RE: Are we only here to feed the narcissists?
I've said it before: Steemit has a money mirage that constitutes its main unique selling proposition. What happens though is that it goes away, this mirage.
Yes, @dollarvigilante is making a ton of money in post rewards now, but if his 8th, 10th post is still "I made 15k in 12h", I wonder who's going to upvote him then? Not many I reckon. Same with the playmate, or anyone else. Moreover, they're gonna get #rekt for milking the steemers.
More and more VIP's will come to steemit and yes, many extraordinary posts that day are going to bite the dust being shadowed by that celebrity. It's the small price we have to pay to get Steemit to grow to the magnitude of FB, Reddit etc.
I know you're not upset or jealous about this. It's a valid point after all. I'm not upset either and I have a 5th of your steem and over twice the involvement from a quantitative pov (posts&comments). You're doing awesome work with the payment gateway.
In the end, it's got to happen. The exposure of @dollarvigilante's interview with @dan and @ned, the exposure the playmate created, and many others, are worth a few first posts that are well paid. After that, if they don't add real value, they won't get real value out of Steemit.
Somewhat, but that is oversimplified and contributes to a zero-sum mentality. Yes it is true that the pool is literally zero-sum as long as the STEEM price doesn't change, but the effect is pretty modest. Currently the reward pool is about $100 000 per day. On the day he made $15K, approximately $85K went other posts. If you didn't earn, it is because your post didn't gain an audience and get votes. It is not because TDV took all the money.
In fact there is concrete proof of this. If I recall correctly, the very same day that TDV got $15K, the Playmate got $12K (sorry if not exact number). His success did not prevent her from also doing well nor did her success stop him from doing the same. And despite both of them getting historic payouts on the very same day, 73% of the reward pool was still available for other posts.
If your posts aren't getting rewarded, focus on marketing and promoting to develop an audience and improving the quality of the posts to increase conversions (how many people who see the posts vote for them). Pointing at someone else who is (in some vague sense) responsible for you not geting 15% of the reward pool rather than focusing on why you aren't getting a piece of the other 85% and what you can do to change that is doing yourself a disservice.
That is correct @smooth, TDV's post didn't take all the money. The point was that if you hit your hard worked post in a day where a couple celebrities do theirs (or some new app comes on/gets updated), there are way less chances to get yours noticed. I'm not complaining. Used to when I was starting up on Steemit but not anymore. Perseverance is my motto now. Keep at it and you'll get noticed. Contribute (on steemit with posts, comments, curation, on steemit.chat helping people), grow an audience, and then you'll get noticed easier once you build your rep.
In this post @steve-walschot was bringing to discussion celebrities that do repetitive, similar posts, grabbing the attention on Steemit over the same idea over and over. I agree that we need to build our audience, but we can be easily shadowed by others who have a natural big audience. Yup, 73% was left. For 49.999 Steemians :)
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining that I'm not getting rewards, that is not why I, and many other are on Steemit for as their main goal.
PS. Maybe I'm mistaking but the total amount of steem awarded in a day is 28,800 STEEM (?) which is about $ 56k at the current price. Not that it makes a big difference in what you said.
The reward pool earns 2 STEEM per block, so that is 57 600 STEEM/day. A maximum of 25% of that goes to voters, but that is reduced in practice because authors vote for themselves (by default in the UI) and by the penalty for voting within the first 30 minutes. This might be slightly less than $100K now with the reduced STEEM price (though it was higher when TDV made his first post), but still reasonably close.
Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying it.
If you're ok with 2 posts receiving 27% of the daily award, an intro post and a playmate post, you're an idiot.
You nailed it! Couldn't have said it better.
What if those 2 accounts brought in 27% (or more) of the new Steemit users during that time?
For crying out loud. Finally a post that bucks the trends, is openly critical and is getting some votes from whales. Color me surprised.
Hopefully this isn't a token post and we'll see dissenting views getting noticed by whales and others on the trending page as appropriate. I don't even necessarily agree with everything that is said, it's just the damn principle of the matter!
Reward people for spilling their heart sometimes, even if it isn't 100% what you agree with, it's healthy for Steemit for everyone to know they are heard and appreciated.
