So I just reached 2500 followers on Steem. Yey! What's more, I'm this close to reaching my final destination of 69 reputation on Steemit, currently at 68.997. Of course, numbers are irrelevant especially here on Steem. As a veteran on the platform, I would like to share some observations I did during my time spent here.
It's all 'bout the money.
I know, you've heard this many times before, but it's true. Almost all of the userbase is here for the rewards pool. Is it a bad thing? I don't think so. Having a monetary incentive is taking the platform to a whole new level, where we have a living, breathing economy. Back in the day, when there were literally just a couple of hundred authors, money wasn't such a big deal. We did have whales who encouraged us with upvotes. Steem was full of anarchists, freethinkers, radicals, etc. Some of the best posts I read are from that period. An average comment consisted of 100-200 word observation on your post. At first, I didn't know how to respond to that, compared to the Facebook mentality I got used to by default. A few forks later, Steem is completely different, and so are the users and the interaction within the platform. I really miss the old days when you could dive into a conversation with a complete stranger, and learn something new and exiting. Now Steem is starting to become more like Facebook, with people sharing their daily status. I still wonder what happened to the first newcomers.
Content is king!
Never forget that. It does not matter how many followers you have, or how much Steem Power you hold, the best strategy was and still is great content. If you contribute to the platform with your personal insight, dedication and time, it will pay off in the long run. No matter what is your passion, as long as you are true to yourself and write from the heart, you will be rewarded. Content is king, patience is queen.
It's not a fair game.
The sooner you realize this the better. It never was and it never will be fair. Yes, one can make money here, but expectations and reality are two completely different things. I know many of you have posted at least one really good article, you've been working on with the hope to get a bigger payout, or maybe you dream of being featured on the Trending page. There are some people who have a head start, there are the people with bags of money who hold huge stake in the platform and there are the abusers who rape the rewards pool. Plus all the average Steeminas competing for the rewards, each with his own strategy, some even pay for votes. Put yourself in the middle of all this and you will start to understand why some authors make more than others. Again, is this a bad thing, should you be discouraged from participating in the platform - absolutely no! Steem is a game, and not a very fair one, but this does not mean you can't reach your goals. Just don't compare yourself to others, try not to copy them and be grateful for what you have. All rewards are donated to you. No one owes you a dime!
There are no rules.
In a truly decentralized network, there can never ba e perfect consensus between all the players. There are guidelines one can follow to increase his chances but no one is stopping you from doing anything here. If you feel like it, you could flag a whale. There are consequences for that, but nevertheless, no one can stop you from doing it. Most of the "rules" are paved as Steem matures. The platform is learning form its mistakes and all the abuse that is going on is just helping the platform become more resilient to attacks and mischief in the future. With each fork, the rules change a little bit. Adapting to the new environment is essential to survive a Steem fork.
Sometimes you need to spill some blood to get things done.
It's definitely not 'fair', but Steemit still has opportunities for all. You just have to decide how you want to play it and if you care about what others think of you. I'm on the long stretch from rep 70 to 71. I may get there this year, but I should pass 4000 followers soon. Not that many of those are active or seeing what I do. I get enough interaction to keep me happy.
I could make more money by gaming the system, but I'm happy to make anything. I'm in for the long run.
I agree, at this point I prefer to have better interaction than payouts.
Congratulations!! Thanks for your tips based on your experience! that allows new users to become increasingly clear that steemit is not a "common" platform. Here it takes a little effort, to achieve good results (talking about money).
Greetings from Venezuela
Greetings and best of luck to you!
congratulations ya ats your tan opinion for this.I agree with your opinion, stem is the best for this.
Well, I'm not sayng it's the best, but it's better than others.
Good read! looking forward to having as many followers 😊
Thank you, good luck!
Здравейте! Аз няма да се повтарям с другите. Те всички са го написали много добре. Аз само искам да Ви кажа, че се радвам, че сте българин! Бъдете здрав и успешен!
Много благодаря за милите думи. Успех на всички!
I am impressed by what I read. Until now, I had a different opinion about you, but you obviously know both the kick and the encouragement. Although I'm only a month in Steemit, I share what you wrote. Admirations not only for your work, but also for the realistic and true position.
Поздравления!
Благодаря.
Is it true there are no comments? Can't believe it. You are right things have changed. I am one of the old guys here too. Sometimes I am wondering why I am still here. I like to share, to interact and express my self in that divers community. On the other hand by contributing I feed this highly capitalist pyramid. Seemingly two sides of the same coin.
Take my late congratulation as a big upvote. Steem on!