The Best Thing That Happened To Me Because Of Steemit
Note: This is the third day of @dragosroua's May 30 Days Writing Challenge. Anyone can join in and post about each daily topic. You can find the rules here. Today's topic:
What's The Best Thing That Happened To You Because Of Steemit?
There's been a lot of good things that have happened to me because of Steemit. Which of all of those is the best? Well, I think I know, but I'd like to go through which ones are in the running and let you all see if I'm right.
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Not exactly how I envision what talking to other people is like on Steemit, but it's close.
People To Talk To
One of the good things that has happened to me here is that I have more people to talk to. I work at home, from my own detached office. Aside from family, I don't see a whole lot of people during the week. Which suits me just fine, but even I recognize the value of socializing more frequently than I'm naturally inclined to. Steemit gives me multiple opportunities to speak with people every day. And not just with people in close proximity, but from all over the world.
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I hope that glow off the tablet is enlightenment, and not radiation.
Something To Read
Another good thing that has happened to me because of Steemit is I've found a virtually limitless amount of things to read. I know there are some here who think there's nothing or little good in what's available, and I admit—if you're looking for Pulitzer Prize winning writing of any kind, it's probably in short supply. However, I've found that there are plenty of people who are adept at the art of stringing together words into sentences, paragraphs and forming intelligent arguments or helpful posts. Some days I have to really search them out, but they are there. I love to be informed, learn, and to read, so Steemit has been good in providing those opportunities for me.
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Like sand through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives...on Steemit.
Be A Part Of Something Bigger Than Self
Steemit is just a small part of what can and will be happening on the STEEM blockchain in the coming years. If everything goes according to plan, we will have taken part in bootstrapping a worldwide global economy which uses STEEM as its currency. A decentralizing, freedom building, poverty lifting, society melding economic phenomena. For anyone who wants to go wherever whenever without borders, without waiting for visas or passports, without exchanging your fiat for other fiat, STEEM has the power to do that, if we get out of our own way and let it happen. Being a part of that potential eventuality, is a very good thing. For me. For you. For everyone.
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Our brains + Our rewards = Attention Economy. Pretend the '$' stands for STEEM.
The Attention Economy
I mentioned in Tuesday's May 30 Days Writing Challenge post about How I Got On Steemit—The Short And Long Of It, that I have been working my whole life towards the day where I could get paid directly from someone who liked what I created, without advertising, without some other middleman, and without having to peddle some wares. Just create and post.
One of the good things that has happened to me here on Steemit is to see that become more and more a reality. It started sporadically with pennies, but over the course of the last four months it's been turning into nickels, dimes and quarters to the point where I can see a dollar or two on posts on a more regular basis. What will it be like in another four months? A year? Two years? I think as long as STEEM keeps growing and I keep at it, I will see $20-$100 posts on a regular basis. And it won't be because of Google Ads or affiliate links or selling mugs.
Image source—@abh12345 leagues blog post on Steemit
And the winner is... (drum roll)
The Best Thing That Has Happened To Me
While all of the above are good things that have happened to me since I've arrived on Steemit, the best thing, because it allows me to tap into all of the other good things simultaneously and more effectively, is this: The Curation and Engagement Leagues founded by @abh12345 and sponsored by @paulag and @carlgnash.
The Leagues are the reason why I've been talking to so many people from all over the world, reading and learning so much, been able to participate in something greater than self by being a part of something not quite as big but still larger than me, and finding some success in the attention economy on Steemit. As I've turned my focus outward, searching for value and ways to add to it, as I've been rewarding good content, I have been rewarded, and more abundantly than I was on my own.
It's True. Every Word Of It.
I would encourage everyone who wants more people to talk to, something to read, something bigger than self and greater opportunities for success in the attention economy and here on Steemit to consider joining The Curation and Engagement Leagues. I'm glad I did, and I believe you will be, too.
Very good observation. It wasn't like that in the early days of Steemit. I believe Steemit will eventually overtake Reddit as the incentives for good content will continue to grow as the user base expands.
I'm certainly hoping for this to happen. And not only with Reddit, but with Medium as well. Though they do have strong partner programmes, so we will see about that one.
That would be great, and I agree, more people, more content, and thus more potential for great content.
Steemit seems to be having a hard time getting accounts approved these days, though. I've been watching to see any updates on Velocity, but so far, nothing. Meanwhile, the accounts are trickling in compared to what they were doing four months ago. If it's keeping scammers and spammers out, maybe that's a good thing? Unfortunately, I also read about the exact opposite happening and how much resources are being used to flag it.
I share your love of finding great people to read on here (people like you in fact). Also I work from home, so it can be really a great way of connecting with others. You've inspired me to take a stab at this challenge myself, as well as to check out the curation leagues.
