First DTube Video - Keeping It Real - VBlog #001

lloyddavis (71) 6 years ago

Brilliant! Well done for going beyond what you're comfortable with. And it's really good to hear you telling it like it is. We need an antidote to the impossibly, infinitely positive pep of the millennials! And, believe it or not, we are it!

I'd also say that it's really understandable for you to feel discouraged now and then you are totally allowed to take a rest from it all - but remember you're getting much better rewards now than we did when I started, I could post for days without getting any rewards at all! it's the posting, the self-expression and the engagement with others that I think matters.

And you'll get your slider before you know it :)

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7 votes

gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks for the encouragement @lloyddavis. Your support is very much appreciated. Without your comment this morning I wouldn't have made the video.

Thanks for the great upvote too! It seems so far away for me to ever get to that level but I'm doing OK with posting, self-expression and engagement so maybe it's nearer than I think! 😊

glenalbrethsen (68) 6 years ago (edited)

I'm convinced there are different stages of Steemit we all go though (like the different stages of grief), and maybe we hit those different stages more than once. At any rate, this wondering whether Steemit is ultimately worth it based on what's happening with everyone and everything here is definitely one of those stages.

I've hit that one hard at least once—and knowing me, I probably will again.

As you say, comparing what I'm doing to what you're doing and anyone else is not all that productive, but it doesn't help that it's there in our face everyday. Or it can be productive, because it acts as a motivator.

At any rate, you know what you ultimately want to do. I think taking a step back and reflecting is an awesome idea because things tend to refocus and you find out what it is that actually makes you want to stay, or what needs to be done to make it work for you, or if it's time to hang it up or whatever. In the thick of it every day it's easy to get caught up in the chase and not remember all of the reasons why we're here and why we would actually want to stay.

You Can Have A Slider Now

As an aside about the slider. If you go to busy.org, which is Steemit's sister site—totally legit and sanctioned—in fact it receives delegation to operate—you can sign in there just like you would on dTube and they have a slider there that anyone regardless of their current level can use. And it's actually a better slider because it shows you what you're paying. The Steemit slider just shows percentages and so you need to know what the corresponding $ amount is and it's actually kind of annoying.

Busy is a little different than Steemit. You might actually like it more, or not, but if you only want to use it for the slider, then you can do that.

I did that myself until I got fed up with losing voting power every time STEEM dropped and went ahead and invested to get enough SP (was planning to invest anyway, so it wasn't just for that). Investing in and of itself is a convoluted thing, so you need to do what you feel is comfortable.

Whatever decision you make, it will be the right one for you and that's really all that matters.

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

I think you are right about the different stages @glenalbrethsen. I've noticed others come and go and feel the need to step back and reassess too.

Giving myself some breathing space yesterday and today is helping me get back in touch with what is important to me.

Thanks for the info about Busy. I used it a couple of times last week but more from the posting point of view rather than reading and commenting. i was aware about the Slider but I realised when considering upvoting yesterday than even 500SP one's vote is still pretty tiny. But at least I could upvote more often without completely depleting my power.

It's something I am pondering along with whether to invest FIAT or not. Was there any reason why you went for straight investment rather than delegation (which seems to be all the rage at the moment). 😁

That's something else I'm pondering but the maths are a bit complicated for me since I don't have a good understand of curation and voting rewards.

Thanks for taking the time to watch my video and respond. That's exactly what keeps me going. 😊

glenalbrethsen (68) 6 years ago

i was aware about the Slider but I realised when considering upvoting yesterday than even 500SP one's vote is still pretty tiny. But at least I could upvote more often without completely depleting my power.

Yeah. It still brings a feeling of "I wish I could leave more" but in my case, it also brought this sense of being able to beat the system. :) Rebel that I am.

Was there any reason why you went for straight investment rather than delegation (which seems to be all the rage at the moment).

There's a post waiting to be written by me on that very thought. :) Since you asked, though, I will try to be succinct.

Delegation feels like borrowing, and I don't want to be on the borrowing side, especially if I'm paying for it.
It seems more organic than bid bots, but it's still using someone else's SP to progress. Using the power of a delegation for a period of time only to have it end before I get to that power level would feel like a step back.
I wouldn't use it to upvote my work, so curation would be the main use, and while my grasp of how payouts works fluctuates depending on how far away I am from reading about it, I'm less concerned with maximizing profits as I am curating what I consider to be good/useful/important content. And since I can't always find said content within the maximized window, it doesn't really matter anyway.
With great power, comes great responsibility, and I'd prefer it be my own, than someone else's who will inevitability have some expectation of how I wield theirs. On a platform where everyone can see what's going on with everyone else, if anyone had an issue with what I was doing, I'd rather it all be upon me, rather than part of it aimed at the delegator.

There's probably more but I can't think of it right now. Hopefully this is enough to answer your question, though.

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks for answering my question so fully. I've just had a long conversation with @rimicane who was able to demonstrate some numbers to me. After that I couldn't see any benefit to delegation over buying Steem outright. And, when I add your second point above into the equation I'm even less enamoured with the idea.