It's great that @steve-walschot has brought up this topic and that the community members like @anduweb can discuss things with him and give his perspective. This is the sort of discussion we need more of. We all don't have to agree, just don't be afraid to give an upvote to your "opponent" for a "good game"!
I also like that people are able to disagree with one another without shouting profanities or belittling one another. It's really a platform that encourages debate. Not only about steemit, but multiple controversial issues.
While I tend to be more laid back and see things from both sides, I respect people that will speak their mind and be blunt and have a dialogue and that both @dollarvigilante and @steve-walschot can have their voices heard.
I think both users have the best interests of steemit in mind, but are approaching from differing viewpoints. If we were all unanimous in our beliefs, steemit would be an incredibly dull place.
I enjoy debating not just for the sake of arguing, but because someone respectfully bringing something to my attention has me actually seriously consider what they are saying instead of insulting me and making me immediately tune out what they wish to say and write them off.
Can we get a woot woot?!
This is the community I desperately want to cultivate! Reduce the trolls, reduce the divisive rhetoric and hate. I know that is idealistic, but we have an opportunity to shape something that can at least be civil due to the incentives of being civil.
If we can strike a balance of being respectful of others while still being able to voice our opinions without censorship. My goodness, I think I just shed a tear!
We need diversity of opinion and the thick skin to let that diversity of opinion do its damage. The community will be the better for it as it tempers the culture here.
Guys, this Steemit idea can be huge if we cultivate the roots properly at the earliest stages.
Let's keep this moving in the right direction!! Following you three @bendjmiller222 , @steve-walschot and @anduweb . Excellent comments all of you!
Amen! Woot woot!
First let me say a sincere thank you for your kind words and thoughtful response. I will certainly be following you.
We are 100% on the same page. The other important piece of moderating that needs to be addressed is the current flagging system.
There is no reason this post should have 3 flags. I'm proposing an idea that would force users to say why content was flagged and easily have a dialogue about it New Flagging Content Feedback System
I don't like that right now people can flag out of jealousy or disagreement.
That's the dream. A censorship free network that can still self moderate.
If the comment-section can keep this level of quality even with ever increasing number of accounts, steemit might be on to something.
Nailed it.
I made the exact same comment on another thread. So far I haven't seen a lot of trolls or trollish behavior. That alone is solid gold. For me, at any rate. Really didn't come here for an immediate payout, it just seemed like an interesting community just getting started, and that excited me.
Exactly! To be honest, those who only come to make a quick buck are not really that valuable to steemit long-term. That is the entire reason that half of the awards are placed into steem power that can only be given out in weekly payment. People would gladly withdraw $1,000 if it was liquid, but may think about investing in the platform further if they only get weekly payments of $9.64 and it affects their voting power. It's an absolutely brilliant design.
And the reputation system aka "troll control" (I'll take credit for that name if nobody else used it yet) has silenced many users that were harming the user experience.
While only in beta, the minds and developers working in the background are leaps and bounds ahead of what we currently think of as a really great system that need a few tweaks.
There have been numerous critical posts that have gotten votes from whales. It mostly depends on them being well-written and thoughtful.
The idea that critical posts don't get votes is dead wrong. A well-written and thoughtful critical post will get far more votes than a positive post that is of poor quality.
@smooth is one of the whales I respect most. Always finding good content and making meaningful comments.
I do feel that positive comments get more upvotes, but that may simply be due to the fact that there are more positive comments than critical opposing comments.
With the reputation system in place I think people are being more careful not to offend do to the fact that you can flag content without giving reasons why you flagged it.
I think there would be more constructive criticism and respectful disagreements in the comments if people don't fear being flagged for their opinion.
I have proposed a flagging system with feedback that would force users to say why they have flagged content. New Flagging System With Feedback
I'd love to have some of the whales and dolphins comment, regradless of whether or not they wish to upvote it. I think the feature will add so much long-term value, that short term upvotes and dollars while appreciated and helpful will pale in comparison to the what is in store down the road.
I respectfully disagree. For the time I've been here which is merely a month, I have scanned the trending page every day desperately looking for others, like myself, that, unlike myself, had the influence to break in to the trending levels. While surely there are some posts that will get some votes from some whales, until recently, it is rare to see something critical make a significant reward. Numerous is an exaggeration.
