RE: Why I’m About Ready To Quit Steemit: The Disillusionment Slingshot Onwards To Greener Pastures...
It appears this site has not become what I had envisioned it to be.
What did you envision it to be? I'm not sure that was clearly outlined in your post here. Your expectations aren't being met, so you want to quit. But what are your expectations?
Do you expect a platform which only rewards posts you agree with and not ones you don't? Are you upset that people with influence on this network like the reporting that's being done by the person in question even if, as you said, it could be called B.S. from another perspective? I like some of their posts (because they legitimately let me know about events going on that I wasn't previously aware of), and I call others out as ridiculous.
Your post here has a lot of back and forth in it. On one hand you're saying you're upset about a post which didn't earn as much as you expect, on the other you're saying you'd rather post somewhere for free. You're saying someone else is earning too much money, while also saying you didn't really care about the money. Is the problem with others or your own expectations?
If someone really is a con artist and scammer, why not bring forward evidence and call them out to protect the community you love so much? If they are not, then why leave?
he envisioned it to be 5-6k posts like before....how the fuck do the admins promote degenerates like him is beyond me
great questions @lukestokes I would like to read @rok-sivante answers.
Sadly, I think they will not come. If that's the case, then hopefully new writers will take his place and show genuine, long term love for this community.
the person isn't question isn't THE reason I've been feeling ready to leave - and it's not the person in question, just a contributing factor.
others have brought forth evidence, and it's been ignored. I don't feel it my personal mission to call anyone out. because I have valued the principle of an uncensored platform and level playing field, I've kept my mouth shut (fingers restrained) the whole time. this one issue in particular might seem blown out of proportion, relative to where I actually stand on it because it's been bottled up. and any "back and forth" is likely intentional, because I'm not holding to one extreme position or another - but both are worthy of acknowledgement, and the truth always lies somewhere in the middle. and as I said - just cuz people do shady shit in their past doesn't mean they aren't worthy of forgiveness - and there's always another side to every story. I may have needed to vent some frustration on the matter, but that doesn't mean I'm going to outright disrespect anybody and bring up allegations and issues others have experienced with them, when there are others in the community who do value some of their contributions, regardless of my personal opinions.
the bigger reason I've been questioning stepping away, summed up in two words: OPPORTUNITY COST.
maybe that didn't come through clearly in the writing, as it was written fast and perhaps emotionally-influenced. perhaps I did have some expectations of sorts - in which case the disillusionment is my own fault. and I never intended to outline my vision for the community in this piece because that was not the focus, and was stuff I'd been writing about months ago.
If you're truly leaving because of "OPPORTUNITY COST" then please be honest enough with yourself and others to say that up front. Don't use an emotional rant about someone else or how the values of the platform are out of alignment. Say it plainly like this:
You, the Steemit community, are not worth my time anymore. I have more important and more valuable things to do.
That would have been honest. You could have also just slipped out the back door becuase you're busy with other things. To instead post an emotional rant / rage quit and call to question the values of the platform is disrespectful to those of us who do think it's worth our time and are working to shape those values daily.
I've voiced my respect for the raw honesty you've shown in the past. That created an expectation for me which wasn't met here.
I wish you well, sir.
I'm not sure if its your misunderstanding or my miscommunication at root of the conflict here.
as I've said, there are multiple factors contributing my disillusionment with the site, (and I don't appreciate having words put in my mouth as you've attempted here.)
frame it as "an emotional rant" if you want - the point is, this community has been throwing money at - making an investment in - a person whose track record is a threat to the integrity of the community. I held in my viewpoint for two months - and finally, there came the breaking point where I needed to be honest about matter. perhaps, it stirred up more trouble than it was worth, without having gone into extensive detail trying to point out to people the subtle details in the dynamics of the matter that most do not see. (and perhaps I had other expectations at play of others to read between the lines.)
some things can't be spelled out directly - and it's a fine like to walk with a degree of uncertainty, determining whether to keep quiet altogether or drop a few breadcrumbs for those to follow who feel compelled to dig and find out for themselves.
based on both your comments, you're trying to paint things out as though they're clear black or white. you seem to be getting hung up on specific points and getting defensive rather than viewing the larger context as a whole - maybe that's a consequence of my not having written things more clearly. but then again, regardless of how clearly they could be written, maybe I should have expected such responses by honestly putting forth a viewpoint that challenged the culture - classic group psychology.
I apologize. My intention was not to offend you but to (hopefully) help you understand how the words you are using here can be interpreted (and are being interpreted by me).
Maybe "emotional rant" went too far, but whether or not something is a "rant", to me, is subjective. This post fit what I consider a rant and as you are an important member of this community to date, I called you out on it.
In communication, all we have to go on is the words we use.
I based my reply on what you indicated was the primary reason: OPPORTUNITY COST. You not only put it in all caps, but you replied to others with the same answer. How else should I interpret that but with the words you say I put in your mouth?
Maybe it's impolite to say, "Steemit is no longer valuable enough to me to continue. My time and attention are more valuable elsewhere." but how else should I have interpreted your main point? I also dislike when people put words in my mouth, but I further dislike when I (or anyone else) uses language which portrays true feelings even if I (or they) don't currently recognize it. I prefer people who care about me point out the meanings of the words I'm using and, hopefully, reveal a part of my subconscious I wasn't ware of (and often don't like).
I'm fine with opportunity cost being part of your reasoning. Surely there are many more, but as you said, it's very nuanced and hard to communicate. I'm fine with Steemit not being as valuable to you now as it once might have been. The reason for my defensiveness is that I'm defending something I value (this community), specifically when the values of this community or put on trial instead of what you yourself said is a more accurate reason: Opportunity Cost.
When it comes to tribal loyalties and community involvement, it's not uncommon to devalue the community in our own minds before being able to leave it. It's quite common, actually. If you have other uses of your time that are more valuable to you, then by all means, pursue them. I hope, as you said, you'll also come back here from time to time and provide some value to us as well. I'm glad you communicated emotions you had bottled up for months. Unfortunately, when we bottle up emotions for too long, often their expression is misunderstood.
thanks for this last clarification.
it has been a wild ride here, from the highs to the lows, all the investment I put into the community, to being disillusioned (perhaps just by my own expectations), and gaining different perspectives on it all along the way.
and granted, I got defensive at your comments, also. odd loops. it felt weird to be called disrespectful by questioning the community values, when I've been supporting the community from the start - and the reasoning for bringing up the issue is because it stands to reason having a person with a history as a shuckster being the top ambassor might not be in the best long-term interest in solidifying the site's reputation outside its own circle jerk. also got defensive at the suggestion any of this was less than raw honest - as honestly was the whole point. though yeah - backed up emotion may not have translated clearly, and I may still have my moments where an aggressiveness overrides the diplomacy.
I appreciate this last articulation/reply of yours. :-)