Proposed Changes to the Trending Page Algorithm
After a recent analysis of trending page posts which you can find here, and from pure observation it is very clear that the same authors are on the trending page time after time. Sometimes with multiple posts at a time.
The trending page is of crucial importance to both Steemit and Steemians.
The Problem
Let’s talk about it from a marketing perspective. It is clear from official documents, taking Steemit to at least the user level of Reddit is a major target. The trending page is the first page you will land on when you come to Steemit. Therefore it is the main sales page. Sales as in this is where steemit will acquire new users. It can be compared to the front page of Reddit.
If it is your first time to visit Steemit, from the trending page you will quickly see that there are votes on posts, loads of comments oh and look, money too. Wow don’t these guys get a lot for their posts. What an incentive to join.
So fine it works well for a sales page, but when you are on Steemit for a while, you notice it is the same authors all the time. My analysis shows that these authors get votes from whales, so unless you get spotted by a whale, chances are you post won’t get to trending.
Is the aim of the trending page also to get more exposure from existing Steemit users? I don’t get whale votes often, and not because my content is not good. I measure engagement when it comes to success on a post, comments and interaction. I get a lot of engagement, even votes, but I don’t get to the trending page, and there are many many others like me here on Steemit.
Obviously there is some sort of algorithm that Steemit works on to make posts trending, but it seems to me that this algorithm is in favor of $$$ and not true engagement and activity created by a post. If you get votes form those with a lot of SP you will trend. Voters SP should not affect the trending page. Engagement should.
So I would like to propose a change, a change that would benefit all content creators, a change that would make Steemit fair and non-bias’s, a change that would give everyone equal opportunity in getting their post trending. A change for the best.
My Proposal
(The numbers and scoring can be changed, this is for sample purposes only)
When a blog post is made, it needs 25 votes to be eligible for trending. As soon as it hits 25 votes the post would be given a boost trending score. This boost trending score would start at 96 and reduce by 2 every hour for 2 days.
Every comment made on a post will be worth 3 points
Every resteem will be worth 2 point
Every vote will also be worth 1 point
Although this is rather simple, by removing $$$$ from the trending algorithm, minnows, dolphins and whales will all have the same chance of getting to the trending page. Posts that create engagement and activity will be rewarded.
And these posts will be the best posts, not the highest paid posts. These will be the posts new users see when they visit Steemit.
So what you do you think? Love it or hate it please comment below. Let’s get this discussion started.
Great solution to this issue. I saw in Mr banfields latest video where he talks about how great it is that he can self vote his own posts and recieve even more money because of his SP. I would love to see some analysis on how many trenders selfvote their own posts and comments. Thank you for pointing out the issues in the system with your great data mining.
I have my own opinion on Mr Banfield.....he was a fellow instructor on Udemy. it didnt end too well for him on that plaform...
What happened to him on Udemy?
lol lets just say he was a top instructor that is not longer welcome on the platform
That's why I was asking. :-p I've read a very short comment that he violated some rules and got banned, but I couldn't find any details about it. Which is kinda weird seeing how he had, by his own words, over 200k students. :)
lets just say he, his courses(get rich quick) and his tactics were not good for the platform. he was caught paying for reviews...among other stuff
Oh, cool. I'm not surprised. I said in one of my posts about him that his social media numbers on FB, Twitter and especially YouTube don't add up. Someone with almost 200k YT subscribers and over 2 million FB likes can't possibly gather only a few thousand views per video.
Anyways, keep these posts coming Paula. You're doing and excellent job. :)
thanks. see it doesn't take a data specialist to see numbers don't make sense
I like the premise of your suggestion. It would work even better if they got rid of the comment and voting bots. I don't think a new platform (I think that is what @leoplaw saying) is the answer. I am confused enough with just the Steem and SteemIt terminology; I'd rather just make SteemIt better.
Your proposal sounds much more fair than the status quo.
Hi @paulag!
Here is a proposal to ALL of the issues you are discussing. @elfspice has forked the Steemit code and is going to set up a new platform with fair rules. I strongly recommend you get in contact with him and the others working on this and offer your valuable insights.
