What Is "Quality Content" And Does Steemit Need to Be Fixed?
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a post explaining what quality content should be. This is more of a rhetorical topic that I hope will foster healthy conversation about content here on the Steem blockchain.
Typical Definition of Quality Content
First we need to define what quality content really is. Try Googling it and see what you find. Most often, quality content is defined as lengthy posts that use proper grammar, has exciting visual graphics (or video), is formatted in a way to make the reading/viewing experience exceptional, and provides value to the community reading it. Moreover, it should not be offensive, include swear words, or be controversial in nature.
While I agree with most of the key elements described here about quality posts, I find that this traditional definition might need to be adjusted for the Steemit community. Steemit is unlike any other posting platform on the internet and therefore we need to gain a deeper understanding of Steemit's utility.
Let's Look At Who Uses Steemit
While Steemit is used worldwide by a variety of different people (varying races, religions, social backgrounds, income levels, etc.), it's no secret that the majority of our platform is being utilized by those who are sick and tired of traditional video, blogging, and social media websites. After years and years of oppression from Google and Facebook's censorship-enforcing algorithms, these people have made a mass exodus towards the future. That future is Steemit.
They come here in hopes of finding a home for their content which might be otherwise censored or unrewarded. Whether it be a short poem, a meme, a few photographs, a recipe, a technical trading analysis, a 20-second video clip, or even a long-form article about a controversial topic, surely the decentralized web would be the perfect place for them to make a name for themselves, right?
But how do they get noticed here? There must be some mechanism for gaining recognition (and a following) here on the blockchain...
Steem's Algorithm for "Quality Content"
From the outside, Steemit's algorithm for determining a quality (or popular) post seems pretty simple. This is the basic, dumbed-down version of how it works...
New posts that get a high amount of upvotes (from high rep users) get placed in the Hot Section. If that post continues to get a lot of upvotes and comments then it will end up in the Trending Section for more to see and vote on.
Or if you prefer Steemit's definition of these sections...
New - Posts are sorted by the time posted, with newest first.
Hot - Popular posts at the moment.
Trending - Posts with the most amount of votes, stake-weighted, recently.
What Can We Take From This?
In order to rank well on Steemit, your posts don't have to be long-form, contain breathtaking images, or be formatted a certain way. They don't need to be politically correct, lack controversy, or refrain from colorful language. That's right, there is no censorship whatsoever... unless it comes directly from the community.
This brings me to my next point...
Flagging Posts
As I've already pointed out, there's a built-in mechanism for gaining recognition, money, and fame here on Steemit. But there's also a function to completely ruin somebody's day. That's right; somebody can spend all day writing a post or producing a video, and have somebody who disagrees come along and wipe out all of their earnings, remove their post from the Trending or Hot Sections, and even diminish the reputation of the author. This is what we call a flag or a downvote. And although you would assume that a downvote and flag bring different consequences, they don't.
With the current implementation, there is no difference between a downvote and a flag. They are treated the same at the blockchain level.
Now, I must say that the downvote/flag wasn't wasn't created to ruin a person's day. The entire Steem blockchain was setup to be self-governed in this way. The community as a whole polices the platform and ultimately decides what should, and shouldn't, be here. Then, we reward users for creating posts that we want to see.
Unlike Google or Facebook, the users have full control and are able to decide how they want posts to rank. And although it might sting to have your post flagged, that's the beauty of a decentralized, blockchain-based, social media site. There's no Big Brother making decisions for us.
And I must point out that those who can inflict the most damage from their downvotes (or flags) are those with the highest amount of Steem Power and Reputation. Which is good because these users are typically more careful about how they use their downvotes. In other words, they have a higher stake here on Steemit and want to see new users prosper and the entire platform grow.
So.. Is Steemit Broken?
Many people think that there's something wrong with the Steem blockchain. Most notable arguments are...
- There are too many crappy/spammy posts in the Trending Section
- It's hard for a new person to make it here
- Whales have full control over the platform
- I'm afraid that I'll get flagged
- Upvote bots are controlling the platform
While I don't have all the answers, my opinion is that most of these "issues" don't seem to really be issues at all. These arguments appear to be nothing more than personal opinions and have no ill affect on the Steem blockchain as a whole. This is how it was created.
