Inspired by the @zord189's a few days ago published article full of excitement and with the plan of using the Moonbot bot, at first, I started to type my reply as a comment under his post. But soon after, I realize it would be a way too long comment in the first place. Second, I really do believe the subject, and the issue should be brought to broader audience attention which I suppose wouldn't get if it would be left just as a comment on the post. Last but not least, I also wanted to avoid own trap (in which I fall very often) to leave the whole article type of comments under other Steemian's post, which can easily be turned in own posts, instead of leaving me with the gap of several days without any.

Important Note

This is not a post against @zord189 by any means!
I can understand his excitement very well. I have been in his shoes once, same as he excited by thinking how I discovered something that wasn't like that anymore and not as it seemed to me at first glance.
Therefore, this post purpose is only to explain why I disagree with his opinion, as well as to show you the other side of the same 'coin' and to encourage you to make your own research and investigation before placing an investment, and maybe to reconsider already made ones, no matter which bot is in question.

_{Image Source: Own derivative work with illustration from Pixabay. Credits to alluregraphicdesign for computers-bots, used under the CC0 Creative Commons license.}

Why Is @zord189 So Excited About Moonbot Bot And What Is His Plan With It?

So, let's see first what @zord189 is saying.

I was introduced to this new upvoting bot by @perennial and he told me that a frequent contributor can subscribe because it does not limit your posting and it is not pay per post type of upvotes. Sounds interesting and it costs a mere 4SBD. I used to spend more than that on goats.

Important to remember here is that the bot:

• "does not limit your posting" and
• "costs a mere 4SBD" (per month)

His plan is to post 10 posts per day and here is the math.

1 day x 10 posts x $0.40 x 22 days (taking into account lazy days) = USD88 merely from moonbot’s upvotes.

Why I Strongly Disagree With @zord189 And Why I Don't Share His Excitement About Moonbot Bot?

As first, posting ten (10) posts per day would surely (sooner or later) drive away many of our current followers and regular upvoters, and especially those who put us on any of available auto-voters.

Why?

The reason is very simple! If our followers and voters would have to spend their Voting Power 10 times per day only on one member (us), they would quickly drain their voting power or at least end up with not much of it for other posts of the other members.

Not to mention that every, even a bit serious, trail and group of members would also turn us down as such our activity would be considered as unfair spamming attempt to drain the Steemit Reward Pool and against common community rules and etiquette.

In other words, there is a good reason why we are advised to keep the number of our post at maximum four (4) of them per day!

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Further research of Moonbot bot

Some facts

• At the moment I'm typing this Moonbot's Voting Power is 85.30%
• If the bot would cast 100% vote (at this moment when VP is 85.30%) its vote would worth $0.37
• In other words, in its full 100% Voting Power, its 100% vote would worth $0.43 - where such vote in the best case scenario can be given only once per day (24 hours)
• Going through its outgoing votes can be clearly seen that the bot by default casts only 10% votes of its VP (to those that feed it) what at the moment when I'm typing this and when its VP is 85.30% means that its regularly casted 10% vote at the moment worths $0.037
• That $0.037 would be displayed on our post, under the menu of casted votes as $0.04 (rounded number of $0.037 as USD doesn't have the third decimal, but when post payment dues it would be calculated in our favor by its true value of $0.037 and exchanged into SteemPower/SBD according to the currency rates valid at the payment time)

^{Source: Screenshot}

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Why I Think @zord189's "Houston, I have landed on the moon..." Might End Up As "Houston, I have missed the moon and crashed in the space"

When we neglect "the rule" of max. 4 posts per day and go along with @zord189's plan of 10 posts per day, we would discover the following.

Here is the math

• We already know that Moonbot 100% vote, given at the time when its VP is also 100%, worths $0.43.
• Accordingly, 10% of that vote when its VP is still 100% would worth $0.043.

Let's even assume (although it's entirely impossible) that the bot would give us every time (10 times per day) that 10% vote worth $0.043.

10 posts x $0.043 = $0.43 (per day)

Let's even assume (in contrary to @zord189's formula where he calculated only 22 days of such activity per month) that we would manage to persist this posting consistency for the whole month, full 30 days.