I'd forgotten that the delegation is not only added but also removed! 😁

I also wouldn't enjoy getting used to it's power and then finding I hadn't done enough to keep it.

All in all a good morning because now I can take delegation off the table so I have one less thing to consider. 😊

bbrewer (59) 6 years ago

Way to keep it real @gillianpearce.

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks.

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drakernoise (60) 6 years ago (edited)

How calmly you are Gillian,
Well, to not being on good mood you did it quite nice.
About your doubts, I've been here on steemit for long time and I had also disheartened moments. I left it aside and went back to my life. I kept trading bitcoin with not success because I never took the chance when it came up in front of me.
Then switched back to steemit and rethought about it. I relized that no crypto was offering the real use possibilities Steem does, no crypto project thinks of people as a global community but normally they are focused on the same roles as FIAT .
On steemit you can find all the good and bad things that you can find out there in real and virtual life BUT it gives you the chance to make what you whant to with no little effort. Like in the real world things are not easy but here in steemit people do think of each other differently wirh an opened mind, that's cool.
Charity to others is also something real, is it possible to help others right away, that amazes me.
About art. I see that future is on the Steem blochain rather than in the steemit platform though this last can perfectly be used as a speaker for your art. Creating your own virtual gallery where people can buy your stuff using steem( or sbd) and be delivered directly to your house is a possible success in my opinion.
I'd encourage you to keep steeming, creating your art and sharing with us. There are nice people here but you are one of those why I keep my faith.

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks for your support and encouragement as always @drakernoise. You always go above and beyond and I'm very grateful for that. It's for people like you that I wish I had a bit more SP. Well a lot more really! 😁

I don't really understand what makes the Steem blockchain, rather than Steemit itself, special. But others, like yourself who are more knowledgeable than myself, and whom I trust can see that which is why I am considering investing directly into Steem. How I do that and use it on Steemit I am undecided.

I'm glad that you can see positives beyond Steemit because, as you say, so far I am finding Steemit to be very similar to the outside world, i.e. those that have the power just get more powerful and richer.

I like being able to help people straight away too but would like to be able to do more of it. Anyway. I won't go on anymore as I said it pretty much in the video.

Have a lovely weekend!

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madlenfox (65) 6 years ago

Dear Gillian! I watched Your video from start to finish. I am sorry that my English spoken is even worse than English written. But I just looked at You and tried very hard to understand even the General meaning of what You say. I can see the sadness on your face and all That you've said is coming from your heart. During my stay on this platform, I also had such moments when I wanted to quit here, delete my account, turn off Steemit and forget about those frustrations that I received here. My posts did not receive any feedback, although I tried to communicate and build relationships with other participants. I was trying to find help or support or at least the right advice for me. I was just trying to figure out why. Maybe it's a language barrier? Perhaps this biased attitude to the fact that I am from Russia? Is it possible that I'm just uninteresting and boring for the other guys here? I genuinely tried to communicate and be interesting. I have something to offer and something to tell. But then I was faced by a blank wall. And at the peak moment, two people responded and talked to me then. I'm still grateful to them. They have been able to strengthen my belief in myself. So I stayed. I'm sorry to have told you this for so long, but you hit something in my shower. Our virtual community here is like a real life model. The same money , the same connection. I even saw masks on some people. Know it well, as in life, when a person puts on a mask , and behind it lies a different man. And a lot more similarities with real life. Everyone chooses for himself what he is here. I'm really glad to have met You. I hope that someday I will be able to speak to you freely in your language. Now the power of my voice is very weak and I have to charge within a few days. I hate that I can't vote for you as well as you deserve. I wish You success!

gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response and to watch the video all the way through @madlenfox. I appreciate it even more since it's not in your own language.

You have been a wonderful support to me over the past few weeks and I am very grateful.

I also hate that I can't vote for people as I feel they deserve. That's one of the things that gets me down here. Especially when you see such rubbish earning well.

Hopefully one day I will be able to give you the upvotes I'd like to be able to. 💙

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lynncoyle1 (63) 6 years ago

Hey @gillianpearce, I saw your message on my voting bot post and 'ran' right over hear to have a listen! Firstly, I must commend you for doing the video...I don't yet have the guts and/or want and/or need to do one yet; I think you and I started at the same time here and I could some days 'copy and paste' your entire video and call it my own haha.

Like you said, it not's worth it to start comparing yourself to others; I did it for a while then stopped cold turkey because it was only bringing me down. My father taught me one very important lesson as a kid, which I hated, but learned it's true. Life isn't fair :) and I guess neither is steemit:)

I see that @glenalbrethsen passed on some 'slider' info and here's another one for you: steemworld.org has the same tool you can use regardless of your SP. I did a blog recently (and I'm not telling you this so you go and upvote it haha) called '3 invaluable resources' that has links and explanations on how to use it. I think if all of this information was readily available, it might make it easier for everyone starting...and yes I know it's available, if in fact you know to look for it :)

Anyway, I hope you keep pluggin' along. I'd say you're doing pretty amazing myself :) Cheers!

