Well, maybe I accidentally did a good thing. I don't want to do anything but smoke and I'm not doing that so the impasse is pretty well defined. If life is going to be shitty, I just as well be too, I guess.
I know you don't get paid, but I also know that it does get read and appreciated. I was glad to see it this morning. Til I opened it, of course...
Oh, I know the feeling.
The greater question here, of course, is ... "Will anything ever break through this gray gloom on Steemit?" Lots of promises in the air, but so far nothing's happening -- and what does happen doesn't make much difference. People are tired of just treading water and I can't say I blame them.
Add to that the fact that the umbilical cord attached to Bitcoin we used to count on has either broken or become way too stretchy ... and the feeling that we're just adrift and waiting for the inevitable is pretty hard to deny. I do think those of us still here are caught in the grip of a shared delusion that's been pretty hard to crack -- but maybe not impossible.
We're left with the undeniable fact that people don't come to Steemit to read -- and they certainly don't come here because they know they'll find great quality material at the end of the trip. There are islands in the stream that show there is fine quality to be had on Steemit ... if you have the time, patience and determination to search it out -- constantly. Fewer and fewer people have either the time or the valid reasons to do that.
It sure gets no help otherwise in any way that matters ... and I don't say that just regarding "my stuff." My writing is not for everyone ... and I readily acknowledge that. But that does mean it's at an even greater disadvantage. Still, I see gifted people doing beautiful work -- fun, useful, readable, informative posts -- and eventually, reason would say, they'll have to ask themselves why they are spending their time and talents for what amounts to literal pennies. ("Because it still pays better than Facebook," is starting to ring real hollow -- because the truth is "not by much.")
On Steemit, you face this (so far) insurmountable challenge: To "build an audience" of thousands from a user pool most of whom never came to Steemit to read in the first place. The time it takes to chase down every prospective (often unknown / disinterested) "follower" who will be worth maybe a couple of cents now and then ... is simply prohibitive.
Maybe these kinds of returns will feed you for a month in Venezuela ... but I don't live there.
One other thing about Steemit that's worth mentioning -- other platforms have managed to create a user experience that doesn't actually feel dangerous the way it does on Steemit. You know what I mean -- and you've seen examples of it play out in real life. Even writing this feels "dangerous" in a way that's honestly creepy. So, if I'm being advised to "go with my feelings" -- that's the long and short of it.
There is something cultish about this place that belies its self-proclaimed libertarian stance. You're either consistently on the cheer-leading squad ... or you damn well better zip it -- and keep your head down. That's not "freedom" in my definition, that's living under Mafia-rule. And in my experience, not much good comes of it.
Please don't think I'm at all ungrateful for your presence and patronage. They've meant a lot. But of the 1149 people who've thought I was worth enough to "follow" somewhere / somehow / for some reason ... 3 - 5 show up occasionally. (I do thank you also for being consistent!) On blog after blog, including yours, that's the usual story. (Again, people don't come to Steemit to read, and even if they did, there's only so much you can do in a couple of hours -- unless you want to give your life to it ... and I'm guessing that's not the point either!)
Thank you too, for your appreciation -- now and previously. TBH, I also wish the messages were better.
If my blog survives this post, I'll be back later -- and we'll see where we go from there.
Oh, do I get it. I have friends that have moved on. I mean real friends. For the real reasons that you offer here.
I'm not writing much, but what I write has some poop to it. Even the mailboxes are better than average :)
I'm trying to decide whether it's worth just turning loose and writing what I need to write. You see, I have way more in common with Saltnpapper than most others. I'm not writing for the money, I'm writing for the freedom. I've written for the money and the BS isn't worth it to me. Nobody is much reading here today, but are they reading anywhere? Really?
Where is better than here? Medium? BTDT. I think it might be better now, but the change to 'paid' was painful at very best. A guy I knew swallowed his gun out of that deal.
So, I'm guessing I'll be here in one form or another. I am a serious optimist in general terms and I see Pal Net as possibly helping and Lira as taking the whole mess main stream. And I'm old. I knew when I came here that I was probably going to bust my ass for the last time at a place.
I'm just in it for me at this point. I read 50 or so posts a day write a couple a week and that's probably about all I can manage.
We coulda been a contender...