Let's look deeper into each of these "issues"...
There are too many crappy/spammy posts in the Trending Section
If you feel that a post is spammy or contains no value, let the author know. And give good reasons why you feel that way. But chances are, if it made it into the Trending section then others on the blockchain have found value in said post.
It's hard for a new person to make it here
I personally don't feel that it's hard for a new person to make it on Steemit. And by make it, I mean start to gain a following and earn some rewards. I started just over 4 months ago and have done very well. But I've put in a lot of effort, built a following, and continue to deliver what they want.
Whales have full control over the platform
Whales should have most of the control over the platform. They either invested early because they believed in the platform (which without them it wouldn't exist), or they have put in a lot of their hard-earned money to become a whale. Money is the main driving factor for power (or control) on the Steem blockchain.
I'm afraid that I'll get flagged
You shouldn't be afraid of getting flagged unless you're doing something you know isn't right, including plagiarism, spamming posts, etc. People typically don't get flagged for no reason. If you've gotten flagged in the past, look at what happened and figure out how to prevent it in the future.
Upvote bots are controlling the platform
As I've mentioned, money controls the platform. Those with more money have more control. This is the way it was built. And it costs money to use upvote bots. Also it should be noted that some people use upvote bots to upvote posts that aren't their posts. This allows them to reward authors more than they could with their own Steem Power.
In Summary
These are just my opinions and certainly shouldn't be taken as fact. But after having a thorough look at how Steemit functions, the people we cater to, and how the platform continues to grow, I have to wonder if anything really is wrong. Does anything really need to change or be fixed?
Maybe we should redefine what quality content means in this new decentralized world of content sharing. Steemit wasn't created to mold everyone to a certain standard when it comes to publishing content. And honestly, we should all be very happy about this. Have we forgotten why we came to Steemit in the first place? Do we really want Steemit to end up like Facebook, Google, or YouTube and have all the "good content" look the same?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below as I would love to get your take on all of this. I feel that we could use some healthy dialogue on this topic.
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Great post man. And you hit on many topics that I agree with. The biggest being....What's the alternative?
Facebook? Google?
You think they care about your content at all? Of course not, they want returns for their stock holders.
Is Steemit perfect? Not at all, but to be it's the best way to build your content and actually be part of something that can change the world.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
I agree with you @jongolson. Love Steemit, it's boogers and all. Just wish I could get eSteem to work on my phone.
Try the @Steepshot app. It's pretty much flawless. Not the entire blockchain like eSteem but at least it works for Steepshot / pic postings.
Thanks. I read a real positive review regarding the @Steepshot app the other day and need to download it.
Hi Brandon. This is the first post I have seen from you which is not in vlog format and to your credit, your scribing skills are quite exceptional.
I agree with you that the term "Quality Content" should not be used as a cookie-cutter to force everything to conform to one shape. The beauty of Steemit is it's diversity and I think some modicum of individualism should be allowed space rather than outright suffocation.
I think over time people will learn and adopt the best policy. Of course some of things will go and a lot will come in. Whales will stay , no matter what . May be they will only use their power for the best interest of the community, at least thats what we hope. Being whale is an incentive for an ordinary user too. Thats not a bad motivation.
You write "After years and years of oppression from Google and Facebook's censorship-enforcing algorithms, these people have made a mass exodus towards the future. That future is Steemit.
They come here in hopes of finding a home for their content which might be otherwise censored or unrewarded".
I am wondering what's the difference to a user who spent time and effort writing a post between being censored by Google / FB or being censored by @grumpycat / @heimindanger or any other vigilante that suddenly thinks their post is not worth the rewards it got ? There is currently a controversy about @suesa's April's Fool post that got to nearly $900 mainly through voting bots. Is that post worth such a reward ? I personally don't think so but who am I ? I believe the question itself is misguided - who among us has authority to say whether it's worth $5 or $50 or $500 or even $5000 ?
Then you write "But chances are, if it made it into the Trending section then others on the blockchain have found value in said post."
