I Always Said I'd Quit While I Was Ahead: I Guess It's Time to Come to Terms With That
No Complaints
But it's time to face the facts.
I showed up one day, wrote one of the worst 'introduceyourself' style posts in the history of this platform, then got to work.
I did everything I said I'd do on that first day, plus so much more.
Here I am, now. Nearly six hundred published posts later, nearly 23000 all earned SP. I didn't bring a following with me. I didn't know anyone, at all, not a soul. I started with an empty wallet. I didn't chase the money, didn't kiss butt, didn't look for any exploit that might help me get ahead. I stuck to myself, stayed true to me, did my thing, my way; that's all.
I want to say, "This place works great!"
Based upon my personal experience, that would be true.
Some common myths about this place include:
- It's not what you do, it's who you know.
- Only those with money can move forward; minnows get nothing.
- It was easier to earn back when I started; it's not about my work ethic, I simply got lucky.
- You have to tell people what they want to hear.
- Can't get anywhere without purchasing votes.
My story, the experience I've had, my accomplishments, achievements; those myths above mean I don't exist. None of that nonsense contributed towards my successful run here. My message won't make the front page; nobody wants to hear it. They'd prefer to make the place sound like a complete disaster, yet here I am. I'm not the only one either, but I can't speak for everyone else.
So I Did Good
Whatever, big deal, so what.
I said I'd quit while I was ahead.
Yesterday, like most days, I noticed about 98% of my following was not around to help and support my work. The following gets larger, average incoming votes and comments decrease. A tough pill to swallow.
So unfortunately, I guess I have to stick around. I can't quit while I'm behind, because I said I'd quit while I was ahead!
LOL!
Dammit! I was looking forward to that vacation...
Have a nice day!
God, do I ever need a vacation too!
Your post reminds me of the kid that was born with just a head because of an adverse reaction to some medication his mother took while pregnant. As he grew up, just sitting on the window sill watching the other kids out playing and having fun, he kept wishing he could have a body like all the other kids.
He hoped and he prayed, he prayed and he wished.
Then one day his Fairy Godfather appeared and granted him a wish because the kid had been hoping so hard (and apparently successfully). His Fairy Godfather asked: "What would you like more than anything else in the World?"
Of course the little boy replied: "I want a body just like all the other kids!"
........ Poof.......
his wish was granted! He had arms and legs and a torso!
Excitedly, he ran out the door and was crossing the street to join the other kids playing in the park................when a speeding car came along and mowed him over - killing him instantly!!!
The moral of this story?
Quit while you are a head!
And your story reminded me of this head I made. Always good to quit while you're a head, but make sure you have a plan, otherwise you'll just end up on a stool somewhere having your brains munched on by some kind of alien bug things.
Yup... I'm losing it. Time for a vacation. I should try photography and blog about what I see, and I allow my head to rejuvenate.
I certainly hope your head quit! He looks like he might have. Good for him. It's the people who are never satisfied that ruin this planet for the rest of us! Why can't they learn to just be?
I'm never satisfied in a sense where I always think I can do better; improve. I think that's productive and allows me to just be, the way I want to be. If something doesn't go right, I'll face it, then go a head.
😊😂😂😂😂😂😋😂😋🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Not sure why some need to post on how they’re quitting. It always comes as attention-seeky, cry-baby and vomit-inducing when I read another account crack the shits because they’re not earning as much as they feel they deserve.
I get it with Witnesses, there’s a clear function to be done. The rest of us, we can post or not, or take a vacation, maybe forget to come back. No one owes anyone anything on this platform.
Anyway, my eyes were about to roll out of my head as I read this, I had my bucket ready too. I’m relieved you’re still going to hang around and enjoy the full experience of apathy along with the rest of us. I don’t think it’s the block chain, I think it’s just social media.
At least you’re not earning 20 cents for your efforts! That’s gotta hold back the tears and slow the heart break... And at nearly 23K of SP without kissing ass and OD-ing on bots, it’s something worth flaunting in everyone’s face. It’s the best thing I’ve read as far as achievements. You should make a banner, and even a Steemit marketing campaign!!
