RE: Self-voting user list since HF19 - PART 2 (comments)
This is why I love Steemit so much because the debate between you two just wouldn't happen on any other platform.
I've read every comment spanning 4 days, and I must say you've both entertained me and you've also both had some good points. (I did actually vote both of you a number of times but there was some maintenance going on so I don't think my votes registered)
Essentially you both make some good points, @financialcritic is right in some respects. Buying $20k worth of Steem is good for the system as it has the potential to drive the price up, especially if lots of people do it.
I guess in that situation self voting is a way of getting some kind of ROI, especially in a situation whereby the price is falling.
Whilst I also agree with a lot of @calamus056's points, the fact remains that the change from exponential to linear voting has gone some way to achieve @dan's original plan, which was to get people to buy Steem and power up.
Under the old rules, buying $20k worth of Steem to power up would not have been worth it from an influence point of view. That amount of money still made you a minnow, so obviously nobody did it.
I'm still not sure where I stand, at the beginning of your debate I was with @calamus056, however I was swayed by @financialcritic's reasoning.
For me I have no problem with self upvoting, or even "selfish" self upvoting if like @financialcritic you have put a lot of fiat investment into the system. My problem comes when people who have been here since last year and still have lots of that easy SP they gained, selfishly voting themselves.
Although I do concede that that might just be a byproduct of something that is ultimately a good thing, and that is encouraging people to invest.
I hope you don't leave @financialcritic, you've made lots of good points over this debate, and I see you as adding value to the system.
The last thing I will say, is that I saw a name on this list on one of the older posts, which isn't here anymore. That name is somebody who has continually gained the system, and in fact has made multiple posts in how to game it, which I don't think is good for us.
Anyway, his inclusion in the list seems to have shamed him into doing the right thing, he is a large SP holder and talks the talk about helping others, this report may just have nudged him into actually walking the walk as well!
Once more, great debate guys. Keep Steemin'!!
Thanks for the comment and for reading! Not planning to leave...still debating what to do w the SP. Just have gotten busy w RL last week or so....wifey wants to upgrade the house before baby arrives.
Thanks for the kind reply :)
As for the investment argument, that's irrelevant since it doesn't change anything about how bad self-voting is. It's always bad, no matter how much someone invested, if any at all.
This debate isn't as much about what's currently possible within the protocol, it's more about working towards improving the incentive to vote on others, for example by increasing the curation rewards potential to far above a self-vote when voting on the right content. This would even increase the incentive to buy STEEM power in my opinion.