Proposal: A Steemit Council
If you are on Steemit for even a few weeks you must know by now that there are deep grave problems plaguing our community. Problems that are not easy to solve but so so easy to see how they affect everything from who gets paid, how much to who quits Steemit and why.
We have data that shows that how centralized the whole process is. We have a trending page that day in day seems to be populated by the same people. Steemit HQ knows this so they did open the discussion. And they said they listen to the "people".
Did they really?
Let's look at this post and at the top comments. All whales-level accounts almost to one.
Now don't get me wrong, A LOT of people commented but it feels like most just got ignored. Still, I see so many great mind trying to solve this. So many went unheard. I'm not even sure I can blame @ned, after all he is only one man.
Same thing happened on the discussion with the changes coming on Monday. Again, @steemitblog can't listen to everyone. Neither can @dantheman. But one thing is sure:
We need to give all these smart, passionate unheard people ( of which I count myself in, humble ) a megaphone!
To get to the point, I propose SteemitHQ implement a Council.
The people in the council should have under 100.000SP a.ka. no whales or orcas. We need people that know how it is to be "little" not whales debating what's good for community. How can they really know?
I don't have any problem with the whales engaging in the discussion, in fact, I think it's great. @smooth made some really good points in that thread and I did learn something reading the,
The idea of the council is to give a voice to the little guys too, to have them have a say and be heard.
To make a parallel with British politics, we need a "House of Commons". Whales already have their voice heard and listened to. Why not us too? We matter. Our voice is worth something, isn't it?
Here's why I think this is actually SMART to do.
The Steemit community has so much HEART and SOUL but also so much brainpower. It's simply irrational not to use us!
I admit I am not the best at politics so my proposal is just a very very early blueprint.
I think 40 to 50 people should be in a council, maybe even less. We need enough people to actually represent the community but not as many as no consensus to be ever possible.
Everyone should be proposed by other members, to ensure that the people in the council actually work for the community and have a record to do that.
We need at least one person who has executive power to be in the council and LISTEN.
Also, we need to always have a way for new people to get in and people to get out, that's why I propose that no one can be in the council for more than 3 weeks in a row.
You need our voice, SteemitHQ. You need it because we care so much about the community and about Steemit and we are good at what we do. We are basically Steemit specialists, all of us who really engage. If Steemit were HUGE and big companies hired "Steemi social media specialists" we'll all get hired by the biggest firms out there.
You have us for free!
You have our allegiance!
We're all in this together, and we all want to make Steemit this amazing place.
Let's get to work!
I'm hoping that SteemitHQ will seriously take this in consideration and start the process of setting up this Council.
What do you think?
What would you add?
Get heard! Comment below.
I think that what is missing here is communication.
couldn't agree more...
"What we have here, is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach." - Sorry, couldn't help my self. That classic quote was just too fitting for the moment. :-)
Then... you get what we had here last week! It's the way they want it, well.... they get it!
I don't like it, any more than any of you like it
We read the site daily and try to glean as much as we can. Rocket chat is also a good way to get my attention if in need. Perhaps there can be a point person from the Steemit Council to communicate issues back to HQ regularly
That's 100% one of the main goals of the council. I think you guys are trying hard but I don't think you do the best job at communicating with us either.
A better dialogue for a better community!
later edit: I did try to reach out to you on chat as well [ handle @ned] with not much success. Thanks for answering and if you can upvote, we might even get more visibility and more voices in. Maybe this is something that;s worth getting to more people!
Is it possible to give all minnows a fix rate voting power, like 2$ per vote? We(minnows) are so many in the community right now and if we are given such opportunity, minnows can then make a difference.
A hundred votes from minnows could mean something then. This will avoid pleasing whales just to be on their voting list.
Delegated Curation Guilds would help boost minnow power
Is that the update to be implemented this Monday? Thats great!
I just dont understand how DCG works. How it will increase a minnows power? I have read your post about that but its technicality was a bit hard for me to understand. An english explanation of its core system is highly appreciated.
Is this one of the changes from tomorrow.
How will the the whales delegate? I did write about this idea 4 weeks ago, is it something like that? https://steemit.com/steemit/@razvanelulmarin/delegating-steempower-the-best-idea-since-the-invention-of-sliced-bread
Excellent post. Excellent idea. Well presented. We really do need a council and in combination with that some kind of "real" people to liaise with the comunity on behalf of the Steemit team as @steemship proposed.
Exactly. The Whales are like the House of Lords. Without a council of the "commons" our voices will continue to be unheard.
Isn't there a steemit council already? They're called witnesses, and they're all elected, and they have the ability to block any changes they don't like.
They don't represent the typical user.
Without the typical worker bee users this site will not succeed, and yet we don't get listened to hardly at all. It's no different than your typical corporation. At least someone can get 82 dollars from a post like this now. 2 months ago such a post would have made 8 cents. Progress.
We could be like the Jedi! Lol, seriously though this is a good idea and there points you make about the static trending page are utterly valid!
haha. thanks, man! your optimism is good though, i like it! :D
Well, whats stopping us? The worst that could happen is that we put it together, lay a framework, elect members and there is no effect.
The important question is "In a perfect world, what would a Council accomplish or improve?"
If that can be answered and enough people want to be a part of that solution, it will happen.
I'll throw my name into the ring as a member. My name is out in the open and I stand on my reputation. I know you said others should nominate, but just know that I'll either join or support if that question can be answered.
"In a perfect world, what would a Council accomplish or improve?"
That's a great question! I am not looking to create a government that would rule Steemit, just a way for us, smaller guys, to be heard or at least feel heard? :)
What's stopping us? not much, but we need to get heard by HQ or else is just the same old same old..
I am down 100%. I really think we need something that at this point just refuses to be part of it.... You have a whale follow you? Awesome, you don't need me, and I will be no part of it (type approach)
As in rebels?
I'm just struggling with the moral implications. Do I vote for something I don't even care to read trying for curation rewards. As such my response came out hasty. I am down.... Absolutely.... Ignore last bit :)
I love the idea!
thanks a lot! I love it too!
Let's see if anyone else does...
I think this is a great idea, like a house of the commons in england. You have the house of the lords (the whales), but the little guys have some valuable input as well!
exactly!
That was my idea with the house of commons. We're not yelling " DOWN WITH WHALES!" because..let's face it, whales are smart people to and are here from the start. Their input is very important!
But we matter too :)
Well in reality we both need each other, the question is how would these minnow/dolphin representatives be chosen?
my idea was that we announce our intention to be in the council and if we get some people to recommend us, you can be in. I am not 100% sure on the method but i think we need "vouched" people that did stuff for the community till now.
I like the over-all idea. I think three weeks is not enough time, but I won't nit pick the little things, I think it will be interesting to see if there is any traction for this idea.
I don't get the impression, and I hope I am wrong, that the "founders" have any idea what it is like to be a minnow. (Most of them never were) I don't even get the impression most of them care to understand the plight of a minnow, I don't think they know, investors will come here to have a "User Experience" prior to investing. I hope I am wrong.
All they have to do to figure out is make an account and try to grow it by posting about things they like.
brilliant suggestion!!
True that!
I am more taken with the fact that they don't notice how the trending page is killing the soul of the new people...