Small fish in the Steem sea
Don’t write for money. No one likes to read a text with no heart or soul behind it. And writing for money won't keep you going - it's actually draining. But of course, we all have different goals here and so I suspect that many would disagree. That’s fine. No one will stop you from pretending to be a writer.
Not going to lie, though. Money was my one of my motivations when I started steeming here – but that wasn’t my only motivation. I also enjoy voicing my opinions. But as time passed, reality gradually became clearer, and I stopped caring about the money. It didn’t take me long to see the light, either.
Posting here isn’t exactly a lucrative business - unless you’re a high-quality content creator, already well-established in the Steem community, or have invested a significant stake (i.e., purchased a lot of Steem). There’s nothing wrong with that, of course.
But if you’re like me - an ordinary small fish trying to grow organically (meaning no money on the line), we have a long way to go. Especially with the enormous pile of rubbish content flooding the ecosystem, making it nearly impossible for small fishes to gain recognition, no matter how much effort they put into their posts.
About 3 months ago, I wrote a post with the theme: The Power of Steem. It was a writing competition I participated in back when Steem’s price was at $0.31, and everyone was hyped up. I didn’t win, but I enjoyed writing it - and I still stand by every word I wrote. I argued that the power of Steem has nothing to do with its price but rather with the individuals, the communities, and the engagement it fosters. Funny, because now we’re in a bear market, and the price of Steem is only half (maybe even lesser now) of what it was. Yet, what do we see? Communities are still thriving, and engagement continues to flourish.
Sure, payouts have dropped, but engagement hasn’t -if anything, it’s more meaningful. It becomes clear who’s here for the community rather than just the rewards.
So, how am I doing?
These past few days, I’ve been venturing outside my usual communities, hoping to discover fresh content from new users - or, if I’m lucky, stumble upon hidden gems. It doesn’t have to be high-quality, just something interesting enough to leave you thinking rather than confused. I didn’t expect it to be such a grueling task - sifting through endless spam posts and farming accounts.
Or maybe I’m just impatient, but it felt like a waste of time. The only things I found that resonated with me were posts from six or seven years ago, written by authors who are no longer active.
It’s understandable, really. How can this platform attract new users when the first thing they see on the trending page is full of nonsensical posts earning hundreds of dollars? It’s the perfect way to drive away potential quality posters. Instead, it draws in people who think posting garbage is the key to quick cash, fueling an endless flood of mass-produced junk. Scrolling in the ‘new’ page isn’t any better, it’s overcrowded with spam. Finding those hidden gems feels nearly impossible, and for those hidden gems, being discovered is even harder. What’s even harder to accept? Bots seem to outnumber real people here.
Sometimes, I wish Steem would become worthless - just for a while - just enough to sift the kernel from the chaff, separating long-term thinkers from short-term ones. It would leave behind only those who genuinely care about the platform and community building.
So why stay if it’s this bad?
Well, if you're an aspiring writer, this is a good place to practice. It may take a really, really long time to get noticed, and being ignored sucks - but keep going. Someday, you'll receive feedback, and it'll all be worth it.
The only mistake you (and I) could make is letting discouragement (of receiving little love and attention) get in your head and quit. Don’t quit. Maybe take a break for a week or two, but don’t give up entirely.
Winners don’t quit. Only losers do.
I still believe in this platform community, and I still stand by the words I’ve written in this post.
Keep writing about what you genuinely enjoy. But don’t write just because you love writing - because then, you’ll have nothing to write about. C.S. Lewis said that, and it's solid advice.
Your words will most likely be ignored, but if you enjoyed writing them, that’s what truly matters. And if upvotes come? Well, they’re just a bonus.
To the communities that have worked hard to foster engagement - kudos to you. You’re the backbone of this place, and in my eyes, truly exceptional. If not for you and the incredible people I’ve met here, I would have left long ago.
You are the foundation, the unsung heroes - the ember in this overwhelming pile of ash. Thank you for the effort.
I know many small fish like me feel the same way. Maybe I was lucky, or maybe good networking led me to cross paths with you.
And to all the small fish out there (my comrades) keep creating content that interests you, even if it earns nothing. Keep voicing your opinions, even if they’re often ignored.
And let’s be real - this post will probably be ignored too. But that’s okay. I enjoyed writing it, and that alone makes it worth it.
Why should articles that come from the heart be ignored? While reading the difference is to realise very clear!
