Finding a voice on Steem
It is funny how a bump in Steem price lift spirits so quickly here. You can feel it in some of the posts already and if it continues along this trajectory for any significant period of time, the sunshine users will return to their same posting behaviours and the comment vote brigade will return to leaving irrelevant words and attempt flattery to win a few extra cents. I have seen it all several times before, as has anyone who has been here long enough and paid attention. This time though, I am going to be more wary.
When prices are down, people tend to be more conservative with their voting and we have see over the last few months the conversation about building the middle class arise again, this time with a few more voices in the mix. But, when Steem prices are high, it is easy to let them control voting behaviour and often what happens is that voting power gets thrown around frivolously. I know because last pump I did it too but this time, I am going to be more wary.
What I mean by this is that even as prices climb, I am going to keep the majority of my voting on the accounts that have proven track records and have demonstrated that they are community orientated thinkers who are willing to commit themselves in several ways to improving the platform. It is not that I will ignore smaller accounts completely but, they are going to have to work for it, be proactive. I hope other larger accounts are going to do similar and try to build up a middle-class user base.
The markets are going to be up and down for years to come and it would be ridiculous that every time they are down we have to keep having the same conversation about the same things. We need to start building the foundations strongly enough so new levels can be built on top, new planes of experience. We need to start really sorting out some of the fundamentals to the platform so that we can begin to move on with the community aspects that will populate the infrastructure and bring stability to the system.
A healthy population is one that has varied and enough resources to sustain it and on Steem that means enough people with Steem power and enough with wide enough interest levels to support various branches of content. A lot of people are only here because they want to earn but it is possible that in the future, many people don't earn here at all and, they will still be happy with the situation.
Even now there are users who don't care about earnings yet still interact and on places like Youtube and Facebook, no t earning hasn't stopped them from still populating the platform with their content. People do know that some earn there but most also have the reality that they know it isn't going to be them as they are unwilling to do what it takes to create the content or connect with the people necessary to become an earner. There is going to be a consumer class only user base in time, people who are here just to read, watch, play.
Why would they come to Steem? The question is, why are they engaging so heavily on Youtube or Twitter? A voice.
The disconnection through technology and society has left many people voiceless in the world and searching for a way to be heard and that generally means, screaming into the void and only hearing an echo. But, even this ability is being limited and constricted as censorship and algorithms filter out what is not good for the advertisers, what doesn't bring in more revenue. It is going to get to a point where even the average person is tired of all of the adds on the content and, tired of the people they support curtailing their stance so as not to be demonetized.
Steem will not only offer them a place for their voice to be heard but, they will still have a possibility to earn on that voice, even if the mainstream does not find them popular. Steem is already offering people a voice and engaging people in ways they did not think they would connect here even though they aren't earning yet or potentially ever.
This is the thing that people fail to recognize when it comes to retention, if you don't look at the numbers, Steem is fantastic for retention. Am I crazy to say that? Not really.
I have often mentioned about follower numbers being unimportant at Steem but, quality of follower is important. Retention is the same as I see it. It doesn't matter how many leave Steem, it matters who stays. What I have found is that on average, those who stay here, even if they aren't earning or, their content isn't the most polished are the ones who are engaged, looking to grow, investing themselves into the platform and community. At this stage, it is they who matter, not the ones leaving.
Quality of user, not numbers of users are important now and as said, quality isn't just about content, it is about the character of the people themselves, their willingness, their drive, proactivity, work ethic and most importantly, their integrity as members of the community. Not only will it be these people who will likely become earners and holders later, it will be these people who will set the tone, the working culture of the platform itself.
Good content is one thing but good customers are the market indicator. I have said before that I am lucky to have the comments section I have which is even active when prices are low but, I can't take all the credit for it no matter the work I have put in. The reason is that when a new user chances upon my blog and then decides to leave a comment, they are likely to see what kinds of comments are the norm, the cultural habit and then, comment accordingly.
When it comes to helping someone become part of the community, there is no guide as good as lead by example and as the platform matures, we need not only a middle-class to spread value but, a consumer base who demonstrates how to behave. This is the way communities work. Of course on Steem and with SMTs, there can be many different types of communities and cultural habits available and user could use several or, fall in love with just one.
How I see it is that once someone really walks through the Steem door and begins to engage with the community and find their voice, they will stay because they will start to invest themselves and then feel the responsibility to protect their investment and that is, the community they have helped build. Having a voice on Steem doesn't require a large Steem wallet but, rewarding those you want to represent your investment requires something.
In much the same way a politician is voted into parliament as a representative of a certain group, a vote on Steem is saying that this is what I like, this is who I like and this is how I want to use my voice. Right now, more voices need to be used to build the platform to be able to support even more voices in the future. Once anyone walks through that door fully, everyone has a chance to exercise their voice if they want to take the opportunity.
Some Saturday night thoughts.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
It may turn out to be a temporary thing, actually. Seems in Korea a few million STEEM were bought at a price almost $1 above any other exchange. This pulled up the global average, and may have given a little bump to those seeing that average on other exchanges, feeling a little FOMO.
Whether it was an anomaly or part of an emerging trend, it remains that as you say, we have to value commitment to the platform that isn't just about making more per article. I love making more per article, let me tell you, but how much I write is limited only by internet access and time I can write while I briefly have it. (Finally ending now.) The interactions with others is what I write here for. I have the best conversations with people interested in the things I'm thinking about! Wow!
