๐ Steemit Can Be Frustrating Sometimes ๐
Hello, friendly fishes of Steemit! ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ณ
If you have been following me, you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything in 6 days, that's quite a long time for somebody like me that tries to post regularly and that actually love's writing ๐.
But despite my love for writing, I've been reluctant to post after the feeling of frustration and emptiness I had the last time I posted: The Blue Wall II. These bad feelings did not come from having $0.40 of estimated revenue (as a side note the post went up to $2.40 5 days after) although it did not help either, it was something else what got to me...
It was the fact I shared a painful memory about my past and I didn't get any kind of comment related to it, probably nobody even read the post, hence my feeling of frustration and emptiness, so I got emotional remembering those times and writing about them was difficult for me, to such an extent that I even cried ๐ข after I posted the damn thing and if you go back and read it maybe you might think it's not a big deal, but the bad decisions I made between 2011 and 2012 let me to years of poverty and suffering for me and my family, it was a "snowball effect" kind of thing.
Now don't get me wrong, I did not share this with the intent of getting upvotes, follows or donations, I just wanted..........
I just wanted support from a bunch of strangers..........
mmmmm it sounds stupid when I say it like that ๐ณ, but truth be told that was my expectation and obviously, I did not work like I wanted it to...
At the end I don't blame anybody for not reading or for not caring about what I wrote, it's ok, but I must admit that Steemit leaves me with a feeling of WANTING MORE, because a lot of the interactions we get here are just to make money, some are just robots upvoting or commenting, so it does not feel genuine or warm, like when your on facebook or twitter most of the comments or likes you get are from actual people that liked what you posted, or even if they did not like it, they can say what they really think with no fear of losing money or followers.
My husband @lenin-mccarthy almost doesn't post anymore because he got very frustrated with Steemit, before HF18 he was able to make some modest income from his post on reviews, then after the HF18 he barely got likes and when he did get likes the revenue was very low (less than a dollar), for him is not worth to put in hours of work for so little income and also he was confused about how things changed all of a sudden.
Others also have felt like my husband, I have read others saying that Steemit is frustrating because they work hard on their post but they get very little revenue or that they do not understand why they don't get upvotes, or why they get flagged for comments or post, hey I know no social network is perfect but I have read about a lot of frustration around here, so definitely this place is not easy to navigate. For me the people that left because they were frustrated, maybe would have stayed if they felt apreciated or understood, even if the revenue is not that big.
It's is true that Steemit, once you get the hang of it and once you have a bunch of Steem Power, it's a good place for making extra money ๐ฐ and some people even make very good income here, but when it comes to the social network part, Steemit still has a long way to go, even with Steemit.Chat and the Discord Steemit Channels, I'm just not feeling it yet.
Anyway I hope that changes soon and I congratulate the friendly fishes of Steemit that are working hard to make this place warm and welcoming, I would like to see Steemit really become a social network were more people come to interact in a meaningful way with others.
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Mariacherries,
I'm sorry I didn't read your Blue Wall post. It has been a very busy month for me with all the volunteer work I have been doing along with my own housework and gardening, plus keeping up my daily zombies game and my weekly giveaways. I did scan through the photographs, but did not read the words. I'll need to go back and take another look.
As for how you and your husband feel about Steem: I think all the redfish and minnows are experiencing similar feelings unless they are buying votes or have big-fish friends. No matter how many hours we spend on our posts, they get little attention and even less in earnings.
I have been promoting the 2nd post I ever made because I truly believe that post will benefit a lot of people (even though it has long ago stopped earning any rewards) and still it gets very few views. Unless there is a perceived chance of making a quick buck, people are not really that interested in a post. I find it quite funny actually that so many minnows and redfish will flock to the whales and write replies to butter them up in the hopes of a single upvote. In most cases they won't get it. At the same time, they could be getting a small reward on a consistent basis by finding several small-fries like me who will upvote those who participate in discussions, games or contests. I don't have a slider, so I can only vote 10 times per day, but have decided to reward as many of those who come to my pages and contribute something as I can. When I get my slider, I plan to continue giving out as many rewards as possible to those who take part in my posts. If this kind of fellowship takes off, we could really make a difference in building communities where we participate and upvote each other's content and replies. It will be a slow process, but we will all grow together and hopefully make some good friends along the way!
It's not easy to resist buying votes when you see those doing it shoot past you, but I truly believe that greed will not build the community I first read that Steemit was supposed to be. Instead, let us form little bands of friends that actually do support each other and grow that into the Steemit that I was lead to believe this place was supposed to be.
My mistake. I actually DID read part 2 of The Blue Wall.
The entire post is written in a 'matter-of-fact' way. Other than the last paragraph, we don't really know what that meant to you. Of course, when YOU think about it, you will be reminded about the circumstances that went along with losing the business. As a reader who may never have had such an experience, it is difficult to imagine what that really means unless you explain it.