Or not. Again, using the same post as example, it's in the Trending section because @reggaemuffin (who might as well control the @suesa account for all I know) has massively bought upvotes from the bots ... With all the vote-farming and the reflexive effect spawned by seeing a post with a $800 reward, I can't even say how many people have found value in that post (I did like it, although not to the tune of $800 ... but I wouldn't have taken time to read it if it wasn't for the astronomic reward posted next to it)
Then you write "I personally don't feel that it's hard for a new person to make it on Steemit. " You certainly realize that you are rather the exception than the rule
I share @guyfawkes4-20 (and others') opinion that upvote bots are a cancer. And the fact that, as you note, money controls the platform is in itself a problem that needs fixed. The manifesto says "Come for the rewards. Stay for the community" - that's the best part of Steemit, the communities. There should be a balance between money and community spirit.
I believe most people who think that Steemit should be fixed somehow feel that currently the balance is too stacked in favor of money and too little in favor of community spirit. Should the balance be at least a bit restored ? What do you think ? Or should it be all about money only ?
Before weird conspiracy theories pop up: reggaemuffin and I are two people who know each other but have separate accounts. There are people on Steemit that have met both of us (at the steemSTEM meetup).
The rest ... well I'm mostly just tired of the discussion, so I won't comment on the rest. ^^
Great points. @suesa's post is a perfect example. He was simply using bid bots to make an April Fool's joke and it worked. Now, the community is deciding whether they think it should earn as much as it did and are downvoting it. This proves my point exactly: at the end of the day, the community will decide the value of a post and upvote/downvote accordingly.
I don't feel that bid bots pose any threat to Steem/Steemit. The fact of the matter is that only about 1-1.5% of all votes are from bid bots. The other 99% are from human users. What's funny is the people on Steemit complaining about the Trending page and using bots to boost their complaints lol. The real problem is the inability to separate out content based on what we want to see.. which is where communities come in. @steemitblog just announced that this new feature is coming soon. This is actually the topic of today's video that I'm about to post.
And money has always controlled this platform. That's just part of it. Not sure why people are bent out of shape about that. It's nothing new and doesn't really need to be changed. The more money (or SP) you have, the more control you have. I knew that from day one coming here. And it didn't stop me from coming here, putting in the work to get noticed, and investing in myself and my account. But I agree with you that there should be more focus on communities which is what I'm posting about today. Should be up very soon if you want to check it out.
And FYI - I've always been told that I'm the exception to the rule in every business venture I ever set out on. The truth is, I put in the work and make things happen... never complaining, never faulting others, never letting anything stop me. I just keep putting in the footwork and finding ways to be creative. I see this very much the same.
Why does everyone think I'm a guy ^^
Lol, sorry about that.. just a bad assumption and shows that I skimmed through your article. Great article by the way, which I'm now reading through again. And I can actually appreciate the joke.
I actually didn't expect it to get as much attention as it did, the bot votes were a gift. One that.. Brought more stress onto me than the gifter intended.
you admitted to that yourself in your post "The Truth" ! :-D
Damn, played myself here
"the community will decide the value of a post and upvote/downvote accordingly" - but that is wrong and contrary to both the Steem philosophy as explained in the whitepaper and to basic principles of social growth !
The community should decide whether to upvote or not to upvote. That is VERY, extremly, fundamentally different from downvoting. Downvoting is dangerous, socially corrosive and is akin to censorship.
Downvoting was intended as a tool to protect the blockchain from obvious, clear abuse, not as a means to rank the value of two normal posts
Bid bots: you are fooling yourself. 1,5% of votes in number, but how much in VP and rewards ? That's the number that counts ! I can use buildawhale and other bots that offer front-running services and get 1000 votes worth $0.000 followed by 1 vote from buildawhale, worth $100.000 ...
And even those 1000 that you assume are "human users" actually you have no way to say how many are not fake and duplicate accounts ...
And no, it's not funny that users complaining use bots to boost their complaints. Haven't you heard the saying "never bring a sword to a gun fight" ? If you want a complaint about a weapon heard you need to use at least the same weapon (or more powerful), otherwise your complaint will simply be ignored because "might makes right" - especially in a world ruled by money and money only ...
Finally, the "bouquet final" is extremly ironic - especially since you don't even realize how ironic it is !
