100 days of Steemit – Invest in friends, not followers!

I've been waiting patiently for this day – celebrating 100 days here on Steemit and getting to say just how happy I am to be part of this community. And, yes, I no longer feel like a newbie! With 1100 posts and comments I feel like I've earned my right to be here.

Inception - home within home

So far, my journey here has been the exact opposite of my experience on Facebook, where I had to unfriend people I actually knew because I couldn't stand their poisoning my day with stupid things. Here, on Steemit, I've been lucky to find people I can relate to, people whose ideas and values I share, people who have something to say.
And this brings me to the what I wanted to share, especially with those who are new here:

Try to make friends, not simple followers

Take a minute to think about your real life. Who are your friends? What brought you together? You maybe like the same things, have the same hobbies, love to watch movies together, listen to the same music.

Do the same thing here on Steemit!

Find people you can really talk to, subjects on which you have something to say.
As I was writing this I checked the Hot posts and found one about vegan breakfast recipes. Should I try to befriend the guy who wrote it? No, I don't care about breakfast, vegan or otherwise. I've got nothing to say on the subject, so I scroll down to find something that I can talk about.
True fact: It took me almost three months to realize I was following a Chinese blog! God knows why I followed it since I don't know Chinese. Mistakes of youth!

Steemians are not dumb!

One of the worst mistakes you can make while starting out is to assume people are stupid and you can easily get a few cents with a quick comment. Sure, it might work once or twice. Problem is people here sometimes check, look up all your comments and they'll know if you're spamming.
I wrote a post yesterday about the possible assassination of Donald Trump and some new member commented 'this is great news'. No, moron, that is bad news! Older Steemians would flag such stupid comment instantly. (Look up what flagging does to your reputation.)

Steemians are humans, too!

When you read a post, try to ignore the name of the author, the reputation or SP. Beyond all these, the authors here are real people! They write about things they care about, things that bother them, things that are on their minds. Listen to what they have to say and try to answer like you would in a real life conversation. Offer advice, bring your own point of view on the topic at hand, show some sympathy if that's what is needed. Above all, be genuine, be true.

Sometimes I stumble upon dialogues between first generation Steemians and they talk like old friends. Reading each other blogs they know who they are, where they live, what their worries are.

They're FRIENDS.
If we take time to know each other, next year we can be just like them. No, we won't become whales, not next year and probably never. But we will become stronger and the new users will look at us with respect. (If by any chance you're a whale reading this please don't laugh, minnows are allowed to dream, too.)

Upvotes are not Likes

If you're coming here straight from Facebook and Twitter, keep in mind Upvotes are precious and not unlimited, as the SP drains easily. If you post crap, don't expect upvotes. People might laugh at the meme you just posted, but will keep that upvote for someone who actually put some effort in their post. A friend of mine, @giuatt07, posted yesterday a drawing that took 4 hours of work!! So, no, some quick copy/paste won't earn you much money or respect.
Steemit is full of smart people who put a lot of work and research in their posts, if you're not ready to sweat it you don't have a chance.

Sleep on it

If you've had a bad day and your hard work was ignored, don't, under any circumstances, vent your disappointment in a rambling post. Specifically not in a ranting 'I accuse' post. If you cannot stand the pressure and the competition, you can always leave. That's about all the answer you will get.
If you absolutely must, whine to your friends. If they're minnows like us, they'll understand and offer sympathy.
Best of all, turn your computer off, take the dog for a walk, get drunk, get laid, go home, sleep it off. And don't forget about the dog!

Thanks for reading

Images: Pixabay