Hey Edward,
Normally I don't spend my time reading people who are "reintroducing " themselves because I normally find that they are just looking for some cash and a quick increase in REP from upvotes.
I am glad I did take the time to read yours, you gave a very good account of how being new on here a person can be easily overlooked. I commend you for how you approached the situation through photography and contests.
I wish you well and will check back on you in the future.
Until next time,
@sultnpapper
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my post.
I read a few of your posts and just like you I suspect I'm not here for the "rewards", but to reach out and connect with people who have something relevant or interesting or just unexpected to share.
You are correct sir, rewards are not the motivating factor for being here.
Hi @edward.maesen, I think the way Steemit appears to a lot of people to be another 'get-rich-quick' scheme/platform, but I think eventually as the site improves and you continue working on producing good quality content it will help create a better community and help remove people who are not here for the right reasons. I am only a new person to Steemit but I am doing my best to support people who feel the frustration, and I hope that we can all help each other on our journeys :)
Thanks for the comment @plushzilla. I came here for the freedom of expression that is increasingly being censored elsewhere. And when I first looked around here I was pleasantly surprised to find many high quality posts, that's when I decided to join. The monetary aspect of this site seems to be a double-edged sword. I admit it's a nice incentive to post and to continue posting, but I'm getting a bit annoyed by all the upvote bots that flood some people's comment sections.
I think the problem is that there is no real process of introducing or initiating people on Steemit, and it took me a lot of effort to look past the bots initially and dig a little bit deeper. But in a way this is rather rewarding (and what curators should be rewarded for), and it has led to some interesting conversations and connections that I think will continue to grow.
As you say, the monetary aspect is a double edged sword, and we have seen it in the way people are drawn into and discouraged by it. All I can say is that all the really amazing artists here have eventually found a following by being here long enough and I really admire and try to promote their work in my own way (since I am not an artist myself).
Judging by some of the developments that are coming (and discussed at SteemFest2 at the moment), I believe that people will start getting rewarded more for their efforts so I hope you can persevere and prove me right as well :)
To be honest we started using Steemit at around a similar time, and I think we both focus on a more organic way of trying to attract followers and monetize our work. The good thing is that I don't think there is necessarily a right or wrong way to go about it here, and while bots and scammers have to keep changing what they are doing to try and rob the system of its value, all we have to do is just keep doing what we enjoy and are passionate about and the people will do the rest.
That's most important, do what we enjoy and are passionate about. I hope to make a difference in this world, even if I reach just one person.