RE: Pay to Play – The Future of Steemit
While I agree that HF19 plays a causal role in a lot of these problems, I feel like making the same point I tried to get across to @trafalgar when discussing his voting habits: The fact that the system creates incentives for people to act a certain way does not somehow magically absolve those people of all moral responsibility for their actions. That the bidbot system is made profitable by the system parameters is an explanation for the behaviour of investors, but it isn't an excuse. This is, of course, of no consequence as very few investors are interested in doing the right thing unless there is a profit involved. This sounds judgemental, but it's also a statement of fact. We aren't going to change things by scolding them sternly, because if that worked, the entire world economy wouldn't look the way it does.
I know investors do buy and hold a lot of steem. But I would love to see a breakdown of where the profits going to those who delegate to bidbots actually go. How much is rolled back in to SP, and how much goes to BTC and fiat?
In any case, 2019 is a long way off. As things stand now, lots of content creators are going to leave. But that doesn't matter, does it? Content creators are a dime a dozen. As long as there are investors with fat wallets willing to prop up the price of steem, and a stream of creatives suffering from the delusion that steemit would be any more profitable than trying to make it as a writer or artist anywhere else, everything will be fine, right?
And even if most content creators find somewhere else, the steem ecosystem can survive purely on investors. Intuitively, I like to think that a system where people make huge returns on their investment in SP by delegating to bots that upvote token shitposts made by smaller investors is ultimately unsustainable. But I know that's because it offends my moral sensibilities more than my financial ones. I'm also aware that me thinking it needs to be sustainable is possibly unwarranted. All that the system needs is that later investors think it is sustainable over a certain time-frame, and that early investors get their money out before the newcomers realise they are bagholders for a token that is never going to underpin the next big social network.
I'd love to be wrong about this. Very little would make me happier than for Steemit to be a place where content creators can get money and/or exposure for their work. But it's not happening now, and I'm not sure it will ever happen.
Very well put. I am in total agreement.
This is the hard truth. Quality of content doesn't matter, so long as it's 'content'. STEEM will rise in price atop that illusion. The pyramid it stands on can be built of dung or steel, so long as they're shaped in bricks. And bidbots and investors give those bricks their form.
Content creators can leave without any substantial consequences to the economy. Steemwhales.com states that 95% of the value on this site are held by 2% of the accounts.
Content creators aren't the big money holders 2%. They're the cannon fodder, the pawns.
Scrooge McDuck has that big money.
The revolving door will continue to turn with or without us. That's just the name of the game until the platform's actual underlying structure is changed.
So pop a beer, sit back and wait and see if Hivemind+Communities can change anything. If not, well, it's been good, Steemit. You'll probably get a choice of different platforms as crypto continues to evolve. EOS will have one, and others will pop up as the crypto bubble continues to expand.
Unfortunately, I think I am inclined to agree with you, which for me is rather unsettling. You see I love to read, I have found many many good stories to read on steemit. I like that, unlike when I buy a book, I can interact with and reward the author's at the same time. I have found older works by Authors that I enjoyed, and after reading commenting, and interacting with them, I have sent SBD's to them because I read their book, and liked it. I realize not all people do that, but a few of us readers do. Stories is one of the reasons, well the Reason, I joined steemit. My wife told me there was lots to read on steemit, and there was, still is, but I am in fear that there will be an exodus of writers, thus I am keeping my eyes open for other sites.
I can tell you that not only readers enjoy that interaction... but writers thrive on it as well! :) Hearing the thrill and excitement of a reader - IN THE MIDST OF THE STORY - is fuel and fodder to a storyteller!
I'm a very stubborn author and I usually stick to my vision throughout the write. But - on Steemit, I actually listened to my readers and added in an element to the story that was not at ALL where I was intending! After adding it in, I had to find a way to still hold true to the main theme of the story without compromising and pandering to my audience. Not only did I do that effectively (well.... I suppose I better wait until the last chapter is completed before I determine its effectiveness), but I think that I changed the storyline into a more believable and enjoyable read for my readers (and myself!)
I know that a lot of people have strong feelings about creating and publishing original stories on Steemit - but I'm already a published author. I prefer THIS type of interaction. What Steemit provides is absolutely priceless, in my opinion. I hope that it doesn't go away. I can easily go back to writing books and releasing them to the public by standard publishing, but it isn't nearly as fulfilling as this platform!
Money is never a motivation for me. Do not misunderstand - It's very nice! It also gives me opportunities to spread it back around in ways that I wouldn't have otherwise! But I have an unusual (and very blessed) situation where I don't need to write for money. I can, and do, write for the enjoyment of writing and for the thrill (hopefully) of my writers.
Hoping that they can fix this issue for those writers who do NOT have the option of under-compensated writing!
It is always a pleasure to meet new Authors, (well new to me), I will be looking over some of your post, as I get time I will try to read some, I currently have room for one more story to be added, I had to start forcing my self to stick to a four story at most read on steemit, it got out of hand for me about 5 months ago, I kept getting "lost" and mixed up in all the stories I was reading, not doing justice to the Authors or to myself being spread so thin.
bwa ha haaaaaaaaaaa.... another victim... er, um.... i mean. READER! hooray!!! :)
well - good news... chapter 15 came out today.
even gooder news. (tee hee) I end all my chapters on a cliffhanger - sorta - but you have 15 chapters to read!!! so you miss out on that awful "what comes neexxxxxxxt" feeling 15 times in a row! :)
bad news. i think i'm only 1/3 of the way through. that feeling will be returning once you hit chapter 15. lol
nice to meet you @bashadow!!!! I totally understand what you mean about reading so many at once. I used to read 4 books at once. Gobbled them all up - but then.... couldn't really appreciate them as much.
If you'd like to read mine at a different time - i wouldn't be the least offended! Being "past its payout" means nothing to me. Just come read when you can :)
I don't post stories on Steemit, I treat it more like a blog, but I can tell you that comments and reviews of my novel thrill me every time. I just got commented about it on FB today and it's still like, "Whee! People like it!!"
So yes, please do keep commenting on your favorite authors. If they are like me, their inner dialogue is something like, "I suck I suck I suck I suck SOMEBODY LIKES IT YAAAAY".
I think that is pretty much everyone inner voice, I know it is mine every time I post anything. The first two, oh heck let's be honest three or four months was hell on steemit. I got to read a lot, and found a lot of authors to read. Life goes on, and I still like to read, and well I've gotten to where I like to comment on post, on stories, on pictures, everyone likes to hear/read that someone thought enough of what I had to say they said something back. You should test post a few pages at a time of one of your stories, on FB, you get no pay, here on steemit, maybe a few pennies per page, but beats the book gathering dust. "Hint: Start with the middle book, and tell people if they like it book one is available on Amazon", don't really do that though, but yeah hook people with a little see if it gathers steem to you, can't hurt.
Preach, brother, preach.