Don't know if you are familiair with that game where you whisper a message in somebody's ear, and that one has to tell it to the next person besides them. And so on, until the last one in line has to say it outloud. Such fun, such awareness, there is a wise lesson to be learned from that company game. And I though this only accounted for messages that were passed through from mouth to ear. It gets mashed up along the way, oh the laughter, oh the joy, fun days, back then. Then it became clear to me, lately, that it does not only account for the mouth to ear. A distorted message can lead a life on it's own, only by getting innitiated. That is what rumours are about, not many people question a 'flag' when it has been raised by some that claim to be an 'autority'.
When panic strikes you know that whatever the reason was to raise 'a flag' does not matter anymore. Because panic took over and people will not be able to use that grey matter properly anymore. That is how crowd manipulation works. When we are in fear, never mind it to be true, our brain will be powered down. It is a natural phenomena, but it can be manipulated if you know how to indulge fear. When it gets triggered there is not much you can do about it. Any human being is affected by that, so including me. That is why I stopped reading, listening and watching mainstream media, when I became aware of that effect.
So, when we are tricked into 'angst' mode, our brain activity gets powered down. Because thinking can take a lot of energy. And in case of an emergency we need all the energy we can get to be able to either: freeze, flee or fight. Without thinking about it, it is our animal instinct that takes over. And I know that some consider this not to be true, but we are still animals, self aware, human race, but still have our instincts in case of an emergency. That is the main reason that we can sometimes think afterwards how it was possible what we did when panic hit us. And I know that sometimes it can safe ones life in real day to day danger situations. But, when there are people who know how to manipulate this, than we are in real danger. Because we lose our sense of logic right away.
And it can have an avalanche effect when somebody only starts to shout: "FIRE!", even it there is none, maybe just some smoke to be seen. A lot of other people will get scared right away and run in blind panic. While others would get frozen in fear, or start a fight, for no apparant reason. In huge masses this can cause very extreme sad situations. It is not difficult to understand why sick minds do so on purpose. It is meant to cause as much havoc as possible. It is a sad part of our day to day reality that we have to deal with those elements in our human kind. Those people who cause this are captured inside. True free human beings would never ever do this, because they would never cause havoc because they are told too by a so called 'authoritiy', 'governance' or 'leader'!
Just get the facts straight before joining the panic
In case of the Steem(It) panic, caused by some Bitcoin fanatics their slander campaign, it would help if those in panic first would face facts with dignity. Maybe first count to ten, then react. Ask what interest those who started the slander could possibly have if it created havoc in the Graphene based blockchain realm? Now, why would Bitcoin fanatics have a reason to cause damage on purpose to something like SteemIt? Actually I did watch video's, so called 'debates' and I plowed through the ongoing Twitter slander party. Even looked at all the so called 'evidence' that was brought in. That just appeared to me as a lot of cynical rubbish. But come on now, where is the proof!? Convince me, 'curses'!!! Then I will not panic, but simply leave, it will be a choice of my own free will.
But you see, just because somebody is a so called self acclaimed 'authority' on anything, does not mean I take anything for grantage. Or being an expert on one thing, does not make you an expert on that other thing. If you are good with gasoline based car motors from the 60's does not make you a Tesla car motor expert. You could have an opinion on that, but that's it. First prove to me you know how a Tesla based car motor works, build one yourself, and I might start to be convinced. But if you just start to shout that Tesla cars are bad and you know because you have got an old T-Ford, that just makes no sense to me. You are still free to shout whatever you want though. Even when I'm convinced it is stupid, and I will explain to you why. But not a big chance you will listen, actually...
In case of Steem(It), or the underlaying Blockchain technology Graphene, you could start shouting that it is bad. Even by claiming you are an expert in Bitcoin, Etherea or whatever. And some will respond in blind panic. If you wanted to cause just havoc then you are about to succeed, and so it goes. Even people in the attacked platform will comply and start to join in the panic, throwing more coal on the fire. It gets worse when they only start to repeat parts of it and just proof that they did not get it either. Just read some post about it not being transparant. What is that about? Get your facts straight, learn, not just parrot about anything you read, hear or see!
If you want to do more then just blogging at SteemIt, then you'd have to start digging deeper into the matter that is the Graphene blockchain technology. And you won't get it by going trough a few whitepaper pages and just start complaining that is too complex for you, so it cannot be right... Come on, any idea how stupid that looks, and the point one wanted to make witht that? Yes, I know, there are a lot that responded to that with blind believe, but that does not change the truth now does it!? Really, because that is all that has been done. A Bitcoin fanatic, claiming to know it all, just by going through a few pages. Yes, it is different from the way Bitcoin works! And guess what, that's why I'm here!
It really struck a nerve, yes, that is true
If I were to call Quantum Mechanics a fraude just because I would claim that I only got Classic Mechanics, and that is how it is the only way to be, would you repeat my words, just like that? Maybe you would, because Quantum Mechanics scares you, but does that 'gut feeling' have a scientific base to it? And it you actually mean that you just want to enjoy reality the way it is, then don't get into Quantum Mechanics in the first place. But you cannot just shout then that it must be rubbish because some Classic Mechanics 'expert' told you so. And I'm really done with people even here at SteemIt who fit this analogy perfectly.
You don't have to understand it to be able to use it. And if you do not understand it, don't judge it before you can verify that you actually do. Have met dear fellow Steemers that want to learn, those who ask questions, without judgement. Those people I like, because they do invest time and energy to actually learn. That will pay off in the future, maybe not here on SteemIt, but anywhere, anytime and not even in what you might call money...
