Random Peppering of Comment Upvotes... and Time Zones and Changing Patterns
Sometimes I'm a little slow in the uptake.
I found myself thinking about the fact that a lot of people whose blogs I really enjoy seem to have gone to the uncertain pastures of the "No Longer Active" Steemians, or at least I don't see their posts in my feed anymore.
Dwarf lupine
Then I realized (that's the "slow" bit) that I no longer post — or am even online — during the hours where I was usually active when I started following these good people, often more than a year ago.
Time is a funny thing... it affects our days and activities in so many ways. Sometimes in ways we don't even realize.
These days, I am often sending my blog posts out last thing at night, US west coast time. Used to be I would get up and write, first thing in the morning and then be "there" during many most daylight hours.
Why the Change?
Pretty much every venture Mrs. Denmarkguy and I are involved in — three home businesses, her coaching practice, my art, our small gallery — have been experiencing fairly steep declines over the past 12-18 months, meaning that we're putting in longer hours and doing more work... simply to not lose ground.
Purple heather
I'm not sure what's going on in the greater world, but it seems we are not alone in this experience.
These days, having time for just one Steemit post a day is more of a "miracle," where 12 months ago having time for three was "not unusual."
Of course, overall activity on Steemit does seem to be down... I guess much as people may claim that they are "not here for the money," they are basically "here for the money."
Price of Steem goes down, so does their activity.
"Yeah, with the price of Steem being so low, I just went back to Farcebook..." Wait... WHAT? Did you just hear what you said? You just said that getting nothing for posting on Facebook is better than getting less-than-before for posting on Steemit.
Your logic is flawed. Please move back three spaces...
Yes, I realize that might not apply to YOU. And you, and you... and you.
But I think you get the drift...
Upvoting Random Comments: A "Lost Art?"
Maybe I'm out in left field... but I always have — and continue to — believe in the principle of "voluntary reciprocity."
It's basically a form of mindfulness, in my book.
Elder blooms
If I borrow the lawnmower from my neighbor, I return it cleaned and with a full tank of gas. And maybe a plate of Mrs. Denmarkguy's cookies.
Similarly, if someone takes the time and effort to write an authentic and engaging comment on my post, I take the time (to the best of my ability) to reply and give them an upvote.
What's so hard about that?
What's more — and this is really what led to my postponing other stuff to get this quick post out — when was the last time you gave an upvote to a really good comment on someone else's post, just because it was "really good?"
The thing is (getting back to the idea of "reciprocity"), you can't sit around and wait for someone to pay it forward to YOU, if you're not taking the initiative to pay it forward — voluntarily — to someone else.
Just something to think about!
How about YOU? Have you noticed that you get different "results" on your posts, depending on what time of the day you post? Have you had any lifestyle changes that have caused a shift in your posting patterns? How so? Do you randomly upvote really worthy comments on other people's posts? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
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hehehehehe!!! Had such a good giggle at that! But it is SO true, because people are so often so very fickle - and clearly very illogical too lol ;)
I would have to say that for myself, I have gone through several "post patterns" on Steemit over the last year. I used to pay a lot of attention to when I post and now I honestly don't worry about it at all. When my post is ready, I post it. It can "seem" at times that you are getting better feedback at certain times, but it has never really been consistent enough for me to be confident that it isn't just complete flook... so now I just don't worry.
I suppose there is also a little bit of "alternative" logic in that - in as much as now that I don't "really" have a post time pattern, I get to engage with larger amounts of people that I would possibly NEVER have engaged with "set timing" - and I quite like that :) Makes it a nice "all round the globe" kind of engagement....
Well, that's my thought process anyway haha :)
Seems to me your thought process is pretty sound and solid! Besides, you're pretty much a full-timer... at least it seems like "If @jaynie is awake, @jaynie is posting.* So there's that.
Yes, people are fickle. And definitely illogical... I probably am, too. But I increasingly just toss it all out there and we just get to see where it lands...
yes... I kind of like that approach - luck of the draw hahahaha!!! ;)
For me it is that Summer is my busiest time. On top of my usual daily art I have two cottages I let weekly (sometimes simply for a few nights) so that adds to my work load. Add to that my own idiotic choice to rebuild my website myself and the increased things I am trying to do in the digital world and it equals one post a day if I am lucky and not enough time to comment on everyone. Phew, and apparently not enough to make coherent sentences but just run ons et al.
I find it funny that people would choose FB for anything. I only go on there now to post a piece of my artwork like a few things and then I have to get off. I just don't have enough time nor want to use my precious ME time on it.
Even at the current price steemit is still an amazing thing and one in which I hope to see more of as the digital world and crypto earnings evolve.
Certainly sounds like you're working with a full plate. Sounds rather familiar... my relative "scarcity" around here these days are as often as not the result of my daily schedule.
I guess a lot of people are despairing because their illusions (delusions?) of "blogging for a living on Steemit" are turning out to actually not be any more feasible than "posting on YouTube for a living."
