7 Reasons 🌀 Why Even Tiny Minnows Should Comment and Upvote...

Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m still new around here, but I’ve now read some advice several times which seems incorrect to me. Namely, that it is a waste of time and effort for minnows to curate posts, because there is little to no reward in it. 

(Source for this very sad minnow...)

Although it maybe so that for small fishes, there is practically no immediate financial reward for commenting, or more specifically, for upvoting. Please allow me to propose a few reasons why it is still beneficial for even the lowliest of krill to curate! Do correct me if I’m wrong!

1) If you enjoyed reading a post, what’s a click of a button to express appreciation?! If the article makes you think something worthy of sharing, then say it! Even a simple smile to someone on their worst day can save their life…

“… And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5; Yerushalmi Talmud 4:9, Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 37a.

2) If you think; “Were I a whale, I’d upvote this ‘cause it’s good content,” and you want the author to be rewarded, then just do it to start, or join the trend… Whales go where the krill are!~

(Source.)

A crowd of people obviously, always begins with one. A person who initiates something, psychologically grants permission for others to follow. This is why for example, tip jars fill faster if they start with something in them. Or why companies will hire fake customers to make their stores appear more popular and appealing, and to give the impression of a sale or shortage. Or, here is a fun, and quick video of a crowd forming around one concert-going dancer. You can feel the excitement growing! 

I’m not sure if this crowd forming, or permission granting behaviour has a name, and as above, it can be positive. However, in its negative sense, this conduct is described as the Bystander effect.  Where individuals do not help someone in need when others are present, (and who are also not helping,) because it is assumed that someone else will handle the problem. However when one person decides to break the apparent social, physical, or psychological barriers in order to render aid, others quickly follow. In other words, a good steemit post with zero upvotes is in need of help. But since there are zero to few votes, we tend to avoid it altogether, or to read it but abstain from voting. So someone, anyone, just needs to crack the barrier…

3) Isn’t there an algorithm that vaguely gets to know our preferences based on our upvotes? I read something about this a few weeks ago, but cannot recall the article name and link… (If someone knows more about this, please comment and I will update this point.)

4) By commenting, appreciating and voting on content, your name appears on the “# of votes” drop down list at the bottom of a given post, and in the discussion thread. Your name, eternalized here, provides an opportunity to gain followers, have great discussions, and make new friends!

5) Even if only by a fraction of a cent, it feels really nice when it lines up and I see the value of a good post increase as I upvote it, and to know that its author will be happy and thankful to be rewarded for their candour and effort…

6) By viewing many Steemit articles and user profiles, you quickly get to know different aspects of the community. You also develop a sense of what it is that makes a good post, a good post, which of course, will soon come in very handy…

7) Please read the (poem?) below to explore some of the potential effects of an upvote on its recipient… (Perhaps this is actually why upvotes matter most..!)

An UpVote is like One, and like One Thousand… 

It’s one little action that I can choose to make.  

Yet… 

• It’s a “Thank you!” to someone who doesn’t feel appreciated. 
• It’s “Wow you’re smart!” to someone who is insecure about their intelligence. 
• It’s an inspirational “Nice work!” for a brand new creator. 
• It’s pure joy to a parent, when someone admires and praises an incredible attribute in their child. 
• It’s an “I noticed you!” to someone who is unassured. 
• It’s a dollar to someone who is broke. 
• It’s a “You should be proud of your great idea!” to someone who might be shy. 
• It’s, “You’re doing the right thing!” to someone taking a stand for what’s important. 
• It’s, “I’m listening,” to someone who doesn’t feel heard. 
• It’s, “I like who you’re becoming…” to someone who hasn’t yet found themselves.

An UpVote is 1000 things, but taken all together, it’s really just One idea…

CommUnity…  

Thanks for your attention, comments and support!

Melech ben Chaya, @inphiknit