THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

On Steemit it takes all sorts of posts and all sorts of posters. I must admit I've been doing a few posting experiments this week myself.

I was recently reading a post by someone who thinks that short posts are where it's at and they deserve just as many votes and rewards as long posts.

Short posts are entertaining and quick to read. But in general they are mostly not pulling in all that much dosh.

I have 205 followers today which is very cool (I have long been aiming for over 200 followers). But I'm not going to get as many upvotes as someone with over 1000 followers. That is the nature of things.

A photo of @kiwideb looking out over Lake Taupo NZ and contemplating the meaning of Steemit that I really like, and think would make a good post thumbnail

And what if a person with over 1000 followers also happened to look like a supermodel and spent her time traveling to exotic locations? And what if her posts were long, in depth, really well done, total works of art? Someone like that is probably going to do pretty well on Steemit - certainly better than more average Steemers.

Now then, just in case you are wondering, I'm talking about @sweetsssj who does posts like this one: https://steemit.com/travel/@sweetsssj/travel-with-me-48-exploring-the-culinary-delights-of-gulangyu-and-a-visit-to-their-special-organ-museum which just got 405 votes and earned $225!

We are all different and we can all do our best. Very roughly, the conclusions I've come to from my doing more posts than usual, over the past week, both long and short, are these:

Posting is all a bit hit and miss, and even without whales acting as gatekeepers, some posts go off while some sink without trace.

Having lots of followers is a big factor in getting votes. And there are many ways to get followers (commenting, interacting, looking hot, and posting lots of really good content can all be helpful). But most people with lots of followers got them by consistently posting really good posts. And that is the Catch 22 part.

The sort of posts that I keep seeing do well are posts that are inspiring, uplifting, educational, entertaining, funny, well written, and filled to the brim with really good photos.

So my overall conclusion is that the magic formula is to post heaps of really good shit and work this place to the max.

Yesterday I went long, and today I'm going shorter.

We are all leaping off into the unknown!

A leaper at Day's Bay wharf, Wellington NZ

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MY WHOPPING GREAT STEEMIT SIGNATURE

Because sometimes I like to do short posts with pictures, art, photos, and funny stuff, and then there is bugger all in my post, I need a whopping great signature to put at the bottom of my short posts to give them some beef.

On my longer posts I’m really just including it to go on about myself, but what the hell, we all need to blow our own trumpet sometimes.

@cheetah likes to point out that I’m plagiarising my own signature, but he is also voting for me, and a vote is a vote, so I’ll call that a good thing.

@sift666 is my Steemit alias. As 666 is the number following 665 and preceding 667, and I’m using the number here on my Steemit account, it might mean I’m a worshiper of Satan. Or it could indicate that I have troll tendencies I need to work out with myself.

My real name is Ian Gregson, aka wheels007. I’m a professional sifter from Wellington New Zealand. My interests include photography, conspiracies , web design, writing, nutrition, art, design, philosophy, technology, anarchy, health, computers, humour (humor), gratuitous arse shots, and anything that makes my eyes bulge while I make squeaking sounds (except torture).

Back in the glory days of Steemit (August 2016), I once made $404 for a post and went on a three day bender. It took months to work off the after effects of the hangover and I’m still attempting to understand how that ever happened.

I’m currently developing a new website portal to rival Steemit called www.frot.co.nz where I’m testing out a new feature called “frottage” that may revolutionise blogging and create a global paradigm shift.

Photos and pictures labeled @sift666, www.sift.co.nz or www.frot.co.nz are my own creations, while pictures with no credits are sometimes ones I found in my image collection and have no idea where they originally came from, or might be my own photos that I haven't put a signature on.

Otherwise, due to pressure to conform, I’m having a crack at including an image credit beneath each picture I copy off the internet. I do have opinions on this subject, but am practicing putting a sock in it.

To tell the truth I often have no idea what I’m going to post next, but I will be sure to include pictures. If you are a person who prefers mainstream opinion, my posts may not be entirely your cup of tea. But if you like to dwell on the wild fringes of conspiracy theory, or you are a whale with a massive blowhole, you might like to follow me on Steemit. It would be great to have you on board.