RE: Is there something 'disturbing the force' on steemit...?
Yes, it is not just you. I myself quit posting for over a week. The more I learn being here, the less faith I have in its long term stability. I found I was writing some how to posts that would have garnered me thousands in royalties over the next few years and they were met by crickets here. And now that they are on the blockchain it hinders my ability to publish them now.
Between the constant warring, the pessimism about whale behavior etc, I have begun reevaluating how I use this concept. I feel I was lied to by videos made by a prominent witness who profits immensely (as many witnesses) about the way this site works. Had I known the truth I never would have invested any of my own money here, never would have posted some of the things I have.
Most of my effort here will come in the way of interacting with people like yourself on your posts, sprinkled with an occasional post like I did yesterday. I would be a fool to think the posts I offer of value would be worth anything here. So I rethink how to add value here without stealing future money from myself in the process.
But for sure my monetary investment here is done, most of my intellectual contributions that can be monetized elsewhere are done. I am through paying whales for a slim chance someone might read my strategies that can make me money elsewhere. The only winner in that scenario are the whales.
I hear ya, @practicalthought. Your post set off an hour of research on the topic.
Not sure of the solutions. More needs to be done in future modeling to increase payouts for higher quality content. Expanding is important, of course, but a lot of that development entails a great amount of time. Another thing - I am not aware of what your how-to-guides are all about. We need a better way to organize and promote our content. That is hopefully coming soon, from what I've read from the devs.
I have a few other ideas - there are other ways to self-promote and we can help each other. I am about to launch into a personal campaign, but it wouldn't be much more effort to share some of your stuff outside of this platform. If you're interested, maybe we can team up to do some cross-promotion. It couldn't hurt as it will all be free. Send me a message if you are interested. We do not have to be limited to this platform. It could very well be that this is just a launching-off point for the future success of many Steemians.
I'm listening.
I have no clue in terms of offering input, so listening is all I can do.
I had you in mind as well, @lucylin. I didnt' notice anything on my end as far as changes in my feeds.
I wasn't ignoring this post, just buying time to reply. I am reluctant to join yet more social sites to support this one. I have been invited to several Discord groups since I came here, and before that a telegraph group by someone I respect. I am really trying to simplify my life and joining a lot of social sites won't do that. As well as I have read some bad things about both Discord and Telegraph. I find it a bit strange (a drawback even) that this social site is lacking enough that many feel they need to join a different social site to better manage this one.
I have been cutting back for some time. Twitter went last year. Fakebook not that long ago, although I hadn't logged in for some time before I downloaded my files and told them to delete the account a few weeks ago. I unplugged completely from cable almost a year ago. My big dream is that the little hodling I am doing now will duplicate what Bitcoin/Ethereum has done and enable me to buy a place away from the cities. A place where even cellphones are off much of the time, placed in some kind of box that will block any signals that still may be transmitted.
Is it possible for you to do a post on your campaign? If it is something you don't really want widely viewed, you could always write about it in a comment on one of your posts older than a week and steer me there. No one looks at posts past the first few hours, let alone once there is no payout involved. 😁
It's all good, @practicalthought. I have to say, you're one of the most logically thinking individuals I've met on this site. Going off-grid sounds awesome. What is it with Discord that you have been hearing, if you can be more specific? I have heard some rumblings as well.
What I am thinking is starting a group outside of Steemit for writing projects. There are enough talented people on here that we could get a handful and launch a small writing site and actually use Steemit to feed it, not the other way around. Current plans are to dig in for the long haul here, but it's good to have a backup plan, or two - and why not take full advantage of this platform to market our other projects? The constant demand for recruitment here sucks up a tremendous amount of very precious uninterrupted writing time. It's so obvious that we're underpaid, although we know that is just the way it works - it takes years to build up a following. I'm also very unimpressed with the fact that there are no residuals for older work here. People still unknowingly vote on older posts and share them. Why not let the authors benefit?
Sorry this reply is not chronological but I'm not gonna spend time editing it, lol. The way I am planning to do things, we don't even have to write on the same subject matter and we could all keep the names we use here. I'll be using very few platforms and concentrating on improving efficiency. Mirroring will become much easier soon. Still in early stages of planning but will let you know.
Dunno if you're familiar with them, but The Writer's Block has a writing group here, and on Discord.
@rhondak can tell you more.
It seems different than what you have in mind, but the folks there work at writing, and may be of benefit in what you do.
That's awesome advice, @valued-customer. Thanks. I will message @rhondak. I had been meaning to ask the good people on this platform what other communities to join - so that was perfect.
