An unreserved reputation
A few minutes back my Steem reputation clicked over to 78 and that makes me the 37th wisest and most loved person on Steem.
@flamingirl is even more loved and trusted:
oh....
Yeah, reputation doesn't really mean much. Case in point:
@paulag posted about reputation a few minutes back and it reminded me of some thoughts I had and also of a screen grabs I took of some pages of Steem when I first started out that were saved for some reason as offline copies.
An account less than a year old with a rep of 65+ for sure smells like a bidbot user.
@paulag
I don't have the phone anymore but these were from somewhere around the end of March to mid-April 2017 and since I joined at the tail end of January, it means that my reputation went from the starting 25 to 64 in about 3 months.
These were the kinds of results I was getting:
Look at this beast!
Now, the thoughts Paula reminded me of were from a couple days ago when I was thinking about those early months on Steem when I was still green, and Steemit was still blue. I didn't know about voting trails, I didn't know there were such things as automated comments, I didn't know about the circlejerks and the abuse of trusted stake being used to empower a small group charged to distribute Steem, didn't know about the politics, or witnesses, didn't know how the voting worked, or about stake, didn't know how to get steem on or off the platform, didn't know about blockchains or cryptocurrencies, didn't know about even a little of very much. I was so very, very naive.
Good times.
and how times have changed.
Now I don't much of anything other than these things. However, I haven't changed much of my behavior on the platform and for coming up to 3 years, I have written what I like, voted what I want, and interacted as me. I have fought for things, I have fought against thing, I have added very personal content and I have written an absolute mass on, about and most importantly, for Steem and, I think that while some might disagree, I have earned my reputation.
One of my favorite quotes of the last few months is from Ricky Gervais:
“Reputation is what strangers think of you and character is what your friends know you are”
While I have earned my reputation on Steem, I think that my character hasn't been hidden away in an attempt to defraud the good people of Steemlandia into thinking I am something I am not. I haven't plagiarized, I haven't stolen, I haven't abused a delegation, I haven't thrown a hissy fit when my posts do poorly, I haven't been in a voting circle (I have turned one or two down though), I haven't link dropped in chats, I haven't freaked out during a hardfork, rage quit as prices dropped, cried at flags and while I can get frustrated, I have been pretty well behaved in general.
All I have done is what I do.
I write, I interact, I try to help some people where I can. KISS, I have kept it simple stupid.
Perhaps that is the problem.
Everyone loves a comeback story. So much so, some people have quit for greener pastures only to come back to Steem, 2, 3 or 4 times already. My heroes.
It is a funny thing that you see played out especially in the media and on the internet when some star has bravely fought drug addiction, alcoholism or wife beating to come back better than ever - applauded, revered, a survivor. How come no one gives a shit about all the people who never became an alcoholic, drug-taking, wife beater in the first place?
Boring.
People who aren't big enough assholes in some way don't get the attention of the masses because well, they blend into the masses of people. These days being an ass is about the only skill that doesn't get old as when it comes to the creative talents, it gets old very fast, and copied even faster.
I remember one famed Steemian at SteemFest in Poland who after a few drinks at a bowling alley came to me and said that they had tried to match my output, and didn't last the week. It ain't easy being green.
I think that my greenness is one of the reasons I like this place so much because rather than know it all, each day I can come here and learn something new, about something new and in many ways, it is what keeps me "young".
"You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running."
Christopher McDougall
This is where my thoughts had started the other day as I have for over a year now tried to cut down on my content creation and just chill, but I can't. It isn't an addiction, but it is compelling and I get so much value out of the process that I find that I don't think clearly when I haven't written enough for a day or two.
I also feel that if I stop, I might never start again.
I haven't missed a day unless forced by the chain being down (too often) in over two years and even the times when my daughter has been in hospital I have posted, because it helps me though my thoughts. While people worry about earnings and I write about those aspects too, the real value for me is that writing helps me be a better person and Steem gives me the tools and incentives I need to keep going.
Steeming is a flow state for me and while I struggle to get a page out at work, I can write non-stop on Steem - no matter what my mental condition is at any given time. While I have put time, effort and a fair amount of money into Steem, the return on investment is an immediate and direct improvement in myself, my thoughts, my feelings, my attitude of the future and the knowledge and motivation to find a pathway to get there.