I hope you don’t let things bring you down or get too stressed out. Just go have a good sleep. Think Inception... By the time you wake up, it’ll feel like you’ve gone away for years, but it’s just the next morning. None of us will even know you quitted while you’re ahead, behind, or for no apparent reason. Only that you never left!
Have a lovely day, I liked the vibe of the art you posted.
PS: I think I’m losing my mind too, it must be a virus spreading on Steemit atm...
If I was to bring up earning issues, I'd probably point out how shitty if feels to go from earning sometimes $100 or more, down to $10-20 average. A lot of people complain about earnings, but they don't know what it's like to lose that much. I also know, at any point in the future, this $20 could be worth that $100, so I just put it in the bank. It's not a loss, when one thinks about the future. Those cashing out are typically the ones who will whine and quit instead of setting themselves up to earn more in the future.
About earning 20 cents. I once was. I think I worked a month, everyday; earned a dime, kept going. Things got better. That's the part I miss the most though. That feeling of climbing the ladder seems to be gone. It was easier to set goals when one could see the top of the mountain. Now it just feels like a wall I can't pass. It's not a bad wall, it just annoying. No complaints though. Stressful, yes. So what though. Whatever. Since when is life easy?
It would be nice to get the message out but like I said in the post, this won't make the front page. It's not up to me to put it there either. I honestly think I'd just get flagged if I used bots to promote my experience here, get the word out. That or a world of whiners and naysayers would make every attempt to play it down and make me look bad.
I hear you. I'm on that long climb. Steem.supply tells me my average post gets .31 but generally they're lower and punctuated by my occasional jackpot post. And those are fun (like big shortcuts) but, afterwards, the little ones are disappointing. If you miss the climb, we can swap, but it has to be wallets too so you get the complete experience. :-)
When you put it like that, it does remind me of how different our experiences are. To drop from that level of earning has got to be hard, and I also get it that investors will be frustrated too.
I have a lot of faith in this platform, I judge it based on the fact that until it becomes scam-infested, it’s a respectable and proven cryto-backed social media platform. But however you look at it, it’s ‘social media’, it would have toxicity, users, manipulators and abusers.
Anyway, I’m invested here emotionally and navigational-wise, I can’t be bothered to learning another system. It’s comfy and safe here. Things will recover eventually.
I was quite gleeful to read you got where you did with sheer persistence minus brown-nosing and you’ve always come across as having a great attitude to me. I just don’t visit you typically because you have ‘made it’, and I mean this is absolutely the most respectful way, you have first world Steemit problems as far as engagement. I have complete faith you’ll figure out how to crash through this annoying wall. But I understand there’s more at stake for you, because this is also a place of business. For me it’s a playground where I earn some pocket money to do crap all with. If I was to take this place seriously, I’d be a puddle of tears and writing a post to tell NobodyCares that I’m quitting! But really, the quitting concept seems dopey to me, so I’ll just quietly disappear, go on an eternal vacation in dreamland. Inception was a really great movie.
And finally, what’s the fuss about this trending page? I mean who really looks at it? Is it because people truly think they will get the visibility of the right kind of people there or that really, they just want to earn the kind of money that gets you there? The latter is my motivation. I could care less if someone sees my post on trending. I’ve never actually opened a post on trending, not even my own! I automatically assume everything that got to trending is suspicious and not worth my time. I judge posts based on whose blog they come from. Besides, who would flag you? You use humor in your writing, that’s always a great strategy. :)
I haven't spent a dime of the money I've earned here. I moved some away to reinvest and that's it. I always thought that by holding the SP, then using it to vote for others, they too would hold, so more would be able to earn. A lot of people cashed out though (I wasted those votes), then they sit and wonder why they're not getting anywhere or earning more. There's strength in numbers but so many prefer to ignore each other instead. I've earned something like 928 SP simply clicking the vote button. I started out with those shitty curation rewards like everyone else, but I don't mind picking up pennies off the ground when there's a lot of them like there is here. It adds up. That took patience though.
Others delegate away their SP, so they can't even use it to vote, which means more earn less. That's their choice though.