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks for your support @lynncoyle1. It's nice to know you have similar feelings too at times. Well, mayeb not so nice for you. 😁

Interesting you mention that your father taught you that life isn't fair. I had an insight into that today which will probably be the subject of my next vblog.

Thanks for the heads up on the slider on steemworld.org. I have that open all day but had no idea you could vote through there. Will definitely be looking into that. 😊

Taking a bit chunk of time away from Steemit is doing me good and the responses I've received to this video are heartwarming. Both are helping me readjust and ponder where I want to go from here.

Thanks so much for being part of that conversation. 😍

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lynncoyle1 (63) 6 years ago

Oh you are so welcome! If you need help figuring out the slider bar, let me know. I'm happy to help you out with it. It has been a huge benefit for me because I was always running out of voting power.

I'm glad your responses here have been helpful. Sometimes it's good just to step away for a few days to clear things up a bit.

Cheers!

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Yesterday evening I worked out how to use the slider bar on busy. It wasn't working for me because I hadn't saved the settings I changed. Now it's fine and really easy to use. Just kicking myself for not getting down to it sooner. I've known about it for weeks.

It makes a big difference in maintaining voting power. Better late than never though! 😁

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lynncoyle1 (63) 6 years ago

hahaha I know, I did the same thing...I just thought, oh geez, not another thing to learn on here, but when I sat down to look at, I soon realised how simple it was!

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growingpower (16) 6 years ago

Hi! Thanks for your support, @growingpower just upvoted your comment ;) Hope you have a great day

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adetorrent (74) 6 years ago

Proud of you 👍🏿⭐️

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks @adetorrent. Feels good to have one in the bag! 😊

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shanibeer (68) 6 years ago

Hi @gillianpearce, I watched your video when you first published it, and I've just come back for a second look. First of all, congratulations that you made it at all. I've tried recording several things and regardless of how chatty I am without the camera, the minute I press record I'm struck dumb.
The crux for me was when you said, quite near the beginning, that you didn't know what you wanted to do with steemit (I think that was right, apologies if I have got it wrong)? I was wondering how you feel now, a few days later, having got your video and what you wanted to say out (and hopefully, having had a day, or even two, off)?
For me, I wanted a blogging platform. I wanted somewhere to write about the things that interested me and, through the process of writing, to develop my ideas. I also wanted to learn about the blockchain, partly just to know, and partly because of thinking about how it might be applied in my day job.
It is good to get acknowledgement when I write something and often comments lead me to new thoughts or ideas and other people's engagement is very motivating but, really, I'm writing for myself.

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Thanks for your thoughtful comment @shanibeer.

I am feeling much better for a number of reasons and will endeavour to make another video about it later.

I also get struck dumb on video. I just have to start talking and hope something comes out. The trick is to relax into what you're saying. I had a few false starts where no words came out or I started an then dried up and then I remembered that I didn't have to actually upload it.

In fact, I wasn't going to post it at all but I started writing the post and then found that I got myself into a "who cares" type of space. Then "go on I dare you". Then a sort of curiosity of what would happen if I posted it. 😊

My hands were shaking when I pressed "post" but it felt quite cathartic at the same time.

I would encourage you to just keep playing with your phone until you feel ready to upload something. I tried recording on my computer first but that gave me too many reasons not to do it - the camera was no good, no sound was terrible, it should be a better angle etc.

On the phone there's isn't much to fiddle with.

I really hate how I look on camera too but you just have to get over yourself! 😁

If I can help at all just shout out! 💙

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shanibeer (68) 6 years ago

Good to hear and good tips, thank you.
I've just been accepted for the #runningproject so between understanding all the rules and actually getting into a running routine my head hurts. But there'll be time for everything, sooner or later 😊

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

That's a great attitude. It's too easy to get stressed otherwise! 😊

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rimicane (61) 6 years ago

That was a good video, Gillian! Don't get upset about the rewards and everyone else - in a year time, we will be earning loads! 😜 Well, maybe better than @adetorrent! 🙈 🙉 🙊

By the way, I have invested in Steem and I see no difference! It is people you stick with that make the difference! 🌼

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

I'm not sure about the investing bit. Did you get a delegation? That's was Ade seems to have done and I would say it's working for him and for a couple of other people I "know" who started at the same time as me.

I'm still having a big rethink about it all anyway and trying to understand the investing bit better is on my list of things to do.

I do agree, people are the key though. And I'm very grateful for the people who support me here. 😍

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rimicane (61) 6 years ago

My other half bought steem and transferred into my account, so I invested in a different way and I am working on getting some delegations as well! I just feel that I would like to get more control in manual curation!

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gillianpearce (65) 6 years ago

Yep. That's exactly what I'm after. I only do manual curation so I need a way to make it efficient too.

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