When I was young, my brother-in-law started a moving business and made me a 25% partner. We worked hard and made some money, but a few times we got ripped off big-time where we worked all day and then the customer refused to pay. My brother-in-law didn't want the hassle of going to court, so he just wrote off those losses and I didn't have much to say in the matter. Since he bought an old truck, eventually the repair bills on the truck became too great and he decided to shut the business down. The business was lost to me, but it only meant that I no longer had this income. I simply needed to find another job.
So when you say, "We lost the business", only you know what that really means. It is only NOW that you mention years of hardship because of it.
I can fully understand your feeling of 'why don't they understand how hard this was for us?'
I can also understand why people didn't really comprehend what you were expressing.
I'm sure it is not easy to write a heartfelt and depressing story without making it sound like you are looking for sympathy but at the same time be able to drag your audience into your emotional state. This is a real art and requires a delicate balance.
Please forgive those of us who did not understand the importance of what took place in your past. I'm sure there are those of us who would be willing to say a kind word or 2 if they understood the pain that the experience has caused your family. I know what it means to be poor and I don't ever want to go back there. The ideology of what I believed Steem to be is what drives me to try and help make this platform succeed. I WANT SO BADLY for the world to be a place where nobody has to go hungry and where everyone has enough to be content. I do hope that your family has been able to pull out of its suffering and that you are now reasonably comfortable. In a way, it is kind of strange, because even before reading your story, I had the feeling you were one who had seen bad times. I was so glad when you won at my contest. I have been following you and cheering for you ever since I have known you. Please know that you do have my support and I'm sure there are others too.
You write with your heart, honestly. Same feelings go around my belly but I feel shy about getting noticed.
I just want to introduce myself and keep sharing whatever happening around me.
Please do not take long breaks now onwards
Thanks.
Thanks for the support ๐ and I will try to post more often, because I actually have fun writing and sharing stuff, see you around ๐
hey @mariacherries -
I'm sorry you didn't have the best experience with your last post. I know the feeling, when I was first getting started, I saw a lot of posts "raising funds to support someone who's undergone trauma" ... and there was real money attached.
Then I got news a very close friend of mine was very sick, and I thought to give the 'donation post' a go. Very little results. Maybe a dollar rewards.
But since then, a lot has changed for my account.
I comment a lot more, and I post more often. I've also added users to my SteemVoter... it's a lot of work at times, especially now doing video, but it seems to be paying off.
So, if you're feeling discouraged, try not to fret. From what I understand the hard fork gave us more rewards per vote, so maybe check that out too.
I'll be checking out your previous post as well, but I am off to bed for now. :)
Best,
@mikev
Exactly @mikev, there's a lot of people like us that don't get much response after posting something because of a lot of factors, like length of the post, followers, the time when you posted, etc. and sometimes it's a matter of luck if you get seen and upvoted by a whale, so I'm still learning here but I won't give up on Steemit yet ๐
I'm just gonna enjoy posting on Steemit for the pure sake of just sharing info, idea's or thoughts on current events and interests. Obvious it not a worthwhile use of time when you work on content for hours and it makes penny's, but instead of focusing on the monetary pay off , just continue in this era of Steemit history to share content . The future is bright for this platform. Stay true to the concept and block out the whale games...it will all even out over the next few years.... keep sharing and posting.
Thank you for your encouraging words ๐ and yes I'm trying ti post more for fun than money ๐ฐ, it's better that way
followed and upvoted.
You have said it all.
I'm a total noob and also find that I'm getting frustrated by steemit. Even if you're not getting the support here that you were hoping for, I hope you are getting the support you need. Sending you a virtual hug!
I appreciate a lot that you took the time to sent me a hug, thank you! And I did write this post with the intention of reaching other users that are frustrated with steemit, that way we know where not alone and that the bad feeling will fade ๐
Perseverance and patience, perseverance and patience. :)
I wrote a short post recently in which I've shown that since I started using Steemit, more than half of my earnings (56%) came from only 6% of all my posts. It's just how it is. No need to feel discouraged.
The fact that I can spend my time here and earn something, anything, is a gift in itself. I would have used the same time on Facebook or Instagram or Tumblr or Twitter and not earn anything at all.
I'm glad I've found your blog Maria. Followed it. Be sure to see a comment from me from time to time. :) I've also added you to my SteemVoter because I like your content and want to support you. My vote is not worth much at the time, but, hey, it's something. :) Please don't give up posting.
Thank you very much for your support, it's the kind of thing I was hoping to get, sending you a thank you hug ๐
Hugs back ๐ ๐
meep
I want to visit that place too! the potteries are so exquisite!
@mariacherries
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