Remember that time a Steemit post made more than $30,000? (A look at trending stories, then and now)
For those who are Steemit veterans, I'm sure you'll remember this. For those who aren't, let me tell you a "back in my day" tale.
The first ever Steemit make-up tutorial, posted by @guerrint in July 2016, earned $31,543.06 USD worth of Steem. The author, @guerrint, took $26,660.04 of this total, while the curators shared the rest.
A one sentence comment by @cryptoctopus was worth $971.97...
This post came to mind when I noticed @jesta's top trending story this week. He shared a major announcement regarding Vessel 0.2.0. This post is currently pegged to earn $1,287.49, which is actually quite high by the current Steemit standards; however, is incredibly low when you compare it to the make-up tutorial. In three days, @jesta's announcement has had 7,796 views. @guerrint's make-up tutorial shows 1,832 views. (Note: this may have to do with when the view counter was introduced; therefore, it may not be an apples-to-apples comparison).
I'm definitely not bashing @guerrint for her post. It was a great, innovative idea at a time when Steemit was desperate for the type of content that would appeal to the masses. Also, @guerrint was incredibly appreciative of the earnings from her post. She even made a child's birthday wish come true by using the first bitcoin she earned to buy him gifts. (In hindsight, had she just given the Bitcoin to that child and forced him to hold it for a year-and-a-half, he would be about 35 times richer, but that's beside the point).
What are your thoughts? Do you miss the days of the monster payouts? Or do you feel we have a much better Steemit system in place today?
On the one hand, posts like @guerrint's brought a lot of attention to Steemit as a platform where a single blogger can earn thousands of dollars with one post. On the other hand, @guerrint has not stuck around. She hasn't been active on this platform in quite a while and it appears as though she all-but-drained the value of her account over the past year.
But some would argue that massive announcements (such as @jesta's) are deserving of higher rewards.
Regardless of your opinion, it's sure interesting to take a stroll down memory lane (even if our history is relatively brief).
Pretty interesting to think about. I guess I like the way its going because I figure those same funds are more dispersed over a larger population in the ecosystem. I'm super happy when I make more than a few cents on a post. And then those people making a thousand dollars on a post now should still be psyched, I mean where else can you do that?
It would be awesome to make 30k on a post but Id trade that for better and more diverse content and more cool users to meet any day. But I'm here to stay and HODL my SBD.
Taking the money and running is a bit untasteful but people gotta do what they gotta do.
Good thought provoking post though.
I agree with your comment. I don't think the heavily skewed payout system is a sustainable method for mass adoption. Especially considering several people still argue about how unfair Steemit appears to be today (even though it's come a long way in its effort to reward as much good content as possible).
Wow! That's incredible! I've been here a week and, while it would be amazing to have post potential like that, I think the platform is still incredibly worth posting on. I'm telling all my friends. It's only going to keep going up from here 🔝❤️
Welcome!
As I mentioned in another comment, retention seems to be one of Steemit's challenges.
Reach out to me on steemit.chat a month or two from now, and let me know your experience/thoughts. I'm really curious what new users think a couple of months down the road. The first week or two is always exciting... so hopefully it continues to be that way for you. (And thanks for telling your friends :) )
I sure wish i would have been around this platform back then, those numbers are unbelievable. Joined just yesterday and must say I am impressed with the magnitude and potential of Steemit.
Just wait untill Vice opens up their steem blockchain based platform next year, Steem value is said to go haywire.
I'm glad you're enjoying the platform so far.
Retention has been a big issue for Steemit, so I'd be interested in hearing your experience/thoughts a month or two from now.
Well, Vice is planning on launching their steembased platform in June 2018. So by then it will be a hectic period for Steemit i think.
It is official so far, not just speculation : https://vice.org/
Really interesting!
.... I take that back I thought you meant VICE like the media outlet not a porn site... ha... don't know how much that'll help or hurt SBD
Haha... I followed your same train of thought/research.
The truth is, the porn industry has led the way in terms of early adopters when it comes to technology. They were among the first to accept credit card payments online, there are porn websites that accept bitcoin and if they see value in creating a Smart Media Token on the Steem blockchain, this might simply be them leading the way for other businesses/website that haven't caught up to the technology yet.
Can't argue with that. Just funny that that's the way it is.
Thanks for sharing this! I heard about this from @allasyummyfood when she was sharing how her first post got the second highest ever payout, and how the highest ever payout was $30,000. I was totally amazed! I've always wondered about it, but never looked into it, TIL :)
You're welcome! Alla is awesome; I was pumped for her when I first found out she earned such an impressive payout as well.
I met @guerrint at the first ever SteemFest and I have to say, she is a really genuine person. It's a shame that she isn't still an active Steemian.
Having just read some of her posts from back then, she really does seem like such a genuine person. So what happened? Does anyone know why she's no longer active?
I haven't kept in touch, unfortunately.
Thanks anyway :)
I'm too new to have witnessed such a mega payout.
But I wonder would steemit ever go back to that type of payout.
It all has to do with how Steemians (mainly whales) choose to use their upvotes.
High payouts were problematic for quite a few reasons. Most bloggers earned nothing while a select handful earned insanely high payouts (like the example above). People still argue that Steemit is unfair, but it's a lot more of a level playing field than it was in July 2016.
Curation efforts such as @curie work hard to make this platform as fair as possible, but despite efforts, the system will never be perfect.
The one benefit about the huge payouts was the attention they brought to the platform. I remember my interview with Roger Ver caught Roger's attention due to the significant payout it received. Roger even briefly joined Steemit and posted a couple of times.
I've seen posts, or rants, about steemit being unfair... whales hoarding, etc but I need no mind to it.
I'm here long term with goals in the works.
I know the number of members has grown leaps and bounds in last 12 months and feel those, like myself, that are dedicated will eventually earn his or her place in the realm of steemit.
With that attitude, I feel as though you'll succeed in whatever you do (Steemit-related or not). :)
Only future will tell. However there are big companies that are planning on using the steem blockchain to launch their own currency through a media platform, which will make Steem more valuable.
I actually wasn't aware of either of those stories - thanks for sharing with the noobs! Kate
You're very welcome! It's crazy to think that this was only a year-and-a-half ago.
I had no idea of the crazy figures that were flying around!
If anything, it cements the idea of "if you build it, they will come." Sites like Steemit rely on the community making interesting content. As people leave, others need to fill the void.
This post sparks a huge thought:
What if 10 super whales were in the holiday spirit; and pooled $1K each into a lottery pot for Steemians?
Now, this is where the money is generated for the Steem community: Each person interested in the lottery would transfer a $1. into the whale pool, with a reputable witness 'manning' the pot. (one buy per user)
On Christmas Day one fortunate Steemian would open their Wallet and find the $10K gift...
lol...love what if's....
Peace.
It's a nice thought, but getting 10 whales to agree on anything... now that would be a Christmas miracle.
Lol!
...Instantly reminded of the movie when the little girl shouts at the end:
Mommy, there really is a Santa Claus!!!
Lol!
Peace.
i earned more back then. but now I can give more today. Its hard to say.