Just comment on the post below if you want your account copied over to the new platform.
https://steemit.com/calibrae/@elfspice/calibrae-strategy-change-opt-in-rather-than-algorithmically-determined-opt-out
I know nothing about forks and blockchain, is this another site like steemit then?
Yes, it will be another site like Steemit.
They are copying the freely available code and fixing the things that have made it possible for a few people to dominate the network. Have a read through the articles on his profile. Please post questions to him. He is very responsive. I believe they could benefit greatly from your input. Well, actually, we all could. =)
well that was one of the best put compliments I have every received...
I have a background in programming, so I appreciate the work that you have put into the analysis of Steemit data. You, unlike many others on this network, understand, that there is freely available data that, when processed, can inform us exactly what is going on with this network. You process it, and give us facts and figures, rather than rumour and conjecture. You talk reason and sense. You are demonstrating the power of decentralised blockchain technologies.
I would like to see change also. So I fully support your work, not only by 100% upvoting, but by sharing your articles around in various comment threads to get the information out there.
BTW, I have now directed @elfspice towards you and your work in the hope that there might be a fruitful exchange between the two of you as you both share similar motivations. You, with your statistical analysis of how the network is ACTUALLY being used, COULD, play a very influential role in the course that the new social network, "Calibrae" takes.
But of course, this is all just hope upon my part. =)
@elfspice has responded to me suggesting your skills here:
https://steemit.com/calibrae/@elfspice/calibrae-day-2-progress-report#@elfspice/re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-re-leoplaw-re-elfspice-calibrae-day-2-progress-report-20170808t032615891z
Hopefully a site that corrects all the issues that Steemit is facing, like running out of memory and other scaling issues as well as the underlying inequities. Nothing to lose and lots to gain by signing up.
I totally agree on the underlying concept, what you propose makes complete sense as rewards collected by a post are still not a good indicator of the true value of the post (quality+relevance+engagement..). Something needs to be done and what you are proposing is a good start in my humble opinion.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by paulag from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, and someguy123. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you like what we're doing please upvote this comment so we can continue to build the community account that's supporting all members.
This post has received a 0.39 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
I NEVER even LOOK at what is trending, so it matters not to me. I look at the pages of my followers or those I am following ONLY, except perhaps after posting something, I look at the NEW posts. Those on the trending pages likely don't even have their posts opened, but are likely voted on automatically by a vote bot, so your proposal, although a good one, may not make that much of a difference.
I like the idea of removing "financial" from the trending calculation... make trending more merit-based.
i am glad you agree with the concept
Understand that this is NOT a "gripe," more a commentary on how Steemit might present in terms of attractiveness to future members and investors. A giant nepotistic slime pit is not going to "play well" to a greater audience... which would be a negative even for those sitting at the TOP of the pile.
From my own perspective... I'm six months and 280 unique blog posts in... I've had TWO in trending, and I'd modestly say at least half my posts are "magazine quality." So a bit curious...
open discussion is not a gripe, everyone is entitled to an opinion. From what i have been told, everyone on steemit is also entitled to a voice and opinion. And so I welcome comments from all sides of the playing field.
I am new here, I know nothing about blockchain, or cyrpto. But I do know about working platforms online.
if you are creating engagement, bringing new viewers to steemit with your posts, if more people are talking with you in your comments that the posts on the trending page, I feel this is more rewarding to steemit than existing established users voting for each others posts.
On saying that, a change to the fount end on the trending page to allow you sort by votes, comments, resteems...could also work well
@denmarkguy
I understand where you are coming from. I am new, though I am very thankful that my first post went straight to the trending page, but the rest of my posts that are even better are well, down to the bottom now.
Now as I get to know my followers and steemit friends, those who experienced the same are usually talented writers or artists. I might be wrong, but maybe, when they see someone new writing a great content, showing off his/her talent the first time, then they need to lure that person (worth keeping in the platform), then make her/him continue working hard while earning pennies.
I saw the trend, and this is just my hypothesis. Who knows, I might be wrong.
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