If I was here and didn't feel there was the possibility to improve myself and the general conditions, I wouldn't do it and while strangers might see my reputation, those who know me my character - the only thing I know is that if I am going to work at something, I m going to do my best.
Even if my best isn't good enough.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
But deserved, if we're talking proof of work here. Don't know anybody else who posts like this. I've told you a lot that even for the motivational value if not the actual perspective on everything, there's a reason to read all those. I got tabs open with unread posts of yours, waiting their time :)
Close them all, do something useful with your time instead.
Finding out new things is the most useful thing I can think of in general. I gotta find out how I will manage to do all that needs to be done tomorrow when I have only about 18 hours awake with 10 of them an assignment...Also gotta prepare some best five of me for my part in an exhibition but I don't want to repeat already exhibited stuff. Here, what's written is half done ;) Right? No...But good night, anyway :)
Good luck with all that! :D
Good night.
This is quite plainly obvious in the way you write, which is why your posts are generally very enjoyable to read. Your content is seldom purely Steem-centric. When you write about Steem you never discuss it as something separate from the rest of your life. It is important to discuss the ways in which Steem can add value to our lives and not just monetarily.
It would drive me crazy if it was. What I find is that because of the economy and community here, much of Steem mirrors real life and while perhaps I might be looking for similarities, I do tend to find a lot of parallels. It is one of the reasons I am so bullish on steem as work it out here, work it out there.
An organic 73 for me. It could have been higher but I didn't use OCD. I only said that because it rhymed.
I'm taking the day off today, from posting. Coming back from a long break is difficult. The last month or more of my most recent long break, every day, all I did was think about coming back. The thoughts wouldn't leave my mind but it was difficult to get back into the groove. The part of the break where I was away from all internet connections was nice. I don't think that's for everyone though.
I'd be around 75 or so if not for ocdb I think, but it is because I post so much, even though my earnings haven't really been anything to write home about on an individual post, most of the time.
I could quite happily do off internet for a while, though I think the first day might be hard. I have sometimes thought about taking a week off and still writing but, it makes no sense really.
When the thoughts don't leave the mind, it is best to process them.
For a long time, with my one post per day approach, it felt like I was going in reverse. That number did not want to move! lol
While I was away, the day felt less rushed. Fewer distractions meant I could focus more on one thing at a time, even if it was something simple like slowly waking up and getting a coffee. I was more in the moment. Those were the thoughts I'd process.
Now I have the reverse problem. I came here to write about teaching myself Python by posting my code journey and I just haven't given myself the kick to do it. I have met some awesome people and learnt something new each day, so not a complete waste, but that is just another excuse.
I just need to stop saying tomorrow and make it today. Thanks for a place to try my hand at writing and to come out of my shell some.
Get on it. I think part of the problem with many is that when posting a theme, they themselves feel the repetition and the audience doesn't respond so much so it feels a bit pointless. I enjoy writing, but I also enjoy interacting and having a little fun around the place, exploring the corners and discussing what I find. I like to integrate parts of my life and interests into each post in some way so I myself can relate to it. I find those who just tell the news, don't seem to love what they do and that shows in the way they approach their audience.
I have so many similar memories from when it was all blue.. Keep doing what you do is all we can do. :O)
One day there will be themed retro days to return the UI to what it was... it won't be hard ;D
Now Steemit turns green, and your post makes me feel blue. ;)
I hear purple is the colour of sexual frustration.
78 is still a nice number to look at here though 👏
If I remember correctly, each lever is 1.5x harder to get than the last. it moves pretty slowly now.
I'll just have to upgoat you more often then :)
Damn you look old :-/
Not as old as I feel....
Reputation is the absolutely most important thing here, yet I see no one even talking about solutions to it. I somewhat regret starting this game instead of working on my reputation idea. This is especially true considering the new 50/50 curation system.
Decentralized reputation is where it's at. I still haven't flagged anyone. If my rep system was in place I'd be able to give people who I value the permissions to cast my vote. There are a bunch of free resources on the table right now that aren't being utilized because of a lack of organization.
I agree, though not in its current form. One day there will be more data that forms it that more accurately describes trust.
Hard work paid off😉Well done!
Posted using Partiko iOS
Well, I have a high rep, not sure about paid off :D