When I first started in Steemit I was with local communities that mostly got support from a local whale and so one of the very first things that was expected was to always profess their love and admiration to whales.
This whale chasing technique was the one being taught to newbies because that is the only way they think how a person can be successful.
So if you see their posts they always had that footer which at times is even longer than their posts as they count off all the whales they could think of hoping for crumbs.
Not a bad MO because some were getting votes because it appeals to the ego to some.
Yet I did not like this as I was a person who wanted to write what I wanted to write and read what I wanted to read. This was not in line with their process that all posts of the members needed to upVoted, Resteemed and commented even if you did not like it.
This to me was a chain I did not like and so I got out of the group and wandered a bit till I found another local community. Things were okay and I liked the freedom and friendships that I developed there and was quite active in building it up.
Things took a turn when it became too big in terms of members and lacking the strength in terms of Steem power. Even if we delegated a lot of SP to a community account majority of us were just Redfishes and minnows.
There were talks of cutting members and becoming elitist. One of the things that left a bad taste in my mouth was setting restrictions on quality and topics as well as needing to upVote specific members only. This list was determined who was active in Discord which to me was a good thing to have but not necessarily a requirement because people cannot be expected to be in Discord 8 hours a day and chewing the fat. So I had disagreement on these policies and left.
I wandered about and there was the Promo-mentors by futurethinker who I took a liking because of the vision he has in retention and mentoring.
Then you have the likes of Meno and his @helpie which he describes as it started as a educational Community but has move to become an incubator of sorts.
I am also involved with the Ulogs community by surpassinggoogle who's main slogan is that everyone has something to offer. He has an inclusive state of mind instead of an exclusive and elitist that shut outs other people's thoughts and outlook.
Communities I believe is an integral part of the success of this platform and sure some people are able to achieve a measure of success doing things alone but we can achieve more if we are in a community of like-minded individuals.
Being like-minded does not mean that we all think the same but rather we have a common goal which is to increase engagement and a string engaged middle class who cares about the platform because obviously someone in Steemit INC doesn't lol.
The manner and paths maybe different but the goal is one. I am reminded of a discussion yesterday in helpie with regards to the changes of HF20 some of them think it will be good. Some think that it is the latest dumb idea of Steemit Inc
I am still 50/50 on it and reading several opinions like from Dave McCoy and Tcpolymath were intriguing. Then you also have your eternal optimist like Taskmaster.
Having read and listened to other views is key for us to understand it. If we remain on just what we want to read or on people that we only agree with then we are severely limiting ourselves.
So go ahead and explore and keep an open mind is what I try to do with the freedom that I have. So people can see me in different Communities and reading very diverse opinions and topics because I want to see the bigger picture and not put on the blinders to just one path. I have been widely criticized for not being "loyal" like the rest but to me it is not about loyalty but I don't want a limitation when I can learn more things and network better. It is not always about the vote but rather on what we can learn and use and be passionate about. I am for the vision and teh future.
So yes I have pulled the thread and just making my way to what I can achieve with the Communities that I believe in and have a common vision.
I am going to have to vote this up just because of the effort put in. :)
You are one of the people and the type of personality that I mentioned last night, quality.
https://steemit.com/steem/@tarazkp/finding-a-voice-on-steem
It is people like you, @wolfhart, @empress-eremmy, @themanwithnoname and similar who come onto the platform and quickly start learning how it works and adjusting your thinking. Sometimes it means joining a community, sometimes leaving one but, it is done with sensitivity to you and the larger system. Those that only chase upvotes miss this sensitivity and therefore, the authenticity of the self that will actually benefit them.
Thanks for adding so much detail and I hope people will spend some time reading it.
There was a lot of learning that had to happen for me when I joined. My first post was on Ginger Lemon Tea! I was expecting those quick rewards, like most people, but soon found that more work would be required.
It was after meeting Dave Mccoy and newbieresteemday that I really become more community-focused and saw building each other up as the key to rising up, instead of depending on whales. When I started in abh12345's Engagement League, then it took on an even broader perspective.
It can be frustrating at times not to see immediate returns, but I know that my votes (whatever size) are having an impact on others, and hopefully helping build them into successful Steemians who can help build more communities.
Thanks for thinking of me and for calling attention to maverickinvictus's comment. It's good stuff.
I have always said that I got lucky my 1st week here on Steemit. I went into steemchat and was invited into a private chat room. I was so new to all this and would ask questions like, what does OMG mean to try and keep up with the conversation. I learned very quickly that no one owes you anything
The thing that struck me the most was that they all had a following and their goal was to improve the platform. To share their knowledge if you were willing to listen and work at Steemit. Respect and vote went hand and hand.
Keeping people's respect is what I went for. not votes or anything else. Honesty was my approach which is a normal thing for me. So every day I am here learning my new trade just like any apprentice would do. Learning not only the platform but who the people are in my circle. That is the Gem here
Thanks for the shout out . ment allot
OMG that was a long comment he did :) It was an enjoyable read
It didn't went unoticed :)
I agree, this is what makes a community evolve and be flexible enough instead of clinging to one vision.
Good for you for being true to yourself. It can be difficult at time to not suck up like so many others, especially when they're getting rewarded, but in the long-run it's much more sustainable.
It's not easy to seek out other viewpoints, but you're right that it can help you get clarity on a situation and understand what is really happening. Like you said, it's the common vision that will help communities move forward, even if they don't all have the same opinions all the time.