I still use FB, but only as a promotional tool for certain niche writing... because I happened to build a page there with 17K likes. Hard to turn my back on that.
Steemit remains an amazing opportunity; people just need to refocus the false idea that you're going to be handed $1000's on a plate for little work. Sound "too good to be true?" That's because it IS. Which is not to take anything away from the 50 or so people who ARE making a living here!
Exactly, and even if it gave one the 'income' of a small part time job at a cafe, say, then wouldn't you rather write and share your thoughts for some 'tip money' then just for free or actually slinging coffee? Who knows?
The human animal is an odd creature and the way they are 'formulated' today BY social media is a sort of set up to give them high expectations with low results. I think it is part of the system that keeps people hooked on it in the first place, but maybe I'm just crazy thinking that.
And of course if someone was an early adopter or has the right 'connections' they might be killing it on here, but that doesn't mean everyone can't enjoy it, right? I happen to really like the art collective on here. Being an artist and an introvert I honestly get something from this place that is not monetary, in that I feel a good connection with other creatives and I feel I have genuine 'chats' with people. I mean I suppose they could all be bots or just 'playing the game' but it's working for me, so I'm happy :)
As a fellow introverted artist, I really need to look more into the artistic end of Steemit. So far, I haven't really explored much of that angle; I also work with art daily through our small independent art gallery here.
A lot of what I get from Steemit is also non-monetary... a return to the kind of "Social Blogging" that was very popular around 1999-2005... I missed that format, and Steemit was a very timely arrival, in that sense.
I know, I'm sort of feeling that old school blogging love coming back because of steemit. I did a blog/project in 2009-11 when really blogging was just sort of beginning to peak out, but I had such a loyal band of followers and we'd look forward to our 'chats' in the comment section everyday, then it seemed to just all be eclipsed by the quick pointless quips of Facebook and then the emoji's and memes. Oh well. Maybe blogging will continue to come back with platforms such as steemit.
The first thing I generally do is look at replies, it takes a rather appealing headline to hit me to read it before I go take care of the people who took the time to reply to me. Maybe some day down the road I will find I have way to many replies to answer but those people took time for me so I am going to take the time for them. Showing people you care enough about what they have to say has been working well helping separate those who are only replying for the upvote/money then are gone from those who really want to develop interactions that develop mutual respect and admiration for each other's post regardless of stature.
Since this is a pretty part time gig for me, and I am having less and less time actually available to be part of this community, there are many days where I barely get to replying to the comments people have left for me.
As you say, comments are really a good way to sort out the people who care about community (and maybe content) from those who are just here to "click buttons for cash."
I don't much care about "rank." I've watched several of my followers post their earliest comments here with 20-something rep scores, and now they have passed me up and gone on to "greater things." Which is kind of cool... shows that doing something like that is totally possible.
Part 1: Comments have died because of a fear and scarcity culture that has developed on Steemit.
Part 2: My upvotes and the engagement on my posts is directly correlated to my comments made.on other posts. Often at a greater than 1:1 ratio.
Part 3: I upvote good comments anywhere I find them. Sometimes I upvote just because they made me laugh. Sometimes I explain why they got the upvote. Sometimes I leave it a mystery.
Part 4: Are you willing to upvote a really good comment even if they didn't upvote your post?
Numbered lists are awesome!
You touch on something that leaves me feeling a little "heavy" these days, namely the seeming growth of "scarcity culture" here. And much of it is meaningless and illogical. Even a year ago, there was far more of a cooperative and "pay it forward" sentiment here; now it seems limited to little "pockets" of people who still feel hopeful... but they are fewer and harder to find, it seems.
From the sound of things, you're focused on engagement, which is cool... and pretty much my own approach. Any rewards made are pretty much "tips."
And yes, I will upvote a post, regardless of whether they upvoted my post... value is value; either the comment has value to me, or it doesn't.
I'm a great believer in reciprocity and am surprised how few practice it. It's not uncommon here to find that someone who bemoans the lack of engagement will have made 10 votes in a week, half of them for himself.
I can't imagine not giving a reply and a vote to anyone who comments on my blog and yes, I do upvote comments on other people's blogs, particularly if they make me laugh.
Reciprocity rocks!
Some users on this platform are just really selfish... at least that's may term for it. But maybe they just have completely different motivations from me.
Like this one poster who'd very "conscientiously" give a tiny upvote to everyone who left a comment, then would reply "Thank you for your comment!" and then lay a $1.00 upvote on all her own "thank you's."
Seriously?
I will tell you this: part of the reason I make sure to at least read (and often comment) on your posts is precisely because you take the time to read and reply to the feedback!
I am too new to have noticed a decline in participation or a difference in time of day that I post, but I do wish there were a better alternative for my feed. So much so that I have started dabbling with JavaScript to try and design one. Too often I feel like I am missing out on something that got buried - and I only follow 40ish accounts!
Thanks!
Well, the discussion of how the Steemit "content discovery" tools are rather lacking was already going when I first got here... and that was January 2017.