@canusapatriots, here's the link to our Writers' Block Discord. :-) https://discord.gg/vhEz4
Thank you, @rhondak!
Thank you
I have read that they have a tendency like many companies to reset your settings to ones favorable to them whenever there is an update. This is often done to turn off privacy settings and such (other companies often use this method to auto subscribe you to their crap, often for monetary gain for them). I have also read that many hackers are using the site to trick users into downloading Trojans. Similar to the amount of plugins for WordPress that are nice at the beginning, but then add back doors once their plugins are widely used using updates. I figure at this point better to just avoid most of these sites as they don't do much for me but take my time.
Just curious, but what kind of writing projects are you planning? One thing I have noticed is there is a vast amount of writing overload taking place. Promotion methods are quickly becoming out of date as the mob rushes to implement them, as well as I think many people (myself included) are going into shock from information overload. There is so much contradictory stuff floating around, especially within groups that on the surface seek to achieve the same results. I am unsure how much is purposely done with disinformation to achieve this result, but it is effective.
I am thinking here that as soon as any group achieves a certain size that they will begin to notice some of those who were in from the ground floor will begin stirring up problems, creating a split in the ranks. People are cynical now, distrustful and for good cause.
I bring all of this up now as you are in the early stages and this is the time to be aware of all of these factors. There was a book that I read as a kid, an older sci fi book called Wasp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp_(novel)
I would urge you to check it out, as some of the ideas presented in it could be crucial in countering infiltration by those who would disarm any success you may have. Looking forward to understanding your project a little better.
That is what I've been afraid of. I have also noticed - and written about - the fact that User Agreements and Terms of Service Agreements are doing what you mentioned. Youtube was notorious for it. Those things should be one paragraph long and be mandatory reads before anyone can log on. Also, they should not be allowed to change them without the consent and prior notification of the users.
Projects? Well, books, fiction, fitness and health writing, whatever new thing pops up that I'm interested in. Lots of things. The reason I'm thinking about outside sites is that the talent is already here. If we could find the advertisers, we'd only need a handful of good writers to run a blog. Details TBD. On Steemit, we have to find niches and really work on the hashtags. There is a way to optimize views and, like @valued-customer said, there are other communities here for added exposure.
I thank you for your spot-on understanding and information-packed response. Will check out that site. Information overload - YES! Lol. Gonna need to start recruiting people.
Why is that..? I am posting some of my book....aghhhh!
I'm keeping the faith for a couple of reasons.
I have no choice
I have no choice.
(Hence the writing a book inquiries. How do you find two excerpts, btw? )
It's because Amazon/B&N/Apple etc frown heavily on you selling your book to their customers when you are giving it away for free elsewhere. Now it is true some authors will give some or all of it away via fanfic/bookfunnel sites as a marketing strategy, but they make sure to delete them before finishing the book and sending it to the online bookstores. With blockchain you cannot unpublish. It will be there for all to grab for free as long as the blockchain exists.
I have read that with Amazon (who is the main one to worry about as their bots constantly scour the web) they will overlook 10% of the book being free online. I have never tested this however. But they are well known for finding your books priced cheaper elsewhere and price matching. Some have used this trick to make their books permafree, but Amazon frowns on it and has been known to swing a hammer when they get mad at ones account.
I would also say overall it would leave you a bad reputation as some of your future readers discovered they shelled out money and could have had it for free as well. They have a community (Goodreads which Amazon bought) where they are very critical of authors and the last thing you as a writer want is to get a mob going on you over there. Once you have one, they will target everything you publish with bad reviews. That's another free bit of advice, never open an account there to interact with them. Your books will be added regardless, but there are some unhinged people there who are looking for excuses to become trolls.
One last thing since you have me talking about self publishing. Be careful if you have Fakebook. Never set a fan page up. Amazon will tie you to anyone who joins and delete any reviews they give you, as well as warning you if your friends continue giving you reviews they will ban your account for gaming the system. Even though you don't know them. So many have scammed and gamed the system there Amazon just smashes now if there is any sign something may be wrong.
I had a fakebook years ago - never used it really, but not deleted either.
In fairness it could work for my book - many of my way out stories have the contacts on there that they apply to!...add authenticity..?)
That also brings up a question!- How do I label it? fiction?, even if it's not?(for legal reasons or something?)
I'm not bothered about Amazon frowning on me. I'd be kinda disappointed if they didn't! lol.
Hell, I would even put on the front my book 'if you want to read to free extracts, go to steemit.com! lol.
I'm stubborn I know - but I will do it my way (but will listen to any advice, for it to fit into how I want to do it, if you see what mean?)
I will be asking you a million questions, as I get closer, I'm sure..