Haha, well, you mentioned the reasons yourself. No old, experienced hand goes the "usual" way to search for good articles anymore...
I think it's been almost four years since I barricaded myself in "my" community because I couldn't stand the bullshit and fraud around me anymore. Small and different projects have been added every now and then (especially developed with "real" friends I've found (whom discovery requires just as much time and patience, but above all, genuine interest)), but by and large, it's stayed the same: I'm careful not to come into contact with "global" Steem - it only frustrates and depresses.
But if you surround yourself with the right people, Steemit can still be fun! There's just one path you should not take: "Follow The Money!"
By doing this, you are selling yourself and your soul and are no longer the authentic gem that you are now!
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It's a lesson learned - just part of the learning curve here on Steem. I bet every one of us has tasted the garbage at some point in our journey 😄Steemit's default feed is definitely a big turn-off.
It seems like the majority are just here to produce content for the sake of producing content. Unfortunately, the masses love it. They’re mostly the successful ones. Well, sellouts attract sellouts...
I think any sort of substantive value isn’t easy to come by. Meaningful connections aren’t created overnight. So, yes - patience and time... and common sense?
I still find it fun, though. Although, just a few days ago, it nearly wasn’t!
Well, that would be too easy. I’m probably a masochist because I prefer slow-burn progress. To fare hard in this rigged system and still push through feels much more rewarding to me 🙂
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I think I wrote an entire, astonished article about it just three weeks after it appeared on this platform. Surprised? No, because after just a few days, nothing surprised me anymore – I recognized the disaster of greed and power struggles pretty quickly and was simply disgusted.
Instead of leaving immediately, I invested. This was in the megalomaniacal belief that I would make everything better. After all, blockchain had potential.
Haha... We say "Hope dies last." But that's already died, all that's left is habit.
And fun, of course. Fun with a handful, maybe even a dozen... ;-)
And that was one of the smaller crises that we experience here from time to time...
You are a knight... ;-)
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I tried searching for the article but ended up binge-reading posts about sheep - and you even named them all! ;-D I wonder how your new babies are doing...
Nein. Hope is very much alive, juggling both word games and mind games at the same time! Fun is merely the fuel - but perhaps, for this generation, fun has become the new hope. I don’t know; this could just be another megalomaniacal belief.
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Yes!!! And that is their (and my) great luck.
You know, every now and then (rarely) I like to eat a good piece of lamb chop. But I definitely can't have Manni, not Balboa, not Muck, not Elton... on my plate... 🥰
They are also not that easy to find. They are seven years old, I was only active on the Steem for six weeks.
Although you can actually find anything with this tool:
https://moecki.online/
What @the-gorilla has already advised you to do is to be curious right from the start and to maintain this curiosity. I was also completely new and didn't know anyone on the platform at first. I didn't imagine that I was a great author and didn't immediately start blurting out what I could. I observed. And asked. Above all, I questioned.
To be honest, these four articles were ‘my breakthrough’. It was a mixture of ‘cheekiness’ (how dare a newbie...?) and really good copywriting like research. I got quite a few users on their toes with them. Of course, it didn't change their behaviour, but I was noticed and I actually had a bit more influence because of what I said.
Hey, the articles are very long. And they're in German in my own style (auto-translators don't always get on so well with that). I name users who are no longer here (or who have changed a lot, like steemcleaners). But if you really want to (after all, the problems are EXACTLY the same, just a bit more, since you couldn't write content with AI back then...):
# 1
# 2
# 3
# 4
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99% der Steemcuratorjünger schreiben nur für das zu erwartende Vote von S01 oder 02 bis Xy er will es ja auch so , gut oder schlecht , ein Post sollte ehrlich sein !
Ich sollte nicht hier sein tja das dauert wohl noch ein paar Tage
Die Disziplin braucht wohl noch ein paar Tage bis der Automatismus abgestellt ist
VgA
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Ja, so ist es. Das wissen wir und hatten dieses Thema schon öfter. Dann dürfen wir uns doch einfach mal drüber freuen, wenn ein (relativ neuer) User total anders ist als die neue Generation, oder?! Hey, haste genau geguggt? Er benutzt nicht einmal Club-Tags... ;-)
Wieso? Wolltest du gehen? Oder der übliche Frühjahrs-/Sommerstress?
Würde hier aber ohnehin nicht hinpassen.