So I try to help, I'm not here just taking and taking more, (some days I could easily self vote 10 of my own comments and earn more than I would blogging and that means those 111 accounts I've voted 276 times for this past week wouldn't see that money) but I do know people won't look at my blog now simply because I made something of it. That happens to a lot of the dolphin types and eventually there's no one left willing to support their work, so they cash out, because that's the only option left. Sure, maybe it's first world problems or whatever but if we're having problems, that'll trickle down and it means there's not much for anyone on the lower tiers to work up to. "They earned more than me, so I don't want to look," is a common mentality shared by many who experience this place. I'll still vote for people who have $70 beside their posts, simply because I've always been a fan of their blog and want to see them succeed.
I'm rambling, whatever. As for that trending page, in it's current form, I'm not sure I'd want to see my work mixed in with advertisements like that. I did write up a post recently explaining why it's important to keep the actual content and the artificially inflated paid programming that makes up the current trending page separate. I have no desire to pay to get there, but a popular post is a goal many bloggers share. Those folks who are paying to be up there a few times per day will suffer from overexposure soon enough. They don't offer anything new, just the same old song, and everyone gets sick of hearing the same song on the radio, and I know this, so that's not something I'd want. The ability to reach the front page organically would offer thousands of people the incentive to do the best they can, but we no longer have that option.
People would flag. I could spend 5-6 hours and sometimes more working on the art seen here, but all they'll see is, "Shit post, this idiot only shared one image and a few words." I don't really want to turn my art into ads though, so I guess we won't be seeing me up there any time soon. As for the humor, even though humor can sell out a stadium, it seems folks would prefer generic blogs on the trending page. The same style that's been around for decades. Information, opinions, advertisements. That's what they want. Not this stuff I do. I'm sure more would vote if this blog was what they wanted to see there.
Fwiw, I appreciate your candid response. I can honestly say I like you more as you ‘ramble’. I’ve tried a few times to reply to this and each time I am tripping over so many thoughts. It all comes down to:
(A) I don’t have sympathy for the dolphins that leave from lack of love. I am willing to bet they never did enough to maintain the interest or loyalty of their following. They just expected a one way devotion, they’re no different from many non-dolphins.
(B) It’s not whales that will drive me away from this platform, it’s everytime I turn around, there’s whiners who whine over everything and every free penny that they couldn’t easily get, mask it as a joke, and then get their supporters of whinery to encourage more whining. It’s this kind of cancer that I want no part of. But I won’t quit, I’ll just try my best to pretend they don’t exist. Get off this thing and earn my living rather than listen to whiners whine about their hardship of getting a freebie. I should use more of my steemit time to sleep...dream...
So sick of the whiners and supporters of whiners on our platform.
I’m sorry, I didn’t answer a damn thing you wrote did I? Thank you for your time, you’re great. Please never whine like the whiners and then feel validated by the supporter of whiners. Just keep steeming along and having a good work ethic. That’s called good leadership. I think I might miss you now if you really decided you were going to quit from behind, ahead or somehere in between!
Also, the thing with your art is that it’s quirky, strange, eclectic, it won’t be for everyone. But be grateful that some love it a lot and those who might not care too much will pretend they like it for fear of offending you, and then there will be those who are confused and simply not comment. It’s your job as an artist to find the connection.
Have a wonderful stress free day!
Checking out to RL.
A) This is true. Many folks, no matter what level they're at often take support for granted, especially if they get on a list of high value auto votes. At first they're quite active. Eventually, some post and leave, respond a couple of time once they're back with a new post hours or a day later. They stop building roads and the moment support moves on (it happens to everyone), they have nowhere to go. Self-inflicted.
B) This place would be hell if it was all about participation awards and holding hands so some of that type can cross the street. All social media is difficult. Some assume they're entitled to rewards simply for posting, yet I see Youtubers who've worked for five years almost everyday and have yet to see a dime for their time. Part of the reason why we have bidbots is so those with entitlement issues can have money beside their posts too (participation awards with no real value to the recipient), and we all know how well that turned out.
And I already know what I got myself into with the art. I never expect everyone to like it. I've heard it all. The excessively positive style comments from people who only think I'm amazing when they want a comment vote annoy the hell out of me. Over time and a few words shared, I usually know who's here and for what reasons. Not everyone likes everything I come up with. That's the nature of the game. I'm well aware
"It's not a loss, when one thinks about the future."