Ok, let me run it past you slowly ... you've always been told that you are the exception to the rule ... which tends to indicate that it's probably true ... you are very likely a uniquely gifted and skilled individual ... which means that you cannot be the standard by which to judge the average user of this platform. Your example should be discounted as a "statistical aberation"
You are like Hercules saying "I don't see why all the fuss about those 12 tasks, they seemed very doable for me, I just came in and put in the work and made things happen ! I just kept putting in the footwork and finding ways to be creative with that stupid lion and with the Hydra and when cleaning those stables ... everybody else should just stop whining and simply put in the footwork like I did, what's so difficult ???"
If Steemit is a platform where one has to be Brandon Frye (or Hercules) to succeed, then Steemit has a problem. I'm sure you can understand that.
I agree completely. I just posted a video today on dtube talking about somewhat the same thing and overall my viewpoint is exactly this!
Thanks for the feedback, @aperterikk. I'll have to check out your video. I feel that there is some confusion around this topic and some healthy discussion may be the only remedy.
You're today's comment winner!! 😎🥂
Each day I pick a random comment on my post to upvote and today was your lucky day 🙌🏻
On a more practical level, steemit can be quite complex and there is a steep learning curve.
A bit like having to learn to drive a manual (or stick shift if you're American) after having an automatic gearbox for years.
I agree that those who have invested early or invested large sums should get a bigger say, however, there needs to be some sort of balance to that. Whales, who are less than 1% of users control more than 80% of the steem power.
Now this is not as bad as Facebook, but wasn't steem meant to be different?
day by day many people join in steemit , and there are many type of post we see. To make a successful steemit blockchain it need make some rule for everyone.
i just discovered you in youtube really your strategy is awsome i like what you have done
This comment has received a 0.22 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @kath1.
A rank of 61 in 4 months is quite impressive; but, curiosity makes me wonder if you invested upfront. You've already noted that you are a fan of bots for earning. I'm of the organic crowd. I can say that with all its 'flaws' Steem has put more pennies in my Wallet than any other social media platform I've spent time on.
Best regards.
Peace.
Thanks, I worked my butt off to get to a 61 reputation but it's been totally worth it. Unfortunately I wasn't around when Steemit first launched so I wasn't able to get in early, but I have invested around $10,000 on Steemit since I've been here. That was just for buying SBD and Steem Power. I feel that Steem is a safe place to store/invest my money. And seeing as I use the platform on a daily basis, it only makes sense to build my wallet here so that I have more influence.
And I agree with you completely, Steemit is probably the easiest platform to get started on and earn a little bit of money. I used to blog on a traditional website where I had to learn SEO, how to write articles that the search engines liked, how to craft the perfect posts, etc. And I never made any money from it lol.
I believe Steemit should be the new home for
disenchanted webmasters (like me)
and bloggers (like you).
So, here I am and enjoying the heck out of it...
Agreed @wizardave! It's perfect for us who have not found a healthy home elsewhere for our content. I personally love the way Steemit is and wouldn't change a thing at the moment. :)
I have some slightly different views on the effectiveness of the existing Steemit model and think there a lot of things in the model that still need fixing. I've already written a post on this and think you will find the points I raised interesting. I'd be happy to hear what you think after you have a read of my previous post here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@newsandviews/why-and-how-steemit-needs-to-improve-or-face-future-competition-that-will-come-in-to-replace-it
Lol!...This explains a whole lot! I'm not hatin' by any stretch of the imagination; but, unless someone comes to this platform with a serious expertise beyond blogging, Steem is mostly an excellent opportunity for learning everything crypto.
And yes, it definitely is a safe place to 'invest/store' funds. I totally agree with you on that one. Since it's secure dollar for dollar it's a win/win situation.
The Steemit, busy et al platforms are also a lot of fun for the most part; and even, more so when the STEEM 'value' increases...lol...
Best regards!
Peace.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and this one in particular @brandonfrye
your content of the post is so informative for us...
thanks a lot for sharing your valuable post with us...
@upvote & @resteem has done..
Thanks @rubel24, much appreciated!
welcome...
keep me with you...
I want to present you...