It makes such a big difference to have an engaged audience but as you know, it isn't by chance (for the most part), it takes work and continued effort but it is worth it :)
To add to this, It's also the personal touch from your followers that make people post as much as they do on Facebook or so which probably is lacking in Steem. I have, for instance, 1.4K followers but I get to hear from maybe 2-3 of them regularly. A lot of followers are followers just for the heck of it and the size of the wallet definitely gets you a lot of regular interacting followers.
While earning potential is the reason most would have joined here for, but for me it has always been the ability to post what you want being the major drive(Earning on it came as a plus). This why probably why I have been posting consistently right from the first time I came here a year back.
I always liked the fact you could always look back on what you posted a year back and read through them whenever you liked as a great reason to be in here, but lately I discovered that you can only go back up on your post so much. It reaches a point where you just can't load any more of the older post. Does anyone know the solution to it?
You are wonderful, have an upvote, and here is a kitten pic
your new car is in the mail
Can the kitten be my chauffeur?
Thank you :)
This is the first time I was able to hit Steem at a low point. The lowest since I have been here. My position is still the same in that I hope it does not go up. I know that It will. Damn thing went up 0.46. No matter what it does its not the time to stop building
Who to support is a learning experience. I have been paying attention over the last couple of months and have picked up on some things that will help.
Yeah, it is climbing fast in the last few hours but I don't think it will last but won't likely fall as far back. starting to step up.
My issue is that I have to remember to be a little bit stricter than I tend to be.
I agree
It doesn't matter what level one is at using their resources, and that is what this is, is the only correct thing to do. Setting money aside for charity is a good thing to do , but Steemit is not a charity just like ones workplace is not.
I was hoping it would stay down for another week or so tbh, as we earn more steem payout in our post when it is down. But hey that is just me. Now don't get me wrong I love when it climbs too, but I like when it is down because I build my SP a little faster when it is down than I do when it is up. For those of us serious about the long term, it is better for it to be down, at least for now, cause once this site really goes main stream, it will be even harder to earn SP
indeed it will be harder to earn and what we have seen so far is nothing in comparison to what it will be later.
It is amazing though how many people will complain when it is down as it is the end all. I get it if you invested money into it, but for most they signed up for an account, they make a post and get rewarded. What other social media site rewards their users, and I don't mean copy cats of steemit that have popped up.
Hi Taraz. Wish it hadn't jumped up already. I was growing rather nicely with the extra Steem in the payouts. Maybe it will go up and then drop a little bit. I understand a low price isn't always so bad and have to look for the positives. I will be using my slider a little more now as I have become a little street wise with comments on here. I had one tonight who said he likes these things and it was regarding a suicide. He either doesn't understand English but more obvious he didn't read it.
Yes, there are many people who don't even read and many that even when they do, don't understand... shame really as they could spend their time building a community and getting support but instead, are tossers.
"It is funny how a bump in Steem price lift spirits so quickly here."
This made me laugh, because I felt my spirits rise too. Like some kind of lemming ready to join everybody else running over the edge of a cliff.
Because what my spirits feel, my head knows makes no sense. Bear markets do not end overnight. There will be many false starts before this thing truly ends.
But truth is, I don't really understand the market. And I'm ok with that.
What I do know is, I've been on Steemit three weeks, and the whole three weeks have been a bear market, and I've loved it anyway. :)
lol
In time, it is good to spend some energy learning at least a basic level since it is a large influencer here. I am no expert.
I didn't realise the price was increasing. Do people really watch the price that closely when deciding whether to post or not?
I realise you are correct that people share votes more freely when prices are up. I know I do in smaller increments. If I upvote a comment at the moment I need to give over 25% of VP in order to get it above the dust threshold, otherwise I feel like I'm wasting my vote. I like to keep my VP above 90% for best effect, because if it goes much lower my vote starts to become valueless. So I'm giving higher percentage votes out, but less of them.
It will be interesting to see how steemit evolves. I do think the complex pass keys will put off people who aren't too worried about making money. What's the point in going to the effort of securing them unless you think you can get a valuable account? People prefer a password they can remember.
I watch for various things as I trade but mostly, I have been looking at the Steem debt counter :) But, yes, some people watch very closely, others just see their wallet move on the 3 day average.
What I am hoping is that as price increases, larger accounts who support the middle class idea don't adjust their percent down and instead build them at the same rate s that next time prices are down, there are more people with some vote power. Of course, the right accounts need to be targeted.
I think it will be an issue too.
Ahaha that's very true, maybe engagement equals price haha
Are they back already? What are they glued to the Steem ticker? Do they have alarms going off in their house screeching at 4am in the morning they better start posting again!?!?!? I wonder if I posted heavily on down days would I have less competition if they are that affected by the slighted change.
Lead by example is extremely important. I’m very heavily active in one community in particular. Most never upvoted each other, commented or even engaged in other ways much unless they were already friends before joining. I’ve been supporting a number of their content for a while now when it’s of good quality. I’ll even leave them some comments. Once in a while if I noticed it’s really needed a little words of encouragement. Slowly over time I’ve started to notice some of them are starting to understand support those in community you want to see succeed is a smart idea.
If the price starts to rocket up again and we end up with a few months of higher prices with all of them rushing back. I can least say I did what I could during the downtime.
While I would been fine with another month or so of these low prices. I could tell quite a few people seem to be holding on by a thread. This place would not been as fun if my feed flat out was dead. Perhaps this is just a short moral boost people needed to keep going. I guess we will know in the coming months if this day was just a short moral boost or something with more firm ground.
Soon.
It takes time for the idea to catch on, perhaps it is a reflection of the world at large where people are more disconnected and not used to really being a part of a community.
Moral boost or not, it will have an effect on some people for better and worse.