And as far as well-written and thoughtful, I dare say that the recent posts with critical commentary are barely more than rants that hit the right nerve because many users are simply fed up with being ignored, insulted and marginalized for daring to have different opinions.
I do agree that a well-written and thoughtful critical post can get far more votes than a positive one that is poor quality. It is far more likely that a post that is positive, of the same quality as a critical post, will get rewarded by more whales.
Getting merely the votes of 100 non-whales isn't the difficulty, because they don't dictate the direction of the platform nearly to the same level of the whales. It's getting enough whales to upvote so that it gets to trend and get seen by more users.
Anyway, we can agree to disagree on this matter. What we can agree upon, I assume, and applaud is that there is vibrant discussion going on in the comments and it's been overwhelmingly civil. This bodes well for the platform and gives those of us that are not here to earn a living some hope for the future of Steemit.
We are sailing in the right direction.
And thanks for having these discussions over the last few weeks. I value your opinion on these matters whether we agree or disagree in whole or in part.
Cheers
I make sure I always surround myself with good, down to earth, fun, real people, who always keep me grounded.
I can't get along with narcissists, men who think they are better than others. Bright red colour enters my brain and boils up when I meet " Show-Off's ". I had to learn how to calm down and shut up, knowing it is not my duty to confront them. Let them find out alone where life will take them with a repulsive attitude.
https://steemit.com/money/@mammasitta/why-did-i-stop-following-trends-on-steemit-and-rather-focus-on-topics-i-am-interested-in-looking-for-real-people
that's what the world should be all about
I agree with this post (though I am likely considered a baby beluga). It is an important point to be made. I do not disagree with @dollarvigilante deserving his first few k on here for posting that he is here, but making 3 meta versions of the same thing does take it a bit far.
In his defense though...this platform is ADDICTING. If you earn anything above the average on here you will be kind of foaming at the mouth hoping it happens again. So when he earned 15k like that it was likely kind of heroine-like. :P
Excellent points fuzzy.
And if others were to make even 20 dollars on a post, that is motivating as well. Very motivating. So instead of people piling on and padding his payout, they should be limiting that and voting for their fellow 2 and 5 dollar payout users.
If out of 15k , 5k went to dollarvigilante and 10k was spread to 500 users, that would have done much more good overall for the system. Dolla' gets more than enough motivation to keep doing what he's doing, and a lot of the base users get some reward for their time. Of course this is only if their content is upvote worthy. Not at all suggesting that people should get rewarded for crap.
I've been on Steemit for just a little bit now, but it sure seems like discussion is open. Maybe I'm just so late to the party that I'm noticing the end of the trend you're talking about, like when I show up to a party just as everyone is leaving... QQ
+1 on that
Just imagine, in the real world this money is changing hands with no one ever seeing or knowing. These are interviews and content that would've generated revenue that isn't publicized. We should be celebrating that we're finally behind the curtain. I'm with @anduweb, if they do not perform, they will not continue to receive upvotes and value out of Steemit. And if they do, my popcorn stands at the ready. This is a wild ride.
Exactly! Great post
However, we've seen time and time again posts that get handsomely rewarded for saying the same thing again and again. While it's not likely that he will get the 15k payout on a single post again, since he has now been hooked by the whales and followers luring him in to try and promote the site, he will still continue to get a nice reward, because some here think that his content is what will make them money.
It would be nice to know which users actually bring in the most new users that will actually stay with Steemit for a decent amount of time.
Will it be those that promote getting rich quick to people that will almost certainly not get rich quick, or will it be users that find content creators that are going to form the backbone of what makes something like this work.
Personally, I see someone getting 15k for a post and think that is like a pile on when you're playing football. Lots of people upvoting and rewarding past the point of reason. Meanwhile the share of the daily pie isn't going to the other users that certainly deserve the rewards siphoned off by the "big winners" of the day.
And yes, no matter what happens this is going to be a wild ride!
These are valid concerns. I'm glad we get to ride together to see how ti turns out :)
Agreed. This post does touch on an important subject for any product or service: public perception.
If the top trending posts are all about celebrities saying, "Oh, hi. I'm here to see if I can really make money," then they're rewarded by all of their followers blindly upvoting their post, they don't really have any added incentive to produce actual value. We get it - you have a big following. We get it - you can make a lot of money by posting about a sneeze from earlier in the day. The point here is to use that influence to add value to the platform, not to gloat about how easy it was to make a bunch of money.
