money to continue their work. I am even more inspired by the people who have turned steemit into a full time income! I have had some really great comments on my posts (and some pretty spammy ones, but I expected that) I have only been here for a little over a week but I can see the path to mass adoption, regardless of the state of the crypto market right now. In fact I feel even more optimistic about the future of crypto since I started here because this was the first real life implementation of crypto that I’ve personally used! I have gotten 8 people signed up in the last week and everyone is eagerly waiting for their accounts to get registered. I know that this noob will be sticking around for a long time, regardless of the payouts on my post.
I completely understand what you say about feeling intimidated and disheartened @emmyem84, especially after seeing the attention and rewards of the top posts compared to your own as a 'minnow' just starting out, and I'm sure it's overwhelming. Like 'how on earth can I ever reach that level myself, and is it worth the effort of trying?' Perseverance is the key, patience and continuing to create really quality posts, regardless of the rewards or attention they get. It's still fairly early days for the blockchain and crypto (much of the mainstream world still isn't even aware of this alternative world!) and the future is looking bright indeed. It may seem very slow progress for a newbie right now, and snail pace in building up SP, but in a few months your account value could suddenly soar to being worth thousands. It's all ebbs and flows. Many of the people on Steemit right now will leave very soon, especially if they were in it for the money and they realise it's not a get rich quick thing. Or their ego had high hopes for fame and they're getting no attention. I like your optimism, and I have no doubt you'll feel the community change and settle some over the next few months, and you'll be so glad you're part of it! :-)
I'm glad this article came up on my feed, it certainly made me feel better. After a lot of joking about me getting a blog of my own he set one up for me for christmas. I don't really advertise my blog to friends and family because it's hard putting yourself out there. He told me that steemit would be a good place to share my recipes, actually get people to see them and to get feedback. I've only had an account for a couple of weeks, but there seems to be a lot of what you mention happening. It doesn't seem as if people actually care about my recipes or posts, just if I follow them and like their content. I've even had people write me when clearly they haven't read my post. I'm a little disheartened by the effort I put in and the fact that it doesn't seem like people enjoy my posts, and of course my content only generates a few cents. After reading this post, and the comments, I realize that there are people who feel the same as I do. You've also given me hope that I too will find the connections that I'm looking for, I just have to be patient. Thanks for the nice post!
Hi there @terril, I'm glad you found some reassurance in what I wrote! I know how hard it is starting out, and to put not just effort but heart into your posts only to find they make little and get little notice. After a few of these it seems hardly worth the trouble. With the price of crypto the last couple months it's attracted so many people to Steemit, and a lot of them are purely here for personal gain, and not remotely interested in community. So unfortuately that makes it harder for the new bloggers like yourself who genuinely desire community and connecting with like-souls, and want to share things that you know are worthy of more than a few votes. If recipes are your main area of interest, I highly recommend joining in with food contests, such as @lenasveganliving 'Fruits & Veggies Monday' contest, @progressivechef 'Steemit Iron Chef'... as these are very popular contests at the moment and the best way to get your own recipes noticed. You will find stacks of lovely foodies to connect with and they'll give you such wonderful feedback you'll be glowing! I used to host the Steemit Culinary Challenge, and many of the newbies that joined in then are making consistently high-earning posts now, after only a few months. Also, you'll soon notice that the 'foodies' are some of the nicest people on Steemit... if you like their posts they will usually visit your blog. I just had a really quick nosey at your blog and it's fantastic. Vegan, healthy, quality ingredients, beautiful photography... exactly what is loved in this community! I guarantee if you stick with it and reach out to others, you and your food will be embraced right back. Look out for lovelies like @lenasveganliving, @amy-goodrich, @plantstoplanks, @babettxx, @kotturinn, @kiwideb... and all who join in the food contests! You will do very well here, I have no doubt!
Thanks for the 5 C's of Steemians. I keep that on mind.
Although for me its not a problem, many users of steemit is not a blogger by heart or by profession. They are investors. Earning is their game.
As steemit matures along with its huge userbase, there will be some balancing factor. The content creator gives value to the technology, the investors push the technology to circulate the cryptocurrency into the market, thus invite more users.
As for me, I plan to do both. An aspiring blogger, and a hopefule investor in the steemit platform.
That is solid enough for me to stay for a very long time on steemit.
That's true what you say @guruvaj, many are here to earn and have little interest in community. And yes, I have no doubt what you say about Steemit maturing and bringing balance with it. It sounds like you have a good approach... passion and investment combined, with a long-term view rather than many who are here because they think they might get rich quick. I wish you all the best with your blogging!
I’m may not be good in blogging. But I already started blogging since the time of Geocities.
Helping others should be the topmost priority in steemit.
Stay strong brothers and sisters in steemit communities.
your post is great...i know some new from your post....i hope everybody like your post...thanks for shear it..
Thanks very much @rockykhan! I appreciate your kind words :-)
I like your attitude and gave you the triple whammy. I still wonder though about thing in regard to pay out or maybe I have no clue what "good" content is or maybe my writing style just sucks. It still hasn't stopped me from passing 150 post and I'm certain more to come. I may be an old dog but I can learn new tricks and I can find time to comment on post I enjoy. Maybe just maybe one day I'll write something that will catch a wave of notoriety, maybe not. I am who I am and I do what I do, so there ya go. 😝 It's my steemit too.
Blessings.