Can I order a T-shirt with that on it? Very healthy attitude I think, and would stop the whining of many people on and off Steem.
I don't have any shirts made but I suppose if you have a marker handy, you could just write it on a shirt and never wash it. Nobody cares if people stink when they have something smart written on their shirt.
You need to kiss more butt!
I see tits I upvote
Holy tits!
What a lucky tree.
Do you think it's getting wood?
I'm one of the flaky followers recently. Sorry. I haven't stopped appreciating your work. It's just that I have been quite busy lately with some things, and I refuse to come here and say "nice post" just to collect an upvote (unless it's part of a joke the post is making). That would make me part of the problem.
We've built a societal expectation for value adding on this platform. "Nice post" and "same here" and "hope you're having a great day" aren't acceptable things to say. Not alone. Engaging with my favourite content creators is enjoyable, but it takes time. Time to appreciate the post, time to think of how to word what comes to mind or if it's even worth saying.
When I do come around, I try to leave having given rather than taken, as a general rule. So, if I don't have the time or the focus to actually engage, I don't do it.
With all that said and done.... I think you've tortured us all enough with these threatening headlines. It's like that guy who went on the television to scream at people about not buying his book, threatening to kill off his beloved main character.
But I guess it got me here, huh? How about that! Clickbait works. ^_^
Oh and uh... nice post. XD (Love the art, really.)
For the record: I'm not giving anyone shit. I know, we're all busy. I get that, always have, never hold it against people. Honestly, I just felt like doing some self-deprecation humor today, so let's laugh at me. Isn't it funny that 98% refuse to hook me up? LOL! Soon that'll be 99%, then 100%! Hooray! ... fuck sarcasm. It sucks, but it is what it is. I can't change it, so I guess the only thing left I can do is laugh. Or what? Go nuts?
That wasn't clickbait. LOL! It's an honest headline. Should I have placed (This is kind of a prank) in brackets like that beside the title? Wouldn't that kill the joke?
Anyway. Thanks for all you do. Nice comment.
Yeah, yeah it would. It's all right. My ticker can take it, even if I don't like that little jump it makes for a second, it feels that much nicer when I get to the bottom and see that you're fucking with us.
Keep doing what you do, friend. :)
That's all very nice and dandy, but you're a Space Oddity. So there.
I see a green-eyed monster called Janus, "the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings".
I guess Janus possessed my mind as I produced this. Probably trying to tell me something important. I don't speak Latin or Greek though, so it's tough to understand unless I listen with my eyes.
I could translate the Latin for you, but Greek is Greek to me. I prefer you listening with your eyes, as I am lazy, and it seems to be working fine anyway.
BTW and off-topic and all that: do you have any more of these "shit post of the day" images we could borrow for this?
https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@cryptocity24/some-facts-about-cryptocurrency
Oh. It appears as if the elementary school second grade class finally got around to do their cryptocurrency reports.
I guess that's what people want on the front page. That's why we need bots, I guess.
Isn't it just marvellous how things have worked out? Our cup runneth over.
Still hoping for your idea to gain some traction. We're not a praying church, you see. We just hope, and when we don't, we hang on in quiet desperation.
Real promoters push quality, or they're out of a job. Why it's always opposite day here on Steemit baffles me. With so much potential and money on the line, you'd think making the best instead of the worst of this place would be the most logical step forward, but for some reason, that logic is nowhere to be found. Since logic doesn't seem to be the driving force around here most days, I highly doubt that idea of mine will get anywhere, even though it would mean more money for all involved.
We are afraid that only the persuading of the large players, both whales and witnesses, of your idea's being in their short-term financial interest would give said idea some chance of recognition.
Logic and long-term thinking just won't cut it, because in the short term, everything is perhaps working as intended towards the financial goals du jour.
It is so great to have a separate account for being nagative. A true blessing. We hope you can withstand our occcasional gloomy whine.
Just so you know, that shit post was altered. He copy/pasted a few paragraphs from an article and changed a few words. Then spelled 'source' incorrectly. LOL
I saw the alien head before I noticed the twins up there. The alien actually looks really peaceful and in control. You strike me as someone that has a lot of inner turmoil, but you've got that calm alien balancing you out.