30 days x $0.43 (per day) = $12.90

Quite far from @zord189's $88.00 expectations but still profitable, if we manage to stay under the radar and escape (very) possible downvotes (for abusing the system) that would revoke most of that earning if not all of it.

However, it's still impossible scenario as any Steemit account can't cast 100% vote at 100% VP ten times per day!

So, what would be the best case scenario (although I think impossible either)?

• When at 100% VP 1st vote given with 10% power it would worth $0.043
• 2nd 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.042
• 3rd 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.041
• 4th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.040
• 5th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.039
• 6th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.038
• 7th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.037
• 8th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.036
• 9th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.035
• 10th 10% given vote at 100% VP would worth $0.034
• What makes a Total of $0.385 (per day)

30 days x $0.385 (per day) = $11.55 (per month)

That's the formula that would be possible only if the bot vote just for one member (us), starting from its full 100% power and casting a vote after vote (10 times in a row).

The best possible scenario

In case the bot wouldn't go below 80% of its Voting Power to retain its daily reproducibility and have in mind other members who are using the bot too, let's say its Voting Power would fluctuate during the day in between 80% and 90%.

• where at 90% VP its 100% vote worth $0.39 (and default 10% worth $0.039)
• while at 80% VP its 100% vote worth $0.35 (and default 10% worth $0.035)
• what is an average of $0.37 for 100% vote and $0.037 for default 10% vote

10 posts x $0.037 = $0.37 (per day)

30 days x $0.37 (per day) = $11.10 (per month)

Having in mind that we have to deduct 25% of the earned reward that would be given to the bot as the curation reward we would end up with Final Total of $8.325 ($11.10 - $2.775 (25%) = $8.325).

That's the earning we can expect risking to be downvoted and losing our reputation!

How Would Look Like The Best And Somewhat Safe Case Scenario?

In case we wouldn't want to risk possible downvotes and loss of reputation and publish daily the maximum of 4 posts the math would be the following.

4 posts x $0.037 = $0.148 (per day)

30 days x $0.148 (per day) = $4.44

$4.44 - $1.11 (25% curation reward for bot) = $3.33

From that monthly total of $3.33 if we had chosen the default 50% / 50% option when we were publishing each post,

• 50% of that amount ($1.665) will be converted into STEEM and will arrive in our Steem Power while the other
• 50% of the same amount ($1.665) will be converted into SBD and will arrive in our SBD Wallet.

According to the Coinmarket.com and at the time I'm writing this the rates for STEEM and SBD are as follows.

1 STEEM = $0.936283
1 SBD = $1.00

That means our earned monthly total of $3.33 would be paid to us the following way:

• 50% as 1.778 Steem Power ($1.665 / $0.936283 = 1.778 STEEM) and
• 50% as 1.665 SBD ($1.665 / $1.00 = 1.665 SBD)

If such possibility exists, where our total monthly earnings of $3.33 would be paid to us only in SBD what would be 3.330 SBD ($3.33 / $1.00 = 3.330 SBD) it would be even more evident it's the LOSS of 0.670 SBD for invested 4 SBD, and all of that only if we manage to post 4 posts per day, 30 days in a row.

If we would post less than 4 posts per day, the loss would be even more significant.

• 3 posts per day = $2.498 or 2.498 SBD with the loss of 1.502 SBD
• 2 posts per day = $1.665 or 1.665 SBD with the loss of 2.335 SBD
• 1 post per day = $0.833 or 0.833 SBD with the loss of 3.167 SBD

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Conclusion

If you are prepared and would consider this as an investment in promotional purposes, as you would invest on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network than you might find Moonbot bot as one of the options.

If you think the monthly investment of 4 SBD is worth of one vote boost per post in an approximate average amount of $0.037 gross or $0.028 net value (after deduction of 25% curation reward for the bot), you might consider this bot either.

If you are aiming to reach the Trending page with your posts, I don't believe such boost would make any significant push in that direction neither bring you some higher visibility.

From my point of view and personally, it's - Thank you, but NO thank you!

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Posted on Wednesday, November 15, 2017

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_{Divider source - own work}