And it feels so good!

I admit it, I'm addicted to trolling for whales. I'll spend days fishing, weeks even, searching about, waiting patiently for the next big bite.

And then it happens. CHOMP! A nice big vote on Steemit.

It's like a game. It reminds me of my (seriously flawed) golf game. I'm your average hack (maybe worse than average) who hits many balls into the trees, ponds, and bunkers, or burns worms as my club glances off the top of the ball pathetically.

But once in a while I manage to hit that perfect swing. It sounds just right. Feels right. The club follows through and thwack! - makes that perfect trajectory that's oh so satisfying. It's the same sensation I get from catching a whale on Steemit.

And it keeps me coming back.

It is a bit of a game, isn't it? Figuring out what sort of bait, what kind of morsel might entice a whale to come visit and take a bite?

I do try to focus my writing on what interests me and assume that if I find it interesting, chances are some other readers out there might also find the topic interesting. But once in a while, I admit that I just wonder, what should I write about that will attract attention?

It is a bit of a problem because in some ways it cheapens writing, doesn't it? If we're all here just floating around hunting for votes instead of trying to write something that might be controversial or provocative or might not appeal to a certain group, we risk losing those valuable up-votes. But we risk losing some integrity if we are just trying to write something to please somebody or to draw attention to ourselves.

It's a bit of a conundrum. Even as I am writing this, I'm thinking, I wonder who will read this? What kind of comments is the article going to get? Will people express how they resonate with what I'm saying here or rip it to shreds for pandering? It kinda feels like pandering, but that's not really the point I'm getting at.

The point is this: There is something a little problematic about writing to an audience that you're counting on for approval. It distorts what I might say, or not say. It changes the effectiveness of the writing. If I write to a broader audience that I know is probably going to disagree with what I'm writing and hate me for it, I prepare my writing quite differently than I would for what is likely a receptive audience. It requires more thought, more justification, and more preparation.

I'm hoping that as Steemit matures, this feeling in the community of needing to go trolling for whales fades away. It is still young in the sense that the community is somewhat shallow and mostly from a relatively limited demographic. It is still a little problematic in that we do tend to want to get approval, "gaming the system" so to speak, rather than have a completely honest and critical discourse on this platform.

But it's growing. What will Steemit look like in 5 years? 10 years? Who knows? For now, I'm enjoying being a part of it during its early stages, and - once in a while - getting that satisfying support we all crave.

*This is not professional trading advice - it's just my opinion!

If you're interested in trading cryptocurrencies, check out Binance by using the link in my profile @xsid and sign up today!

image source:
https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/tag/bite/