This isn't about earning less than before.

It is much more deeper than that.

This article from @playfulfoodie shares a lot of sentiments that I feel, although I am a dolphin (I think). If you don't want to read the full article here is some bits copied of importance.

Earnings aren't everything, but can you try to understand how frustrating it is to see your regular payouts drop from $15.00 (and the occassional $30.00) to $2.00 or $3.00 (and the occassional $10.00), while newbies earn hundreds? I don't think I have ever, in my entire Steemit life, went into the hundreds.

Do you really feel people deserve that much, simply for being new? I do not believe those posts are worth so much and if you start to think about the long term implications and stop thinking short term, you are just setting them up for disappointment. Because one day, these newbies won't be new and they will be the ones writing these kind of posts.

Only they will not be sad about losing $15.00 payouts. They will be sad about losing $100.00 payouts.

And to add an additional point. My reason for writing this...

Do you like that post? Or do you like the way it was sold to you? Would you rather read a book valued at $100 or one valued at $2? Perceived value affects what we are likely to consume. My posts used to receive more $, but more importantly they used to receive more views and real interactions. As an OG OC content creator who has written over a million words, there is no point for me to share my work on a platform where no one is going to view it. People want to get the most from their curation, so they vote for the high earning content creators which is often from the same people; a positive feedback loop. Do you like the post? Or do you like how it was sold to you?

Over the summer I have been travelling and recruiting peeps to Steemit, and they have made more than I ever have from their posts. I don't know how it is going to affect their psychology to receive $100+ for producing great content + lots of views, + interactions, and then on their next post of great content, nothing... and no views. Demotivating...

Without the large price tag attached there is often little views. Do you like the post? Or do you like the way it was sold to you?

Of course I could buy votes to increase my visibility...

But I don't want to buy votes to get views. It would be similar to paying for Facebook advertising, which made me stop using Facebook to promote anything.

I've tried increasing my post count to make up from any lost readership I may have incurred after having a month of not so much activity due to travelling, but despite this I am mostly getting auto-votes (thanks!), and few views.

Anyway I might as well be posting whatever with little thought or effort as it doesn't matter that much.

And I'm not really quitting Steemit...

I know that saying you are going to quit is a great way to get attention on this platform. I'm going to create a new account (business account) to get them new people votes and get more views!

This account just feels dead to me.

To be fair I write obscure content and don't focus on producing any particular type of content for consumption. I would brand myself but I like to do everything... and also with the massive influx of people perhaps us lesser accounts have been buried by the bodies.

This is from one of the theatre productions I produced last year. I am the one with the beard and red gloves, although someone else introduces themselves as me. I sometimes work in the underground arts scene which is about producing great content rather than brand recognition. I'll be uploading the rest of this soon (youtube won't let me upload whole thing as one)

I'm an individual, a person, someone who wants to use social media for social change and interaction. I'll be getting back to media production within the next few months and will produce video content which I will post on Steemit.

Maybe I'm just not that great of a writer... and maybe I just wanted you to view the above video (my work).

Who knows what it all means. Maybe I have added to an important discussion, or maybe this post will float down the river on it's $2.48.

@RiskDebonair
Irish Writer, Poet, & Lover