I get the importance of a large following, but I also know that really good content is being drowned - and the "whales" aren't really helping with that.
Here's something that can add value to the platform in many different ways. Let's get more stuff like this and less "Look how much I made yesterday!"
https://steemit.com/anarchism/@ats-david/enriching-lives-through-the-power-of-steemit
Jeff Berwick has been providing value before he ever joined Steemit. Check out the dollar vigilante and anarchast youtube channels. Sure, he's new and brings a large following, which is overall good for Steemit, and he prolly will not continue to make $15k on each post. But as long as he keeps doing what he's always done before Steemit, he'll continue to earn. His first initial posts are due to the shock of the overall earnings, and responses to the hoopla. However, as someone who has been discussing anarchy, capitalism and finance for years on his own podcasts and as a guest on many news channels and podcasts, I wouldn't cut him short. The only thing he has working against him on Steemit, is not everyone will identify with his topics.
I wanted to share a video that Jeff posted on his YouTube channel where he interviews the founders of Steemit.
Also, Jeff knows the value of Steemit and respects it. He also knows what attracts people. Google had shitty looking ads in the beginning, but you knew not to bitch because it worked. What the technology freedom revolution isnt teaching is how to make money, and it's been a downfall of the industry for a long time. People like Jeff know how to make money. He never came on here to tell you how to run Steemit. He came on Steemit because Steemit allows him to be rewarded by being himself. He never lied about what he typed.
Anyway, Jeff is marketing Steemit. Let him. He knows how to market.
And if there is a section of Steemit capitalists, let the exist, Steemit allows for that.
I'm sure he'll earn on steemit and immediately reinvest money earned into Bitcoin, gold, and silver.
yeah...people with sufficient funds ho ant to change the world....should help create noahs ark...
He won't be converting it into USD that's for sure
And this comment my friend adds real value, Which is why you've been paid so handsomely for it.
So,
hahaha. Thanks man. I've always tried to share my opinions and add value around steemit + promoting it. All earnings from that comment will go into Power Up anyways.
Very good points! People around here seem totally oblivious to the fact that mainstream exposure is going to bring a bunch of stuff into Steem that we haven't seen yet: advertising, political propaganda/campaigning, and like the OP pointed out, narcissists. Every time I bring this up, I get a response something to the effect of "I hope we can keep that stuff out!"
But the reality is that we need all of it! Advertising and politics will bring much-needed money and finally silence the "ponzi" criticisms, and as @anduweb points out, the narcissists will bring their worshippers along as they go through their massive and spectacular flame-outs.
I feel that steemit rewards people at the beginning for their effort and then slowly forces you to create better content and try new things.
Early success (even just the .09 cents from @stellabelle) when I started was the only reason I stayed. It made me want to become a better writer and create content that would engage, entertain, and make people question their beliefs. #secret-writer was the first postthat really made me believe in myself after I saw the amount of positive comments and knew this was a community that welcomes raw and honest work.
Much of Instagram and Facebook (while I use both) is sugar coated and made to look like everyone is having the time of their lives. Here, there is much less judgement and I have been able to share my feelings without fearing someone will troll or respond in hate.
Early success is vital and everyone does have the ability to make great posts and make money at the beginning.
Being creative is really the only way for continued success and I feel @dollarvigilante has the marketing skills to bring people up alongside him since he is new and can help new people. As long as he will share his time with people from whales to minnows, I think he will be a great asset.
We are all constantly changing here from our very first post (if you stay the same, you will move in reverse). While not every post will be a home run, you can build up your brand and make a pretty consistent amount if people feel you put out great content each time.
A great example is @stellabelle always busts her ass and look at her results, they are consistently well liked.
Sustainable success won't happen without sustained effort.
@bendjmiller222 "Sustainable success won't happen without sustained effort."
Is that quote your's or someone else's? I love it.
As far as I know, that is a quote that is attributed to me. I didn't search it out on google, so i'd guess someone has said it before. I'd love to trademark it if it is available 😊😊
There definitely is a difference between your first post and latest post on Steem! I sure there is more diversity of writing and opinion because a site about itself will only survive so long.
I couldn't said it better myself and god knows I tried.