Well, cool. The challenge has been fun so far, and the leagues, well, I think you'll like them a lot. It's easy to sign up, too. Just go here and tell abh12345 you would like him to add you to the leagues. You'll automatically be entered for both and you'll start the same week you sign up. :)
I really like the way you approached the topic and structured the post. I fell like I tried to communicate similar ideas, but couldn't do it as neatly as you. Especially the part of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. No matter, you have much more experience in writing than I do, so getting better is just a matter of time.
I have a question regarding the Curation and Engagement Leagues. Is it just some sort of community one can join or is it based solely on getting noticed?
As the host, I hope Glen wont mind if I nip in and answer this :)
Just add a comment in the previous 'league' post below stating interest and I'll add you in for Sunday!
https://steemit.com/engagement/@abh12345/6bzkhk-the-curation-and-engagement-leagues-sponsored-by-carlgnash-and-paulag
Don't worry about starting off 'slow' with the numbers. As Glen discusses, the real value is held in engaging on the post with the participants - asking for tips, congratulating, or whatever encourages comment - comments mean prizes for the top 10 each week :D
Cheers!
Nip away. I was eventually going to get to sharing how to sign up, but it's done and it's all good. :)
Let me also make a little note. If you want to win the first league you have to follow the king of curation. I wonder who that is 😂😜
If you want to win the second league, you can ask Glen.
Just so that it's perfectly clear @tim3w4rp, @crypto-econom1st, is pretty much the one to topple on the curation side of things. He's got it wired, and it takes, from what I can tell, a little bit more finesse and skill. Our, you could just autovote instead. :) As for me, since we took a week off, I'm not claiming anything until we see this week's results. :)
Oh, I think I would definitely call the leagues a community. There are roughly 300 people, give or take, who vie for a top 10 spot in either the curation league, the engagement league, or both (the latter is pretty hard to do) each week. So, there is the idea of competition, with rewards (1-3 or 4 STEEM for engagement plus potential delegation and something like 1 STEEM each for the curation). However, most of the people participating, I'd say, are inclined to curate or engage anyway.
What I like about it most is, at least on the engagement side, is it gets us out there and doing what I believe Steemit was created for—commenting and curating, as well as posting. So, while we potentially see a small but nice boost in STEEM depending on our placement, we essentially keep Steemit running.
That last part might sound a little exaggerated. It probably is, but I really believe we're doing something good for the platform that's natural, organic, without preservatives, aftertaste or deadly side effects. :)
Whoa, this sounds very interesting but rather time-consuming. Even though I'm very intrigued by the concept, I don't think my engagement and curation work is strong enough to compete. I'd love to do it, it's just that I'm afraid it would take up way too much of my time. I guess I'll participate passively and see what happens.
I think you'd be in the same boat as most people who participate. I'm one of the few who are actually on it as much as I am, so while the top 3 spots can be pretty up there points wise, the next seven places can be wide open. It really just depends on what's going on during any given week.
When I first started I was way under what I needed to be in the top 10, and ended up outside the top 25, but it was still better than the majority of the rest. So, you never know. It helped me to realize that I wasn't doing nearly as much as I thought I was doing, and that if I wanted to place higher, I needed to do something about it, rather than get down on Steemit for being so mean to me. :) Which was exactly where I was heading at the time. Funny thing is, I've not increased the amount of time I'm on here, just the focus. It's been very beneficial.
And some would say the best thing about the leagues is the camaraderie. When Asher posts his results Sunday, people usually show up to 'accept' their place, thank different people, and/or acknowledge other winners. From, there, the conversations can go in all kinds of directions. So, people who have busy schedules like yourself still join because of the people and the conversation.
So, passive participation works, too. :)
I'm glad to hear that achievements can be made even without increasing the time spent. I've actually been trying to figure out how to increase engagement of my followers, or rather, acquire new ones that actually engage on their own. So I guess this might be a good place to start. Thank you for introducing it to me and explaining how things work in such detail. I would have definitely spent much more time figuring this out on my own.
I'm waiting for that moment when steem would be accepted as payment method.
This comment has received a 0.31 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @cbeep.
It will be awesome. Especially since, because it's not yet, it's just a pain to get from STEEM to fiat. If that ever gets solved, going straight to STEEM with fiat, maybe it will be better. At any rate, STEEM being accepted as payment has huge implications and ramifications, so that's much, much better. :)
Yes you are right.
When I did see your post, I guessed that being the king of engagement would be here in somewhere. But maybe this is the results of the 3 points you have mentioned.
@dragosroua is doing a great thing with his challenge, it is all over my feed! Way to go.
But I would have put a bet on it, that interaction is one of the most important things here on the steem blockchain. And I am surprised that you did not give the interaction part more weight!
Thanks for sharing!
Peter
I don't even know if I am still at the top of the engagement heap since we took a week off. Maybe everyone had a chance to take a breather and come up with winning strategies. At any rate, being atop the engagement league has definitely been fun, but I had to be a member of the league first, so credit needs to go where credit is due.
I agree that dragosroua definitely has something working here. I've seen the same thing happening in my feed.
