Responsible Use of Voting Bots in Discord Channels - Case of SteemGigs

Depletion of voting power among voting bots

It was one of those moments when I feel like exploring things, and so I decided to check out @steemgigs through Steemd. As soon as the page loaded up, I was shocked. My eyes were fixed on the 4.15% of Voting Power. It was my first time to see a voting power that low. Once my state of shock cleared up, a wave of concern suddenly struck me.

I realized that as part of the community, I needed to take action. I know that the reason behind the sudden depletion of voting power can be unintentional. Perhaps, a lot of members may not be aware that this is what's happening. Hence, to bridge the gap in information, I am posting this to raise awareness.

The depletion of voting power can be universal

A sense of urgency also motivated me to come up with this article because the same is also happening in @minnowsupport.

Hence, things mentioned in this post may also apply to the PAL community (which I'm also part of).

Going back to SteemGigs, I recalled that there is a pinned post regarding the usage of the upvote bot. Quoting:

The SteemGigs bot's vote funciton is limited to #steemgigs and #untalented posts, as per the pinned message from @surpassinggoogle. My 100% flag is worth just a little more than you will get from this bot, so be wary about using this bot to vote on irrelevant posts...

However, despite this guideline, a lot of members tend to disregard this, and they end up "abusing" the voting bot. It's just sad. It's like we are becoming the obstacles in fulfilling its primary objective -- and that is to promote posts related to #untalented and #steemgigs. Now, just in case you missed that one, I'm now sharing this with you. Also, for clarity below is the general description of SteemGigs and Untalented:

• #Untalented - this tag refers to posts that tell a story about untalented gifts, learning and realization throughout your life be it here in Steemit or outside. This may also coincide with @teardrops.
• #SteemGigs - this tag refers to posts which promotes service/s you offer. It is mostly for freelancers who want to offer his/her talents to the community.

Remember that as of the moment, the usage of the voting bot should be restricted to these posts. Sadly, this is not what's happening. I kept on seeing members using the voting bot for unrelated content such as photography, contest entry and etc.

Responsibility over the gifts we receive

The guideline came from @surpassinggoogle himself, and we should show gratitude by respecting this. We, members, should not take for granted the gifts given to us, rather we should exhibit responsibility over these gifts. Remember the Parable of the Talents? Much will be given to those who are responsibility over the talents/gifts given.

In line with these observations, I am sharing with you some proposed solutions.

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My proposed solutions

To be honest, my proposed solution is very simple -- BE RESPONSIBLE.

1. Comply with the guidelines

There's often a pinned post that contains guidelines for the use of voting bot. This applies to SteemGigs and PAL, and I suppose it applies to other groups as well. Let's take the time to read them, and abide by the rules. If it says that the usage is restricted to specific category, let's respect that, even if no one may seem to be calling your attention.

Keep in mind that when the Voting Power is low, the worth of the upvote declines with it. Let's ensure sufficient spacing between each bot usage.

2. Ensure that promoted posts are "upvote-worthy"

The free upvote may seem like an "easy money", which others may tend to abuse. Hence, what others may do is to post daily without minding the quality because they are assured of an upvote. This may provide them short term benefits, but it harms them and the entire community in the long run. Let upvotes be the consequence of your posts, and not the other way around.

Also, let's keep in mind that Steemit depends on the quality posts generated by the users. It's where the value is based. Remember as well that we are all stewards of the community. Let's continuously do our part.

3. Eliminate dependency on the bot + foster genuine connection

This is somehow related to #2 . As we become more familiar with how Steemit works, we need to work in such a way that we will eliminate our dependency on the bots. This means we need to really think on our content and pour our hearts (perhaps even tears) onto it. This also means that we need to build genuine connection within the groups, so that fellow members will be the ones upvoting your content. Less bots, more human.

These are just general tips on how we can be more "responsible" steemians. I know that there are more ways to do it, but these are the things I can think of as of the moment.

Key Takeaway

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Our main goal here in Steemit is to be responsible for the community including the smaller groups (i.e. Discord). We also need to veer away from abusive behavior and assume more accountability towards our actions. Remember that Steemit is like being given super powers -- and just what Uncle Ben says "With great power comes great responsibility".

Do you have other suggestions and proposed solutions? Share them below.

Thank you very much for reading!

Join SteemGigs!

SteemGigs need more Steemians who take responsibility in their actions. Hence, if you feel like you are one, feel free to join the growing community via this Discord Channel. See you there!

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I am a proud member of @trulaloo a group that produces quality entertainment content for everyone. Individually, I love to tell stories about travel, food, art and etc. you may want to follow me at @anotsopopularkid. Hope to connect with you!