Thank you @spozone, you're very kind! You seem to have a good attitude too - yes, just be yourself and have patience and through sincerity your followers will steadily grow. The more you reach out to others, the more they will connect with you too. There's a lot of people posting garbage right now, and is part of the reason why quality posts aren't getting noticed, because they're swamped. It's also putting people off curating because they simply can't face scrolling through all the crap to find the gems! But in a little while the garbage will get less and less, as these bloggers will find they're not getting rewarded for it, and they will leave. With regards to 'good' content it's not something that can really be defined... I guess sincerity, interesting, easy to read, and if others can relate to it. The more you read the posts of others the more you know what's 'good'! I like what you said "It's my Steemit too" because you're so right. We are each able to shape this platform in our own unique ways, and the longer we stick around, the more apparent that becomes :-)
I love the 5 C's concept (will go give @kiwideb a follow when I'm done here). I wish they would send something like that out when you sign up for an account! Thank you for continuing to help water the Steemit "garden" with good content, support and your positive attitude! :)
She's great is @kiwideb, I think you'll really enjoy her blog :-) That's a great idea, if newbies got a 'welcome pack' with nice encouraging stuff like this in it... Maybe it would help new bloggers to be patient rather than expecting fame and fortune within a few weeks, and help give more of a positive long-term outlook. Hmmm. You should get yourself on the Steemit team... however one does that?!!! Love your 'watering the Steemit garden' image by the way, how beautiful! :-) Thank you for bringing sunshine once again to my post @plantstoplanks!
🌞🌞🌞😉
What you wrote is exactly what attracted me to SteemIt. I’ve committed to write every day and comment generously with real comments... for 30+ days. I’ll evaluate if it feels like what you describe it was at the beginning or not. I hope so.
Are you powering down because you no longer believe in the platform?
Sounds like a good plan @dlew! I'll be interested to read your evaluation after the 30 days is up! Perhaps you could do an interest series... review after 2 months, 3 months, and so on. In my experience/observation it can take several months to really build up a good following by which you can really judge things, but I love the idea. Especially, as you say, if you'll be writing every day and also curating every day too. These two things in balance are key to a successful blog and experience within the community. I had a real quick look at your blog and I'm very interested in what you're writing about... especially the Keto post. Anything to do with diet/health gets lots of attention, and all us health freaks/foodies love reading the experiences of others! More please!
I am following you now, but if when you do your 30 day post you notice I haven't commented, and if you think of it, would you please draw my attention to it? Maybe post a link into one of my comment threads. I follow so many people I miss great posts unless I'm told about them and it's a shame because I'm genuinely interested to find out what happens next! :-) All the best to you!
oh - also, no, I'm not leaving the platform. I have a very low income and and need Steemit earnings to top me up! I'd prefer to build it up but alas, sometimes we have no choice and I have a little boy to feed and clothe!
Good to hear that your staying. I look forward to your posts and especially your comments!
I’m here for both personal and business reasons (long form in my coming intro post) so that’s a great idea to document each month. Plus, I have ideas for improving the platform as it matures and plannon posting those thoughts.
Sounds great! Man with a mission :-) Well, I look forward to seeing what you accomplish in due course... good luck to you @dlew. I for one a behind any positive changes you may be able to bring about!
realllyyyy good article and i agree with everything! steem has always been though ups and downs :)) I hope this will help all the newbies and also oldies!! :)
Thanks very much Alla, I appreciate your lovely comment! Newbies probably look at your blog and think 'crikey, how can I compete' but thankfully you're one of the 'nice oldies' who still take time to comment and curate and welcome people and generally be encouraging! It makes all the difference, and because of that I have often pointed newbies in your direction. What's that saying about being nice to people on your way up... :-)
I guess I am not long enough here to realize all this Dear Joanna, so thank you for pointing it out XOXO
Yes, you arrived during quite a manic phase, not long after bitcoin had soared and there was a mad scrabble then for self-gain! Thank goodness you began your F&V contest, because actually (I was thinking this a couple days ago) you seem to have grown a little community within a community, full of lovely people who look after each other and give positivity and encouragement... it's really wonderful! You have not only created a beautiful experience for yourself, but for all who enters :-)
I have only started posting since September so I didn't have the experience you've had, but still I saw the changes since the bandwidth problem started. Many can't post, and so activities were limited! I get what you're saying, and I understand totally! We can only keep on trying..
I wish they'd do something about these restrictions, it can be quite frustrating. It can't have been as limited when I first joined, because I don't remember ever encountering the bandwidth problems and all that malarky. But last week, with my @make-it-healthy account I recently set up, after I'd upvoted and resteemed a few posts, I was unable to post my own thing and had to wait until the next day. You're absolutely right, we can only keep trying! At least these things get better over time when we've built up our whatever-it-is-that-we-have-to-build-up-becaue-I-am-not-so-savvy-on-the-technicalities! hehe :-)
If I am not wrong, the system is set up this way, so we can invest what we have back into it! It is tailored to the more you have, the more power you have kind of thing..The bandwidth problem only hits new users, and users with small SP, and VP.. This is how real life is, in-equality and separate levels every where!
Yep! Keeping us down at the low levels, just as in life, exactly as you say. I think soon enough more platforms similar to Steemit will emerge, and perhaps some of them might not be based on hierarchy. We'll see!
Yes, agreed. Lets not loose the good vibes Steemians. I've always felt like Steemit is more like a festival where you more than likely will be hugged before making it out of the parking lot like where Facebook is more like your corner bar where you get a thousand stares before even sitting down.
Absolutely @jaredlang! I feel the same about FB, it's awful. I don't like to hang out there at all, which is kinda strange since it's people I actually know and like in real life, but there's something about FB that feels creepy and unfriendly. Like you're being watched and judged. Not like Steemit at all! Hooray for Steemit that embraces us! :-)
Great job, friend @woman-onthe-wing!
Thanks so much @olga.maslievich! :-)
Good post!! I'll be back soon doing garden posts. It's been a long winter.
Hey there @garden-to-eat, nice to hear from you! It's been a very long winter here too.... seems to last from about September through to the next August hehe :-) I am eager to see more from your garden so I'm glad to hear you'll be posting soon!