WHAT IS YOUR TIME WORTH?
Would you rather spend your time on twitter or Facebook than getting an education? Would you rather work at a job that pays you peanuts than spending those long hours developing your business? Would you trade off immediate gratification for future prospects?
How much is your time worth really?
Time is the currency of life and life is a mall with a million and one stores with endless products and services. Some are outrightly worthless, some provide little utility, and some satisfy your needs. All you need do is choose, wisely.
When it comes to choosing one has to have options, and in other to pick correctly what you would spend your time on, you have to compare and contrast, in other words weigh your options. For example, I have been crying about the low level of engagement on steemit. Honestly it's really frustrating having little or nothing to read. But I thought about this: these set of persons who have left this platform are leaving because they have better options, if not they won't leave and that's the simple truth. Those of us here are here not because we cannot do better things with our time, but because we see the prospect of steem and we decided to stay, hoping our loyalty and commitment to the blockchain will payoff someday. In essence we chose to be here. Is it a good decison? Well, only time can tell.
It's really about perspective. While some are about long-term goals, some choose to capitalise on the gains of the short-runs and move elsewhere in search of greener pastures.
One of my recent articles talks about my preference for engagement over 0.02 upvotes (I admit I have a problem with this figure). Rather than spend 14hours a day gathering 0.02 upvotes, I could streamline my engagement to reading 10 posts per day, leaving valid comments on them, which might cost me 2-3 hours of my time. The remaining can be spent reading other things, developing my craft and resting--very important. If I die this minute and I'm asked what I did with my time for the past one week, I will really feel ashamed saying I spent more than half of it on here for less than $2. I've bought data worth 4steem this week, I could simply have reduced my activity online, purchase 2steem with half of the money, use those extra hours doing something else and I would be in a better position than I am today with more steem.
So I'm sorry to disappoint some persons but gathering 0.02 upvotes overtime doesn't cut it for me, especially if I have to grind hard for it, why not just buy? It is relatively cheap at this point. Many make it seem that earning steem is hard, it isn't. If you do have money to invest in the blockchain you will be far better off than some of us who write 10 articles a week with little or no steempower. Grinding is for those with nothing but their talent to give because they are dependent on top users for their reward. You on the other hand that have money to invest can simple buy steempower, pay for bots, buy votes and you're good to go. Is this right or fair? No, but we are clamouring for investors, aren't we? Without these set of persons there will be little or nothing for red fishes like myself to scavenge on
Now instead of getting angry over what I am saying, think of ways to solve this problem, because in all honesty, this is why people leave. Maybe no one is willing to say this, but this is the reason why people leave, and news Flash! We have many competitors now. So as a business losing customers isn't it in our best interest to re-evaluate our current position and devise means to resolve this rentention problem?
"What is your solution Mr. Nonso?"
As it is some people's duty to solve problems, it is a responsibility for others to pick them out. I really don't see any way past this other than investing one's own money in purchasing steem, especially for those at the button of the foodchain--planktons. Back up your effort by buying steem and interact with your fellow planktons. Their upvotes might be worth nothing, but that might change someday. It's hard to find good ones on here, so I will advise you join one or two communities. There are many with little visibility, so you can support each other, hopefully one grows into a bigger fish and slowly pulls the rest along with him/her.
I think what many don't see here is that our time is a thing of value. Maybe some of us need to change our concept of time. Would you go to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk for $10k? Why not? Well your reason is the same reason why I can't spend a month gathering $2 worth of 0.02 upvotes (that would be a hundred by my calculations). I would rather trade that off for 100 comments in a month and buy steem instead because in all honesty when they're reviewing those who have significantly impacted the blockchain I will stand out with my 100 comments than $2.
Good points, Nonso!
Lately, I've been thinking about this myself, too. I live in a country where salaries are high as well as the cost of living. I feel stupid for going out to do a photography shoot on a subject, post 5-10 photos with text and earn the same or only same as much for a post containing a single photograph taken in my own backyard made using Steepshot. Or at least I would if my only or even main goal were to earn fiat at current levels of STEEM price.
For me, posting on Steem is more of a pastime, or, to be brutally honest, monetized procrastination. It's also a way for me to get feedback on my photography. It seems, however, that my readership has limited appetite for my long form photography posts. I can't convince them to read and comment on more than a handful of them per week. So I will take a break from such posts for a little while.
