RE: Steemit State of the Site: Retention
As a new user who signed up 6 days ago, I would like to provide some feed back.
My intention was to invest. I have delayed that intent, it wouldn't have been a huge investment, but...
So here is my feedback, this place is stuffed with posts regarding "Excellent or Quality" content. Well, unless we are aspiring authors that is not what social media is about. Is is about interaction, which this site isn't big on... Because it doesn't pay to chat, bond, help and get to know each other.
In addition to the focus on quality authorship, new users can't get any steem. ;) Intended on the pun.
fyi, 5 days about 12 hours of day of reading, commenting, posting ... watching the new posts go by.
When you tell people to try harder and they do... And even the people trying to encourage them are getting flagged, it just doesn't feel like home.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@whatsup/steemit-day-5-whales-minnows-and-robinhood-oh-my
I tend to agree with this. Not enough user interaction. If more people, rather than post a story, would post topics of conversation like on Reddit, I think we would see more lively discussions. I'm ok with long stories, but a bigger mix of conversation "topics" would engage people more.
EDIT: Also the ability for users to select their favorite tags and topics for display on the home page would go a long way to getting conversations going. Now you have to weed your way through every tag before you finally find a tag that might contain something interesting to you.
It does, but the problem is the positive dynamics of doing actual socialising isn't readily apparent.
Another problem is the spread of voting power and the limits of the current system. Unless new people get some more voting power within first couple of weeks the situation won't change. That is the idea about #spreadthepower. If you are an active user, if you do post meaningful and interest stuff, if you get involved, there needs to be some incentive not in the current form, but with increasing SP. Currently the visibility for the stuff by new users is low and sheer ammount of noise to content, to current SP holders it is not viable. There is also a thibg with UX. Hopefully the changes will come soon enough. But, the userbase is better do their part also.
Follow "new" posts, those users are following all the directions to write their content just right. Format their pictures, use bold... blah, blah. It is interesting or it isn't. But they/we are trying to follow the direction leaders are giving.
The direction from leadership and whales, if there is any, would be a serious problem. If people seemingly in charge are telling people how to post and those people are investing time into their post, and then they fail... That's going to annoy, aggravate, and drive people out.
Why follow one format when it does nothing for you and you could have used your own voice?
Agreed. People are frustrated, and when you give people advice and it doesn't work. Stop listening. Yet, keep trying new things.
Then it just boils down to, will they try new things jn the place that frustrates them or somewhere fresh?
Very good point.
Thia is one of the biggest problems and why we don't see engagement moving much. I'll be doing a post around that shortly to try and tie together my negative sentiment.
It not feeling like home is going to crush engagement long term. I appreciate your feedback and hope this helps you decide on any future investment you make into steem and your time on steemit.