The primary thing we're missing — and potentially also the easiest "fix" from a coding perspective — is to allow each user to put the people they follow into "groups" just like you can with your friends on Facebook and your followers on twitter. And it's up to you to create the groups in ways that are meaningful to you, and name those groups what you wish.
This would then allow us to create custom feeds "by category:" Perhaps things like "contests," and "photographers" and "crypto advice" or whatever makes sense. Then when you click on your group, it brings up a feed of most recent posts from people in those groups. You can even have an "interesting but inactive" group to check once in a while.
Nice idea! Yeah that would be much appreciated.
For the first pass, I’m basically just building out a “reading list” feature. So it gets populated from your feed, but you can save stuff to your list or get rid of it. Once I have a prototype up and running I’ll be sure to post about it!
Sounds awesome... sitting around and waiting for Steemit to "do something" is probably going to lead to an early grave...
I do see some change in interaction and upvote value depending on the timing of a post. My best time of the day to post is usually between 10AM and noon. I have had some great upvotes unexpectedly in the late evening, but that has been rare. I also receive some great interaction at all times, because of my ability to communicate with Indonesian members of the Steem community.
I am trying to remember that I am receiving the same amount of SP and SBD for my effort. It is just the USD value that has decreased. If USD values increase again, I will be happy about my consistent posting.
Keep pressing on. I hope you find success in all of your ventures.
Sounds like you have a pretty good thing going @sumatranate, being part of two very distinct communities. What prompted my post was the realization that a lot of the people who "used to" visit my blog no longer do... because most of my new content doesn't hit their feeds while they are awake, anymore.
I finally managed to get a (this) post out during morning hours, US time... and a whole new set of people suddenly checked in and engaged, which was pretty cool!
I believe steadiness is ultimately the best strategy on Steemit... I kept going through 7-cent Steem, and have no regrets about that!
@denmarkguy, Firstly, i want to appreciate your thoughts because you've thinking so realistic and every aspects are analytical, and yes we have to read our life.
If people say that they are not here for money then there is no reason they left the Facebook. Everyone is here for money but over the time this Sphere will develop other aspects too.
For me Steemit played great role and I've joined with 0 Investment and today i have more than 500 Steem Power in 9 months just powering up my rewards. So here we are getting returns for our hard work and for sure Steemit have changed many lives.
I am here to stay for long run that's why no matter what happens i am active and will be active because it's just matter of time, and if we stood strong in tough times then good times will going to give great essence.
Wishing you an great day and stay blessed. 🙂
Thank you @chireerocks!
Sure, "everyone" is here for the money but the question is whether you came here to develop a social content profile that just happens to reward, or you came here because you can make money and the fact that it happens to be a social content site is completely coincidental. Different approaches.
I was looking to start a new blog when I came across Steemit and would have done so regardless... probably on WordPress... but the idea of getting rewarded in cryptocurrency was intriguing, so I started here.
Looks like you have done quite well for yourself, building a good stake!
Welcome, and great to read your response. Yes, i gave my true time and effort without any financial investment, and in return I've earned effective part in my opinion. 🙂
I am one of the few people on steemit who always upvote good comments. Like you basically said with the lawn mower analogy, it is the right thing to do.
My upvote is pretty much worthless right now, only 3 cents but i try to make sure I give atleast a 1 cent upvote on any decent comment even though many times the upvote i got on my post from that person is smaller than what I give them.. because once again, its the right thing to do regardless of how they treat me..
I have never understood why people get discouraged about the little money here but go back to fb? Maybe its because they are falling back in with the normal crowd (the sheeple).. I will never go back but I am guilty of not putting in as much effort since the numbers have dropped because it seems like no one cares right now and thats hard when u pour ur heart and soul into an amazing article and make next to nothing on it..
I have tried posting at all different times this past month and it doesnt seem to make a difference at all :/ but i know when bitcoin takes off again steemit will get busy again cuz like u said, most people are here for the money whether they stay it or not..
howdy today @denmarkguy! very interesting and thought-provoking post as always, pretty good for not having much time anymore. Just yesterday reddragonfly commented the same thing about declining art gallery sales and people working twice as hard just to keep their nose above water.
I dream of the day when I can upvote great comments like you talk about but right now, with the level of engagement I'm at, trying to keep sp at 50% and only using 50% voting power I still drain my sp power to 40% or lower each day.
But how you do your voting is my goal. Thanks so much for your thoughtful and analytical post and have a great weekend sir!
Greetings @janton! I appreciate that your approach would be a little different. Assuming for a moment that I even had the time to leave 1000 comments a week, I simply wouldn't have the voting power and SP to leave a meaningful comment for that many contributions, so I pretty much keep to the "core" of people who interact with my posts... and then a "sprinkling" to everybody else as time allows.
Of course, with the price of Steem being on the low end these days, the voting power doesn't go as far as it once did.
Hope your weekend is a good one, as well!
thank you sir for your thought on this and for advice you've given before which I treasure! have a blessed weekend too!