Last days were very intense to me. A few weeks ago I was a Steemit outsider and quickly became passionate about the driving ideas behind this platform. I am moved and willing to participate in the makings of it.
Decided, I buckle down to understand the workings of Steemits's gracious engine and Inevitably, a strong criticism on voting-bots just built up on my mind. To short the argument, voting-bots are affecting the pools reward distribution and acting as promoters of low-quality content.
Believe me, I was ferociously reading posts about this theme, interacting with many other community members who share similar opinions, and I got a feeling that this might be an important issue to brainstorm and think about.
From the Steemit FAQ "What is Steemit.com?" we read a community where users are rewarded for sharing their voice.
Followed by "How does Steemit works?" Users who hold more tokens in their account as "Steem Power" will get to decide where a larger portion of the rewards pool is distributed.
Readers, I really hope to hear your thoughts about that, because I saw too much activity which is in conflict with the latest statements. Large holders of Steem Power are now selling their valuable votes in exchange for promoting dubious-quality-content. I remember reading a community member stating that "This is Capitalism, and I am fine with that" but actually, I can't believe Steemit was built for being a Capitalism-Driven business model for whales associated to voting-bots.
Steemit was built as a community where users are rewarded for sharing their voice with reward distribution according to the community curation. Indeed, curation happens to be one of the most valuable human-inputs from this platform, together with the content production itself!
Latter on FAQ we read "How does Steemit differ from other social media websites?" While most social media sites extract this value for the benefit of their shareholders, Steemit believes that the users of the platform should receive the benefits and rewards for their attention and the contributions they make to the platform.
I believe the community needs to re-think more seriously about this last point because what is currently happening in Steemit seems the exact opposite. Whales running voting-robots, which pay no attention to the post-content, are ruining the human-curation system and the fair distribution of rewards. Human-Curation is losing its value due to abusive voting-bots!
How is that even allowed here?!!
Still in the FAQ page we have the question "Why are people getting vastly different rewards?" to with adds the answer Most of the authors that you see earning high rewards are users that have spent a lot of time in the network building followings, making connections with others, and developing a reputation for bringing high-quality content. This is for sure one of the basic concepts powering Steemit platform, but we all know very well that it is under threat.
Currently, what we see is that whale-bots are promoting low-quality content to the trending page. And we know very well this is a Huge abuse over one of the most important community-driven concepts of _building followings, making connections with others, and developing a reputation for bringing high-quality content _.
To my current understanding, abusive-voting-bots are the biggest threat to this community, even more than the flag-censorship issue (to which I think steemians are already moving forward to address, improving towards a better balance. Check this post from @taskmaster4450 about it )
Please, readers, this is my humble opinion. I would like to hear what you have to say about the situation. Let us talk and build understanding, not hate.
b.b.
Link to article series:
The unprecedented value of Human Curation on Steemit * A Manifest
Voting-bot torment * A Human-Curator Manifest * Part Two
Steemit New Addicted User: First Impressions on Whales and Bots
The pimping of your voting power for SBD or Steem is the only part of bots that is causing the problem. It violates the terms of service. Such creates a problem for the agents as everything that occurs outside of the terms of service creates the condition of an agent being responsible and their own Principal. Thus the arbitration clause within the terms of service, which protects them is really what is under attack by the pimps.
When a bot owner includes standards of acceptable writing they support the terms of service and the proof of brain concept. So the difference is easily seen. One merely has to realize that it is the living beings attention on a post that raises the value, to get that bots have a use, but it is not a use when pimping vote power. I am hoping that a hard fork that places a blockchain captcha solution to voting occurs soon enough to limit the problem. Such would create the conditions expressed in the terms of service and protect our agents with the arbitration clause more fully.
Looking forward to seeing an implementation of this kind. The "blockchain captcha" is a concept already floating in the minds of many community members, and is our duty to discuss and work towards its implementation.
As soon as it does, Steemit will certainly have its groundbreaking potential unleashed.
Human Curation is an essential part of Steemit's inner machinery; polishing it can only result in growing adoption and creation of valuable-contents.
b.b.
If it happens everyone will loose the ability to vote automatically, which is not good. Everyone's vote and comments will skyrocket in value. I don't know that in the end it will make much difference in the amount of steem the individual accounts can acquire. It will however prevent the eventual closure of the blockchain and steemit in particular over the loss in value the content will have if they are allowed to continue vote sells.
Hi @aconsciousness , I just think this cote might fit the discussion Bots are convenient for some, but that comes at a cost of destroying the fundamental concept to which this platformed is based on, the so-called "Proof of Brain", which is the basis for the distribution of Rewards (Steem tokens) when a new block is produced in the Steem blockchain. , from another post -Link Here- discussing the subject with an eye to the Steem Blue Paper.
I upvoted your reply, because human interaction has value. I both appreciate your interest in this subject, and wish to motivate the discussion further.
I keep following your work. I just went through the God Speaks to me, and I think you are a great writer. Your post deserves much more attention and rewards. And that would be true, if dumb voting-bots were removed.
As you well said killing the automated voting-bots "will however prevent the eventual closure of the blockchain and steemit in particular over the loss in value the content will have if they are allowed to continue vote sells" and that is the main point.
Steemit might lose, driven by the loss in value the content will have.
Receber, 75% of the Steem produced in each block should go to Writers and Curators. This is the basis of the so called "Proof of Brain" system.
Meaning that, when you Post or Upvote content, you are actually MINING in this platform.
Both Posts and Upvotes are Human-Inputs.
If Upvotes now become autonomous, governed by Voting-Bots, the basis of Pool Reward distribution is threatened. Actually, it is already under siege.
And yes, as you well said Everyone's vote and comments will skyrocket in value if autonomous dumb voting-bots are eradicated.
You know why there would be a skyrocket in all content value? Because this platform has real-valuable, interaction between people has huge value, and that is what bots are ripping out of our Steemit community.
b.b.
That is the real problem. The paying for up votes is not something a writer can compete with. Bot's cannot create original content, but it is apparent that bots can destroy the advantage creating original content is. May the solution be implemented soon, cause to be honest I not only don't want to communicate with a bot, I am not interested in competing with them either. Dogged determination only last for so long.
I love steemit and the community, and as a result am hanging on with determination. When the determination is gone so will I be and I suggest that I am not the only one who feels this way.
For sure you are not the only one, and that is why we must start gathering for war. Change will not come from thin air.
b.b.
@trufflepig
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Bots are the epitome of crony capitalism - add no value but take profit.
Haters are gonna hate. tossers! lol
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