Okay, so I did start with the people part of this, while admitting it's not my strong suit, right? :) I think that's giving it a lot of weight, actually, when you lead with the thing you're the least naturally inclined at. All of this running around I've been doing isn't really my thing. It's my wife's, not me. She's not here, though, and she much prefers talking with her mouth than talking with fingers on a keyboard.
The interacting part is great, but there's other places to do that. I could say the same thing for finding stuff to read, and to lesser extents, the attention economy and even being a part of something larger than self. However, it's the sum of the parts, each working together and enhancing each other as it amplifies the whole that is the real story here. And that, my friend, is only a small story in comparison to what will be told on the STEEM blockchain if/when the bootstrapped economy takes place. :)
And in my case, my continuing participation in all of this, is because of the leagues. That's where I choose to put the greater weight because right now it's one of the driving forces behind everything that is done here.
Well Glen
A proud-feeling moment to drown out the stomach pains here :)
You, as Dave, and Lynn were before you, have been (and still are!) a credit to the Leagues and for engagement on Steemit in 2018.
I kept to my word and didn't run a report the last few days (even though I was tempted!), but I think I can guess who would be up in the top 3.
Thanks for the advertisement and kind words, hopefully a couple more names will appear before Sunday.
Cheers!
Actually, if you did run a report, or maybe a few names, or maybe even just mine, I'd be interested to see how it went, because my numbers went down in spite of really trying to keep them up there. Okay, I take that back. Maybe I don't want to know. :)
I only wish I would have known about the leagues sooner (the beginning of January would have been nice) and then joined the moment I heard about them rather than procrastinating. They really have helped me more than I feel I'm contributing to them. But that seems to be how my life has been.
I seriously didn't go into this with the intent of creating a shameless plug, but then I needed a way to wrap the post up, so that all came out. I believe it, though, so let's call it more of a unsolicited testimonial rather than advertising, shall we? :)
I'll comment about your illness on your own post.
Woehaa, this is really the one and only good answer.
To bad that I can't participate anymore now. Cause that would be plagiarism 😋
Oh, now, now. It's not like more than one person can't have the same idea and write about it. It's not plagiarism unless you quote me word for word and then pass it off as your own. You can still participate. Just use your own words. Eezy Peezy Bo-Beezy. :)
You said that if people loved Steemit for the same reason as I do, it would definitely be a better place. It seems like you love Steemit for the same or greater reasons! I really like the good things that happened to you because of this platform, and I can relate to them.
The curation and engagement leagues are awesome! And congratulations for getting the first place on it :) You leave the nicest comments.
I don't know. I think we're pretty much on the same page. I tend to be a big picture guy (mainly because I'm not skilled enough or understand enough to be the specific how-to-do it guy), so I want to know the overall reason and purpose of something. STEEM happens to have a global-sized purpose.
re: first place
Thanks. It's fun, and as I've said, it gets me out there. That's good, I think. :)
@glenalbrethsen - well-written, comprehensive post. Here, as in other posts, you have given me some good information about connecting with support communities. For instance, I had never even heard of Curation and Engagement Leagues before this post.
Cheers!
Glad to offer what I believe to be some useful information. If you decide you want to participate, just go to the last curation and engagement post abh12345 has and ask to be added to the list. At the top of this comment section he's even left a link to it.
One of the best things I’ve experienced on Steemit is the chance to chat with people like yourself. Once you find a few great people on this platform it becomes such a rewarding experience. The financial rewards can be great, but the engagement makes the experience so much more worthwhile.
I'd agree. Both eventually need to be present—the rewards and the engagement—to whatever degrees is up to each one of us. Some of us care more about rewards, others engagement, and so hitting that ratio we each need is key to not only success, but our longevity.
You've definitely had a lot of engaging posts (we've been talking about this right?) on topics that I'm interested in, so you're making it easy for me to show up and say something. :) You're easy to talk to and so I'm sure that not only helps me, but everyone else you're chatting with here.
Thanks. :)
I think it has a lot to do with simply being real on here and not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. Take a look at Jerry Banfield. He has to pay huge amounts of money for exposure and just comes across as a fake.
I think if you’re real, have genuine conversations and enjoy creating good quality content then there’s absolute scope to make this a long term and successful thing.
Who knows, maybe Banfield is like that in real life? :) At any rate, I agree, he does come across as something off putting. I'm not sure if it's insincerity or fake, or if he just tries too hard. He's kind of like that kid who always knows everything and wants everyone to know he knows everything. Even when he is sincere he comes off fake. Which is actually funny and sad.
A simpler production quality, a little less theatrics, and maybe he's more genuine? :)
At the same time, he's now a top 20 witness and someone's got to be voting for him in the higher SP echelons. I don't think you can get there riding puny waves from newbies and minnows, even if we all actually voted for him.
Yeah he must have some reasonable level of intelligence to get where he is. So he has to have something to offer.
If he toned himself down and just spoke without sounding like a used car sales person he’d be fine.
Oh and if he stopped voting his posts to $2k as well...