In fact, I've been thinking that because I spend way too much time sitting in front of the computer, it might actually make much more sense to take on a part-time job (3-5 hours a week) delivering newspapers or paper ads for the excercise and what little money such a side job might pay. Now that STEEM is cheap, I could buy STEEM with that money and keep powering up. Instead of making posts and engaging here, I could autovote my favourite authors so as not to abandon them. When the price picks up, I could give up the newspaper delivery thing and go back to posting actively. Nobody could accuse me of being a fair weather Steemian as I would be powering up constantly and my time would be much more efficiently allocated.
it's just human nature to feel cheated when you see people earn more doing less. I've seen people post things that are cringe worthy. I might not be a fan of photography but I know effort when I see it.
And yes you can diversify the use of your time and gain more. I am mostly on here because I have the time. I am not working yet, pursuing my degree and little I earn here helps me with my little expense like getting food, transportation, etc However I still value my time. if I can do more with my time and still recieve the same reward I would.
I would not say you should stop engaging because it helps all of us. But it is important that the process doesn't drain you.
True. and same here.
I was comparing my own earnings on different posts. But yes, I admit that seeing someone rake in a lot of money for a single mediocre smartphone photo or a stupid write-up regurgitating platitudes feels bad, particularly if that content is not even voted for by bid bots (If it were, I'd know that at least the author would not earn a lot from the shitpost.). But that may just be the fruits of better marketing and networking on part of the poster.
It might be interesting to do a systematic comparison between earnings on my long-form photography posts with a story and single-shot Steepshot posts. My feeling is that I have earned better in terms of STEEM and SBD on my long form posts. I don't have data to do a compensation-for-unit-of-time-spent analysis. Another complication is that I would have been present and taking the photos in case of many of those long-form posts anyway as many of them have been family trips to various places. Only time spent on writing the text were dedicated to the post. I would've edited the photos anyway.
Yes, or get in the way of any responsibilities. But everyone should acknowledge the impermanence of the current situation. If Steem takes off, the current crop of earners will be crowded out by professional content producers who will come here because of the masses consuming their content. Those who have been able to power up in the current early phase will be able to earn money passively by delegating to apps. All the rest, save for a few hundred Whales and Orcas, will see their earnings trickle down to practically nothing. If on the other hand, Steem fails to mainstream, the price will go to zero and everyone will pack up and leave.
Please can you explain this paragraph better to me, I do not really understand
Sorry, it takes some unpacking.
What I mean is that if Steem becomes mainstream, that is, acquires hundreds of millions of users, the rewards will become extremely hard to get because there will be so much competition for them. That's why you will only see professional level content producers getting them. Steem inflation (at 8.7% at present) will also decrease.
Those of the current crop of Steemians who are not powering up all they can, will be left in a situation where they'll be up against pros but without any means of maintaining an income by upvoting themselves or attracting upvoters because of their high SP.
oh I get now. well, I really I would become a minnow before january, to have a fighting chance atleast. will keep the posts rolling. thanks.
You're on a roll with venting today! 😆
Retention is a tough one. Everyone is different and everyone has a different price. Let's be honest, the only reason new users without the ability to invest money here will stay is for non monetary reasons. I know people who've drifted off here because they're just not that interested in it and it had nothing to do with earnings. Is there any need to try and retain those who don't want to be here?
When we earn money, we'll do things we don't want to in order to do so, assuming the price is right. If you want to retain people, how much would you have to guarantee them earning each day? If you guaranteed that how long before the system collapsed because everyone is posting like crazy and the money has run out?
I think we can come here with hopes of something, but once we have the facts of what is reality we then need to make some decisions and what you've said here is pretty much the crux of it. An income is necessary to live, so that had to be prioritised, so if you want to stay interactive on here you certainly need to assess how much time you can afford.
lol. I have got energy.
No, we cannot force anyone to do anything, and if they are leaving because of the reason you mentioned, then fine.
I have always been of the opinion that we shift from this earning retoric and talk more about investment. that is the only way we can sustain the steem ecosystem.
this is shot on.
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This is a really nice observation Nonso...It has all been said in the comment section,lol....nothing more to add. But i know i tell people that i don't have an upvote to support but i drop meaningful comment wherever i go. We all will invest in steem giving the chance while some of us will keep our loyalty cap on with the community. But whatever the case may be....Steem will rise again..Good work Bro...
Amen oooo....e better rise, we are patiently waiting :)
Amen oooo....e better rise, we are patiently waiting :)