About the title, well, you'd have to dig deeper into the matter that still appears to be Bitcoin called: Elements. It made me laught out loud. Just look it up in a search engine and be amazed! Yes, the one pegging sideways is indeed Bitcoin, but a fair warning to all those who just want to judge upfront, but don't want to invest in knowledge: it is quite a difficult whitepaper. But once you get it, you'll laught out loud rolling on the floor at the Elements way of 'witnessing' for example. Oh dear sweat irony, seems like you struck gold there...
... and the truth shall set you free!
I completely agree with your point of view. Good post.
Thank you @oldtimer!
First Upvote. Just read the a couple of paragraphs find it very nicely written @oaldamster
Thank you @funnyman. Actually wrote kind in a rage. But I'm now ZEN again. Glad you like it.
Very well written! Thanks for this perspective on the whole thing.
Thank you @norbu, you're welcome.
I read it and I can see well enough the price is at 0.9ish USD. It doesn't exactly constitute a panic. I think actually it's just a shakeout of the early investors, who went whale, botvoted each other to oblivion (dispersing their vote power, on a whose bot is cleverer basis), and all these people are running away with each other's money. And a reddit-storm is going on now about 'i told you so' or some such nonsense.
At least that's my best surmise.
The platform is still in beta, and there has been, since it all started in may, changes that have sought to limit the power of these robo-whales. But in the end the market might solve the problem by reducing the risk appetite of investors. Nothing screams 'get it while the going's good' like a way overvalued asset.
Not only that, but it might do something to settle down this get-rich-quick-by-writing nonsense that ignores the simple fact that without investment and people vesting, there is no place the money can be coming from.
I don't think the platform is 'crashing and burning' but rather this is the late stages of a correction and once the market that remains after that initial gold rush dies down, there will be consolidation and a steady growth as necessary changes are made that improve the game-resistance of the system.
Thank you for your analysis @l0k1, to some extend I agree that it could be considered some sort of 'natural reset'.
Steem(It) can continue, no matter the current or future market price. If that was something that I cared for then I allready would have started powering down.
The reason I wrote this was because I've had it with that part that is slandering in panic. Causing havoc, not in the sense of value, but in joy mostly. Damaging this beautifull awesome thing called SteemIt. And the way it is done I consider dishonest.
But you do make an optimistic Point. When the storm has gone, the ones who stayed will rebuild it even better.
If you dont mind me stating it like that. ;-)
But now it is time to Move my energy forward on my bicycle.
I also have been reading in another thread discussing the issue of Whales with voting bots. There is no simple way to stop this from happening, but the problem is, it's a way for someone with a lot of money to come in, power up, vote hard for a month or so, cashing out all along the way (reducing the market cap and price) and then power down and commence another process of slowly pulling even more out of the system.
The discussion thread is here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@craig-grant/steemit-developer-curation-experiments-brace-yourselfs-major-changes-are-coming#@l0k1/re-craig-grant-steemit-developer-curation-experiments-brace-yourselfs-major-changes-are-coming-20160827t104457835z
I opined that the curation rewards need to be scrapped altogether, because, above all else, they are contrary to the principles of a decentralised system, they aim towards centralising the vote patterns, instead of letting humans vote on what they like and have that rise to the top naturally. Secondary, and what the topic addresses, is the fact that this system can be gamed and no way that does not interfere with human voting will fix it.
By the way, I lived for 15 months in Amsterdam. I was stuck in the homeless trap the bureaucracy and laws create, and while with my citizenship I was able to get a payment, I could not really get and/or hold a job, maybe I could have moved elsewhere but then my money would have been cut off, and in the end I went with a dutch homeless friend to southern italy, where he stole my ID and bank cards, and left floundering, I came up with a hare-brained scheme to travel to Ukraine, and as winter fully set in, I ended up in Sofia, where I have been slowly but surely able to get back up on my feet, living in a house, I had a job for a time but now I am working to make doing what I love my way of making a living.
I loved the Netherlands, but if you aren't rich you can't establish yourself there. I knew I could establish myself in Sofia, having lived here long enough previously, knowing enough of the language, etc. I did learn quite a bit of Dutch when I was in Amsterdam though, without even trying. It's an easy language for english speakers and I especially find the funny phonetic system very quaint and cute. So much old english and old high german still in it.
Thanks for your extensive reply @l0k1, appreciate it. Will read the post you mentioned later.
At one point I thought it would be better to have one Steemer one vote. And the votes would count. But what need for Steem Power then. Except dividend like payments maybe? Maybe let reputation count for bot or no bot detection? Well, it would have implementions.
You had some extreme experiences in your life allready. Amsterdam can be tough, specially without Cash. If you are more in the East/North of Nederland life is cheaper. Still it is extensive. Bad how you got crossed over by somebody you trusted. Hope you do well in Sofia.
Nederlands grammer I do find difficult, hahaha. But it indeed has some English and German resemblances.
You seem to know a thing or two about Old languages. Find Germanic ones easier to learn than Roman ones.
Groeten uit Winschoten!
@oaldamster Thanks - I was panicking, too .. but then keeping poised or maybe not - . But you are right - I panicked because it's an unknown turf - I don't get whale talks, yet. Should go to whales' school. This just put me back on track and reminded me to
plus what we focus on abounds. All I know is I have nothing to lose in Steemit and in fact - I already made several wins - not only in measurement of steemdollars or steem power . I've met several honest and warm heart virtual friends here in Steemit.
Thanks @englishtchrivy, it is best to keep calm indeed, we are bigger than our worries.
That is a positive look at SteemIt you describe and I agree, let's Steem on!
Ja!!!Full Steem ahead :D
well they say the best time to buy is when there is blood in the streets ;)
Hahaha, Always look for the Bright side of Life...
Hey i want to let you that i really like the way you have written this post. Keep it up. :)
Thanks @shubham1696! :-)