Why I Joined #thealliance - Wait, What?

Well, I didn't exactly join #thealliance. I actually gave birth to it and have nurtured it's growth since it's conception. The idea of forming a 'team' was planted when I saw that STEEM prices and trade volume were staying in the top 40 on the crypto watchdog lists. I had joined prior and was simply going to use it as another ad space to promote some bullshit MLM and affiliate ventures. Was just another blog site to me, like Wordpress or Tumblr. Then I started to explore Fakebook a little after noticing the stability of STEEM.

Knowing that to be successful here, you had to be part of some sort of group or organization, I had joined a few groups on that other site. We'll call it 'Voldemort'. One group I joined, I saw a post with a quote from Bruce Lee and the author was @michaeldavid. I immediately clicked the link and ventured over to Steemit. He started maybe a month before I did (full time) and his post wasn't worth much more than mine - maybe a few pennies, but I fell in love with what he was writing about. I thought, ya, he'll get it. So, I went back over to 'Voldemort', and sought him out. I told 'The Docta' what I wanted to accomplish, and the potential it truly had. (To make a long story short) He believed 100% in my vision and said let's make it happen.

I thought for awhile, that building #thealliance on 'Voldemort' was a great idea. It's where I first got to know long-time loyal members like @thedamus, @tattoodjay, @christheaudioguy, and several others. Then I started getting in marketer mode and made a group and began joining a bunch of other groups and just spamming the shit out of 'Voldemort' with my blog links. After about a month, I had to take a step back because I thought to myself, "what the hell am I doing?" It occurred to me that there was no real engagement there to begin with and the followers and 'members' I was getting, save a few, were just disloyal vote-whores and I was tired of seeing copy and paste shit that I didn't want to waste my little vote on.

So, I started checking into other avenues to strengthen the bond of what I envisioned #thealliance to be. I had seen discord links popping up on various respected peoples' posts like witness @good-karma, Open Mic host @luzcypher and @adsactly. So, I checked it out and was hooked. I knew that was the place to secure a solid foundation and means of communication outside of Steemit. Because, well, Steemit has no IM or voice chat. Wouldn't that be frig'n sweet? Hey @jesta and @timcliff, you hearing me? Anyway, I decided to do the opposite. I dropped 'Voldemort's' trifling ass altogether and started directing people in my posts that wanted to join us, to come find us on discord. It didn't take long to reach my goal of 100 core members once we did either.

One thing that has always been upheld and true to #thealliance is the fact that we are a group of quality content creators and CURATORS that support each other. Which means, we put out good posts, vote on each other's blog works, resteem when we love it and comment. I love the comments personally. Best way to show someone you care is to drop a note on their blog talking about something you liked in it or that you just thought it was awesome. "Nice post, upvote me, I upvote follow you resteem you me." NO. Bad doggie. The big one I'm seeing lately is 'dear'. I'll know if you gave me a frig'n vote. I'll know if you resteemed it. What I want to know is what you thought about what I wrote or how my pictures(s), artwork or words made you feel.

What some people fail to understand and I'm sure some are even overly butthurt about, is what exactly you are signing up for when you join(ed) us. We aren't a circle jerk, not everyone votes on everyone, but we do our best to support each other. In a perfect world, we'd all have @steemvoter and we'd all vote each other's posts. But, everyone is unique in their own way and may not want to do that. Manual curation is more personal anyway. Not saying anyone has to pick one or the other, I personally do both.

So as we've grown, we have had to remove idle and unsupportive (now former) members. I'm sorry, not sorry? Obviously, there was no violence involved in our purges, and almost everyone was either called out or messaged prior to their removal. Some said "I'm out then", some said "I will definitely do better", some just never answered and there were a very select few ignorant ones that paid no attention to anything going on ever so probably don't even know they're not members anymore. So, to those that think you didn't get a warning or were removed unfairly, yes, you had warnings and yes, it was fair. You were the one(s) not paying attention like you should have been to your family's needs and concerns. You can even come back if you think you can 'keep up'.

Yes. This is the atmosphere that I intended and is becoming a realization now. I distinctly remember in my first conversation with @michaeldavid, I said, "like one big happy family". I am loving the comfort level everyone has and is acquiring. Even as the new members are coming in to our expanded syndicate families, they are already aware of our 'family atmosphere' and most of them are jumping right in and getting to know their new brethren.

That's what it takes. Just put yourself out there. Sure, you're the new kid in class, but you're not here for a popularity contest, you're here to simply fit in and fit out. I say fit out because as I mentioned previously, we're all unique. Nobody posts like I do. Nobody posts like @buzzbeergeek or @battleaxe or @shadowspub or @gomatthew or @victorbz or I could literally name every member and it would apply. That's one of the things I really love about Steemit...you really can be YOU. And even more so here in #thealliance, we WANT you - to be YOU.

No, you can't join the main server. You have to earn your way there. Core members are core because they have proven they are 'hardcore' allies. They heavily support their family's efforts. They are excellent content creators. And, they engage heavily here on Steemit. In fact, I bet we have 2 of the top commentors on the entire Steemit platform. Namely @tattoodjay and @saffisara. So, yes, you can join us. BUT, to filter out the afore mentioned things that are frowned upon in our 'organization', you will have to join one of the syndicates. The leaders and guides of those servers on discord have proven their loyalty and quality time and time again.

Let it be known, you will have to submit an application. Once you arrive on the server, you will be directed to the applications channel and further details await you there. Once (and if) you are accepted as an ally, then you may gain access to the core server via one of the officers. I wholeheartedly encourage it as we do have meetings every week I would love for everyone to attend. Great way for you to get to know your brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They're pretty fun too!