Denn hier sollst du schon sein. Immerhin bist du meinem Resteem eines meiner Meinung nach ambitionierten Steemians gefolgt... :-))
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Ich habe die nächsten Monate viel um die Ohren und will nicht abgelenkt sein , es ist nur eine Priorität
https://steemit.com/deutsch/@steemchiller/st23my
Nein der Resteem/Post hat mir gefallen
VgA
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Everybody has to start somewhere and 4 years ago, I started where you are now.
What seems like only yesterday, things weren't so different... perhaps there were more authors willing to write with variety and creativity - because they didn't know where the steemcurator would come from.
Now, everybody knows where the steemcurator will be, which is why Steemt has so many people keen to learn skills that they have little interest in. It is what it is. I believe it's a phase. Another phase. Which will eventually stop and in my opinion, will eventually return to the unpredictable like when I first joined.
Until then, we find joy in our own places. In our own circles. Perhaps we're our own, unique clique. A brotherhood that connects us from a core belief rather than a financial objective. Would we do the quiz without the rewards? How much have you or I earned from the quiz? I have absolutely no idea - that's for the haters to calculate. I know it's consumed 1/6th of my year and has probably taken up more of my life than it should have done. But the measure of my year so far is better calculated by the joy it's brought people. The joy it's brought me... and the disappointment that I felt from people when I said that I couldn't do it any more... all the more reason to keep going and continue. That wasn't money. That was something stronger that very few people on the platform have. So it's nice to see that you feel it too.
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Sometimes, I wish I were from your generation, but I wonder - was this place just as full of garbage back then?
I don't or maybe I just didn't care 1) because quality is subjective - what could be a quality post to me might come off as boring to others 2) Guaranteed money is boring - I want to play the hard version of Steem. Although the game is already lost but we'd rather look good losing.
And that’s exactly it - you created a space where people could genuinely connect and have fun. When you stopped, the sense of loss was universal - everyone felt the withdrawal(symptoms) immediately. Was it about money? Hardly. Money can buy many things, but this? This was priceless.
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Yes. The trending page was probably even more full of shit than it is today.
There was also a huge amount of plagiarism when I signed up. Fairly early on, I wrote a post asking if plagiarism was ok because it was so ubiquitous. That’s definitely better now that AI is more prevalent 😆
Whilst there is any kind of auto voting, there will be garbage.
I think it’s important just to be curious. I remember trying to work out why upvu likes tanks so much. What made today’s tank any better than yesterday’s? Coins too. Upvu had very strange taste in my opinion. I understand now.
Behind the sc account, there’s a very likeable human being. They’re not always in control of the account but when the personality comes out, it’s so nice to see.it just doesn’t happen often enough in my opinion.
Thanks 🤩
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Fact. For the money hungry, who cares if it's garbage, it's efficient and profitable. Rather than genuine social interaction, this system seeks to automate the process with a machine. I wouldn’t say auto upvoting is inherently bad - if someone needs a little artificial boost to get started, that’s their choice. I mean, if they want to begin as close to the finish line as possible, that’s not really my business - as long as the content is good.
No matter how good a system is, people always find ways to screw it. Just like in the real world, good and bad people coexist. While it might be convenient to eliminate the bad, it wouldn’t be as meaningful - after all, without the bad, how would you recognize the good (those who resist)?
I do a bit of sleuthing now and then, but not too often - what I find usually ends up being more disappointing than interesting. I haven't gone that far yet as you can probably see I've just been baptized whatever the hell that means 😆 ... So I have just heard about this bidbot upvu and why steemit has become a pay to win system...
I have nothing against them, I know a few who are nice and sensible. I just wish they would engage a little rather than just upvote.
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Oh, I mean all auto-voting. Not just the use of bidbots but curation trails and everything else. I've seen some extremely interesting authors who were so good when they signed up. Then they became moderator of a community and with that, some auto-votes from a curation trail. It went from extremely interesting to 3 or 4 photos of their food every day. Whilst this user wasn't buying votes, she'd sold her soul.
When we were in a curation team (steemcurator0x), I created @curator-helper which would scan for active posts with particular tags, sorted by my algorithm and that hadn't already been voted for by one of the steemcurator accounts. I don't run it very often but it's a good way to find new content that I might be interested in. I've just run it so take a look and see if there's anything you like 🙂
They do every now and again and it's so nice. But then it's as though somebody in Beijing saw what they were doing and makes them stop! And then just like that, they're gone again.
@solperez
@solperez