I think I gave up on success here a long time ago, possibly before I began, and started treating this place as a diary. I suck at the business end of life. I don't have that drive that you've got. I think I'm just an alien head, without the frustrated twins. (Although I can't claim to be calm and controlled all the time.)
I'm nowhere near calm and controlled. I won't even try, though I have been getting better at breaking my fingers before they let me say something a little too abrasive around here. The transparency aspect of this blockchain stuff makes it easy (sometimes fun) to call out bullshitters, especially those posing as successful on the trending page. I mean, it's one thing to promote something, and that I don't have much of an issue with; but to pretend like they got there due to popularity rather than paying... That makes me smile, and I'll say something to help bring them back to reality. I've done that far too many times, usually just to entertain myself and anyone else reading. People pout, so that's not a very good way to make friends; which is probably why I lost some support over the past half year. Someone has to say something though. If that truly was success, then yeah, you'd have a reason to give up on it. You're doing well. Certainly can't say your blog is a failure. I hope more people hook you up someday with some support. I don't see why it's so hard for some of these folks to hit that button. It's true though... 98% of my following won't press it and that's actually common around here, which doesn't make sense. They get paid to push it. "It's not much" they'll say. Yet I made 928 STEEM pushing that button 19684 times. That might be worth 10 grand some day....
That's a good point - why don't people press the button more. Why don't I? Human psychology. I have a tendency to stick with what I'm familiar with. I should expand my horizons.
I really do appreciate you coming by my blog. As long as a handful of people do, I'm happy.
This is quit-click-bait.
Just keep laughing.
Thanks.
I wanted to write something obviously witty and sophisticated, but I'm not in the same league as nonameslefttouse and I've a fever. Or perhaps I'll blame the weather. Seems to work for most people, that one.
It's not clickbait. Just me being me again. The title is straightforward, honest. I had to come to terms with this. LOL! If I quit now, I'm not staying true to my word.
Sophisticated? Me? Who the fuck told you that shit?
Ha! NO vacation for you. You'll just have to stick around and entertain us awhile longer lol :p
I hope I can do just that. I'm getting tired though and a bit stressed, so it's hard to be in entertaining mode, yet I've been like this for awhile now and somehow manage. Even when it's time to snap, I'll probably find a way to make that entertaining as well. Hmm...
You're quite entertaining simply by being yourself!
A lot of old time steemians have less vote power because they have been delegating to new projects, i have seen a few people say they are getting much less per post
Many of those projects depend on content producers in order to thrive, but more and more content producers are leaving due to lack of interest in their work. Needless to say, it'll be a lot harder for those projects to succeed since what could have been hundreds of thousands of contributors has now dwindled down to a tens of thousands. That's what they wanted though. They all made the decisions they're responsible for.
When i go thru the list of people following me probably 90 percent are inactive accounts. Retention here is brutal
My role is to produce something that keeps people coming back for more. That's the main thing all content producers should be focused on. So, I try. Can't win them all, but I do my best. Responding to people instead of ignoring them helps as well. Many seem to produce content so they can pay a robot. That won't help retention. Many post, then leave. They just do it to collect. That doesn't help retention. If people don't want to do their part to help keep people around, they can't really complain about retention. It's an issue, but much of it can be solved by those willing to entertain in some way, shape or form. Entertainment isn't all about laughs and visuals either. Some folks enjoy essays, technical analysis, opinions. Entertainment can be anything.
damn it. I was hoping you'd quite so I could have a chance at getting ahead.
Or a head... I'd be happy with either really, but both would be better.
Funny how that works, hey? People throw their arms up and quit, blame everyone else, leave, and make it easier for those they despise to succeed. LOL! Then they'll come back when the value spikes again, and want help...
You despise me?
I am going to be much harder on these people. I would rather support someone with either a good track record or, an unknown with potential than someone I already know will crack under pressure of price.
No dude, I think you're cool shit, to be honest, and where I come from that's a good thing.
I'm with you there. After that spike I've learned a lot about people and how they'll treat me when they want something. So many used and abused the generous votes, and did it with a fake smile. Now they're not around to help anyone through the down times and that's the legacy they leave behind.